MOORESVILLE, N. C.,

July 6, 1897. Major Henry S. Burrage, Portland, Me.:

MY DEAR SIR: Your very interesting letter is at hand, and in reply would say that Lane's Brigade was made up of the Seventh, Eighteenth, Twenty-eighth, Thirtythird, and Thirty-seventh North Carolina regiments. At the time referred to, it occupied the Petersburg lines on either side of the road leading to the Jones' house, the Seventh being at that time on the right of the brigade, though it was subsequently, about the middle of November, transferred to the left of the brigade, where it remained until the latter part of February, 1865, when it was sent on detached service to North Carolina. Beyond the Jones' house in the direction of Pegram's and the Federal line, there was a body of woodland which extended along the front of the line held by Lane's men-in places more dense now and then jutting out further into the open field-the left of the line being in the woods altogether.

From twenty to twenty-five men were detailed daily from each of the five regiments of the brigade for picket duty. Each regimental detail was commanded by a lieutenant. The details when assembled formed the brigade picket, which was commanded by a commissioned officer-the captains of the various regiments in turn being assigned to this duty. Occasionally Lane's Brigade Sharpshooters, under Major

Wooten, were put on picket, especially when it was desirable to penetrate the Federal lines and get prisoners for purposes of information. Ordinarily the picket was relieved from 9:30 to 10 a. m. To your first question, "Was he (Teague) in command of the line when I exchanged at that time (in the morning)?" Answer. I do not know. If the exchange was effected before 9:30 or 10 o'clock in the forenoon, it is very probable that he was not on duty at the time. "Did General Heth's courier [General Joseph Davis's courier, with whom, as I have since learned, I exchanged in the morning] tell him (Teague) of the arrangement he made with me?" Answer. He did not. "Also, do you know why it was that General Heth's [General Joseph Davis's] courier did not come out to get the papers in accordance with that arrangement?" Answer. I do not. I certainly did not know or hear of any understanding in regard to exchanging papers with General Heth's courier or any one. else on that occasion, and my first and only information is derived from your statement in regard thereto, and I doubt not but that the gallant Teague went to his grave in ignorance of any such arrangement. I heard Lieutenant Teague relate the incident more than once, and he uniformly told the same story about a Federal officer coming out of the woods in front of his picket and waving a paper. At a loss to know why he came so near, and naturally sup

posing that the Federal officer was out to see the Confederate line, he, Teague, demanded and compelled his surrender. I said in a former communication that the affair was by many regretted at the time, and that there was some disposition to censure Lieutenant Teague. This was due to a false impression that he had induced the Federal officer to come near his line in order to capture him. This was easily disproved by Teague and his friends, and his action, as heretofore stated, was approved by his comrades in arms, and also by his regimental commander, and it is a pleasure to me at this late day that you do not allege any unfair action on his part. As to myself [in answer to an inquiry of my own] I entered the service as a private in Company B, Seventh N. C. Regiment, June, 1861, was promoted second lieutenant June 27, 1862, first lieutenant March, 1862,captain of same company May 3, 1863, and retained this rank to the surrender.

Colonel R. V. Cowan, Thirty-third N. C. Regiment, commanded Lane's brigade from the latter part of October, 1864, to about the middle of December, 1864. I can readily see why Captain Summers sent the captured officer to Colonel Cowan, but I am at a loss to know why he was in turn sent to General Heth instead of General Wilcox, the division commander, unless it was because of General Heth's connection with the affair through his courier.

If you get your sword, let me know, please.

Sincerely yours,

J. S. HARRIS.

Thinking that possibly Captain Summers could give further information, I now wrote to F. D. Goodwin, Esq., of Middlesborough, Ky., who replied as follows:

MIDDLESBOROUGH, KY., July 1, '97. Major Henry S. Burrage, Portland,

Me.:

DEAR SIR: Your letter of inquiry was duly received, and in reply I will say that I would have answered before, but Captain Summers has been in Nashville, Tenn., attending the Confederate reunion, consequently I have been unable to get an interview with him; but he has at last returned and an opportunity has presented itself for an interview, and I have got all the information that I possibly could from him.

