Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-19

heads, he told me that everybody was
looking for me, and he assisted mo across
tho river, whore / found u horse at John
Wells. j rode 10 Cl ristianburg, then TO
Versailles, then to Lexington.
In order to understand the subsequent
events, We must go back to August. 1867.
AT that time my battalion was with Gen.
l.. Kirby Smith. In tho battle OF Richmond,
KY. and was assistant provost marshal at
Lexington, thus making many acquaint-
nneos. had also remained on tho battlo-
field TO bury the dead. impressing the sery-
ices of citizens, anon whom were four
brothers by the name OF Haley.
On my arrival at Lexington from the
Northern trip. called at the Curd House.
which was the rebel soldiers headquarters.
and Miss Mamie Curd was the moving spirit
among them. While eating dinner l met
Capt. Gwynn, OF Cen. Morean's staf. At
that time there we're 40O0 Federal infantry
at Lexington, 2,0OO cavalry at Georgetown,
5000 cavalry at Frankfort, all under march
ing orders for Lexington.
gave Capt. Gwynn this information. and
we parted to meet at Tate's Creek ford. four
miles from Richmond, at II p. m. PI divided
VITA horse and Lieut.. Col. RiIeys uniform
OF the Twenty fifth Michigan. with the post
countersg gn, through tie infiu nee OF Miss
Minnie Curd. at O'Clock / started for
Tate's ford. After crossing the river was
halted. i gave the countersign. telling
them was Col. Riley OF the Twenty -llfth
Get down. Capt German; we know you.
said ons OF them. and | saw that was in
the hands OF the IIaloy brothers. They
treated me kindly. and took mo homo with
them,
While in room disrobing. ono OF them
picked up my coat and heard some paper
rustic. He ripped it open. and found somc
maps and lot OF letters directed to Presl-
dent Davis and Vice President Stevens.
Then they knew that they had prize. The
| letters were all in cipher, which could not
read myself.
They furnished mo with another suit,
and laid Col Riley's uniform. which l had
worn over my suit It being too large !or
me. away.
wa, taken back to Lexington, where
was tried before Gen. Gilmore, who asked
II could read the letters. / said that
| could. and that saved my fe. Instead oi
having me shot the next morning at sun,
rise, he sentenced me 10 be shot on April
| z, the trial occurring March z. was con-
fined in n dungeon in John Morgan's old
negro Jail on Limestone street. a place with
which. as Provost Marshal. L was thor
oughly familiar. In tho dungeon was
| Charles SILVER, OF Scott's Louisiana cav
airy. At first wo wore suspicious OF each
other, but through our mutual acquaintance
with Miss Nannio Curd. We soon became
warm friends.
then Il chain was fastened from tho one
which bound our hands 10 the one which
bound our feet We were both TO be shot.
began to figure way to get out oi
there. and sent for Father Lynch. Catho-
lie priest. Through his influence i suc-
| ceeded in obtaining call from Miss Curd.
told her TO have the girls make love TO
the guards and sergeants, which they did.
She obtained bedding and clothes for me,
and in few days / found file starched
| inside OF the sleeve OF shirt. so that II
would not fall out when the garment was
shaken. With this we cut the rivets on our
| shackles, and with our case knives we be-
gan the task OF cutting out through the
| floor. On tho 18th OF March tho hole was
| large enough for n man 10 crawl through,
| and we made our escape that night, eating
"a hearty meal at Mrs. Myers. next door to
the jail. We reached Versailles and went
to General Buford's house before daylight
running nineteen miles during the night
On our way to this place we found farmer
in the DAD resting for tho night. Wo stam-
peded his no SIS. aud binding him to a
tree. left him. wishing him good luck.
At half past 4 o'clock the next morning