Shreveport news., 1864-12-13
IFor the Shreveport News.
Prison Experience.
No. 4.
Il Yankee Guard-I0usc.
(Contiuued.)

| - .
(Continued.)
IT will be readily understood. from
q even the meagre desert ption !
have given OF the guard house at
Port Hudson, that every hour that
prolonged our stay there, was an age
Of misery. 1t israsy enough to bear
up against the lIardships of camp
life, where you have warm-hearted
comrades to cheer you, active occupa-
ton t" engage you, and liberty to
console You. But in bare, dirty
and uncomfortable guard-ho, So, witt,
raw negro troops guarding you, whose
maladr"itnrss is a sutj.ct Of constant
apprehension, and whose disposition
t" Insult YOU is Il perpetual annoy
ance where You have nothing to
occupy the mind save vague specu-
lations about the future, Who's. misty
shadows wrap themselves round the
soul i'll darkness and gloom-amo y
strangers and chance acquaintances,
between whose hearts aud yours lies
n connecting link of sympathy-in
such a place. and under s, G, circum-
stances, har,!sllips wear out both
body and mind. 1t was but four
days l spent in Port Hudson they
seemed like four months, and while
they lasted | suffered mentally and
ply every species of torture.
BY dint of urgent pressing, persuad-
ed til: Yankee lieutenant command
ing the guard to sell me blanket,
but it was Il very insufficient protec-
ton against the cold wind, which, on
that high and exposed bluff, swept
as if fresh from an iceberg. through
the open guardh"usc, passing over,
round and through It's, till every spark
of latent heat was rifled from our
bodits.
General Andrews had told me in
our interview that he would send Us
TO New Orleans by the first boat
but more than fifty passed down and
still We fingered. 1t must no, be
supposed that we quietly endured all
the hardships and indignities Of our
imprisonment without entertaining
ideas of escaping. Many and many
We're the plan, discussed among US
"rebs,' for getting out of tie ei e,ny's
clutches, most of which were aban-
doued as unfeasible. We took Dick
into our counscis, and his knowleIg.
of the cnvirons, was of great use to
IL, in making our plans. Once We
had very nearly succeeded. having
bought off one of the guards but Il
negro prisoner saw Us, Informed the
guards in time for them to be pre-
pared Tor $, and we had to wait
better chance. The guerrilla captain
was the life and soul of all tn, 8
plo,tings to regain our liberty, and
h. was never at loss to devise "a
new scheme, when unforeseen Cir
cumstances occurred to mar some
plan at which We had labored hard.
He would have long conversations
with the negro prisoners, a !roi,iy
drawing from them the localities of
the different troops stationed in the
vicinity. At length we arranged a
grand scheme, from which we prom
ised ourselves full success. We had
learned tn, ough some OF the darkies
that two or three ski.fs Were lying on
the river bank, mile and u half be-
low the guard house, with the oars
in them.
Our plan was, on some daik
night to slip out through the guart5
to a ravine, within stones throw
of the prison, by which We could pas
down to the waters edge, under the
bluff. and then make our way d, VII
to the skitls. cross he river, and
strike across the swamps in the direc-
ton of Bayou Crosse Trt-, whr,e
! we knew there was :, small Cun!rd-
crate force of cavalry. We eNainin-
ed the plan over and over again.
from every point Of view, and c"ui
see nothing to condemn in it. III"
only difficulty that assumed any
magnitude, was TO pass the guards ::
but that We trusted 10 accomplish.
with the aid o Il dark night. ii"l
beat high in our bosoms, and w,
dreamed. rs only capiivrS can dream.
If meeting once more those whom
we loved. But the dark night :.
when would it come The bright
moon that sailed nightly over the
the clear sky, lighting up earth
works, tents and buildings with its
silver rays, was never SO unwelcome.
We lcnged for a night of storm and
tempest, when amid the wild como
ton of natures elements, we might
go forth from captivity, undiscovered
by the foe, until we were far out OF
their reach.
Imay as we'll state here that on,
plan, fair and promising as it seemed
never ripencd to success. The nights