Connecticut western news., 1885-10-28

we fell upon and wrecked tent and began to draw 8 crowd. In five min utes there were fifty men around us, and pretty soon an officer comes up, and separates us and asks:
 "What is this row about?"
 T caught that chap stealing" sings out my opponent
 "He lies p
 "Who are you?" asks the officer.
 Private George Smith, of the Sixth Maine"
 "Where's your regiment?"
 Don't know, sir. I was captured by the rebs.' got away and am looking for my regiment"
 "When did you come in?"
 "Last night"
 "How did you pass all the outposts and sentinels?"
 He had me there. had as good as betrayed myself by that one answer.
 r'll see to your case p he growled, and he called the guard and had me marched off. The guard-house was a log stable, and as soon as he reached it was stripped and searched. The next move was to hunt up the Sixth Maine and discover that I did not be- long to that regiment. l was then taken to corps headquarters and ques- tioned.
 I changed my line of defense, claim ing to be deserter from the One Hundred and Twenty-fourLh New York, who was voluntarily coming back to his regiment, but the next day the Colonel of that regiment came to look at me, and pronounced me a liar and an impostor.
 Next day, when a court martial was convened, I had no defense to offer. They tried me as spy, and while nothing could be proved, I was condemned and sentenced to be shot. I was given to understand that, but I reckoned that some of the officers were not quite satisfied. Instead of carrying out the sentence right away, the findings were sent to higher court for approval.
 What I am telling you in minute consumed about two weeks. I was pretty comfortably fixed in the barn, but so zealously guarded that there was no possible show for escape. The pa pers had been sent off, and I was daily expecting to hear their approval. when, one night just before dusk, the chaplain of Pennsylvania regiment came in to console me. He was about my size and age with the same colored hair, and the mint saw him grasped at plan. When we had talked little asked him:
 "How did you get in?"
 "Why; l showed my pass to the guard" he answered.
 That was all I desired to know. He talked for about an hour, and made him promise to come and see me the next evening at the same hour. He ad vised me to give up all hope and make my peace with God, and I gave him tc understand that might be more con trite m his newt viSjf
 I tell you, that next day seemed ; week long. I had plan, and it prom ised success. When the day did begir to fade away was so nervous and ex cited that could not keep still Int chaplain came in just at dark, and, a: he grasped my hand, he said:
 "The papers have come back, ant you must prepare to die p
 "Pray for me l" says I. He knelt right down, and he hat skeercely uttered word when hat him by the throat It was so sudden and I had sich a grip on him, that h, skeercely kicked. I didn't want tt kill him, but 1 choked him until h, was like rag. Then I off with hi coat, vest and pants, and was into 'en before he showed signs of coming to It was too soon to go out, and chokec him some more.
 Poor man I felt sorry to do hin sich injury, but my life was at stake In about twenty minutes I felt it wa safe to go out. l dragged him into corner, sat him mp on end. and thel knocked on the door. It was opened at once, and as I squeezed out tn guard shut it without even glancin, in.
 "How is he. chaplain?" asks tn guard as he locks the door.
 Resigned, poor man," I answers and off goes.
 As l afterwards learned, l had good hours start. I didn't head fo the river, as might be expected, bu for the north, and it was over a mont before I saw Lees lines again. I Washington paper had long stor about my escape, and it said l woul have bin shot next day, and that tn chaplain would be laid up for month Detroit Free Press
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 Her Sort of 6 Doctor.