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Confederate Veteran Misc Confederate Veteran, Vol. XII, No. 4 Nashville, Tenn., April, 1904. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW CAPT. F. W. WEED GOT OUT OF PRISON Harvey W. Salmon, Clinton, MO During the spring and summer of 1862, from the 5th day of April to the 2d day of September, there were confined in the United States military prison on Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, eleven hundred Confederate prisoners of war, the writer being one of that number. This island is situated three miles from the mainland, Sandusky City, Ohio, being the nearest point. The prisoners were housed in frame buildings two stories in height, weather boarded without and ceiled within. These were inclosed with a high board fence, and on the outside of this and extending entirely around was an elevated plank walk or platform, made high enough to enable the prison guards to walk on it and overlook everything within the inclosure. On the inside of the fence and thirty feet from it, extending entirely around, was the "dead line," beyond which no inmate dare venture. In addition to all this, there was a strong military guard of vigilant officers and. men. It will be readily seen that escape from this prison was next to impossible, yet my messmate, Capt. F. W. Weed, of Louisiana, Mo., did escape, and was doubtless the only one who ever did. We had been apprised of the fact that we were to be exchanged, and on the morning of the 2d day of September were massed in front of the main gate, and the roll was being called for the purpose of verifying the exchange list. Capt. Weed had been advised that his name did not appear on the list, and that he would have to remain in the prison. He was prepared to go, and declared that he would go or die in the attempt. Early in the morning it began to rain, and the Federal officers who were calling the roll and checking had a tent pitched near the gate, and under this one would call a name and the other would check; the owner of the name would step forward and say "Here," the guards standing above the gate would give the signal, those below would open the gate and permit the prisoner to pass out and go aboard. the boat which was to take us to the city, where we were to take the train for the South. As the day wore away the rain became heavier and things grew monotonous; the officers called the roll in a perfunctory, indifferent manner; finally my name was called, and Weed, who stood near me, whispered: "I am going to make it." I passed outside, and before I reached the boat Weed tapped me on the shoulder and we went aboard. He had made his escape in this way: The officers calling the roll finally came to a name difficult to decipher, and all within the tent bent over the paper closely examining it. While their attention was thus drawn, Capt. Weed stepped boldly forward, and in a tone loud enough for the guard above the gate to hear, but not so as to attract the attention of those within the tent, said "Here." The signal was given, the gate was thrown open, and Weed passed out. He simply answered "Here" when no name was called, and thus one more prisoner passed out than the roll contained. He was out of prison, but not yet free; in fact, was still as much a prisoner as the others of us---his comrades. At Sandusky City we boarded the train for Cairo, Ill., and were closely guarded; yet at Mattoon, Ill., Weed managed to pass the guard, went to St. Louis, thence to Memphis, passed safely through the lines, went to the Trans-Mississippi Department, helped organize the Ninth Missouri Infantry, and as lieutenant of Company I of this regiment, adjutant of the Eighth Missouri, and captain of cavalry, did gallant service until the final surrender at Shreveport, La., in June, 1865. He now resides at San Francisco, Cal. He was for nine years General Agent of the Northwestern Life Insurance Company of Minneapolis, Minn., he having resigned that position during the present year. He is now interested in developing. oil lands in the vicinity of Bakersfield, Cal., and is Secretary and Treasurer of two companies.
Holloway's Cavalry was utilized as an
escort/bodyguard company for several Confederate Generals. The unit was also
known as the Crocheran Light Dragoons,
Captain Smith's Escort Company and
Holloway's Light Dragoons.
