USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > The story of Camp Chase; a history of the prison and its cemetery, together with other cemeteries where Confederate prisoners are buried, etc > Part 26
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On the 12th day of October, 1864, I left the army at Mount Sidney, with orders to go through the lines and get all the in- formation possible regarding the movements of the Federal army, and to enlist all the men I could get. I went by the way of Buffalo and Panther Gaps, and met with no incident worthy of note.
At Lewisburg I found my old regiment and had a visit with them and a talk with Gen. W. L. Jackson, who did not think well of my proposed trip.
I was to go to the Kanawha Valley, and there were more Fed- eral soldiers in the valley than there had been for two years preceding, and the Union scouts were also thick in that part of the country. This was General Jackson's view of the situation ; and if he had had the authority, he would have countermanded my orders. He advised me to keep away from Charleston; but as that was one of the points I wished to make, I did not obey his
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orders. The night of the 18th I stayed with a Mr. Baird, a moun- taineer and hunter. He was taciturn, and it was hard to get any information from him. To any question I asked he would sim- ply answer "Yes" or "No." Finally I got him started telling hunt- ing stories. I had found the key to his tongue, and he told many interesting adventures as a hunter on the wild and rugged mountains.
After a few bear stories I went after him again about people. I told him frankly I wanted the news from Charleston. He said he would go and find out how many soldiers were there and let me know when I came back. We started the next day. I accom- panied him for a time. We stayed all night in a deserted cabin on Gauley Mountain. He went on toward Charleston, while I crossed the mountain and went to the home of T. Sanders, on Elk Mountain.
Sanders was a noted Southern sympathizer. He gave me a list of the names of the Union men whose homes I would pass on my way to the head waters of Pond Creek.
Here I put on the blue uniform again, and had gone but a few miles when I ran across three Union soldiers, who wanted to know who I was. I told them I lived on Pond Creek. They then asked me about a number of persons supposed to live on the creek, but of course I did not know any of them. I was not to be caught that way, however. They wanted to know to what regi- ment I belonged, and I told them the Eleventh West Virginia Regiment. They asked me where my regiment was encamped. and I told them we did not have time to go into camp, as we were kept scouting all the time in the Gauley Mountains. I was not sorry to part with them, and traveled the rest of the day unmo- lested.
I found the houses Mr. Sanders mentioned, and stayed all night with a Union man and talked over the war with him. Of course we agreed on war questions ; and when I told him how we made the Johnnies get up and dig out he was greatly pleased, and we had a royal good time. Some of the neighbors were invited in, and we had a big supper. The breakfast was a good one also ; and when I left, the lady of the house filled my haversack with bis- cuits, butter, etc., that made an excellent dinner. I found out considerable about the home guards and what they did with peo- ple suspected of being Rebels. They made the women cook big meals for them ; and if they found any men, made them prisoners and took them to Camp Chase.
I reached Bellville, on the Ohio River, on the 21st, and was then within seven miles of my home-the home I had not seen since the war began. I stayed all night with Mr. Pennypacker, and learned there were many in the community who were in sym-
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pathy with the South, and that there were numbers in Southern Ohio who were waiting a chance to go South. I learned consid- erable also about the Knights of the Golden Circle, an organiza- tion in sympathy with the Confederacy. I had never met any of these men before, but had heard of them, and very soon was to make myself a member of the order. I decided I would go to Columbus, Ohio, and find out what I could about Camp Chase, and whether it was true that they were sending citizens there.
On the 22d I left Bellville, crossed the Ohio River and went to see a farmer, Mr. Bell, and found him one of the strongest Southern sympathizers I had ever met. I stayed overnight with him, and together we went to a neighboring town, where I bought a suit of citizens' clothing, and sent my blue suit back with Mr. Bell. I then went to Lancaster, and stopped at a private board- ing house. I overheard some conversation that led me to know that there was a Knight of the Golden Circle organization in the town or near by, and, after some discreet inquiries, was led to the place of meeting. I was persuaded to remain over until the next day and attend the meeting.
