Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1863-04-17
Thrilling Account of a most Daring Ad'
venture!
SHOCKING REBEL BARBARTTIEs
Report Of Judge Advocate- General !
The Ficndishness of Thugs sur-
passed htf,e
JuDoE-ADvocArE GKNERAL's o!FIcE,
March 81, 1863.


STR: have the honor to transmit for your
consideration the accompany dispositions Of Cor
poral William Pittenger, Co. @, I'd Regiment
Ohio Vols; Private Jacob Parrot Co, X. 33d
Regiment Ohio Vols; Private Robert Buffman,
Co. H. 2lst Regiment Ohio Vols; Corporal Will
liam Reddick, Co. b, 33d Ohio Vols; Private
William Bensinger, Co. q, 2lst Ohio Vols.--ta-
ken at this Office on the 25th inst, in compliance
with your written instructions; from which the
following facts will appear:
These non-commissiohed officers and privatcs
belonged TO an expedition set ON foot in April,
1862, at the suggestion Of Mr.. ]. J. Andrews a
citizen of Kentucky, who led H. and under the
authority and direction of General o. b. Mitch.
ell, the object of which was to destroy the COM
municati0ns on the Georgia State Railroad, be-
tween Atlanta and Chattanooga.
The mode Of operation proposed was to reach
point on the road where they could seize To-
comotive and train Of cars, and then dash back
in the direction of Chattanooga, cutting the tele-
graph wires and burning the bridges behind
them as they advanced, until they reached their
own lines. The expedition consisted of % men,
whos with the exception of its leader, MIR. And
rews, and another citizen of Kentueky--who
acted on the occasion the substitute of a SOL
dier--had been selected from the different COM
panies for their know courage and discretion.
They we're informed that the movement was to
be secret one, and they doubtless comprehend
ed some of it's perils but Mr.. Andrews and Mr..
Reddick alone seem to have known anything OF
It's precise direction or object. They, however,
voluntarily engaged in it, and made their way
in parties Of twoor three, in citizens Dress car
rying only their side-arms to Chattanooga, the
point Of rendezvous agreed upon, where % o
the "a arrived safely. Hero they took passage
without attracting observation, for Marietta
which they reached at l2 o'clock on the night o.
the i1th of April The following morning they
took the cars back again toward Chattanooga
and at place called Big Shanty, while the en-.
gineer and passengers were breakfasting, they
detached the locomotive and three box carr
from the train, and started at full speed for Chat
tano0ga. .q ~ slstf s,-.,r.,..,.I..f4
They were now upon the field Of the perilou,
operations proposed by the expedition, but sud.
denly encountered unforeseen obstacles. Ac.
cording to the schedule Of the road, of which Mr.
| Andrews 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
ia waiting TO allow these trains TO pass, which
enabled their pursuers to press closely upon
them. They removed rails, threw ont obstruct.
ions on the road, and cut the wires from time "a
time, and attained, when in motion, speed o
sixty miles an hour; but the time lost could moi
be regained. After having run about one humid
red miles, they found their supply of wood, wa.
ter, and oil, exhausted, while the rebel loconlo.
tive which had been chasing them was in sight
Under these circumstances they had no alterna.
| tive but TO abandon their cars and fly to the
woods, which they did, under the orders Of Mr.
Andrews, each one endeavoring TO save hinisel
as best he might. trrF
The expedition thus failed from causes which
reflected neither upon the genius by which i
was planned, nor upon the intrepidity and dis
cretion Of those engaged in conducting il. Blu
| for the accident of meeting the extra trains
which could not have been anticipated--tht
movement would have been a complete success
and the whole aspect of the war in the Soutl
and Southwest would have been at once changed
The expedition ITSELF in the daring of its eoncep
| tiOn, had the wildness of a romance: while 10
the gigantic and overwhelming results, which Il
sought and was likely to accomplish, il was alb.
solutely sublime. The estimate Of its character
entertained in the South will be found fully ex
pressed in an editorial from the Southern Con,
teaeraey, prominent rebel journal. under dat'
of the 18th of April, and which is appended Il
and adopted as part of Mr.. Pittengcr's dcspo
| sition The editor says: "The mind and hear
shrink back appalled, at the bare contemplation
Of the awful consequences which would have
followed the success Of this one act. We dOub
If the victory of Manassas or Corinth were wortl
as mnch to us as the Illustration of this grans
coup q stat. 1t is not by any means certain tina
/
Corinth would be so fatal blow to usas woulS
have been the burning of the bridges at that tim
by these men," OH
So soon as those composing the expedition
had left the cars, and dispersed themselves il
the woods, the population of the country rounC
turned out in their pursuit, employing for thi
purpose the dogs which are trained to hun
down the fugitive slaves Of the South. Tn
whole % were captured. Among them was pri
vate Jacob Parrot of Co. K, SD Regiment 0hi'
Volunteers When arrested he was, withou
any form Of trial, taken possession Of by a mill
tary officer and four soldiers, who stripped him
bent him over a stone, and, while two pistol
were held over his head, Lieutenant in rebe
uniform inflicted, with raw hide, upward OF
hundred lashes on his bare back. This wa
/ done in the presence ofan Infatuated crowd, VIII,
clamored for his blood, and actually brought
rope with which to hang him. The object o
this prolonged scourging was to force this younI
| man 70 confess 10 them the objects OF the exped
1 ition and the names of his comrades, especially
that of the engineer who had run the train.-
Their purpose was no doubt not only to talk
the life of'the latter if identified, but TO do o
with every circumstance OF humiliation am
torture which they could devise. Three times
in the progress of this horrible fogging, 1t wa
suspended. and Mr.. Parrot was asked The woul'
not confess; but steadily and firmly, to the las
he refused all disclosures and it was not till hi
t0rmentors were weary OF their brutal wor
that the task of subduing their victim was Aban
doned as hopeless. This youth is an orpha
without father OF mother. and without any {
the advantages OF education. Soon after the re
bellion broke out, though but l9 years Of age, b
left his trade, and threw himself into the ranh
Of our armies as a volunteer; and now, thong
still suffering from the outrages committed 0