Sorrow for Andrews--Prepare for Trial--Charges and Specifications--Plan
of Defence--Incidents of Trial--Encouragement--Not Allowed to Hear
Pleading--Lawyers' Plea--Seven Tried--Mitchel Dissolves the Court--Tied
Again--A Saucy Reply--Advantage of Sickness--Fry Deceived--Revolting
Inhumanity--Fry's Capture--Starve to Atlanta--Taunts of the Mob--Atlanta
Prison--A Kind Jailor.
We, who were at Knoxville, read of the recapture of Andrews with the
most poignant regret, though we knew not yet that he had received the
sentence of death. Of Wollam we heard nothing.
We were well supplied with papers here, as there were plenty of Union
people who ministered to our wants. One day we received a paper
containing an account of the _execution of Andrews_. It was awful news
to us. We had been engaged, just before, in all kinds of games and
story-telling, for we were always merry, and never suffered ourselves
to indulge in gloomy forebodings. But when this news came, all noise
and merriment were hushed, and we passed a whole day in the most
heartfelt mourning. We all loved our leader, and would willingly have
engaged in the most desperate enterprise to save his life; but, alas!
he was gone, and there was no chance even for that vengeance for which
our souls thirsted.
Before we had been long at Knoxville, we were notified to prepare for
trial. We requested that we should all be tried at once, as our cases
were precisely alike. When this was not granted, we next asked that
one might be tried, and his sentence be the sentence of the whole
party. But this too, was refused, with the reply that they knew their
own business best. We were forced to accept this decision, though we
could not imagine why it was that they should thus insist on trying
but one at a time. The only reason that I can yet conjecture for this
proceeding is, that it would have looked too absurd to arraign
twenty-one, or even twelve men, all in a body, and from one brigade,
as spies.
They allowed us the privilege of counsel, and we employed two good
Union men, Colonels Baxter and Temple, who volunteered their services.
We were each to pay them one hundred and fifty dollars, and as fast as
we were tried, to give our notes for that amount.
The charges and specifications of William Campbell were first handed
in. He was a citizen, but claimed to be a soldier, and we endorsed his
position. The charge against all who were brought to trial was for
"lurking in and around Confederate camps as spies, for the purpose of
obtaining information." Not a word was said of taking the cars, or of
anything we really did do.
Our plan of defence has been partly indicated before. It was to tell
just who we were, and what we had done, with the exceptions of the
pranks we had played on the rebel citizens coming down, and to claim
that we were United States soldiers, detailed on a military expedition
without our consent, and therefore entitled to the protection accorded
to regular prisoners of war. This was put into words, and read on the
trial as the acknowledgement of the party while pleading "not guilty"
to the charge. The only evidence they had was of the men who pursued
us on the train, and also of those who afterward arrested us; but of
course none of these knew anything of our lurking around the camps.
George D. Wilson related a ludicrous incident that occurred when he
was on trial, and which fitly illustrates the desire they had to
convict us. It was of a young lieutenant belonging to the
court-martial, who requested to be sworn, saying that he could tell of
at least one place we had passed the Confederate guards. On his
request being complied with, he testified that we crossed their
picket-line at the ferry, on the evening of our first arrival at
Chattanooga. Immediately the president of the court arose, and said
that he commanded the guard that day, and _no guard was placed at the
ferry_. The whole court was instantly in a roar of laughter, and the
confusion of our would-be convictor may be better imagined than
described.
Our lawyers were delighted with the course we took, and said that it
had deranged all the plans of the prosecution, and that they had not a
particle of evidence against us; that if we were convicted now, it
would be through mere prejudice and perjury on the part of the court.
As the trial of different ones proceeded, we had still greater
encouragement from the court itself. Members called on us, and told us
to keep in good heart, as there was no evidence before them to convict
any one. This cheered us somewhat, but there was still one thing which
I did not like, and which looked as if something was wrong. The court
would not let our boys be present to hear the pleading of counsel on
either side, though they urgently requested it. They could neither
hear what our lawyers had to say for them, nor what the Judge Advocate
urged against them. This seemed still stranger, because Andrews had
not been debarred this privilege. But they used our soldiers with even
less show of justice than had been accorded to him.
