The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-10-03
An Incident of the Late Var.
A PRIVATE FROM NATCIHToCHEs PARISH
MAKING Ills ESCAPE FROM PRISON.

Ia. Infantry. {. :. A., WAS capture! with 7
q number of his regiment ut the battle Of
Bakers Creek, Miss, on rhe 10Th day OF |.
May 1868. Ihe prisoners was sent to the /
prison III Fort Delaware, it being an
island on Delaware Bay. Ii was two
miles from the prison TO either the New
jersey or Delaware shores. The pri>o-
neri were compelled to drink the brack-
ish water of the Delaware Bay. and Is
looked rs If they would lll die, and sS he
considered death staring him in the face
OH The enc hand, and i chance for lite on
the other, if they could make The land en-
the Delaware shore, he decided TO make
the effort. Securing from his comrades
ell tie til camtecns he could, ne arranged
them across his breast and uEGer his
arms. he made his way to the Bay ab5Ht
II o'clock NJ night, (aaout six weeks al
ter his capture to q plaae where the
prisoners had access; lie let himself down
into the water. and started in i westerly
direction fer the lights IT Delaware city.
n distance of two miles. The tide was
running out, and he appeared to be max
ing bat little or no Roadway. and almost
deSpairing his fate. when suddenly a siu.
gle light appeared to south, but Infinitely
nearer than those Of the city. lie deci-
ded il was some point overlooked by him
and made for the single light, it being in
the direction that The tide was flowing.
lie made much better progress, but soon
10 his di=Inay, While almost within hail
of the light, it was eNtiuguished. lie wus
nonplusscd rs what TO DO; imagination
can scarcely picture the horror OF his pc
Sition: he had travelled off the course
| from his first point of destination, and
was now farther from the Delaware shore
than when he first diyerged. lie finally
concluded 10 continue if possible, the di-
| rection the single light was last seen, ho-
ping to make some discovery, at the same
time, fearing it might have been in some
Hpoiice boat, or L.. :. war vessel. These
medi,ations were almost maddening-af-
ter toiling with waves for :. considerable
| length OF time he came abruptly en- Il
| small schooner ut anchor-what lie should
90 now. he was III a loss to know. but
| being almost exhausted. lie concluded to
board the vessel, but when lie got to the
vessel he discovered Il yawl fastened 10
the rigging, bGt iiioat: hc then made up
his mind to secure the yawl if possible,
which after considerable exertion lie ac-
con.plishcd. Not daring to make any
noise. he let the yawl float, he not moving
| in his position until the yawl had drifted
! = considerable distance from the vessel.
He then felt for the oars, and 10, there
were none in the beat. After searching
for some time in the dark, he succeeded
| in displacii q the seat, which he used rs
paddle. SO he turned his bow in the
direction of the lights which he supposed
to be Delaware city. After working hard
aud was making, Is he thought, IN end
of this troubiOus trip, he heard and rec
ognized the well-known voice cf the son
tincl on the walls Of TIE Fort call cut.
halt. Imagine the horror of his position
tigue and want of water. he with weary
hands turned the beat in the direction of
the lights n Delaware city. and toiled on
until just at daylight he landed his boat
in tile flats above the city. This was not
The end Of his trouble, the place that he
landed his boat looked like solid earth.
so eager was he TO make his way into the
country before sunrise, he jumped ashore
to his waist. The boat driftcd away, and
he had 10 work his way 10 the hard
ground through several hundred yards of
this soft mud. The feat was accomplish
ed in an unaccountable short length oi
time. and as the sun rose he WAS several
miles ON his way to Maryland.
That night he slept Ii Il farmhouse,
where he engaged himself as a laborer,
The next morning the landlord asked him
; if he could NOW wheat, (he rs i matter
: Of course. had never mown wheat or used
cradle) being afraid of being detected
. said hc had never done much. but WA;
: willing to do what he could. lie WI:
given cradle and started TO the field; Ii,
imagined he could do as well As any one
and making heavy lick ran lie BLADE
: about half It's length in the ground, h'
} made several other Intellectual attempts
and iirally gave up, and waited for TN
proprietor TO come to the field; when h'
came, he asked him if there WAS nothin:
l else lac could give him to do. lie wa
asked If he could plow. he said that h
could: so lie went to the plow, where h
was IN expert: lie worked until he Garnet
some money, which added to little b
had brought with him oat Of prison, h
bought ticket to Baltimore.
lie met numbers of men who wer
@ southern sympathi>ers, and from ihei
I conversation he knew he could Eaye got
4 ten All the assistance lie desired! btit nr.,