The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-12-07

4pd Morgan - . Whisper INTRODUCED
Lieutenant William Watson Of his own
company Of the Twenty Wisconsin
Regiment. We held hurried confer
ence and decided to 20 down the street
in an easterly direction, agreeing TO meet
at the second corner for farther consulta-
ton. We each removed our shoes, that
we might move noiselessly and also that
We might run the swilter If challenged
by the sentinels. 3 ., ms.
Watson went off first and was followed
in about two minutes by Moran. AS
they moved away closely watched the
two nearest guards who at one time
halted on their posts and gazed together
after the retreating forms Of two friends.
. resolved, should they show q sien Of
firing, to shout an alarm to my comrades
and dash down the street after them,
But the guards appeared to have no sus-
picion that they were Yankees, and
without any audible comment regarding
them resumed the pacing of their, posts.
Feeling this to- be my opportunity I
stepped from the arched way and leis+
ureiy followed III the wake of my friends.
1T would be difficult to convey to one
who has not shared in like experience;
q clear idea of the peculiar sensation I
1elt when. after an imprisonment ofoyer
six monthss l first foInd myself in the
open fresh air, and drank in the first
fragrant breath Of liberty; and yet I felt
pang of regret as turned irfesistiblV
to look at the grim walls Of Libby. where
1 was leaving, perhaps forever, many Of
the gallant fellows, the most valued
tftehds of my life. There came at the
moment to my mind the touching words
Of Downward, Byron's Prisoner Of
''Yet strange to tell,
In quiet we had learned to DWELL
My very chains and grew friends,
50 much long communion tends
To make us what We are-Even
Ree"'ned my freedom With : sigh"
I followed the trail Of the confederate,
TO the border of the open field which af
iforded a clear view for not less than hall
IL mile toward the north. A small farm
house stood in sight at a distance which
4 estimated at 4 thousand yards, but not
den disappearance OF the party, whom
knew could not have reached the house
lin SO brief time, was significant, and I
instantly concluded that they were at that
very minute deploying about the border
of the swamp, SO as to encompass and
close in on us. I turned quickly and
ran back into the swamp, expecting as
retfeated to hear the whiz of q bullet
from concealed confederate. I had
taken less than dozen steps when a
long, clear whistle was heard to my
right, and instantly answered by another
on the opposite side Of the swamp. My
two friends, installing these for my sig-
nails. bounded through the woods like
startled deer, running toward the south
side. 49,. w.
stopped an instant md heard doz-
ell answering whistles. followed by the
loud, clear command of the confederates
ito: "close in" I could hear the crash
and parting of the brush as our pursuexs
pushed their way into the tangled jungle.
The. thought OF going back captive to
Libby was like knell of death, and l
fully resolved to take any chance short
Of actual suicide, rather than be taken.
L had yet heard no sound from the east
side of the swamp, and therefore deter
mined upon that as the point to run the
gauntlet. l tore through the low bog,
and lost my left shoe iE. the treacherous
mlre, and, to increase nv speed, took
OH the other and threw it away. l struck
i cow-path running eastward, and, hat.
less and without shoes, fairly few over
the ground. spraiig upon the hugh
trunk OF a fallen tree that crossed the
Ipath, and as leaped to the ground on
the opposite side tall confederate con-
ceaed behind it, and who had not heard
my swift and 1,oiseless approach, sprang
to his feet, leaving his carbine leaning
against the tree, turned and ran. He
tripped and fell fiat on his face, uttering
a "whoop" like Comanche Indian.
As he lay straight in my path leaped
;squarely over him and almost into the
arms of three of the confederates, who
levelled their carbines at my head and
commanded me to halt, while the fallen
man recovering tts gi,h and his wits,
cav.c >as;ye'y l.. ward me, gun in band.
and in 0ghorn voice shouted, 'Sur-
render!' amid the laughter of his cooler
companions. For few minutes hoped
MY two comrades might meet a better
. fate than |, but they were soon in sight,
attended by the guard, and exchanged
condolences. The confederates hunted
up my shoes for me and treated us with
considerable kindness, being soldiers
and not prison guards; they fed us liber-
ally from. their haversacks they admit
ted that our discovery in the swamp was
an accident and a great surprise to them,
and add led that we were outside of their
posts.-Philadelphia Times.