Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-01-01
TO Editor of the SciOto Gasetts:

tory of the adventurous tour Of An
drews' party in Rebellion. The pub
lie will, perhaps. be interested in hear
ing something from the so-called party
- efspies. aho Ieft 6eas ON Miicbsil''
Division last spring Those who think
we went on a spying expenition are
badly fooled. We went for the express
purpose Of destroying the bridges on the
Georgia railroad. between Chattanooga
Tenn, and Marietta, Ga. The party
was ordered by Gen. o. NJ. Mitchell.-
The question now arose. who should
go? In order to decide the matter, the
officers made known TO the BOYS that a
secret expedition was being organized,
which would be attended with consid-
cradle danger. and that "a men we're
required, from each OF the I'd. s2lst
and SD Ohio Regiments. A call was
offered to go-those reporting FIRST to
their Colonels were accepted.
At 5 O'Clock. P. NJ. April the 7th.
1869. we were reported to ]. j. An
drews, Of Fleming county, Ky, as our
leader. About O'Clock Of the snme
evening left ShelbyvilIe, Tenn, near
where we were encsmped. proceeded
on railroad few miles. halted and di-
vided in squads OF four and six men. as
per order of our leader. who supplied
each squad with sufficient amount Of
money to pay our fare to place Of des-
tlnation; and after being dressed in
citizens clothing, were ordered TO pro-
ceed yia Wartrace, Hillsboro, Pelham
and Jasper, to Chattanooga. Our
leader instructed US. il questioned by
rebels, TO say we were from Kentucky,
going south TO join the rebel army
We got through safe. but two. who
failed to make their story good. and
were picked up by rebel scouts. and in
order to avoid suspicion, joined the rebel
army. Both have since escaped.
On Friday, April 1lth, we were at
Chattanooga in time for the s O'Clock
P. NJ, train. Started for Marietta. Ca.
arriving there at II O'Clock that night.
Lodged at - house, giving orders to be
awakened for the 5 O'Clock train in the
morning. Found our leader on hand
according TO agreement. Accordingly
next morning we too passage for Big
Shanty, 8 miles north of Marietta. On
arriving there, the train hands and
number OF passengers took breakfast;
during this time. we. with feigned in
difference, got off the train on the op.
posite side and proceeded TO the front Of
the train. Finding all right. our lead
er ordered his engineer and fireman TO
take their respective stations. uncoupled
the locomotive tender and three cars
from the main train and got all the boys
safely aboard put on steam and left on
"double quick" leaving train hands,
passengers and soldiers. IA rebel camp
near that place, according TO their own
classic language, "dum6founded and
omozed" We were informed by the
rebels, after our arrest, that il We had
taken another car We would have got
ten 100000 of Confederate scrip,
which was on the way to CoriDth TO pay
rebel soldiers. Ifthey had been "green
backs" we might have lamented over
our misfortune.
After running several miles we stop
ped and blockaded the road with cross
ties and cut the telegraph wIre-then
proceeded TO station, when we met a
train, passed unmolested, and we pre-
sumo, unsuspicioned. Before we met
it we supposed it would be the only one
we would meet, but loi when we passed
we beheld it tagged for coming train.
Passing on TO the next station, switched
of. / think it was here that our con-
ductor got the switch keys, on pretence
of going TO Corinlh with powder for
Beauregard. When the train arrived,
the conductor informed our conductor
that there was another tram not far be-
hind, and if he moved on had better
flag for it and send a man ahead, to
which our conductor replied very au
thoritatively, Il will attend to that,
SIR" Alter this short answer the rebel
conductor moved of, and we passed on
with lightning speed to the next station,
where we met the third train, and
learned that there was still another train
ahead, which would meet US at the next
station. We moved thence, and be-
tween the two last stations we tore up
another rail and cut the telegraph wires
-endeavored to do more Of this kind
Of work, but did not succeed, being too
closely pursued by rebel train. At
this station we passed the fourth train,
alter which we proceeded at the speed
oil 48 miles in 40 minutes. / presume
the rebels considered this ''skedsd-
ding" for certain. When we met the
last train we had passed the bridges we
purposed to burn and being too closely
pursued, we knew we could not &C.
complish what we were especially or
dered to do. We therefore made a
most desperate effort for our escape
The chances growing rather unprom-
ising, we detached two cars, threw of
ties 20 obstruct the road, which we bad
collected for that purpose. After run
ming in all about ninety miles, twenty
miles from Chattanooga, getting out ol