Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-07
Civil War Stories
Escape from the Bull Pen.
~~~~~~~

1896 so CQaC lie was III MS twenty
eighth year when our Civil War began.
He had a fair common school education,
and learned the trade of machinist, at
which he was an expert. When 26
years Of age Walker was offered the
position of master mechanic IL the rail-
road machine shops in Atlanta, Ga. Be
ing a single man, he accepted the offer,
though, like all East Tennesseeans, his
devotion to the mountains Of his native
State was one Of the strongest i'm
pulses of his life
| Walker was strong Union man, as
| were all his mountain kinSmen, but
! when Georgia seeded he found it would
be dangerous to express his views, so
he kept them to himself resolving in
| the meantime to escape to the North
and join the Union forces at the first
opportunity. The conscript laws were
! early enforced il the South. Planters
! with large estates, professional men and
mechanics, although forced into the
service, where they did not volunteer
as most of them CALAMITY did-were ex-
| >"AApANA: uIINCA lAiC pAOoSlO1 tlItll lhCAA
services would be more valuable to the
Confederacy if they were permitted to
remain back at their usual vocatiOns.
In this way Walker, although sworn
| Into the service of the Confederacy, was
detailed to Icnlain il charge Of the
same shop.
The war had been going on for eight
months when Walker, who had care
fully prepared his plans, escaped from
Atlanta one Saturday night, and before
his flight was discovered he had reached
friends in the Cumberland Mountains.
Within month, for the man was a
porn leader, Walker had recruited 127
mountainecrs, and, without any war
rant. sWore them into the Union serv-
ice. Walker received a captains COM
mission and his men were known as
Walkers scouts
In our pursuit of Bragg l was cap
tured, with some sixty men. All the
Union prisoners were sent on to "the
Bull Pen" an unrOofed enclosure in At
lanta, from which point the officers were
! forwarded to Libby prison and the en-
listed men to Belle Isle, in the James
River.
1t was a cold, sleety evening in early
December when we were marched from
the cars at Atlanta to the Bull Pen at
the edge Of the town. The enclosure
was than ankle deep in mud. In less
than the space of half an acre 1000
shivering men were packed. About the
center of the enclosure there were two
| brick piles, remnants of the chimneys
| of a house that had been burned down.
AS l was stiff, my horse having fallen
ON me when he was shot, my comrades
helped me to the chimneys and made me
seat of some Of the bricks.
sat down, and had just uttered a
groan caused by mental rather than
physical suffering, when my attention
was attracted by the clankiag Of a
chain near by. Looking quickly up,
was surprised and shocked to see the
tall form of Captain Walker bending
over me. About his right ankle there
was a heavy iron ring, and fastened to
! this a log chain. at the other end Of
which was an iron ball that looked like
a UNDERGROUND shot. This ball the
captain carried on his shoulder with the
greatest ease, but he dropped 1t beside
| me and made a seat Of it, when he
took my hand in both of his, and whis-
| pered, as he wrung it:
MY. Cap, but l am glad to see you
here"
"Glad to see me here, Walker?" I re-
! peated.
That's what said, old fellow"
We'll, | don't think that l hate any
man so much that I'd like TO see him
in this pen,'' and l waved my hands at
the guards on the high platform about
| the stockade and the poor fellows trudg-
| ing through the mud to keep warm.
Bending nearer and sinking his voice to
the low, soft pitch that seemed so out
Of keeping with his character, Walker
| said
God knows, I'm not glad to see you a
premier, old fellow, and you know it,,
too But as you see," here he shook
| the chain. Il am in bad fix, and I'm
here waiting for some man to show up
| that l know has the interest in me to
see me through"
"You can count on me and my boys
| Walker" l responded. But what does
this ball and chain mean on a prisoner
of war and an officer?''
THAT is Just it, he fastened to say
II am not regarded as a federal soldier,
| as they call our people"
How then do they regard your"
asked. Through knowing much Of his
past, l half guessed at the truth. In
his habitualIy quiet way, Walker went
on to explain his former position in At
lanta. and how he had been conscripted,
and then detailed to work in the rail-
road shops. After his escape to the
Union lines he had been set down as q