Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-13

t0e gigantic Te6ult6 IL sought TO &C.
complish, and in the audacity Of its
conception filled with the wildness of
a romance"
The correspondent tells the story
as he heard 1t from those present at
the capture and execution Of the
brave men.
In March of 1862 the Confederate
army of the West was concentrated
at Corinth, Miss, under Beauregard.
This army received its supplies from
the rich Georgia and Carolina fields,
and its reinforcements from extern
sive drill camps in these States. These
troops and supplies were forwarded
over a single line of railroad-,he
Western and Atlanta-runningf from
Atlanta, Ga, to Chattanooga, Tenn,
which had been, not inaptly, called
"the backbone of the rebellion" The
movements, present and prospective,
Of the Federal armies rendered it
very important that Beauregard
should be cut off from the camps and
granaries in his rear. But as this
railroad that was his channel of COM
munication ran through the very
heart of the Confederate country, and
was guarded by numberless soldiers
on all sides, it was felt to be impossi-
BILE to isolate the willy commander.
just at this time man named j. j.
Andrews, a Kentuckian, thoroughly
devoted to the Union cause, sought
an interview with General Mitchell,
and offered with q detail of twenty
men to penetrate the enemy's country
in disguise, capture an engine, and
burn the bridges of the Western and
Atlantic Road. The project was con-
sidered impossible, but Andrews per-
sisted that he could accomplish it,
and at length he was empowered to
make the attempt. 1t was agreed
that if he succeeded he was to be paid
$4,000. He selected as his Lieuten-
ant William Campbell, q Kentuckian,
and was furnished with a detail of
twenty men from the Second, Twenty
first and Thirty third Ohio regiments.
Only one man was taken from each
company.
On the 9th of April, at 4 o'clock,
the men, in the disguise Of citizens,
left their camp to rendezvous at Shell
byville, the Federal camp being at
Murfreesboro'. AT about midnight
the twenty-five determined men met
in the woods beyond Shelbyville and
the daring plot was for the first time
unfolded to the detailed soldiers.
The council over, the raiders scatter
ed into squads of two or three and
started tor Chattanooga, the north
ern terminus of the Western and At
lantic Road. To reach this they were
compelled to march through 1913 miles
of the enemy's country, with soldiers
standing guard over every road.
After exciting adventures, the whole
party reached Chattanooga, and, in
company with hundreds of Confeder-
ates who were hurrying to the front
to join Beauregard, boarded the train.
They had arranged to ride to Mariet-
ia, rest there during the night, and
start back toward Chattanooga the
next day and burn the bridges as they
came. They reached Marietta, went
to the hotel, registered, and turned in
for nights rest. They were in the
very heart of the enemy's country,
with no possible succor within 200
miles, and were determined on tho
next day to burn the bridges and de-
stroy the rails of a road that was the
vital artery of the Confederacy, and
that was literally lined with soldiers.
Indeed, their devotion seemed fat
uous, their heroism foolhardy, their
martyrdom self-chosen and self-or-
dained.
At4 o'clock in the morning the men
were awakened and hurried on the
train. Their general scheme invclv.
ed the seizure of the train by some
means or other. The train once cap.
tured, they were to push ahead, burn
the bridges and destroy the track
The details of the plan were not ar.
ranged. 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 intrusted to An.
drews. His men were to watch him
closely, and obey his slightest sign.
| The train pulled slowly out Of Ma
rietta, and after an hour or so reach
ed Big Shanty, where it stopped fol
breakfast. Big Shanty was a drill
camp, and about 10000 soldiers were
stationed there. The engineer, con
ductor and passengers were In thu
hotel at breakfast. The yankees
had gone in with the rest and were
quietly eating their breakfast. Sud
denly Andrews appeared at the dool
of the eating hall and said, in lei
surely way:
i "Well. boys, if you are done, let u
60 and get our seats" Immediately
his twenty-one men arose and started
out of the hall. Their hearts wer,
bounding wildly within their breasts
and their faces must have paled witt
resolution, for they knew that the hou
J of their trial had come. And yet the,
} walked coolly and TRANQUILITY out O
that room, conscious that they mus
move 80 leisurely as to avoid all sus
picion. When they reached the doc
J they found Andrews awaiting them
. As they came out he gave each man
hurried whisper Of instruction.
Then, taking three mon with him, h
walked slowly and apparently aimles
in the direction of the unguarded on
| gine. In the meantime one ofhis ban,
had slipped in between tho baggag
, and passenger cars and uncouple,
! them, leaving only three cars attache,
I to tho engine. The other member
} stood by the open door Of the baggag
: cars, ready to leap into them at mo
t ment's notice. Several thousand Con
: federate soldiers wero standin
: around in sight, many ofthem almos
: touching the cars. As soon as An
: drews and his three companion
? reached the engine they leaped brisl
upon 1t, he having first given
} subtle signal with his hand that W hisl
0 ed the other raiders into the baggaR
j, car ~ II by magic. Then the throttl
r Of the engine was opened her leve
t was pulled back to its utmost stretch
{ the great iron monster thrilled for
4 moment, trembled uneasily, then ia
tened to the track, and went hyin
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