USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 2 > Part 37
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
being in prison fifteen months and two days. I was glad to get back, but still sorry that all the boys that had been so unfortunate with me fifteen months before could not have been with me to share my joy fifteen long, very long, months afterward. We sailed the next day for Annapolis, Md. Called at City Point, Norfolk, Fort Monroe. and arrived, Monday, January 16, 1865, at Camp Parole. Stayed there until Thursday, January 19th, when I received two months' pay, and a thirty-day furlough. Arrived in Buffalo January 21st, and had a good time. Got back to Camp Parole on time, was taken with varioloid, March 19th, and went to the small-pox hospital, and was just getting well when the war ended, and our old friend Lincoln was killed. I never got back to the Regiment again.
PRISON AND ESCAPE EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN A. T. BLISS, OF COMPANY D.
THE last of May, 1864, I was sent to dismounted camp for injury received while on picket, being thrown from horse. I got better and asked to be sent to my Regiment, and was placed in command of sixty-eight dismounted cavalrymen that belonged to our division and had been remounted, and ordered to report to General Gregg. When I arrived, General Gregg had started, and our force was ordered to join General Wilson, who, on the 21st day of June, started on the famous Wilson raid. Within half an hour after joining this command we had a smart skirmish, which lasted until dark, when the rebels withdrew. We gained but little ground. The next day we crossed Stony Creek, destroyed railroad and bridge, and continued to the Welden Railroad, south of Richmond.
Our little force had no friends in the command, and most of the time was put either in the rear or in front, and took the brunt of the frequent attacks. We were ordered to charge the Weldon Railroad bridge, but were driven back after losing nineteen men killed and captured.
Wilson's main force then turned, and followed their trail back to Stony Creek in the night of June 28th. Our detachment, with other men, amounting to about two hundred, was left to cover the retreat. We were ordered to keep up a casual fire, which we did, and in this way held in check a large force of the enemy, while the main body of Wilson's raiders made a safe retreat.
In the morning we discovered that our horses had been taken and we were surrounded by the enemy. Seeing that resistance was useless and retreat cut off, we scattered and tried to escape. I was wounded in the knee, and captured with a number of others after getting about ten miles. When gathered together at night, we found that one hundred of the Union cavalrymen had been captured. We were placed in a shanty, under guard, overnight.
Out of my original command of sixty-eight men but nineteen were left. But one man of my company was with me; this was Ebenezer W. White, who died in Andersonville Prison afterward. We were left all night without rations, but next morning were given some corn-meal, which was apportioned out and cooked. We were transported to Raleigh, N. C., where we lay all day on the public green,
PRISON AND ESCAPE EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN A. T. BLISS. 605
with plenty of good water to drink. From Raleigh we were taken to Salisbury and put in prison, where we remained several days. While here we learned that we were to be removed, and I got an opportunity to have a case-knife filed into a tolerably good saw; and, when we were taken in the cars, we sawed a hole through the bottom, and five of us escaped, making for the woods, but were run down by hounds and recaptured and shipped to Columbia, S. C., where we arrived the 4th of July, 1864. Remained there eleven days, until transportation could be secured to take us to Andersonville. In the mean time I had been stripped of all evi- dences of rank, so that they could not tell whether I was an officer or a private. When captured I had taken the precaution to trade off different articles of clothing, so as to pass as a private and save seven men when I should be ex- changed.
In this way I was sent to Andersonville, where officers were not taken. I arrived there just in time to see the execution of the Union prisoners who had been tried and convicted by their comrades of theft, murder, and other crimes.
There were thirty-five thousand prisoners in Andersonville at this time, who were dying at the rate of one hundred and thirty-five a day. The life becoming intolerable, I disclosed the fact that I was an officer, and was immediately taken to Macon, where I found eighteen hundred other officers.
While at Macon I helped to dig the tunnel by means of which we hoped to escape. We worked thirty days at this, and were well organized, having formed a plan to capture the town and seize arms and ammunition ; but we were betrayed by one of our men, who was immediately taken out or he would undoubtedly have been killed. While we were there Sherman was attacking Atlanta, and General Stoneman made a raid for the purpose of rescuing us, but he was capt- ured and thrown into prison.
