The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-02-13
For The Jeffersonian.
THE UNION VOLUNTEER.
BY III. LANGFORD.
CHAPTER XXI.

came to gladden. the solitary sunshine
within the vicinity of Macon. Hundreds
passed their days and nights in misery
and privation as we'll as Austin, and
pincd away to skeletons under the trying
effects Of hunger and confinement. He
bore it with firm heart, and lived in
hope of better future. Few dared to
hazard their lives in efecting their cs-
cape, as the utmost vigilance was being
kept to prevent any effort, and a strong
guard constantly on the alert to shoot
down any who were bold enough to make
the attempt. They were huddled together
in numbers in small enclosures, filthy and
unwholesomc in the extreme; and the
contagious diseases from time to time car
ried them away by scores, making room
for others equally unfortunate, who had
escaped the slaughter of the battle field,
and who came there to perish by disease
and suffering.
Macon, during the war, was a military
prison house, kept, and constantly stocked
by the rebels with the human plumber of
many a disastrous field 1t was one of
the chief rendezvous in the South for the
slowing away of officers and others who
were deemed to be dangerous abroad;
aud when once thrust there such an
event only as the surrender of General
Lee could tend to their release The
prisoners locality was surrounded, or en-
closed by an immense planken framework
guards placed on every point where es-
cape was possible, while on the outworks,
sentinels were fixed at short distances
from each other to facilitate any alarm
that might be given in the event of at
tempts being made from the inside. The
greatest watchfulness was imposed by the
authorities, aud their precautions had full
effect = they murdered by plague and
famine quietly those whom they dare not
getrid ofin legal way, or bring the heavy
chastisement which such bloodguiltiness
must necessarily merit upon them by an
enraeed and insulted soldiery.
"Chillonl thy prison is holy place 7"
Austin's first year of privation was
over = year of sadness and inactivity !;
Of thoug and hopelessness-Camillia was
a year older perhaps stricken in beauty,
and robed in the weeds of widowhoo :
perhaps dead, unlamented and forgotten,
and he left alone, stranger and an out
cast. If ever a smile was at his lips =
if a JOY gladdened in his eye, it was the
one hope that kindled them = the one
bright loads which burns through the
blank night-cloud Of the future, and
points to grander destiny as we contem-
plate it. He was glad at heart whenever
her image awakened thoughts of better
day, and nourished the dream as if it
were on the eve of consumation. He at
last conceived the idea of making his es-
cape, and he became thoughtful, as he
found out he must have an accomplice,
and one willing to undertake the risk at
the most hazardous point. On the east
ern corner of the enclosure, and running
parallel with the high Road, gurgled a
deep stream some eighty or a hundred
yards in width. The sentiuels were posted
Of necessity considerable distance down
the angles of the homework; and on a
dark cloudy night one could let himself,
by means of rope, into the water from
the extreme corner without attracting
notice from the guard. Ausen had con
ceived all this, and concluded that he
would make an attempt. With these
thoughts in his mind he soon fixed on a
companion and arranged his plan so as to
catch the first opportunity that might
present itself
The night was dark and cloudy. A
dizzlng rain fell during the afternoon,
aud now threatened to pour down with
greater violence as darkness set in. The
wind in ftful gusts, sighed loudly thro'
the forest trees, and gave indication of n
fearful storm; and TIC guards, as they
mufried themselves in their heavy cloaks,
eyed the heavens with suspicion, aud
sought place of shelter from the APP
preaching tempest. 1t was now near
midnight =" Ais Well " was vocile.
ated from one post to another, when the
report of gun rang loud and sharp in
the lull of the elements, and the "reliet y
started from their nap and hurried out
into the storm. Another gun broke upon
the wind - and another. Austin clung
to the coping of thc wall eand looked
down. The chasm roared below in surf and
floam, and the wild current howled as it
chaied over the broken rocks. His com
panion had descended, and his weight
jerked the rope from Austin's hand. A
cry of suffering rose up from the dark
abyss = dcath,ery; and the fash from
the sentry's musket enabled ihc nervous
Austin to dcsery the unfortunate adyeu-
turer mangled on the rocks beneath. A
mild terror seized his senses, and he
shrank backward in time to avoid the
bullet from the gun of the other sentry.
lie dared not look down again - his
heart sickened at the spectacle there
ana the deep uproar of the rushing wa
ters sounded dealening in his ears. -
Bang! bang! bang - a half dozen bull
lets whizzed at his cars, and loud impre-
cations echoed from the inside beneath
where he cluug with siekcning sensation
Certain death awaited him on either