The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-10
WHOLE No. 1861

w
around i'll the woods, avoiding sentnels,
and now | was almost in sight of the
longed-for goal. 1t was not mile to
the ford. When dark set in, should
swim the river. and be free man.
More, | had news that would help Sher-
man army to capture Atlanta. a thou
sand pictures of home, of freedom, of
peace, were painting themselves in my
mind. One hour more, and all would be
well. Hank. n shot, and then call to
halt and hold up my arms. was sur
rounded in a moment by fifty cavalry
men who had been secreted in the bushes
how or where | know not. We were
in sight Of the river, and the Union flag
was just beyond. 1t was no use here to
talk about being q Confederate. | was
arrested as spy, and the. great danger
was Of being shot then and there, with
out hearing. | was partly stripped,
searched thoroughly. and marched OFF
between two cavalrymen to General Ross,
of Texas, who with his staff, was also at
hidden point in the woods. General
Ross treated Inc kindly, and gave me a
lunch and q blanket to rest on. 1t was
his duty, however, to send me to the di-
vision headquarters, to be tried. was
tnrnal 70 fannrn1 T.,
sitting by fire, in the wood. roasting
potatoes and reviling the Yankees. AS
| was arrested as spy, and to be tried,
| deemed it best to say nothing. "Try
to escape from me, tonight shouted
General Hume, as if he were command
ing an army corps, "And I'll put you
where there's no.more escaping
Through the whole night soldier sat
at my head, with a cooked pistol; but,
for the first time in days, l slept soundly.
Why not? The worst had happened
By daylight guard marched me off to
the city, where Hood had headquarters
in the yard of a private residence.
On the way there my guard was COM
municative, and persuaded him to show
me the paper that was being sent around
with me, from one headquarter to an
other. | read it. Sure enough, | was
considered spy, and was being forward
ed for trial. The paper gave the hour
and place of my capture, with the state
ment that one of those capturing me had
seen me inspecting fort on the previous
Sunday.
When we reached Hoods tents, | was
turned over to new guard, and the docu-
ment brought with me was carelessly
thrown into an open pigeon-hole by a
clerk who seemed too much disturbed
guard came from, or what | was accused
of. |, at least, noticed where that paper
was put. There was the most tremend-
Gus excitement at headquarters. Order
lies and officers were dashing every where
at once. Fighting was constantly going
on, and an immediate retreat seemed to
be determined. | was left that night
with few other prisoners, against whom
there We're no charges in q tent almost
joining the one where the clerk had de-
posted my paper. Our guard was very
accommodating, or very negligent, for
he allowed different persons to go in and
out from our tent ut all hours during the
night Daylight brought the provost
marshal general to the tent to dispose of
the prisoners. The name of each was
called, and all but myself were taken
out, heard, and sent off.
"And who are you?' he said pleas
antly enough to me. l stepped forward;
the clerk was asked for the paper, but it
was gone. 1T certainly had been mis-
placed,' said the clerk, in embarrass-
ment. He had put it i'll that particular
pigeon hole. l testified to that myself,
and added that sit was of little conse-
uuence, as it was from an officer, l didn't
know whom, who had simply picked me
up rs an escaped prisoner The pro-
vost-marshal took me aside, and asked
me if I had been about the works or the
troops any. | told him my name, that
was really an escaped prisoner, and that
| had just walked up from Macon and
had hoped to get away. "lou have had
u hard time of it," he said, "and | al
most wish you had got away. l hope
you will soon be free he added, land
that the cruel war is almost over"
1t was his duty, though, to return me
to prison, and l was sent to Charleston,
and with many others was placed under
range of our own guns, as weak effort |
to stop the Federal fire on that doomed
city Months afterward | did get away,
and when Slerman's army entered the
city of Columbia | was one of the escaped
prisoners who welcomed it.
The kind provost will smile if he ever
reads this narrative, and will forgive me,
[ know, for the stories told him. They
were necessities. hope, too, that that
young clerk was not punished for the
loss Of that paper. I know that he was
NOT to blame