The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-13

NPihttn for nc htc3igen@r.
Tho Southern Ca4ic,irracy, OF A atlanta,
Ca, on juno s, 1862, published the
Glowing:
Yesterday evenings train brought
from Chattanooga TO this place to DO
executed, Androws, tho leader OF tho
engine thieves, under sentence Of
death, convicted by court martial Of
being spy.
"Ho WIS carried out peachtrco street
road, accompanied by three clcreymen.
and escorted by n guard. A consider
able crowd followed to witness tho exc
cution. llu was = native OF Hancock
county, Va, born in 1920, brought up
by pious Presbyterian parents, who now
reside in Southwestern Missouri. a
good portion OF his lilo had been spent
in Fleming county, kentucky. Ito had
no family, but was engaged to DO mar
Rod during tho present month"
Little more than the above brief nc
count is known Of Andrews early life.
From citizens oil Maysyillc. Ky, 1t was
learned that one day in tho spring Of
1859 II fine looking young man. about
six feet tai iloatOd down tho Ohio river
on raft, aud went ashore ut Maysville.
A few days later he walked into Flem-
ingsbur@, Ky, seventeen miles distant
from MaysviIle, and seeing tho namo
Andrews on n sign across tho street,
sNid that was the same name rs his own
and he believed no would remain in
that village. llo gave his name as John
j. Andrews, and said ho was q native Of
Hancock county, Virginia, (now Wnst
Virginia. and was n teacher. Not being
able to get employment as 4 school
teacher, he commenced work ut house
painting and taught singing school in
the evenings. ue had beautiful voice
and soon became very popular with his
pupils. He had easy, winning manners,
was reserved and modest, but seemed
TO be surrounded with an air Of Inys-
terry, and was apparently anxious to
make money. lie said very little about
himself, but tho story got into c'rcu-
lHtion that his father at ono time had
entrusted him with several thousand
dollars and that he had invested it in n
mill. which burned, and not being in
sured, everything was lost. When he
returned home he was so bitterly re-
preached by his sister that no immedi.
ate!y left and resolved that he never
would return till he had nude good
the loss.
BECAME A SPY.
He was successful and bid fair to
carry out his resolve, but fate decided
otherwise. When the war broke GU!
in 1861 Andrews found his friends tax.
ing opposite sides. He decided to stick
to the Union, although some OF his best
and intimate friends took the other
side. He made a trip to Louisville and
upon retu rning announced that no had
] been Jade United States proves.
marshal, but 10 one OF his Intimate
friends he announced that he had m.
other mD ion-that he was going to be
spy 10 the Union army. He accom-
panied 90 Union troops on several OF
tho @ expeditions in Kentucky. aud
renuered thcm good service. He fire.
quontly passed through the lines, and
to the Confederates he made himself
known as blockade runner aud SNUG,
glcr OF quinlne and other articles, and
even took partner and went into bust
ness in Nashville, Tennessee He
travelled frequently in the south and
took orders for goods to be brought
through the Union lines, and ut tho
same time gained valuable information
for the Union generals.
IN April, 1852, Andrews planned IN
expedition, which, for cool daring and
rccklessncss, is not excellcd in the an
mails. OF military history. 1t was moth
ing less than to penetrate to tho centre
OF the coniederacy, capture train oil
cars, run it through to the Union lines
and burn the bridges behind him.
On tho 1th Of April, in camp at Shell.
byville. Tenn, in General Mitchelrs
tent, his plan WAS made known and APP
proved. Twenty odd soldiers OF Sill's
brigade, detailed from Ohio regiments
were to accompany him, not uniformed
as soldiers, but in ci,izens' clothes, and
armed with revovors. BY the way,
several of these soldiers we're from JEFF
ferson county, Ohio. The soldiers were
detailed without letting them know the
nature OF tho mission. They were
directed to procure citizens clothes and
report to Andrews in the night on q
road outside OF camp. A, the place Of
rendezvous Andrews told them OF the
nature OF the expedition and gave them
an opportunity to decline in case any
one desired to do So No man took adj
vantage OF the offer. They were then
directed to separate into small parties
pass through the lines, and travel more
than hundred miles through the
mountains on foot, reach the railroad
Mt Chattanooga, buy tickets to Marietta
near Atlanta. Ga, and be at Marietta
on certain date, about one week from
the day OF starting. All the member:
OF the party arrived at Marietta on
time. although they had to pass through
several OF the cnemy's camps. The en-
tire party spent one night in Marietta n
the hotels.
CAPTURED THE TRAIN.
Early the next morning they pur
chased tickets to different points north,
got aboard the frat passenger train ant
rode as passengers till tho train stoppet
for breakfast Mt Big Shanty (now Kone
saw. While tho train men aud passcn
gers were at breakfast Andrews put hi
engineer and fireman on the engine
and tho remaining members OF til,
party in the three foremost cars, IN
cn,pla1 tha hn1o,,n r a. o,.,