Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-12-10

1n 20 the third, fourth and fifth. The bull
let had done its full work On all. These
had been, few hours before, nv comrades.
eager to deal destruction upon foes. and
| careless OF the fate that net them, / was
the sixth and last of the party.
But where was the enemy. or what had
been the enemy? I heard no sound, and
the moonlight falling directly upon the
DEAD men, and gray, weired rocks. produced
an effect that was sickening and horrible.
remembered the man l had slain. |
searched for others Of the enemy, but al!
had disappeared.
There were no dead left on that battle
ground but the five fallen scouts. Yet,
that others had persisted there was obvious
from the blood lying 10 little pools among
the rocks. behind which the ambushed foe
had lurked and poured upon US his deadly
fire.
My wound began to bleed afresh, which
Drought tsintness upon me, and sank 60
the earth, a banning thirst was eonsum-
Ing me, ard Il groeped 10 agony.
After little while made another effort
to rIser but failed and then falling back,
as calmly as possible j yielded to my fate
L thought OF my past days, when, in early
youth, no cry for blood bad vet awakened
/
the heart of men, until the fearful scent
rouses it az it does the blnodhounds and il
springs forth with swiftness that appals
and a strength that des, lates.
| AcAPTURR.
My reverie was broken by the sound of
voices. Then came that of approaching
| footsteps. As it drew nearer a new life
seemed to culver through my veins, like
the fresh gush of q virgin spring. The
most savage foe, to whom the fortunes
OF captive were an unapproachable de-
light, advancing upon me with the men,
aces of Gemoniac, would at that moment
have been welcome as an angel of light in
comparison TO tue loneliness, the woe of
that dismal glen, and its bloody and un-
! buried dead.
In few moments a dozen armed men
were on the spot, leaning on their rifles
and gazing round upon the dead. Some
stopped and examined the bodies with care
loss scruting; others merely stirred them
| with the foot, or turned them over with the
muZzies of their guns. with the brutal in
difference bloOdshed engehders in the
heart.
They're dead. Let them rot suid one
who appeared to be the leader of the party
| Not oil ueau, replled.
! Had voice actually issued from the
tomb. as mine undoubtedly seemed to do,
| it's effect would not have been much more
startling. Each man, for an instant, seem
ed changed into a statue. TheB the whole
| group made simultadeous movement to-
wards me.
That's the fellow that bayoneted Ike. ex
claimed one of them, cooking his revolver
! ar,I NIV,w. h. l. -
! teeth.
! In another instant should have been in
| eternity, but for the sudden Jerking back
| of my would be destroyer's arm BY one of
| his comrades, who camly remarked: If
he's got through the rough work be had
awhile ago, we'll not kill the poor devil
| now. With muttered curse the rufiun
replaced his weapon in his belt, and With
drew.
Where are you hurt?" inquired be
whose interference had just saved me );
cant you get up
Ii him | had been shot in the hin.
and was dying Of thirst. Here he called
member OF the party to him, and taking
! from his hand q canteeB, poured some Of
| its contents brandy and water) dewn my
thr, at. My wound had entirely stepped
bleeding, but my whole side was stiff aud
painful. With much difficulty / rose to
| my feet, and by the aid o. two of my cap
tors, for such they WERE managed to move
along with the rest of the band, through
what appeared a cleft in the moantlip,
pursuing a new path to that had hitherto
traversed in the company of those who had
fallen, and whom was now leaving behind
me forever
For some time we fol ,wed this load,
running at the base of two declivities al
most perpendicular, whose dizzy SUBMITS
| could not scan, and whose rugged sides
of gray, at intervals, were shining coldly
beneath some stray gleam of moonlight,
that, even IN that cavernous pass, found its
way and smiled amid the gloom, like the
good glance of a visiting angel.
Suddenly we emerged from this gloomy
detile, and found ourselves in what appear
Ell almost level country. Here, where
some tents were pitched. we halted, and
was prisoner in the guerilla camp.
A week elapsed, and | had recovered
from my wound. The chief Of the party
who had captured me offered me my liberty
on condition that | gave my parole not to
bear arms against the rebels again during
twelve months. This bad sworn never TO
do in the event of my becoming prisoner
to the Confederate army. l was equally
resolved not to adhere to my oath.
From that moment was closely guarded
with the vigilance known but TO an angry
foe. No sleepy sentinel ever lOungsd with
heavy limb and weary eye, in mock watch,
fulness, near the rugged couch wbereon /
lay. But sleeping or waking, some hawk
eyed watcher kept guard by my side, mark
ing all my outgoings and mornings.
In that camp was another prisoner beside
myself, a miserable creature, apparently,
only waiting the certain death that the ca
price of q mercful hand would, in some
unexpected moment, hurl upon his head,
and whom nothing but the same caprice
permitted still to move upon the earth a
living thing This wretch Fad been cap
tured some days after had, in the act of
robbing the dead after a skirmish His
crime. in the eye of soldier, lie a deadly
sin. He is the Pariah Of his class vul-
ture too foul for an honest shot, from whose
blood the bright steal would receive dis
grace deeper than its stain; thing too
worthless to hang; one whose loathsome
life should be crushed out suddenly, with
stoue or club, as a reptile should, and the
contaminated weapon then flung from the
hand forever.
lie crluged 20 ms captnrs, ana they
drove him FROM them with curses and
kicks, and when he iawned they spat upon
him.
AN ESCAPE.
One night, after unwesried watchfalnsss
and ceaseless planning, broke from the
bondage that held me. The night was
cloudy and threatened rain. had heard
enough from my captors to know that de-
tachment of Nortbere troops was encsmped
TO the eastward, within five miles of US
This detachment resolved to reach or die.
From what had learned among the guer-
ilas felt assured | could with little diff
Guilty find the encampment. After crouch
ing my way through and along the out
skirt Of thicket that grew by the side of