The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-03-21
i SOLDIERS DARING ESCAPE.
: Stirring Narrative Of Adventure in
the Summer Of a.

One OF the myriads Of war stories
t..Iy have been told during the past
t-H years. 1T least one Of the most
thrilling. and authentic. has hitherto
capped publication The following
L4rratlye, familiar only to the friends
u the hero. Colonel Andrew VI. Ben
n. Of Boston. viii without doubt.
prove unusually interesting to his
comrades Of the Grand Army and to
al others 1t IS related in his own
words:
I was Captain Of the First District
ot Columbus Cavalry" Colonel Ben
son said. when we started June Is.
l.G+ for the south side Of Richmond.
o. what was known as Wilson's raid.
Cur object being to destroy govern
na4t stores, tie Petersburg and Vel
sen railroad line. and the South Side
IHlrOad from Hean's Station TO the
Igcllnoud and Danyille. Having so
tar accomplished our purpose, we fol
lowed the Richmond and DanyilIe
t.aal to the Little Roanoke River.
over which there was a bridge that |
Eas detailed to pTune, supported by
japaiu {. {. Chase, with another
gGadrOn. As we moved into the
range Of some small guns on the op-
posIte side Of the river, the Confedcr-
>fts opened on rs with canister shot.
hv one of which Twas wounded In the
side and disabled We failed to de
-troy the bridge, and fell back. Gen
o"al Wilson, being confronted by
Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lees
c ,Iyalry and Mahone's division of i'm
fautry. thought battle inadvisable.
aairrtreated toward the Black Water,
leaving all his wounded behind Cap
tam Chase and |. who were both in
tie number, together with 200 or 300
more. fell in to the hands Of the enemy.
Being first taken TO Petersburg and
kept there two days. we were sent on
T. Libby Prison, which we reached
July ;. There we remained three
weeks. We were next forwarded 10
.,Iacon. Ga. where those Of Us who
were officers We're put in a stockadp.
About 1900 officers Of the Union army
were there before rs
In a short time a few Of Us got 10
ther and decided TO tunnel ont un-
der the stockadp. We commenced
operations Immediately After a few
days when We We're summoned IN TO
roI call, the guard entered in our rear
between rs end the barracks and
searched for the tunnel. They were
a3t long finding and destroying it.
One OF our own officers, whose name
/ nave forgotten, was sand t. nave
gwen the information that ruined our
Isl attempt at escape. About the
rldGIe OF August We We're taken 10
> tFannah and confined IN the Marine
Hospital yard, Again We resolved to
tunnel our way out. we succeeded
II carrying the WORK through the hos
rltal vault, and as far as We consider
II wise at the time the moon beng
the,h al ITS tlllI, when we decided to
wait tor dark night before attempt
ing to escape. Meanwhile cattle We're
grazing over the lot through which
We were to make our egreas, and the
tunnel coming too near the surface, a
COW tell IN and preclpated not only
her own discontinue. but the dlscoy-
cry Of our plans. We knew nothing
a9out tins, however, until the arrival
g dark night and our tlmo fer act
lIon. Captain McEIroy OF the gun
boat leaser; captain \. Grant OF the
Nineteenth Wisconsin and myself
started to reconnolter, and determine
winch way we would best move after
getting out OF the tunnel. McElroy