News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Bob Necci & Carol Hrdlicka, Andi Wolos
(POW-MIA FaxNetwork)

Re: Civil War POW Comes Home

Date: February 23, 1997

Thanks to Jim Dundon for passing this along.

POW Returned After 132 Years
97-02-22

A Florida POW, from the Civil War, will be returned to Florida on Sunday, the 23 MAR 1997. Private Benjamin F. DeVane was released from the Union POW camp at Point Lookout {near Pax river} Maryland, on June 8, 1965, and started to walk to his home and family in Brandon, Florida. He got as far as Savannah, Georgia, and succumbed to disease and was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery with 1000 other soldiers of the South.

PVT DeVane fought with the Florida 4th and then the Florida 5th Infantry, in the Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded and captured on the battlefield at Shrpsburg. After his parole and exchange, he returned to fight and saw service in the Spring of 1863, fighting on the 2nd and 3rd days at Gettysburg. He was captured AGAIN at the fall of Richmond, April 3rd, 1865, and imprisoned at Libby prison, where he was shipped to Lookout Point and later released. PVT DeVane was a POW twice during the same war. Someone's son is finally Coming Home to Florida.