The National tribune., 1885-04-23
WASHINGTON g. THURSDAY 49, 1885,

the river had not yet been reached but he did not
care to take charge of the boat again.
! Shortly after this adventure perceived that
We were not to have smooth sailing all the way.
INC Ises ~ nesan 20 gIow roxgn, hno ,ne water ran
with great velocity. much 80 thai we narrowly
escaped being broken up on several occasions
during this night Journey We passed over num-
Der of places that we would not have dared to risk
| in daylight, when We could have seen the danger.
| IL seemed TO grow worse and worse as we went on,
when daylight warned that it was time to tie up
! and hide, wlich.we did, and, the day being warm
and pleasant we bad a comfortable rest.-the best
| On the following night we came to a milI-dam,
where the water, judging from the noise, poured
over in great volume and force. We manuyered
| around for some time above it, not knowing what
! to do, but finally discovered what appeared TO be
| an apron near the center of the DAM and decided
TO risk running it. Accordingly, we rowed up
then turning the head of the boat down stream, we
bent to our paddles with all our might. We came
down with the velocity of an express train. What
! we supposed might have been an apron was moth
! ing but a break in the dam. and over II we shot
| like an arrow. shutting our eyes and holding our
breath. In instant after we landed luckily right
| side up) away below in the midst OF the angry,
| foaining torrent, and plying our paddles right
Vigorously and keeping the bow OF our boat down, own,
"swore off" on running mil-dams in the night.
| We continued our journey. though the river was
stantly among rocks aud foaming. headlong tor
! rents OF water, while steep rocky walls confined
the stream to very narrow limits ana dark, shad-
| owy mountain peaks lcomed up i'll the background,
reminding us of the Tennessee about Chattanooga.
We went from bad to worse, until at last, during
the latter part OF the night. we were incautiously
| drawn into a gorge, where it seemed that the
destruction OF our boat WAS inevitable. Such
was the force and velocity of the water,
| that we lost all control of the boat. and
! in instant would be spinning around
| in furious eddy until our heads were fairly dizzy,
and in the next we would be dashed against the
rocks until seemed If our boat would be spln-
| tered to pieces We regarded our escape here as
the nsrrowest we had made, and quick we
could do SO with safety we landed on the rocks and
begin tedious, tolsome land journey of three days
and nights over rocky hills, bluffs. and mountains
along the river.
| Just us we landed from the boat Mark started to
walk out, and losing his balance fell headlong into
the river. With considerable difficulty fished him
out and the early morning being quite cool, the
poor fellow was chilled through and through, and
it was with the greatest difficulty that finally sue
ceeded in getting him up into the mountains. and
continued TO exercise him by walking, as to get
up good circulation of his blood. But he became
so benumbed that 1 finally let him lie down, and
gathered lot of cedar boughs and piled them
| thickly over him, and then crawled in with him
myself, and kept him rs warm as possible Here
we slept and rested until late III the afternoon of
that day. which became very warm under the
bright rays Of the sun.
Our progress was very slow. and towards the last
extremely painful. The old bruises and blisers on
our feet, which were not entirely healed came back
than and much of the time crept along
on the rocks on our hands md knees, believing hat
if once could get below this range OF mountains,
we would find navigabo waters. We came in
sight of several isolated cabins in these Wild rocky
hills. where we managed to beg little food on two
different occasions which helped very much.
The suffering we endured on our last nights travel
/ cannot describe Ii seemed as five must give up
and die where we We're But at last. when daylight
came. TO our great delight we saw the spires and
smoke stacks of a town in the distance. We knew
this to be Columbus, Ga, and that when we got be-
low ii the river was navigable clear to the Gulf.
