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"TO CARE FOR HIM WHO HAS BORNE THE BATTLE; AND FOR HIS WIDOW AND ORPHANS."
ESTABLISHED 1877.
WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, MABCH 4-, 1882
NEW SEKIES.-VOI-1., N- 29,
STREIGHT'S GEORGIA RAID.
CAPTURE, IMPRISONMENT, AND ESCAPE.
Tfco Expedition from Xashrillo to Koine rursuit tr
Forrest's CsTnlrj The Surrender.
Vj G. C. KfflFFIX.
The preponderance of confederate cavalry in
froat and upon both flanks of the Union Army,
in the Spring of 1863, induced General Rosecrans
fo devise various schemes to draw it away. He
had great confidence in his infantry, and, not
withstanding the capture of Colonel Cohnrn and
his brigade in March, he, early in April, deter
mined to send another brigade into the enemy's
rear and attack their lines of communication
southward from Chattanooga. It was determined
that the brigade should proceed to Eastport,
Mississippi, in the district then under command
of General Dodge, and, after being mounted and
enpplied for a long and perilous expedition,
strike boldly eastward and reach the Georgia
lailroad at a point south of Dalton, and burn the
bridges. The provisional brigade, about 1,700
strong, commanded by Colonel A. D. Streight,
vas composed of the following regiments, selected
& account of their known courage and dis
cipline: theFifty-first Indiana, (Colonel Streight's
regiment,) commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Sheets; the Seventy - third Indiana, Colonel
Hathaway; the Third Ohio, Colonel Lawson;
and the Eightieth Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel
Redgers. Two companies of the First Middle
Tennessee Cavalry, under command of Captain
D. D. Smith, and two light howitzers, accompa
nied the expedition. The command rendezvoused
at Nashville, where it was furnished by the
quartermaster with a thousand poor mules, most
of which were two years old and entirely un
broken. Taking boats, the brigade proceeded
down the Cumberland to Palmyra, where it dis
embarked and prepared to march across the
ountry to Fort Henry, sending the boats around
to meet it at that point. Many of the mules
were found to be too weak to bear the weight of
a man ; others were sick of distemper, and nearly
all were unserviceable. The command pushed
en, however, collecting horses and mules, mostly
unshod, in the country through which it passed,
until, on their arrival at Fort Henry, 1,250 men
were mounted. The boats arrived on the 16th,
and on the 19th the brigade reached Eastport.
Here 200 of the best animals were lost by a
stampede, and the remainder nearly worn out in
attempting their recapture. General Dodge,
under orders to cover the advance of Streight's
expedition, had moved to Burusville a few days
before the arrival of the latter, and was then
encamped, with 8,000 men, twelve miles up Bear
River, to which place Colonel Streight moved on
the 21st. General Dodge took the advance,
driving Roddy's cavalry before him to Tuscum
bia, where the ent -e command arrived at 5 p. m.
on the 24th. Here General Dodge left kirn with
his command, and Colonel Streight, after sending
back all hi3 sick and those unable to travel, pro
curing six wagons and 200 m. les, set out at
eleven o'clock on the night of the 26th, with
1,500 men, to carry out the object of the expe
dition. Forrest was believed to have crossed the
Tennessee and to be in the vicinity of Town
Greek ; hence, Dodge agreed to advance as far as
Gourtland, on the Decatur road, and. getting
between Forrest and Streight, hold the former in
eheek until the latter had made one day's march
in the direction of Moulton. But Forrest de
clined to be held. He left Columbia, Tennessee,
by order of General Bragg, on the 25th, with one
brigade, to resist Dodge's advance upon Tuscuni
kia, crossed the Tennessee at Decatur on the 27th,
and immediately discovering, through scouts,
the separation of Streight's brigade from Dodge's
division, followed in pur.-uit of the smaller force.
