The Greensborough Patriot

April 24, 1862

Page 4

Good For Dick—At the battle of Elkhorn, a mess composed of Lieut. Jett. Ed. Smith, and several others of this vicinity, had for a servant a negro boy named Dick, belonging to our esteemed fellow citizen, Thos. Smith, Esq.  Before going into battle, the boys not wishing to be robbed by the Hessians, left all their money, about $500, in the hands of Dick as their banker, and ordered him to stay with the rear guard and baggage.  The battle raged long, and Dick became very uneasy about his mess missing their regular meals, in the midst of such sharp exercise.  At length he loaded himself with provisions, and went to take them their dinner.  He fell into the hands of the enemy, and found himself a prisoner.  Dick affected to be delighted with the circumstance, and told them that he was a Union man, and belonging to one of the best Union men in the world “old man Smith, about twenty miles off.”  (The distance is 250 miles.)  They kept Dick along without searching him, and at Bentonville, one night, Dick saw his chance and “vamoosed.”  He came into the mess with the money all safe, and with a fine overcoat for himself, which he “found” just on leaving.