USA > Illinois > Yates phalanx : the history of the Thirty-Ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Veteran Infantry in the war of the rebellion, 1861-1865 > Part 26
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"And from that time on I was ever on the lookout for something that might give me an opportunity to escape. I had become desperate and preferred to die in an attempt to escape rather than to rot to death in that loathsome Pen, and made two unsuccessful attempts at escape ere fortune threw a chance my way, which, in my desperation, I availed myself of.
"About that time General Sherman and Hood were fixing up an exchange of Prisoners. As the result of the surrender of Atlanta, Sherman was to have 2,000 of the fresh men that he could place in the field. And as I belonged to Grant's Army, and had been a long time in Prison, I was hopelessly shut out. But the weather being very hot at that time, all movements
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of Prisoners had to be made at night, which circumstances gave me hope and kept me on the alert. The names of the men in the list of exchange were sent in sometime before the cars could be obtained for their transportation to the front for exchange, and in the meantime, some of the men died and I learned of the death of a man in a mess that the Sargent of which was an acquaintance of mine, and I persuaded him (for a consideration to be paid when I got out) not to report his death as belonging to the Cartel and allow me to answer his name when called and pass out with the squad. But just before the Roll Call began, someone caught onto the trick and demanded of him that one of their own impersonate the dead man, or they would report him. So you see, my bubble was badly punctured. But as a result of this attempt to get out with this squad, I had familiarized myself with all the details of the exchange and was on hand and ready to avail myself of any chance that might turn up to my advantage. The Rebel Sargent who called the roll stood on a box and a man stood near him and held up a torch (as they had no other kind of light) as a light for him to read the list by, which only served to intensify the darkness and gloom just beyond the circle of light caused by the flaring torch. And right here I will suggest that I owe my escape to a strange peculiarity of some persons, which, I am sure any old soldier of long service will bear me out as to the truth and prevalence of, namely, that no matter what the occasion or how much there might be at stake, they were never quite ready but had something to do yet, or, at any rate, were out of hearing for some cause unknown to anyone but them selves. And as the roll call progressed, I noticed that now and then some man did not answer to his name, and was passed to be called later, and I had noticed that a man of the 17th Iowa had been called twice with no answer, and right there, I resolved that I would answer if the name was called again and take my chances of detection. For I felt sure that his immediate comrades had passed out and those remaining would not know that I was not the right man. And to favor my chances, another Sargent got upon the box to relieve the other, and he at once began to call the unchecked names and when he reached the Iowa man's name, I answered. And after a deal of profane discussion and advice on the duty of punctuality, I was passed out of the gate and joined the men to march over to the cars. But while we were still at the gate, the Iowa man came up, and after a long wrangle, part of which I could hear, was passed out. I stepped into the shadows of the gate to be out of sight in case they came out to verify the count of the car load. They passed him out and the car load started for the Depot where we were given a day's ration. But this time, the man was on hand and I got no ration, but I laid down until morning when I give it out that someone had stolen my ration and some of the boys divided with me and did very well. And when we got to Macon we changed cars, but I don't remember just how I managed to make the change without detection. But at Lovejoy Station the track was torn up from there to East Point where the exchange was to be made. At Sherman's Out Post and from there we were obliged to march about twelve miles. And here it was dark again, and again the Roll was called. As the Rebs had a suspicion that some Yanks had managed in some way to smuggling who did not belong to the exchange and for the purpose of detecting any smugglers, a row of pine knots were lighted and placed in a row across a small field, and as fast as a man's name was called, he was made to step across and form in line on the other side
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Appendix I - Hugh R. Snee Letter
of the row of lights. I took in the situation and in the confusion of so long a roll call, quietly slipped into the brush which was very thick just to our left. I never knew if any others were there who did not belong in the exchange, but heard that there were. I laid down near by and waited until day light when I started along the torn up railroad track, but kept far enough from the track to be out of sight.