Hia movements were timed as if he knew the
object of Streight's expedition, and he could not
have moved more certainly to thwart it if he had
seen a copy of General Rosecrans' order. Three
hundred of Streight's mt n were still on foot, and
although a few horses and mules were obtained
each day, as many more gave out aid had to be
abandoned. The rain commenced falling on the
night previous to their departure from Eastport
aad continued daily until the second day's
march from Tuscumbia. Tho rads were muddy,
the streams were swollen, the backs of the mules
were sore, and the men who were marching on
foot straggled far in the rear; altogether it was a
dismal march.
The route via Russell ville was taken in the
hope of obtaining animals upon which to mount
his men, but the inhabitants being apprised of
his approach, secreted their live stock, and very
few were found. Moulton was reached on the
23th, and early on the following morning the
brigade was again on the march, reaching Day's
Gap at night, where the first good night's nst
was enjoyed since tlte march b-gan. On the
m-rning of the 30th, shortly after leaving cainp,
while the column was ascending the mountains
through a gap, the rear-guard was fired into by
artillery. Line of battle was quickly formed on
the crest of a hill on both sidts of the road. The
rear-guard was driven back and the confederate
cavalry ad vane d in full charge. Two small
mountain bowitzt-rs, posted to sweep the road,
were handled by Lieuteuaut Pavey with precis
ion and effect, but did not check the advance of
Forrest's men. Up to this time the infantry,
concealed by the crest of the hill, held their fire
until the order was given, when a shower of
minie balls saluted the confederates. The guns
had been leveled with fearful accuracy and fifty
men fell from their saddles. Horses and men
rolled upon the ground. Volley after volley was
poured upon the cavalry, which wavered and
soon fled from the field, followed by a counter
charge by the Union troops, in which tLey cap
tured two pieces of artillery, two caissons, and
about forty prisoners. Colonel Streight reported
the loss of the confederates in this charge at
thirty killed and a large number of wounded
left upon the field. Forrest reports fifty-five
killed and wounded, one of whom was his
brother. Streight's loss was two killed and
twenty wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Sheets, a
brave and accomplished officer, was mortally
wounded in this engagement. Leaving their
wounded in charge of a surgeon on the ground,
the command pushed on until, at three o'clock
the same day, the Third Ohio was attacked
while crossing a small stream. Again line of
battle was formed and a battle ensued which
lasted until dark. The confederates were re
pulsed first on the right, then on the left, the
captured cannon playing a conspicuous part in
the performance. Colonel Streight's horse was
shot under him. The loss here was slight, being
only two killed and several slightly wounded.
Information now came that a heavy column was
moving on a parallel road to gain his front. The
command pushed on rapidly, reaching Blount
ville, after a hard night march, at noon of the
following day. Hre rations and ammunition
were issued to the men, the reserve ammunition
packed on mules, the wagons burned, the artil
lery spiked and abandoned, and a two hours'
rest enjoyed. At three o'clock of May 1st the
column was again in motion. Soon the rattle of
musketry was heard in the rear, and the east
fork of the Black "Warrior River being a short
distance in front, line of battle was formed
upon its banks. In the meantime Forrest was
marching day and night on their right flank,
leaving a small force to harass Streight's rear,
while he gained position in front The ruse was
soon discovered and the column again advanced..
The brigade stopped only long enough at Gads
den to destroy a quantity of supplies belonging
to the confederate army pushing on toward Rome
on the north side of the Coosa River. Men and
animals were almost exhausted from fatiyue and
loss of sleep, when early in the afternoon Blount's
farm was reached and the animals fed. "While
they were eating the infantry was formed in the
rear and in the brief engagement which followed
Col. Hathaway was killed. He was very much be
loved by his men, several of whom fell upon his
prostrate body and wept like children. The po
sition of the command was now critical. Many
of the most gallant officers were discouraged as
to the success of the expedition, and all were
agreed as to the cause: First, the miserable
mules supplied at Nashville ; second, the delay
of two days after arriving at Eastport, and two
days more at Tuseumbia.
