The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-09-20
THE BAT'HLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.

were gathered about the breakfast la
bic half dozen men from the old home
neighborhood who had served in as
many different regiments. The ladies
OF the party had called out from each
stories of army experience, all Of which
were interesting and many very excit-
Ing, but through all OF the talk Tulley
had said nothing. until one Of the la
dies asked him if he had come through
the war unscathed. Yes" he said, and
then added in a hesitating way, L had
my feet frozen. you know You didY
| put in young girl. Why, how did
that happen, Mr.. Mckinney Well he
said, after my escape from prison
was in the mountains about forty days,
and-well, the long and short of it is,
came out of the scrape with my feet
| frozen
''Hoving said this much, Tulley was
silent again until one of the young la
dies exclaimed, Mercy! Mr.. Mckinney,
why don't you tell the storyY And aft
ter he had been badgered and ques-
toned the story came out. L was cap
tured p. Chickamauga Sept 10, 1863,
he said. We were taken first to the
Pemberton prison, near Libby, in Rich
mond, Va. On the 18th of November a
trainload of prlsoners-say about TOO
were transferred to Danville and quar-
tered for the night in a tobacco ware
house near the river.
1--WE had not been well fed while in
Richmond. Little food was given us
the morning of the 18th, and none at all
on the night of the 18th, and none at
| all on the 14th. We were two days
without food and nearly starved. On
| Saturday. the 14th, young man of
| Company c, Thirtieth Indiana, offered
to lead the prisoners in breaking
through the gate. The men were des-
perate enough for anything, but / went
to the man of the Thirtieth. who was
not more than 20 years old, and urged
him not to be rash, as there was bet
ter way.
" Il took him into a stockaded or high
| fenced Enclosure leading down toward
the river and showed him where it was
possible to tear away some heavy
boards and escape that way. That night
there was heavy rain ana it was very
dark. The guards were only few feet
from US as we went into the inclosure,
but they had turned their capes up over
their heads to protect them from the
cold rain and were not very alert. Ny
friend of the Thirtieth had a razor
blade knife. and, crouching in the dark
near the fence, he cut and cut until a
part of one of the heavy boards could
be pushed outward.
after the board was ready to be
main floor OF the prison, hoping that
rations would be issued before taps. !
told two or three of my friends about
the scheme, and the Thirtieth Indiana
man told several of his friends. There
was to be no signal, no general move
ment, but the men were to slip out one
by one, quietly. and each was TO act
on his own responsibility. In five min
utes l missed my friend and went hur-
riedly to the inclosure I saw his coat
tail disappearing through the fence
Watching the guard until he turned his
face away from the fence. l went
through.
~ came out in a cabbage patch, and
my first movement was to tear off a
head of cabbage and eat it. This was
the first food l had had in forty-eight
hours, and it was delicious. Then !
made my way IN the dark along the
river bank, and when about fifty yards
away l heard the sentinels call out
'Eighty-thirty o'clock and all's WE'LL !
hid in the brush and on Sunday morn.
Ing came across the orderly sergeant OF
Company A, Nineteenth regulars, and
the sergeant-major Of the Eighteenth
me that sixty-iive men had passed
through the opening made by myself
and the Thirtieth Indiana man.
"The opening was not discovered un.
I'll Sunday morning, when there was, a
great commotion in the prison, and
forces were sent out in every direction
to recapture US. Twenty men who
stopped in the night to cut loose ferry.
boat to cross the Dan river were cap
tured just before daylight Sunday
morning. 1 was with them until ]
heard the ROSTERS in a neighboring barr
crow, when left them. l advised then
all to go, but they insisted that the only
way of escape was to cross the river
and they were going to do it. Twenty
minutes after / left they were all pris
oners.
Another squad of twenty stopped
the next day at the house of a mar
named Hoyt, who welcomed them anC
asked them to sit down to dinner. Will,
they were eating the first cooked foot
they had had for three days the hous,
was surrounded by rebels. and the,
were recaptured OF our own squad
four laid in the brush all day on Sun
day. In the evening young boy Of IA
who was sick, went back and delivered
himself up. The two regulars and my
self kept together for FIVE days. going
at my suggestion, across the mountains
toward Charleston, West Virginia.
Ion the night of the fifth day tn,
regulars declared that they would no
go any further in that direction, ant
insisted that we turn toward Eastern
Kentucky. | decided to keep on th,
West Virginia route, and we parted thu
next morning. The two regulars Wen
their way, and when within few mile
CT the Union lines in Eastern Kentuck.
were recaptured and taken back II
irons to Danville. / went on alone, trav
cling by night in the mountains, stop
ping in the cabins of colored people o
in caves, or sleeping in the widest am
most inaccessible places. On Flat To-
mountain I struck Union settlement
Before this my feet had been frozen
and | could hobble along with tn
greatest difficulty, and was all the tim
suffering the keenest pain. / almos
fell into the cabin of negro just be