The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1862.

A STORY OF 711 E WAR.

The Key West New Era publishes a remarkable
narrative furnished to it by two men of the 21st
Ohio regiment, wr o recently arrived at that place,
having effected their escape from the Confederate
States. They were two of a party of 20 whom Gen.
Mitchel sent from Huntsville on special service so
long ago as the beginning of last April. They were
disguised in citizens' clothes, and succeeded in mak-
ing their way to Chattanooga. There they took the
cars for Marietta, Georgia—one Andrews, a Ken-
tuckiau, and an exceedingly daring fellow, acting
as guide and leader. After speaking of their arrival
the narrative proceeds :-
46 The next morning, before daylight, we again took the
cars, and went back the same road to a place called Big
Shanty, a refreshment saloon on the line of the Georgia
and Atlantic State road, where were encamped about 10,0( 0
Confederate troops. It was the general rendezvous for re-
cruits and the organisation of regiments. The train con-
tained a number of soldiers as well as citizens, together
with a quantity of provisions, and an iron safe contain-
ing a large amount of Confederate scrip to pay the
I troops at Corinth ; and here it was that we knew the
duty we were expected to do—namely, destroy the track
and bridges on the line of the road, and thus prevent rein-
forcements and commissary stores from reaching Virginia,
Tennessee, and Georgia. Our whole party, consisting of
20, left the cars, and divided into squads of three and four,
taking stations on each side of the train—Andrews station-
ing himself at the coupling-pin of the third car. [lt must
here be stated that a number of our party were engineers,
and thoroughly understood the business we had on hand.)
One of our engineers was at his post, and found everything
all right. All hands now mounted the cars, although the
guard was within three feat of them; the word was given,
Andrews drew the coupling-pin, and cried All right.' The
train, now consisting of three cars and the engine, was
started off with as little noise as possible. We soon lost
sight of the lights at Big Shanty, and at the first curve the
train was stopped, and one of the party climbed the tele-
graph pole and cut the wires ; we then started, and the next
point, at a town, name unknown, we tore up the track, and
took a rail with us on the car, and thus we continued tear-
ing up the track and cutting the wires after passing a town.
Unfortunately, however, for us, the train was running in
a very slow schedule, and we were compelled to switch
off and let the down train pass us. At the first sta-
tion this oe,enrred, the engineer of the road made hie ap-
pearance, and was about to step on the engine, when
Andrews told him he could not come on board, as this was
an extra train to run through to Corinth, and the present
party were engaged to carry it there, and in support of the
assertion the iron safe was shown. This apparently satis-
fied the engineer, and we took in wood and water, and again
started. A second time we were compelled to switch off,
and, in order to get the switch keys, Andrews, who knew
the road well, went into the station, and took them from
the office. This caused considerable excitement, but. we
quieted it in a measure by stating that our train contained
gunpowder for Beauregard at Corinth, and soon after we
again started. About 20 miles south of Dalton, Georgia, we
came to a bridge, and here we set fire to one of our cars,
piled on wood, and left it on the bridge, designing to set
it on fire also. At this time, the engineer at the Rome
Branch, suspecting that all was not right, started up the
track, and, we suppose, found the rails torn up, and imme-
diately returned to the junction, took on board a quantity
of rails, and followed after us. Where we had torn up the
rails he immediately laid one, and without stopping to
fasten it started over slowly and gave chase. Soon he came
to the bridge with the burning car, which had not yet
caught the bridge. In the meantime we had switched off
to let an express pass, which train was duly informed of
our character by discovering the track torn up, and
stopped, but was soon joined by the Rome engineer, who
had succeeded in turning the burning car off the bridge :
they then started for us, laving the track as they went
along, which they could do in a much shorter time than we
could tear it up. Thus it was they overtook us at work, and
as soon as we found ourselves discovered speed was our hope,
and at it we went, but unfortunately for us our fuel was
nearly out, and it was then determined to leave the engine,
and take to the woods. Accordingly we stopped and re-
versed her, intending she should run back upon our pur-
suers; but in this we failed, as she had not sufficient steam
to turn her over, and our object had failed from a combina-
tion of unfortunate circumstances. Ten minutes more
would have set the bridge on fire, and the Rome engineer,
with the rails, could not have followed us, and the down ex-
press was entirely useless. It was our int. ntion to have de-
stroyed all the bridges, run into Chattanooga, wait until the
evening train passed, and then gone on to Bridgeport, de-
streyed the bridge over the Tennessee River, and then
away for Huntsville and join Gen. Mitchel. Our troubles
now commenced, and the greatest of all our disasters was
the division of our party. 'Twee now every man for himself.
We started for the Tennessee River, but, being entirely un-
acquainted with the country, mistook our way, and, after
being hunted through the woods and twice fired at, made
our escape. Our travels from this time were a succession of
hardships and difficulties. We crossed the mountains, and
made the Tennessee River, where we found a small boat,
