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HISTORIC GARDENS OF VIRGINIA oe ——— a cealing himself and his prisoner in some cedar thickets and remained there all night, having tied the officer to his arm, lest he should drop off to sleep and his prisoner escape. The next day when the Federal army had passed on, he took him across to Waynesboro and delivered him to the Confederate Army. In the meantime the capture had been witnessed by the passing troops and in a few minutes the lawn swarmed with soldiers. A number of them went in hot pursuit of their officer, but in vain. The soldiers said that if it were Colonel Cochran who had taken the prisoner they would burn the house and destroy everything on the place. The frightened women were called out and testified most earnestly that Colonel Cochran was away with the Gray Army, and knew nothing of the capture. No! ‘The men would not believe them until the family Bible was brought out and all, including the servants, were made to place their hands on it and swear that it was not Colonel Cochran. One‘stalwart young slave, Grandison Ware, by name—he was a mulatto but looked more like an Indian warrior—stepped behind his young mistress and whispered low, ‘Don’t you be skeered, Miss Lizzie, I done brung my axe and I’m gwine use it, too, if these Yankees do any harm.’ And he stood with his axe in his hand until the last blue-coat had disappeared. The next morning as John Opie was taking his prisoner to the Confederate camp, he passed by Woodland, an adjoining estate, and seeing the young daughter of the house seated on the porch, he called, ‘“‘Here, Bettie, take this offcer’s sword and keep it for me. If I am killed it is yours, but surviving I will return for it ~ when the war is over.’ Bettie Eskridge took the sword and carried it up into the garret; she prized a plank from the floor and put the sword underneath, then carefully nailed the board back in place. There it lay undisturbed until the war was over. Captain Opie returned, got the sword and sent it North, to Captain Johnson, the captured officer, who had been on General Crook’s staft. The handsome sword was engraved with his name, and “Presented by the Ladies of Philadelphia.”’ L332]