In retaliation for the action of General Butler, in threatening to expose rebel prisoners when his force was bombarded in Virginia, in front of Petersburg, six hundred of us, ranking officers, with General Stoneman at the head, were taken to Charleston and placed under fire of our batteries; we were placed in what is known as Old Workhouse Square. The second night, however, a spy was sent from the Union fleet, and inquiring out General Stoneman gave him two rockets to be fired, in order to notify the fleet in what part of the town the prisoners were located, so they could direct their fire with safety. The rockets were sent up, and the firing was directed to other parts of the town. None of our men were hurt, though a corner of the building in which we were confined was knocked away, and several of their guards were killed.
While at Charleston I was taken sick and was placed in a hospital, under charge of Major Todd, Mrs. Lincoln's brother. The men who attended on us were deserters from the Union army and were very overbearing. Our boys were naturally very indignant, and seized every opportunity to insult them. I was reported to Major Todd by one of these men for something I had said to him, and was sentenced to be tied to the stake and whipped. I was actually tied up and my back was inade bare for the lash, but my warning that, if I was treated in this barbarous manner, I would see that our people retaliated upon rebel prison- ers seemed to have the desired effect, and I was released after a personal interview with Major Todd.
Major Todd was a gentleman and a skilled physician, and, when not in liquor,
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
did everything in his power for my relief, and I am firmly convinced that I owe my life to his skillful nursing. But he had a weakness, and generally in the aft- ernoons was under the influence of liquor, and when in that condition was very ugly. It was in the afternoon that he ordered me to be whipped, but, upon de- manding and getting an interview with him next morning just before the sen- tence was to be executed, he speedily released me.
It is fitting that I pay a tribute to the tender care taken of me by the Sisters of Charity, who did everything in their power for the relief of the Union prison- ers, and slipped many delicacies to them without the knowledge of the authorities. While at Charleston, after becoming convalescent and being granted the freedom of the ground, I made arrangements with a colored man to make my escape. We waited for a dark and cloudy night, when we went to the river at a point where he had arranged to have a boat meet us and take me out to the Union ships. We waited until daylight; but the boat did not appear, and we were captured trying to return to quarters unobserved, and both thrown into dark dungeons. I was given a cup of water and a chunk of bread a day; the colored man, whose dun- geon was three or four removed from mine, was given nothing, and I was forced to hear his cries for water for several days, when all noise finally ceased ; I never learned whether he famished or was removed. They threatened to starve him on account of helping a Union prisoner to escape.
On account of the prevalence of yellow fever, all prisoners who were able to be moved were taken to Columbia, and this is the reason I tried to escape at this time before leaving the sea-coast, but after my capture I was also sent to Co- lumbia.
Here I again laid plans for escape. Each day a detail of twenty prisoners was taken out to chop and bring in wood, one axe being allowed to each party. Each captain of a party gave a list of names as he passed out, and on his return they were checked off. A guard was thrown around the men while at work. When my turn came I passed out under an assumed name, and in the evening, when the work was about finished, I lay down in a little hollow and had my comrades cover - me over with branches, twigs, and leaves. I was not missed until the men returned to the prison and were counted. The alarm was immediately given and search. ing parties sent out, who hunted all night. Several times they came very near to me, and my heart beat fast as I heard the leaves above me rustle, brushed by these men in hot pursuit. I escaped detection, however, but was forced to keep secreted all the following day. At night I ventured forth, and traveled as fast as I could until daylight, when I was horrified to hear the morning call of the prison from which I had just escaped. In my dazed and confused condition 1 had traveled in a circle, and, like the hunted hare, had returned to the starting-point, only, as it appeared to me, to be recaptured. Foot-sore, disheartened, and hungry, I again sought shelter beneath a pile of brush and leaves and waited for the night. I made up my mind to try and strike Sherman's army, in the direction of the Sa- vannah River. I was obliged to lay by in the daytime and journey only at night. for fear of detection. I ran on to a number of stragglers, but passed myself off for a Confederate soldier. In this way I arrived opposite Augusta and lay all day concealed, and just at dusk, hearing a noise, I crept close to reconnoitre and found a colored man and woman kneeling at a stump praying, "O Lord, send Massa Lincoln's troops dis way!" I knew then I was in friendly hands, and
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PRISON AND ESCAPE EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN A. T. BLISS. 607
revealed myself. They were very kind, and brought me food, of which I stood in great need. I sent them to get me a paper, that I might learn of the movements of Sherman's army. The next night they returned with the paper, and brought about twenty-five of their friends, and we had quite a meeting there in the woods. By the light of a pine-knot torch I read them the paper, which told of the march of Sherman's army toward Savannah. We had heard the fire of the artillery from this point for two days, and had expected that Sherman would cross the river at this point and make for Charleston, but learned by the paper that he had changed his course and gone down the river in the direction of Savannah.
