Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-06-21

description, and he was undoubtedly
q gentleman of refinement and birth.
Saving little arrogance and some
quite natural fretfulness, he was an
excellent companion and q veteran
campaigner.
In the same room there was Vir-
ginian by the name of Lomax, whose
family resided in Richmond, and one
of whose cousins was actually, when
his turn came, the sentry stationed at
our door.
Col. Maxwell, Lomax and | formed
a sort of private league-composed
only of ourselves-whose sole object
was to escape. This cousin of Lomax's
used to keep us posted as to the move
ments of Lees army, and told us that
the fall of Richmond was only mat
ter of few days. AS April drew on
we kept hearing rumors, now quite
common, that Lee was soon TO evacu-
ate. AT last the night came when we
were ordered to fall in, and prepare to
accompany the southern army as it
moved out of Richmond. Maxwell,
Lomax and | had each saved bottle
full of molasses from our scanty ra-
ton, and these were the only "weap
ons" we had. AS we wound through
the darkened streets of Richmond. on
turning a corner an opportunity &C.
CURED for us three to slip unseen from
the long column of prisoners; and, fol-
lowing Lomax's lead, as had previous
ly been agreed upon, we dashed mad
ly along the silent by streets, with
which he was perfectly familiar.
Suddenly, the sharp ring of a rifle
brought to the charge, and the sharper
commando
Haiti Who goes therea" rang upon
my ears.
We had come upon stray sentinel
not yet relieved from some govern
ment storehouse. In an instant. like
the leap of tiger, Col. Maxwell was
inside the sentry's gun before he could
use it, and had laid him out by well
directed blow of the molasses bottle be-
tween the eyes. A street lamp not far
Oft enabled me to see the fracas. AS
came up | broke my bottle of molas-
ses, also, over his head and pulled the
PROSTATE mans bayonet from its sheath
to replace my broken bottle. The sight
of that poor fellow dripping with mo-
lasses, and the thought Of what he
would think had hit when he came to,
for l was sure he was only stunned,
set me to laughing so that l could
hardly run.
AT this the English colonel grew
very angry, and ordered me to shut
up" or I'VE would all be lost" but
could no more control my risibilities
than | could the movement of the
planets, and l laughed as l ran, and
ran as | laughed. The colonel finally
positively assured me 'he would, him
self, cut my throat from ear to ear, if
we were recaptured;" but we were not,
and reached Lomax's house (where we
were expecte0. The colonel was so
exhausted by his running and his chol-
er that Lomax and | had actually to
lift him over the fence as we entered
by the back premises.
AS all the world knows now, Lee
abandoned Richmond, and we then.
after day or two Of hiding, emerged
from LomaXs cellar where no one
had ever come to look for us. have
no doubt we were hardly missed in
those last few days of the Confeder-
acy. | made my way back to the
regiment, and was for a time the hero
of the hour. l received thirty days
leave of absence, and when l returned
was rapidly promoted to captain, ma
jor and lieutenant colonel, by reason
of SO many of the regimentaI officers
resigning to go home. l stuck to the
old craft until we were mustered out
of service, a year later, when | was
commissioned a first lieutenant in the
regular army.-Commercial Bulletin.