The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-17
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
Three Escaped Prisoners Recognized
BY Their Accenr


Three Escaped Prisoners Recognized
by Their Accent.
The MORNING News has received an in
terestIng letter from lady in Maryland, in
which the writer shows how, during the
war, the southern accent was a means Of
getting shelter and clothing for three
escaped prisoners of the Ninth Georgia VOL
unteers During that time Maryland was
fuiI OF spies, deserters, and escaped prison.
ers- In such mixed multitude the people
were never certain of their bearings, and If a
Zoe was entertained unaware Imprisonment
and conhscation followed. The writer says :
II am sure the needy and those in exile
from their own lands never quite realized in
what position they placed those who we're
their friends, nor the risks and the utter
self-abnegatOn in the sacrifices on the altar
of patriotism. Few of the rich and pros
porous would take the risks, and the Door in
that country as a rule are Africans. OF
course those escaping from the enemy tried
to swim the Della ware river for a mile or
more, and many poor soldier in seeking
ms freedom found watery grave. 1t re-
quired PLUCK and strength. Body
and mind must be healthy under
the fairest circumstances, or else the
head was lost and that meant going to the
bottom. The country Whereabouts is level,
and very little wooded, and when the poor
creatures made the landing there was MOTH
ing to hide their half-naked, shivering
bodies. Often they were days going a
few miles, more than half starved, within
sight Of tlmid, or cautious, or prudent
friends.
Zone summer night after the writer's fam
lily had gone to their rooms, for it was
nearer morning than night, faint call was
borne on the still air 10 our ears. Some
one ran to tie window. Three men stood
near the porch. They said that thew were in
trouble, but would not tell their business
unless some one came to them. There was
nasty consultation inside. My mother
said, Children, it may be spies, or soldiers
for your father" For my father was q
member of the Maryland Senate, and SO. a
man marked ''disloyal." We were young
and eager for adventure, and
full OF curiosity as well
as pity forthe suffering. Itended, of course.
as all such things always do, in the children
listening to impulse and feeling and parents
yielding. My brother tried to make some
thing out OF the half whispered converse
ton. When he returned he said, three
men from Fort Delaware, and they have had
nothing to eat for two days, and they have
on only their night clothing and hardly
that"
My mother was afraid that the
men were trying TO trap nv
father She said that would kill
her. She was willing to do anything she
could for the prisoners il she knew they
were telling the truth. We sounded them
further, and in their talk one of them used
the expression, ''shore nuff," with unmis-
taxable southern accent. No one north of
the Potomac could say "shore huff" as those
men did. We provided room for
them AMI bought them clothing.
We slipped food to tuen, not daring to take
anybody into our confidence, except an old
colored servant, who assisted us by keeping
the other servants out of that part Of the
house. The escaped prisoners proved to be
Georgians belonging to the Ninth Georgia
volunteers. Their names were J. H Marion
of Company D, A. L. Brooks. Company G,
and e. |. Fuller. The writer added: II
have often wondered what became of them.
and they would be interested to know
something about the family which lived at
that beautiful old family home that risked
50 much and gave to them so gladly. The
family is scattered. Father and mother are
in the grave, and that home is sold and
nothing left but faith in Gods goodness"