My two young colored friends desired to escape with me, but I forbade themn, telling them of the awful fate of the man at Charleston who had attempted to befriend me. If we were captured, and they were found aiding a Union soldier to escape, they would undoubtedly be killed. They piloted me to a point where I could cross the river and make my way into Georgia. On the way to this point I came up with two other Union soldiers escaping like myself. After consider- able parley we disclosed our identity and determined to join forces. The ferries on the river were guarded by rebels, and it was necessary to cross at a point between two ferries. We built a raft, and, after hard work against the swift current, we managed to make the other side, where we found that the banks were too steep to make a landing. Fearing that we would drift into the hands of the rebels at the ferry below, we determined to jump for the overhanging branches and effect a landing in this way. It was a dangerous experiment, but anything was preferable to again falling into the hands of the rebels. We all landed in safety, but were forced to lose the provisions which had been furnished us by our colored friends. We had learned to trust the blacks, and had no hesitancy in questioning an old slave whom we met. He told us we were seventy miles from Savannah, and that Sherman's army had passed three days before. He warned us against the colored people whom we might find. as all the loyal ones had followed the army, and those who remained would surely betray us to one of the numerous parties that had been organized to take speedy revenge upon any Union stragglers for the depredations made by Sherman's army. We took good care to heed his advice, and spoke to no one. He directed us to follow the Georgia Central Railway track, and to avoid the highways, which we did, dodging into the woods to avoid meet- ing any one. In this way, traveling at night and hiding during the day, we made the seventy miles in the three nights, lying quietly by days, having nothing to eat but three ears of corn that we picked out of the mud and washed.
Arriving at Savannah we found the rebel army between us and, Sherman, and were forced to make a wide détour, guided by the rebel camp-fires. Finally, after nineteen days and nights of tramping, I heard the welcome sound of the Union picket's challenge. We were taken to Sherman's headquarters, but had no papers or means of identification. I referred to General Kilpatrick, whom I knew, and General Sherman told me that he would be there in a few hours, and in the mean time took good care of us. When General Kilpatrick arrived he greeted me with, " Where the devil have you been ?" I told my story, and Kilpatrick sug- gested that I looked as though I needed some "commissary," and I then had the pleasure of drinking with my old friend General Kilpatrick. The great cavalry leader then asked that I be sent to his headquarters, where I was well provided for, and was invited to go down and witness the capture of Fort McAllister, which
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I did. I was then sent around by water to New York, went from there to Wash- ington, and joined my Regiment at Petersburg; was given a furlough of thirty days, when I returned ; but my health being so badly impaired as not to be fit for active service, I resigned in February, 1865.
PRISON EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN B. F. LOWNSBERY, OF COMPANY K.
Soo after noon we arrived near the battle-field of Gettysburg, via the Hanover pike. We had been sitting on horse all the afternoon until about sundown, on the left of the pike, when General Gregg sent orders to Major Avery to send a squadron to drive the sharpshooters from Brinkshoff Ridge. I was sitting quite close to the Major at the time. He turned to Sergeant Mitehell, who was in command of a squadron, and said, "You go up there with your squadron and drive them out." Mitchell said, " Major, you know I am not an officer." The Major then turned to me and said, " Captain Lownsbery, then you will have to go." If I am not mistaken, I was the only captain left with the Regiment at the time. I started with twenty-seven men, all told, and soon after reaching the crest was charged upon by two regiments of the Stonewall Brigade. I gave command to fall baek; Company E was on the right and Company K on the left of my line. We fell baek through a small piece of woods, closely followed by the Johnnies. A corporal of Company E was killed as we were crossing a fence, and I was slightly wounded in my right leg, and we were soon surrounded by a too numerous erowd for getting away. I was captured and taken just over the hill, to a barn on the right of the Hanover pike, to General Walker's head- quarters. General Walker asked me "What force was over the ridge ?" I re- plied that I had not the remotest idea.
