The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-28

matter was settler providentially for us. Mr..
| Pierce, who hadff accompanied US all the way
| from Knoxville, and who was very proiane in
| speech. had neveri shown any interest in our
| prayers beyond re4naining silent when we were
| thus employed But NOW he stepped on box,
and calling andstampmg until he had the at
tention of everybody in the room, he said,-
L have matter to- propose for our general
interest. We have SOME preachers with US who
are accustomed tbashg and pray and read the
Bible every morning and evening. Now, / am
wicked enough myself but / like to have
something good tgoiugt on; SO | propose that
we invite them to go ahead as they have done
in other PRISONS All that favor the motion
say aye y"
The response was most hearty. In prison
a proposition for anything which will break the
monotony for even little time is sure of favor.
No one voted in the negative, and Pierce, turn
ing to me, said, "Go ahead"
There were no preachers in our party, but,
under such circumstances, we gladly embraced
the providcntial opportunity. The majority
of the prisoners gathered around in respectful
silence, and seemed greatly pleased to hear, in
that gloomy place, the voice OF prayer and
of sacred song. Even the guards drew near
the open door, and stood in reverent attention.
But small company of the more reckless of
the prisoners regarded the whole matter in the
| light of a burlesque. One ] especially noticed,
who seemed to be their leader. He was quite
| young, had q confident bearing. and uttered
| great oaths on the smallest occasion. He watch
ed us without making any disturbance while
we read and sang, but when we knelt for prayer,
he knelt too, and became very noisy in his mock
devOtiOnS, responding amen" with more than
MethOdistic fervOr and at the most inOppOrtune
places. This we endured patiently for that
evening, but l resolved to win him over, feeling
sure that would thus do good and secure
ourselves from interruption. On the next day
l managed to get into conversation with him,
told him the story of our adventures which
always commanded attention, and asked the
reason of his imprisonment. He gave the story,
and afterwards asked after his friends in his
far-otf Canadian home. He told me that he
had no near relative except sister, and his
blue eyes filled with tears as he spoke of his
longing to see her once more. There were no
interruptions to our evening service; and i
learned that my friend had taken occasion to
say that those Ohioans were good fellows, and
that anybody who disturbed them would have
to reckon with him. number of other re-
ligiOus persons made themselves known when
the way was thus open, though each one had
supposed himself alone before. We formed
quite church when all assembled, though
there was great mixture of creeds, q Roman
Catholic being one of the most devoted of the
number.
A day now approached that had been longed
for ever since we first tasted the bitter cup of
captivity,-a day which yet shines golden and
glorious i'll the light of memory,-a day which
l never recall without mental ejaculation
of thanksgiving to Almighty God. To have
assured its coming l would at any time during
the preceding IL months have unshrinkingly
sacrificed my right hand
On the evening of the 18th of March, 1863,
when we were sitting around the stove dis
cussing quietly but not indifferently the siege
of Vicksburg an officer stepped within the door
and shouted the strange order, "All who want
to go to the United States come to the office"
No more plans were laid for capturing Vicks-
burg that night! 1--WE thought we were in the
United States all the while, but had no obiec-
tion to be still more SO, and at once fell into
line, and walked out, between two files of SOL
diers to the Officer 1t seemed like dream. For
a moment a delicious hope thrilled through my
vens,-a vision of happiness aud home, daz-
cling as a flash OF Summer lightning,-but it
instantly faded before the remembrance of the
manner in which we chad been deceived in
Atlanta. l did not doubt that an exchange
had been arranged for some of the inmates of
our room, but feared that the good fortune
would not reach so far as our prescribed band.
The oath of parole. binding each man not to
serve against the Confederacy until regularly
exchanged, was being signed as fast as the
names could be- written and the oath admin
istered. To end the suspense, pressed for
while fully expecting to hear =" The engine
thieves can't go,"--but no objection was made.
L wrote my name, and watched each of my
five comrades do the same, with growing hope,
as still no objection was made. Then came the
remembrance that our names were the first on
the list, read few days before, which, as we
had been told, came from Yankee land and
l suspected, what / afterwards learned to be
the fact,-that our Government in arranging
this exchange, had specially stipulated that
we should DC included. Although sickening
fear would still intrude itself now and then,
there was really no reason to doubt that all the
preliminaries of our exchange were actually
arranged.
When all the prisoners had signed the papers
we were ordered to return to our room. and be
ready to start for the North at four o'clock next
morning. We could have been ready in four
seconds! but we really needed the quiet night
hours to realize the full magnitude of our de-
liverance. The wild excitement of that even
ing can never be fully described The majority
of parocd men acted as if bereft of reason. The
joyousness of some found vent in vociferous
shouts,-in dancing and bounding over the
foor,-in embracing each other and in pledg
ing kind rcmembrances. Some seemed stupe-
fed by their good fortune, others sat down
and wept in silence, and still others laughed
for minutes together But in the room there
were few not permitted to go, and my heart
Olcd iOr them. L remembered the hour When
we had been left by our comrades on first arriv-
ing in Richmond, and now these friends sat
cherries and alone, seeming more wretched
than ever amid the general joy.
But there was one expression of Joy which
it would have been the basest ingratitude for
to omit. 1t was near midnight before we
became calm enough to offer up our usual even
ing devotions. But when all were wearied out
by the very excess of joy, when the quetness
which ever follows overwhelming emotion had
settled upon us, we knelt in prayer-a prayer
of deep. strong, fervent thankfulness. We
implOred that we might not be deceived in our
vivid hopes and dashed back from our antici-
pated paradise. Yet, if such should be Gods
mysterious will, and we should see these hopes
fade, as others had faded before them, we asked
for strength to bear the trial. Then, with
solemn trust, we tried to commit the whole
matter to the wisdom and the mercy of God,
and lay down to Sleep if we could, and to
await the event.
Few eyes closed during the entire night.
Fancy was too busy peopling her fairy land
capes,-picturing the groups that awaited u.s.
beyond that boundary which for nearly year
seemed to us as impossible as the river of death
But even we muse we find that hope is not
the only painter at work. What unbidden
fears spring up to darken the prospect and
stain the brightness of our joy! How many Of
those dear friends we were hoping to meet may
now be no more! For year not whisper
from them has reached us, no letter or mes
sage from any friend, and we tremble as we
think of the raYages of time and of battle.
These and a hundred other thoughts whirled