Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-08

the deliberate thought which every man in trying
circumstances has experienced, and which centres
on one subject, being 80 severe tension Of all
he faculties as TO stem no thought at ALL was i'm
possible,) that it would be uAwise, and perhaps a
stumbling block to future Union captiyes in the
custody of that hofrd host to ascribe my unbrok
en rest under those dry, dusty bush-branches
simply 10 the heavy darkness Of the evening, ex-
cuding oil other causes from participation in my
affair. II was unusually cloudy, the sky resting
overhead like hs1gi0g pail, and threatening rain
with thunder every moment, as Is almost always
the case after a holly contested engagement The
fight tbst morning. been grand one, quite a
Horace Vernet picture and hence the clouds that
night. But | mlF own that ! give my Sergeant
place in my memory now with feeling of graf
itude, induced thereto by the strong supposton
that he did MT aiioG b.mseif 10 see me as Gid
ed under cover cornt much upon his heart az
shown in his little pro fired narrative The other
guerds on the line might readily have failed to
notice me, the more 50 10 | bad a special attendant
TO see my wants. ard should have been very
sorry indeed bad one Of Dem disturbed my rest.
But my Sergeant was not three body-lengths from
me when | slipped away from bis protection and
Though be bad ns back turned am inclined to
think that be bad only ever eyes than Argus.
His general reputation, 10 be read in his bearing,
pronounced him viglani and bis very act beiok
ened cIIcumspeclion. Fr be 10 from me however.
TO bespatter bis character by avow!ng MIN neg-
gent n performing bis luty in this case, whilst
hudIng him for bis honest devotion to his masters.
Perhaps it might have Teen part of bis care
TO see the squad fall in, and he could not
abandon that line Of bis duty 10 search for a stray
Oiiicsr, sm0oth-spoken q ID smiabe, to whom be
had Just shown a kinGnes. The hustle and un-
natural darkness Of the moment could no, inspire
one who was not demon with dsmoniacal de-
sire 10 set screechiug a1d rash body Of troopers
upon my track la- detachment oi melancholy
mutes we're moving oil Hnsn tried my fate; and
he could have mad b0t little time to think ere the
miserable men we're 10 ths distance. The farther
my Sergeant loufneytd, the more likely be was
10 keep qlist upon my subject.
experienced very peculiar emotions as lay
;here and found myself alone | even seemed to
hear the whae o lhe soli.ery, the ringing of can
teens and sAbrss and the peculiar sound Of tramp
ing feet as they had passed way,-chsnting, in my
souls depths, my A1lierug sorg Of triumph to
that imagined accompaniment had an am0,.
accurate idea OF where was, having served our
courss quite closely during the day, and proposed
going over very nearly the same ground the next
tweniy-four hour. ! had already decided in my
own mind that the rebel General was making re-
treat before the gallant General Sheridan, whose
outpo,fs hoped soou to come upon. But dangers
many, aud some hidden lay lh OK strewn upon
my path, which had not run over roses hither and
| deemed best to cucumber the cold earth for
an hour ere sailed from my Moses harbor.
The highway lay within hundred feet Of me
and as intended taking up my lost stitches Of the
morning in peculiar laa1 | hope, originaD man
ner, having no knowledge OF the country beyond
the line Of our late marcl, was Obliged to count
upon keeping Withia sound Of the troops and
wagons travelling there, j. desired at all to gain
nv end The Aoulant = had my compass,
and was, trusted, quite tree from danger as |
remained supnely wlnin hail Of men wno would
be delighted to shoe. me. Ills image, as fam
cled him, cumbersome and crouching, as be hur-
ried along, lodging from tree to tree, reminded
me Of the hunts vRlch the ohivalry INDUCED in
farther south, (neag tina, very horrible Anderson
vile saughter-house,) where the bay Of the blood.
hound rings over the marshes, and the pack is let
loose in the clear morning air, crystal bright and
all agow, 70 lap up the dew with oyerhaugng
tongues, and TO run down escaped prisoners
There is no poeiical charm attaching to that pack
although Pan never played his reeds in more
poetica country; and its existence and employ
ment are soismnly sober truths. They made me
very grave, suggesting as they did, some other
dangers to which | vas hen liable. After work.
ing myself into "a nervous state Of body, began
isH idaF trun
Herewith, 10 play the part Of aserisks, and eXpsu
who was within My pantsloous, the soil would
soon make as white as gray backs and my cap
was to stay with the uniform, to grace some ndl-
gent dscoverer Of the other side
When mad ssoreted my money in my waist.
band, (not deemng my ordsrys suggestion fea-
sble) and mad strapped my suspenders tightly
about my body, worked my way round the bushes
TO the other side Of the olump A. had expected
found an even sweep downwsrds Of meadow
land, stretching parallel with the road, and as far
before me as ! could see through the darkness
got myself tin upoa tue ground, With my
feet, as in Christian burial, pointing towards the
east,--or there the highway ran,-and with my
handkerchief bound about my head. then com
menced rolling as gently as possible down the
grassy clvity.
should be unable to give any account Of my
thoughts during the first ten minutes Of my move
evoiutons mlyed at one tilAe slowly, at an
other rapidly, as the IDEAS OF prudence and danger
by turns rsgned 10 my bosom. | rlsked much IL
being obliged to keep in line with the current Of
life flowing so uoisIly the other way, the thought
OF which spurred me onward and had far to 60
and not very great endurance to iaii back upon, :
red cton which oounseled a cautious expend,-
ture Of effort. was anon anxious to ily over the
hard Jumps OF earth aud prcking suaw.blades,-
anon eager to move gently with deliberate hanC
upon the brake | suffered much at my elbows
which were crushed as my body passed over them,
"a pulyerisng prooess,) and whiol, as had ohsped
my arms across my breast, were most papaOly in
the way. 1t seemed as Il they would be unhinged
My feet, too, demonstrated to me the causes o.
the circular motion OF penholder or a ruler VIII Z
started down gesk-hd, and had tue sams inhu
enoe upon my course ss lhe pm-pnlnt has upon
,he whole pin wher in motion My head and
upper members oiued to swing in circle abou
my feet, spent much labor upon his detult-
ing portion Of 1>ops body of sovereign
indspendenoies, Which threatened the greatest
tlioulties. My neck, also, IN the narrow sptc,
between the eand OF nay low WOODEN SHIRT ana my
hiir-roots, was haasssd at every turn by tue nee
dle-bed of short grass that passed over aod the
loose stones, stuol.e, anu gmyei that Ald irrateC
The skin, worked Iho.r way beneath tbs garment
| was quite enild'sratle, iul Of pebbles. ,oul,
have endured all this for long while, however
the spirit then aeyuating me being one Of thos
unrtA-cting forces VIII on would las last resorl
have carried me down The same slope in the Reg
ulus-oast. But after travelling quite a dlsanc
| oegan to revove, not sny coGplets remedy 70
these manifold ills, but some anelioration OF tn
exaggerated violence Of their sway. | tore on
sleeve from my undershirt and wound that Oroun,
my neck. | held my arms straight down m
side an Hat against my body, Nothing short Q
] Ia. .trns.ad Hu Nah Il