The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-23
BIG PETE MCCULLOUGH.
STORY OF THE JUDGE OF AMBER
SONvILLE PRISON.

"a . n hondrkaDl6 Irlal IN
Which All Participants Were Prison
ers.
From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat
The name Of big Pete will bring vivid
recollections to those who were prisoners in
Andersonville in 1864. This former hero is
living in Mexico, Mo. He never makes any
allusion TO the time when he was supreme
judge in the most oddly-formed court that
this country has ever known. Financial
reverses overlook him few years ago. and
though he struggled manfully against the
tide. be was at last compelled to seek aid
from the government, and it was while
making application TO pension agent in
this city, and to whom he recited the story
OF his prison life, that it became known he
was the once famous "Big Pete" of Ander-
sonville.
Peter Mccullough, as he is known in
prlva life, was born on a farm in Mclean
county, illinois, six miles west Of Blooming
ton, April IL, 1882 He followed farming
until June 2, 1861, when he enlisted in the
army under Gen. d. P. Grier, who died in
st. Louis April %, 1891. The Illinois quota
being full at that time, he went to st. Louis
aud Joined the Eighth Missouri, Morgan L.
Smith, colonel. big Pete" had secured a
common school education. This, together
with wonderful fund OF common sense and
will power. was all the possessions he had
when he Joined the army. He was six feet
high, weighed 200 pounds, was patriotic
and full of vigor. For valiant services he
was several times offered promotion, but
refused, preferring, he said. to remain a
private, in which the country stood in
greater need than officers. At Cape Girar-
deau, Mo-. in the early part of the war, be
was given charge OF the fort, but could not
be prevailed upon to become the permanent
commander.
In February of 1852 Peter Mccullough
was called from Paducah, KY, to Fort
DoDelson, where Gen. A. j. Smith was con-
Quoting an enga yement against the confed
crates. On Feb. ID, the day before the sur.
render OF the confederares, Mccullough was
wounded in the thigh and vas sent back to
Paducah. The wound was thought to be
serious one, and the doctors had concluded
to amputate his leg, but he protested so
vigorously that after thirty days, at his
own suggestion, he was granted short
furlough and returned to his home in ILL
nois. With careful nursing he improved
rapidly and was soon able to walk with
cane
On June 80 Mccullough Joined the regI-
ment at Shiloh. but the next day marching
orders were received, and he, not being
able to perform active duty, was left behind
in a hospital. where he was compelled to
remain thirty days and was then sent TO his
regiment, with which he remained until
captured at Brandon, Miss. on July 20,
1868, while dong duty on a skirmish line.
From that time until the close Of the war
Peter Mccullough was prisoner. Being
in the hands of the enemy did not worry
him i'll the least, believing il was only the
question OF few DAYS, or weeks at the
furthest, that he would again be a free
man. Days, however, fed on, and still the
expected release did not come.
visited Big Pete at his home in this city
and he told me che story of his prison life
BIG PETE's STORY.
"My eagerness to escape was what landed
me in Audersonville, and 7, therefore, never
felt like Dragging about my achievements
while In there" said Big Pete. at was in
this way: After my capture at Brandon,
Miss, / was taken, with others, to Rich
mond, Va, and placed in Libby prison. l
remained there only four weeks, being one
OF 500 who were removed to Belle Island,
where l remained for six months. Although
the fare and the treatment | received here
were the best during my prison career, life
became very monotonous, and l often
wished l could be in the hottest of the fight.
But had been in my last battle, as subse-
Quent events proved. | was often told that
we were to be exchanged. but the time
would always roll by without the promise
being fulfilled.
Finally, on Jan. Is, 1864. the prison
officers brought together 600 men, myself
among the number. What disposition they
intended to make of US they refused to tell,
but the guards secretly informed us that
500 were to go TO Andersonville and 500
were to be exchanged. The men were
formed into two squads. OF course, there
was much speculation among us as to
which squad was to be exchanged. Leroy
L. Key, Ivory H. Pike, Mack Wright and
myself were placed in the square to be ex-
changed, but thinking it was the one going
squad. So that is the way happened to go
to Andersonville.
AT ANDERsoNvILLE-
"We entered Andersonville Feb. 1, 1864.
At that time there were about 1000 pris-
oners. This number, however, increased
daily until, in July, there were over 81, 900.
The most revolving state of affairs existed
within the stockade at that time. Disease
and filth were everywhere. Everywhere
could be seen ragged, half-starved men.
Hardly a day passed some did not try to
escape. All around me methods of escape
were being projected aud whisperingly dis
cussed. but l entered into none of these.
knowing how Intellectual they always
proved.
within the stockade at that time there
was an org ,nized band called the Raiders,
whose object was to rob and steal. The
whole camp feared them. The ringleaders
were composed of men who did not scruple
to murder on the slightest provocation.
Their depreiations were of nightly occur
renee They would steal anything that a
prisoner happened TO have on his person.
His clothing would be stolen unless he slept
in it, One poor fellow had his skull crushed
in with heavy bolt because be made some
resistance when being robbed OF twist of
tobacco. His name was Marion Hammill.
and he was a member of a wealthy family
in Alabama. dis relatives afterward
offered $4,000 for the name of the assassin,
but they never learned it, am sure, for |
am quite certain the murderer died on the
gallows.
During the period that the raiders were
doing the most villainy our rations were
extremely short. being only twenty five
pounds OF corn bread and nine pounds of
beef to 100 men. These rations would be
brought in and placed on blanket. and
many times has a raider. or q number of
them, come along and wakes away with
the entire allowance. Oftentimes they were
observed in thsir thefts. but there was rare
ly ever any objection made for fear of the
vengeance OF the entire gang.
whenever an organization was openly
talked of the instigators would certainly
suffer in some way. Murder was the usual
result. In past the raiders were not all
known, and it seemed that no matter how