Letter from Senator Carskadon.
January 6, 1864
Hampshire County,
December 31, 1863.
Editors Intelligencer:
Last night I made another narrow escape. Just at dark my house was surrounded by part of McNeill's Rangers. Myself and another man made our escape while the third man who was teaching school for us was captured, after being fired at several times. They took off the horses I had left. The teacher escaped afterward by running.
They also surrounded my brother's house, captured two black men and took off all his horses. One of the blacks dodged them before they were fairly under way, and the other escaped after going some distance, by taking to the bushes. They fired at him as he ran but without effect.
Yours respectfully,
James Carskadon.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: December 1863