The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-02
WAR ITEMS,
THE ADVENTURES OF THREE pRJSO.
NhRS.
humane treatment of Prisoners by Confed.
crates.
WASHINGTON, July 81. 1851.

as You have doubtless not lost sight of the adve
turous escape of Capt. Allen, of the 1lth Massach
,'s setts regiment, Mr.. Doherty, of the list Ne
D. York, and Mr. Waldorf of the I'd Wisconsin, fro
r. the hospital at Sudley Church. after the Manass
.e hght-an escapade which has been the theme
90 numerous newspaper paragraphs. l have had II
II pleasure of conversing with Mr.. Doherty, youn
RS gentleman, of very soldier-iike bearing and mo-
4, a. prepossessing address-so intelligent so franl
% and so modest wtha in his narrative (which h
permits me to repeat to you) as to leave to hi
auditor, by its straig ghtforwardness, no boo
= whereon to hang doubt. | think YOU will fin,
J., his story uncommony nteresting-certainly no
d the less so because veracious. Thus it was:
r About O'Clock on Sunday afternoon, lust as tbt
: chances OF the field were beginning to turn aoains
: the Federal troops, and the list had their barJ
Iuil, shell took oft the foot of comrade of ur
i Doherty-nls rear man-in Company A. Mr. D
Immediately proceeded to carry the poor fellow to
0 the hospital, and had hardly done so whom tbo
bugle sounded the retreat, and his regiment with
the rest OF the troops, retiring rapidIv Ieav
Ing him far behind. He at once made n dash for
ms own freedom, ana gained almost alone open
e ne'd, where party of Confederate troops under
Capt Barker, took him prisoner and conducted
him to the hospital at Sudley Church. Here he
found DR.. Pugnet amputating the arm of private
OF ihe seventy hrst, and assisted him to the best of
his ability In the performance of various surocaI
operations the whole afternoon. Twelve surgeons
were prisoners in the Church. and they remained
there Tor the relief of the wouuded-nearIy all Of
whom were Federas-all night There were 9S6
wounded at this place. 10 being exposed in the
open air tor lack of accommodations the rest in the
blacksmlth's shop carpenters shop and church
on Monday morning most of the prisoner sur
! geons were removed to Manassas, all being re-
CURED to give their parole; but all declined ex-
cept Drs Pugnet, Swift, Winston, Blackstone and
DeGrath. These latter returned and resumed the.
| duties in the hospital During the absence of the
surgeons, twelve of the wounded died ThiTtv-two
had died up to the time Of Mr.. Doherty's escape
On Friday night, about five minutes before 10
! O'Clock, by precoDcerted arranqement Cant AL
| len and Messrs Doherty and Wsldorf-who had
! from the first been allowed reasonable freedom of
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the guard at the bIack
! smiths shop. | must not forget to mention that
! MIR. aldorf was wounded in the arm and tba,
Capt. Allen had conrived to exchange hi, officers
uniform for that of a private, aud that he success
| fully affected to be wounded also. By an arrsngn
! ment 18th Rhode Island soldier they were to ba
! informed by signal when the guard should reach a
| certain point on his beat.
Tins prepared, they approached the sentry, ard
assuming the character and tone of Con federaie
officers, called out to him "haf past 10 there~-
they having previously ascertaned that the suard
was to be relieved at 10 o'clock The man, sus.
pecting nothing, immediately walked tn the .nd or
his beat to look for the reIieG at once the signal
was given by the Rhode Islander, and the three |
prisoners leaplng fence, noiseessy crossed n |
little brook, and were quickly concealed in the
woods. Mr.. DOherty believes that thew were mot !
missed till rocalI the next morning
They pushed forward with all speed that pipbt
and all OF the next morning. steering by the moon,
reached the house of MIR. Macon. Here thew re-
solved, at all risks, to stop and make Inquiries
BY Mrs. Macon, who alone was at home thew
go closely catechised as to render their
situation peculiarly uncomfortable They psss-
ed for men of the 4th Alabama regiment and
she showed that she was familiar with that
corps by inquiring as to the fate of two officers
named Grey. DohertY told her that one of then,
she piaH
the strength of other information which had reach
ed her, but hec suspicious were removed bv the
explanation that "the Grev we mean was a pri-
vatc' The fugltives, however, seeing that Mrs
Macon was by no means person of easy credulity
lost no time in relieving her Southern hospitality
OF their presence.
Near Leesburg, still passing for Alabamians
they met man who was satisfied with their story
that they picking blackberries, and had got
separated from their regiment. He kindly in.
formed them that they would find their comrades
at Balls Mill waiting for artillery. Near Milford
they met little boy and girl who directed them
for information, to the house of Mr. Edwards,
where they arrived at P. NJ. on Saturday.
