The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-28
ENGINE THIEVES" :"
The Great Story of Z" CAPTURING a
Locomotive
BY REV. WIN. PITTENG ER.
lcopYRIGHTED. 1881.
CHAPTER XXI.
SICKNESS AND LIBERTY.

suade the Union men of our prison room to enlist
| in the rebel army. Over 20 recruits were OBJ
tanned. They were loyal in heart to the old
| Government, but worn down and dispirited
| by suffering that they could resist no longer.
| The refusal of the remainder to take the same
| step seemed to eXasperate the prison officials,
| and new hardships were devised for US. Capt.
| Alexander, the tyrant who had charge of the
prison, issued an order for taking out working g
| party to perform menial service each day. At
| first volunteers were called for, and the desire
| to be in the open air was so great that they
| were readily obtained, Notwithstanding the con-
ditions of the work were far from being pleas
ant. AS soon as no moro volunteers offered,
| list was prepared, and certain number of the
names called daily for service. This was put
ting the matter in another light. One of the
| first called was a frank, brave Tennesseean
named Mccoy. He answered boldly, Fm not
| going.'
Whats the matter now?" demanded the
| officer who was calling the list.
Il didn't come here to work. and If you can t
| board me without, you may send me home" !"
| replied the fearless man.
| swell! welli You'll be attended to, !" growled
| the officer and proceeded with the roll. Four
others on the list likewise refused. In a short
time guard entered the room and seized them.
| We feared that one of the terrible foggings,
| which were only too common in the case of
| prison INSTRUMENTATION was going to take place.
| But another mode of punishment was devised.
| The four were taken before Capt. Alexander,
who ordered them to "the CELL" This was a
| windowless place, beside the open court, only
about four feet wide by six or seven in length.
| 1t had no floor but the damp earth, and was
dark at midday. They were informed that
| they should remain here until they consented
| to work.
| We found another alternative for them.
| There was piece of file and scrap of stove
snI, aknl
| ing a piece of candle from the Commissary,
| found an opportunity, when taken to wash i'll
the prison-court, of slipping the articles into
| the cell. Thus provided, our friends began to
dig their way out under the wall. All day and
night they worked, but did not get through.
We furnished another candle and they worked
| on. Towards morning of the second night
they broke upward through the crust of the
ground outside of the wall The foremost
wormed his way out and gllded off. He was
never heard OF afterwards, and, / presume
reached the Union army. The next man was
| just under the wall, when the barking of dog
| that happened to be prowling around drew the
attention of the guard that way, and the hole
was closed. This incident prevented the con-
fnement of any others in the cell.
Yet the attempt to secure workers from the
prison was not given up. l happened to be on
the next list prepared. To work with guard
carrying musket to enforce obedience did not
seem to me part of my business as United
States soldier. Carefully counting the cost, l
determined to 60 any length in resistance.
On our refusal, we were ordered into the jail
yard. 1t was a very cold, windy day in Feb
ruary, with abundant rain. We were nearly
naked, having only the remnant of the rags
that had already outserved their time. The
bottoms were out of my shoes. and the water
stood in the yard several inches deep. The
yard itself was only vacant corner in the
buiII hxyh oh hric lie ho
top of which guards walked. The cold, wet
wind swept down with biting sharpness and
almost robbed us Of sensation. We paced the
narrow bounds. through the mud and water
until too weary to walk any more and then re-
signed ourselves to our misery. If this ex-
posure had come earlier, when we were ac-
customed to the endurance of cold, it might
have been less serious. But for several weeks
we had been in a close, warm room, and the con-
traSt was almost unbearabie.
Here we remained from early in the morning
until nearly dark in the evening. They told us
we would have to stay there till we agreed to
work or frOze to death! The first We had re-
solved never to do. The latter seemed only too
probable. do not think any of us could have
survived the night. We resolved as soon as it
was fairly dark to scale the wall and seek our
own deiiverance, feeling that it could not be
worse to die by the bullet than by exposure.
But we had help from an unexpected source
The old Commissary, Chillis, had come out of his
room, which was near by, several times during
the day to observe us, and each time went away
muttering and grumbling. We thought he en-
ioyed our suffering, but were greatly mistaken.
In the evening he went to Capt Alexander and
demonstrated with him in the strongest terms.
Said he,-
IF you want to kill the men, do it at once
The rascals deserve it. Hanging is the best
way. But don't leave them out there to die by
inches for it will disgrace US all over the
world"
His remonstrance was needed, and we were
remanded back to our room, which, with its
warm fire, never seemed more agreeable. We
soon sank into pleasant stupor, from which
all awoke very ill. One poor fellow died with
in few hours, and several more after short
interval l was the only one of our railroad
party who had been thus exposed. That day
OF freezing does not seem a worse hardship
than nany endured previously, but coming
when already enteebled, it was far more in
furious. Pneumonia followed. and when grew
better distressing cough continued, which has
never left me. Ever since have been con-
frmed invalid. But the attempt to make us
work was relinGulshed.
One day we were summoned into line, and
the names of our railroad party, with few
others, called over. One of the prisoners who
had not been called, asked the reason of the
omission. The officer Replied
1--WE can't tell, for this list came from YAM
iceland
This speech set wild conjectures afoat Why
should list be sent from the North? Was it
for the purpose of exchange? Had the Fed
eral Government made some arrangement at
last which applied especially to us, and not to
the mass of Union men in the prison? We
could not tell but it was pleasant to believe that
we were not utterly fOrgottens
1t was soon discovered that special exchange
of political prisOners-prisoners whose ofienses
were of a civil and not military character-was
In contemplation. Soldiers were being ex-
changed frequently from the Libby on the
other side of the way. but il had seemed as if
we were altogether forsaken. Now the rumOr
was current that large number each side
who were held for various Otfenses were to be
massed into one general exchange, and the in
Guiding of our names in list sent from the
loved loyal States was sufficient fuel to rekindle
the almost extinct fire of hope.
But the delay was long, and we grew very
weary of waiting. Truce-boat after truce-bOat
went of, and week after week slid away leav-
ing us still in our dark and irksome prison.
So completely did this damp our hopes that if
any one referred to exchange he was laughed
into silence.
One day, however, we received a most well
come token of governmental remembrance. An
officer bustled into prison and asked for the
name of every one there who claimed United
States protection. There was a general rush
towards him, for, although we did not know
how our Government could protect us while
in rebel hands, we were resolved not to lose
ANYTHING for want of claiming it. 1t then