The meeting place was in a large barn about a half mile from town. I was permitted to go inside the barn, but the meet- ing was held in the other end of the building from that in which I was placed.
The meeting had not been in session long when two men came to me, asking quite a number of questions. They then left and returned to the meeting, and another man came to escort me into the presence of the Circle-the Rebel Circle, as the Unionists called them. I was surprised when I saw the number of men present. There must have been upward of one hundred. I was questioned many times, and was then asked to join the order. In a moment I saw it was the very thing for me. A Confederate spy was safer inside the Knights of the Golden Circle than out of it.
When I had become one of them, I told them frankly who I was and what my business was in Ohio; and I told them further that I expected their support, as they had pledged, and as their pledge gave me the right to ask. Then I got the grip and pass- word. When the meeting was about to adjourn, a man from Tupper's Plains called for order and made a few remarks that appealed to me personally. He asked me how well I was off financially. I replied that I had no money to spare. He then moved that a collection be taken up, which was done at once. It was a collection that would have delighted the heart of many a country preacher.
In about three minutes I was about fifty-nine dollars richer. I took the name of the secretary and his address, that I might get
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more when needed. I have the name and address yet, but it will do no good to name these people. They befriended me when I needed their friendship. Had even one of them betrayed ine, I should have been hanged in a week's time. The citizens of Co- lumbus to-day easily forget that I, a citizen, was a spy in their midst, but they would not so readily forgive a Northern man who was a traitor to the cause of the Union.
I stayed overnight with one of the men, and on the morning of the 24th hired a man to take me to Slabtown, where I had been directed to the house of a friend in my new order, who could give me information regarding the general sentiment of the people of Southern Ohio. I remained all night with the man, and got in close touch with him when he learned who I was. I made arrangements with him to send any men who wished to enlist in the Confederate army to Eagle and Vinton Furnaces, and I would meet them there and take them through the lines. He was to let the Knights at Lancaster know, so that all who wished to enlist should go to Vinton Furnace and ask for any kind of work they could get until I came. I went to Rushville and stayed over- night, and from there I went to Newark by way of Jacktown. I had the names of some parties I wished to see in Newark, who were members of the Golden Circle. but they were not at home.
I spent two days in Newark, the 27th and 28th of October, 1864, and the greater part of the time I put in at the office of the United States recruiting officer. The officer's name was Drake, and I got acquainted with him and received some good offers to go in the Union army. The draft was on them, and they were paying anywhere from three hundred dollars to thirteen hundred dollars for substitutes. I was looking for men myself, so naturally could not enlist. I was not paying any bounties, either.
I then decided to go to Columbus, thirty-three miles distant from Newark. The morning train would get me in at ten o'clock, and so I went, stopped at the hotel, took in the city, and on the morning of the 30th went to Camp Chase.
I went to headquarters and inquired for the commandant, and a man with the rank of colonel made his appearance, demanding to know what I wanted. I told him I wanted to see the Rebel prisoners. "Why ?" he asked sharply.
"I have never seen a Rebel," said I. "and I want to see one." I told him that I was in Columbus for the first time, which was the truth, and that I had heard so much about the Rebels that I really wanted to see one, which was also true.
. The Colonel got back at me all right, though. "Why don't you enlist and go in the army ?" he asked. "If you will enlist and go South, you will see more Rebels than we can show you here." I knew he was telling the truth. He then asked me where I
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lived. I told him, "Away up in Michigan," and the only reasom that I was not in the army, I was my mother's only support.
The Colonel finally said I might see the prisoners if I came back at two o'clock. Previous to going to Camp Chase I had engaged a room at 750 West Broad Street, at which place I took my meals, and I went to the room and waited for two o'clock.
The officers waiting around headquarters had some fun with the green man from Michigan. The rules of the prison forbade. visitors upon the grounds; but in company with an officer a few visitors were at times permitted upon the parapet. Even the- guards were not allowed to converse with prisoners. It was only for a few moments at best that I was allowed to gaze upon the. faces of my Southern comrades, and there was nothing I could do for them.
