The National tribune., 1883-04-05

I TUI4TIIts
to make the discovery about-faced imme-
diately, and motioned for the other two to do
| likewise, and beat q retreat as fast and as ST.
| iently as possible. We got back into the rayine
| and made down it some distance and hid in a
| tree-top. Stookey went back cautiously to see
| what the men were doing, and ascertain, if he
| could, what their business was. He was gone
nearly an hour, and returned with the report
that he did not think the men were on the
! watch for any of us. But we had seen enough
| to satisfy us that it would not be safe to at
| tempt to travel any further that day, so we
stretched ourselves out upon the ground and
went to sleep, quite thankful that if we were
not in Heaven-home-we were at least out of
! hell--a rebel prison. We did not however, all
| sleep at the same time; fer while two rested it
| was necessary for the third TO be on the watch,
| and every man took his time like relief guard
i In the army. We supped that evening on raw
corn and turnlps, and about sund0wn took up
! our weary march again. We thought it pru-
! dent to adopt army regulations in marching as
/ well as in camp, so we arranged it that one of
us should always keep fifty or one hundred PAGES
in advance of the other two. so that, in case he
should run into danger the rest might see
or hear of 1t in time to avoid it themselves.
| This post we called our " vanguard" J" and was
taken by turns as other duties.
CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.
We started in a northwest direction and
| while passing through the woods kept together
but as soon rs we entered clearing or road
sent the vanguard" " ahead. Nothing of i'm
! portance occurred till nearly an hour after
dark, when, IN crossing an old pasture field,
we heard some one coming towards us and sing
ing as gay as lark. We stepped aside, and
hid In some small underbrush, but just as he
got opposite we happened to mako some noise.
lie discovered us at once and yelled out
Who be dar?" Perceiving that it was a
| negro, we got up and went towards him. He
evidently wanted to run, and we were
compelled to threaten him in order to
make him remain where he was. In an
| sWer to our questions, he said we were
about twenty miles from Danville, and in
Spottsylvania county, Virginia When we
told him we were escaped Yankee soldiers, he
would not believe US. 'sYou no Massa Lincum
soldiers Dey all ware better close dan you've
got on" he said. He had not heard ANYTHING
OF any soldiers being at Danvile. We tried to
get some information from him of places on our
route, but he was so ignorant that we did not
consider him trustworthy. If we had had
more confidence in the man. we might have
pressed him into service as d guide for q por-
tion, at least, of that night, but we thought it
best to let him go, ard tfudged on. The moon
went down between 9 and 10 o'clock, and the
sky became very cloudy. 1t finally became so
dark that we could not tell which way we
We're going. At one time we would be in the
brush tearing ourselves to pieces the next
stumbling over logs aud into mud holes and
fnally--to make me as miserable as possible
fell my whole length into mud hole that
was knee deep. My hands, face, head, and in
fact my whole person, was completely saturated
with mud and water. | told my companions
! could not go any further: nature was ex-
hausted and | must stop and seek rest if |
could find any. Furthermore, / was uncertain
whether we were taking the right course or
not, and we might be jast wandering in circle,
as persons are apt TO do when lost on dark
night. Besides all this. was suffering from
what / had eaten. The raw corn and turnips
on an empty stomach had given me a collie.
We halted for the night, and in fence corner
scTaped together some wet leaves and made q
bed, in which we piled ourselves like hogs did
not sleep any. l was shaking with cold; my
teeth chattered, and / was in an ache from
head to foot. God forbid that ] should ever
pass such another night To me death would
have been welcome visitor. was in despair.
and told my companions that we never could
get through. Finally, it vas agreed that if
morning ever came for as we would go to the
hIst house we saw, tell the inmates our story
and put our destiny in their hands
MONDAY, nov. 17TH.
1t was the shrill notes of q chanticleer That
told US the next morning that we were camp
ing near the residence of some human being
ana that daylight was at hand. My two COM
panlons We're the first TO arise from our nest of
leaves, and just managed to stand up by lean
ing against the fence 1t was only after sew
erai Efforts however, that | was able TO get up
and 1t was long time before | could stand
alone. The sun was just peeping up over the
eastern hills as we started off in the direction
III which We had heard the cock growing. We
had gone but very short distance, when we
came upon clearing of probably dozen acres
or more in the middle OF which stood two log
cabins about thirty feet apart Our first inn
presSleDS were that it was the residence of
negroes. A thick smoke was curling up from
the mudand-sticb chimney Of one of the cabins.
and assured us that some of the family were
mp. 1t was agreed that / should 90 alone to
the house and find out whether it would be
safe to make ourselves known 10 the inmates
and, under any circumstances, try to get some
thing to eat. Ny companions, meanwhile. were
To hide behind the fence aud if | should find
everything favorable, | was to come into the
yard and beekon to them, and they were then
TO come TO the house If was not heard from
III reasonable time, however, they were to
conclude that something WAS wrong and be on |
their guard, though underno circumstances were
they to abandon me. Over the fence and off
TO the cabins ! Went The yard was inclosed |
by crooked rail fence and when | came to |
the fence / was met and saluted by the baving |
OF three or four dogs principally hounds The |
noise broughG from the house q yery iUteIli- |
gent looking woman. She came down near
to the fence where | was standing. and saw |
III an instant that she was somewhat con- |
fused as we'll as myself. 1 had expected TO |
see 4 negro, but, instead, here was quite a
pretty white woman OF probably thirty wears of /
age. As she was very much excited, | was the t
first to speak. | began by telling her that she |
must Hot be alarmed Tor there was no one geinp
TO harm her; that | was a Yankee and a SOL |
dier of the Union army; that | had been cap /
fured, a.ld held as prisoner of war but that I /
had escaped from DanviiIe prison, and was /
trying to make my way home to Ohio. She /
said nothing in reply, aud | felt that was not |
making any impression ufon her for all the
time had been talking she had eye(, me with
suspicious looks. | told her then how LONG |
had tasted, and how much had suffered other
Wise. On hearing this she spoke for the first
time and said: Don't you know that the law
does not allow any one to have descrters
about them, or to harbor or give them aid ?"
] replied Madam, am not deserter: am
no Confederate soldier, nor ever was. | am
simply Union soldier. Look if Won please.
ut my uniform. Though covered with mud Won
can see that it is the Union blue Why shGpid
you doubt me?" / told her again that I
was furnishing for something to eat and that
| had not tasted anything ike food forseyentv-
two hours but she repeated what she had said
before, and began to think that nv case was
hopeless. | presume my locks must have be-
trayed the despair which felt, for she finally