with which we made our way down the river to Stephen-
son, Alabama. Here we found the entire rebel force in a
Ooo.pick.o -take ur ners.ining.d. as wo lasso*, by a
visit from our cavalry, which had made a dash into the
town, captured a few prisoners, and left that morning. We
had succeeded in passing through the town safely, when we
suddenly came upon a force of rebel cavalry, commanded
by Colonel Stephenson, who took us prisoners, just 14 days
after leaving the balance of our party. W e were immedi-
ately recognised as belonging to Andrews's party, and, after
being confined one night in Stephenson, we were taken on
the cars to Chattanooga, and confined in gaol, where we
found the whole party. It was endeavoured to make us
give the name of the engineer, as they had a terrible fate
wait for him, but not one of the party would divulge his
name. A court-martial was ordered to try Andrews,
and Pittenger, of the 2d Ohio, was taken out as a witness,
and by alternate offers of pardon and persecution they en
deavoured to maks him testify against Andrews, but he
was true to his word and companions, and the Court could
gain nothing from him. Andrews and Pittenger were then
sent back to us in gaol, and we expected nothing less than
the whole party would be hung. At this time, about the
10th of May, Chattanooga was threatened by our forces
and, for safe keeping, we were run off to Madison, Georgia.
At Marietta the cars were stopped by a mob who threatened
to drag us from the cars and hang us to trees, but the officer
in charge of the train prevented them from carrying it into
execution by placing a strong guard around the car, and
the mob, atter a great effort, was dispersed. We arrived
in safety at Madison, where, after being kept in confine-
ment three days, we were informed we were to be again
taken to Chattanooga, as the Yankees did not intend to try
and take that place. Accordingly, we were again taken
back to that place, where the whole party-22 in number—
were chained with heavy irons, and confined in a dark dun-
geon, 13 feet square, and for six weeks were fed on half
fare, of the most miseraMe quality. We were stripped of
all in our pockets, and left without a cent. Again the court
martial was ordered, but this time at Knoxville, and 12 of
our party were taken there and confined in large iron cages.
The Court found seven of them guilty of being spies and
lurkers around the camps. Our forces at this time advanced
upon Cumberland Gap, and Knoxville was threatened, and
in order that wo may be safely kept, the whole party, in-
cluding the ten at Chattanooga, were sent to Atlanta,
Georgia. Previous to leaving Chattanooga, Andrews's
sentence was read to him, which was that he was to be
hung in six days. It was then determined to attempt an
escape by cutting through the gaol, which was accomp-
lished in one night, and just at daybreak Andrews
twisted his blanket into the form of a rope, and succeeded
in reaching the fence. Whollam next followed, but was
discovered. Andrews, in attempting to climb the gaol-
yard fence, was also seen and fired upon by the guard,
but succeeded in getting over. Whollam also made a dash
and cleared the fence. Both then took to the river, and for
the time escaped. Three days afterwards Andrews was cap-
tured and brought back, and seven days elapsed before poor
Whollam was found. He had travelled 80 miles down the
river, and was twice within hail of the Union gunboats,but
was afraid to make himself known. As soon as those two
had been brought back, Andrews was chained, hands and
feet, and the irons rivetted on, the shackles being of im-
mense weight end sufficient to have held an ox. The
whole party were then run off to Atlanta, Georgia. On the
7th of June Andrews was taken from the gaol and hung, or
rather strangled no death, for the tree on which they hung
him was so low that when his head touched the limb his
toes touched the ground, and it was necessary to dig the
sand away in order that he could be choked ; his irons and
shackles were still on him. After remaining in gaol about
seven days, the Provost•Al arshal came to our cell and took
out the seven that were tried at Knoxville. These were
taken from the cell into an adjoining prison, and then sen-
tence of death was read to them, and permission refused
them to return to their comrades before execution, which
took place in half an hour aft, r leaving us. They were hung
with cotton ropes, and two of the party broke down, and
were allowed to live about an hour, and see them put their
comrades in coffins, after which they were again hung up
and their lifeless bodies passed our gaol window in about
half an hour. The balance of the party, expecting from day
to day to be taken out and hung, still lingered on a most
miserable existence for the space of four months. In Octo-
ber we were told that a Court-martial was about to be con-
vened to try us, and it was resolved to attempt an escape.
Accordingly, on the evening of the 16th of October,
just as our gaoler brought up our supper, we, together
with a Captain Fry, who was confined with us, known
as the notorious Captain Fry, spy, and bridge-burner,
rushed from our cell, took the keys, and released four other
prisoners, and in a body fell upon the guard and disarmed
them. We then succeeded in scaling the fence, and took
the shortest cut for the woods,distant about a mile. By this
time the guard and sentinels were after us, and, as they
began to fire upon us, our party scattered and ran, every
man for himself. We two, however, kept together, and
made good our escape. How many of the party were re-
taken or shot it is impossible to say. Captain Fry, after
being repeatedly shot at, staggered and fell ; it is therefore
pretty- certain that ,he was killed. We kept on, and after
wandering in the woods for 22 days, occasionally coming