The Colonel asked me what I thought of the prisoners, and I told him I thought they looked pretty tough. He said to me: "Young man, those men may not look well, but they are brave men, no doubt, and it is not a sign that they were cowards that: they are prisoners of war."
I then went to my room, got my supper, put on a paper collar, and left for the depot. I took the night train for Bellaire and got there at daylight on the Ist of November. I went to Wheeling, four miles distant, stayed overnight, and went on a trip to Pitts- burg. I was afraid to go around without any excuse, especially to military camps. I bought one hundred copies of a paper called the Washington Herald and took them with me to an artillery camp that I visited at Pittsburg. I talked with the men and sold or gave away my papers. I left Pittsburg on the evening of the same day I arrived, and on my way South met another spy. He was captured the next day, and as he attempted to make his escape from the guard he was killed.
While at Wheeling I got a pass to go to the island in the Ohio River where were confined a number of Southern prisoners. I found a few regular Confederate soldiers, but the most of them were citizens who had refused to take the oath of allegiance.
I remained in Wheeling a couple of days and then took a boat to Marietta, then up the Muskingum to Zanesville, arriving there on the 8th of November. I left there on the 10th with three re- cruits, gotten through the aid of the Knights of the Golden Cir- cle. We left on horseback and rode to Newark. From there we went by way of Rushville to Lancaster. From the Lancaster Knights I received fifty-four dollars. On the 12th the party went to Eagle Furnace and there got eleven men. Here, after a conference, the men divided into little groups and left for Vinton Furnace.
By the 15th we were all there and looking for work. All told
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the same story of having heard that the Eagle Furnace was about to shut down and we had come there for work. They could give us no work at Vinton, as we well knew ; so the boys left in couples, all going to the Ohio River. Our place of meeting was a point near Pond Creek. I got nine men at Vinton, making twenty- three in all. I need not follow every detail of the trip. We got out of Ohio, crossed the mountains, and I landed my men finally at Staunton, Va. I saw the men enlist in the Twentieth Virginia. I made a report of my trip to General Early.
After my trip through Ohio I spent some time scouting in the Shenandoah Valley. I left Woodstock for a trip to the mountains in West Virginia, and spent a little time with some of Rosser's Cavalry at Mount Jackson, and rode with them to Piedmont. Here we met some of the enemy, who opened fire upon us, killing two men who, with myself, were a part of the advance guard. I distinctly heard the command given to fire, but before they could reload we were upon them and they were prisoners. Captain Hahurst, who had command of a company of independent scouts, had given his men orders to take no prisoners, and when this became known to the men in my charge they became almost uncontrollable. They would have made a quick end of this scout had I not been there.
They were disposed not to obey me until I told them I would report them to their commander. In looking over the names of the prisoners I discovered that two of them had been members of my old company, who had deserted. I did not bring this against them, knowing what their fate would have been.
I wish to explain what kind of men these were and how little the loss would have been had summary measures been taken. In what was known as the Ligrate Valley, in easy range of which we were at that time, were a band of men whose numbers were estimated to run from three to five hundred, who were deserters from both Northern and Southern armies. They banded them- selves together for plunder, and it made no difference which command they saw fit to attack, provided it was not too large. Their chief occupation was capturing wagon trains. They had by some means secured a cannon and gave it the name of the "Swamp Dragon," and it soon became unsafe for small scouting parties to pass through that part of the country.
After burying our two men who had been killed, we had dinner, the prisoners and our men eating together in a free and easy manner. Some of the prisoners and some of my men found that they were related. After dinner we traveled toward Buchanan, but when night came on we had gone farther than we had orders to go. We went into camp in a wood near a farmhouse, near by a fine spring. My men, not on guard, slept with their arms in their hands, but the night was quiet and peaceful.
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When the sun rose on the morning of November 23, 1864, its rays fell on fields and woods white with frost. There was much to do and we were early astir. As the ranking officer of the little expedition, I told Captain Smith, then in charge of the force, to turn Captain Hahurst over as a prisoner of war and to return to his command by way of Meadow Bluffs.