"I had a terrible march. I was very weak and bare footed with several running sores on my feet and limbs. My body was swollen almost to the bursting point and nothing to eat, and in rained most of the time. Some time in the afternoon, I laid down by a fallen tree and went to sleep. And on waking up, heard a murmur of voices but could not distinguish as to whether they were Union men, Rebels, or Negroes at work. But dare not show myself. And in an effort to learn who they were, I passed along the length of the log on all fours several times in an effort to catch sight of them without exposing myself, but could see nothing. But while I was asleep, the weather had cleared off and the sun shown out and there appeared to be great activity among those talking. And while continually peering over the log, I caught sight of a flag being raised up among the limbs of the trees and soon made it out to be the Stars and Stripes and knew I was saved.
"I had passed through the outpost while it was raining and almost ran into the reserve picket line. The 116th Illinois was on picket at that place, and with them I found a cousin, a fifer of the Regiment, who cared for me, sent word to my brother nearby on duty with the division quarter master, and by him was taken to his camp, placed in the care of a kind-hearted motherly old wench who was cooking for the mess to which he belonged where I improved rapidly until the Twenty-First Ohio Regiment (in which I had relatives and many old school mates) was mustered out of the service. When they started home they took charge of me and took me with them to Elmore, Ohio, where I was born and lived until 17 years of age. And from there, after a short visit among relatives and friends, I went home at Rockville, Illinois, where I got a furlough for sixty days, which was renewed from time to time until I was able for duty, [nearly 8 months later] when I joined my Regiment at Norfolk, Virginia."
Snee finished his account to his father by stating, "Here the old record ends." He resumes the account to his grandchildren:
"And I shall be obliged to depend upon memory entirely and I feel loath to add anything to it. But I am sure there are many interesting incidents that occurred to me as my memory reverts back to that six months of by life between the date of my capture and the day of my deliverance, many of which you have heard me relate and which I would take pleasure in recording were it not for the prominence of the pronoun I that must, of necessity, be unpleasantly noticeable in connection with what I am able to recall at this distant date, but will mention a few where I shall be obliged to recall an unpleasant failure and should not be open to the charge of vanity.
"Immediately after we were cut off from our troops at Duries Bluff and they were running us along the railroad towards Petersburg, I noticed that the brush and trees grew very thick
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on both sides of the track. And I resolved to make a break for liberty. I felt sure that if the first shot missed me, I would be out of sight and that they would have no time to follow me and that I would soon be inside of our own lines. And under pretense of being taken suddenly very sick, began to fall back. And a comrade slacked up with me and the Rebel Officer told a young soldier to slow down and guard us, and soon as I got a few rods behind the squad I reached down and grabbed a stone about the size of a goose egg, intending the knock the boy off his horse, and jump into the brush. But as I was raising up with the stone, my comrade knocked it from my hand with the remark- 'Do you want us both shot, you fool?'-which caused the boy to yell out to the Lieutenant, who rushed back in a great rage, swinging his saber about our heads, started us at a double-quick which we were forced to keep us until we caught up with the squad. I was holding fast to his saddle skirt just back of his seat and was clear of his sword arm, but my comrade was so close to me that he knocked the stone from my hand before I could throw it.
"Now the next incident that I recall happened after we arrived in Petersburg. As I have already stated, we were in a large building and were being used and fed as well as they were able to. Our cooking was done on the outside of the building by the prisoners in a yard surrounded by a heavy guard. And for the sake of fresh air and a chance to look around, I volunteered as one of the cooks. I knew that it was a hard and disagreeable task. I will mention right here so that you may better understand the situation, that the Rebel guard here was a company of North Carolina nine-month men, most of them were Union men at heart but were forced into the Rebel service. And I was not long in getting to that fact. And I soon made the acquaintance of a Sergeant who I concluded to trust. I had many long and pleasant talks with him.
