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

All the winter previous to the close
OF the late war, my own regiment, the
- United States colored infantry,
was, with the balance of the Twenty
fifth army corps, engaged in the siege
of Petersburg, and very monotonous
indeed was the work. By tacit agree
ment even the murderous habit of
pickets firing upon each other had
ceased, and as in terrific gale at sea
there sometimes occur moments of
dead calm, in which natures forces
seem to be concentrating for still
greater efforts of destruction, SO at
this time the great armies confronting
each other were resting, but to begin
in the spring the struggle which, hap
PLY, ended the war.
1t was in this season of comparative
calm my adventure took place.
must here say that | was then only
first lieutenant; my rapid promotion
to the lieutenant colonelcy, through
remarkably favorable circumstances,
did not take place till the war was
over.
The pickets of the southern army
on our immediate front were com
posed of the troops commanded by
Gen. Gusts Lee, who was under
Longstreet, and were upon the whole
a very decent lot of fellows, although
mighty ragged and hungry looking,
They were constantly shouting over
to the black soldiers some joke, which
those merry fellows as readily replied
to. remember one Johnny calling
out, Say, Sambo, been paid lately2"
And upon the darky answering, YES,
sah we jist hez been paid, an don
you forgit it'll" the southerner said,
"What in-drumsl" referring to the
constant rattle of the fife and drums
in the camps of the colored soldiers.
Tobacco, coffee, hard bread, news
papers and other small trilles were
continually being exchanged between
the opposing sentinels, although such
trading was not supposed to exist. 1t
was winked at by the officers, and by
none more readily than myself, for
which dereliction in duty paid Sc
verely.
There was dog whose name was
"Dixie"-one of those nondescript
camp followers often found in the
army-who was used in assisting the
sentinels on both sides in this contra
band trade. He had no especial owner,
and would come to the whistle of
man in gray or blue without fear or
favor. He was quite a long haired
animal, of no particular breed, but of
good size and strong; in the aggregate
he must have carried many hundreds
OF pounds of coffee and tobacco be-
tween the two opposing lines.
The month of March had just be-
gun, and picket duty at that season of
the year was not the pleasantest thing
In life. One day on my tour of duty,
after seeing the sentries properly
posted, | took my field glass and look
ed over to the other side, and there
saw the commander of the southern
pickets scanning our line. Presently
our eyes met, and he raised his black,
well worn chapeau, TO which salute
l responded by taking off my own
cap little thinking how soon our ac-
quaintance would be made much
more Intimate and not SO agreeable
for me, at any rate.
In carrying on the contraband trade
have alluded TO it was customary for
the sentinels to 60 down to certain
very i'll defined-in point of fact, al
most imaginary-ine, and there 'toss
over" to each other such articles as
they had for dicker.
1t was tacitly understood that the
sentries on either side who invaded this
neutral belt, if | may call SO i'll bound
ed territory, might be made prison
ers by the opposing side if caught in
the act | say might be, for it was a
then, was the position of affairs on
the day of my adventure.
During the day rain came on, and
all who could sought shelter. Capt.
Goss, of my regiment, was field officer