The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-08-16
The Confederate's Ruse.
Edith Sessions Tupper.
BY JOHN B. TABB.

BY JOHN B. TABB.
was tho last of the fortunate few
that escaped from Point Lookout prison,
he SAID, in the fall of '64..
The nclosure-known as the Bull
Pep-in which the prisoners were kept
consisted OF paliug about IA feet high,
with an outside platform, not far from
the top, whero the scntinels day and
night walked their beat In sight Of the
prisoners.
On the eastern side of the camp was
the Chesapeake; and here, if We kept
within musket range, we. could bathe
or fish at any hour of tho day-a privi-
lege greatly appreciated by those who
could stand tho exertion.
For some it became daily practice,
whenever tho weather permitted the
sport, to fish in the forenoon; and this
we did either standing in the water,
sometimes up to our elbows or armpits,
or sitting on long-legged, .crane-like
tripods, which the moro ingenious con-
trived for themselves out Of pieces of
cracker-box. Day after day we would
venture out in the broiling sunshine;
and l have since wondered, in thinking
of it, that no case of sunstroke ever 'oc-
CURED.
Every morning large tubs Of arbage
from the cook-house and slops from the
hospital tents were brought to the
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 fifth
To one 9 .sgso Toa~ois 9f irGomiay"
it was ,4as ovaa ny escape 1t
CHARGED Ii als sg
I ha6 vested aUt yith as B@ai9g-
clothes On solava further ihe1 usual
when I saw tub floating upside down
and drifting toward me. AS soon as it
was near enough, / watched my chance,
and, no one observing me, dived and
got under it.
There was, like Falsta fl in the buck
basket with ''the rankest compound of
villainous smell that ever offended nos
tril." For moment Thought should
suffocate; and doubtless such might
have been my fate but for bung-hole
in the side of the tub, which I fortu-
nately discovered, and through which
got enough light and fresh air to supply
my necessities. A, my head was en-
tirely out of the water, I had hut to
turn my face to this aperture and follow
the tide.
The weather being cool, the bathers
that morning were comparatively few;
but the beach was lined with groups of
prisoners, and why neither they nor the
sentinels saw me, 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. Itwas necessary there
fore, to move with precaution, and so
slow was my progress for the first two
miles that it took me fully an hour or
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
I when / got ashore, that all my remain
ing strength was exhausted in dragging
on slowly across the sand to the pine
woods beyond. Once under the whia.
pering trees, however, and stretched on
the sweet-smelling, pine-tag carpet,
fell fast asleep. When I woke did
not know where was, nor whether the
sun, which was then quite low, waa
just rising or setting.
Tho greatly refreshed by my t1ve
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 dis
posed to the South, and that very night
brought proof of it in the warm hos.
pitality extended to me at neighbor-
ing farmhouse.
On the following morning I left thi'
retreat, not only relieved of my present
wants, but provided with what would
supply my necessities for at least ,
week longer.
The adventure that closed my career
Of danger is the only one, after quilted
the coast that deserves to be men.
toned.
| had been trave,ing mostly on loo
since made my escape; and now, afte
many tedious delay, there remained
but one critical step to bo taken to de
termine my fate. A distance of ten O
twelve miles was before me and l had
to pass through the village of-
reach my destination. For greater Sc
curity l was advised to mako this las
stage of my journey by night and ol
no means TO ontcr the village till dark
as there were known to be spies In tn
place always on the alert