within hearing of cavalry, and several times being near
caught, subsis ting upon corn and such things as we could
forage, we reached the borders of the Chatahooche River,
and there found a boat, with which we came down the
stream, and, after alternate rowing and drifting, subsisting
on raw catfish and berries, we reached Columbus, Georgia,
but did not venture in the city, as we discovered a great
many soldiers there. Again we started off, determined to
reach the Gulf coast, being told by negroes that our block-
ading fleet were stationed there. After a journey of 11
days, during which we suffered from hunger and thirst,with
scarce sufficient rags left of oar clothes to cover our bodies,
our feet bi uised and lacerated, we succeeded in reaching
Apalachicola Bay, on the coast of Florida, and there, for the
first time in eight months, beheld the flag of the United
States floating from the steamer Somerset. We were taken
on board and treated with the utmost kindness, and in due
course transferred to the steamers Stars and Stripes, in
which, on the 10th of November, we arrived at Key West,
nearly eight months from the time when we left our regi-
ment.

cellar, riflepit, and stone wall, and scamper off up the streets
of the town. With all their fleetness, however, many of
them were much too slow. With incredible rapidity the
Michigan and Massachusetts boys sweep up the hill, mak-
ing a rush for the lurking places occupied by the rebels, and
gaining them, each man captured his two or three prisoners.
The pontoon boats on their return trip took over more than
100 of these fellows.

You can imagine with what intense interest the crossing
of the first boat-load of our men was watched by the nume-
rous spectators on the shore, and with what enthusiastic
shouts their landing on the opposite side was greeted. It
was an authentic piece of human heroism, which moves men
as nothing else can. The problem was solved. This flash
of bravery had done what scores of batteries and tons of
metal had failed to accomplish. The country Rill not for-
got that little band. The loss in the perilous enterprise
was, so far as I could ascertain, as follows :

Killed—A. Wickson, coltpany A, and Corporal Joseph
L. Rice, company C.

