Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-09-21
THE BATTLE-FlELDS.
OH SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES

The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
I'VE ali had been telling stories,
said the Major, except Tulley Mckin-
ney of the Ninety-fOurth Ohio. There
We're gathered about the breakfast ia
BILE 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 did,
put in a young girl. Why, how did
that happen, Mr.. McKinneyE Well he
said. after my escape from prison l
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, TulIey was
silent again until one Of the young la
dies exclaimed Mercy. Mr.. Mckinney,
why don't you tell the story? And aft
ter he had been badgered and ques-
toned the story came out. I was cap
tured at Chickamauga Sept. 10, 1868.
he said. We were taken first to the
Pemberton prison, near Libby, in Rich
mOnd, Va. On the 18th of November a
trainload of prisoners-say about TOO
were transferred to Danville and quar-
tered for the night in tobacco ware
house near the river.
I'VE had not been we'll 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 18th. We were two days
without food and nearly starved. On
Saturday, the 14th, a 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 l went
to the man Of the Thirtieth. who was
not more than 20 years Old and urged
him not to be rash. rs there was bet
ter way.
u 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 a heavy rain anu it was very
dark. The guards were only a few feet
from us as we went into the Enclosure,
but they had turned their capes up over
their heads to protect them from the
cold rain and were not very alert. My
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
broken off we both went back to the
main floor of the prison. hoping that
rations would be issued before taps. 1
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 | missed my friend and went hur-
riedly to the Enclosure. I saw his coat
tail disappearing through the fence.
Watching the guard until he turned his
face away from the fence, 1 went
through.
~ came out in 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 I
made my way in the dark along the
river bank, and when about fifty yards
away | heard the sentinels call out.
Eighty thirty o'clock and all's WE'LL 1
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
regulars, Second battalion. They told
me that sixty-fve men had passed
through the opening made by myself
and the Thirtieth Indiana man.
THE opening was not discovered IN
til 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. I was with them until I
heard the roosters in a neighboring barn
crow, when l left them. l advised them
ali 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 l left they were all pris-
Oners.
Another squad of twenty stopped
OF Of