Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1912 — Lone Union Soldier Captured 42 Johnnies During Civil War. [ARTICLE]

Lone Union Soldier Captured 42 Johnnies During Civil War.

Monticello Herald. J. H. Giles, of Prairie township, while in this office recently, related an experience that did not fall to the lot of many private soldiers. He was reminded of it by a remark about the cold New Years. He said he was on picket duty one night in January, 1864, about four miles northeait of Strawberry Plains, when he heard footsteps approaching and called out “Who’s there?” A voice answered, “We’re Johnnies. There’s forty-two’ of us, and we want to surrender.” Private Giles was “from Missouri” on that point, and hardly knew what to do, but he proposed that two of them come forward and let the others keep their distance. To his surprise two rebel soldiers stepped up and threw down their arms. They said they were tired soldiering against the Union and wanted to be admitted to the Union lines. Private Giles called the next picket, they roused up some corporals and officers, and the forty-two Johnnies were taken* into camp as prisoners of war.