Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-02-14

Wild and Dariiag Follows.
,,T!stlliRaIlhLINa NAGRAgsyE SoF A TERRIBLY
US TRAGIC ENTERPRIsE

Record Hunted Iy BloodAounas-
III Capture oT Uaion iSoldters- Hanging,
}S slse 5sader and Scuen Of Ilis, Men Scene
atthe Sco0ol,i. S'. +
In March Of 1852 the Confederate army
of. tho West was concentrated at Coriuth,
@Miss., undor Beauregard. This army.
received ties supplies from the rich Georgia
and Carolina felds,..and its re.cnforcements
5 from extensive drill camps in these States.
These troops and supplies were forwarded
over single line of railroad Tho Western
land Atlantic running from Atlanta Ga,
4 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, whioh hud been,
\ not inaptly, called stbo back bono Of the
! rebellion" Tho movements, present and
prospective, Of the Federal armies rendered
/ livery important that Bcauregard should
'be cut off from tho camps and granaries In
Ills rear. But os this railroad that wns his
channol of communication ran through the
I worry heart of tho Confederate country, and
I was guarded by numborless soldiers on oil
Asides, it was felt to be impossible to isolate
j the willy commander.
u just at this timo q man named j. j.
/ Andrews, Kcntuckian, and thoroughly
i .dcv0ted to the Union cause, sought inter
Wow with General Mitchell and offered
with Q, detail Of twenty men to penetrate the
enomy's country in disguise capture
ln engine and burn tho bridges of tho
Western and Atlantic road. Tho project
was considered impossible; but Andrews
persisted that ho could accomplish it, aud
g Mt length ho was empowered to make tho
attempt. II was agreed that if he succeeded
he was to bo paid $4,000. He selected
as his lieutenant William Campbell, q
Kentuokian, aud was furnished with a
detail of twenty men from the Second,
Z Twenty first, and Thirty-third Ohio
Regiments. Only one man was takon from
each company.
On tho 9th of April, at 4 o'clock, the
men, in the disguise of citizens, left their
camps to rendezvous at Shelbyvilc, tho
Federal camp being at Murfrcesboro. AT
about midnight the twenty two determined
men met in tho woods beyond Shclbyyile,
and tho daring plot was for the first time
unfoldcd to the detailed soldiers. The
council over, the raiders scattered into
squads Of two or three and started for Chat
tanooga, tho Northern terminus of tho
Western and Atlantic road 10 reach this,
they were compelled to march through l33
miles of the cnemy's country with soldiers
standing guard over every road. After
exciting adventures, tho whole party
reached Chattanooga, and 10 company with
hundreds Of Confedcratcs; who woro hurry
ing to tho front to join Beaurcgard, boarded
the train. They had arranged to ride to
Marietta, rest thoro during the night, and
start back toward Chattanooga the next
day and burn the bridges as they came.
The reached Marietta, went to the hotel,
registered and turned in for a night rest.
They wero in tho very heart of the enemy's
country, with no possible succor within two
hundred miles, and were determined on the
next day to burn the bridges and destroy the
rails of rond that was the vital artery of
dstEe Confedoracy, and that was literally
fined with soldiers. Indeed, their devotion
seemed fatuous, their heroish fool hardy,
their martyrdom solf-ohoscn and fore or
dainad.
At4 O'Clock in the morning the mon
wero awakened and hurried on the train.
Their general scheme involved the seizure
of the train by some means or other. Tho
train once capturod, they were to push
ahead, bura the ridges, and destroy tho
tho track: The de.ais of this plan were
not arranged. Whether the train should
be captured by trick Or by direct assault
upon the forces commanding it was not
determined upon. The whole affair was
intrustod to Andrews. His men werc
to watch him closely, and obey his slightest
sign.
Tue train pulled slowly out of Marietta,
aud after an hour or SO reached Big Shansy
where it stopped for breakfast. Big Shan,
ty was drill camp, and about 10000
soldiers wcro stationed there. The engineer
conductor and passengers were in the hotel
>at breakfast Suddenly Andrews appeared
at tho door Of the eating hall aud said, in
leisurcly way.
THE CAPTURE OF THE TRAIN.
"Wcll, boys, if you arc done, let us 60
and get our seats" Immediately bis
twcnty-one men arose and started out Of
tho hall. Their hearts were bounding
wildly within their breats, and their faces
must have paled with resolution, for they
know that the hour of their trial had come.
And yet they walked coolly and TRANQUILITY
out of that room, conscious that they must
move SO lcisurely rs to avoid all suspicion
When they reached tho door they found
. Andrews awaiting them. AS they came
out he gave each man hurried whispered
word of instruction. Then taking three
mon with him, he walked slowly and up.
parcntly aim|essly in tho direction of the
unguardcd engine. In the mean time ono
of his band had slipped in between the
baggage and passenger cars and uGcouplcd
them, leaving only three cars attached to
the cngino. The other members of the
band stood by the opcn doors of the baggage
n into tl,an, - a.