The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-04-28
A NARROW ESCAPE.
BY sYLvANus COBB, JR,

My old friend and schoolmaster, Philip
Colcord, when he went into the army, left
his Diary 10 my possession, at the same
time telling me that, if 1 found anything
therein worth using, I might put it in
shape and give it to the world. l have just
opened said Diary and almost 7the first
thing that attracted my attention was the
record from which I make the following
sketch
Some years ago my physician told me I
for my health. Let it not be thought
from this that 1 was a puny man. Far
from it. In fact, I was too stout and strong
for so much confinement, the result of
which was a morbid state of the liver, and
weakening of the digestive organs, with
accompanying dyspepsia and constipation.
l knew the physician was right, and I at
once planned a voyage to Europe; but my
partners were anxious to know if horse
back ride through the Southern States
would not be full as good for me. The
doctor said it would be better. Then
cried out Lattitat, the head of our firm,
you can kill two birds with one stone.
The meaning of which was, that I could
visit thousand and one correspondents
in the Cotton States, andsquare up thous-
and and one accounts, while looking after
my lost health. 1 had no objection to this.
l steamed it by rail as far as Cincinnati ;
thence by water to New Orleans. Then
l took the river back to Vicksburg, where
l bought a horse, and started across the
country to the eastward, intending to
strike the Atlantic coast at Savannah.
Late one evening I arrived at small
settlement, near the Tombigbee, in Ala
bama, where found quite comfortable
inn. After supper 1 sat down in the bar
room, and soon discovesed that amongthe
guests present were the sheriff of the dis
trict and two Of his deputies; and by lis
tening to the conversation [ learned that
they were out on important business. La
ter, when alone with the landlord, I was
informed of the particulars. That section
of the country had been for long time
infested by gang of desperate Williams
river-pirates and hOrse-thieves who had
robbed and murdered both travellers and
citizens, and who had thus far succeeded
in eluding the vigilance Of the officers sent
after them. There was something won
derful in this, for the most expert detect
ives had been upon the track of the mar
auders many times, and yet not even a clue
had been gained to their hiding-place.
That they had hiding place was very ev-
ident; and, further, it was a place where
both men and horses could be effectually
concealed. The host declared that it was
very MYSTERIOUS it was past his compre-
hensiOn. For more than year planta-
tions had been robbed; boats upon theriv-
er had been boarded and even large set
Elements had been invaded, by these bold
outlaws. The publican's idea was, that
they had a big cave somewhere under the
ground; for if their rendezvous had been
above ground the officers would have found
it before this.
On the following morning we eat break
fast at an early hour, and shortly after
wards the sheriff and his deputies started
off to the southwark, towards bend in
the river, where the crew of flatboat had
been robbed only a few days before. My
course lay to the eastward, as I had busi-
ness at Cahawba.
You'd "a made it better, said my host,
IF you'd crossed the river at Blufport.
In that case you'd "a had direct road to
Cahawba; but now you've got to take
nearly half the distance in wildcat road
and mulepath. Howsumever, if you've
got good boss, you'll make out, 1 reck-
on-that is, if you don't get picked up by
the pirates"
l had been aware of the character of the
road that lay before me, and had ratherPre'