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I then started on a trip to the Ohio River. I was told at the farmhouse, near which we camped, that it was about twenty miles to Buchanan, and that there were quite a number of Federal sol- diers encamped there. While I questioned the farmer and his wife closely, they would not tell me whether or not they were in sympathy with the South. I had on my blue uniform, and it may be that this had something to do with it. I bought of them enough bread and meat to last me for a tramp of three days, and they looked at me pretty closely when I took a roll of greenbacks from my pocket to pay them. "It is easy to tell what side you are on," said the woman. "Yes," I replied, "but would you rather have Confederate money?" "It makes no difference," said the woman.
I had been paid off at Woodstock, and so had quite a little sum of Confederate money. I walked all that day, and about five. o'clock stopped at a house some three miles from Buchanan.
The house was occupied by an old gentleman and his wife. I told them I was hungry and asked if I could get supper. The old lady said that if I could put up with what they had I could get something to eat. I replied that "beggars should not be choos- ers ;" and with that they laughed and made me welcome. At the supper table I brouglit up the subject of the army, and the lady said: "You soldiers must see pretty tough times." "Well, we do," I replied; "but may I ask if you have any friends in either army?"
The woman started to reply, when the old gentleman gave her to understand that he preferred that she should not discuss that subject.
"You need not fear to tell me," I replied. "All you may say to me will be regarded as strictly confidential. Most people in this part of the country have friends in one army or the other. You are old people, and no one will cause you harm if you tell them the truth."
"I have two sons in the army," said the old man.
"And on which side are they?" I asked.
"One is on your side and the other is a Confederate," he said. "Do either one of the boys ever come home?" I asked.
"The one in the Rebel army has gotten here only once or twice," said the old gentleman.
"How about the Union soldier?"
"He comes often," they said.
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Then I asked them plainly which side they were in sympathy with, and again the old lady was cautioned as she was about to reply.
"Don't be afraid of me," I said. "You have a right to your opinion, even if we might not agree. I simply ask you these questions for personal reasons."
Then she said: "Pa and me both think the South is right, but maybe that is because we were brought up there."
I had noticed in the course of the conversation that they fre- quently mentioned the son in the Confederate army and rarely alluded to the. other, and this led me to the conclusion that they were all right.
"Look here," I said, "I want to tell you something, and what I tell you is to be a secret."
They both looked at me curiously. When they had promised, I said: "I am a Confederate soldier-no matter about this uniform -and I am here to find out how many Federal soldiers are camped in town and all such information as I can get."
They told me then that there were three regiments at Bucking- ham, and the regiment their son belonged to had gone to Parkers- burg. They told me, upon inquiry, that it was the Sixty-Third Ohio that their son belonged to: I asked them where the pickets were, and they told me. I then asked the old gentleman if he knew the country well.
"I have lived here eighteen years," he answered, "and I have tramped these mountains until I know every path for twenty miles."
"I want you to guide me around the pickets," I said.
He hesitated. "If you will go with me to-night, I will give you twenty dollars." I then asked the old lady if she would be afraid to stay alone.
"I have often stayed alone," she replied. I then gave her one dollar for meat and bread, which I added to my goodly supply. I gave the old gentleman twenty dollars as soon as we were ready to go. The lady of the house said "God bless you !" as we strode out into the darkness. The night was intensely dark, for there were neither moon nor stars to be seen. We stthinbled over logs or ran into bushes and briers or fell over piles of stones. We dared not have a light, for fear of calling the attention of the men we wished to avoid. By and by the old man discovered that. not- withstanding he knew every path in twenty miles, he had lost his bearings. We simply rambled around and sometimes sat down to think over the situation ; but at last daylight came. and we discovered that we were on top of the hill overlooking the Union camp, where we could see here and there a camp fire.
The old gentleman asked me what we should do. and I told him the best thing to do was to do nothing. There was nothing else
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to do just then except to eat. The guide had a flask of apple- jack and I had plenty of rations, so we ate an early breakfast.