In reply to your first question, he says, that he was on duty in the morning if his memory serves him correctly, and he was the first officer on duty for the day, and also there was no purpose in your capture; in other words he had no special orders. to arrest you; he was simply carrying out the order of General Lee, issued late the day before, that no more papers should be exchanged, and you being the first one that attempted to make the exchange, it was his duty under the order to make the capture. He says that he thought at the time it was very hard on your part from the fact that you were unaware that such an order had been issued by General Lee or any of the officers on the Union side. Captain Summers requests me to inform you by this letter that he has received your letter, and that he has

written to North Carolina to see if he can get any further information in regard to the sword, and as soon as he hears from there, he will write to you giving you all the facts that led to your capture and the taking of the sword, and how it happened that he did not retain possession of it, as near as he can remember it. Hoping you will succeed in getting the long lost sword,

I am truly yours,

F. D. Goodwin.

The person in North Carolina, to whom Captain Summers wrote, was Captain A. A. Hill, Company G, Seventh North Carolina Regiment, who, writing from Taylorsville, N. C., July 7, 1897, said :

"Captain Teague, to whom the sword was delivered, is dead, also his wife, and I could strike no trace of it till yesterday. Captain N. A. Pool, Company K, Seventh Regiment, N. C. T., who is now a resident of Texas, through his brother, W. A. Pool, settles the question. If you take The Landmark you will see the piece; if not, Captain Pool says he left the sword at Belton, Cass county, Mo., with the Masonic Lodge at that place."

In forwarding Captain Hill's letter, Captain Summers wrote as follows: Middlesborough, KY., July 11, 1897. Major Henry S. Burrage:

DEAR SIR: I inclose you a letter from Captain A. A. Hill of Taylorsville, N. C., with whom I have been corresponding in regard to the sword. That locates the sword. Any more information that you may want, I

will give if it is in my power to do so, and I have sent for the paper Captain Hill refers to in his letter and will forward it to you when received. I am glad to know that time has dealt kindly with you. Very respectfully,

J. A. SUMMERS.

July 7, Captain J. S. Harris sent to me the following note: "I send printed slip from The Landmark which explains itself. Captain N. A. Pool commanded Company K, Seventh North Carolina Regiment, and Lieutenant R. H. Teague was his first lieutenant." The printed slip was as follows:

CAPTAIN BURRAGE'S SWORD. The Landmark finds it for him. It is in a Masonic Lodge in Missouri, where it was carried by Captain Pool, who obtained it from Lieutenant Teague, of Alexander. To the Editor of the Landmark:

My brother, Captain N. A. Pool, is afflicted with rheumatism in his hands and arms so that he cannot write, and he asked me to write you some facts in answer to the inquiry of Captain Henry S. Burrage, of Portland, Me., concerning his sword. The inquiry was in your issue of the 11th of June. My brother was North Carolina troops, as many of captain of Company K. Seventh your readers know, and R. H. Teague, deceased, late of Alexander county, N. C., was his first lieutenant. These are the facts as related by my brother, and he can come nearer telling what occurred every day during the war than any man I ever met.

The general (A. P. Hill) had issued very strict orders forbidding the exchange of papers, and commanding his men to capture every Federal officer who offered an exchange. So upon the day mentioned by Captain Burrage, November 1, 1864, Captain James A. Summers was officer of the picket line of his brigade, and Lieutenant R. H. Teague, of Company K, Seventh North Carolina, was lieutenant and in command of the pickets from the Seventh Regiment. During the day, a Federal officer showed himself between the lines, and in front of Lieutenant Teague, to exchange papers. He was no sooner seen than Teague ordered him arrested in obedience to orders. Lieutenant Teague delivered the officer with his sword to Captain Summers, which was his duty. Captain Summers. sent the prisoner to the superior. officer but kept his sword. When Lieutenant Teague learned that Captain Summers had the sword he claimed that if it did not follow the prisoner he was entitled to it, and petitioned General Lane for an order giving him the sword. General Lane thereupon appointed some officers of the brigade to hear evidence and decide the matter. They gave the sword to Lieutenant Teague and he carried it the rest of the war, and brought it home with him. After the war closed, and just before my brother left Alexander county, he and Lieutenant Teague had a business transaction and Teague fell in his debt. Teague said he did not have the money to pay and asked my brother to take his sword, and

said it was the one he captured with the Federal officer. Brother took it and carried it with him to Missouri. While living in Missouri they organized a Masonic Lodge at Belton, in Cass county, and he let them have that sword for the tyler's use. Brother left Missouri in 1874 and came to Texas, where he has lived ever since, and his address is Captain N. A. Pool, Mansfield, Tarrant Co., Texas. He says the sword was in the Masonic Lodge at Belton, Cass county, Mo., when he left there and he supposes is there yet.

Captain Pool sends regards to all his old comrades in arms in North Carolina and elsewhere. He is very much afflicted now; is confined to his room all the time with rheumatism.

W. A. POOL.
Mansfield, Texas, June 30, 1897.

Captain Harris, in his note of July 7, referring to this letter, adds, "The statement that Teague carried the sword the rest of the war, etc., is, I think, a mistake, as he sent it home at the time, and I distinctly recollect hearing him say so; but that is not material. Captain Pool is an honorable gentleman and his statement can be relied on. If I mistake not he commanded his regiment at the time of the capture."

At one other point, as appears in an earlier letter from Captain Harris, Captain Pool is in error. General Lane was not in command of his brigade at the time of the capture, but Colonel Cowan of the Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment, in the absence of General Lane.