The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-02-19
4 DARING DEED.
HOW THE TOWN OF ST, ALBANS
WAS TAKEN.

Twenty-six Confedernt-s Escn pc from i,rlo-
on orL Captured Vermont ,rsTn--ihe !
Banks Sacked--Trial in Cnnndy.
Atlanta Constitution.
Sketches inoumerablc, have appeared
in newspapers and magazines, on both
sides of Mason and Dixon's line purpor
ting to be s'the most daring exploit of
he war" 1 have, however, seen no al
usion to what claim, was the most
daring, viz. the capture of St. Albaus,
Vermont, by tweDty-siz confederates in
he latter days of December '64, or early
IN January '65. This audscious episode
is so little known in Atlanta, that brief
account by one who was almost (not
| Quite a part of the capturing force, may
not be uninteresting.
In the summer of 1864 about 120 con-
federate prisoners of war. who had con.
tr;yed to escape from different northern
prisons made their way to Canada IL
preference to taking the risk CT recap
ture in the e16eavor t. pierce the militia
~ lines, and perhaps have to answer the
charge, so freely made against suspicious
strangers, of belsg spies. Rock Island,
Camp Chase, Camp Douglas, Camp Nor
ton and other prisons of lesser note each
furnished its quota of this contingent.
Now, such body Of men, who had the
shrewdness and energy to effect their es-
cape, were not likely to be Inactive in
the stirring events which so much con-
cerned them. Consequently a movement
was set on foot locking TO tue liberation
of the prisoners on Johnson's Island.
This ended in the capture and execution
of Major Beal, of Buffalo, n. \. Fol
lowing on the heels Of their beloved
leaders death, it soon became apparent
that Sherman was about to abandon the
, sword of the soldier for the torch of the
| incendiary. AS the mothers, wives and
5 and sisters of these e1iled paticts were
E exposed to insult and pillage, naturally
their rage knew no bounds. Said Cap
tain -, of Alabama, to the writer
s There are enough Of US here to draw
of 10, 900 cutthroats form our beloved
D homes, if we but hang together and
strike 10 the ost tender spot, as these
( vandals have been striking US.
0 As a result of mature dellbcEatlor
r like clap of thunder in a clear SIX;
!, news flashed over the wires that ''areoe
!, horde had captured st. Alhans, Vt.
d Subsequent events developed the lac
that "the horde" consisted Of twenty-sl:
men, who quietly entered the town an'
thro wing of their outer wraps, appears
in the garb OF confederate soldiers, arm
ed to the teeth, and enforced an immed'
y surrender. Although the place con
- tanned 5000 inhabitants, the mayor an
,,HS city officers counseled submission. In
- entire male population was corraled
d the public square and held for nonF:
twenty being detailed as guard Io
them, while the other six went throug
u the public buildings, both local and lee
eral. and the nationa! banks. Five MI
:, lions in greenbacks, bonds aud secu'itle
~ ~ compensated the captors.
i' On returning to Canada, deman
was made from Washington for their e.
ne tradition. The case was taken before
er a Judge in Toronto on writ OF haoes
r corrus, and postponed for ten days
as enable the prisoners to procure eVldeDc'
IN Now, as much courage and create
IT. shrewdness was necessary to prove tue:
men we're soldiers not mere rob5er
al Five scouts we're Immediately dispatche
Il for Richmond, each commissioner {
n the same errand, so if one or more It
"a. into the hands of the enemy some
= them might get through. On the nlgI
n. one of the couriers returned, and
the tenth morning, just before cou
of convened, two others came IN with
nd certified copy of Lieutenant Young
rs. commission, and certi ied copies OF t
.e, enlistment papers of each and every O
81 of the other twenty-five. The trial pr
m ceeded; the court decided the partl
we're beligerents, and they were acqu
ted accordingly.
So strong pressure, however,
brought to bear on the Dominion &c
ernment that parliament was conVen
in session extraordinary, ard the ain
ne sedition act passed under the g"ve'
10 ment whip and spur. This act may
~ briefly epitomized as follows: II
i, i, governal general is empowered 10 $!
u, bend the habeas corpus by prcc;ah.ail
AZ AZ in the dominion within ioFty-e'G
N0 hours"
But little remains 10 be told. :
~, though only twenty-siz took p;U; IN
us St. Aibaus raid there were about {
"a - hundred and tweaty distributed ttTou
~ IA the cities of Montreal, Toronto,
az az GATHERINGS and Hamilton. A port
Il conceived the idea of going to Euro
Nd Nd Offering their services on block'
Nv. u runner. and gaining entrance to SO
.ed s southern pert This was ceened
,ds s most feasible pIaD, as it would be N
ars w ness to attempt returning through
uortharp states. Well, they tou
Yer themselves, in course of time, IN Ed
~. ~. bursh. Scotlar &, with all arTaugeme
in made to man vessel, prepared ior
.ut purpose on the Clyde, about forty M
he distant, when re"s came Of Lees
les render and as consequence they
rendered their blockade running
ess solves.
The How many of these ex-c<caped pr
lie ners are left in twepty-yea's! AS W
.rd coincidence presents i:self 10 N
ers tweuty-six men participated 1T the
oft Albsrs raid, and j: is just twenty
on years since it occurred.
viii If this should catch the oye G1
ell ore who was il Canada at that t
is will he confer with the writer OF
ost through the CONSTITUTIONS.
Ey-CoSFEDERATE