We found near by a thicket of grapevines about an old rail fence, and here we rested until the old gentleman got the lay of the land. I suggested that he go to town, make some small pur- chases, and while there go to headquarters and secure a pass and go home. This idea pleased him, and I watched him until he had safely passed the pickets. At one time four men from the camp came near where I lay concealed. They played cards for a while and then went back to camp. With my field glass I could " see all that was going on in camp. I took quite a comfortable nap during the afternoon, preparing for a night tramp over the mountains.
At sunset it clouded up and by eight o'clock it was raining. I never traveled a darker night and could not see my hand before me. Finally I determined to light a match and look at my pocket compass ; but a compass is of little use to a man lost in the woods ·on a dark night. I stumbled on awhile longer and came to a small stream of water, and I lighted a match again to see in which direc- tion the water was running. I had an idea of the general direc- tion of the Ohio River; and if this stream flowed into the Ohio. I should follow it. When I looked, the water was running in just the opposite direction from what I thought it should. I climbed to the top of a hill and sat down to think it over and perhaps stay until morning and chance a daylight trip. I had been seated but a short time when I heard some one approaching. There were several of them ; I could tell by their footsteps.
I waited breathlessly their approach, with my finger on the trigger of the repeating rifle. Presently they stopped and one man said: "I believe we are near the Yankee pickets." What a relief ! I spoke to them in a low tone : "Are you lost, boys?"
There was no reply. A few moments of deathlike silence fol- lowed, and I spoke again, bringing my gun to my eye.
"I've got you cornered, boys. You had better answer me," I said.
"Who are you?" one asked.
"I am a Johnny," I replied.
"How many are there of you?"
"Just myself," I answered. They joined me at once, and there were nine of them. They proved to be from Jenkins's Brigade. and each had a thirty-day furlough and were slipping through the Federal lines for a visit home. They had not been home since the war commenced, and naturally would take some dangerous risks to get there.
We waited until daylight and climbed to the top of a high hill, from which I could see the town through my field glass. We .could see where the pickets or Union outpost was some distance
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below us, so we sat awhile and discussed our situation. Finally I said I would go to a house some distance away and get such information as we needed. They ridiculed the idea ; but, to show them I was in earnest, I left my gun and two revolvers with them .and went to the house.
I spoke to the lady of the house and asked if I could get break- fast for ten men. She said she was getting breakfast for us now. I told her I thought not. I saw a number of soldiers, perhaps a half dozen, sitting inside the house, and they were listening to our conversation. As I turned to go one of the men .asked me what command I belonged to.
"Company D, Sixty-Third Ohio," I answered.
"Where is your regiment?" he asked.
"It is encamped near Parkersburg," was my reply.
"What are you doing out here?" he questioned.
"We are here after that horse thief, Bill Gundey, and were ·close onto him last night. You need not be surprised to see my men in Rebel uniforms," I said, "for it is a great help in some places around here."
"Where are the rest of your men?" he asked.
"Up on the hill there; and I'm going after them. You will see a nice bunch of Rebs when they come."
I was soon in the midst of the men, and told them the situation and what questions to answer about the Sixty-Third Ohio, etc. I told them that if the Yankees undertook to give us any trouble we could clean them out, but that it was best to stick to our story of the Sixty-Third.
Breakfast was ready when we got there, and the Union ser- geant and I took seats side by side, and the men in gray sat facing our men in blue.
We laughed and joked and told stories of battles. We re- mained about an hour, and just as we were leaving there came along about eighty Union cavalry. As soon as they got sight of the men with the gray uniforms they halted.
"Where did you get those fellows?" asked the Yankee captain.
I told him what we were doing-hunting the horse thief-and it was best-that some go in Rebel uniform. He wanted to know how we were going to get back to Parkersburg, and I told him that at Teacher's Mills we expected to meet another lot of our scouts, and that if we did not catch Gundey we would go to Par- kersburg by way of Stillwell. They then rode away and left us. We left the pickets all in fine humor, and they wished us good luck and we did the same, and we traveled all day unmolested upon the public road.
We reached the Mills all right and stayed there until after breakfast, when the boys left me and scattered in every direction to their homes. I determined to go to my home, which I had not
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