Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-06-08
COLUMBUS OHIO. SUNDAY MORNING. JUNE 5, 1862

ships we shall be compelled to succumb to ou,
tyrannical foes"
"Never! cried the young officer, "while ther,
Is thousand men left In our country to max,
desperate stand. We can only be CONQUERED
by annihilation; snd II it is God will that ty
rant should rule over this broad continent, not q
single true heart will live to feel the oppression
ana disgrace. Ere that time, dear mother, |
snail DC beyond the reach Of earthly monarchs! !!
GOD bless you, Williaml' cried the mother
en.Dusiastlcaliy grasping his hand nYour
iatner's spirit speaks in you. He died on the
Dauie-neld with those sentiments In his heart;
and | freely give you---my only son and hone,
to the glorious cause which bis blood, ana tha,
OF thousands Of others, hallowed."
For several days the intrepid young officer re.
mained beneath his mothers roof, supposinr
MS presence to be known only to themselyee'
bus' one evening at the end Of his furlouRh,
wnen ne was beginning to think about preparing
ior Ms secret departure, an officer and six men
appeared at the door, and said he had orders 70
arrest one William Ruggles, supposed 10 be
somewhere In the dwelling.
"Why, that is my SON." said the widow, in
great trepidston.
$50 much more likely that he should be here.
then" was the unfeeling reply.
"And for what would you arrest him, and
what will be done with him II found!'
"We shall take him for SOY, and If found
guilty, he will be hung, of course, as every
cursed rebel should be. Here, you, Bent and
Walters, begin the search; and you, Jones and
johnson, remain where you are. Sharp. now
all OF you! Let the fellow be taken alive il DOS.
sible,-but alive or dead, let him be taken
Now, good woman, If he is in the house, Of
which we are strongly assured, let him appear,
and save yourself much trouble otherwise, the
consequences be on your own head" s
"lf You think my son is in the house, search
to your hearts coptent!" returned the mother
externally calm, internally suffering. -
And forthwith the search began.
Meantime the young lieutenant, who had
heard enough to comprehend his danger. had
set about effecting bis escape, but not alto
gether In the hammer frst intended. He wen
on the roof, 1t is true, and tied the long rope Il
the chimney, casting one end of Il down toward
the street, but this only for 0 blind He hai
seen that the bricks Of the dividing wall be.
tween the houses occupied by his mother anc
one or two adjoining buildings, had been loose
ly put up under the ridge pole, and his present
design was to remove O few of these, crowd
through into the loft OF the other house, and
then replace them. This purpose he effected be
fore the soldiers searching for him came d,
near enough to hear the little noise he Was com
PEELED to make The open trap door Of th,
root, and the rope around the coimney, serVeC
to misleAd them, as he hoped, and 10 was will
intense satisfaction that he had heard them an
nouDce the manner of his escape. Immediate
ly after, the whole party left In haste, frs
threatening Mrs. Ruggles with subsequent ven
geance, for harboring, conoealing, aud connivinI
at the escape Of sebel spy, even though thI
man we're her son. -.e
i When fully satisfied that the soldiers LeC
gone, young Ruggles attempted to return int
his mothers dwelling by the way he had lefs
but in again displacing the bricks for this pur
pose, one Of them slipped an went dow
through an open trap door, upon the floor be
low, making loud noise. Immediately afte
Q light flashed up through the opening, and
timid female voice demanded who vas there2
Here was dilemma. Should the soldie
reply, he would be exposed; and ehould he kee
silence, search would be made which nigh
prove more serious In Its consequences. VIA
was to be done7 A eudden inspiration seise
: him. 1t was woman's voice, and womsn ar
seldom ateeled to pity. 10
!, He would make himself known to her, appeI
s to her sympathies, and throw himself upon b.
mercy. -
) "Lsdy," be began, in gentle tone, oalc,
lated TO reassure bis fair hesreF, ''be nt
alarmed. ] am friend In distress, the son
your next neigbbor. ! am hun.ed az spy b
British soldiers, and If found my life will b
forfeited. II you can not pity me, for God
sake pity my poor mother, and assist me for he
cake"
He presented himself at the opening of th
loft, and boldly descended the ladder lesdin
down from IL directly before the lady, swet
beautiful girl of eighteen, who stood with
light in her hand, and seemed dumb and nc
tionleas, with q commingling Of fear, surpris
and curiosity. The young man continued :
speak, as he descended, and hurriedly went o.
70 narrate all that had occurred, concludIn
with the search Of the soldiers, and his escap
into the loft above.
"Thank God, Il is in my power to aid you
sir !" were the first words Of the girl, spoke
with look and feeling Of sympathy that mad
the heart Of the young soldier bound wit
strange emotions. v--'-E
She went on TO tell him, that cousin fror
: New Jersey, about his size and build, and lool
ing not unlike him, was then on O visit to th
family, having pass from General Howe
This pass abe had been looking at, and, by az
cident, 1t was in her possession, the cousin hay
Ing gone out with the rest Of the family and fol
gotten II. II --.
"Take It and fly, and may God preserve you,
she said 81 can Arrangeit with my kinsmal
can have lost il, and he can easily procul
another"
She hurried him down stairs, throwing
q cloak on his shoulders on the way, which 81
, insisted upon his wearing, saying that il hH
belonged TO deceased brother, and he could Z,
: turn It at any future time. She then hastene
to get the pass, which che placed in his hant
| n mr. him IN m Al