The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-03-09

self in the bushes by the river to &c: look al
the man. Finding his countcnancc to indicate
youth and benevoiencc, Col IL accosted him A.
he approached "l have been waiting for you"
said the Col. 'lhey told me here Mt these
houses that you would take me over the river"
| The end Of the boat was toward shore. s'Thcrc
are three more OF u.s." said Col. H., having by
| this time got his foot on the boat and his eye
on the gun. Tn" other three approached The
determination was to pass the river in that boat
--neaceabv il possible, forcibly il they must
"Where do you come from p said the bostman,
seem rg to hesitate and consider. The party
represented themselves as farmers from various
localities on the hickahOminy. The officers
dontlike to have me carry men over this river"
said the man who held the oars "Tha,'s right"
said Col. Fl. "you shouldn't carry soldiers or
suspected characters. Besides there are Yam
KEGS about here sometimes. But we mrp,ers
should be taken over without trouble" Suffice
! it to say that the boat vent, ard the escaping
| prisoners went in il, but in short time there
after a hue and cry was raised. and the entire
rebel jurisdiction in their front vas cut into n
checkerboard by the paths of the pnrsuers -
| Fortunately, the officers instead Of going far
ther that day, mislcd the rebels bv cJncealing
themselves near the river until nigit--a fact to
| which their escape at this time was due. At
dark, the flight was again commenced with re.
| newed hope. but pcrcciving ev!drrccs of con
tnucd pursuit, they returned to their hiding
places where they remained until toward MD
night They then to * a fresh start, going tu
the Williamsburg pike, whc G they lay in am
bush by the roadside for an hour before ventur-
| ing to progress.
1t was now carly in the morn ng or Monday.
For FIVE days and six nights. tn little band Of
hunted and Utmost exhausted fuoitives, with the
stars tor their guide, had slowly picked their
way arno g surrounding perilS toward the camr.
fires OF their friends. They knew they must
be near the outposts of the Union troops. and
now began t, feel as if their trials were nearly
over. Their proximity to Williamsburg was
sufficiently evident from the destruction every
where apparent in their patll--thc blight and
rIin by which The immediate presence OF armies
is always marked. II was now 4 necessary
prccantion 70 avoid being shot as rebels by
scouting parties of our own army. They there
fore took the open road; alternately travelling,
and conccaling themselves that they might re-
connotrc the road. About : O'Clock in the
morning, coming unLcr the heavy shade Of
forest trees. which Ovcrlung thc road, they
were star'el and brought to stand still by i
sharp and sudden command, "Hait ~ Looking
in the direction whence the command proceed
ed. they discovered the dlrl: forms of dozen
cavalry m drawn up in line o! battle, VIII"
seemed 70 have risen from the ground. Nei-
thcr knew whether they were friends or foes.
Col. llOblrt s,ys that without reflection. he
imt"inrd them to he thH alvarc d guard of the
cnemy's cavalry. His heart sunk in his breast,
as in the shadows Of the night he saw the gray
confederate uniform, Will. i krnInG visions of
Libby prison, ar'l tcSpairing thoughts of an
other exile from home and still worse dur,nce
vile than he had yet endured, passed over his
b AN ''N no "rr y"u y WAS the next question:
from n" cavalry. ''iOnr citizens" replied
Col McC'cary, rs thc party stoCd motioElesS
a. much from apprehension as to results as from
rcgarr 'or immediate p"r,onal safety. "'f you
a"c citizens. c"me up here ~ was the response
The cavally then surrounded them, whcrcupon
one Of the iugitivcs sW.denly asked ''Are YOU
Union troops" and back came the answer:
"Well we ar"--we'rc nothing else -
Col. Hobart describes tho sensation carScd
by this announcement, MS that from death tn
life. The coats Of the soldiers were no longer
gray, but glorious blue. Pulling of lats. they
begged the privilege Of giving one loud veil rs
the so'c method they knew Of, then, to express
what they felt. The trooas were portion of
the lth Penn. cavalry On picket duty, ten miles
from Williamsburg.
On Tuesday m 'rn;n,-, twenty ci 2ht Of the es-
capped prisoners had reached that point and took
the steamer for Fortress Monroe, being just one
week in their extraordinary Journey from Rich
mand to Washington. OF the 100 who brav-d
the passage Of the tunnel. 81 are reported safe.
4S were r. rc.captured, and eleven are yet un.
heard from