After three or four had been tried, one of our lawyers visited the
prison, and read to us the plea which he said he had read to the
court. It was an able paper. I still remember its principal features.
He contended that our being dressed in citizens' clothes was nothing
more than what the Confederate government had expressly authorized,
and that it was done by all the guerillas in the service of the
Confederacy, whenever it was for their interest. And he cited the
instance of General Morgan having dressed his men in Federal uniform,
and passed them off as belonging to the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry,
by which means he succeeded in reaching a railroad and damaging it.
Also that our government had captured some of these very men, and
treated them as prisoners of war. This instance was mentioned to show
that our being dressed in citizens' clothes did not take from us the
right to be treated as United States soldiers. The plea went on
further to state that we had told the object of our expedition; that
it was a purely military one, for the destruction of communications,
and as such, entirely lawful according to the rules of war. What reply
the Judge Advocate made to this, we never had the means of
ascertaining.
The trials proceeded rapidly. One man was taken out each day, and in
about an hour returned. The table in the court room was covered with
bottles, newspapers, and novels, and the court passed its time during
trial in discussing these. This was very well if the trial was, as
they said, a mere matter of formality; but if it was a trial in
earnest, on which depended issues of life or death, it was most
heartless conduct.
At last the number of seven was reached, and they would probably have
proceeded in trying others, had not General Mitchel, who was
continually troubling them, now advanced, and shelled Chattanooga from
the opposite side of the Tennessee river. This at once broke up the
court-martial, and sent the officers in hot haste to their regiments
to resist his progress. Soon after, General Morgan advanced through
Cumberland Gap, and threatened Knoxville, which also rendered it
necessary to remove us.
They came in with ropes and began to tie us. We did not at first
understand this, and some supposed we were to be taken out for
execution; but we soon became convinced that it was only a change of
place. They arranged us for transportation by first binding our hands
together; then, fixing our arms securely in the loops of long ropes,
tied them firmly to our sides, after which we were coupled two and
two. Ropes were used in fastening us instead of irons as before,
because they had borrowed the latter for some Union prisoners, who had
just been sent to Richmond; therefore we had to be content with a most
liberal allowance of cotton rope. While they were thus arranging our
manacles, I had a most amusing passage-at-words with the adjutant who
was superintending the operation. I said to him as politely as I
could:
"I suppose, sir, our destination is not known?"
"It is not known to you at any rate, sir," was the gruff rejoinder.
This was noticed by the whole party, and I felt rather beaten; but a
moment later came my chance for revenge. He turned again to me, and
said, in a dictatorial manner:
"Who was it that run your engine through?"
I bowed and returned in the blandest tone, "_That is not known to you
at any rate, Sir._"
All around roared with laughter, and the adjutant, reddening to the
eyes, turned away, muttering that he believed I was the engineer
myself!
When everything was in readiness, we bade an adieu to the capital of
down-trodden East Tennessee. Oh! what bitter memories cluster around
that old gloomy building. It has been one of the principal instruments
in crushing the life and loyalty out of the hearts of a brave, but
unfortunate people. May the day soon come when the suffering of East
Tennessee will be richly repaid on the heads of its guilty authors!
While we remained here, our fare was of the most scanty character. We
received it only twice a day, and then in homeopathic doses. We
continually suffered with hunger while we were well. I, myself, became
quite sick during our imprisonment here, and continued so for most of
the summer. Several others were in the same condition. This was rather
an advantage, for when sick we did not so much mind the scantiness of
our diet.
A number of Tennesseeans were removed with us. Among them was Captain
Fry and Mr. Pierce. In conversation with the former, I learned the
full particulars of his history, some incidents of which I had heard
before leaving our camp. He had raised a company of his neighbors, and
running the gauntlet of guarded roads, succeeded in reaching our army
in Kentucky. Here he was elected captain, and remained for some time.
