The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-30

selves by pouring water on each others hands
| then eat our scanty rations when brought.
| Then the effort was to kill time until dinner
| came, which was about o'clock. 1t was not
abundant, but if we had bundle of roasted
| sweet potatoes to add from our own stores as
often happened, it was not so bad. Then we
did anything to keep busy until the gas was lit.
This was kept burning all night, not from any
| favor to US, but only that the guards might see
| that we were not arranging any plan for escap-
| ing.
| This was the most cheerful hour of the day.
for under the soft inspiration of the gaslight
conversation flowed freely, and all the incidents
| of our past lives were rehearsed. Wells or some
| other rebel officer would often enter and talk
| with us. Arguments and discussion on all man
ner OF subjects were introduced, and often con-
| tinued until the midnight bells were striking
| in the town. Then would come our evening
| prayers as we lay down to dream often of home
and friends and freedom. In the morning the
| same round recommended. Thus days glided
| into weeks and weeks passed into months
The golden hueS of Autumn deepened into the
| somber colors Of early Winter, and still we
were in Atlanta. 1t almost seemed as if we
would never be anywhere else.
AT length there came day of wonderful joy
A number Of officers, including the Provost
Marshall came to the barracks, and, inquring
out our room, had us all drawn up in line. One
of them stepped forth and addressed us, saying
| that I've had good news to communicate, which
they had been hoping to receive for some time
past. He continued, "You have all been ex-
changed, and all that now remains is to send
you out of our territory by way of Richmond
and City Point"
Each of them then came along our line and
shook hands with us,-the Tennesseeans and
regular soldiers included, 20 in all,--offering
congratulations oil the happy termination of
our trials, and wishing us much joy on our
arrival at home
Our feelings were indescribable, but strangely
mingled. There was an overwhelming rush of
emotions which forbade utterance,-raptur
exceedingly great, and yet mingled with deep
touch OF sorrow that our seven dead-mur-
dered-comradeS were not with us to share the
joy of this hour. And the eight also who had
managed to get out of the clutches of the rebels
by their own daring,we were uneasy about
them. Only day or two before we had seen
in an Atlanta paper, obtained, as usual, through
the negroes who were walters here as we'll as
at the jail, an article clipped from the Cincn-
matt Commercial, telling of the arrival of Porter
and Wolam at Corinth as narrated above. OF
the others we had received no reliable informa-
tion, but supposed that some of them at least
had perished. The Provost Marshal told US
that three had been shot and left in the woods,
but we did not fully credit him.
Notwithstanding all this, the prospect of
liberty was enough to make our hearts overflow
with gratitude to God. l was so agitated that
when Wells asked me to write requistion for
provisions for the trip to Richmond could not
do it, and had to transfer the work to more
steady hands. 1t was 8 o'clock in the morning
when we received the glad news, and we were
to start for hOme-via Richmond--at in the
evening. As the time for departure drew near
we again lit the gas and made up fire, the
ruddy blaze of which was an emblem of cheer
fulness, to take a farewell view of the room in
which we had spent so many not altogether
unhappy hours. Often afterwards did we re-
member that bright hour of expectation.
We were forbidden to take any blankets
with US. being told that we would soon be
where blankets were plenty. The pieces of
carpet we had managed to secure as blankets
were therefore left behind, with the exception
OF two small strips which were afterwards very
serviceable. great surprise met us when we
were ordered to start. We were not tied This
was the first journey on which we had been
sent SO careessly, and it afforded the strongest
presumption that the exchange was a reality.
All was now in readiness for our departure,
and we took a last look at rebel Atlanta The
guards fell in on each side of us, and we wended
our way along the dark streets. Wells, even
drunken than usual. accompanied us to the
cars, where he hlccoughed affectiOnate fare
well. l carried away one good article of dress,
"a nice felt hat. The day before Wells clapped
it on my head, telling me that | looked better
in 1T than i'll my own shabby cap. / supposed
that it was only freak, and that he would
reclaim it again, but he did not 1t was much
out of suit with my other garments, but l wore
it until / had chance to sell it for great
price-in Confederate money.
Serg't White commanded our escort. He
had always been kind to u.s. and like his supe-
rior, did not care which side came out best in
the war, so long as he was not hurt. The guard
was only 10 in number, while we were 90 and
unbound,-a ridiculous falling off from former
precautions.
We were crowded into box cars, and soon be-
gan to suffer severely with cold, for the night
air was most piercing. 1t was the Sd of De-
cember, and we had only Summer clothing,
which was, in addition, very ragged. About 3
o'clock in the morning we left the train at
Dalton to wait for another train to Cleveland as
we were not to go through Chattanooga This
was onr last passage over the railroad we had
SO much wished to destroy nine months before.
The stars were sparkling in light and frosty
brilliancy when we stopped. and the keen and
icy wind cut almost through us. We nearly
perished before the train arrived and enabled
us to continue our journey.
In the morning we found that our three
days rations, which were to last to Richmond,
were barely sufficient for breakfast. We ate
everything, and trusted to buying something
with the remaining money our Atlanta Union
friends had given us. When that failed we
had our old resource,-the endurance of hun
ger.
During this days ride on the cars we dis
cussed the question as to whether it would not
be best 10 capture the guard and escape. The
task did not seem hard The guards were very
careless, and We could at any time have had as
many guns as they had. They sat on the same
seats with us, aud were often asleep. Several
times on the trip we wakened the sentiuels by
the doors as the Corporal approached, thus saw
ing them from punishment. Once Serg't White
laughngly told us that we could escape if we
tried, but that he thought it would be more
pleasant for us to ride around by way of Rich
ON our own responsibility. This very security
1uled our suspicious and made Us shrink from
undertaking an escape which would have in-
volved severe hardship in mountain travel, if
nothing worse. Besides, we no longer had the
same homogeneous party as in Atlanta.
In the afternoon we passed Knoxville, and
were glad to keep right on. Then came the
town of Greenville, the home Of our former
companion the heroic Capt Fry About night
fall we reached the Virginia line and ran
steadily on. 1t was beautiful night; the
moon shone over the pale, frosty hills with
mellow radiance which made the whole land
scape enchanting. The shifting scenes of mount
ain, stream, or ghostly wood seemed to me like
panorama of human life The morning
dawned upon us. still steaming slowly through
the romantic valleys of Virginia.
The next day was wet and dreary. Our car
leaked our fire went out, and we were thor
Oughly uncomfortable. By evening we had
reached the mountain CITY of Iyuchhurr and