The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-01-21

slderably, got my ticket TO Philadelphia
"As told you before, my down trips We're
much easier than getting North, so my return
is not worth recounting, any further than to
say that the thousand ounces of quinihe that
l took back were joyfully received by the
sick and starving army.
THE trip on which was captured was one
scarcely less disagreeable than that last re-
lated 1t began only week after l had got
back TO Richmond. l started out seemingly
in a streak of good luck, for 1 found a skitf
right to hand on my arrival at Matthias
Point / was going North alone, and had to
hire couple OF darkies to row me across.
We started ON the night of December - in
a driving, binding snow-storm.
MORE IMPESETRABLE THAN MIST.
"Snow is something that will obscure the
rays of even calcium light, but it has one
disadvantage-you can lose yourself more
easily even than in n mist, especially if the
wind is shifting. That must have been the
reason we lost our course, for it was near
daylight when We struck the Maryland
shore We recognized it by its gravely
bank, that on the other side being muddy
and fringed with reeds. / left the darkies to
get back the best way they could and struck
out for some shelter. The spot at which we
landed was unknown to me, but the lowing
of COW piloted me 10 u Maryland farm
house. / had never been there before, and i
had to make choice between risking capture
by boldly asking shelter or TO catch what
sleep / could in the outhouses. prudently
chose the shuck house, and l may say here
that I've slept on worse beds than corn
shucks, with plenty of the same for covering.
/ fell into sound sleep, and awoke most
unaccountably warm an hour or two after
sunrise. The heat was soon accounted for
by the fact that litter of young pigs had
sought the same shelter and were lying al
most IN contact with me under the shucks.
l got my bearing soon and found more hos
pitable refuge. My trip to Philadelphia was
without adventure and | might have got back
to Richmond easily enough if l had taken
the usual route. Ihad been so lucky hitherto
that began to think that | could not be
caught. The Christmas festivities of the
people in Prince Georges county proved too
attractive for me. l took the precaution of
getting a pass from the provost marshal GER
tifying that | was a loyal citizen. An old
chum of mine was a relative of that officer,
and | worked the pass through him. Thus
protected took no pains to conceal myself,
but attended balls and evening companies as
bold as brass. The ladies were all in warm
sympathy with the South, and l was in great
request among them to tell what l knew of
their friends in the army. i willingly
acceded TO their request TO carry
letters over for them. After as pleasant
week as ever l spent i continued on my
Journey South. 1 went to Port Tobacco ex-
pecting 10 make connection there with a
boat which was going to cross the river. /
was an hour too late, and had to cast around
for some other way to cross. Port Tobacco
was full of soldiers, but L relied on my pass
and went TO the hotel for dinner. Nearly
all the officers dined there. l was making
myself agreeable to them the best / knew
how, and would probably have got through
unchallenged, but just as | was finishing my
meal the officer of the day came in.
CAUGHT AT LAST.
ale and / knew each other well before
the war, and he recognized me at once. I've
been looking for you for the last two months,
old boy; your games up l knew it was
no use to deny anything, so | went along
with him without a word. / don't see
that our old acquaintance made him
any easier on me- for he showed me into
the dirtiest cell in the Port Tobacco Jail, and
left me there for day without anything to
eat except what scanty ratiOns my fellow
prisoners shared with me. L was war-pris-
Oner and had no rights at all. i wanted to
get counsel, but was afforded no opportunity
to do so, and l did not know what charges |
was TO be tried on until nearly a month after
ward. knew that | had done enough TO |
bring nv head into the moose and was anx
ious to know whether they could prove it. |
You NAV think it was an anxious time, but |
don't remember it so. My most disagree
able recollections relate to the dirt of the cells
and the unpleasant companionship. 1t is |
strange that Ill this time forgot the letters |
which had agreed to take South. They had |
searched me after my arrest but had not found |
them. and by some sort of fatality did not |
destroy them as / should have done. After |
a week of Port Tobacco was transferred to |
the old JAIL in Baltimore. When they |
searched me there the letters were found, and |
they furnished the proof of one of the speci- |
fications on which l was afterward tried, |
namely, rebel mail carrier. That settled my |
case. as found at once, for, instead of hav-
ing the comparative comfort of confinement /
in a civil Jail they transferred me at once to |
casemate in Fort McHenry.
TRIED BY coURT-MARTIAL.
"The commission which was called to try |
me did not sit until July, and was not fur |
nished with the charges and specifications |
until so near the trial day that hardly had |
any chance to make a defense. My triers
of seven officers, who sat in room
in St. Paul street, to which l was taken every |
dav, manacled and under guard. Two old |
friends defended me as well as they could.
That pass which got from Colonel Miller,
instead of proving a protection, became
very damning part of the evidence against
me. They brought witnesses to show the
surreptuious means by which it was
obtained, and that taken in connection with
nv known enlistment in the confederate
army, was regarded as conclusive proof that
was spy The letters, too, were arrayed
against me. Ny counsel argued in vain that
even though l had agreedto carry the letters
it should not be regarded as a serious offence,
as the letters themselves consisted merely of /