Here also they perceived they were suspected
for horseman rode up, and after comforting with
Edwards departed hastily-when they slipped
away As they were pressing with all speed to-
wards the Potomac, party of about ten hursemen |
came suddenly upon them and ordered them to
halt; but as they had high fence on their right,
enclosing cover OF trees, they took no further no.
tce of the challenge save to leap the fence ths
horsemen discharging their pistols at them and
take refuge among the trees. Some farmers of the
neighborhood, hearing the firing were promptly
II, h33 With their guns and joining the horse
MIR Doherty assures $ G. thu troopers beat
the woods, the horse of one of them actually tired
slightly on his leg, as he lay in his hiding place.
After perhaps an hour and half of Intellectual
search, they abandoned the woods and took to the
road, concluding that the prisoners had given
them the slip, and got off in that way. Before
going, however, they left a man on guard, who
very soon lay down on a log but few feet from
IL, C,ou npha OH nst han cd had
avaed himself of the occasion aud his cozy con.
cealment to take nap, and when he was reused
by the captain, who whispered that they must be
moving, he had Just dreamed that he was prisoner
again. and could not easily shake off the impress
sion.
Their guard was still sleeping, and they might
easily have killed him with a six shooter, their
only arms but forbore from fear of bringing the
people down upon them At AZ O'Clock Sunday
morning they reached the Potomac here they tound
a solitary horseman, who made sudden rush, no
doubt to give the alarm, whereupon they plunged
at once into the river, and partly by swimming,
partly by wadiug, reached Long Island, IL miles |
from Washington.
Mr. Doherty assures me-apd Captain Allen will, |
| believe, cordially endorse his statement-that
nothing could exceed the magnanimity of the Con- !
federate officers towards their prisoners, wounded
or unwounded. Not harsh word fell from them |
to mortifv or insult the men who had Just struggled
with them. sword to sword, and bayonet to bayo- |
net; but, on the contrary, they displayed lively
solicitude for their comfort. This kindness es
pecially conspicuous in the artillery and cavalry
officers.
Capt. Ball, Who whilst prisoner at Washington
had been guarded by detachment of the list, was
assduous in his hOspitabe attentions. He and his
(whO were not In The night as has oeen report
ed) sent milk, eggs and brandy. farmer in the
neighborhood named Rickett was very kind. lie
and his wife sent the Federal wounded, soup, gruei
| and vGung lamb. They feel especially grateful
| to Captains White aud Patrick, and Col. Barker.
The latter said to them, "Take good care Of yGur-
! selves, bows, and see that your wounded have what
! they require"
General Beauregard rode up to the hospital, and
! gave particular orders that the enemy's wounded
! should be well attended. l am happy to record the
manly evidence of these gentlemen. No dying
! mans throat was cut, they say-no dead man
! robbed. FAIR fLAf'
Statement from Col. Miles.
This officer, who figures so conspicuousv IN the
late official repoits of Col Richardson, publishes
communication in the Washington Star OF last
evening for the purpose he says of correcting "the
| errors he (Col. Richardson) has com mltteo, ana
| adds in conclusion:
COL Richardson states a conversation with Lieu
tenant Colonel Stevens, of his command. | never
saw Colonel Stevens, to my knowledge never
gave him. or any one, the order to deploy bis col
umn; the order must have emanated from some one
eae, and hence my mstortune for on has impression
that | was drunk, those not Immediately connected
with me rung il over the field, without inquiry or
nvestig alton. This is all that is proper for me to
saw at this time, have called for court to IN
vestigate the whole transaction. Those VINO nave
read Richardson's report VIII CONFER ld'ol "
compare this statement with 1.-THE discrepancies
are glaring, the errors by deductions apparent.
L. S. MILES,
, Colonel I'd Infantry.
From the Cincinnati Gdzetts
Co;ro 10 be Attacked--I2, 900 Troops Have
Crossed the Mississippi.
q An alluson was made in the New Albany Ledger
Of Friday to information which had been placed IN
its possession to the effect that the railroads OF
Western Tennessee bad been taken possession OF by
r the authorities of Tennessee for the purpose OF
II conveying troops towards Cairo. The editor has
d the intelligence which he believes to be entirely
r authentic, confirming that OF Friday Twelve
thousand troops have already crossed the Mlsslssp
IS nj to New Madrid, where they are to be joined oV
$ others from Tennessee, Arkansas ana Mksouri,
d numbering in the aggregate fifty thousand men
/ well supplied with artillery. These troops are tt
V make speedy attack on Cairo, almost bare o
n troops, in consequence of the expiration OF th
terms of the three months volunteers, and 1t i
rs believed BY them that the entire force of Genera
l. Prentis will be easily captured, and the war TIM
At transferred to the Ohio River border and Missouri
Is This intelligence from source that VIII no
OIL permit the editor to disregard 1t.
n MORE PARTICULARS. =,
The following despatch was sent to UoV' mor'on
to VI New ALBANY, July II.
ed CovrRNoR o. p. MoRToN:-A gentleman OF GU
acnuaintance, and perfectly rellaoe, direct ro!
a re5nessee saws an immediate attack on Cairo
at contemplated. 1000 men left Union CITY yesteI
ge dsy 900 left Randolph, and 1000 left Corinth,
for New Madrid, the rendezvous This Is reliable
to Telegraph Governor Yates.