This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: STINSON Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DFC.2ACE/1778 Message Board Post: From the Stevens Point Daily Journal [Stevens Point, Portage Co., WI], Saturday June 8, 1901, Page 1 An Old Andersonville Prisoner James STINSON of New Lisbon is in the city visiting his son, Warren, who is a student at the Normal. Mr. STINSON was a member of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry and was a prisoner at Andersonville, Charleston and Florence, South Carolina, for eleven months, in 1864. While at Andersonville he escaped by passing himself off as a rebel sargeant but was pursued and captured. When brought before Capt. WIRZ after his recapture he was taken out to the blacksmith shop where a ball and chain were riveted to one of his ankles. He was then returned to the stockade, but converted a table knife into a saw, and with this cut the iron that was around his ankle so that he could remove it and place it on at pleasure. This was necessary, for the reason that the men who had been put in irons were inspected every day, and if it was found that the shackle had been removed a severer punishment awaited them. Mr. STINSON still has the iron that was placed around his ankle at that time. Submitter: Joan M Benner <[email protected]> Golden Rule Genealogy http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwood/resource/r-joanb.htm Specializing in Central Wisconsin Records Member, Association of Professional Genealogists