Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-12-25

twenty years Of age and was not th
kind OF man TO bold himself aloui iroI
any disturbance of tins kind. OF courr
he was in for il, in Tor the war, read
to do his part as far as in him lay /
honor OF his flag and country.
In July, 1914, he was Lieutenant {
cavalry and was engaged in the battl
of Lundy's Lane, july 25lb. llc wa
among the first 10 engage in the baltl
and the last to come out, and rcmcm
bers distinctly oil the incidents of lh
day and night.
f Soon after this battle he was on
with ioraging party, and when thre
miles from Fl. Erie was captured b.
the British. This was on the 9Th G
August, 1914. lie was paroled at
place called BEAUFORT, below Quebec
between the mouths Of the rivers 81
Charles and Monlmorency, his parol
limiting him to space extending thre
miles from the river. November II
1914, tsixiy.iour years ago), he was
with twenty-five other prisoners, a
army officers, taken from their parol
and put on board the transport shi
Stately" about TO sail Tor England
under convoy Of Man ofWar. No
relishing u voyage across the Atlantic
under such circumstances, Lieut.. Gill;
with four others, concluded TO max,
an effort to regain their liberty. |
was, they all very well knew, yer,
bold and hazardous attempt. Th,
chances were against their being sue
cessful, but rather than be taken I,
England as prisoners they decided I,
risk it. The sympathies OF the Other
prisoners were with them and they
aided them while they were getting
away from the vessel--by loud song,
OF revelry. The long boat belonging
to the Stately" was made fast at tn,
ships side AMI drifting back of hel
stern. Lieut.. Gillis first got out of the
cabin window in the stern OF the YES.
sci, climbed down raddle at the ships
stern, caught hold Of the painter aud
drew the long boat under the stern by
the window. The five then climbed
out, got in and with only bottle OF
rum and loaf OF bread ior rations the
boats painter was cast off and they
were sent adriit, the tide drifting
them rapidly away down the river
The first danger they encountered
was, their drifting on the chain of II
frigate ut anchor near. Here IL was
almost a miracle that they were not
capsized. Their boat rubbed against
the side OF the frigate and they were
hailed by its waichman, but the night
being dark they escaped detection and
driled away, landing two miles below
Point Levi, on the opposite side Of the
St. Lawrence. Leaving the boat, thoy
climbed the PERCEPTIONS banks sat down.
ate their loaf, drank their rum and
started, going towards the river Cbau.
iiere, which empties into the st. Law.
renee above Quebec. Striking that
river as they supposed at da, light,
'leven miles from Quebec, they took
% the woods, going up that river, fol-
owing the woods during the cay and
he road by night. On the morning
If the second day of their wanderings
hey arrived at u Frenchman's cabin,
ie telling them that they were not on
he Chaudicre river, but a branch of it.
ie gave them a breakfast of oatmeal
axes and cooked onions, which, in
heir condition, were very palatable.
Their host gave them three bitter oat-
neal cakes, and informed them they
we're on the wrong route, and would
ave to go back to Santarie, on the
,haudiere river, or take u marked line
through the wilderness for forty miles,
0 ST. Mary's, on the upper Chaudierc.
hey chose the latter, after wandering
Or three days through spruce and
rush. On the third day they reached
beech tree ridge and feasted on the
uts Of that tree, one OF their party
lieut.. Fontainc-- eating shell and all,
Thich gave him the collie Soon after
ards striking road, they came TO
no cabin of another French settler,
nd no one being at home, they con
ilted as to whether they should 20 in,
clip themselves to food and leave
ioney to pay for it, or go on. Con
uding to leave the cabin unmolested
iey pursued their weary march, and
,oi after met the owner of the cabin,
'ho, with his family, was returning
ON St. Marys. The Frenchman in.
'rmed them tha. bills were up at st.
Iary's, offering 500 and the Kings
oanty--a guinea-for the capture of
.ch one of the refugees.
They retured to the Frenchman's
ibin, who gave them food, and agreed [
pilot them through St. Mary's as far ,
St. Francis, stating that he had a
rother at the former place, who would I
'sist them. This man, proiesscdly ,
iendly, finally betrayed them to the !
'emy. In his company they set out /
r st. Mary's, arriving there at late ,
'ur. Here they found the brother /,
I'd were admitted into the house.
The distance from st. Mary's to ST. F,
rancis was only nine miles, and could d
ey have arrived n, this place they S
ould have found road cut through '
o woods, and from there to the head. Il
aters of tho Connecticut. The road
as cut by a man named Craig, in the
ne of the embargo. several vears ba-