Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-07-03
ESCAPE FROM RICHMOND.

All the winter previous 10 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 acit agree
ment even the murderous habit of
pickets Gring upon each other had
ceased, and, as in a 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 10 begin
in the spring the struggle which. hap
PLY, ended the var
II was in this season of comparative
calm my adventure took place. !
must here say that / was hen only a
first lieutenant; my rapid promotion
10 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 latelyl'
And upon the darky answering, "Ies.
sab; we iist hez been paid. an don
you forgit ltI' the sOutheruer said,
"What ln-drumsf' referring 10 the
constant rattle Of the hfe and drums
in the camps Of the colored soldiers.
Tobacco, coffee, hard bread, news
papers and other small ~triiles were
continually being exchanged between
the opposing sentincis. although such
tradAg was not supposed b exist. IL
wa wiuked at by the officers, and by
none more readily than myself, for
which dereliction in duty ! paid Sc.
verely
There was q dog whose name was
"Dixie"-one Of those nondcscIipt
camp followers often found in the
army who was used in assisting the
sentinels on both sides in this contra.
band trade. lie had no especial owner,
and would come TO the whistle Of a
man in gray or blue without fear or
favor He was quite u 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 colico 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 ~plcaslntGst thing
in life Che day on my tour Of duty,
after seeing the sentrICo properly
posted. | took my field glas5 and lgoE.
ed over 10 the other side, and there
saw the commander Of the southern
pickCts scanning our line. Presently
our eyes mrt, aud lac raised his black
well worn ~chapgau, TO which salute
/ responded by taking or my own
cap little thinking how soon our ac.
quaiutancc would be made much
morl intimate and not 80 agreeable
for me. M any rate
In carrying on the eontraband trade
have alluded 10 IL was customary for
the seulipcls 10 60 down 10 a certain
very III dcHned-in point on fact al.
most lmaglnary-line, and there toss
over 10 each other such articles as
they had for decker.
II wm taciuy understood That the
sentrics on either SIDE who Invaded this
neutral belt, If | may call 50 III bound.
ed a territory, might DO made prison.
ers by the opposing side n caught in
tire act say might be, forit vas q
rule rarely II ever enforced, This,
then, was the position of affairs on
the day Of my adventure
During the day rain cnmo on. and
all who could sought shelter. Capt.
Cos, Of my regiment, was Geld officer