The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-11-25

the officers of the prison. i made my plan
known to some OF my comrades, and with
their help, and the use of my cherished
gold pieces, il was not long before l had
"A complete uniform for Confederate pri-
vate slowed away behind the bricks ut the
corner of the room. Next l bought n
razor and a pair of scissors even these
could be got with money. of the huckster:
that were occasionally admitted to the
prison. On the night before the morning
that had fixed for my bold attempt, lay
down with the bundle of clothing under
my head, and tried in vain to sleep. Long
before daylight | was up; nobody else was
astir IN the room, but | heard the guards
tramping back and forth in the halls. |
went to the window, and, trusting great
deal To the sense of feeling, / sheared
off my luxuriant hair, beard, and dropping
mustache, and with the aid OF "A small
piece of soap and some water that was left
i'm my can | made n lather and shaved my
face. Then with some ink lent me by a
comrade | dyed my eyebrows; and taking
off and concealing my old clothes put on
the gray uniform, buttoning the coat up to
the chin, that / might look like an orderly
without arms. Stationing myself near the
door, / waited with fast beating heart
| Presently the morning allowance of food
was brought IN, sergeant and several
soldiers entering to see to its distribution.
A guard stood mt the door with musket and
fixed bayonet. / walked straight up 10
him. remarking, "There's enough here
without me-" He stepped aside and al
| lowed me to pass without a word. With a
firm step / walked through the hall and
descended the stairs. | observed that he
looked after me carelessly. In the hall
below passed another guard he looked at
me, but said nothing. Acting in exact
pursuance of the plan | had marked out,
| stopped ut the prison Office at the end of
| the lower hall. and asked the clerk the time.
Nearly seven, he replied, looking ut the
clock, and then indifferently at me-
He did not know me, and never sus-
pected that the man before him was other
than what he seemed to be; and yet-so
astounding were the incidents of
my escape-I instantly recognized in
this clerk an old friend of ante
bellum days in New York city,
who had come South, where his sympathies
lay, when war became imminent thanked
him, and, turning TO leave the office, met
Major Turner at the door. promptly sa-
luted him; he returned it. and on l went,
between the muske,s at the outer door,
past the sentinels. and the relief guard,
some of whom were waiting for their
breakfast near by-nobody challenging me,
nobody appearing to imagine that | was
other than AN orderly from the prison, 60
ing on some early Grand. In two minutes
/ had turned corners enough to remove me
from sight of the Libby. | hurried along
with no other thought than TO get outside
the city as fast as possible, forgetting for
the time both the weakness of my leg and
the rromis Of the Union lady. Near the
eastern suburbs of the city | stopped at a
No .,,1 lypnuytpfr
experience the fidelity of the blacks TO the
Union cause, 1 did not hesitate to disclose
myself to venerable darby, and ask for
directions.
you'll nebber get out dis way, sah," he
said, with a grave shake of his woolly head.
DE rebels hab all de roads out heah, and
devil find You out an cotch you, suah."
L pressed on but the negros warning
was speedily verified; and, had / been less
circumspect in my accommodating, / should
have probably reached the Libby again
before noon of that day. On that road, on
two other roads that l tried, discovered at
distance mounted patrols or infantry
guards. l sat down on some abandoned
earth works, and reflected. My leg was
getting painful and | was in the midst of
enemies. If | should succeed in passing
the pickets-an this was not certain-I
had not the strength nor the endurance to
lurk in the woods daytimes and prosecute
my escape nights, as would be necessary.
There was nothing at the end of this but
recapture, and the Libby again. There
was no course open to me but to turn back
into the city and seek my unknown friends.
| did il with heavy heart; yet, as the Sc
quel proved, | was then taking the path
that led to home and freedom.
l found the lady's house with little diff
Guilty, and was welcomed in a way that left
no doubt of her fidelity TO the Union cause.
During the next month, that noble woman
concealed me, watched over my safety, and
at last provided for my transit to our lines,
in the manner presently TO be described.
But so surprising were the discoveries that
/ made while in this refuge, and SO novel
will their relation be to most people at the
North, that | will pause a moment to speak
of them. This lady was one of large num-
Der of Unionists in Richmond, who, at the
greatest risk to themselves, were constantly
engaged IN helping the cause. They trans
mitted important news 90 Washington, and
sought every opportunity to aid our pris-
oners. Her house was the headquarters Of
a branch organization of loyal league,
which she told me embraced the names OF
several thousand in the city. All of them,
of course, were not active; but all were
L
these men had arms concealed In their
cellars and garrets; and in the previous
! spring, during the Charlottesville cam
| paign, when Stoneman was nearing Rich
mond with his cavalry, they anxiously
waited the certainty OF his coming to rise,
arm themselves, open the prison doors, and
take possession of the city for him. But
premature disclosure OF themselves would
mean instant death; so they were bound to
great caution. Those were strange times
and stranger than anything l have yet re-
| lated, but still absolutely rue-during my
| sojourn Mt this house l was introduced to
one o. its visitors, man in thorough SYM
pathy with the national cause, who was n
! high official in one of the Confederate bu-
reaus. At his suggestion i accompanied
him one day as an orderly, riding a horse
which he provided for me, on n tour of in
specton of the defenses of the city. The
party included board of engineers aud
several prominent Generals of the Con-
federacy. In view of what happened to me
/ afterward. shudder TO think of the risk
then needlessly taken. But my official
friend was sure that my disguise was abso-
| lutely impenetrable;. and the information
which l acquired during that days ride was
\ of great value TO or cause. At least Sec
rotary Stanton told me SO when | afterward
1