The Portland daily press., 1876-03-14
Rebel Prisons.

went away from the hut where he had spent
the night, aud our fugitive was taken into it
from the out house, and his two comrades we're
brought in from the open fields and made COM
Portable and welcome by the poor "son of
Ham," as pre- slavery Doctors of Divinity used
to call the negroes. A little negro boy and
girl, the children of the family, were sent out
to keep watch and ward 50 as to give early
notice if any one should be seen approaching
The shrewdness of the negro was seen IN the
instructions given to these children as to how
to do it.
They were stationed at opposite sides of the
hut so as to have a wide view-and ''Now him
MES, said the negro, look yer here. eff you see
emmy body oummin don't yer done run inter de
house; don't yer run emmy how, you stand still
and pick up chips or suthin, and Loler out as
loud as yer Car, dat de pig done run away, and
bof OBJ gou boiler as loud as yer can, der pigs
done rund away. do yer unnerstan@ ''Yes
we unnerstan'' they said, with grin, showing
their teeth and the whites of their eyes, ind.
eating that they were to manifest no fear a..
the sight of stranger.
Our fugitives were made comfortable at a
good fire of pine wood, before which some shoe
cakes" were "a don" for their breakfasts,
which they ate by and by with keen appetite,
and were enjoying the fire and the feeling of
serenity, when they heard the little boy and
girl CRY out-"Da pigs done 1und away quick. ;,
The "q1ick" was extemporized by the little
girl, and within the hut it was understood TO
mean 'be quick" Instantly they we're on
their feet. There was little trap door over
hpad Iaadinn tn ba La
ladder. The regroes lifted our fugi tives one
after the other, so that they could Chamber up
and stow themselves away quietly under the
caves. This was hardly accomplished before
they heard voices outside the hut.
Two mounted scouts were there, out on a
hunt after the fugitive Yankees. "Hullo! yeu
little ebony said one of the scouts, shave
you seen any white men along here?" "Ise only
bend out here liltle while and nobody hasn' {
done gond by here; dads in de house, he can
tell yer. One OF them rode up to the hut and
without dlsmounting, cried out-"Hullo there,
you black devil, come out herep' The negro
instantly threw the door wide open to show
there was nothing to conceal. 'Have there
any Yankee prisoners passed by here last night
or this morning?' mo, massa there hab not.
Hap the Yankee prisoners done rund away"
lse heard tell de Yankees is mighty mean
white folks, if dey comes dis way dis nigger'l
fix EN- sure. Whar be you uns stayin? Eff
dey comes dis woy I'll tell um go by de road
where you uns is, sure. Yah, yah. Let dis
nlgger lone for fix de mean Yankees-yah yah /!
Come in, won't you? De ole woman'l make
you some hoe cake mighty quick
The scouts would not dismount, and told the
negro the point where the meanest picket
was stationed and made off rapidly, the negro
watching closely the route they followed, until
they disappeared in the distance. "Yah," said
the negro aloud. as if talking to himself, 'If
emmy OBJ dose mean Yankees Gums dis way, L
sartin will tell em to go de road to Turner's 70
korners. Yah, yah, for dats de place whar we
unsll nab um, yah, yah. Hullo up dere,'
speaking to the fugitives, "you stay up dere
| more yet, don't kun down now. Sum more
we uns may kum long dis way"
Onr fugtives remained in the hut until
evening, being warm and comfortable and we'll
| supplied with hoe cake for the day and some
for future needs. When it was sufficiently
dark their host took them out to direct them
| on their way. 'Now look er here. You go dat
road: dat goes to Turner's TO korners, whar
| you'll find sum of our sogers ready for to take
| good kare OBJ yer. l hab promise to tell you to
go that way. What, you don't like dat road? p?
yah, yah, den Ise tell you OBJ anudder road
Whar yer want find any OBJ our sogers to Glib
yer emmy hoe cake, yah, yahr'
And so the negro gave them minute direc-
tlons as to the roads and by-paths they were to
take, and told them of dense wood where
they could pass the morrow, and SO on
to the loyal lines. Our fugitiyes went away,
refreshed and strengthened and most grateful
to the poor negro who had served them so
faithfully and lovingly at so much risk to
himself, for the scouts would have shot
him Instantly if they had discovered the fugi-
tlves concealed in his hut. Our friends had
Deen on their way quarter of an hour when
they heard footsteps rapidly approaching their
rear; they stepped out Of the path to escape
observation. and recognized their host as he
came running along They spoke to him
When he said he was afraid they might miss
the way, as it was entangled bp cross roads and
by many paths, and so he had come on to go
with them as far as it would be necessary, so as
to pass by all the doubtful places. The negro
told them not to talk except in low tone, bet
ter not to speak at all; to walk in single file,
some little distance between them as less like
y to attract the eye of scout, and that he
would lead off, and if he should discover any
thing alarming, he would return upon his steps
to satisfy them, so that they could secrete
themselves in the bushes or behind fences or
the trunks OF trees
Nov look here, be said, can you uns walk
fas? Ise mighty fas walker-can yer hoe yer
row?' They would do their best, but from
long confinement, they were not very strong
but they would try to keep up" And SO this
kind hearted, brave aud gentle negro led them
all night, until just before dawn, he pointed
them to the thick wood, where they could pass
the day. He said he knew negro living not
far away and he would 60 to his hut aud in
form MIN OF their situation, and if it could be
done safely, the man would go into the wood
to fi1d and help them. AS tor himself if he
should be discovered upon the road. it would
be suspected at once that he had been helping
fugtiyes and he would be shot wi6hout scrnpl e.
N ID