I was taken behind some rocks and had my wounded leg dressed. E. G. Dow, of Company K, was captured with me. We were several times under fire, and were moved from place to place during the night. The next morning found us in an orchard, with an addition to our number of Captain K. S. Dygart (who was my companion all the time I was in Libby) and Captain Johnson, of a Pennsyl- vania regiment. We were under fire for some time on the 3d of July.
The 4th of July, we lay in the rear of the rebel army during a heavy rain. At sundown the whole of Lee's army was in retreat, with the prisoners in the rear of the wagon-train. In erossing Willoughby Creek I was next the wagon, and the guard by my side. The footmen crossed the bridge and the wagons forded the stream. I jumped up on the feed-box, hoping the guard would go over the bridge, and I could then get a chance to swim down the creek and thus escape, but the guard seemed to take a deep interest in my welfare. After repeated com- mands to halt, that were unheeded, he raised his musket over his head and followed after me, through the stream, waist-deep.
For two or three days we were elated or depressed, as our hopes of recapture or alternate fear of Southern prisons loomed up to view. I made several ineffect- ual attempts at escape, which were always ended with a click and a halt! Our
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PRISON EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN B. F. LOWNSBERY. 609
rations were served to us raw. I saw colonels carrying flour and meal in their hats all day, going bareheaded. We used to cook after our day's march. The little squad I was in had a rubber poncho, in which we carried our rations by turns. After we left Winchester we had a fearful rain-storm, and at Old Town a little stream rose until it was over the wagons on the pike, and we-that is three thousand prisoners-were marched by the right flank up the creek to where the water was only waist-deep, and marched through. We went into camp in a little piece of timber across Cedar Creek, on the left side of the road.
The next morning I was so badly chafed that I could not walk. We were then under the command of Captain Patterson, a fine fellow, of Imboden's cav- alry. When the command to fall in was given, I said to the Captain, "If it is shoot or fall in, go on with your shooting, for I can't walk." He said : " Oh ! no, Captain, it has not come to that ; but if you can, get over to that house," point- ing to a brown house on the right side of the pike. General Imboden is there, and he will give you a parole. Then my hopes were raised, for I was sure it meant to set me out of the Confederacy. But not so ; I was paroled, sure enough, but to report to the Confederate marshal at Staunton, Va., in five days, seventy- five miles away. I was thankful for that, as I could go as I pleased. I traveled in the cool of the day, and finally got to Staunton before the balance of the pris- oners; stayed all night at a boarding-house ; slept in a large dining-room with forty Confederate officers. Most of them were gentlemen, and treated us kindly. When we got to Richmond, we were met by many familiar faces. Then followed our entrance to Libby Prison. When in sight of the prison the first sound to greet us was, " Fresh fish ! fresh fish !" It was the usual greeting to new arrivals. We saw the windows filled with prisoners, who called to us to hide our valuables, and after we were in the room, before we were examined, pieces of pa- per were dropped down from above, telling us to hide our money. Well, we were all searched, and our valuables taken. They took from me blanket, towel, soap, salt, etc., which were thrown in a pile by the door, and after my name was regis- tered, etc., I was sent out. As I went out, I took the things, and walked out on to the street and carried them to the prison with me, the only officer who carried a blanket into Libby or had one for two or three days afterward. All the officers were not examined until after dark, so we were not ushered into our new quarters by daylight.
The first person whom I met, that I knew, was Captain D. Getman, of Com- pany I, Tenth New York Cavalry, and next Colonel William Irvine. I also met Lieutenant King. These officers were all captured at Brandy Station, June 9, 1863. Lieutenant King died after having his arm amputated.
I was confined in hospital in Libby for a few weeks. The surgeons were usually gentlemen, and kindly disposed toward our sick.
I had occasion, several times, to ask medical treatment, and was always well treated by the surgeons and officials. Once, after I had been sick of rheumatism, I chanced to meet an officer in the kitchen, who was pointed out to me as the reb commissary, who had charge of the boxes for the prisoners from home. I asked him if he had charge of our boxes. He replied, " Yes, sir, I have." I then said, " I want to ask you for my box, the contents of which I am and have been suffer- ing for." I told him I did not ask any special favor, no more than every officer of the prison was entitled to; but I asked it as a right, a simple fulfillment of a 39
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
promise made to us and our friends, who sent us the things. He kindly looked me over, then said : " Yes ; get your blanket, and wait at this door, and I will let you out to get it." He also let Lieutenant Eugene M. Fales, an officer of my mess, have his box.
