The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-07-12
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

Capt. O. W. Dimick has for thirteen years
past been . resident Of Watertown. He lives
in delightful hillside home amid family
Joys. For q number of years he has been a
master in the Wells school at the west End,
Boston. He could tell his pupils story
which would make their eyes dilate and their
gentle frames tingle from head to foot. To
Boston Globe representative he accorded
an interview recently, the substance of which
is recorded below.
Capt. Dimick enlisted and went to the front
from. Lyme, N. H., in the Eleventh New
Hampshire Infantry, joined the ninth corps
Of the Army Of the Potomac in Pleasant VAL
ley, Va, just after the battle ofSouth Noun
tain and Antietam, the dark days of the re-
bellion. His first battle was before Fredericks-
burg in March, 1863. After serving under
Mcclellan and Burnside, the corps was ordered
to Memphis, Tenn, then to Knoxville, KY,
back to Grant in the Wilderness, fighting the
battles of Spottsylvania, North Anna and
Cold Harbor In front of Petersburg, June
II, 1854, he was taken prisoner, being at the
time in command of two companies, as Off
GERS were scarce.
"How were you captured, captain?" asked
the reporter.
"We were ordered to charge upon the
enemy one morning before light. Coming to
. house my men divided, part going each
side. After getting by tried to draw them
together, and went toward a squad of my
men, as supposed. 1t was rebel squad
was at their mercy aud compelled to sur
render"
Where were you taken?"
"First to Petersburg, was kept over night
at Andersonville. then taken to Macon, &C.,,
where with ], 800 Union officers l was held
six weeks; then to Savannah for six weeks,
Charleston for three weeks and October Z,
1864. to Columbus, S. c., where was con-
fined with l, 500 commissioned officers, it be-
prisons from the privatcs and non-commis-
stoned officers"
what kind of a prison was it?"
"a level field with no enclosure, but sur
rounded by . line of guards and with four
cannons facing the grounds. A few feet in
was the dead line to cross, which by light
meant instant death from a musket of the
guard"
"Did any prisoners eecape?''
''Oh, yes; ON dark nights there were frequent
attempts to escape, some of which were sue
cessful. Each soldier of the guard had q
certain beat to traverse back and fourth and
when two guards were at opposite ends of
their beats, prisoner would run through the
line. There would be q musket shot; if in
the darkness it missed, their prisoner escaped
into the woods, and the guard could not fol-
low"
"How was the foodf"
ct was called Camp Sorghum, as that
sweet mixture was the principal article of
diet The living was very poor, consisting of
cornmeal and Sorghum, no meat or vegeta-
bles"
ghum7"
Il escaped from there November 4, 1864,
after four weeks stay"
did you run the liner"
No, took another course. It was chilly
November weather, not unlike the same bleak
month at the North. The prisoners were ac-
corded the privilege of going out of camp in
to wood lot, which was also surrounded by
guard, for fuel to use in cooking. This
wood lot was used up, and about Che same
time there was q change in rebel commanders
at Camp Sorghum. The new commander is
sued an order allowing the Union prisoners
to 60 to his tent, give their parole that they
would return, and then pase out into an un.
guarded tract Of woods for fuel. 1t was q fa-
vorabls opportunity, and the first day, No
vembsr 8, about nfty of the prisoners es-
got away"
How Was this done, captain; BY breaking
your parolsf"
mo, we did not do that way; / cannot
cay how II was with Others. We went to tho
commanders tent, gave the parole, got the
desired fuel and took It back to the camp.
Then We returned and took up our parole.
We were ire ffom the ties Of honor, and felt
that Il was the reSsl'a duty to see that
ws returned to the prison enclosure. Men
wsrs passing back and forth. and three Of us,
drawing deliberately to one aide, got into
the woods and sscreted ourselves until night"
who were with youf"
Two Psnnsylvania officers, . captain and a
lieutenant, whose names do not know. We
wsre Joined that night BY Lieut.. w. C. Hol-
man rom the One Hundred and Forty-ffth
Psnnayivania infantry and third man. 1t
Wa cloudy November night and wetraveled
n the woods only ok miles before morning. =
How did you guide your course?''
"fhAppened 70 have . little pocket-com-
pasa. which I he'd carried about from the
timeI entered ssrvics, have It here now
Cept, Dimick opensd bis desk and held
torth = wsll-wuyn compass, The siss of : small