The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-05-26
WAR TRAGEDY
IS RECALLED
Prison Train in A
Collision.
FIFTY coNFEDERATES KILLED
Were Being Carried to a Northern
Prison.
General william c. Oates Makes Some
Interesting Discoveries I'm His
search for Unmarked Con-
federate Graves.

Unmarked and almost forgotten, the
burying place of over fifty Confeder-
ate soldiers and nearly a score of
Federal soldiers has been unearthed,
through the search for unmarked
graves of Confederate soldiers. who
died as Federal prisoners. General
Oates has just returned from q tour
of Northern Maryland Southern Penn
sylvania and Eastern New Jersey. His
discovery of the resting place of the
Confederate soldiers on the banks of
the Delaware, recalls q gruesome trag-
edy of the war time, one which. owing
to the great number of tragedies of
those dark days, was overlooked by
the people of this country. 1t was the
collision between Federal prison train
carrying several hundred Confederate
heroes from Point Lookout to Elmira,
N Y, and a freight train.
A Federal train at the time was
rushing northward with the prisoners
and coal train was headed for the
South. The two trains met at Shohola,
Pa, small town on the Delaware
River, and there was a fearful col
lison. Fifty of the Confederate pris-
oners were killed outright and sixteen
of the Federal troops also lost their
lives. The engineer and fireman of
the coal train persisted also in the
SIudSi, IudhiIS d uCdlH liSI VI neatly
seventy. OF the injured there is no
way of finding out how many died af-
forwards, or under what circumstances.
General Oates. so far as he can learn,
states that the man who owned the
land on which the terrible accident
occurred. was so stingy that he would
not even allow the victims to be buried
there, but instead the remains of the
Confederate soldiers were thrown into
boxes four to each box, and the Fed
eral soldiers were each thrown into
separate boxes. and the remains of the
mutilated bodies were carried to the
banks OF the river, where, under a
bluff and far from the sight of any
public road, the bodies were thrown
into the graves which were dug, and
apparently hid away for all time. Gen
eral Oates has reported the matter to
the Secretary of War, and is awaiting
instructions as to his action in the
matter. Perhaps the bodies will be re-
moved, or If not, a shaft-will be erected
to tell any person who should happen
to peer behind the bluff. that there lies
dead, which bear mute evidence of
one of the countrys most tragic rail-
way accidents.
General Oates had an eventful trip
in the search of unmarked graves. He
passed over the cemetery at Frederic
City and was very much surprised to
discover among the graves there, one
slab which carried the name of John
Register, one of his boyhood day
chums. General Oates recalled that he
had heard OF his friends death during
the war, but he had never heard any
thing as to where liiis remains were In
tered and he was somewhat Sur
prised when he looked upon the third
grave among the 800 Confederate dead
which lie at Frederic City, to see the
name John Register was a native of
Dale County and was a member of the
9Th Alabama. The tombstone showed
that he had died in 1852.
Confederate Remnins Removed.
After visiting Frederic City, General
Oates spent some time at Gettysburg
Here he says that he found that the
bodies of all Confederate soldiers have
been removed. in many instances to
cemeteries in their home towns, but as
a whole, the bodies were carried to
Richmond, where they have been placed
ln>the cemetery at that place. General
Oates was very anxious to find some
news of his brother, q lieutenant who
died on the field of battle at Gettys-
burg, but he found that his remains,
with others. had been taken to Rich
mond.
At harrisburg twelve unmarked
graves were found in the cemetery at
that place, and these will be marked
under the direction of General Oates.
At Brooklyn, N. Y. 1t was found
that some 500 or 500 bodies of Con-
federate soldiers were buried there.
some of which were marked.
At Philadelphia the remains OF sew
eral hundred Confederates are buried
The bodies were gathered from the
vicinity and the plot of ground is be-
ing taken care of by two chapters OF
the United Daughters of the Confed-
eracy. which exist in philadelphia.
General bates says that he will have
shaft erected at that place, bearing the
names OF all those buried there.
At Salem. N. J., General Oates says
he was taken by conveyance to Firms
Point on the Delaware River. Here.
he saws are buried about $500 Con-
federates who died in the Fort Della
ware prison. These are buried three
deep and the ground has been leveIed
off and trees planted over the graves
and with a beautiful green grass which
covers the plot, the grove is one of
beauty. A spot was selected and four
trees will be cut down to make room
for a handsome monument in the
midst of the grove.
General Oates will go to Washington
June Fl, to remain some time, for the
nurpose of letting contracts for the