The expedition was fatal from the outset. It
was one that defended fer success upon speed
and secrecy. To reach its point of departure at
Eastport south of the Tennessee no better scheme
could have been adopted than to go via Fort
Henry, and if proper secrecy had been observed
there is no doubt that the command might have
reached Tuscumbia without having attracted the
attention of General Bragg. Borne upon strong
horses capable of enduring continuous service,
the road from Tuscumbia to Rome, by the nearest
route 175 miles, might have been traversed by a
forced march in four days' time. Forrest left
Columbia, Tennessee, on the day after that Dodge
and Streight arrived at Tuscumbia. If Streight's
command had been as well mounted as Forrest's
the distance between them could not have been
overcome. But the necessity of obtaining horses
and mules occasioned the loss of two precious days,
during which Forrest with his brigade was press
ing on night and day, and Dodge failed to inter
rupt his progress.
It had now become evident that the party
assailing the rear-guard was at moBt not more
than a regiment, and that Forrest had moved
forward to head off the expedition before it could
reach Rome. If the men under Streight had
been as well mounted as those under Forrest
there is little doubt that, even if the expedition
had failed in its object to destroy the railroad,
the command might have avoided capture. Two
courses were open to Colonel Streight. One was
to hold his position until night, then by a forced
march retrace his stops towards Tuscumbia. Tely
ing upon the fatigue of Forrest's cavalry to pre
vent vigorous pursuit, and upon the fighting
qualities of his men to win a battle if it should
be forced upon him. The other to xmsh on to
ward Rome. He destroyed the Round Moun
tain Iron "Works where munitions of war
were manufactured for the confederate ser
vice, and thus inflicted a Iofs upon the confed
erate government which would atone, to some
extent, for the failure in reaching the railroad.
From Blount's farm a detachment of 200 men,
under command of Captain Russell, was sent
forward towards Rome, with orders to take it and
hold it until the arrival of the main body. Ow
ing to delav in ferrying a stream, Captain Rus
sell did not reach the bank of the Coosa, oppo
site Rome, until nine o'clock the next day, when
he found the town guarded by a strong force
supported by artillery. Captain Russell slowly
retreated to the main force. In tb? meantime,
Colonel Streight had remained" at Blount's farm
until after dark, then moved forward to the
crossing of two of the tributaries of the Coosa.
At the first he expected to find a ferry-boat to
cross the ammunition, but it was gone. The
pack mules were taken up .the stream three
miles, where, in crossing, the" ammunition got
wet and was unfit for use.
There was a bridge over the second stream,
which Streight destroyed behind him, and con
tinued his inarch until daylight, when, near
Cedar Bluffs, the command wasfhalted, and much
needed rest and food obtained. The men were
preparing their scanty breakfast when firing was
heard in front and rear. The men, jaded and
faint, were formed in line of battle, where many
of them fell asleep under volleys of musketry.
Human endurance had found its limit. The
ammunition in boxes was ruined by water, and
much of that on the persons of the men was use
less. The men were in no condition to fight, but
the brave leader determined to put them to the
test. After a loss of 12 killed-fand 15 wounded a
flag of truce was seen approaching, accompanied
by the demand for immediate surrender. Col
onel Streight refused, and was at once informed
of the strength and position of Forrest's forces,
and that upon his own head must fall the
responsibility of further bloodshed. Colonel
Streight then asked time to consider. Upon con
sultation with his officers, every one of whom
advised surrender, he exacted the following con
ditions from his captors :
First, officers and men to retain their private
property. Second, each regiment to retain its
flag. Third, that he should be permitted to go
around the lines and ascertain, by observation,
the strength of the enemy and the artillery said
to be in position. The first and second were
refused, but the third was complied with. On
his return he drew his men up in line and stated
the facte, and announced his determination to
surrender. Fifteen officers ard 130 enlisted men
had been killed or wounded in the various com
bats ,in which they had be engaged. Many
paore, exhausted by the .foz'trtJsatfty, had fallen
by the wayside. The orders under which the
expedition had been undertaken contemplated
the possibility of surrender, and although the
object had not been accomplished, all felt that
failure was not due to any fault of the heroic
commander. The men received the announce
ment with three hearty cheers, then marched
away into captivity. Their fate was preferable
to that of the sick and wounded left to the ten
der mercies of their enemies. Owing to the
nature of the service in which Colonel Streight
was engaged, there was no alternative but to
leave them behind. They weie immediately
robbed of their clothing, food and money, and
but for the kindness of the noble Union women
of North Alabama, they would all have perished.
