Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-04-16
Terrible Suffering Of q Gallant Band
Of Patrfots-A Story that Ought TO
Sink Deep into Every American
heart. -F r :"

H-.-s - ID -''~s 49,
: -I-H'lH '1fi --b .dt tf-1sr .a
REPORT or THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL
TO TIE SECRETARY OF WAR.
Judge Adv. Gems. Office, March p, 1868.
Sir: l have the honor to transmit for
your consideration the accompanying depo
sitions of: IL 4...h I. 80. !. ...' .Ha.
Corporal William Pittinser, Company @,
Second Regiment Ohio Volunteers: !.
Private Jacob Parrot, Company K, Thir-
ty.tbird Regiment Ohio Volunteers:
Private Robert Butfum. Co. Ii, Twenty
first Regiment Ohio Volunteers: r
Corporal William Reddick, Company B,
Thirth-third Regiment Ohio Volunteers;
Private William Benninger, Company @,
Twenty first Regiment Ohio Volunteers:
Taken at this Office on the 18th instant.
iD compliance with your written instruc
tons, from which the following facts will
appear: :
Yates belonged TO an expedition set on foot
in April, 1862, at the suggestion OF Mr.. j.
j. Andrews, a citizen of Kentucky, who led
it, and under the authority aud direction of
Gen. o. NJ. Mitchell, the object OF which
was to destroy the communications on tue
Georgia State Railroad, between Atlanta
and Chattanooga. ......- a.. ig.u.i, p.
The mode OF operation proposed was to
reach point on the road where they could
seize locomotive and train Vi cars, and
then dash back in the direction Of Chatta-
nooga, cutting the telegraph wires and
burning the bridges behind them as they
advanced, until they reached their own
lines. The expedition consisted OF twenty
four men, who, with the exception of its
leader, Mr. Andrews, and another citizen
OF Kentucky, who acted on the occasion as
the substitute of a soldier, had been select
ed from the different companies for their
known courage and discretion.
| They we're informed that the movement.
was to be secret one, and they doubtless
comprehended something Of its perils, but
Mr.. Andrews and Mr. Reddick alone seem
to have known anything of its precise di-
rection or object. They, however, volun-
tarily engaged in it, and made their way, in
parties Of TWO and three, in citizens dress,
and carrying only their side arms, to Chat
tanooga, the point of rendezvous agreed up
on, where twenty-five out OF the twenty four
arrived safely. Here they took passage,
without attracting observation, for Mariet-
ta which they reached at II clock on the
night of the llth Of April.
The following morning they took the cars
back again toward Chattanooga, and at a
place called Big Shanty. while the engineer
and passengers were breakfasting, they de-
tached the locomotive and three box-cars
from the train and started at full speed for
Chattanooga. They were, now upon the
! field Of the perilods operations proposed by
the expedition, but suddenly encountered
| unforeseen obstacles According to the
schedule of the road. of which Mr.. An.
drews had possessed himself, they should
have met but single train on that day,
whereas they met three, two of them being
engaged on extraordinary service.
About an hour was lost in waiting to al
low these trains to pass, which enabled
their pursuers to press closely upon them.
They removed rails, threw out Instructions
on rhe road, and cut the wires from time
to time, and attained, when in motion, a
speed OF sixty miles an hour; but the time
lost could not be regained. After having
run about one hundred miles, they found
their supply of wood, water and oil ex-
hausted, while the rebel locomotive which
had been chasing them was in sight Un.
der these circumstances they had no alter
native but to abandon their cars aud fly to
the woods, which they did, under the Or
ders Of Mr.. Andrews, each one endeavoring
to save himself az best he night =.
l The expedition thus failed from cause:
l which reflected neither upon tho genius By
which it was planned, nor upon the intre
pidity and discretion of those engaged il
conducting it. But for the accident o.
meeting the extra trains, which could moi
have been anticipated, the movement would
have been o complete success, and the
whole aspect Of the war in the. South and
Southwest would have been at once chang
ed. The expedition itself, in the da ring o.
u it's conception, had the wildness of a ro
nance; while, in the gigantic /, and over
whelning results which it sought and wa
4 likely to accomplish, was absolutely sub
The estimate Of its character entertained
in the South will be found fully expressc,
!, in an editorial from the Southern Co,yed
y erdcy, a prominent rebel journal, under dat
Of the 18th of April, and which is append
ed to and adopted as o part OF Mr.. Pitten
3 gers deposition. The, editor says: 'Th
|, mind and heart shrink back appalled, at th
bare contemplation of the awful conseQuen
2 ces which would have followed the ,succes
. Of this act. We doubt if the victory Q
, Manassas or Corinth were worth as much I
us as the Illustration Of this grand cou
detat. 1t is not by any means certain thi
the annihilation Of Beauregard' s whole arm
. at Corinth would be 30 fatal blow to US .
would have been the burning Of the bridge
: 1t the time by these men"
80 soon as those composing the expeditio
had left the oars, and dispersed themselv'
IN the woods, the population Of the counti
around turned out in their pursuit, emplo.
n ing for this purpose the dogs which Al
v trained to hunt down tho fugitive slaves
8 the South. The whole twenty-five wei
9 captured. Among them was private Jaco
n Parrot, Of. company X, 33d regiment OH
y Volunteers. When arrested ho was, will
out any form Of trial, taken possession {
q BY military officer and four soldiers, VIII
3 stripped him, bent him over stone, an
d while two pistols were held over his head,
q lieutenant 10 rebel uniform inflicted with
n raw hide, OF upwards hundred ashes on b
I bare back. This was done In the prescnc
of an infiriated crowd, who elamored 4
v his blood, and actually brought rope wit
r which 10 hang him. The object Of th
q prolonged, scouraging was to force th
n young man to confess to them the object
n the expedition, and the names Of his con
d rades, especially that Of the engineer WI
4 had run the train. Their purpose was, I
o,l,, D., "a t1n Eia nf tha n,