From the Richmond Dispatch, 5/11/1863, p. 2, c. 2

Held as Hostages. – A few weeks since Milrov, the Abolition General who commands at Winchester, caused a number of well-known citizens of Woodstock, Va., to be seized and retained as hostages for a notorious scoundrel and renegade Virginian named J. H. Smurr, who had at one time been sent to Richmond as a prisoner and lodged in Castle Thunder. Smurr, by his knowledge of the Valley and its people and their sentiments, was enabled to inflict much misery on his fellow-citizens, and richly deserved, if he has not received, condign punishment. Gen. Jones, our commander in the Valley, has seized on the following men and sent them to Richmond, to be retained in custody as hostages for the safe return of the citizens of Woodstock arrested by order of Milroy, viz: P. M. Jeffries, Wetzel county, Va.; Duckett Gartree, Western Virginia; Rev. J. H. Jones, Ritchie co.; John Coleman, do.; Wm. White, do.; Patrick Croughan, do.; Henry Parker, Parkersburg, Va.; Wm. F. Sinsel, Taylor co., Va.; John Rooney, Patterson, Va.; A. C. Garey, Harrison co., Va.; Thos. D. Armstrong, Doddridge co.; Thos. Hill, Bridgeport, Va.; Wm. Brown, Preston, Va.; Geo. Snyder, Pendleton co., Va. Smurr was sent up to Rockbridge county two months ago to be tried for some of his numerous offences.

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