Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-11-29
Col. WhaleY ESCAPED.

Col. Whaley, the member of Congress
from the District, opposite US, in Vir-
ginia, or rather Kanawha, who was taken
prisoner by the band of rebels which
/ plundered Guyandotte short time ago,
has made his escape from his captors,
and is now in Ohio. We have conversed
with gentleman who saw Col. Whaley
on Saturday, so that there is no mistake
about it. He was treated with barbaric
brutality by the rebels while in their
hands.
We did not learn the exact locality of
the place from which he gave them the
slip. He was guarded in regular Indi-
ma fashion. They stopped one night
at the house of s'secesh," and, as usual,
a Capt. and twelve men were detailed to
guard him. His shoes, and all but his
underclothes, were taken from him, and
he was placed beside the Capt. to sleep,
while the guard were to take turns at
watching him. Being greatly fatigued,
he fell aslesp, and did not wake until
about three o'clock, when he discovered
his keepers were mapping He there
upon quietly arose, secured the Captains s
shoes and blouse, and made his escape.
Soon after daylight he heard the
tramp of horses in pursuit, in an open
country where he had no chance of es-
Gaping to any shelter. But there being
fence beside the road, he jumped over
it, and lying Aatupen the ground, awaited
his fate AS little girl had seen him
but a few minutes before, and had doubt.
less informed his pursuers, they were in
such eager pursuit upon his trail that
they passed without discovering him.
As soon as they were out Of sight he
made his way to the nearest wood, and
from thence, as he best could, to Ohio.
He was four days without food, except
some raw pumpkins, which he stole at
night!
Such is the land of "chivalry" The
story of the capture, the escape, the pur-
suit, the suffering, and the final safety of
this "Member of Congress- is almost
equal in interest to that of some of the
fugitive slares who have gone through
the same experience! The difference is,
that Col. Whaley found safety in Ohio,
whereas, in the ''good old times" Mr..
Whaley's saddle -colored neighbor would
have been compelled to eat raw pump
kins, and run the gauntlet across Ohio,
and would only have been safe in the
British Dominions!
We rejoice at the escape of the Hon.
Mr.. Whaley, who is true Union man,
and hope his experience will be the oc-
casion of good to the country. And for
the sake Of the good it might do, we
would rejoice in the privilege of giving
food and shelter to a good many othe,
members Of Congress, after they had lired
long enough on rdac pumpkins 10 bring
them to repentance for their sins ogains'
humonuy'
We trust Mr.. Whaley will not be de-
livered up to a ''claimant'' under the
''fugitive slave law" 1t true, jenkins
held him by the same right that any
other man or woman is held! And it is
equally true that the Col. committed the
same crime that every fugitive slave com
mits when he runs away. And he Is
guilty Of the additional crime Of stealing
the shoes which enabled him to escape
to say nothing Of the horrible wicked
ness of taking the pumpkins!
Still, ,ce uouM not roluntoriy aid IN
returning Col. Whaley to those from 'chon
he escaped! II THIS BE TREASON, MAKE
THE MOST OF It'll.