The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-07-12
Plain & Fancy Job Printing
Executed Neatly and Promptly.

kNVRRTIsEVC- For advertising Ratss ai.
.s~uuan. an.1unnsuusua.s.asaunsaas
watch. such as seemed more ike piaything,
1t had the vital points, the unerring magnetic
needle aiming toward the north. He also took
out a letter, crumbled and with pretty torn
creases, and gently unfolded it.
'This, {" he said, lis the only letter received
during. the five months was in Southern
prisons; 1T was written by the woman who
afterwards became my wife"
On part of the sheet not covered by writ
ing was the outline of a map; pin holes mark
ed on the family traced lines important
points bearing upon the proposed Journey.
There were a few maps in Camp Sorghum
which were richly treasured. j borrowed one,
laid it over the latter aid pricked through
tie principal places. Our aim was to strike
the Greenyille Columbia railroad, fifty
miles from camp, ae point just west OF
where it crosses the Saluda river, and then
follow the raiiroad in the direction of Knox
vile, which was q Io.ai distance of 300 miles
from the camp. Union forces were nearer, in
the coal direction, bat the Knoxville route
appeared to be more feasible. Guided by the
rude map and compass, we proceeded, hiding
in the woods by day and travelling by night,
srbsisting on such limited supplies as we had
taken with us Or foraged on the way.
1.-THE second night re made twelve miles.
Lieut.. Holman was weak, could not stand the
exposure, and leaving our party went back
and surrendered himself to the rebels. His
home was in West Randolph, Mass. The
third night we came upon house which was
brilliantly lighted Most of US wanted to go
round it, but the major thought it would be
safe to go past, as it was back from the
street, and as he was the ranking officer We
followed his advice. When we got opposite
the house a stern voice cried halt! and we were
lys force, who had learned of the escape of
large number Of Union prisoners and had
been placed on the watch. A pack of dogs
began barking furioUsly and, as We We're
wholly defanccless, almost Frustrated with
WEAKNESS and hunger, we knew that escape
from an armed man and pack of blood
hounds was Impossible, SO, under eoyer of
the orderly's revolver, we went into the
house. Inside was family consisting of an
old man and wife, yoIng man and boy and
one or two other woE,en. A cheerful blaze
cracked in large, open fireplace, the women
prepared good food and treated Us very hos
pitably. We all pretended to be footsore,
heartsiek, discouraged, used up and glad to
be captured.
THAT night we slept upon the floor. with
the enemy on guard. During the night the :
orderly captured six more, making eleven
prisoners all told. In the morning he pro-
posed to take Us to Lexington Jail. The old
man harnessed up the mules in an old canoe
wagon, and with the boy astride mule, the
orderly on horseback and the old and young
men III the wagons, We travelled four or five
miles, meanwhile keeping up the ruse of be-
ing SO glad to be caught. Three of US made
MP our minds however, that we wouldn't
allow them to carry eleven Yankee officers
back to jail. On one pTetext we got the
young man to fall back from the team; on
another, the orderly to go to the post-office,
which he spoke of as being near. We three
fhauc ho4 4no,,
lives into a wood lot near the road growth
of scfubby oaks. When | stopped running
l couldn't see or hear either OF my compan-
IONS"
Ibid you find them?''
II never saw them again. but in 1865, while
at Alexandria, l got a letter from
one of them saying they were both re-
captured that same day, and alone of the
eleven escaped
How did you proceed?"
Il was alone that day and night: a COLI
rain was falling; at night it rained harder,
and lay curled up i'll the woods. had a
raw sweet potato in my pocket. which / ate
for breakfast. As the day opened began to
crawl around to find plantation, and during
thefour-noon reached one, cIept up to the fence
and attracted the attention of an old colored
man who was working with several Others in
a field. His name WIS July, and he proved
a very warm friend. | told him | was a Yam
kee; he showed me where to hide, and at
noon brought me bounteous dinner of boil
ed pork, sweet potatoes and corn bread. l
never shall forget it; it was the first square
meal had eaten for FIVE months At dusk
he came again. bringing supplies not only
from his own plantation. but contributed by
other friendly negroes-chicken, milk and
other things-a sumptuous meal. July showed
me place to sleep, in a haymow, but had
hardly got there ere he called me down to
meet several other Union men who had es-
from ann har
was happy meeting, and We afterwards trav-
eed together to the Union lines. These men
were: Henry T. Kendall of Reading Adiu-
tant OF the Fiftieth Pennsylvania regiment;
Maj. Charles 6. Davis of the First Massaehu-
setts cavalry who is now clerk in the Office of
Seargeant-at-ArmsA Adams at the state-house;
Capt. Chas. S. Kendall of the First Massa-
chusetts infantry. now dead whose brother is
Lieut., Kendall of Station 3, Boston; Capt. V.
c. Hart from keokuk, To-, of the Nineteenth
regulars now dead; Lieut.. William Nelson of
the Thirteenth regulars, now living in Ar
Kansas Lieut.. Thomas B. Devices OF Penn
sylvania of Second United States cavalry,
now dead. We got to the railroad, followed
it 100 miles to the end, and then walked $50
miles to Knoxville, Tenn.
1t was hazardous, exciting tramp all the
way. We were aided by negroes. One dark
foggy night we forded a cold, deep stream
and almost exhausted when a good
darkey led us TO an old deserted cabin sup
piled us with fire and food, apples and leaf
tobacco. That was jolly feast and camp
fire we held in that log cabin, November 21,
1864.
"While in the Western part of North Caro-
lima we tried to follow the road along the
Little Tennessee river, but got off the track
and several days made no headway.
Arriving at house. / volunteered to
make inquiries, although my comrades tried
to dissuade me. | crept up to the barn
where a man was shuckng corn, and as I
entered he started out at the other end l
followed, spoke to him and told him my story.
He said, Il never have shot at a Yankee and
never WILL He had been twice conscripted
into the rebel army, but run away, and
thought at first was a conscripting officer
from fear of which he had not slept in the
house for thirteen months. hailed my COM
panions; we were royalty entertained by the
loyal family of Henry B. Grant, and he cried
like a baby when we came away. Mai. Davis,
who kept diary of the whole trip, speaks in
it of this stop at Grants as follows: Il think
it is the happest day we ever experienced
That night member of the rebel guard on
the outpost near came to Grants house,
where his mother was stopping. Facing the
risk, we told him our.purpose and the next
day he conducted us through the line, point
ing out the very sentry on guard. He risked
his lie in SO doing. There were many loyal
people in North Carolina. We arrived at
Knoxville December 5 after q months thrill
ing adventures. l obtained leave of alb
sence, went home, returned and remained in
service until the war ended. Since then have
lived both at the North and South, and final
ly established myself in this vicinity"
RaVlsn Womov Mt Draffv