The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-22
A DARING LIEUTENANT.
War Prison Life In the North-An Attempt
by Prisoners to Tunnel Their Way Out
RecoIlections of Johnson's Island.
Lieut. MsNam ara in Southern Historical Popers.

w ar ff16On LILO IN COe NoTtL-3ah &AS1oAAAP'
by Prisoners to Tunnel Their Way Out
Recolections of Johnson's Island.
Lisa.. MeNaparo in Southern Rhetorical Pupers.
Early in November, 1868, after Gen.
Lee had successfully driven Meade across
the Rapidan back to Centreyille, and the
entire-force south of the Rappahannock,
for the purpose of going into winter
quarters, Hays brigade was sent to picket
the north bank at Rappahannock station.
Here they were REINFORCED by the Lou
isiana Guard battery and portion Of
Gen. Hoke's North Carolina brigade.
After being on Guty a day, forward
movement was made by the enemy in
that direction, and French's entire corps,
under Sedgewick, bore down upon them.
The onslaught was terri6c-the enemy
being ten to one-but the gallant brigade
held them in check until night, when
their. lines we're broken and they were
cut off from their own pontoon bridge.
The Rappshannock was at that point not
fordable, and the night was intensely
cold, so that their capture was inevitable.
Nevertheless, they resisted to the last.
TIE Louisiana Guard battery dis
charged their pieces when the enemy
were upon them, and two of their men
we're bayoneted at the guns. Many of
the officers threw away their swords to
avoid surrendering them, and Lieut..
Charlie Pierce, of the Seventh Louisiana,
broke his sword on his knee and handed
the :hilt 70 the ofiicer-the effect of which
can easily be imagined. The weapon was
q highly.prized one, being trophy OF
the battle. of Winchester. Gen. Harry
Hays ran the gantlet of the pontoon
bridge under an enflading fire of the
enemy. Col. Moroghan swan his horse
across the river. Col. Terry and few
others successfully swan across, but
many lost their lives in the attempt.
Leon Bertin, the color of the Sew
enth Louisiana, tore the flag from the
staff and concealed it in his bosom. In
fact, everything possible was done by the
gallant fellows to render their capture as
barrensof trophies as possible, while in
point eof casualties it was dearly
bought victory fer the enemy.
The entire force captured numbered
about l ,409 men, consisting Of the Fifth,
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Lou
isiana Guard Battery, and about 200 of
Hoke's North Carolina brigade.
The capture was witnessed from the
south bank by Gems. Lee and Early, who
accepted it as sacrifice that had to be
made, and under its cover successfully
retired the remainder of the army ACROSS
the Rapidan.
But the writer's mission is to record
the daring and chivalric deeds of q mem
Der of the command that surrendered.
The captured prisoners were marched to
Gen. Sedgewick's headquarters, and when
assembled around the camp fire at night,
surrounded by Federal pickets, Leon Ber.
tia. by the advice of Col. ID. B. Penn, the
only field officer captured, threw the flag
into e'fames, as the effectual means Of
preventing it from falling into the ene-
my's hands.
The following morning the prisoners
were taken to the Old Capitol prison,
where they were confined three days,
when the officers were sent to Johnson's
Island and the priyates to Point Look
out.
As soon as the captured officers reached
their future prisons, the buoyancy of
their natures asserted itself, and during
the winter months every species of amuse-
ment possible was indulged in to drive
away the ennui and render prison life
bearable.
A minstrel company was formed, Of
which Charlie 81. Pierce was among the
leading performers, and their entertain
ments were witnessed and appreciated by
many outside as we'll as inside the prison,
and by none more eagerly than the Off
GERS of the garrison, who invariably as
sembled to witness them.
They also organized baseball clubs,
the Southern nine composed of those
below The rank of Captain, of which
Charles Pierce was Captain and catcher,
and the Confederate nine composed of
the higher officers. Their championship
game was considered one of the best ever
played, and was witnessed by upward of
5000 people, including the prisoners,
officers and citizens of Sandusky, Ohio,
who eagerly embraced the opportunity to
be present. So apprehensive were the
prison officials that the game was gotten
up for the purpose of covering an at
tempt to break out, that they had the
sides of:the portfolios drawn back and
the guns prepared for action. The San
dusEy Register published long and eulo-
gistics account of the game, which was
won BY the Southerners, and it was made
the subject of severe comment by the
bitter Radical press of the North, who
Immediately demanded the removal Of
the commanding officer for allowing the
rebels so much liberty. Their mischiev-
GUS efforts were successful; the COM
mander was removed, and the amusement
Of the unhappy prisoners, for the time
being, cut of.
In all the prison sports Lieut.. Charlie
Pierce was regarded as the leader. His
versatile talent, genial humor, sterling
manhood and undoubted bravery, to-
gether with his kindness of heart, en-
deared him to all, and even commanded
the respect Of his captors. But his noto-
riety and popularity proved disastrous to
his future operations, as he was known
and constantly watched by the prison
Johnson's Island, it will be remem-
bered, is three miles from Sandusky,
Ohio, and about thirty miles from the
Canada shore. There is, however, a strip
of land twelve miles from the prison,
leading to swamp or woods on the
Canada side.
The severity of the winter season being
past, the minds of many of the prisoners
naturally reverted to attempts to escape,
and no one was more bent on it than the
heroic and daring Charlie Pierce. A
tunnel had been commenced from block
8, but the project was deemed abortive,
owing to its long distance from the dead
line. and abandoned. Charlie then
transferred his operations to block l,
where he soon organized working party,
who succeeded, by incessant labor, in
oomnlatino tunnel tn the extreme end