The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-02-26
"ENGINE THIEVES
The Great Story of Capturing a
Locomotive"
BY REV. wM. PfTTENGE2.
COPYRIGHTED. 1881.
LIGHTS AID SHADOWS OF PRISON.
CHAPTER NJ.


A Mr. Whteman. from Nashville Tcnn whom
Andrews himself had directed TO be summoned,
and who had once been partner of his IN some
business testified that Andrews had repeatedly
visited the South as blockade-runner, bring
ing TO Nhiteman some $4,000 worth of goods
In that manner, and that he had always pro-
fessed allegiance TO the Southern Confederacy,
representing himself 10 be citizen of the
same, and an enemy to the United States.
When captured. he had passes in his possession
which showed that he had also taken the oath
of allegiance to the Southern Government. He
had, at the same time, admitted his part in the
railroad adventure which was assuredy an
act of hostility against the South. Indeed,
several persons were produced who saw him on
the train. or directing its movements at some
of the various stations during the chase. So
far as j could learn, there was no direct evil
dence produced to show that he was or ever
had beena spy. although this might be suspected
from his passing back and forth across the
lines and so soon after acting as enemy.
His case was entirely different from that of the
men he led and much more unfayorable. They
claimed to have been acting all the while as
enemies, and now to be prisoners of war. They
declared. and were ready TO prove, their posi-
tions in the Federal army. He gave no account
whatever of his position, or the authority un-
der which he was acting, and allowed the
court martial to establish their case as best
they might. He was very reticent, as was
proper, even among our band. as TO his plans
and hopes, but it was whispered among us that
he expected the liberal use of money from an
outside source to influence the court, or aid in
his escape if condemned. l never heard him,
however. intimate anything of the kind, and
he certainly received no such help in escaping.
He employed two able lawyers, and they strove
for delay, and at the last gave him reason to
hope that some inforlnaities in the proceedings
would require the whole trial to be gone over
again. No decision. however, was officially
given, but he was put back in the same prison,
and no more strictly guarded than the remain
der of Us, which was judged TO be favorable
indication of the result.
One day our old .iailer, being very drunk,
told us that Gen. Mitchell had advanced to
Bridgeport, only % miles distant, and there
defeated the rebels, capturing some of the very
same men who had been our guards but day
or two before. How we wished to have been
with him and how we hoped for further
advance on his part To be captured with
Chattanooga would be glorious! The officers of
the guard were obviously uneasy. They took
the strictest precautions. There were 26 men
constantly on gusrd,-surely enough to watch
over %, confined and chained in dungeon as
we were.
Mitchell came nearer. We even heard the
boom of cannon in the distance and his
advance probably saved our lives, by taking US
for the time out of the clutches of Swms and
Leadbettcr, for much longer confinement or
rather sutlocation there must have been fatal.
The ladder was thrust down and we were
ordered TO come out. We would then have
gladly remained in the vile den a little longer,
in hope Of Mtchel's arrival. but we crawled up.
Our fasteaings were Inspected, to see that none
OF US were in condition to make sudden dash
for liberty; we were formed into a column,
with line of rebel soldiers on each side, and
then marched out throug the gate towards the
cars. Strangely the free air famed our brows
and strangely the wide sky bent above as.
Very grateful was the sense of openness and
room in the streets through which we passed,
even although ironed, with a rebel soldier on
either hand. For three whole weeks % men
had been cooped up in a dark room much
smaller than an ordinary parlor. No wonder
the streets of the hostile town seemed like
freedom by comparison. We were soon seated
in the cars, and were carried in the evening
back southwark on the road we had rushed
over under such thrilling circumstances three
weeks before.
How beautiful all nature appeared II was
now May, and the time that we had spent in
darkness had not been lost in the outside
world. The landscape had been robed in
richer verdGre, the budding trees had swelled
into loafy screens, the sky was OF softer blue,
the birds warbled with new melody and every
thing seemed to wear IFS holiday dress.
o Othe joy the gladness, of being once more
under the blue canopy Of heaven, and of look
ing up TO its unfathomable depths, with no
envioas bars to obstruct our view. Many a
time have looked on the most romantic scenery
in the freshness Of May, but never did | SO
deeply feel the pleasantness and beauty of the
world as on that balmy evening. when the rays
of the setting sun, glowing from the west
streamed over the grass and wheat-fel on
their path and poured In mellowed, yellow
radiance through the car windows. Bat
could not quite forget tnat / was chained to
any companion and surrounded by guards with
cleaning bayOHetsi
The wild excitement caused by our raid had
net suisided, and rs it became known that we
were passing along the road, mob greeted us
at every station. It is not necessary to again
describe these a5semblages, for all were alike
-threatening rude, loQuacious, and Insulting
We also noticed that soldiers on guard were
at every station, and that each bridge we passed
WAS strongly guarded. There could be no
doubt that all these precautions, so different
from the careless security of less than a month
previous, were among the tangible results of
our enterprise. 1t was estimated that on the
various roads OF the South not less than 5000
troops had been diverted from the field and
employed IL securing communications in all
parts Of the rebel States A general passport
system, with all its vexations, had been intro
dGcad. Surely our enterprise, though uDsuc-
cessful in ats immediate results, was far from
fruitless
We passed Big Shanty passed Marietta,
which had been the extreme point Of our for
Iner journey southwark, and went on to At
lanta Here there was no Jail room for US, bat
before going farther we had 10 wait all day in
the cars for the evening train. Our arrival
was soon noised abroad, aud larger mob than
we bad seen before gathered and proclaimed
their intention of hanging US. The guard de-
fcnded us maniully, and several persons were
seriously inj ured. But while the disturbance
was IL progress one man succeeded in reaching
the window unnOticed, and handed us a paper
using only the single magical word, Z" a frend,''
and then disappeared In the throng. We read
the paper by snatches, as we could dc so secretly
and found it 10 contain glorious news-the
capture of New Orleans. Other items of news
were adroitly wOrnled out of our guards who
could not be kept from talking with US, and
we were full Of hope that the darkening pros
poets of the Confcderacy would brighten our
own outlook by rendering the advocates of a
treatment Of loyal soldiers. Ali information
Was prohibited TO MS, but from the common
soldiers the negroes, and often from the officers
Of the guard themselves, we managed to pick
up items OF intelligence which gave us gene
r2l idea OF the course of affairs.
In the evening we left Atlanta, and after a
journey rot marked by any notable event,
reached Madison in the same State. This was
then a four!shing village, and had pleasing
look as sc entered it. Some 600 imprisoned
Union soldiers had been already gathered here,
and We freely INDUCED the hope, which was