The officers were confined in Libby Prison, at
Richmond, Virginia, and the privates and non
commissioned officers at Belle Isle, in the James
River. TVe latter, after a few day's imprison
ment, were paroled and sent North, but the
former endured the horrors of prison life at Libby
for many weary months.
The following graphic description of the escape
of Colonel Streight and over a hundred of his
companions from Libby Prison, is from "Libby
Life," by Lieutenant-Colonel F. F. Cavada:
"The 8th of February, 1864, has been one of
the most eventful in the history of our prison-life
It will be long remembered on account of the
escape of more than a hundred of our number
from bondage ; some, destined to reach the Fed
eral lines in safety ; others, less fortunate, doomed
to be recaptured, and to suffer additional tortures
at the hands of our keepers.
"Ab far back as last fall, various attempts had
been made by officers confined in the prison,
under the direction of Colonel Rose, of the
Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania, to excavate a
tunnel, through which they might hope to effect
their escape. To Colonel Rose is chiefly due the
credit of these explorations. Animated by an
unflinching earnestness of purpose, unwearying
perseverance, and no ordinary engineering abili
ties, he organized, at different times, woiking
parties of ten or fifteen officers, whom he con
ducted every night into the cellars of the prison.
These cellars were very dark, and entirely un
guarded, being seldom visited, even in the day
time. To these they descended through an open
ing in the flooring of the room above them used
as a kitchen for the prisoners; this opening was
carefully concealed by a well-fitted board during
the day.
"Tke earliest excavation made led directly into
a stratum of rock, and was soon abandoned as
impracticable. The next attempt was made in
the direction of the main sewer, which runs
under the street between the prison and the
canal. The plan was to dig from the cellar into
this sewer, and by creeping through it, to gain
the street at a safe distance from the prison, by
means of one of the inlets. After many nights
of labor, performed under the most trying cir
cumstances, water began to filter into the excava
tion, and finally poured in so rapidly that it was
impossible to continue the work. This tunnel
was abandoned with the greatest reluctance; it
was admirably planned, and had it proved suc
cessful, would no doubt have emptied the prison
of its inmates in a few hours. Several thrilling
incidents occurred in connection with it. The
cellar from which it was started was sometimes
used as a workshop, and a carpenter's table stood
directly under the aperture through which the
nocturnal diggers dropped down nightly from
the kitchen above. The descent and ascent were
made by means of a rope or blanket. One night,
as one of the officers was being drawn up, the
rope broke and he fell from a height of several
feet upon the table. His fall made a fearful
racket. A sentry whose beat was within a few
yards of the locality of this untoward accident,
immediately called out for the corporal of the
guard. After a lengthy and profound discussion
as to what might have occasioned this unusual
noise, both the corporal and the sentry ascribed
it to some trifling cause, and no further notice
was taken of it.
"Another night Colonel Rose was digging under
the very beat of a sentinel, when a small portion
of the earth and pavement caved in. The senti
nel, attracted by the circumstance, ran imme
diately to the spot. '"What is it?' asked the
soldier at the next post. A thundering big
rat,' cried the first one, running his bayonet into
the hole. The point of the bayonet grazed the
Colonel's cheek. He remained for a long time
motionless and almost breathless, until the un
suspecting sentinel resumed his beat, little dream
ing what were the real proportions of this Federal
rat!
"After many fruitless attempts to penetrate into
the sewers, it was resolved to make an effort to
tunnel under the street east of the prison, and
to reach the yard of a warehouse opposite. This
street was paced day and night by sentinels.
