American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-01-20
ARMY CORRESPONDENTS.
ESCAPE From, rsichmomd.

]
The writer of the following letter was
born in Connoquenessing township, But
Ter county, on the oath of January, 1874,
is an Orphan boy, and was raised by Mrs.
Jane Brown, from the time he was nine
months old, till the war broke out, in
1860; he volunteered for three months
under Capt. j. n Purviance, of Butler;
came home with the company at the ex-
pifStion of their term of enlistment; and
on the 2lst of August, he enlisted for
three years under Capt. Thomas NJ Laugh
I'm; was taken to Washington, and re-
manned at Tenallytown all winter went
on the Peninsula campaign with General
NJ Clellan; was taken prisoner on the 14th of
April, 1861, while on picket, near York
town, and conveyed to Richmond, where
he remained four weeks, when he, in com
pany with many others were paroled he
went back to his regiment, and went thro'
the seven days fight before Richmond but
could not be received into his regiment,
because he was not exchanged sometime
after he was honorably discharged from the
service, and in August, 1868, he re-en-
listed in the 4th- Penna. Cavalry; was in
the battle of Sulphur Springs, at which
time and place he was again taken pris-
oner, as the following letter will show;
CAMP TYLER, NEAR baltimore,
Monday, Dec. 21, 1868.
Mr.. SAMUEL RILEY Dear Sir IL
seat myself once more free man to let
you know of my good health, and escape
from Richmond, and of my safe arrival in
our lines at Williamsburg. ] escaped
from the Pcmberton prison on the 1ltb Of
this MONTH and got to our pickcts at vii
liamsburg on the morning Of the Nth ];
since that time, / have been coming from
Williamsburg here. / win now give you
short history Of my escape, which was
all very lucky for me, for stood good
chance to get my neck stretched if they
had recognized me. was asked If my
name was not Ky" but told them
not. gave my name as VIM Bennett /
was taken on the 18th of October, and
got out on the 11th day of December I
would not have been there as long as | was
but my clothes were so bad that could
not trade them for rebel clothes, but our
government sent us some clothing, and ]
was so fortunate as to get new suit on
the 10th, and on the same day I traded
them for rebel suit and got SIS for my
bargain. The next day went out to
draw rations for the room; there were
about forty of us went out to draw for the
whole prison. had my blanket around
me, and they did not notice my rebel suit
as we were marching up to the cook house
dropped the blanket to an old friend
who was just behind me, and that second
| wheeled round, and started right down
along the column; the guard never noti-
ced me when passed him. and off went
=" as bold as a sheep" Although [ was
now out of prison, | had another hard
task to perform; to get out of the city
and across the Chickahomany river was
as hard as anything | had DONE can't
take time at present to tell You all that !
had to 60 through. was fired upon at
the Chickahomany, and rccaptured at
New Kent Court House, and had to per-
form job that hate to talk about; but
| was bound to be free, or die. / ran up
on the picket-was within rod of him
when he saw and halted me. The night
was very dark, but l was so close to him
that could not run without being shot
| thought that | would "play nigger,
and told him that was a colored man,
and my master lived in New Kent; but
he stuck his face so close to mine, that
he made ont to see that was no ngger.
He says; g You son b-h, your no Mig
ger 1t went agaius my grain to be cal'-
ed son of b-h, but bit my lips and
took it. Well, says he, who are you p
| am Yankee, said |, if you must know.
| told him | was a prisoner, &C. He
laughed and said, 4" We'll, ] guess you won t
go to Yankeedom now, will you" I
reckon not, says |. He then wanted me
to get on behind him and ride to the re-
serve pickets. but ! tol1 him / could walk
that far, but | acted vtry lame My feet
were extremely sore, and | succeeded in
making him believe that l could not walk
without the stick | lad. 1t was good
hickory, and made he bark fly off it on
his head, before we vent ten rods After
| struck him the frs fime, his horse stop
ped and stood there until | had dragged
him into the woods, then | took his pistol
and tied his horse to tree, and went on
my way, but wou d rather not have kill
ed him, but when hit him once, could