The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-01-06
DARING and SUFFERING.
A History of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE LAST HOPE.

we CTOuCucu uOWH us Wtli Us VIC COulu
in the tender while passing Ringgold, that
the enemy might not see our number, and
when beyond the town we arose and
looked about us. The country was mostly
wooded and rough, being much cut up by
the branches of the swollen Chickamauga
creek. We had no fuel, though we might
have taken on a few water soaked fence
rails and broken them to burn; but what
would have been the use? Every COM
bustible SCRAP was carefully gathered up
and thrown into the engine. Worst symp-
tom of all, a large pair of saddle bags,
which we had never seen Andrews with
out from the time of the midnight confer
ence, together with his cap and some
other pieces of clothing that he did not
need for immediate use, were flung re-
moRselessiy into the furnace. Various
papers went along. These were probably
documents that he feared would compro-
mise himself OF others in case of capture.
Such preparations were indeed ominous.
But his next communicative last he ever
gave to us as q party-was more dreadful
still, and for the first time that day there
shot pang of mortal terror to my heart.
Not the crash of the engine down an en-
train of the enemy from the north, shut
ting us between two fires, would have
caused such sense of despair and hope
less misery to steal over me. This was
the order which, as intimated before, our
party, had they been properly organized,
would not have obeyed.
For our situation was still far from des-
perate. Aside from the capture of tho
pursuing train, which would now have
been very difficult from the fact that we
had neither fuel for rapid running, nor
the distractions on board that were nee
essary to place us far enough ahead for
en- ambuscade, there was another plan to
which our leader was virtually pledged,
which presented every prospect Of saving
our own lives, though it was now too late
to accomplish our original purpose We
were some five miles beyond Ringgold,
within u mile Of Graysville, or nineteen
miles by the longest railway course from
Chattanooga. From that city westward
to Bridgeport was twenty-eight miles fur
Their. But the nearest way to Bridgeport
w&s not through Chattanooga, but fur
Their south, and by that route it was not
distant more than thirty-five or forty
miles. The direct course was Mt right
angles with the numerous mountain
ranges which here run almost north and
south, q route over which cavalry could
not be used, and which was known to
more than one Of our party. Two CON-
radeS had pocket cOmpasses which would
have guided us in thick woods or in
cloudy weather by day or night. Now to
have left our train In body, and without
delaying to seek concealment, to have
struck over the streams and mountains ut
right angles, as rapidly as we could go,
would have been our most hopeful
course Long before night of the
next day we would have been safe
within Mitchel's lines! Why nots How
could the enemy have captured us' If
they sent cavalry, these would necessarily
have made long circuits and have been
obliged to adhere to the lines of the road,
and thus could not have come near us
while clinging to the valleys and the
mountain sides. Even in thick woods
they could not have overtaken us. If
they followed us with strong party on
foot, we fleeing for our lives, would not
have deserved to escape, If we could not
have held our distance for forty miles or
more. IL they had ridden ahead and
raised the whole country for q general
man hunt, they would have had only
twenty-four hours or less to organize 1t,
and no small party then could have ar
rested twenty armed men. in fine, this
plan of escape through n mountainous
and densely wooded country did not ap-
pear to me to be more dangerous than a
cavalry dash on the lines of the enemy's
communications-an every day military
affair. Even il Mitchell did not prove to
be in the neighborhood of Bridgeport
when we arrived, we would then have
been in the loyal mountainous district
where we would have met as many friends
as foes. All that we needed in the way OF
provisions and guides our force would
have enabled us to command, and even
guns and ammunition could readily have
been gathered on our way.
But all these advantages depended on
our keeping together under one head. An
army scattered and disorganized is lost;
and our little army was no exception.
The fatal command which Andrews now
gave as we were huddled together in the
wood box of the tender was to jump off,
one by one, scatter in the woods, and each
man strive to make his own way back to
the Union army! We hesitated, but had
no concert of action, no leader, no time
for council, and the instinct of obedience
was still strong upon us; but IL was u
fatal order, and led directly to the calami-
ties that followed. 1t transformed us in
moment from ~ formidable body of
picked soldiers, ready to fight to death,
into scattered mass of fugitive boys, be-
wildered and hopeless in an enemy's
country.
Yet no one of us felt like censuring our
leader for this order, which every one at
the moment believed to be q terrible mis-
take. Probably he thought that each
man of the party would find relief in
being cast entirely on his own resources.
1t must further be remembered, in ex-
PLANTATION of this mistaken order, that
Andrews had slept none the night before,
that he had been nearly twenty-four hours
without food, and that he had spent nearly
two days and night in the most exhaust
ing labors, both mental and physical, that
it is possible to conceive. He had seen his
cherished plans, when on the brink of sue
cess, overthrown by what seemed the re-
morseless hand of destiny. To the many
failures and sorrows of his past life had
been added the browning misfortune of
this defeat. Perhaps under his calm brow
he realized this with an intensity of
anguish, and felt that the greatest favor