Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-02
these agencies in it's growth, is unsuits
bic for the food of animals"
VETERAN.

-
Return Of Michigan Volunteer After Six
teen Years Con- inuous service-The Story
Of His Wonderful Escape From the Ander-
sonville Prison-Pen. # %#l
Dstro.t Free Press. T.
After sixteen years. continuous service
Ill the United States Army, NJ. H. Hoar,
a 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
for Hoar's removal to the National SOL
diers' Home at Dayton. Ohio. 49,
In 1858 Hoar enlisted at Pontiac, Mich,
as member of Company +, 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 6icitou, 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, until
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 q bold adj
vance on Richmond on the 9Th of March,
1864. He saw Colonel Dahlgren when
he was killed, and after three months of
imprisonment in Southern prisons, made
a most remarkable fight for liberty, and
was the first person to give detailed oral
description to Admiral Dahlgren of the
death of his son. 1t 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 recounting
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
in that 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 stockade, 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 a hundred feet away, and
hearing no order to halt or reports of
gums, 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 his
thoughts and formed plan of action. He
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 q
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 Union
prisoner, escaped from Andersonville,
and through his help secured also the as
sistance and confidence of two men named
Sicily and Wall, of the Third Georgia
Artillery.
| After two or three days. waiting to
make arrangements, Hoar and his two
| COu PtuAOHo OopLuAcu pACAtl-UOdI IL
the lower part of the city, rowed across
the river and into marsh, conceal1ng
their track by restoring the grass and
weeds to their upright position after the
boat had passed over them. Once In
there they worked their way to the back
river, where they had comparatively
clear track, meeting only occasional pick.
et-boats and torpedoes. At last they
reached Fort Pulaski, garrisoned by the
One Hundred and Forty-fourth New
York, and in command of Lieutenant Col
onel Hall. Upon being stopped by the
sentry, they explained they were an es-
capped Union prisoner and two Confeder.
ate deserters. Lieutenant Colonel Hall
met them at the casemate and put them
Immediately under guard, until, by tele.
graph, Hoar's story was confirmed by re-
cords at Washington, when they were
taken to Admiral Dahlgren's flagship,
and from thence we're SHIPPED North.
Among the articles earned by Hoa1
through all the thrilling events of his es.
cape was letter from Colonel Litchfeld,
given him while they were together in
prison at Richmond, and concealed in an
ordinary coat-button.
Since the close of the war Hoar has
seen service at numerous posts in the
South and West, and says if his health
would permit he knows of no calling that