On
the 23d of August, 1863, Captain Ned Gillingham, of the Thirteenth New
York cavalry, with an escort of eight Sergeants, whilst going from
camp, near Centreville, as bearer of despatches to Washington, was met
on the road near Allandale, abot two o’clock P. M., by a detachment of
the Second Massachusetts cavalry, the Sergeant of the latter asking
Capt. Gillingham if they need apprehend any danger; to which Capt.
Gillingham replied: “So rar, we have not met with any obstruction.”
Capt. Gillingham had scarcely gone over four hundred yards, when he was
met by a party of Mosby’s cavalry, consisting of about one hundred men,
by whom he was ordered, under fire, to halt. Capt. Gillingham, taking
them for our own troops, (as they were dressed similarly to his own
men) replied: “Hold up firing00you are fools00you are firing on
Government troops;” to which the Captain of the troops replied:
“Surrender there, you Yankee—–.” Capt. Gillingham replied he could
not see the joke. Then, turning to Sergeant Long, Orderly of company B,
and to Sergeant Burnham, ordered them to draw their sabres and follow
him. A general conflict ensued, in which sabres and pistols were freely
used, resulting inthe wounding of Orderly Sergeant Long and Sergeant
Zeagle, both of company B, who, with four other Sergeants, were all
taken prisoners. Capt. Ned Gillingham and Serg. Burnham effected their
escape, the former having been wounded in the arm, and the latter in
the hip, as well as hiving their horses shot. Obtaining horses on the
road, they reached Washington about six o’clock P. M.