The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-10

| with hay bales. After terT1Ole experience
the expedition passed five miles of batteries
| and was within ten minutes OF safety"
when it suddenly came to grief. I'm the
| confusion caused by our evolutions in the
eddies," says Richardson, II had quite lost
| the points of the compass, and asked, In
which direction Is Vicksburg% There re-
piled Junius, pointing to tbs lurid smoke.
4 think it must be on the other shore.
"'Oh, no: wait moment and you'll see
the flash of the guns Just then 1 did
see the fash of more guns than coveted,
and four or five shots came shrieking to
ward us. Colburn and myself instinctlvely
dropped behind the nearest hay bales. A
moment after we were amused to observe
that we had sought shelter on the wrong
side of the bales-the side facing the Con-
federate guns.
".I suppose we can surrender cried a
poor scalded fellow.
Surrender the devilp replied Colburn.
Z suppose we will fight themP
"It was very creditable to the deterrnina-
ton of our companion, but, to put it mild
ly, our fighting facilities just then were
somewhat limited.
'My comrades assisted nearly all the
wounded and scaided men down the sides
of the barge to the waters edge, and placed
them carefully upon hay bales Remaining
there we had nothing to lose and nothing
to gain, and urged:
I" Let us take to the water
"'Oh, yes,' my friends replied; we will
after while
''Soon / repeated the suggestion and they
repeated the answer. 1t was no time to
stand upon forms. jumped into the river
ten or fifteen feet below our barge. They
rolled over a hay bale for me. 1 climbed
upon it and found it very comfortable
means of navigation. At last, free from
the instructive dread of mutilation by
splinters which had constantly haunted
me- l now felt that if wounded at all it
must at least be by a clean shot. The
thought was great relief.
with dim suspicion-not the ripe and
perfect knowledge afterward obtained
that clothing was scarce in the southern
Confederacy, I removed my boots, tied
them together with my watch guard and
fastened them to one of the hoops of the
bale. Taking off my coat l secured it in
the same manner"
Settling himself securely on his floating
bale Richardson determined to escape down
the river, but the enemy ceased firing and
sent out q yawl and captured the whole
party. The three correspondents gave the
usual parole and went to Richmond for
exchange, but the Confederate commits
sioner refused to release The Tribune men.
and they lay in Libby prison and Castle
Thunder several months. After employ
ing counsel and trying every honorable
means to secure justice the unfortunate
men began to plot for escape
Once they had everything planned to
bribe the guards, but an accident revealed
the scheme, and they were put in dun
geon for punishment, and were shortly
afterward sent to Salisbury, n. c. About
this time correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Gazette, w. L. Davis, united his fortunes
with The Tribune men. A friendly guard
bargained to pass the trio over his beat on
a certain night. Richardson and Browne
were on hand, but an accident delayed
Davis until the guard was relieved, and
the others refused to proceed without him.
Again and again hopes of escape were
frustrated by some trife. Now and then
desperation led to some more daring efforts,
but these, too. failed. One day a body OF
prisoners rushed upon a guard relief, |
seized their muskets, and attacked the
sentinels on their posts. In their haste all |
hands rushed TO one point and attempted |
to pass the fence, but couple of |
field pieces and the muskets of the |
reserve guard turned upon that one point, |
quelled the insurrection in three minutes. |
* scheme of tunneling was pushed far |
toward success, but the prison commandant |
took alarm and posted a second line Of |
guards 100 feet outside the stockade, and |
that rendered egress by tunnels out of the |
question. /