"The Union lines at that time were only 9 miles from Petersburg and I had not yet abandoned all hopes of escape. The Drs. and Provost Marshal officers wee in the same room in the end of the building, and my duties as cook let me past the open door of this office many times in the course of the day. I had noticed that a few sheets of blank passes lay on the table or desk used in common by both of the officers. As the duties of the Provost kept him up in the City most of the time, where his main office was located, he was in the habit of signing some of these passes in blank to be filled out by the Dr. for the accommodation of persons who called for them in his absence. Now the Sergeant had told me that if I could get one of these passes for two, he would pass me out to the front. Now to get one of these sheets of signed blanks, I feigned sickness and went into the office at sick call for medicine, but before going in, placed some wax on the sole of my shoe, and while in, I managed to brush one of the sheets off the table. I placed my foot on it and backed out of the office, and after consulting with the Sargent, I filled out a pass for the front on outside guard. And we arranged to start Thursday night when we expected to take advantage of an appointment of a meeting by a Priest and a Sister of Charity to give us a religious talk, - When most of our guards would be admitted into the prison to hear the talk. Now I have no doubt you will think this a very foolish and dangerous undertaking and perhaps it was. The Sargent may have been drawing me on for purpose and had he done so, I would have been in a very
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Appendix I - Hugh R. Snee Letter
unpleasant situation. But I had made up my mind to risk it. But in the afternoon of that Thursday, we got orders to march to the Depot to begin our long journey to Andersonville. So you see how my second grand scheme for liberty went glimmering. I do not propose to add anything to what has already been told by those far better qualified to do it justice that I could hope to, and will only say in conclusion that in all I have read and heard, I have never seen or heard the facts exaggerated in regard to what the men suffered there. I was summoned from home to testify at the trial of Wirz, the Superintendent of Andersonville and was in Washington all through his trial. But my evidence was of little importance and think amounted to very little in the verdict of guilty the commission found against him.
"Now like many others, you want to know about that wonderful providential Spring that so miraculously broke out somewhere in Andersonville prison. Now I will say that as to the Special providential theory concerning that flow of water, I have never heard of it until I had been out of the service many years and know nothing as to who the author or inventor of that pleasant fiction. It was nothing more or less than the successful fiction. It was nothing more or less than the successful effort of a dammed up stream of water to break through the obstruction and resume its old channel- with the aid of a hard and prolonged rain storm. In building the stockade, they had cut off just a few feet about its mouth on where it entered the brook that ran through the prison stockade, a small brook or branch that entered into the main brook. The work was done in a dry time and the logs of which the stockade was built were set into a ditch six feet deep and this wall being so near the mouth of the small brook, they thought it best to cut off and run it into the main channel on the outside of the stockade which worked very well until sometime in July when we were deluged by a terrible rain that lasted for several days which so thoroughly soaked the ground and brought such a pressure to bear from below that the brook broke through under the stockade and it being so close to where it formerly joined the other brook, it ran into the deadline on between the deadline and the stockade, consequently the Prisoners could not get to it only as they reached over the deadline. Now the water in this spring or brook was of, the same quality as that in the larger stream, but was protected from pollution by the deadline, and the men could only get water from it by attaching cans, pails, pots and any and all kinds of dippers obtainable to poles and sticks and ropes and reach across the deadline and fill them. And the only advantage this so-called spring possessed over the main brook was in the fact of its being impossible for the prisoners to pollute it. I am aware that this commonplace explanation of this mythical wonderful affair is not quite orthodox and will lay me open to the heinous crime of heresy. But I have lived through the facts, you are at liberty to credit the source to whoever you feel inclined. I have drawn a rude map or diagram of the outlines of the prison. Showing the deadline and stockade and the main and small stream and where the small stream broke out under the outside wall and ran down into the main stream between the wall and deadline."
So ends Hugh Snee's modest account of some "interesting incidents. . . that six months. . . between the date of my capture and the day of my deliverance. . . "
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HORDE STOCKADE
DEADLTHAIR
EAST
DEADLINE
FAB THE SPOT
WIRUMRE I WAS LOCATED IR ME PRISON
SPRING
MAIN BRANCH RUMMETNO THROUGH. ERISON.
DEADLINE
STOCKADE
STOCKADE
DEADLINE
SOUTH STOCKADE
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APPENDIX II
2
Trial Testimony of Hugh R. Snee
[Editors Note: In the summer of 1865, the Government began to collect it's testimony for the trial against Andersonville Commandant Henry Wirz. Thousands gave depositions, but only 148 were allowed to testify. My Great-Great-Grandfather Hugh Rippy Snee was one of the 148, and while he felt it did not amount to much, it was perhaps one more nail in the coffin of Captain Henry Wirz.]
