The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-10-31
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell OF
Whfstling Bullets, Bright Bayo-
nets, Bursting Bombs, Bloody Bat
ties, Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc.


ties, Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc.
Dave Jenkins was just past 16 years
old when he enlisted in Federal regi-
ment in his native State, Missouri, as
a volunteer at the commencement Of
the Civil War. Dave was a bright boy,
strong as a horse, quick as cat, and
had not an ounce of superfluous flesh
on his bones. He passed unhurt
through number of the severest bat
ties of the war, among them Pittsburg
Landing, but at last he was captured
by the Confederates and taken to An
Jacksonville, Ga.
When captured he had about one
hundred dollars in United States
mOney-greenbacks-On his person, and
some trinkets of different kinds, all of
which he was allowed to keep; he also
had big knife with blade about i've
inches long. The handle of this knife
was so made that it could be separated
into two parts, and when so separated.
the big blade was in one part and in
the other part We're a fork which
could be opened and shut like knife
blade, and a German silver spoon
whose bowl was as large as that of an
ordinary tablespoon, and which opened
and closed along the side Of the handle
with the hollow part of the spoon next
the knife handle. Many old soldiers
yet living will remember this kind Of
knife and will tell you what a very
useful implement it was.
The Confederate soldiers, many Of
them, wanted to buy this knife from
Dave, but he refused all offers to pur-
chase 1t, though he sold off many other
articles.
Dave reached Andersonville and was
turned loose in the stockade; here he
spent many long months, saw much
misery among his fellow prisoners, aid
ed many of them with bis money, no
ticed that attempts 1T escape were usu-
ally frustrated in some way, and at
length came to the conclusion that at
tempted escapes failed because too
many persons were concerned in them.
His hut stood not far from one cor
ner of the stockade, and he had looked
over the ground many times without
seeming to do so, and had concluded
that escape was possible by means Of
a tunnel. The prisoners in Anderson
vile used to dream of tunnels, see
them in their waking hours, have Wis
ions of them in delirium, and instead
of babblings of green fields, and. absent
friends, and far away Northern homes,
their words were of tunnels as the
breath left their bodies. Hence there
was nothing unnatural in the determi-
nation of Dave Jenkins that he would
make a tunnel and that be would es-
cape. Accordingly he set to work and
using the fork and spoon part of his
big knife as spade and mattock, he
worked nigh: after night, for days and
weeks and months. The most embar-
RAISING part of the undertaking to HIM
was the disposal of the earth that he
excavated; some of 1T he placed In and
under the wretched collection of rags,
brush and straw that served him for a
bed, some he carried away in his pock-
cts, some he hid about his hut, always
being very careful to do nothing to ex-
cite any suspicion among his captors as
to what he was doing, and on the 10th
of August, 1864. his tunnel was COM
pleted and all that remained was for
him to enter it and break his way out
at the end of it, and then find his way
to the Federal lines; this was all, but
when you reflect that he was a boy
reared in the country, without any
knowledge Of geography, in a strange
State, surrounded by vigilant and re-
lentless enemies, you will agree that
the undertaking was enough to bring
misgivings to the stoutest heart.
He measured his tunnel internally
with the greatest care, and he was
satisfied that its length was sufficient.
He determined to make his attempt
let the tunnel lie unused for any length
of time lest 1t might be discovered. He
waited until just after midnight, when
he entered his tunnel, wormed his way
to the end of the passage and very
cautiously opened small hole. To his
horror guard passed within less than
ter feet Of him. While the guards
back was toward him he pushed his
way out, making no noise as he did so.
and stepped behind a small bush, and
the guard passed, going in the opposite
direction to that which he had been
walking before. Dave clutched his
knife tight in his hand and buried the
keen blade between the guards shout
ders; he sank down, shudder passed
over his body and he died without a
sound. Dave was about to take the
guards gun and cartridges, but aban-
doned them when he found he had a
revolver belted around his waist. He
took this and the belt, dragged the
body short distance away, and bur-
rfed from the scene. He knew that es-
cape was an absolute necessity. He
had killed a guard, and should he be
recaptured he would be summarily ex-
ecuted. For more than two hours he
had walked, when suddenly he heard
the boom Of a cannon in his rear and
knew it had been fired to notify the
surrounding country that a prisoner
had escaped from Andersonville.
He pushed on carefully, outstanding
his strength as best he could, and ever
on the lookout for pursuers, ut the
same time watching lest he should
meet party coming toward him, but
just before sunrise, he reached little
cabin and saw it had but one occupant,
an old negress. He did not hesitate,
but entered and said:
'Aunty, I've escaped from Anderson
VILE. I'm a Union soldier; want you
to hide me until night, at least; I'll
pay you well for it."
The old woman took him into low,
dark loft, going through a very small
trapdoor, and covered him with some
refuse cotton which she had stored