The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-02-03
A History of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1852.
The Most Heroic and Tragic Episode
of the Civil War.

I
The Most Heroic and Tragic Episode
of the Civil War.
Embracing Full and Accurate Account
Of the secret Journey to the Heart of
the Confectionery, the Capture of
Railway Train in Confederate Camp.
the sTerribls Chase That Followed. and
the subseqnent fortunes OF the Leader
and lis Party.
CHAPTER XVIII
AN ESCAPE.
No time was lost in useless regrets. All
Of our comrades resolved TO carry out the
plan of escape which was their leaders
| only chance of life-probably their own
also. Andrews was separated from them
the same evening and put down into 'sthe
hole" There was knife in the party and
| they at once began work. On Saturday
night they cut into the plank overhead, as
this could be the more easily concealed.
| 1t was fearfully difficult. One man stood
on the shoulders of two others who leaned
against the walls, for there was no other
means OF reaching the ceiling, and carved
at the heavy oak plank till weary, when
| another relay of three would take their
| place. The cutting was not very noisy,
but little shutting about, talking, and
especially singing, effectually drowned it.
\ A piece was thus worked out during the
night large enough TO admit the passage
of mans body and the work suspended
till the morning and afternoon visits of
the jailer had been passed.
After they had returned from their daily
airing on Sunday they went to work with
new vigor. Now they did not need to con-
ceal the evidences of their work, for be-
fore the jailer came again on Monday
| morning they meant to be free. They
knew that dangers were ahead, but the
| thought of liberty, and their leaders, life,
was enough to inspire them. They worked
hard and sang long that Sunday evening.
Swims afterward said that he ought to
have known that something was the mat
ter by their singing so mournfullyi They
hoped To finish all that was to be done by
midnight: but they had miscalculated
| their task.
| They had to cut the lock out of the trap
door in order to bring Andrews up from
below; then to pick their way through the
| end brick wall above the ceiling, slowly
| and carefully, so as not to alarm the guard
outside. Their garments had to be twisted
| into ropes to lift Andrews from below and
the last of themselves up to the ceiling, as
well as to make a longer rope for the per-
ilous descent from the gabled end of the
| Jail to the ground outside.
When all was done day was just begin
ming to break family in the east. No time
was to be lost. In half an hour it would
be SO light as to render their escape inn
possible. They were all in the loft and
Andrews was given the first chance. OF
course all letters had been removed. The
rope was passed out, and Andrews crawled
through, and in ~ moment was swinging
outside; but IN getting out he happened to
/ push off loose brick, which fell to the
ground and gave the alarm. The nearest
| guard raised his musket and fired at the
man hanging on the rope, but missed his
aim. Andrews had his boots in his hand,
but in the excitement let them fall and
could not stop to pick them up. He after
wards sorely needed them. But in his
stocking feet he flung himself over the
fence and through the guard line, repeat
edly fired at but unhurt. John Wollam
| followed. and while he was in the air he
was fired at by other guards, but sue
ceeded in getting out of the yard unhurt.
Those who had failed to get out crawled
down and got on their irons again, and it
was great mystery how the two men
alone had been able to effect their escape.
Andrews and Wollam separated as soon
as they left the prison. The former ran
short distance beyond the skirts of the
town, after having taken precautions to
throw the dogs off his track, and finding
it too light to travel further in safety,
climbed into tree with dense foliage,
| which stood in plain view of the railroad.
All day long he watched the running of
the trains so close that he could have
tossed pebble on them, and once heard a
party in pursuit talking about his mys-
terious disappearance The search was
! patient and complete, but they did not
think of looking over their headsl
He descended at nightfall and swan the
deep and rapid river, feeling that his best
/ course was to get into the loyal noun
famous country, through which he would
only need to journey short distance to
reach the Union lines. His prospect now
would have been good but for the loss of
boots and hat in the first rush, and the
additional loss of his coat in swimming
| the river His course was in the main
down the river, but he could not make
rapid progress. The sharp stones in the
darkness soon cut away his stockings and
left the bleeding feet unprotected. He
bound them up with portions of his gar
ments as well as he could, and continued
on his desperate and painful way. But
he was little too long in finding a hiding
place, and was observed in the morning
twilight just as he was crossing an open
field beyond, in which he intended to
take shelter, as he had done the day be-
fore. Instantly the alarm was given and
pursuit made by men and dogs. With
boots and other clothing he might have
escaped, for he could probably have made
such use of the stream as to elude them.
As it was lie put forth every effort.
Dashing through the woods he regained
the river bank much lower down than he
had crossed the night before. Believing
that he was now unobserved, he swan q
narrow channel to a small island, and
carefully concealed himself among some
driftwood at its upper end.
But the hunters were determined to
leave no spot unsearched. A party with
bloodhounds now crossed over from the
mainland and explored the whole island
He was soon found, but broke away from
them and ran around the lower end Of
the island, wading in the shallow water
to throw the hounds off the track; then
he plunged into a dense thicket with
which the island was covered, and again
assembled a tree. For a long time he
found secure concealment here, his foes
being frequently under the very tree.
They finally concluded that he must have
got back over the strip of water to the
mainland, and slowly returned to seek
him there. Two little boys who had only
followed for curiosity were all that lin
gered behind.
/ 20 49,, ..o1 -. -
and said to the other that he saw great
bunch on tree. The second looked to
see what it was--shifted his position
looked again and exclaimed that it was O
mani They cried out in alarm, and thus
announced their discovery to their friends
on shore The latter instantly returned,
and Andrews seeing himself discovered
the story is almost too pitiful to be told
dropped from the tree, ran to the lower
end of the island, seized q small, dead log,
and with limb for a paddle pushed into
the stream, hoping to reach the opposite
shore before he could be overtaken. So
far as the island pursuers were concerned
he might have succeeded; but there was
another party with skiff lower down the
stream, who showed out tomeet him. The
helpless man could do no more, and was
taken.
The struggle had been one OF almost
hopeless agony. He had eaten nothing
since Sunday afternoon, and it was now 2
O'Clock OH Tuesday His back was blis-
tered by exposure, unprotected, 70 the
sun, and his feet were covered with bleed
ing gashes. He said that he felt so
wretched and miserable that the thought
OF certain death, to which he then re-
signed himsslf. had no further terror.