Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-08-24
The COnfederate's RuSe.
Edith Sessions Tupper.
BY JOHN B TABB

Nus INC lusJ Oh llH loIluiaI5 ItW
that escaped from Point Lookout prison.
he sad, in the fall Of Ga
Tho enclosure known as the Bull
PENN which the prisoners were kept
consisted Of a paliug about fl feet high,
with an out,id platform, not far from
the top where tho scntincl5 day aud
night walked their beat In sight of tho
prisoners.
On tha eastern side of the camp was
the Chesapeake; and here, i W. kept
within muskct range we couIl Jatho
or fl h at any hour of the day prlvi-
lcse greatly appreciated by those who
could stand tho cxerlion.
For some it became daily practice,
whenever the weather p rmitted the
sport, to fish in thl forenoon; and this
we did either standing in the water,
sometimes up to cur elbows or armpits,
or sitting on long-Icggcd, cranc-liko
tripods, which the moro ingcniou3 con
trivcd for themselves out asanaR6
crackcr-box. Day after
venture out in the lroilil
and have since wondered, IN
OF it, that no Csc of sunstroko q
cured.
Every morning. large tubs of carriage
from the cook-houie and slops from tho
hospital-tcnts were brought to tho
beach to be emptied; and those who
happened to be bathing at the time had
as much as they could do in returning
to the shore, TO keep clear of the fl tn,
To one OF these ''vessels of ignc miny"
it was that 1 owed my escape. 1t
chanced in this way: 4
/ had wadcd out with my fishin
clothes on somewhlt further than usual,
when / saw tub floating upside down
and drifting toward me. AS soon as it
was near enough, l watched my chance,
and, no one observing me, dived and
got under it.
There | was, like FalstpfT in tho buck
basket, with "the ranSest compound Of
villainous smell that ever offended nos-
tril." For moment Thought shouLA
suiTocate; and doubtless such -
have been my fate but for b
in the side of tho tub, whis .
nately discovered, and thr
got enough light and fresh NSS1
my necessities. A. my head was en-
tirely out of the water l had ut tn
turn my face to this aperture and follow
the tide.
The weather being cool, the bathels
that morning were comparatively few;
but the beach was lined with groups OF
prisoners, and why neither they nor the
sentincls saw me, l have never yet
known.
Once out Of musket range, was safe
so long as ! managed to keep my foot
ing. My fear was of stepping beyond
my depth, and SO losing the tub; or else
OF arousing suspicion by going too fast
for the tide. II was necessary, there
fore, to move with precaution, and SC
slow was my progress for the first two
miles that it took me fully an hour OF
more to lose sight of the prison. Even
then it was only at intervals that Idared
to peep out; and not until noon did
finally venture to doff the tub and make
for the beach.
So weak and cramped and dizzy was
l when l got ashore that all my remain
ing strength was exhausted in dragging
on slowly across the sand to the pins
woods beyond. Onco under the whis-
pering trees, however, aud stretched OIL
the sweet-smolling, pine-tag carpet,
fell fast asleep. Whcl l woke | did
not know where | was, nor whether the
sun, which was then quite low, wa,
just Using or sotting.
Tho greatly refreshed Dy my tlvc
hours rest, | was desperately hungry,
and the question now uppermost in my
mind was OF something TO cat. Iknev
that the people in that part OF st.
Mary's Were, most Of them, kindly lis
posed TO the South. and that very night
brought proof of it in She warm hos
pitality extended to NC at a ncighbor.
ing farmhouse.
Oa tho following morning l left thi'
retreat, not ouly relieved of my present
wants, but provided with what woule
supply my nccessitie1 :oF al asst
week Ioneer
Tho advsat e tA.t closed my cereel
q anger /, the only ono, after quittcc
the coast that deserves to be men
toned.
had been trave ing mostly on foo
I l., 4