Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-02

gone too far to back out. As I was sin
for it," put forth every energy and
made my best time running. In some
places the woods were tolerablv open,
but skirting the creek was a fringe of
%underbrush that made it easy to hide.
Dodging from clumP to clump as l ran,
1 kept entirely out of sight of my pur-
suers. In fact 1 don't think they saw
me after I made my dash. Inopen day
light l could not have evadcd them so
readily, but in the thickets it was now
growing dark.
At first l could hear the guards, as
they rushed through. the underground,
but I was careful to make as little noise
as possible, and as they did not hear me
they supposed l was hidden, and lost so
much time peering about. that I soon
left them entirely. I knew that the
search would be renewed in the morn
ing and 20 determined to get as far away
as possible during the night.
The forest was unbroken for miles in
the direction l was travelling. Here and
there a path or poor country road was
found, but l saw no houses nor a single
human being. I was going up stream,
and 1 occasionally walked in the water
as we'll as took other precautions to
break my trail. At last I left the stream
and turned off across the country. The
sky was cloudless and the moon was
nearly full. This gave me plenty of
light and made it easy to get bearings
and to keep them. Keeping a sharp
lookout, l pushed on as rapidly as nv
strength would permit. Toward morn
ing came to a small stream. Chang
ing my course abruptly I walked in the
water for a quarter of a mile. l Judged
l was now fifteen to eighteen miles from
the prison, and as daylight was coming
on l hid in a deep thicket, lay down,
slept a little and rested for the day.
had eaten nothing since starting,
and was in poor condition for travelling
on the second night, but I trudged on.
keeping my direction as we'll as / could.
following no roads, but travelling direct
lly across the country. 1 did not try to
but pushed on, hoping to find a house
where l might get some food. l had
passed houses during the night, but see
ing no one stirring, 1 had not stopped.
About an hour after sunrise I met a
black boy, who told me that a COMPANY
of cavalry was in the neighborhood, and
l must '''look sharp" or I'd ''done git
%cotched." The boys home was not far
of, and after a little manmuverine he
brought me some food, and directed me
to a safe hiding place in a neighboring
swamp, where l rested for the day. In
the evening he brought more food, and,
getting directions for my journey, 1
Travelled on.
l need not stop to tell the experiences
of each successive day and night. Usu-
ally | rested and slept by day. 1 made
good progress, but l knew that I had a
long way to go before I could reach a
point occupied by the Union troops.
Sometimes l had to go a day or two
without food. at other times l was we'll
supplied. After l had been on the way
for two weeks-dodging this way and
that, to avoid towns and the more pub
lie roads-I found myself reduced to ex-
tremities. / had now been two DAYS
without food; Ihad seen soldiers each
day, and knew that I might be sur
prised by them at any moment; l had
Travelled a part Of the previous night,
and had been moving nearly all day.
Toward evening | came to a plinta-
ton. | saw the house at a distance
across the fields and made a long detour
to reach it without being seen. It was
dark when [ reached it, and coming up
in the real l was not long in discover
ing that the family had company from
the Conferate army. A squad of SOL
diers was encamped about two hundred
yards away and a sentinel was pacing
in front of the house. The table was
being set in the ~dining-room, and the
smell OF food almost overpowered me.
Finding window open I crept into a
room adjoining the dining-room, hoping
to find there something to appease my
terrible hunger.
I had been in the room scarce a min
ute when the door was opened and a
young lady entered carrying a light. I
could have leaped from the window and
escaped in the darkness, but my hunger
had made me desperate. AS l had moth
ing of the Federal blue about me the
lady may have thought, at first sight.
that I was one of the Confederate sol
diers from the camp. Though she was
evidently surprised at finding an AT
truder in the room she made no outcry.
but closed the door and looked into NV
face with a quick searching glance.
spoke at once: Won't YOU please
give me something to eat, 1 am almost
famished." Judge my surprise when
she replied:
care you not the Yankee officer who
spared me a sack of meal, and gave me
some food and wine for my sick
moher2"
I gazed at her in speechless astonish-
ment. I recalled the incident, and.
looking for a moment, I recognized the
lady who stood before me. NV courage
returned; 1 knew now something of nv
whereabouts and that the Union lines
must be near. I resolved to throw nv
self on her generosity, and replied:
Certainly. l recall the incident YOU
refer to. 1 think, however, I did only
my duty in the case, and that any other
good soldier would have done the same.
I am as much surprised rs you can pos
sibly be, at this singuler meeting. I
have been a prisoner and have escaped.
and am starving; Can you give me
something to eat?"
with great pleasure, for we have