The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-17

(frons a respectable monthly Publication.
LfvERPoob, July Sd, 1909.
hsyou wish to know how effected nv escape
! shall briefly give YOU the heads of IT, Last Ju-
~, friend and myself determined to attempt to
give the rascas the slip but as both of us were
entered into am engagement with eight more to
our commandant, to be responsible for each other,
and that, If one ran away, the others should he
lmPrisonod--to get clear of that, we missed
muster one morning, on purpose to get iniprison
ed, which succeeded. We had ropes round our
bodies saws, gimblets, &c. in our hats and at
| twelve that night worked our way out. thoueb
| surrounded with centneis We got close to one
where we thought there had not been any he
iia'ied US, and we scampered off, He must have
been young recruit, for he did not give the A.
lhTm - and we got down the wall The rope was
SO small, we could not hold 1t, and both OF us fell
about nifty feet; was sadly hurt about the oins
and tainted as soon as reached the wood, where
we had previously slowed our proyisions.l NV
companion strained his lie, and we stopped
IN the wood four days, till he was abb. to march
we were taken the thirteent.i day, going thro'
4 small town at eleven at night, and conducted
PACK to Verdun, where they kept me, hands and
feet IN irons for seven days and then sent us off
10 bitche, which is most dreadful place !; and
where they kept us, in general, under ground
II IS strong fort built upon an amazing high
|
Ierent high ramparts, the rock is entirely hollow
ed out, and capable of containing the whole gar
rison IT besieged. After being there little time
we made interest with. the commandment TO live
above ground; and no sooner got possession o.
room up stairs, than we began to scheme how
| 70 get out OF IT. There were twelve of us we
hrst began manufacturing rope, which we made
out OF new linen cloth that we got from town !;
we then got a friend, who resided there to pet
US good gmbet; and on tie eighth of Decen,-
Der, forced both locks on our chamber door. and
cut through another one with the above nstru
msnt and all of us got clear of the fort before
eight O'Clock, the time the additional centinels
are put on. 1t showed and blew very hard. and
was most terribly cold We lay the next day in
the snow and at night started again. and rot
within two leagues of the Rhine by day light II
had frozen severely in the night and was so ter
ribiy cold, it would have killed us to have stop
pea that day in the woods; we therefore got in
TO barn, and lay very snug till 4 O'clock, when
a. PAIR OF lovers coming in to enjoy themselves.
discovered us, and gave the alarm we got clear
OF them; but they reused the whole. country :.
and ae ten that night, we were surrounded by SO
or % peasants; two of as escaped their clutch
es' by going different ways; but were both ia
Ken lew hours afterwards was just stepping
INTO boat on the Rhine, when custom house
ofhcers got hold of me, and dragged me to my
unfortunate companions we were five of us in
our party the rest went different WAYS and four
OF them got safe home. We were conducted
after. we were son, 70 Mel h,ndoEa .'''e .ims
two. and then chained oil =, s..n 'Wo o.
that we had scsrceIv ronr, - ai,. SO snort
sent there as ev;Ienc. for ,he ra,.,, We were
was ,,no, o,,.rd H. -, .e he"u arhe VINO
Quilted h,4. and ,yere s,x.n,' .I.no we ac-
that uncomfortable manner. In coming back. we
got a friend tn b,,v M. 1919. h, wnefe
mined either 20 esc.ne or Srsal, osps deIsf-
day we arrived at Bitcbe. we ye,e IN c,i -! nc
to a cach0i about jorty Get ar ~. m
had a guard bed ia lay ,,.,or .s ,,,ss t we
covered with ,pa,er aIo,t 81, ;,.,' y u1 wss
ter STAYING there three days 80 "a,
known 70 H. nor,a.,', u.ys' we GOT U made
for men to exist in that Jaro was lJ i"posslpl;
us into a room I'm s,a;r. in III III oraerea
we had three doors loc ted mo, ,,s Dun's
of Iron bars bcfore ,be ,y;,'p',,' "a uouole row
placed over ms bolyeysr ~. , a',u oent'nei
an attempt by cutfin,, ,bro.~l ths -, " mass ~.
cut up our sheets. bI,nke,, sh;r,a We &c
which we made rope $50 feet long and on = =.