The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-10-31

LANCASTER, [
swoth never 70 do 10 the even. Of my be.
coming prisoner 70 the Confederate ar.
ny. IwAs equally resolved now to I'd.
bers 70 my oath. as silt
From that moment I was closely guard.
ed. With the vigilance known but TO on
aagRy be-. No slespless sentinel evel
lOuuged with heavy limb and weary eye,
10 mock Wstchfulnsss. near the rugged
couch wherson | lay. Bat, sleeping OF
waking some. hawk eyed watcher kept
-gnsId at my aide. marking an my outgo'
ings and incOmings. lo rsa1n.ar
% 10 that camp was another prisoner be.
side myself; . miserable creature, ,appar'
,ss'ly Only awaiting the certain death thai
q caprice Of amerciless band would, ia
soHis unexpected moment hurl upon biz
head. and whom nothing but the same
caRrice permitted still 10 move upon thi,
earth . living ,hieg. This wretch had
bssA captured some days after i had. il
the oct Ofrobbiug the dead after skir'
mish. His e,ime in Che eye Of tho sold
isr. 10 deadly sin. He iS the parish o.
his clAss. A Sul,uss too ioul for an hon
Get shOs. ftom' whose blood the brigb,
steel would rsOsivs . disgraee deeper thar
i,s Stain. A thing too worthless to hang
one whose loathsoms life should be crush
cd out sSddssly. with stone or club. as 8
reptile shouid and the contaminated wea
pom then 6usg from the hand forever.
He criugsd to his cap,ors, and they
drove him from them with kicks and eur
seS,and when be iawned they spal upon
him. .'
'. An ESCAPE.
One night.after unwearied watchful
ness and ceaseless planniDg,I broke from
the boodags. that held me. The nigh
was cloudy and threatening to rain.
had heard enough from my captors tc
know that . detachment OF Northern
troops was encamped to the eastward
within five mills ofus. This detachmen
| resolved to reach or die. From wha
| had learned among the guerillas. fel
assured | could with little difficulty fine
the encampment. After crouching ny
way through and along the outskirts Of
thicket that grew by the side Of the roat
old and grass-woru. running nearly cas-
and wesD for at least Two miles, emer
gsd from it into the road. sweating an,
bleeding. hatless. my clothes torn to flag
ments. painting and wearisd, had takel
my b.ariogs from the few stars that glim
mered through the clouds. in the uuobscu
red spots Of the heavens, and was about I,
start along the road in the easterly direc
ton. when q riau leaped from the thioke
and the thief Of the battlefield .and tn,
plunderer Of the dead. stood by my side
"On. ou" he exclaimed,i in hoarse an,
excited tones, pointing along the road i
the direction was about to take, "the
are following" He shook with fear, an
| pitied him. Disgust at his presence, to
was lessened by sense Of the ccmmo
danger. Before could speak he dashe
past me along the road. | followed, ant
thus we fed for more than twenty minute
bs little ahead Of me during the who!
time. We reached q narrow, un6nishe
bridge. stretching from high banks &C, os
Q s,ream, We began TO cross the bridge
but our progress was much impeded an
even endangered. as our only steppin
points we're from beam ~ beam and plan
10 plank most Of them loose and rotte
and At uneven distances. The bridg
was supported BY hugs piles Sc, in tn
river. those sullen waters We ware able /
distinguish rushiog far beneath us. Y,
the river seemed shallow there, Tor whit
breakers curling round ths rocks We CO..
detect also. Onward we went. | wa
now in advance some dozen yards. A
before Us. beyond twenty feet, was lost !
gloom. behind, the same darkness impen,
trabls At the same distance Yet on "
pressed from one rotten, shaking timbt
TO another. Suddenly loud shouts in Ii
rea' proclaimed the pursuing foe. The'
were followed by tie sharp ring of rifle
and fearful shrek from my companion
| stopped and turned He called on ~
fOs the "love Of Heaven. to help him."
returned some little distance and fouu
him clinging. about couple off.et abo,
J the cross. .pleces,to narrow iron bar tbs
ran from one Of the piles to anothe
He was Strugelipg wildly. "How is il!
J asked. as l stopped to aid him. But
discovered my assistance valueless. vi
less could place my feet on the ba
and leaning with my breast upon one
} the timbers, reach over both hands al
grasp him by the DOLLAR. As was ms
king this essay the moon broke fully U
on ~, and l met his upturned psllid fac
. fiis teeth we're set. His bloodess Iii
/; drawn from item with q rigidity th
a left them completely bare. His sy
!. were starting from their sockets and b
0 form .rembled SO as to shake the last ho
/, 70 which no clung.
Zone Of their bullets" he Kissed b
! ,Wesn bis teeth, "hss smashed my snkI
8 | am goiugl" His hold relaxed, ano,h
terrible Shrek rang through the Mig
. air. and he fell crashing among the j,
= ting rocks below; his blood mingling wi
. The pure element that eddisd round the
. | again pursusd my way along
bridge alone. Many bullet whisll
4 past me from my inveterate but beWild,
. edf@s. and many 4 narrow escape +
Of being hurled into the dark river, OF
!. implement upoa the half.oonceaI