The Coolidge examiner., 1933-09-15

O0nduSk9 D0u Lake trle
Despite the Michigan's superior speed the
Philo Parsons gained the shelter of the Detroit
river There the prisoners were landed Many
of the pirates" also went ashore and disap-
peared. Then Beall and Ross, with only hand
fun of men left, steered the PhilO Parsons out
into deep water and scuttled her.
After that it was every man for himself. Most
OF them escaped but Captain Beal was cap
tured, tried by court martial, found guilty OF
piracy" and was hanged on Governors island,
" Y. on February "a 1868.
Ross went to Hamilton, Ont, where he was
given refuge by a family whose relatives were
in the Confederate armies. In spite of the pla-
cards and bills posted everywhere offering re-
wards for his capture Ross got to Halifax and
was even bold enough to have his picture taken
while there \ blockade runner took him to
Wilmington. N G. The Confederate authorities
recognized his services by making him captain
in the secret service.
He was however impatient TO get back into
the fray, and rejoined his old company In time
to participate in the battles around Richmond.
He remained on duty until Lee surrendered at
Appomattox, and was again wounded shortly be-
fore the cessation of hostities.
Grant in his second administration, issued
special pardon relieving Captain Ross of the
charges of piracy For more than 40 years he
lived at Grand Haven in the state which he and
his fellow pirates" had once thrown into an
uproar and he finally moved to Minneapolis,
Mimi, where he died In 1927 at the age OF
eighty-three.
Thousands Of visitors to a Century OF Prog
ress in Chicago this year have seen relic Of
another famous Civil war raid-the locomotive
"The General" which stands across from the
Travel and Transport building This was the
engine used by the Andrews Raiders" named
for their leader James ]. Andrews, who like
Gen. John III. Morgan, was a Kentuckian. Only
In this case a Kentuckian was leading Union
raid through Confederate territory and instead
of being mounted on the kind OF thoroughbred
horses for which Kentucky is famous, as Nor
gan was their steed was an Iron horse"
Il was on the morning OF April II. 1862, that
the train drawn by THE General" en- route from
Atlanta, Ca, to Chattanooga. Tenn, stopped at
Marietta Ga. Here a considerable party Of stran-
gers dressed in civilian clothes and claiming to
he refugees from within the Yankee lines who
we're desrous of joining the Confederate forces
boarded the train and paid their fares. Capt
W. A. Fuller who was In charge Of the train
did not have the slightest inkling that these
strangers were Union soldiers who were plan
ming TO capture his train and use it to paralyze
traffic on the Western and Atlantic railroad, one
of the vital arteries Of transport for the Con-
federacy, by burning the Is bridges which lay
between Chattanooga and Big Shanty.
Their opportunity came when the train stopped
at Big Shanty for breakfast. While they were
thus occupied the strangers, whose leader was
James ]. Andrews, citizen Of Flemingsburg,
KY, who had volunteered to perform this dan
gerous task, cut away all but three in the
train climbed into the engine cab and steamed
away.
Captain Fuller believed that those who had
taken his train were deserters from Camp Nc
Donald a recruit camp at Big Shanty. At
once he dashed to the telegraph Office to send
warning to stations farther up the line, only
to discover that the telegraph wires had been
cut Accompanied by two or three others, he
ran to Moons Station, two miles away, and OBJ
tained handcar on which they set out in pur-
suit of the raiders.
Then followed the race which has become a
classic in American history-Andrews and his
party leading the way with "The General" set
ting fire to bridges, tearing up the tracks in
places and putting distractions on 1t in others,
and behind them Fuller and his men, first on
the hand car, then on the engine "YOnah" and
finally on THE Texas" racing after them and
gaining on them until at last the fugitives in a
desperate effort to shake off their pursuers
set fire to the last freight and cut it loose
on bridge. But before the bridge could catch
fire. Fuller had run up to the car coupled on
and pulled it away.
BY this time the fugitives had deserted the
engine and escaped into the woods. But mounted
militia were soon hot on their trail and within
a short time all of the Andrews party, % in
number, were captured They were taken back
to Atlanta and tried before a military court
Eight among them Andrews the leader were
found guilty and executed as spies, six were pa
rolled and eight later escaped from prison at
Atlanta. On March %, 1853 medals of honor
were presented by Secretary Of War Stanton to
the six who were paroled and later the eight
who escaped from prison were also given med
ais OF those who had been executed medals
were delivered to the mothers Of one of them
and to the WIDOWS Of two others.
(0by Western Newspaper Unien.)