Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 290, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1910 — STORIES OF CAMP AND WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES OF CAMP AND WAR

SUGAR RAID ?AT RICHMOND How Federal Soldiers Confined In Pemberton" Secured Large Amount of Sweet Stuff. In the fall of 1863, about November 5, in the Pemberton tmilding at Richmond, were confined among the prisoners nyself, a comrade named George W. Blake (drummer boy of the Twenty-third Pennsylvania), and J. H. Llvlngson, of the Third Mississippi battery. We possessed a jackknife with a broken blade about one inch long. We were determined to cut the floor behind the tobacco presses that were along the party wall through (he building. The presses were about two feet from the wall. We started the prospect hole, relieving each other and working continuously. It was slow work In cutting the boards over the joist. At last we succeeded in opening a hole large enough for Blanke to

go through to the basement, writes ' Thomas Boyle, Third. Wisconsin, of Phoenix, Ariz., in the National Tribune. He dropped onto a hogshead ot sugqy. Blanke brought up a cupful* of the sweet stuff, and we divided with. some of the comrades. The smell and flavor of the sugar spread all over the building, and the secret was soon out. Much in our favor was the fact that It was near night and getting dark. The prisoners on the upper floor crowded down upon us. I told them to keep quiet and go to their quarters. I told them to send two men from each mess, and all would get some sugar. Order was soon restored. The boys fbsmed in line, supplied with shirt sacks. A force went into the basement and worked like beavers hoisting sugar, and the next morning all the prisoners on our side were well supplied. The prisoners on the other side of the party wall cut through the floor on their side, went into the basement,* and struck salt. It was a rich find, and prevented much scurvy. A hole was cut through a plank door about the middle of the building. We opened up communication with them, and traded sugar for salt. When night came again we sent down a force to hoist up the sweet stuff to replenish our supply, quietly. The prisoners on the other side were getting uneasy. They decided to get at the sugar. Th a third night our force was busy hoisting sugar when the prisoners from the other side got through. There was much confusion and racket. I called up our side, and covered the hole, as we had tobacco presses and everything else filled with sugar. The, basement floor on the front, the building facing Llbbey, was one story lower than the rear end of the building, and contained the guard house.' The alarm was given, guards charged in, driving up our confused comrades to their floor, and compelling them to stand at the end of their floor all that night and the next day rations, trying to find the leaders. The next morning roll was called on our side. No ope was missing. All quiet; all smiles. ’ ’ \ The news of the sugar raid spread rfl over the city. Crowds of people (gathered around the building. The streets were crowded with teams and drays to haul away what was left. Empty hogshead after hogshead were rolled out on the cobblestone pavement. The joke was on the merchants, who had stored it there. We obtained a copy of the Richmond! Examiner, which estimated that we Yanks ate up >35,000 worth of sugar. Sugar was <7.50 per pound, and it was not known that that much sugar was in the city until we dug it up.

We Obtained a Copy of the Richmond Examiner.