The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-09

guilty person, as hls fright had prevented
him from observing anything closely.
He spoke Ia strong complaint OF the in-
gratitude Of our companions, saying that
he had been kind to them, and this was
the return he got for II. While we re-
manned with him he watched more closely,
though he supposed he was tiattering us
by saying that he had no doubt the men
who had gone of were much worse than
we.
Some time In the forenoon several
officers came 70 see us In no mild humOr,
and one roughly demanded the course our
boys intended to travel had no deli
cacy whatever about giving the informa-
ton; even took good deal OF pleasure
In telling him that they had said that
Atlanta was in the middle Of what was
left of the Confederacy, and that they
were going to travel toward the outsidei
The officer was so well satisfied with this
information that he asked no more ques-
tionsi
But 1t was herculean task upon which
our brave boys had entered, aud my state
ment TO the marshal was literally correct,
though 1t could be of little use to him.
cannot look back upon what they did
without thinking that in dangers en-
countered and obstacles overcome, the
proudest exploits of Livingstone or Stanley
were not superior.
A whole volume would be required for
the adventures In detail of these different
parties, but some bries account seems
needful for the completeness of our story.
The different narratives have been fur
nished me for publication by the parties
themselves, or are condensed and revised
from accounts published by them, some
very near the time of the return of the
fugitives. The story in each case was Of
such extraordinary character that local
newspapers were glad of the privilege of
laying 1t before their readers. These
different accounts have been carefully
compared, and any paragraphs which
have only passing or local interest have
been omitted.
The first story Is that of our engineers,
and is furnished by knight, with few
additional items by his companion, Brown.
They were the foremost of the whole party
In the run for the woods, as they had been
in attacking the guard. Knight says;
We started for the woods that were about q
mile distant. we ran through gardens or any
thing else that came In the way, kicking the
pickets of several garden fences as the easiest
way to get over them. To say we were tired out
when we reached the woods does not half express
our condition. The woods was but narrow, and
we only stopped there long enough to catch ouI
wind, and then pressed on again. Mason, Dorsey
and Hawkins were now with us. We next en-
tered big field, in the middle of which was
deep rayine with brush grown up In II. Here W
rested and took our bearings and then traveleC
| on. Mason now began to get sick, but we worket
| him along till dark; then through the night w
moved along slowly, secreting ourselves gooc
| share of the time.
During the day we hid, but some men caused
| us TO change our position once or twice to ayoiC
/ them. The second night we also made but littlt
/ progress on account of Mason's sickness. anC
| after hiding all day again, we still found him NJ
| better. We held consultation, Mason urging
| us to leave him to his fate and save ourselves
/ But we decided not to leave him in the woods, a
/ any rate.
We selected a house that was on a little eros
| road between two main roads, about mil,
| apart, and with woods near. So Brown and
| went to the house and asked for lodging, tellinl
| the man that one of our number was sick III
did not wish to keep US, but we told him we wer'
going to stay, as we could go no further. H'
| yielded and gave us our supper. Mason was pu
| to bed, and we staid up with him part If tn,
night, and then went to bed ourselves and had ;
good sleep. We had not yet determined what Z