The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-14
.HOERiSOS'S ADJUTAST."
The Mysterious Leak He Made IN Camp
Butler.
T Nashville American.

out hands whose brain IS constantly
contriving to overcome physical de-
ficiency. The ingenuity of a brain
unrelieved by distraction of employ
ment is capable Of schemes which rival
fiction. Many thrilling tales are told
by prisoners Of war about their prlva-
tons and adventures while under the
esDiouaee of an alert and reutless enc
nv. An experience worthy OF record
was told an American reporter last
night bv man who now stands hlgh
in public life in Tennessee. He was
once Confederate soldier. He had
the misfortune to he numbered with
the captured at Fort Donelson, and
with hundreds of his comrades was
hurried across the Ohio and jncar-
cerated in Camp Butler, a spot which
will long be remembered by those who
were so unlucky as to be imprisoned
within its battlements.
After pining for several weary
months for an exchange that Was
never effected these Southern patriots
set about to accomplish their own de-
iverance. Various plans were con-
cocted, but were all successfully
thwarted by tie vigilance Of their GUS
todians. Finally the inspiration OF
this story hit upon scheme which for
audacity and cleverness is unprece-
dented, and won for its originator
title aud distinction among his COM
panions which time has not yet oblit-
Grated.
Among the prisoners at Camp Butler
was number Of boys who served the
Confederacy in the capacity of''powder
monkeys" a function we'll known to
heavy artillerists. The duties of these
Youngsters were to convey powder
charges from the magazines to gunners
in trenches or to assist in like manner
on the floating batteries which annoyed
the ederal gunboats in the Mississippi
river.
Two of these little fellows, who had
fallen into the hands of the enemy
were treated with the dignity due
prisoners of the war, and consequently
found themselves hundreds of miles
away from home and mamma and
subject to all the heartless discipline
of military prison. The manly for
titude of these two juvenile warriors
attracted the martial soul of Colonel
Morrison, who commanded the post.
TO make their Imprisonment less ar
duous, he made them his office order
lies, aud sent them on hundreds of
errands which commanding officer
finds daily necessity in the discharge
Of his duty.
The little fellows were true patriots,
and no persuasion orpunishment could
dissuade them from the cause Of their
fathers. 1t was through them that. the
hero of this story accomplished his
designs. The had access at all times to
the Colonel's office, likewise the adju-
tant's desk. One night they were bid
den to steal from the adjutant's desk
lot of blank passports.
But what good were passports to
soldier whose very uniform forbid exit
from the inner stockade of the prison,
might be asked. Fortunately, how
ever in the prison there was sutler
who possessed all the venality charac-
teristic of his cloth.
Among the prisoners in Camp But
Ter there We're several Confederate
soldiers who were the sons of wealthy
parents and occasionally received
money from home. From this ele
ment general fund was collected and
appropriated to The use of the plotters
for deliverance. With the sutler, whose
loyalty to the American Union, it was
an easy matter to smuggle in a salt of
citizens clothes now and then.
On visiting days hundreds of people
from the country around would throng
to the post to look at the fiery rebels.
They were shown, under the escort ofa
guard, through every part of the pris-
on, and Oh several occasions these
parties in some unaccountabie way,
would number one or two more Oh
coming in. Each individual, how
ever, displayed his passport to the
guard at the gate, and retired unques-
toned from the portals of the fort into
the loyal prairies of Illinois. Had the
guards counted their guests upon their
arrival and departure some startling
surprises would have resulted. On one
occasion two Confederate officers es-
caped by the guard with forged passes
and had taken seats in a carriage
which was waiting to serve visitors at
the gate Of the fort when Colonel Nor
rison himself came out and addressed
them, asking if they had seen all they
wanted to see.
"Yes, sir,n replied one Of the fugi
tives suavely. "rhey are hard look
ing set, amt they, Colonel?" At the
same time he was 50 alarmed that his
tongue almost refused to arliculate.
BY this process half Il hundred Con-
federates were released from custody
and returned to their commands in the
field. The reader must not Imagine
that these men were not missed by
their guardians, for after every muster
the guards were doubled and many
commissioned and non-commissioned
officers relieved, it being inspected
that they were responsible for the mys-
terious disappearance Of the prisoners.
So cleverly did the plan operate under
cautious restrictions, the leak through
which the human contents Of that no.
torious pen escaped was not discovered
until the man who created it had been
duly exchanged and was fighting un-
der his own flag on the fields Of Georgia,
where he was known to the army as
Colonel Morrison's adjutant.
HSuI o., E. Dti bor}o Hoo+orio