A Grandson's Memories

In his notes, Austin Maxwell, William Jubb’s Grandson, recalled his Grandfather’s stories of his Civil War service:

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“He described to me the action in several bloody battles and in a few instances of hand to hand fighting some times at night. It was in such a situation that he suffered a bayonet wound in the back. He said the bleeding was stopped by his men putting on bandages so he never went to the Sanitary Tent as he should have done. If he had done so then on this retirement he would have received a larger pension. He often said the Government should have granted larger pensions.

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In another hand to hand engagement a Johnnie Reb had William down and drawing out a knife said, “I’m goin to slit your wizzen.” This was seen by a tall Yank… who knocked away the Rebel with a swing of his rifle butt.

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… at the Battle of Gettysburg where for a time William recalled being pinned down in a field by enemy fire. There was a stone fence in the foreground and some of the Boys in Blue thought to take shelter behind it but William saw they were being hit on either side so he did not move even though bullets were kicking up dirt all around.”

 

William told his grandson about his experience at Andersonville Prison:

“In another engagement [at Dallas, GA] William and his squad had worked up a hill pushing the Rebels back when they were out flanked by other Rebels and taken prisoner. They were confined in a Stockade called Andersonville Prison already crowded with other prisoners. A stream of water entered the compound at one end and went out the other but was contaminated before it entered the compound as there was a camp for officers and guards up stream.

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The log stockade walls had a fence of a single rail 10 feet inside them called The Deadline. Any prisoner who dared cross it was subject to being shot by armed guards on towers. William related when a guard tossed an apple core inside The Deadline a hungry young prisoner ran in, got it and ran out so fast he escaped being shot.

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Seldom did William talk about Andersonville, when he did tears would come to his eyes at the plight and the dying of good men. He was the only one of five close friends to live through the imprisonment.”

 

William Jubb’s escapes from Andersonville Prison:

“From time to time guards entered the stockade to select prisoners to go out and gather firewood. Only those with good shoes were taken. William had good shoes. In the woods he worked away from the guards then ran for it. He expected dogs and guards to follow but they did not. When he got so weak he could not travel anymore he spent 10 days with a poor colored family. They had little to eat themselves so mostly they gave him peanuts.

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On the road again heading north in the hope of finding Union troops he slept by day and traveled by night. On a moon lit night a horseman came upon him so suddenly he had no time to hide in the bushes. His captor turned him over to Confederates then with a few others he was put in a railroad boxcar for returning them south. At about 30 miles per hour William seated on the car floor with feet hanging out jumped off rolling over and over down a bank covered with grass and brush. He was badly shaken up but not otherwise hurt.

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This time when recaptured he was returned to the Andersonville… now more overcrowded than before. He languished there until the war’s end and was released in a prisoner exchange. It took years for the horror of the war to fade from his memory and strength to return to his body.”