Early in January, Colonel Rose organized a
working party of fourteen officers, who were to
relieve each other regularly in the work, one
always remaining on gtard near the excavation
to prevent a trap being set for the capture of the
remainder of the party, in case of discovery by
the prison officials. Having succeeded in lifting
out the bottom of the fire-place in the cook-room,
they removed the bricks from the back of the
flue, and penetrated between the floor joists into
the cellar, under the end room used as a hospital.
Passing through this apperture, they could with
facility lower each other down into the cellar.
An opening was commenced in the wall near the
northeast corner of the cellar. This opening was
about two feet by eighteen inches. It was found
necessary to cut through the piles on which the
building was supported, and this tedious labor
was at length successfully completed with no
other tools but pocket knives. As they pene
trated i:ito the earth, great difficulty was expe
rienced on aecount of the candles, which refused
to burn in the close air of the tunnel. One of
the party was compelled to stand constantly at
the opening, fanning the air into it with his
hat. The tunnel fell with a slight depression for
a distance of about twelve feet, then continued
slightly ascending for the same distance, and was
nearly level the remainder of its length. It was
about fifty-three feet loag. The first depression
was resdered necessary by the fall of the ground
towards the warehouse.
" The tunnel, at its entrance, was absut two feet
by eighteen inches, and for some six feet of its
length ran at right angles with the street; it
then turned a few degrees to the right with a
diameter of only sixteen inchrs, and continued at
this angle increasing gradually to a diameter of
about two feet to its exit. In order to pass
through, it was necessary, of course, to lie flat
on one's face, propelling oneself with the hands
and feet, as the space was not sufficient to allow
of creeping on hands and knees.
"As they approached the yard of the warehouse,
a slight error in the computation of the distance
nearly proved fatal to the enterprise. Thinking
they had reached the inclosure, they dug up to
the surface, and upon breaking through dis
covered that they had come out in the street,
outside the fence, and within a few yards of the
sentinels. This hole wa3 quickly filled up with
a pair of old pants and some straw, and the dig
ging was continued a few feet further to the de
sired point under a shed in the yard. An empty
hogshead was drawn over the opening to conceal
it in the daytime. During more than two weeks
this severe labor had been perseveringly carried
on. The only implements used were a large
chisel furnished with a long handle, and a wooden
spit-box brought down from one of the rcoms
above; to each end of this box a cordws at
tached, by which it could be drawn into the tun
nel and filled with the removed earth by the
digger, and drawn out by his assistant. The
earth and gravel thus taken out was carefully
concealed under some straw and rubbish in the
cellar.
"On the night of tho 8th the tunnel was finally
pronounced practicable for the proposed escape
of the party. About twenty-five of the prisoners
are said to have been in the secret ; these were
to make their escape early in the evening, and
were to have two hours start ; after that, the rest
of the prisoners were to be informed, and allvvho
were strong enough to make the attempt were
to be allowed to go out.
"Colonel Streight and his party were the first
to go, and succeeded in making their way out
undetected. Once in the yard of the warehotiKe,
they had but to pass out through the gate into
the street, between the two lines of guards, and
walk boldly away along the canal. During the
night one hundred and nine of the officers thus
made their escape. Of these only fifty-three
have succeeded in reaching the Federal lines.
The remainder have been recaptured at different
points along the roads leading down to the
Peninsula, and are now in the dungeons under
the prison, on corn-bread and water. Colonel
Rose, to whose protracted labors and untiring
zeal the final success of the plan of escape was
mainly due, is unfortunately among the recap
tured. After a series of thrilling adventures and
narrow escapes, he had succeeeded in approach
ing within a mile or two of "Williamsburg, when
he deemed himself safe from further pursuit.
While resting by the roadside he was approached
by two soldiers dressed in the Federal uniform;
convinced that they were Union soldiers, he did
not hesitate, in answer to their questions, to state
who he was. They proved to be rebel scouts.
