The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-30
NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY APRIL 80 1885,,

who am yet, but hs will soon learn, and ther
will have to die, for / am spy from the Fed
eral army" Then be added, with a most ap
| pealing look, "Can't you help me to escape, be
fore it is too late?"0 50
/ was amazed, and fora moment doubtful
| but few hasty questions put to test his knowl
edge of the Federal army and his present char
acter, set my doubts at rest. Then I asked
"What can do for rryouYn
He answered, " Can't You write me pass and
sign the commanders nafhe to it ?"
shook my head q Ifa pass written in such
circumstances had'd been worth anything, ]
would probably have written one for mysel
and comrades beforet that time Wells, who did
not trust me at all, had guarded that very point
in his orders. nc q
Then my new friend proposed that we together
break past the guard andirnn for it. I had nc
wish for such trial with only one to help
There was my guard at the Office door; two
more guards in the hall; barrack room, with
always dozen or more soldiers in it, at the
head of the stairway; two guards at the from!
door, and line of sentinels around the whole
building.
But as I glanced around the room my eye
rested on fine overcoat of Wells's lying on the
foot of the Office bed, and an idea struck me.
The prisoner was a short, thick man, about the
same size and build of Wells Said /, " Take
that overcoat," pointing to it, "and throw it
around you, and just walk out as independ-
emily as though you owned the entire establish
ment. 1t IS now nearly dark, and the chances
are that you will not be halted at ALL"
His copntenance lighted at once. "Tll do
it," he exclaimed, with suppressed eagerness.
To fold himself in the cloak, nearly crush my
hand as he said "Thank you! Thank you -
and to open the door and walk out, was the
work of but moment. / listened as his firm
step died away along the hail. but there was no
nh,lIn lot,
cOvery. The soldiers seeing the familiar coat,
must have supposed its rightful owner in it,
and allowed it to pass unhindered. A moment
after Serg't White came in. l feared he
would notice the prisoners absence. but he did
not. l got him engaged in storytelling as soon
as possible, to postpone any inquiries. For
some five minutes l succeeded very well. when
Wells entered cast an uneasy glance about the
room, and at once exclaimed, Sergeant, where
is that officer? Did you put him in another
rOom?"
The Sergeant answered that he had been out,
and that when he returned he saw nothing of
the man.
1t was Wells's turn to be startled now. He
sprang over to me and demanded sternly,
" Pittenger, where's that officer?"
/ was not in the least terrified. In fact, l
was greatly amused, and for the moment for
getting the purpose formed two months before,
of always avoiding untruth as well as all other
evil things, answered, "What officer2"
That officer put in here"
"Oh! that drunken fellow?"
Yes; where is he?"
The last l saw of him, he picked up his
coat aud said he was going to supper"
Going to supper, was he? Ho! | see !! Ser
geant, run TO the guards and tell them if they
let him out I'll have every one of them hung
up by the heels.'
Wells was in a towering passion at once
The alarm was sounded, and for few minutes
a terrible commOtion prevailed but nothing
was seen of the drunken fugitive, whose i'm
portance began to be known. Soon Wells re-
turned, and demanded in peremptory tone
" Pttenger, why did not you give the alarm
when he started2"
answered carelessly. "Oh 1 did not know
that my business in the South was to guard
prisoners" y
"Of course not," ,"ahc returned "but wish
you had called me this time"
Then. after moments silence, he continued
" You said he took His coat. Had he coat ?"
"I suppose so, sir" returned, "Or he would
not have taken it" q d
He brought none in. Where did he get it? :"
"Of the foot of that bed"
Wells sprang to his feet as quickly as if he
had been galvanized kicked the chair on which
he had been sitting clear across the room, and
exclaimed, My ouercoat!" sure as -! Worth
$50! The villain!"
No intelligence of this spy reached Atlanta
while we remained there Wells told me that
there was no doubt he had gotten entirely
away 81 - II.
While in this place, had the opportunity of
learning that there were many lovers of the old
Union in Atlanta These visited u.s. and. al
though always in the.presence of the guards,
managed to express their kindness in very.
tangible ways. They told us much of their
hon ay,1 1>ct te,nc y,f<ft x1nxy
certain DR.. Scott was very liberal in his con-
tributiOns to our wants. 1 had afterwards the
pleasure of repaying his kindness, when he
had been forced to fec for his life, and arrived
destitute in the North. The money we thus
obtained. together with some small presents
Capt Wells bestowed, when pleased with the
writing did for him, gave us the means of
living almost luxuriousy. One dainty re-
member with especial delight. Sweet potatoes
were very abundant and cheap and we were
allowed to buy as many as our means permitted,
and roast them in the ashes of the wood fire
which always glowed on our hearth. The great
mealy potatoes, raked ont and busted off aud
eaten hot, constituted feast good enough for
king! | have never since found any sweet po-
tatoes equal to those we devOured by the bushel
in the old Atlanta barracks. This abundant
living made some amends for the six months of
famine that preceded it, and gave strength,
which was still to be sorely tested before the
day of deliverance. The memory of those
beautiful autumnal days, when we could look
from our unbarred windows upon the sky and
the street, when we cOud gather around the
fire and under the gas-j jet in the evening. when
hunger no longer pinched, and when health,
which / had long missed. came back, when
some consideration was. shown for us even by
our guards and when visitors often whispered
words or gave signs Of sympathy for our cause
as well as for ourselves, is not altogether un-
pleasant. True, we were still prisoners, aud
our fate as uncertain as ever; but it was easy
to persuade ourselves that these more pleasant
surroundings were the promise of still greater
good.
Our religious exercises were here continued
as persistently and publicly as i'm the jail
There were serious difficulties to overcome
Some of our own party seemed to consider that
our release from the dark cells of a criminal
prison removed the necessity of morning and
evening prayer. We were not alone, and the
soldiers who were Z" off duty" came to our door
when it was first reported that =" the Yankees
were having prayer-mecting," and greatly an:
nOyed us by interruptions and by continual
series of comments upon the exercises. We
endured this for time, but at last appealed
to Wells He gave us protection from the
guard, saying that he could not stand praying
himself, but if we could get any good out of it
we were welcome and should not be disturbed
The opposition of the prisoners soon gave way
also, and our morning and evening devOtiOns
were seasons Of great interest. Even prisoners
from other rooms came to their open doors that
they might hear the reading and prayers, and
age were sustained by this recognition of God
mr. han Inv oil 9th nRi