Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1890-09-18

to October, 1864, be told, the story
would be entitled to take its place be-
side the most thrilling and entertain
ing of its kind. Unfortunately, I heard
the tale under circumstances that did
not allow me chance to get all its
particulars in shape for publication,
and the strange incident that closes it
is all that L can give with the fullness
that is desirable. The hero of the story
related it at a reunion of the One Hun
dred and Sixteenth New York Volun-
teers last August, and his name has
escaped me. No matter for that; the
familiar old name of Smith can always
be depended upon to do duty for an
alias. Let this good soldier and COM
rade be referred to as Private Smith.
He was taken prisoner near Baton
Rouge, La, in March, 1868; he finally
escaped near Atlanta, Ga, in Septem-
Der, 1864. His regiment had in the
meantime been transferred to Virginia
with the Nineteenth Army Corps; he
rejoined it in the Shenandoah Valley a
few days before the battle of Cedar
Greek.
At the time of his capture Growers
division, to which the One Hundred
and Sixteenth New York was then at
tached, lay at Baton Rouge as kind
of corps of observation upon Port Hud-
son. It was about this time that his
command was pushed out to make a
false demonstration against the Little
Gibraltar" the object of which was to
divert the attention of the garrison
from the river, and thus aid Farragut
in his effort to pass above, which, it
will be remembered, was heroically &C
complished, with some loss of ships
and sailors.
It was just before or just after this
demonstration that Private Smith,
venturing but short distance beyond
our lines, was snapped up by small
party of the enemy lying in conceal
ment, probably irving to make discov-
cries as to the Federal force in and
about Baton Rouge.
He was then, as I understood it,
taken up to Port Hudson and confined
for time: then, as the investment of
that place was threatened, he was re-
moved under guard into Mississippi,
and, with considerable party of pris-
oners, changed about under guard from
one place to another. always getting
further east. During that summer
and fall they progressed across Missis-
sippi and Alabama, and after various
fortunes and adventures the prisoners
were placed in stockade at or near
Macon, Georgia, with many others.
Smith was one of the kind who never
give up hope, and are always looking
out for q chance to escape. With the
best of treatment that any prisoner
was likely to get, North or South, the
condition of the captives in these
stockades was hapless enough, an6
thousands died at Elmira and John
aon,s Island, as well as at Anderson
vile and Millen, from hopeless yield
inc to the miseries of the situation
OF tougher fiber than this was ou
private Smith. Before reaching tn,
place of final imprisonment he hat
made two unsuccessful efforts for free
dom. They we're bound to be unsuc
coeefnl. our soldier was too far from
tha Guif to warrant the hope that b.
conld ret to q blockading vessel, ant
too far from the Union lines in any di
rection to make it even possible +
-eer.h them at that time. The fac
merely shows that he was one OF thos
perseyering spirits OF whom Their
we're = many IN our armies, who wer
alvsys rcady and eager to take tn