The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-05
- s.s ~ oTTUMWA. IOWA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1865

NUARY. 5, 1865.
The plantation was owned by Brigadie
General Early Of the Rebel army, and va,
extensive and well.stocked. " hen the fu
gitives made themselves known to the slave.
at this point, no psins Were spared whict
could IN any manner contribule 10 The safe
ty Or comfort ofthe former. The day Va. Il
rainy, and the oyerseer was consequently
mot as vig1ant ss usual. /, About forty
slaves, Of both sexes and Ill ages, gathered
in atthe negro quarters. and listened with
the most intense eagerness to the story d
their whits guests. They Filed question.
lintelligently On the subjects Of the progress
Iofths war; and Che advancemsnt II smanci
tpstion. and exhibited . really sccurate
kuowledgs' of the results of certain battles
which had been habitually falsified by Reb.
sl he~jpspets snd Refer poHHcians ,sIhey
wanted 10 know also Whit che chances sweie
1oT heafelslectio1a Of AbrahasaG Laucoln,. ~.
iievinE that tKe prospects for theif own ienSsn.
cipation from bondage wefe ultimately b!en.
ed with Old Abe's success. OF course the
two Federal Captains were unable to pre-.
dict to an absolute certainty that the Union
candidates would be- elected, but were san-
guine that such result would be realized
Il nfofmat'on that made the slaves of Briga-
dier General Early Of the Rebel Army dance
with delight. During this mutually agrees
bic visit, the contrabands had taken the ore
caution to throw out pickets to give warn.
ing Of the approach of the overseer or any
other enemy, and when at last the outer
guard gave Dotice ofdanger, the Federal On.
GERS rapidly retreated 70 their boat, taking
with them : roasted pig, and half a bushel
Of sweet potatoes, which the slaves had a.
ken care TO provide. With this store Of
provisions, they pushed out again into the
stream, and plunged into the great swamp
For more than two hundred miles they met
with no human being. and accordingly Piled
the oar day and night, until they arrived at
Fort Gadsden. the 6rst dry land that met
their sight. The earth-works looked dilapi.
dated, and no sentinel making his appear
ance, the voyagers concluded the Fort had
been abandoned; but fearing to trust them.
selves on shore, they passed the works with
out stopping, and Eve miles below, learned
from an unsuspecting Rebel female that
there was a g,rrison Of four hundred men
at the Fort They also learned that they
were within twenty. five miles Of Apalachico.
Ia, and continued to float down the River
On the 9Th Of November-the day Of the
Presidential Election-they had reached q
point six miles from Apalachcola. They
were then only nine miles from the Federal
fleet. and longed most ardently for the priv
ilege Of reaching Il and plumping in couple
Of votes for Old Abe. Capt. Deal said the
-.'nst shar nn,,'5 dn = .s.a.> 49,. -a.:as, os
enthusiastic resolutions expressive oftheir
conf dsnss In tie Administra ton, and trust
to Providence and the loyal voters Of the
United States for the rest The sea run
ming very high ii th,s point, which was 1t
the head Of Lake winspeco. they were driv-
en- into marsh, and compelled TO hoist
flag ofdistress, hoping man whom they
deserted on shore would come to their as-
sistance. He saw their sign, and came
down to the beach accompanied BY two 9TH
er men. They proved to be Unionnists, and
helped the fugitives ashore, fed them, and
piioted them to the houses Of good Union
friends in Apalachicola, and next morning,
before daylight, the officers stood on the
decks of she. u. 8. Blockading Steamer Som
erset. N 7. Rogers. Acting Volunteer Lieu.
tenant, Commanding. They were received
with the utmost cordiality,, and soon after
wards transferred to the u s. steamer
Stars d,'d Stripes, bound for West Pass,
coast Of Florida; thence transferred to the
is. steamer Lsononsia. Lieutenant Simp-
son, commanding, arrived at Key West on
the l4th OF November, and on the 23d ar
rived in New York harbor, partaking of
Thanksgiving dinner given by Admiral
Paulding. aye" 5ft2hal
Capt. Deal is an officer Of quick, clear
Of unusual intelligence, and the
modest recital Of his adventures in the Reg
ister sanctum was listened to by few Of
our friends With the same degree Of intense
interest which We experienced ourselves
Two officers. viz: Lieut.. Hudson Of the
Seventeenth Iowa, and Lieut.. Col. Shower
Of the Seventeenth Ohio, who attempted to
escape from Columbus few minutes before
Captains Deal and Shelton, were recaptured
Both escaped again, but Lieut. Colonel.
Shower was recapturpd and killed. Union
prisoners who attempt escape from Rebel
clutches must Of course take the risks OF ad-
ditional ill-traatment and even Of d cath in
case of'faiiure. buRthe loye Of freedonzi is ir.
repressible and such men as those We have
mentioned, will take the chances, let the re-
suit be as it may. ~ 81 isa ~
Spikes Waiting for the Mail.
= From the Knickerbocker Magazine
Spikes waiting for the 4mail,' we dare
qualify, is veritable 'Penciiing from Ma