From the "Confederate Veteran" magazine, Volume XXXII, Number 11, November, 1929: "WANTS TO HEAR FROM OLD COMRADES - J.T. Webster writes from Fort Worth, Tex., Box 74, Polytechnic: "I enlisted at Pleasant Hill, Ala., early in the fall of 1861, in R.W. Smith's company of cavalry, made up of volunteers from Wetumpka to Mobile, along the Alabama River. After the battle of Shiloh, E.M. Holloway became our captain and continued in command to the close of the war. We were taken by General Braxton Bragg for his escort, or couriers, for battle of Shiloh, and continued as such during the time he commanded the Tennessee Army, then with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in his campaign from Dalton to Atlanta; then with Gen. John B. Hood in the battles around Atlanta and his ill-fated campaign into Tennessee; then again with General Joseph E. Johnston, who we followed into North Carolina and surrendered with him at Greensboro, April 26, 1865. I was in all campaigns and battles of the Tennessee Army from Shiloh to the surrender. I should be glad to hear from anyone who served with me in this command" Note: One roll dated 19 November 1861 contained the age of the members of the unit. Where the age is provided, it was obtained from this roll unless otherwise stated. Adkins, John F., Artificer, age 43 Akridge, Levi, age 21, discharged for disability 6/12/1862 Alexander, John P. Allred, Alfred, age 27 Allred, James, age 23 Allred, Lemuel, deserted 10 December 1863 Allum, William, Sergeant, age 25 Anderton, Pleasant M. Armstrong, Robert W., age 27 Arnold, James M., age 27 on roll dated 24 June 1864 Austill, W. Jerry, discharged for disability 16 May 1862 at Corinth, Mississippi Bailey, Allen Barnett, Thomas A., died 16 January 1862 in hospital Baxter, Alexander E., age 25 Bender, Julius C. Bevans, James M., age 17 on roll dated August 1864 Bevans, John W., transferred from 31st Alabama Infantry Regiment Billingslea, John Blair, James O., age 30, discharged for disability 1 May 1862 Bonner, James Boyd, John, discharged for disability Boyd, William Boyd, William E., Sergeant, discharged for disability 30 June 1862 Bradford, Joseph W. Brittian, James S. Bryant, Ambrose S. Bryant, James D. Bryant, James Dorsett, age 30, discharged for disability 12 May 1863 Bryant, William M. Burgess, James, Sergeant Burgess, John Byrd, David C., age 17, deserted and took Oath of Allegiance. Released North of the Ohio River for duration of the War Byrd, William, 40 died in hospital at Corinth, Mississippi 2 May 1862 Cain, Robert M., 2nd Lieutenant, age 31, discharged for disability 11 June 1862 Callen (Cullen), George M., age 20, wounded in the leg at Shiloh Campbell, R. Augustus, age 28, discharged for disability 17 January 1862. Born in Crawford County, Georgia Canterberry, Crawford R., 2nd Lieutenant Carmichael, Fleming J., detailed with Chief Enginner, Department of Tennessee Chamblee, James, age 22, discharged for disability 14 April 1862 Clarke, Francis M., 17, detailed as a nurse at Bell Hospital, Rome, Georgia. Returned to command 31 July 1863 Clarke, Wilson D., age 41, discharged 11 November 1862 Cochran, John A.D., farrier, age 20 Cole, Benjamin Cowdean, John P. Craig, John S. Craig, Robert E., wounded in hand at Shiloh, 6-7 April 1862 Cravey, Henry P., age 19 Cravey, John Z., trandferred to 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment Crawford, William D., age 25, discharged 21 March 1862 Crum, Benjamin D, 3rd Lieutenant, age 28 Daniels, James, age 19, discharged for disability 19 February 1862 Davidson, John W., age 34, discharged for disability 11 June 1862 Davis, John, transferred to Garrity's Battery by Special Order 37/7 Deavers, Wilson B. Donaldson, Carroll S., age 19 Donaldson, George A. Doss, James Porter, age 18 Dudley, Edward A. Dudley, Jeremiah S. Duke, James B., 3rd Lieutenant, age 32, discharged for disability 11 July 1862 Duncan, William B. Eby, Samuel K., farrier, age 35 English, Cassander J. English, Charles A., age 23, discharged 3 March 1862 by substitution English, George M., age 17 Farish, Robert M., discharged for disability 21 June 1862 Finch, Charles A. Finlayson, Angus B., Corporal, age 23 Ford, James, Captain, age 25 Foster, Thomas B., age 32 Fox, Tillitson, Sergeant, age 30, made application for duty in the "Engineer's Provisional Army" based on his experience as a railroad engineer. Garnett, James J., discharged for disability 19 February 1862 Garrott, George O., Sergeant, discharged for disability 30 June 1862 Garrott, J.J., age 22 Garrott, William A., discharged for disability 22 April 1864 Garrott, William P., age 24 Gilliam, Samuel Granger, Hiram, age 41, discharged for disability 25 January 1862 Graves, Johnson, age 22, muster roll for May/June 1862 states the he died in a hospital in Mississippi Griffin, Robert H., age 26 Griffith, Thomas J. Guerarddie, Bertram D.M. Hall, Alexander K. Hall, Charles D. Hardy, Thomas J., age 17 Hill, John C. Hill, Judge A., age 21, died 29 May 1862 in hospital in Mississippi Hinds, Byrum