The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-08
STORY or THE OREGON
As Told to Loyal Legion by Her
Executive Officer.
COL BENs0N'S EXPERIENCE in
SOUTHERN PRISONS.

Most Instructive and Interesting
Meeting of Maine Commandery for
years-Remarks by Gov. Connors, Gen.
Mattocks and Adjutant Gen. Richards
The stated meeting Of the Maine Com
mandery of the Loyal Legion, which was
held at the Falmouth hotel last evening
was most interesting, and was very
| largely attended. The post prandial exer-
oises were especially entertaining and the
narrative of Col. A. NJ Benson on his
experiences in the civil war in Rebel
prisons and the story of Lieutenant Com
mander Coggswell, executive officer of
the battleship Oregon on her wonderful
trip from the Pacific coast and her pant
in the fight at Santiago, were some of the
interesting features which made this
gathering one of the most notable the
Maine commandery has ever held.
At the business meeting previous to the
banquet Cox Frederick N. Dow. son of
General Neal Dow was elected to member
ship by right of inheritance. Paymaster
Charles Webster LittleHeld, U. S. N, was
made a mem Der of the second class.
A letter OF thanks was also read from
Gen. Charles p. Mattocks, late COM
mander of the third brigade, third
division, third army corps, at Camp Geo
Il. Thomas, Chickamauga Park. in
which he expressed his appreciation OF the
congratulatory message sent him by the
Maine commandery in September on his
participation in two wars with credit to
himself and to his state.
The banquet which was served In the
private dining room was very pleasing
part Of the nesting, and the menu most
carefully prepared and finely served re-
fiected much credit upon the house
The following is list Of those present:
Gen. c. w Tilden, Col A. NJ. Benson,
Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain, Gen.
Selden Conner, Captain Thomas j.
Little,a Major H. S Melcher, Captain
John o. Shaw, Major e. Rowell, Lieut..
James w. King, Major Charles H. BOYD,
Captain Thomas P. Beals, Captain Thcs'
Clark, Captain S. S. Andrews, Captain
@. e. Marshall, Lieut. G. W. Roberts,
Captain George W. verrill, Major William
II. Green, Captain g. @. Graham, Lieut..
A. E. Niokerson. James q. Hewey, ESQ.,,
Edward D. Noyes, ESQ.,, Lieut. J. d.
Anderson, Hon. Z. B. Mailed, DR., Col.
q. 4. Millett, Major Sidney W. Thaxter,
Surgeon S. G. Gordon. Col F. M. Drew.
Gen. j. H. Manning, Captain VI. w.
Whitmarsn, Captain Hebron Mayhem,
Major b. NJ. Redlon, Gen. John L.
Richards, Lieut.. e. NJ. Rand. Lieut..
Commander J.. K Cogswell, Paymaster
I W. r.. Anderson, Surgeon Alfred
Mitchell, DR.. f. W. Mead, Lieut.. George
d. Bisbee, Major Ira Kerry, Lieut.. Chas.
| o. Hunt, Gen. Charles P. Mattocks, Ex-
Gov. Frederick Robbie. George S. Smith,
Major H. S. Burrage.
Tie address of Major A. NJ Benson was
on his experience in and final escape
FROM REBEL PRISONS
The following is an abstract of it:
SIN June, 1864 said Major Benson,
ssthere came together about fourteen
thousand of cavalry and six light batteries
for the purpose of making a raid around
Richmond, the object being to destroy all
OF the railroads leading into Richmond
and Petersburg from the south. including
the Petersburg and Weldon, the South
Side and the Richmond and Danville.
On the night Of the 255h we passed
around the flanks of both armies and
struck the Petersburg and Weldon at a
place called Rome Station. There we
captured half dozen trains, both passeI-
ger and freight, all of which where de-
stroyed and we also captured few Com
fed erate soldiers. We then destroyed the
road put the prisoners under guard and
turned our attention to the South Side
road which we also destroyed. After
reaching the Richmond and Danyille
road the larger portion of that road was
destroyed as well as all public property
and dare say some private property was
destroyed also. We pushed on until We
reached the Roanoke river and there
found a small fort built Of mud. after
wards learned that it was manned by
school mastersswith q very few soldiers,
but Gen. Wilson did not think it adj
visable to make much of an effort to de-
stroy the bridge there and we went no
farther in that direction.
"My squadron was selected for the pur.
pose Of destroying this bridge. Numbers
one, two and three disinounted while the
fourth man held the horses, taking them