After a while, the general in command wished him to go into Tennessee,
and there destroy the bridges on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad;
then to raise the loyal citizens of that vicinity, and hold the
country till our forces could arrive. He refused to go, until assured
of support from McClellan himself, who was at that time (the fall of
1861) in command of the whole United States army, and who promised
that a column should advance as soon as Fry succeeded. With this
assurance, he departed on his perilous mission. He aroused the Union
men in both Virginia and Tennessee, burned the bridges, and thus for a
time destroyed the most important rebel line of communication; and,
with a force of fifteen hundred men, held the entire country embraced
in his operations, and even seriously threatened Knoxville itself. Now
was the time for our forces to have struck the decisive blow, and not
only have redeemed East Tennessee from its chains, but also severed
the rebellion in halves! It was perfectly practicable. A large body
lay near Camp Dick Robinson, with only a trifling force in front to
impede its progress. But in the meantime, McClellan _had changed his
plans_, and without warning Fry, left him and his brave companions to
their fate. The struggle was a brief one; the secessionists, thus left
to themselves, concentrated an overwhelming force against him. Several
skirmishes were fought, and finally the Union force was compelled to
disperse. Some of them succeeded in reaching our lines in Kentucky.
Others were caught, and several of these were hung without a trial!
Such were some of the murders that first rendered General Leadbetter
notorious!
One of these cases is almost too horrible for belief. I would hesitate
to record it, were I not assured of its truth by the testimony of
eyewitnesses separated by hundreds of miles. It was of a man named
named Whan, who, on being arrested, acknowledged that he helped to
burn the bridges, but refused to describe his companions. For this, he
was put into a barrel driven full of small, sharp-pointed nails, and
rolled down a steep hill--then taken out, all bleeding, and hung! This
was on Saturday and he, with his companions, was allowed to hang till
Monday night, when some of his friends, at the risk of their own
lives, came and took them down! Should we compromise with such fiends
in human shape, and purchase their fellowship again, or give them the
puishment that injured humanity demands?
Fry passed the whole winter in the wild mountains with which Tennessee
abounds, and in the spring he again gathered his neighbors together, a
regiment strong, and tried to reach the Union lines. Near the border,
he was attacked by a superior rebel force, and after a severe contest,
his band was dispersed, himself wounded and taken prisoner. This was
on the 5th of March, and he remained in solitary confinement until he
joined us on the 13th of June. He was an uneducated man, but possessed
of great natural ability, and the most undaunted courage, with a heart
as tender and sympathetic as a child's.
We took no rations along, and were obliged to _starve through_, as we
now had no guerillas along to buy us pies. On the way, the populace
taunted us with Andrews' death, and charitably hoped that we might
soon meet the same fate. But some of the officers talked with us in a
friendly spirit, assuring us that we would not be hurt. This produced
some impression, and taken in connection with what had been told us by
members of the court-martial, and others at Knoxville, made us quite
hopeful.
When we neared the Atlanta city jail, which was to be our abode for
many weary months, a crowd gathered as usual, and a man who called
himself mayor of the city began to insult Captain Fry, telling him
that he knew him to be a rascal in his own country, and that he hoped
soon to have the pleasure of hanging him. Then turning to us, he
boasted that he had put the rope around Andrews' neck, and was waiting
and anxious to do the same for us!
This prison was smaller than that at Knoxville, but was still a large
edifice. The lower story was occupied by the jailor and his family.
The upper contained four rooms, of which we, with Captain Fry,
occupied one. The Tennesseeans were put into another, just across the
entry from us. Our comrades, who had been left at Chattanooga, were in
another; and the last one, which was on the same side as ours, was
frequently occupied by negroes who had been in search of the North
Star.
For some time here, our rations were comparatively good and abundant.
But after awhile, the task of feeding us was taken from the jailor,
who had at first assumed it, and then our fare became worse than it
ever had been before. The jailor himself was a kind man, and rather of
Union sentiments. He showed us all the favor in his power, and,
indeed, became so much suspected, that an odious old man named Thoer
was hired to watch him. The constant vigilance of this antiquated
scoundrel, with the superintendence of the officers of the guard, who
were always at hand, prevented the jailor from befriending us as much
as his heart dictated.
Here we remained for a week in quietness and hope, thinking the worst
of our trials were past. Little did we foresee how fearful a storm was
soon to burst over us.