The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-02-14
Once Condemned to be Hanged.
From the New Yok Sun.

| confinement. He was met in New York
by a former comrade in arms about fif-
teen years ago, where he was working
in boiler shop, and afterward fed the
| city, fearing, it is supposed. that he
would be rearrested and executed. He
had relatives living in New York and a
brother of his is an employee 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, Co.., 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 nsylvania
regiment in Gen. J.J. Wistar's command
| at Williamsburg, Va, in 1868. He was
| detailed ss one of the provost guard of
that place under Lieut.. w. W. Disosway
| was popular young officer. On Octo-
Der Is, 1868. he ordered Boyle under ar
rest for INSTRUMENTATION and disorGe ry
conduct. Boyle in his anger raised his
musket and shot the officer dead. He
was arrested, tried convicted aud SEN
fenced to be hanged, Some delay in
the proceedings brought the day set for
his execution to February Z, 1864. He
was confined in Fort Magruder. On the
night of February he escaped from the
fort and no trace of him could be found.
The guard on duty at the time was
convicted of being a 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
Rphmond. 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 comment in Wistar's camp.
Rebel deserters and Union refugees
from Richmond brought the one report
that the city was almost fefenceless.
Gen. Wistar believing that by making
sudden dash with a sufficient force he
could surprise the rebel 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 Piunkett,
two daring scouts, to obtain substantial
proof of the situation in Richmond.
They entered the rebel lines and re.
turned with a 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 council of war at whic:, all the lead
ing officers of the command were pres
ent. Gen. Wistar's plan for capturing
Rich j! 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-seven
miles. where they camped for the night.
During the night Wistar was surprised
at reports brought from the pickets that
long lines of rebel troops were filing
down to the opposite bank of the Chick
anominy, and taking position in old
earthworks thrown up by Gen. McClel-
Ian during his campaign on the Potomac.
When morning broke the Union forces
found themselves enfronted by vastly
superior force of the enemy, who at
OuC0 upcucu IRE Oh LuO OulOu camp.
Gen Wistar saw that his plans had been
made known. in some way, to the en-.
envy, End 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 a
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
them, 80 the rebel prisoner said, the in:
telligence that enabled them to throw a
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.