The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-08

i Z as the duty VI bHe ponies 10 oAS -
grounds and this earth was gathered ~
| little heaps and mule teams took 1t ouo AZ
the morning. Our implements for dlggihs
were a piece of strap hinge and q cs'so
knife The hinge we used to dig with anu
the case knife we used to cut roots away
With these implements we constructed q
| tunnel 1870 feet long.
When we completed the tunnel it was
bright moonlight and we thought 1t Dese
not to reconnoitre for time. We Waiuoo
for dark night. But in the meantime
COWS were grazing over the lot next "
the prison yard and unfortunately for US
they broke into the tunnel. 1t was uir-
covered and the Rebels had an inyestlga-
ton and found that the tunnel lea Iroln
the camp. They placed guard there ana
waited.
When the dark night came Captain Mc-
Elroy, Captain Grant of the 18th Wiscon-
sin and myself were selected to go out
through thea tunnel and reconnoitre and
see what it was best to do after reaching
the outsi ie We took our clothes OF, Tor
it was impossible to get through the tun-
mel unless one was naked and making our
garments up in a little bundle we pushed
| this in front of us. We had the hinge
| with US to enlarge the opening when we
came to it. Captain McElroy was ahead
OF us, and while we were at work en-
| larging the opening some one outside be-
gan to call for the corporal of the guard
and Stuck bayonet down through the
| top of the tunnel, nearly putting IL
through Capt. McElroy's neck. Captain
McElroy called out that we were dis
covered aud told us to back out of the
tunnel. This we did slowly. There we
found tho Rebel guard and the tunnel
was broken in.
After this Captain Benson and Captain
Grant with others made another attempt
to tunnel, were discovered and taken OUT
of the stnokade and put in dungeon
where they were kept sixteen days on
bread and water. Benson being Mason
at last succeeded in getting released from
this dungeon, but only by promising not
to attempt to escape while under Col.
Wayne's command But he Indignantly
refused to inform the colonel OF. the at
tempts of his fellow prisoners.
Major Benson was shortly afterwards
taken into Charleston. The prisoners
made plans to capture the train on which
they went into the city, but this fell
through 1t was desperate undertaking
any way. In Charleston, Grant and Ben
son decided to make no more attempts to
escape at present and were parolled.
THE UNION PRISONERS
were put under fire in this city to save it
from destruction. The Unionists retalli-
ated in putting Confederate prisoners
under fire at Morris island and the Union
prisoners were then sent out of Charles
ton to Columbia. Grant escaped on the
way to Columbia by jumping from the
train. Here the prisoners We're put into a
field with dead line around the camp
and were guarded by old men and young
boys,
The speaker said that he went out in
Columbia one day on parole accom- panied
by Confederate officer. The officer got
drunk and Benson and his friend had TO
carry him back to the Rebel camp. They
refused to escape because they had given
their word not to do so.
"A plan to capture the camp having
fallen through Grant and two officers ran
the guard one dark night took to the
woods and travelled seven days. Then
starved out they went to house, which
happened to be that Of q coiored family
and were handsomely treated and fed.
After this they got along very well,
travelling through hostile country, go
ing days at time without food to eat
and doing most of their walking by
night. They met with innumerable adj
ventures, many Of them very ludicrous
and finally reached Carter county In.
Eastern Tennessee where nearly all the
people were loyal. Here they learned that
all tho passes through the mountains be-
tween them and the Union army were
guarded by the enemy and they had to
| stay quietly for some time, waiting for
| chance to get through. While there they
went with other loyal men on q raid into
johnson county and had very exciting
time of it, getting back with lots OF
cattle, sheep and other things After
time the plockads through the mountain
passes was broken and they started once
more towards the Union lines. Once they
went to house to get something to eat
and found there young woman who had
been in Portland, Maine, and stopped at
the United States hotel. She gave Major
Benson good meal when she found that
he was from Portland also
At last they got inside the Union lines
and Major Benson WAS sent to Washing
ton and told the story of his escape to
President Lincoln. A few years ago he
found Grant living in Washington and
this story of Major Bensonss experiences
one of the best addresses that the COM
mandery ever listened to, was brought to
very happy close in the way MAJOR
Benson found this old friend and comrade
of the Rebel prison pens.
Following Col. Benson Ex-Governor
Common aud Major Burraga smoke briefly,