The Trial of Henry Wirz House Executive Document 23-23 Pages 352-354
"SEPTEMBER 20, 1865
Hugh R. Snee, for the prosecution:
'I was in the military service of the United States-in the Thirty-Ninth Illinois regiment. I was a prisoner at Andersonville about five months. I was captured May 16, 1864, and made my escape about the 9th of September following. I made my escape by smuggling myself out with a few prisoners who were to be exchanged on special exchange arranged between General Sherman and General Hood. When they called the roll of these men who were to be exchanged, it was after dark; that time being chosen on account of the heat, as men would faint during the day. When they called the roll they said they wanted none but able-bodied men-men who were able to go into the field; and as a test they have an order that any man who came out and was not able to walk eighteen miles would be shot. Of course every one was anxious to get out, and, among the rest, myself. I considered that I could walk eighteen miles, but I had no right to come out any more than my chances to get out. After I got out I fell into line. Others came out who could not walk. There were two men belonging to a western regiment-I think one belonging to an Iowa regiment; I am not certain as to that; they fainted before they got to the brook that ran, I think, between Captain Wirz's headquarters and the depot. They fell out of the ranks, and the guard shoved them to one
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side. A man ran back and wanted to know why they were out. They made a remark that they wished to get out of prison. The man said, 'I will help you out damned soon.' We were hurrying along at the double quick. I heard six discharges from a pistol; I supposed it to be a revolver, and I heard a cry, as if somebody was hurt. Presently a rebel officer, a lieutenant I think, came along, and he made the remark that it was a brutal act. Some one asked who did it, and he said the Captain. I have no means of knowing that they were killed, except that his lieutenant said that only one of them was killed. He said 'one of them is dead.' I have heard Captain Wirz's voice on several occasions. I cannot say positively if the voice I heard at that time had the accent of this voice. I thought at that time that it was his voice. We passed him soon afterward, perhaps not over fifteen minutes. He was sitting in his chair in front of his headquarters, and General Winder was sitting not a great distance from him. I supposed it was calculated that we were passing in review before them, and they were counting us. We were ordered to march in particular order so that we could be counted. That is all I know about that particular affair.
SHOOTING OF PRISONERS BY THE GUARDS.
'I saw three different men shot. One was either the sergeant-major or hospital steward of a New York regiment. He went outside the dead-line for the purpose of being shot. That was in August 1864. Some said that he was crazy; others said he was not. He was shot by the guard, and was killed instantly. The guards shot at him three times before they hit him. At the time the last shot was fired there was an officer in the sentry-box with the guard, but it was not Captain Wirz. It was a lieutenant of the guard. Another case was that of a man of the 21st Ohio. I cannot give his name. He was a German. He was living inside the dead-line asleep. Somebody raised a disturbance near the dead-line. A shot was fired which went through a man's shoulder and another man's foot. The man at whom they fired was missed. That was in July, I think. There was a crazy man-a German who was captured on the 16th of May. He seemed to be deranged from some cause. I think he was deranged when he was captured. He was shot; I think he staggered against the dead-line. I saw him when he was shot by the sentry. He was not trying to escape. The man was deranged; he did not know what he was doing. This happened near the north gate, close to the edge of the swamp. It occurred some time in July or August. I believe I don't know of any other occurrence of that character.
SHOOTING OF TWO PRISONERS BY WIRZ.
'Cross-examined by Counsel:
'I cannot tell the date precisely when I heard those six shots from a pistol or revolver. It was in September. It was at the time that exchange occurred.
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Trial Testimony Of Hugh R. Snee
Q. Was it the first part of the exchange or the latter part?
A. The last squad of prisoners that went away. Seven hundred were taken from the stockade, but I believe all of them were not exchanged. It was not as late as the 25th September. It was in the first part of September; it must have been, because I got within our lines on the 23rd of September. I was making my escape at that time. I followed the prisoners till I got to Lovejoy's station; there I broke away from them and got inside our lines at a little place called Eastport. I was only one day on my journey before I got away from the prisoners. I was four days with them before I got away from them. I think it was five days from the time I heard the pistol discharged till I got within our lines. It was about the 17th or 18th of September, as near as I can tell. I never say Captain Wirz shoot a man. I saw him shove a man; I did not se him strike a man with a pistol. I don't know that he bruised the man whom he shoved materially, but he was a sick man, and when Captain Wirz shoved him over, he got trampled on by the crowd. That is the only instance I ever saw.""
