Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 267, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1913 — STORIES of AMP and WAR BOY ESCAPED REBEL PRISON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES of AMP and WAR

BOY ESCAPED REBEL PRISON

Irishman in Charge of Cooking Department Aids Youth to Pass as Drummer Boy—Lied Decently, My experience has been that under certain circumstances in the army a little decent lying is a mighty convenient and good thing, and the following incident shows how I made good use of that Idea: I was a member of the Fifty-first Pennsylvania regiment at that time, August, 1864, commanded by Col. William I. Bolton of Norristown, our old colonel, J. F. Hartrantf, having been made brigadier general, writes Thomas J. Dunbar in an exchange. On the 19th of that month. In the battle of Weldon Railroad, 1 was taken prisoner and marched to Petersburg, and was taken to Richmond on the cars and lodged In Libby prison. There I was searched and robbed, as all my comrades were, except in a few instances, the fortunate ones preserving their money by stratagem. One of my comrades, “Pety” Jardine of Norristown, had a flfty-dollar bill, which he inclosed tightly in a piece of tinfoil, surrounded the foil with tobacco, and exactly at the time of hie search slipped it in his mouth, chewed away, and thus preserved his greenback. After we were relieved of what We had we were sent to Belle Island, and there I met a friend belonging to the Fortieth New York, a little Irishman, who had charge of the cooking department. He told me that if I would follow his advice he would get me in his gang of about fifteen men; by that means I could escape being, sent to Saulsbury prison, to which point the men then there, between seven and eight thousand, were des; tined. I was about the same size then as now, which was not much to brag of, but was young* and boyish looking, In fact, I was (he youngest member of the regiment, just seventeen. He told me to say at the proper time thdt I was a drummer boy, and had been captured in that capacity, and shortly afterward he brought Lieutenant Boisseu, commander of the island, and we talked through the fence to the following effect: He asked me if I was a drummer boy, to, which I replied “yes;” he then wanted to know how I was taken prisoner. I told him I had been detailed to carry wounded men and ammunition, and while so engaged was captured. He then took me to his tent, and handed me a drum and told me to smack away at it I told him I couldn’t do it. At that he opened bis eyes and wanted to know how it was. I informed him that I had only been detailed a few days before the battle, because I was too small to carry a gun, and didn't have time to learn to play it. He took it all In, administered the parole d’honneur, and I went to work a» cook, seeing the boys leave for Saulsbury, poor fellows, thousands of never to return. The lieutenant said if I would do the square thing he would treat me well, and when the first parole or ex--change was effected, 1 should be among the fortunate number. He kept his word, and one night about twelve o’clock came running to our quarters ih his night clothes, and informed us that there was to be an exchange the next day. That morning he took us to private quarters in Richmond, went with us to the boat, and bade us good-by, stating that as was going to the front soon he hoped to meet us there, and if he did that the feeling of friendship might be continued. l