Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-03-02
Misrellanu.
Yankee "Cuteness."

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""Aee '"'o"os
The recent sale of the famous Libby
Prison in Richmond. Va. has called out
many "reminiscences. of which the follow.
lnu. told Inv Joseph Wingtield, once "A
guard over the Union prisoners, well i'll.
Ts.r,uss the Yankees fertility of re-
source;
$50 The old nr;son is sold. is itp" He
said well gentleman. I never 20 by
tDat ,,laoe witbout b,ughinO now I cant
HELM thinkinU of The cnte rick played by
"A lol of Yankees there The fact is. il
was SO good that although | had been
ordered la shoot amonu them disobeved
orders. Ii WAS abom '63. and the Libby
building WAS so crowded that il wouldn't
hold any more prisoners. SO tbey put
large lot of them in the second story of
the second building across the street.
Soon after these prisoners came, the pris-
on officials got a large supply of sweet
lotaloes (rrUulnr yamsl from North
Carolina, an stored them on the first Aoor
OF the builIinp in which these prisoners
were confined. Big sweet potatoes we're
luxuries in those day.. md Turner and
those fellows kept a strict watch over the
building, | can tell YOU. The third day
after they had been slowed away, it was
noticed that they we're disappearing at the
rate Of about bushe dav. At first il
was thought that the rats took them, but a
second thou I'M showed that the idea was
absurd. s ntinels were placed all around
the building with orders to shoot any man
they Caught Sealing those vans, but they
didnt see ANY body 10 shoot and although
they were yo,ted there dny and night, and
4
which Il e putatoes were kept, they conlin-
ued lo disappear at the rate of bushrl II
day The Cunfrdrrales saw their vans
disappearing III this way and were iu-
riuus.
The thing was AN unaccountable myste-
Ty. The doc and windows of the room
we've sealed, and private marks put ON the
wax, 80 that if any one of them were
opened II would he known. The next
morning the officers went into The room.
Ike WAX was ali right, but another hushel
OF potatoes had vanished. Well, sir, ii
WAS he maldest crowd you ever saw
They came after me and ordered me 10
lake my stand in the room. They locked
me III, and lighted candle W IS placed at
each end OF the room SO that could See.
Was ordered 10 shoot at sight any one |
alt was elrlbIy lonesome in that room.
Just as fast us could light one candle
and go IL the other end of the room to
light The other, The rats would cut the first
one down. Tney were regular confe1er.
nte rats, and Il candle was IL god to
them. After lot of worry got the rats
out Of the way, an sat down near the
door waiting for developments. There |
th I
my eyes on lhe potatoes all the time, |
couldn't see any of them going. Shortly
aler II clock | heard creaking,
over the room at once. cooked my gun
and held my breath, but still couldn't see
any sign OF life except the rats creeping
about The floor. by Georgev thought,
'Ihs darned place is haunted
The sound stopped but about ten min
ules after 1t began again. | looked at the
pile of potatoes, anu presently saw some
thing shoot from the ceiling and fail on
them. saw ii was brick, and could
distinguish Il rope lied to it. | crept a
hrtle nearer to get good look at the
thing, but before | could examine it it
about peck Of vans sticking to it. 1t
cut in the floor above, and presently came
down again with thump right among
the potatoes. 1t was the most artful
arrangement you ever saw. The brick
had anout fifty holes drilled in it, and
through each mole a sharpened tenpenny-
nail had been run, SO that when the brick
fell among the yams these nails stuck into
every one they fell on. | could not
help laughing at the smart dodge those
Yankees had taken to get at the yams.
gently put my hand forward and caught
hold OF me rope. Pretty soon they began
to draw on it, and when it did not move
l heard some one say, Steady, boys; the
brick hung to something Pull her
steadily without jerk ng. They did pull
steadily, aud fairly lifted me from the
floor. No jerk; easy, boys, easy the
director said, and they tugged away. |
got pretty red in the face holding to the
rope was afraid to let 90 because
thought some of those spiked nails might
strike me in passing.
| thought of NV pocket.kpife. and