Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-09-25

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 / can give with the fuIlness
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
reiOined 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 q kind
of corps of observation upon Port Hud-
son. 1t 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
viii be remembered, was herOically &C
hlH ,F Oh
and sailors.
1t was Just before or Just after this
demonstration that Private Smith,
Yenturing but a short distance beyond
our lines, was snapped up by a small
party of the enemy lying in conceal
ment, probably trying 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 MississiDpi
and, with a 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 Aissis-
sippi and Alabama, and after various
fortunes and adventures the prisoners
were placed in a 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
stoekades was hapless enough, and
thousands died at Elmira and John
sons Island, as well as at Anderson
vile and Millen, from hopeless Weld.
ing to the .miseries of the situation
OF tougher fiber than this was ou1
Private Smith. Before reaching the
place of final imprisonment he ha6
made two unsuccessful efforts for free
dom. They were bound to be unsuc
cessful; our soldier was too far from
the Gulf TO warrant the hope that h,
could get to q blockading vessel, anC
too far from the Union lines In any di
reetion to make it even possible t,
reach them at that time. The fac
merely shows that he was one Of thOst
perseYering spirits Of whom ther'
we're so many in our armies, who wer,
always ready and eager to stake tn