The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-07-15
Incidents of Camp Life.-No 4.

"Were you ever taken prisoner Captain ?" was
the question that we heard asked one evening
while were enjoying a reunion of old army friends,
and listening to the hairbreadth escapes of one and
the other. Captain w. being thus called upon,
tossed away his cigar, and replied Never, my
dear madam, but l endured once, for a brief mo-
ment. all the horrors of captivity, and I'll tell you
all about it.
while we were stationed at Newberne (you
know where that is c. our regimental officers were
called upon to do outpost duty a good deal, and In
the fulluess of time it came to pass, that had to
" go the rounds as & Brigade Officer of the day"
1.-THE most ~fatiguing part of the whole tour,
was found in working our way across the peninsula
from the Neuse to the Trent river. about seven
miles through " bush, and brake, and tangled
scuar.' crossing the swamps, and picking our
road through and over the bog that in places
hardly admitted of a passage for our horse.
However, the advanced line of pickets was
there, and must be visited, at least once, after IL
O'Clock midnight. and 4 o'clock a. m. (see Army
Regulations). and 30 after completing the rest OF
the round, 1 reached the mounted post on the bank
of the Neuse, and finding everything all right
took another orderly and q fresh horse and started
across.
I'VE passed post after post, being challenged
promptly at each one. and after clearing the
swamp, reached the more open ground near the
Trent. Here the vIdettes were stationed rather far
Their apart than usual, and 1 sent the orderly on a
little more in advance. in order that be might come
up with the next sentinel, be challenged, respond.
dismount. and be ready to give the countersign by
the time / rode up. AS he pushed on, and was
quickly lost to sight. l followed on a little way
until / reached a rather open spot, and halted that
be might gain a little more distance.
The night was a beautiful clear one. and though
there was no light save from the stars, yet objects
close to hand could be distinguished with tolera-
BILE distinctness. while around me the small stumps
and stunted trees assumed grotesque forms, as
they moved in the light wind that sighed through
their branches. The noise made by my orderly
pushing through the forest that shut in on every
hand had ceased, and an intense stiffness had sue
ceeded, when my horses ears quickly bentforward,
as if he heard some noise that failed to reach me,
eagerly l gazed and listened, and then close by
my side l heard-'Ge down you yankee -
quick. down 1 tell you ~
Turning my head slowly, l saw the cold shining
muz zle of a ~carbine, held within six inches of my
head. and glancing along the length of the deadly
weapon, 1 met the stern look of a pair Of eyes,
darkly cleaning from under a shadowy hat, and
l knew that a strong nervous finger was lightly
resting upon the trigger of the carbine, and thought,
one motion of mine towards my pistol-hOlsters. one
sign of resistance, and friends and home. and life
I" quick, or you're a dead mani"
Slowly, and oh bow unwillingly, l lowered
my foot in the stirrup, and half turned in the sad
die to dismount, and though l could not now see
my captor, yet l knew that death was close behind
me, and that if L escaped that swift taking of, long
weary months of living death in rebel prison pens
awaited me. Oh if could but strike even once,
if l could only face my death with a weapon in
my hand-but to be killed thus! My heart almost
stopped, as 1 swung myself clear of the saddle,
and then ii gave a great bound as my ear caught
the faint tinkle of sound, and / recognised the
rattle of a sabre sheath against its behring's. The
sentry l had last passed was nearing the spot, and
in another moment would be in sight; with a shout
l dropped, and darted under the horse there was
a aash, a loud report, l felt u sharp blow on my
shoulder, and then another shot, and / sprang to
my feet. in time to see the sentry dash into the
the wood in front of me. The branches bent and
cracked as he plunged into the dark forest, and
soon / heard him fire again. By this time my
orderly had returned, and after hearing what had
happened, he commenced a search for my horse.
Soon both men cam back leadiHg the frightened
animal. which it seems, had dashed off as the rebel
bushwhacker fred, but had kept near the sentry,
who, catching a glimpse of the reb as he had ran
for the wood. had followed i'll eager, but unavail-
ing pursuit.
Thanks to the strong desire of the reb to make
sure OF a fine horse and complete set of equipments.
besides the fun of the capture, l was not shot
before | knew it, in accordance with the usual
practice of bushwhackers. AS it was, | got off
with a torn coat, and lame shoulder, where my
horse had struck me with his boof, and that my
dear madam. was. as near as L ever came to being
taken prisoner"
CAPT. Co. C..