The following information provided by Lola Easley, grand-daughter of James Mallory Collins:
Grandpa’s Civil War record was never talked about, but, after my mother passed away, I remembered her showing us girls, when we still lived on the farm, a little black ring that she said her father had carved out of a coat button when he was in prison in the war. She also said he escaped, traveled nights, slept days, and worked on a farm in Illinois until he could get home. So, I wrote to the National Archives in Washington, D. C. and they sent me the few Confederate records that they had on him.
Grandpa probably escaped from the Prison Camp in late November of 1862, came home and hid out. I talked to Tye COLLINS about this not long before he passed away. He said, as he remembered the story, Grandpa’s wife, Permelia, became pregnant and her father, who was a strong Union man and a Macon County official, questioned her. She admitted that Grandpa was living there upstairs. So, Joseph DAUGHERTY marched his son-in-law down to the Union Barracks at Macon city and turned him in. The dates do coincide with the birth of the next child. Tye also remembered that Grandpa had a friend, Arthur, in prison. They made a pact to escape. As they ran away from the camp, Grandpa heard shots but he didn’t slow down. So, he never knew what happened to Arthur.
The following information provided by Hazel H. BIDDINGER, niece of James Mallory COLLINS:
Uncle Mal was captured by Union forces and was to be shot along with another man. They had an old spoon which they dug thru the floor, hiding the dirt under the beds. They had a window which looked out into a wood yard and as they tunneled out when they thought they were close to where they could come above ground they put a shoe in the opening and then looked out the window to see if they were in the wood lot. They made their escape just a day or two before they were to be shot. Uncle Mal was able to come home and when the Union men came looking for him, Grandma had him hid in the attic between rafters.
Source: JOHN COLLINS SENIOR FAMILY HISTORY 1793-1989, compiled by Helen SPENCER and Viola G. COLLINS. Ann BULLOCK, illustrator.
THE CIVIL WAR
Military Record of PVT. James Mallory COLLINS, April 12, 1861- April 9, 1865
Confederate Soldiers
Military Record of PVT. James Mallory COLLINS
Guerilla, James Mallory COLLINS, PVT.
Col. John A. POINDEXTER'S, Reg. Confederate
18 May 1862 Captured in Macon County, Missouri
19 May 1862 Captured Macon County Missouri sent to Gratiot Street Military Prison, St. Louis
11 September 1862 Prison at Alton, Illinois
31 October 1862 Prisoner at Alton, Illinois
14 November 1862 Prisoner at Johnson's Island, Sandusky, Ohio
22 November 1862 Sent to Prison Camp in Vicksburg
7 March 1863 Captured in Macon County, Missouri (again)
25 Apr 1863 Sent to Military Prison, Alton, Illinois
12 June 1863 Exchanged at Cairo in City Point, Virginia
21 June 1863 "Received from Capt. R. H. MCKITRICK, Co. B 77th Ohio Vol., one thousand and seventy-six Confederate Prisoners of War for exchange - J. H. THOMPSON, Capt. Comdg. Post, City Point, Va."
This was the roll of men sent from Alton, Illinois Military Prison to City Point, Va. for exchange, 12 June 1863.