Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-09-28

Return of a Michigan Volunteer After Six
teen Years Con inuous Service-The Story
Of His Wonderful Escape From the Ander.
sOnville Prison-Pen.
Detroit Free Press.
After sixteen years continuous service
Ill the United States Army, NJ. n. Hoar,
stranger in this city, finds himself great
ly weakened and an inmate of Harper's
Hospital, to which he was admitted few
days ago through the interposition of his
former commander, Captain Henry Stark
ey, who had also concluded negotiations
tor Hoar's removal to the National Sol
diers' Home at Dayto Ohio.
In 1868 Hoar enlisted at Pontiac, Mich,
as a member of Company F, Seventeenth
Michigan Infantry, and in various branch
es OF the service served until the 23d day
Of last July, when he was honorably dis
charged at Fort Sicitou, Dakota Territory.
He has no relatives in this part of the
country that he knows of, and for many
years he has had no ties to call him from
the drcary monotony OF soldier life, UNI
now, in his weakness and desolation, he
has been forced to return to civil life, a
stranger to business habits and utterly
penniless.
There are probably hundreds of similar
cases in the country, but Mr.. Hoar has
the honorable distinction of being sole
survivor of the famous raid made BY Col.
Ulrich Dahlgren, who made bold ad-
vance on Richmond on the 5th of March.
1854. He saw Colonel Dahlgren when
he was killed, and after three months of
imprisonment in Southern prisons, made
a most remarkable flight for liberty, and
was the first person to give detailed oral
description to Admiral Dahlgren of the
death OF his son. It is with pardonable
pride that Mr.. Hoar (who is Intelligent
and sociable) tells the story of his escape;
but is hard matter to get him to begin
the task, as he has horror of recount NO
his privations.
After the death of Colonel Dahlgren.
Hoar, with several other prisoners, among
them being Colonel Litehfeld, we'll
known Michigan cavalry officer, were
confined in the upper story of the Penn
berton Prison at Richmond, and frem
there he was removed to Andersonville,
where he met two prisoners named Ran.
som and Blackman, who before the war,
lived at Jackson, Mich, and live there
now for aught he knows. After staying
lnlthat prison until there is no choice
between life and the risk of death out
side, Hoar one day told Ransom that he
was going to make an effort to escape,
and by streak of good fortune crossed
the "dead line" and gained position
close to the high stockadc, along the top
OF which the sentinels we've keeping guard.
Ransom and other Union prisoners there
upon attracted the attention of the guards
while Hoar began the work of tunneling
under the stockade, which task was
soon accomplished. Then with the des-
peration of despair, expecting to be shot,
and caring little whether he was or not,
Hoar crawled under the fence, boldly
walked about hundred feet away, and
hearing no order to halt or reports of
guns, he rightly concluded that he had
not been seen, dropped to the ground
and was instantly and completely con-
cealed from view by high grass.
In this position he lay until night,
during which time he collected hts
thoughts and formed a plan of action. BE
had neither rations nor money, but was
attired in Confederate suit Of clothes,
and knowing that Union forces were at
the Isle of Hope, he resolved to reach
that point if possible, and taking the
skidway road started on the tramp. All
night he travelled through marshes, fields
and woods, and until the next day at
ten o'clock: when he passed party of
Confederate pickets by sheer impudence
and nerve. After various thrilling ex-
periences he found himself within a
short distance of Savannah. Again his
wonderful nerve came to his rescue, and
as Confederate soldier he passed pickets,
underwent examinations and various 9TH
er trying ordeals, until he was fairly with
in and had the liberty of the city of Sa-
vannah, where he lived on Bryan street,
with man named Gleason, who had a
son in command of Confederate dis
patch boat. Gaining the confidence of
Gleason he told him he was a Union
prisoner, escaped from Andersonville,
and through hls help secured also the as