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From The History of Pottawatomie County, Iowa:
JOHN R. SCHOFIELD, farmer, P. O. Griswold, Cass Co., Iowa, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1841...He enlisted in the First Wisconsin Infantry, Company C, Capt. Sheldon. Their principal engagement was at Perryville, Ky., October 8, 1862, where three-fourths of the company were either killed or wounded. He was also at Stone River and Chickamauga, at which latter place he was taken prisoner, together with C. S. Chapman, T. Anderson, L. McDonald and J. Leach, all of Company C. They were first taken to Libby Prison, where they remained about six weeks, during which time they were in the "Sugar raid." They were then removed to Danville, where they were kept until April 26, 1864, when they escaped. They were "shipped" from Richmond, Va., in grain cars, with three or four guards inside each car, and others on top. On the way, one " reb " lost his haversack, the contents of which the prisoners had shared. He began a search for it, and, while stooping over, our subject drew from his (the guard's) pocket a dirk, with a lock-spring, which was afterward of invaluable service in their effort to escape from prison. This dirk our subject managed to secrete, though the prisoners were carefully inspected several times. Once he avoided inspection by claiming to have the small-pox, which, at the time, was quite prevalent. During his imprisonment, he was detected in two "serious misdemeanors." One was stealing a loaf of bread, and the other was breaking into the Sutler's store, which joined the prison. For each of these offenses he was " bucked;" that is, his wrists were tied together and his legs put up through his arms, and a stick put through under the knees, in which knotted condition he was rolled about for a long time. There were fifteen other prisoners who escaped at the time our subject did, including all who belonged to Company C. They dug a tunnel from the vault of the prison privy up into an old shop, from which they cut through by means of the stolen dirk. They made good their escape just a day or two before they were to be removed to that most cruel and uncivilized institution, Andersonville Prison. After his escape, our subject rejoined the Union army, and, at the end of his service, returned home for a short time...
Janet
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