Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-01-31
frao1lo,o - "1IuOSG any FISK for

freedom. A'nos' any FISK for
Weary and dishearteninp months
passed in the stockade. r. w.s a1,nans
impossible in such situation No ~ ~ " Iao,,
great news from the prisoners. Tho ,,n.
guarded talk OF the sentinels the can.
1lous whisperings of casual na noe s"
would acquaint the captiyes WITH mhat
was happening in the campa;ans " n "a"
''.S was that a few days after septem,
, pei ! 1t became known to Smith and
nis Fellow prisoners that Atlanta had
1allen. With the news came a r,m m.1r
mat all We're to be removed fnrthor
south. Upon this rumor Smith lost
no tlme IN effecting his escape from
the stockade. How he managed Il 10
one OF the details of this history tbot
L cannot furnish. To get away from
such place and to elude r,rsn;t
Tor twenty-five miles was not com
mon thing, yet there were instances Of
that being done. Our fugitive had re-
solved to reach Atlanta if possible
The distance was more than a hnn.
bred miles, but with the greatest can
non he knew that it might be done.
he carefully avoided the roads, travel
ed only at night, lying concealed bv
day, and shaping his course by the
north star and the information of
friendly negroes. Any description of
his sufferings will be omitted.
Fatigue, hunger. thirst, and the
agonlzing fear of recapture were the
common incidents OF such adventures.
One evening some ten days after his,
pelllous journey had begun, he was in
formed by negro that Atlanta was
less than fifteen miles off. The intel
llgence made him impatient and mean
tious. Hepushed on before dark. and
was crossing road when he heard a
challenge:
"Ho, there-halt, you Yankw
Three rifles covered him from the
side of the road. He was ordered to
"come in," and found himself in the
company OF three Confederate soldiers.
one of them being sergeant.
Smiths heart sank within him. He
obeyed the order to sit down and not
stir, and III despair watched his cap
tors. The men were cooking some
thing over fire. The sergeant babe
them go on and get it done, and said
that he would look after the prisoner.
Smith studied his face. and saw that
he was thoughtful-looking, middle
aged man. With sudden impulse to
appeal to his mercy, he said, in low
voice:
Sergeant, you don't want to take q
poor fellow like me back to the stock
ade!, I've travelled thousand miles
as prisoner, and I've suffered dread.
fully down there at Macon. Give me
q chance to get away"
The man he addressed gave him a
peculiar look, and replied, in a Wits.
per:
Keep still about that for a while
Well talk about it again"
With a new hope. Smith gladly kept
silence, and awaited developments
He was presently served with some
sweet potato and corn on a piece Of
bark. The repast over, the sergeant
told his men that they might go to sleep
while, and he would guard the pris
oner and wake them up when he wanted
them.
Waiting only till he was certain the,
slept soundly, the sergeant said to
Smith:
"Tell me that again"
The captive answered with brie
history of his adventures and suffer
ings since his capture, and was going
to make plea for liberty, when he
was interrupted.
Never mind that. l wouldn't hear
word Of it--only I'm going into At
lanta myself. The Confederacy is
gone up; I'm tired of fighting with nc
show. It's got to end pretty soon: Tn
going to end it now, for my part OF it.
Come along, and keep quiet"
Before daylight the two had reached
the Union pickets outside Atlanta, and
Smith soon had the pleasure of being
refreshed, re-clothed, and telling to
General Sherman what he knew OF the
inside of the Confederacy.
asked him if he had ever heard OF
the sergeant since.
no." he said; "but L would like to
meet him, right well"
If the sergeant did not manifest the
highest type of a soldier, it may be
said for him that he deserted only
when the cause that lie fought for had
become hopeless, just as many others
did. And in the mood in which Smith
found him "a fellow-feeling" was very
natural.-Chicago Ledger.
A PerilOus Plight.