The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-02-14
Once Condemned to be Hanged
From the New Yok Sun.

VIOLu lUS NSH lOA- SOu
John BOYLE vas sentenced to be
hanged in Williamsburg, Va, in 1868 tor
killing an off er, and he escaped from
confinement. He was met in New York
by a former comrade III arms about if
teen years ago, where he was working
in boiler shop, AMI afterwar1 fed the
city, fearing, it is supposed, that he
TFouid be rearrested and executed. He
had relatives living in New York and q
brother of his is an employe of & rail-
road in Jersey City. He has been
living under an assumed name in the
west, and has written to his relatives
here at regular intervals. They received
letter from him last week. He was
then working as a miner at Crested
Butte, Col, in the mine where the dis
astrous explosion occurred on Jan. "A.
His relatives believe he was one of the
fifty victims OF that disaster.
Boyd was member of Pen nsvlvania
regi nent in Gen. j. J. Wistar's command
at Williamsburg, Va, in 1868. He was
detailed es one of the provost guard of
that place under Lieut.. w. W. Disosway
was popular young officer. On Octo-
Der IS, 1868, be ordered Boyle under ar
rest for INSTRUMENTATION AMI disorGery
conduct. Boyle in his anger raised his
musket and shot the officer dead. He
was arrested, tried convicted and sem
fenced to be hanged, Some DELAY in
the proceedings brought the day set for
his ex acution to February Z, 1864. He
was confined in Fort Magruder. On the
! night OF February l he escaped from the
fort and 10 trace of him could be found.
The guard on duty at the time was
convicted of being party t. escape and
was shot.
The nearest approach to Richmond in
the early part of 1864 by any portion Of
the Union army was made by the COM
mand of Gen. Wistar from Williams
burgh, which is about sixty miles from
Richmond. Wistar's forces occupied
the peninsula which McClellan's battles
had rendered famous. While the army
of the Potomac was confronted on the
Rapidan by the forces of Gen. Lee, that
part OF the peninsula between Williams.
burgh and Richmond was so free from
rebel soldiers that the circumstance ex-
cited no little commentin Wistar's camp.
Rebel deserters and Union refugees
from Richmond brought the one report
that the city was almo.t efenceless.
Gen. Wistar believing that by making
sudden dash with sufficient force he
could surprise the re bel capital, capture
it, set the prisoners in Libby prison and
Castle Thunder free, sieZe Jeff Davis,
burn the railroad bridge oyer the james
river, and hold the key to the situation,
sent Maj. Howard and Sergeant Plunkett,
two daring scouts, to obtain substantial
proof of the situation in Richmond.
They entered the rebel lines and re-
turned with report that the stories of
the city's defenceless condition were
true, the only force there being poor
ly equipped detachment of raw recruits
At a council of war at which all the lead
ing officers OF the Command were pres
ent. Gen. Wistar's plan for capturing
Rich ond was approved. 1t was decid
ed to begin The movement on February
5. Wistar advanced with the First New
York mounted infantry, the Fifth and
Eleventh Pennsylvania regiments and
the District of Columbia regiment of
cavalry. They marched to Bottoms
Bridge on the Chickahominy, forty-sAven
miles, where they camped for the night.
During the night Wistar was surprised
at reports brought from the pickess that
long lines of rebel troops we're filing
down to the opposite bank of the Chick
anomiDy, and taking position in old
earth works thrown up by Gen. McClel-
Ian during his campaign on the Potomac.
When morning broke the Union forces
found themselves enfronted by a vastly
superior force of the enemy, who at
once opened fire on the Union camp.
Gen Wistar saw that his plans had been
made known, in some way, to The en-.
envy, md all hope of success for his
movement was destroyed. Unprepared
for an engagement on the field, he with
drew to Williamsburg.
How the rebels had learned of Wis
tar's expedition has never been made
known with certainty. A rebel prisoner
however. taken after the disappoint-
ment at Bottoms bridge declared that
man giving his name as John Boyle had
been captured nearly dead from exhaus
ton and exposure. in their lines on the
night of February 2. He told them he
was deserter from Wistar, and gave
them, SO the rebel prisoner said, the In.
telligence that enabled them to throw
strong force in the way of Gen. Wistar,
and thus thwart what might have been
one of the most brilliant and important
movements of the army during the war.
Rev. R. H. Pullman asks this ouesfion