The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-07
SAINT PAUL FRIDAY. APRIL 7, 1865.

wood, while hundreds of cords were rot
ting almost within sight.
| A number of 6-mule teams, driven by
negroes, were employed In removing the
dead bodies. When a pile of them had
accumulated at the gate, the team came
along, and two negroes selling dead
body-one by the head and the other by
the feet-give him just three swings back
and forth, as We often see men handle
bags of grain, and toss them pell-msll into
the wagon. Arriving at the trench, the
bodies were laid in rows, side by side, and
q bit of paper containing the name, COM
pany and regiment, pinned on the breast
Of each, and board placed at the head
with corresponding description.
Mr.. May remained in this den of horrors
for two months and five days, and was
then-Sept. 15-started for Salisbury, n.
O., via Wilmington. This was at the time
when Sherman was making his immediate
presence sensibly felt in the vicinity of
Wilmington, and there was much confu-
sion, CONSERVATION, and hurrying to and
fro, mounting in hot haste, and all that
sort of thing John was obliged to re-
main here one day, listening with unspeak-
able Joy and satisfaction to the sweet mu-
sic Of .Sherman's great guns which were
distinctly heard booming in the distance.
On the 18th he started on q train for
Salisbury, and that night, when about
sixty-five miles out Of Wilmington, he
resolved to make one desperate attempt
to escape. The guard at the door of the
car had gone to sleep, with his loaded
musket across the doorway, and John,
| taking down his haversaek, containing
about quart of corn-meal, stepped over
the PROSTATE guard, and after satisfying
himself that be was really asleep, crept
stea!thily to the edge of the platform,
| peered out into the gloomy night, and
made bold leap. The train was moving
at the rate of twelve miles an hour, and in
the language of the Irishman, the next
thing he knew, he didn't know anything.
He lay stunned and senseless for time,
but on recovering, found that no bones
were broken, though he was not in the
best condition for travelling. The train was
ont of hearing, 80 he was obliged to guess
which direction to take in order to- reach
Wilmington, but fortunately took the right
course, and at daylight turned off the rail-
road, and finding secure retreat in the
thick bushes, slept soundly through the
entire day, resuming his journey the next
! night. On the third night he came upon
rebel pickets, but discovering them by
their fires, and having previously ascer-
tanned from the friendly negroes that there
was dirt road short distance from the
railroad, running parallel with it, he struck
through the swamps and bushes, and
gained it in safety. Here he was contin-
ually obliged to make short detours to
avoid citizens and soldiers who were fee
ing from Wilmington.
On the fourth night, he came to the
Cape Fear River, ten miles from Whining
ton, and knew if be could get across that,
he was safe. The river at that point is
over one-fourth of mile in width, with q
swift current. His meal was gone, but he
| invariably found the negroes friendly,
cheerfully dividing their scanty stores of
food with him, and gladly plotting him on
bis way, and pointing out the proper
course to take to avoid the rebel pickets.
CROSSING THR RIVER.
| Stopping at negro shanty he found an
old negro woman, who quickly prepared
some food for him, and while partaking of
their humble fare he noticed negro man
sitting in one corner with bowed head,
and who appeared much detected. On
| inquiry, be ascertained that the darkey
had just heard of the determination of the
rebel government to arm the negroes to
| fight the Yankees. "But," said be, with
terrible earnestness, eds chile ne6er
shoots one of you Yankees"
John proposed to him to fad some
means for crossing the river, and assured
him that as soon as he was safe on the
other side, he would be free man. This
was about 10 o'clock at night, and the ne
| gro started out to reconnoitre, but re-
turned at Q O'Clock, sorrowfully declaring
that be could find no boat, and that the
ferry, 8 short distance above, was strongly
guarded by rebels, John proposed to
appropriate" couple of "massas"
horses and swim them acrose, but the dar-
key was confident no horse could accom-
plish such feat Upon John suggesting
to ihim that, perhaps, some dug-out or
trough Of some kind might be found cap
able of floating them across, the darkey
replied that there was a watering trough
at the barn, about ten feet long, but too
| heavy for them to "tote." But when
John inquired why not take horse from
the stable and drag it down to the river,
the negro threw up bis hands, leaped into
the air, and fairly screamed with delight.
This plan was quickly put into execu-
ton, but when about thirty rods from the
shore the horse sank in the mud and could
60 no farther. Tying the horse to tree,
they rolled the trough the whole distance
to the river bank. 1t was an exceedingly
difficult and hazardous undertaking to
paddle such craft across the rapid stream
but freedom was too nigh, and too many
formidable dangers had been encountered
and overcome, to think of faltering now.