Wounded—J. N. Basna, company G, mortally; Riley
Faulkner, severely ; Lieutenant Secore, company C ; C. H.
Hewson, company C, hand; Sergeant Thomas Galdwell,
company F, severely wounded in the shoulder; and Joseph
Crene, company F, arm.

The party once across, and the rebels cleaned out, it took
the engineers but a brief period to complete the bridge.
They laid hold with a will, plunging waist-deep into the
water, and working as men work who are under inspiration.
In less than half an hour the bridge was completed, and
the head of the column of the Right Grand Division, con-
sisting of General Howard's command, was moving upon it
over the Rappahannock. A feeble attempt from the rebel
batteries was made to shell the troops in crossing, but it
failed completely.

Your correspondent found an opportunity to cross the
river along with the party who first went over, in a boat,
having been curious to take a closer view of the city which
we have for near a month been observing over the river,
not 300 yards wide, without the power of visitation. As
the rebels were in very considerable force on the heights
back of the city, one could not extend his perambulations
beyond the street fronting on the river. Every one of the
houses which I here entered, a dozen or more, is torn to
pieces by shot and shell, and the fire still hotly rages in a
dozen parts of the city. A few citizens—a score or two,
perhaps—male and female,presently made their appearance,
emerging out of the cellars, whither they had taken refuge
during the bombardment. Three women, white, whom we
found in a cellar, told us that they, with a majority of the
inhabitants, had moved out of Fredericksburg a fortnight or
no previously, but that, growing reassured by our long
delay, they, with a good many others, bad come back the
evening before. The former inhabitants they report as now
living in various parts of the environs, some in negro huts,
ana other in tents made with bedclothes, &c.
During the afternoon of the bombardment we observed a
couple of white handkerchiefs waved out of the windows of
a house in the city. This was taken by some for a flag of
truce, and the chief of Artillery was on the point of causing
the shelling to cease. General Burnside, however, having
decided that it was probably only the wonted rebel ruse,
ordered operations to be continued. We found out that
the demonstrations were made by two women referred to,
with the desire that we should send over a boat and convey
them away from Fredericksburg.
Among other prominent objects during the bombardment
was a large British flag flying over the house of the English
Consul. This personage, however, was not found in hie
house when we entered the city, and the flag was taken
possession of and brought away.

A number of rebel dead were found in various parts of
the city, some exhibiting frightful mutilations from shells,
and I took as a trophy a rifle, still loaded, out of the grasp
of a hand belonging to a headless trunk.

The infantry in the city appear to have been Mississip-
pians, South Carolinians, and Floridans. Those of them
we took prisoners were wretchedly clad, and mostly with-
out blankets or overcoats, but they generally loOked stout
and healthy, and certainly in far better condition than they
could have been were there any truth in the report of some
deserters the other day to the effect that for three weeks
they had nothing to eat but the persimmons they were able
to pick up.

Although we are not yet fully informed of the present
position of the enemy, there seems to be good ground to
claim that General Burnside has succeeded in outgeneraling
and outwitting them. His decoys to make them believe
that we were about to cross our main force at Port Con-
way seem to have succeeded admirably. I suppose there
is no harm now in my mentioning that among the ruses
he employed was sending down, the day before yesterday,
to Port Conway 300 waggons, and bringing them back by
a different road, for the sole purpose of making the rebels
believe we were about to cross the river at that point. To
the same end, workmen were busily employed in laying
causeways for supposed pontoon bridges there, while the
gunboats were held as bugaboos at the same place. Com-
pletely deceived by these feints, the main rebel force, in-
cluding Jackson's command, seems to have been two or
three days ago, transferred 20 or 25 miles down the river.
It must be remembered, however, that without the utmost
celerity on our part they can readily retrieve this blunder
by a forced march or two. Signal guns, at 5 o'clock this
morning, gave them the cue to what was going on, and
doubtless they have not been idle during the intervening
hours. To-morrow will disclose what unseen moves have
been made on the chessboard. W. S.