The officer to whom I was indebted for this and many other favors, was Cap- tain Monroe. Some of the officers were kind-hearted, and would no doubt have extended favors, had they dared to do so. There were also many unfeeling wretches, who were in and about the prison, who lacked every sentiment of hu- manity. One instance I remember, of an officer of the guard ordering a sentinel to shoot an officer who sat looking out of the window. That officer was none other than Captain David Getman, Jr., of our Regiment. Lieutenant Morgan Kupp, of the Fiftieth Engineer Corps, was shot through the ear for looking out of the window ; and one officer, killed, said to be from a premature discharge of the gun in the guard's hands. Confined in Libby Prison when I was there was Lieutenant-Colonel William Irvine, Captain D. Getman, Jr., Lieutenants Morey, . Johnson, and King (who died there), and myself, from the Tenth New York Cav- alry. Of the Second U. S. Cavalry I think there were more in prison than out. At one time there was a regular minstrel show, which made it jolly for a time ; and another time they had the place mined so that in an attempt at rescue they could send us heavenward before our time. All sorts of games and all sorts of stories were told to drive away the blues. Some wag would rush from room to room, and cry : " Boat up! All exchanged ! Pack up! pack up !! " Another would call out in the middle of the night : "Boat up ! boat up! Surgeons and chaplains all exchanged ! Pack up ! pack up !! " At one time, after boxes had been freely delivered, Dick Turner came to me and said, " You'ns must all go down into the cook-room "; so we went down, eleven hundred in all. I was standing near the stairs, and he said to me, "Come up here." I went, and he asked if it was crowded down there. I said, " Yes, like herrings in a box." He said, " Wait a minute, and I will speak to the Major," but when he came back he said, " You'ns must all go down there." Suspecting it meant a search for money and arms, I handed Dick my key, and said, " Unlock my box, and not smash it." He said, " I do not want to get into your box," and handed back the key. I noticed, when we got back, that my hasp had received one lick with the hatchet, and left. This was brought about by some people sending revolvers in hams and loaves of bread, etc., an act of self-preservation on their part. After the tunnel. escape, we had a lively time in Libby ; we were each day, about 8 A. M., run through a door and counted by a young man named Ross and Dick Turner. The morning after the escape, they ran us through as usual, and Ross said. " We must go again, as there were ten men here that do not appear." So through we went again, and this time Ross said, "There are now one hundred and ten short !" The next thing was an alphabetical roll-call of all the officers in the prison, which took time. All names not answered to were taken down as absent, and when an officer's name was called that was absent some one would say, "Gone home," " Gone for his box," or some such answer; so that we, who were left, had all the fun we could out of it. Dick Turner came to me and said, " How do you think they got out ?" I said, " It would not take more than two blankets to reach down to safety, and twenty-five cents would buy the guard." The next move was to muster all the guard on duty, that they might search them for evidence of guilt
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PRISON EXPERIENCE OF CAPTAIN B. F. LOWNSBERY. 611
in aiding the Yanks to escape. In the mean time every man or boy, with horse and musket, was rushed out, in search of the missing. Before night they began to bring back those who were not satisfied with the fare at " Hotel de Libby." They were placed in dark cells in the basement for a few days, until all who struck out for liberty and home at once, via north side of James River, were returned. Only those who had friends in the city like Colonel A. D. Straight, or those who took the south side of the James, made their escape. I was notified when the move was to be made, but I had no shoes, and it was too cold to try bare feet for it, so I remained in Libby for awhile. There were all sorts of ruses used to get out of the prison. The Romish Bishop had all the names of Romanists taken, and they were to be exchanged, and a good many would have been Romish, for the sake of making their escape. One Francis Murphy, of the Ninety-seventh New York Volunteers, was appointed to get all the names of the genuine Romanists, which he did, and they were finally ordered to fall in for exchange, our friend Francis and all. Shortly back came Mr. F. Murphy, he having forgotten to put his own name on the list, and there poor Frank had to stay until the close of the war, a penalty for forgetting himself.
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