The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21

/ r
~ ! and authentic, has heretofore
~ escaped publication. The fl
lowing narrative. familiar only to the friends
of the hero, Colonel Andrew NJ. Benson Of
this city, will, without doubt, prove unusually
interesting to his comrades of the Grand
Army and to all readers, says the Boston
Herald. 1t is related in his own words;
Il was Captain of the First District Of Co.
lumbia Cavalry" Colonel Benson said.
when we started, June %. 1864, for the
south side of Richmond. on what is known
as Wilson's raid cur objects being TO de-
stIoy Government stores, the Petersburg and
Weldon Railroad line, and the South Side
Railroad from Reams Station to the Rich
mond and Danville. Having so far accom-
plished our purpose, we followed the Rich
mOnd and DanYlle road to the Little Roam
0ke River, over which there was a bridge
that l was detailed 10 burn, supported by
Captain c. c. Chase, with another squad
roU. As we moved into the range Of some
small guns on the opposite side of the river,
the ContederateS opened on Us with canister
shot, by one OF which | was wounded in the
SIDE and disabled. We failed to destroy the
bridge, and fell back. General Wilson, be-
ing confronted by Wade Hampton and
FIRhugh Lees cavalry and Manone's diviS-
lon of infantry, thought battle inadylSab,e.
and retreated toward the Black Water,
leaving all his wounded behind. Captain
Chase and |, who were both in the number,
together with 200 or 800 more, Tell into the
hands of The enemy. Being first taken 10
Petersburg and kept there two days we were
-SeGtoG to Libby Prison, which we reached July
Sd. There We remained thee weeks We
were next forwarded to Macon, Ga, where
those Of us who were officers were put
into stockade. About 1909 officers Of the
Union Army we're there before us
" In 4 short time few OF Us got together
and decided to tunnel out under The stock
abe. We commenced operations immeii-
ately. After few days, when we were
summoned in to roll-call, the guard entered
in our rear, between US ana the barracks,
and searched for the tunnel. They were not
long finding and destroying It. One OF our
own officers, whose name L have forgotten,
was said 10 have given the information that
RUINED OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE.
- About the middle of August We were
taken to Savannah and confined in the
Marine Hospital yard. Again We resolved
10 tunnel our way cut. We succeeded in
carrying tie work through tie hospital
vault and as far as we considered wise ut
the time the moon being then at its lul,
when We decided TO wait for dark night
before attempting to escape. Mean
while cattle were grazing loose over
the lot through Which we were to
make our egress. and the tunnel coming too
near the surface. COW fell in and pre'lpi-
tated not only her own discontinue but the
discovery of our plans. We knew nothing
about this, however, until the arrival of
dark night and our time for action. Cap
tain McElroy of the gunboat Teazer,
Captain A Grant of the Nineteenth Wis
cousin. and myself started to reConnoiter
--en4 deter which way we would best
move aftef(sIting out of the tunnel Nc
ElTOy led. Arriving at the end Of the tun-
mel we saw something was wrong. Neil
roy attempted to Chamber out of the hole,
when some one called the Corporal Of the
guard, at the same time thrustlng hayOuet
into the earth, which barely graz5d the Cap
tain's neck. We fastened back into camp,
only 10 be confronted by Colonel Wayne
commandment of the post, with the officer
OF The day and gard. Our names were
TAKEN and we were sent to quarters
The tunnel was broken in from one
end to the other, a distance of about 200
feet. Undiscouraged we looked for another
place to bore cur way out, - came upon
AN odd disused well covered with earth. On
this site We worked Tor two or three nights
| was standing near the edge Of the shaft
directing our men in the tunnel, when
rebel suddenly appeared. | tried to eaten
him, but he got away and notified the com
mandant. The game was up again. We took
cover in the nearest tents we could find. In
a few moments Colonel Wayne visited US
with a guard, guided by the spy, and ordered
our tent to be taken down, saying: Illraze
every tent to the ground, but I'll stop these
accursed Yankees digging tunnels | left
my hiding-place, approached the Colonel
aud told him L hoped he wouldn't take
d wa the tent, as some officers inside were
sick, and il would be cruel 10 expose them
t. the weather, which was rainy. Only
those actually engaged in the tunnellug
SHOULD BE MADE TO SUFFER,
I said. Again the Colonel asked my name.
/ 20 d him. At that moment Captain Grant
Snerged from his place OF concealment and
Aid he was Captain BensOn'S second in
G. mmand, and If any punishment was in
fcted he proposed to take his share. We
were sent to our quarters and pla ced under
guard for the night. In the morning we
were taken 10 the Provost MarshapS Office
in the city and thence TO the jail near our
former camp, where we were placed in SOl!-
tary confinement in dungeons. For sixteen
days we remained there, our only compan-
ions being yermln, rats and cockroaches.
Every day we received about 10 o'clock tin
basin containing a sort OF soup, which
served for b. tn food and drink. In all these
DAYS We didn't touch bread, meat or water.
ION the afternoon of the sixteenth day
the Quartermaster of the post happened to
pass my cell. ] gave him treemason's
sign, which he understood. He stopped and
questioned me and said Colonel Wayne was
a Grand Commander OF the Knights Temp
lar of Georgia, and he thought If | applied as
a Mason for my release from Jail would
be successful. The Quartermaster kindly
brought me pen, ink and paper, and con-
veyed to Colonel Wayne the application that
| then wrote. He also br ught me food.
candle and matches, newspapers, etc. The
next morning Colonel Wayne came to me.
As [ had promised, in my application for
release. not to attempt escape again during
my stay in Savannah, he said he would allow
me TO return 10 the St0ckade. Coming out
into the corridor with hardly strength
7 inn for +,t,
Grant. Hes over yonder, l suppose was
the Colonel's reply; and be can rot for all [
care
ITO this I answered: "You know very
well, Colonel, that Captain Grant came 10
me when | was in trouble and said he would
take his share of punishment with me. Now,
l don't care to go out and leave him here
After considerable talk the commandant
made me responsible for Captain Grant,
and took US both back to the stockade.
"a few days later we were conveyed to
Charleston, and there placed under the FIRE
Of our guns from Morris Island. Two hun
dred 3OO-pOund shells were thrown INTO the
city every day. In retaliation Tor our treat
ment, our people took 1000 Confederate pEls-
oners and confined them in astcckade directly
under our guns on Morris Island. This
cOunter-moye resulted in compromise,
whereby we were removed from Charleston
to Columbia, S. c., and placed in field on
the north side of the Congaree River. This
was about October 1st. We were closely
guarded and
DEAD LINES WERE FIXED.
Beyond which prisoner could venture only
at the cost of his life ii he were discovered
Colonel Horace ii. Walpo.e Of Syracuse,
n. Y, Colonel James II. Geer Of the same
city. Lieutenant Correll of Brooksyili He, Vt,
and myself decided to run the guard, and If
we got through alive, to escape toward tie
North, aiming for the Blue Ridge. On the
night of November 1st we placed ourselves in
position near the dead lines. Immediately
after the relief had passed US We lelped to
our feet and ran across the, lines. We were
fired at but all escaped without injury: Our
venture this time was attended with
happy conclusion. Having provided our
selves with a map showing the
rivers and towns on our route, we
started out toward Marion. n. c. For ten
nights we marched, subsisting on the
raw corn we found in the fields and lying
low under cover of logs and roots during
the day time. On the tFnth night we heard
q party singng 81 the road in front OF u.s.
We decided, Il thes should turn out to be
cOlOTeQ people TO Duf ourselves in their