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237
3
APPENDIX III
Federal Forces - May 16, 1864
Army of the James
Major-General Benjamin F. Butler
Tenth Army Corps
Major-General Quincy A. Gillmore
First Division
Brigadier-General Alfred H. Terry
First Brigade - Colonel Joshua B. Howell, Commanding
Thirty-Ninth Illinois Infantry Regiment Sixty-Second Ohio Infantry Regiment Sixty-Seventh Ohio Infantry Regiment Eighty-Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Second Brigade - Colonel Joseph R. Hawley, Commanding
Sixth Connecticut Infantry Regiment Seventh Connecticut Infantry Regiment Third New Hampshire Infantry Regiment Seventh New Hampshire Infantry Regiment
Third Brigade - Colonel Harris M. Plaisted, Commanding
Tenth Connecticut Infantry Regiment Eleventh Maine Infantry Regiment Twenty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment 100th New York Infantry Regiment
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Division Artillery
Connecticut Light, First Battery New Jersey Light, Fifth Battery First United States, Battery M
Second Division
Brigadier-General John W. Turner
First Brigade - Colonel Samuel L. M. Alford, Commanding
Fortieth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Third New York Infantry Regiment
Eighty-Ninth New York Infantry Regiment
117th New York Infantry Regiment
142nd New York Infantry Regiment
Second Brigade - Colonel William B. Barton, Commanding
Forty-Seventh New York Infantry Regiment
Forty-Eighth New York Infantry Regiment 115th New York Infantry Regiment
Seventy-Sixth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Division Artillery - Captain George T. Woodbury, Commanding
New Jersey Light, Fourth Battery First United States, Battery B First United States, Battery D
Third Division
Brigadier-General Adelbert Ames
First Brigade - Colonel Richard White, Commanding
Eighth Maine Infantry Regiment Fourth New Hampshire Infantry Regiment Fifty-Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
1
Appendix III - Federal Forces - May 16, 1864
239
Ninety-Seventh Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Second Brigade - Colonel Jeremiah C. Drake, Commanding
Thirteenth Indiana Infantry Regiment Ninth Maine Infantry Regiment 112th New York Infantry Regiment 169th New York Infantry Regiment
Division Artillery - Captain Alger M. Wheeler, Commanding
New York Light, Thirty-Third Battery Third Rhode Island Light, Battery C Third United States, Battery E
Unattached Troops
First New York Engineers (eight companies) Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry (First Battalion)
Eighteenth Army Corps
Major-General William F. Smith
First Division
Brigadier-General William T. H. Brooks
First Brigade - Brigadier-General Gilman Marston, Commanding
Eighty-First New York Infantry Regiment Ninety-Sixth New York Infantry Regiment Ninety-Eighth New York Infantry Regiment 139th New York Infantry Regiment
Second Brigade - Brigadier-General Hiram Burnham, Commanding
Eighth Connecticut Infantry Regiment Tenth New Hampshire Infantry Regiment
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Thirteenth New Hampshire Infantry Regiment 118th New York Infantry Regiment
Third Brigade - Colonel Horace T. Sanders, Commanding
Twenty-First Connecticut Infantry Regiment Ninety-Second New York Infantry Regiment Fifty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment 188th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment Nineteenth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
Division Artillery - Major Theodore H. Schenck, Commanding
New York Light, Seventh Battery Third New York Light, Battery E First Rhode Island Light, Battery F Fourth United States, Battery D
Second Division
Brigadier-General Godfrey Weitzel
First Brigade - Brigadier-General Charles A. Heckman, Commanding
Twenty-Third Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Twenty-Fifth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Twenty-Seventh Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
Ninth New Jersey Infantry Regiment
Second Brigade - Colonel Griffin A. Stedman, Commanding
Eleventh Connecticut Infantry Regiment Second New Hampshire Infantry Regiment -
Twelfth New Hampshire Infantry Regiment 148th New York Infantry Regiment
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