After they had taken him at a full run more
than a mile out of the way of the Federal scouts
and pickets who were close by, one of the rebels
left. Colonel Rose, though well nigh overcome
with exhaustion, and fainting from hunger, made
one last desperate effort for his liberty. Spring
ing suddenly upon the remaining rebel, he
clutched him by the throat, and endeavored to
throw him to the ground and disarm him ; he
was so feeble, however, that after a brief struggle
his strength entirely deserted him. He had con
trived to get his finger on the trigger of his op
ponent's musket, and had discharged the piece
during the struggle. The report of the gun
having brought back the other scout, Colonel
Rose was then secured and brought once more
into the confederate lines.
""We are now subjected, in the prison, to an
endless ordeal of roll-calls, and every precaution
is being taken by Major Turner to prevent any
further attempt at escape. The rigid exercise of
vigilance comes, of course, a day too late, and
will not make up for the late laxity of discipline
about the prison. Indeed it is wonderful how
the grand escapade could have been effected
without detection. During the exodus, at about
midnight, a sudden panic seized the crowd of
prisoners who were gathered about the fire-place
in the cook-room, all endeavoring to be the first
to get out through the tunneL Some one said
the guard was comiag, and a general' stampede
took place up the stairways to the rooms above,
with a frightful noise of feet, and oversetting of
boxes and barrels, that must have been heard a
square off. But the guards did not suspect what
was in progress; one of them, indeed, was heard
to call out jocosely to a companion on the next
beat, 'Halloa, Bill there's somebody's coffee
pot upset, sure ! '
"The recaptured officers give many thrilling
accounts of their adventures. One party got
into a boat on the James River, and followed the
stream in the hope of reaching Hampton Roads.
Unfortunately they got into the Appomattox
River by mistake, where their little craft was
upset in the darkness of the night, and they
were compelled to take to the shore, nearly
frozen to death. The next morning they were
discovered by some rebel soldiers and recaptured.
Another party had concealed themselves in the
swamps near the Chickahominy, where they were
hunted out by the aid of dons and finally secured.
"Among the escaped are the following field
officers:
"Colonel A. D. Streight, 51st Indiana; Colonel
Thomas E. Rose, 77th Pennsylvania; Colonel C.
W. Tilden, 16th Maine; Colonel "W. G. Ely, 18th
Connecticut; Colonel "W. B. McCreary, 16th
Maine; Colonel "W. P. Kendrick, N. Tennessee
Cavalry; Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Boyd, Quarter
master's Department; Lieutenant-Colonel D. E.
Miles, 79th Pennsylvania; Lieutenant-Colonel
J. C. Spofford, 97th New York; Lieutenant
Colonel J. "Walker, 5th Kentucky Cavalry; Lieutenant-Colonel
E. L. Hayes, 100th Ohio ; Lieutenant-Colonel
C. H. Morton, Kentucky Cavalry;
Lieutenant-Colonel T. G. "West, 24th "Wisconsin;
Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Hobart, 21st Wisconsin ;
Major J. H. Hooper, 15th Massachusetts; Major
Mulholland, 3?th Indiana; Major Von Miteell,
74th Pennsylvania; Major Fitzsimmons, 30th
Indiana; Major B. B. McDonald, 101st Ohio;
Major J. P. Collins, 29th Indiana; Major J. Henry,
6 th Ohio Cavalry.
"Those marked with a star were retaken.
"Of the line officers thirty were captains and -fifty-eight
were lieutenants.
"The recaptured officers state that they were
treated with kindness by those who retook them,
especially by the officers and soldiers on duty in
the neighborhood of the Chickahominy. Indeed,
it was not until their return to the prison, where
they were locked up in the cells on bread and
water, that they experienced any harsh or un
soldierlike treatment."
Colonel Streight, after many hair-breadth es
capes, reached "Washington about the first of
March, and returned to duty with his regimeut
in the Army of the Cumberland in June.
STRAW-BOND INDICTMENTS.
The grand jury of the Criminal Court on "Wed
nesday brought in indictments in the straw bond
and star-route cases as follows:
Kate M. Armstrong, James W. Douohue, W.
W. Jackson, Albert E. Boone. Samuel G. Cabell
for conspiracy, John "W. Dorsey, perjury, two
cases, and John R. Miner, perjury.
