Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-22


wen not kill the poor devil now" With 0
muttered curse the rufian replaced his weapon
10 his belt and withdrew. "Where are you
nurt!' inquired he whose Interference had Just
saved me; "can't you get up2" told him l |
mad been shot in the hip, and was dying of |
thirst Here be called member OF the party |
70 MIN, and taking from bis hand a canteen,
poured some OF its contents--5randy aud water |
TdoWn my throat. Ny wound had entirely
stopped bleeding, but my whole side was stiff |
and painful, With much difficulty | rose to my |
ieet' ana by the aid Of two of my captors, for |
sucn they were, managed to move along with |
the rest Of the band, through what appeared
cleft IN the mountain, pursuing new path to
that had hitherto trayersed in the company Of
those who had hithGrt, fallen, and whom was
now leaving behind me forever.
For some time we followed this road, run |
ming at the base of two declivities almost per-
pendicular, whose dizzy summits could not
sean, and whose rugged sides of gray, at inter.
vais, were shining coldly beneath some stray
CLEAN OF moonlight, that, even In that cavern.
Gus pass, found its way and smiled amid the
gloom, like the good glance Of visiting angel
Suddenly we emerged from this gloomy dc.
ile, and found ourselves in what appeared al
most level country. Here where some tents
were pltched-we halted, and ! was q prisoner
in guerrilla camp. t..
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
had sworn never to do in the event OF my be-
coming prisoner to the Confederate army
was equally resolved now to adhere to my
oath. -...r
From that moment l was closely guarded,
with the vigilance known but to an angry foe.
No sleepy sentinel ever lounged with heavy
limb aud weary eye, in mock watch fulness, near
the rugged couch whereon lay. But, sleeping
or waxing, some hawk-eyed watcher kept guard
by my side, marking all my outgoiDgs and in
comings
In that camp was another prisoner beside my
self, q miserable creature, apparently, only
waiting the certain death that the caprice of
merciless band would, 10 come unexpected mo-
ment, hurl upon his head, and whom nothing
but the same caprice permtted still to move
upon earth living thing. This wretch had
been captured some days after | had, in the act
OF robbng the dead after q skirmisb His
crime, in the eye Of the soldier, is a deadly sin.
He IL the pariah of bis class. A vulture too
foul for an honest shot, from whose blood the
bright steel would receive a disgrace deeper
than its stain. A thing too worthless to hang;
one whose loathsome life should be crushed out
suddenly, with stone or club, as q reptile
should, and the contaminated weapon then flung
from the hand forever. -....'r i.s-.,l 81. :
He cringed to Lis captors, and they drove him
| from them with curses and kicks, and when he
fawned they spat upon him.
f-fI AN ESCAPE.
One night, after unwearied watchfulness and
ceaseless planning, broke from the bondage
| hat hald Tx IL l. "A Al
ened rain. ! had heard enough from my cap
tors to know that detachment of Northern
troops was encamped to the eastward, within
five miles OF ne. This detachment resolved
TO reach or die. From what had learned a.
mong the guerrillas, | felt assured could with
little difficulty find the eneampments After
crouching my way through and along the out
skirt OF thicket (that grew by the side of o
road, old and grass grown, running nearly east
and west) for at least two miles, merged from
it into the road, sweating and bleeding; hatiess,
my clothes torn to fragments, painting and
wearied. had taken my bearings from the
few stars that glimmered through the clouds
in the unobscured spots Of the heavens, ana was
about to start along the road in the easIerly
direction, when man leaped from the lhicke
and the thief Of the battlefield, the plunder.
er of the dead, stood by my side. "On, on u
he exclaimed, in hoarse aud excited tones,
pointing along the road in the direction
was about TO take, they're following''-
He shook with fear, and | pitied him Dis
gust at his presence, too, was lessened by q
sense of the common danger. Before could
speak he dashed past me along the road.
followed, and thus we fed for more than twenty
minutes; he little ahead OF me during the
whole time. We reached narrow, unfinished
bridge, stretching from high banks across a
stream. We began to cross the bridge, but oul
progress was much impeded, and even ebdan
gered, as our only stepping points we're from
beam TO beam and plank to plank, most Of then
loose and rotten, aud at uneven distances. Tn.
bridge was supported by huge piles set in tn,
|, river, whose sullen waters we were able to dis
! tinguish rushing far beneath us. Yet the rive
seemed shallow there, for white breakers curl
, ing round the rocks we could detect also. On
ward We went. / was now in advance SOM
dozen yards. All before us, beyond twenty feet
was lost In gloom; behind, the same darkness
, impene etrable at the same distance. Yet on W,
, pressed from one rotten, shaking tm5er to an
other. Suddenly loud shouts In the rear pro
claimed the pursuing foe These were follow
ed by the sharp ring Of rifles and fearful shriel
!, from my companion. stopped and turned.-
He called on me, for the '1ove Of Heaven
' to help him." | returned some little dis
tance and found him clinging, about cou
pie Of feet above the cross,pieces, 70 mar
/ row iron bar that ran fiom one Of the pile
, to another. He was struggling wildly. "Ho,
y y Is it 2" l asked, as / stopped to aid him :
y Bat discovered my assistance TO be value
!, : less, unless could place my feet on the bar
: and. leaning with my breast upon one of th
timbers, reach over both hands and grasp hir
, by the collar. As was making this essay, th
!, moon broke fully upon us. and met his up
= turned pallid face. His teeth were set Iii
= bloodless lips drawn from them with q rigidit
that left them completely bare. His eye
\ we're starting from their sockets and bis forr
= trembled 90 as TO shake the Last hold to whicI
he clung. ~, .
- "Ope Of their bullets" be hissed betwee
q his teeth, "has smashed my ankle. am 60
\ ing!' His hold relaxed, another terrible shrie
!, rang through the night air. and he fell craeh
!, ing among the juttiDg rocks below; his bloc
|, minglng with the pure element that eddie
" round them. Il. s1HrUqr ll t,s ,Ttp
= l again pursued my way along the bridg
: alone. Many bullet whistled past me fro
% my inveterate but bewildered Toes, and many
narrow escape | ran Of being hurled into tf
dark river, or of implement upon the half-co
of cealed rocks, But one such death suifced 4
{. that night. Atlengtn / reached the other cid
70 thankful but exhausted, Still, with unabat
Of speed, Ipursued my way, until the chalienI
10 Of sentinel stopped further progress l h
D. reached one of the pickets ofithe detachme
ID for which was bound--aur1 gallant norther
o. ere. | was safe. and o free man again ~
ht MoRRlsANlA, September, 1861. ~
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