Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-16

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, 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 I can give with the fullness
that is desirable. The hero of the story
related it at reunion of the One Hum
dred and Sixteenth New York Volun-l
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, 1858; 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
few days before the battle of Cedar
Creek.
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 q
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 her0ically ac-
complished, with some loss Of ships
and sailors.
Tt was Just before or Just after this
demonstration that Private Smith,
venturing but 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 a time; then, as the investment of
that place was threatened, he was re-
moved under guard into Mississippi,
and, with q 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 chance to escape. With the
best of treatment that any prisoner
was likely to get, North or South, the
condition of the eaptives in these
stockades was hapless enough, and
thousands died at Elmira and John
sons Island, as well as at Anderson.
vile and Millen, from hopeless yield
ing to the miseries OF the situation
OF tougher fiber than this was oul
Private Smith. Before reaching the
place Of final imprisonment he had
made two unsuccessful efforts for free
dom. They were bound to be unsuc
ceBbIu4, our hOluleT was LOO lhI lIOH
the Gulf to warrant the hope that he
could get to blockading vessel, and
too far from the Union lines in any di
rection to make it even possible tc
reach them at that time. The fact
merely shows that he was one Of those
persevering spirits Of whom there
were SO many in our armies, who were
always ready and eager To take tht