We now deemed il prudent to hide ourselves for
the day, which we had not done in the mountains,
and wait for the friendly cloak of darkness. When
out around the suburbs Of the town. and al last had
the satisfaction of again reaching the river bank,
below the town, where we found good shelter
among the dense grapevines and drift wood. BY
this time IL was nearly morning again, and like
beasts OF pray. We betook ourselves to sale hid
ingplacc.
the town we had heard a constant cattcring sound,
as of a hundred workmen with hammers. This
noise came from near the river, where there ap-
peared also to be n great light. When daylight
came the noise still continued and we were near
enough that could zee that it was caused by
large number of workmcn engaged on vessel,
which they were covering with iron. The boat
appeared to be very large and OF great strength,
and evidently was intended for warlike pur-
posi- On closer inspection the following night
found that she was powerfuliy-built guDboat,
which they were evidently in great haste to COM
plete, as the hammers of he workmen never ceased
on her, night or day, nor for single moment.
This gunboat was none other than the rebel ram
Chattahoochee, formidable iron monster, built
an engine of destruction for the blocladns fleet in
Department had of her was through Wood and my
self. The ram. her first downward trip, blew up
near the mouth of Flint River, and never reached
the Gulf.
Our great anxiety now was to secure boat
Wood was so lame he could not walk and was
not much better. Tics delayed us here two days
and nights During sfhe nights was prowiing
about, up crsd down; trying to discover some
sort of craft that would float In my reconnoiter-
ing about the gunboat had discovered on old siif
chained to stump quite near and in plain sight of
the work men. to some of whom. no doubt. it be-
longed. / secured stout stick for lever and
crept to the stump to which the boat chained,
when, watching my opportunity, got p-y in such
manner TO break the lock on the chain. The
lights shone so brightly that could plainly see the
mems eyes, and / very much feared they would
notice me. However, worked of with the boat
carefully, and half an hour after had Mark on
board. and we were pulling rapidly down stream.
We found our prize TO be "a eaky old concern and
one Of US was constantly busy keeping her bailed
out.
After we had drifted down some miles we sped
three boats tied TO the shore the Alabama side of
the river, and as we had been giving attention
entirely to the GeorgiRns all along, we concluded
to trade boats on that side of the river provided
could secure n better boat. Just had looscned
the one we selected. three men with pack of dogs
came down the hill toward Us, and the head man,
evidently the owner, began halooing to us and
calling sanderous names, such thieves and
the like. We did not stop to handy words with the
fellows, but speedily showed all the boats into the
river, and took course up the river, though we
were going towards Columbus. They rent the air
with curses upon our heads. Ia the course of Is
20 minutes they had secured the boats we showed
into the stream, and with the lights they carried we
could distinctly that they were bent pursuing
us. We took wide circuit, and then headed down.
ward under the cover of the willows, behind sew
cral small islands near the Georgia shore and came
in the main stream far below the islands. while
we had the satisfaction of seeing the lights of
pursuers disappearing up the river and prowling
about the upper end of the islands, which we were
now leaving far behind. We soon lost sight of them.
and the strong presumption Is that they never sue
ceedcd in finding their boat.
We increased our speed and kept under the shad-
o"vs of the wooded shores mucn possible, con-
g-ntuiating each other on our lucky boat trade.
With good boat and an open river we felt now
that our chances of escape were exceedingly good.
and spirits were buoyant and hopes high, al
though our stomnChs were craving food. But
swept, hour after hour, down the broad river,
happy in the thought that were fast placing
scores Of miles bet&ecn and the hated prison.
The rest given feet had much aliaycd the pain
sccreted ourselves for the day, we slept we'll but
awoke in the afternoon rayenousy desperate for
want of something 10 cat.
We went out. and reconnoiterng a little, diseov-
cred n cornield. Making that there
one about we stole into the field and found plenty
water did not go well together, and proved to be
unpleasant diet TO us, we broke up the pump
sns, ate freely of the seed, and filed pockets
with more for lunch, each of us taking also n few
ears of corn By the time we got back il was nearly
dark. and we pulled out. The pumpSin seed diet,
poor as il was helped Us wonderfully, and we made
big nights Journey, passing q steamboat upward
bound, which doGgcd by pulling under tho
shadows of the timber and exchanging bushes.
Thus progressed travelling 10y boat at nigh.
and laying by in the daytime. If any reader of
this story has ever made trip on the lower end of
the Chattahoochee, River, think he or she will
agree with me when say that the river scenery is
peculiarly monotopous and causes sense of lone