Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-03-11

were gaining tho confidence Of their guards,
And were allowed many privileges not down
In JEFF. Davis creed, and although they ap'
peared to be satisfied with their situation,
their minds were not unemployed in Planning
} way to escape. Night found them thirty
miles from where morning had dawned upon
them.
Fortune ever favors the brave, and our
prisoners found themselves entertained by
rebel soldier Of the better Glass;
His name is Bridgsr, and he is one of that
kind of men who know how to be generous
to an enemy. The boys represent their
breakfast on the morning of the 18th As be-
ing thing not to be despised by hungry
prisoners. Here is the bill of fare /: Fried
eggs, broiled ham, venison, butter and butter
milk, sweet potatoes, and all the etceteras in
cident to true southern hospitality" in its
balmy days, all Of which the boys appreci
ated none the less for having slept on good,
comfortable, feather beds, during the night
The 18th found our boys turned over to q
new set Of guards, among whom was one
named Lushaw, who is the man that wound.
ed Lieut.. Dugan, ofCo. X, our regiment, last
July, while he was out foraglng with small
party, most Of which was captured This
Lushaw is a most infamous scoundrel, as
we'll as detestable rebel. He stole the boots
belonging to one of the boys while they were
asleep, on the night Of the 18th, and " hen the
boots were eagerly inquired for by their own
or the next morning, Lushaw exclaimed IN
broken English, II got him on-how you
swsp?" and when informed that no amount
Of confederate money could induce the owner
to part with them, he SAID: "Well, keep
him any way !" and proposed to give ten dol
lars between them and his old shoes, which
were worthless, and suiting the action to the
word gave the ten worthless dollars and the
worthless shoes to the owner of the boots
Though this was sore trial, long faces and
hard words would only have made the matter
worse, so all hands concluded to make the
best of it.
On the 18th they passed through Port
Gibson, which is but eight miles from Grand
Gulf, and where our boys knew there was
relief if they could but get the news to the
Marine brigade, from which detachment had
been sent only the day before, and captured
several struggling rebs. who had been cut OF
from their commands by the Federal expedi-
ton before referred to. This gave the boys
new hope, as they conceived the idea of pro-
posing to the rebs. to send a flag of truce to
our forces on the river to effect an exchange
for the men captured the day previous at
Port Gibson. Arriving at rebel camp a
few miles from the last named place, they
were turned over to Captain Lewis, to whom
they proposed to send flag of truce to the
feds, as had been suggested to them while on
their way. Captain Lewis readily agreed to
this, at the time remarking that he was once
a prisoner. The flag was at once sent by a
man who was much interested in the affair on
account Of having had brother captured the
day before, and who hoped to have him re-
leased by the exchange. The prisoners were
we'll treated while at this camp, but they were
not long to remain in the hands of the enemy.
I had forgotten to say that the mules rode
into camp by the boys were taken by the
Captain instead of being sent back to their
owner, as had been promised by the COM
mander Of the squad which "pressed them
into service" Capt. Lewis sent word to the
owner of the animals that he chad need oil
them" and his words had more prophecy n
them than he intended, for at eight o'clock
he found himself, with his whole command,
on their way to the Marine brigade, prisoners,
in the hands of Major Crandal, who had been
sent out by Col. Elliot to capture the party
and retake the Yankee prisoners who, he had
learned were there, by negro boy who had
escaped to our sunbosts, from near Port Glib
son, and had seen the prisoners while passing
through that place. The command of Capt.
Lewis was composed of twenty-three of his
company, who had made all the preparations
necessary for joining their regiment The
camp was taken by complete surprise, there
being no guards out.
1t was now time for our prisoner boys to
ride horses well saddled, while Captain Lewis
and his men were mounted on are-backed
mules, which he had said only short time
before he chad need Of" Of their journey
up the river and to this place we will not
speak. They are here and safe. OF the
hearty shaking of hands, the wild shouts of
joy, and the greetings of friends when tkey
arrived, we leave for the imagination of the
readers to play upon.
One incident 1 forgot to mention in its
proper place. The rebs of the regular army,
on hearing how the guerrillas had robbed the
boys, made up some forty dollars in confeder-
ate money, two pounds of tobacco and a pipe
These articles being much priced by the boys,
caused considerable ceremony in their use
aud expenditure; so they all agreed that
each day an "offi :er of the day" should be
appointed from their number, whose duty it
should be to superintend the management Of
this company fund.-" as they were pleased
to call it. Cne morning one Of the boys arose
and filled the pipe, and was just commencing
to enjoy apuf, when another of their number
demanded, with something of authority,
"Give me that pips y He was answered by
the smoker, "Guess not till get through"
whereupon the other, with an air of offended
dignity, exclaimed, ~ am officer Of tho day"
and at the same time coolly took the pipe
from the mouth of the smoker. Many Incl
dents the boys relate which will in after years
be told to their grandchildren, around quiet
hoorth 1,,bor thou shall ho clod for m him