Gibbering Dutchmen ?

[CSA Today]

"During the winter (of 1865), General Lane received a note from General Wilcox, asking if he could 'catch a Yankee' that night for General Lee, as some of the enemy were moving and he could not get the desired information through his scouts. [Major Thomas Jones] Wooten [of the 18th North Carolina] was sent for and the note handed him. After sitting a while with his head between his hands, he look...ed up with a bright face, and said: 'I can get him.' Early next morning, followed by a crowd of laughing, ragged rebels, he marched seven prisoners to headquarters, and with a merry good morning, reported: 'I couldn't get that promised Yankee for General Lee, but I caught seven Dutchmen.' They were sent at once to division headquarters with a note from the Brigadier, giving the credit of the capture to Wooten, and stating that if General Lee could make anything out of their 'foreign gibberish,' it was more than he could."

General James Lane

Photo: Grave of Major Thomas Jones Wooten. Buried Oak Grove Cemetery, Robeson County, N.C.

 

[KeyserSoze]

And a few months later they were surrendering to those same Dutchmen.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Bet they spoke English fairly well, went back to conversing in German amongst themselves because they knew perfectly well no one would be able to understand them- maybe even pretended they did not understand English at all! Even better!

 

[Rebforever]

And a few months later they were surrendering to those same Dutchmen.

Not from prison they wouldn't.

 

[KeyserSoze]

So they surrendered to some other ones.

And now I am a first lieutenant. Wow.