Screen question

I am trying to use 'screen -S <session> -X hardcopy <filename>' to capture a
detached screen's current output to a file. 
 
The detached screen sessions were started with 'screen -m -d -S <session> -h
1000' by a startup script. 
 
When I try the command, the output file is empty. Strangely, if I attach an
XTerm to the screen and then detach it, the hardcopy command works OK on
that screen from then on. 
 
What's wrong and is there a way around this? 
 
I am using screen version 3.09.15 
 
Rich Newpol 
Marconi Communications 
Pittsburgh, PA