W., Corporal Hinds, Claiborne W. Holloway, Edwin M., Captain, age 36, elected Captain from Sergeant 26 May 1862 and took command 12 June 1862 Honeycutt, Hanson Honeycutt, John W., age 28 Hunt, Eugenius B. Hunter, Samuel J., age 34, discharged for disability 19 May 1862 Ingram, Shem T., age 19, discharged for disability 19 February 1862 James, Belton Oneal James, Robert D., age 24, discharged for disability 12 June 1862 Jones, Paul J.C., age 23 Jones, Wade H., age 26, discharged 23 June 1862 by substitution Jones, William L. Keeney, Timothy J., age 32 Kenan, Michael J., 1st Lieutenant, discharged for disability 11 June 1862 Kennedy, John, age 23 Killam, Henry E. Kyser, George W. Labarre, A. Lacashire (Louis) Lang, William W.J. Latourette, David S. Lee, William J. Levain, Thos., wounded in arm at Shiloh Lewis, Edward, discharged for disability 1 July 1862 Lide, Edward C. Lide, Joseph Locke, William A., discharged for disability 20 June 1862 Luke, Joseph Mann, Sidney H., age 19 Marshall, William F., enlisted 1 July 1864, age 16 Martin, John P., age 18, discharged 10 November 1862 Martin, Wiley W., age 26 Massey, Robert Maxwell, Eugenus , age 20, died 30 April 1862 at Corinth, Mississippi. Born in Talbot County, Georgia. Survived by Elizabeth Maxwell, mother Mayfield, Abraham, age 45, discharged 11 November 1862 McCall, J., age 24 McCall, Jehu McCall, Solomon, discharged for disability 30 June 1862 McCook, Jasper.B.W. McCook, John C.F. McCrary, Charles F., age 19, wounded in leg at Shiloh, taken prisoner on the field yet his name appears on later muster rolls McIver, Samuel B., transferred from 2nd Alabama Cavalry McQuin, John McSpadden, John P., age 35 Megan, Arthur F., age 18, discharged for disability 11 December 1861 Milhous, P. Walker, age 24, discharged for disability 2 May 1862 Miller, John M. Mitchell, William, age 40, discharged for disability 3 May 1862 Montague, Henry, transferred to 17th Alabama Infantry Regiment 22 October 1862 Moody, William M., age 25, discharged for disability 26 May 1862 Moore, Augustus A. Moore, John P. Morrisette, Edward P. Motley, Luke E., age 23 O'Neal, Jackson W., age 20, discharged for disability 30 June 1862 (Note: One W.J. O'Neal has records in this file which are dated after this discharge) Packer, James T., discharged for disability 26 May 1862 Packer, Seneca H. Packer, Thomas S. Palmer, James W. Pearson, Elias C., age 21 Pierson, Zachariah P. Perry, James, age 32 Pettee, Verdry, Bugler Phillips, Littleberry E. Pirkey, J., age 39 Pirkey, Reuben, discharged for disability 3 February 1862 Pollard, Washington P., age 30, detailed to Quartermaster's Department, Montgomery Powell, Henry C, age 18 Powell, James S., age 20, discharged for disability 20 April 1862 Reaves, Hunter B., age 32 Reynolds, Benjamin, 1st Sergeant Rice, Joseph A., transferred to Selden's Battery 11 November 1864 Roberts, George L., age 31 Roden, J. Carter, age 45, discharged for disability 9 December 1861 Rodgers, Benjamin, S., teamster and forage master Roller, John B., age 41, discharged for disability 1 July 1862 Rowell, Francis, died 26 January 1862 in hospital Rowell, George W., age 22, died 12 May 1862 in hospital at Corinth, Mississippi Russell, M.C. Russell, William J. Ryan, William J., age 17, discharged for disability 26 May 1862 yet shown on later rolls Saunders, Charles, Bugler Scott, Houston, age 25 Scott, John, age 34, teamster Scott, Maham Sheppard, Francis L., age 22, discharged for disability 22 February 1862 Sheppard, Thomas, age 17, discharged foe disability 3 December 1861 Shomo, William J., age 21 Sively, James Sively, Thomas O. Sizemore, Alexander M. Smiley, James J., 1st Lieutenent, age 32 Smith, Robert W., Captain, Promoted to Colonel Smith, Sherrol Staples, Henry C., age 18 Smyley, Seth R. Smyly, James W., discharged for disability Sommerville, Robert E. South, William T. Stallworth, Nicholas J. Sturgis, Henry H., age 18, discharged for disability 22 January 1862 Suther, William C., age 30, discharged for disability 8 January 1862 Swan, James H., age 21 Swann, Thomas M., wounded at Shiloh Tarrentine, James L. Taylor, Allen J. Taylor, Lud Thomas, Cyrus A. Thomas, James O. Thomas, Jesse Thomas, Reuben M., age 19 Tinch, Charles A. Trigg, W.S., discharged for disability 11 December 1861 Underwood, John H., Corporal, age 19 Underwood, Sylvanus G. Wade, William T., age 19 Walker, John J. Ware, Henry M. Warmsley, James, age 31 Warr, Charles F., age 20 Webster, Felix P. Webster, John T., age 21 Webster, Robert E. Widner, Francis M., age 33, died 16 October 1864 in Academy Hospital, Forsythe, Georgia Williams, Charles H., age 22, wounded in arm at Shiloh Williams John N., age 27 Williams, Louis S. Williams, Warner Wilson, Elijah P., age 20 Wise, William H., age 20, captured at Tyner's Station, Tennessee 23 November 1863. Sent to Rock Island, Illinois and released 21 June 1865 Womack, John F., 3rd Lieutenant, age 27, died 6 May 1862 at Mobile, Alabama Youngblood, Peter E
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