Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-11-11

That we both burst into hearty laugh
! sat down and laughed until the tears
ran down my checks, and that Yanket
rolled over and laughed and made sucl
q racket that | was afraid some of the
pickcts in front of us would open fire,
but they didn't.
While VIC were still laughing the
relief came, and the officer in COM
inand said to me:
"Wherc did you get that fellow?p
The fellows good nature and his
enjoyment of the joke (an unconscious
one, of course) was so great that de-
termincd, OH the impulse of the mo-
meni, to get better acquainted with
him before turning him over as a
prisoner, if possible, and when / re-
ported 10 my superior added that the
prisoner came from Ohio, not great
distance from my old home iii West
Virginia, and that would like 10
have talk with him. In cxplana-
tion | will say that the prisoner had
tod me that he belonged to another
regiment OF course, under ordinary
circumstances, such thing would
have been impossible, l;iit just Just as oiiii
line was filing into town the whistle
of locomotives and rattle of drums
announced the arrival of re-cnforcc-
ments, and while the attention of the
squad was attracted nudged my pris-
oncr and slipped into camp with him
without attracting attention.
Lying under dog tent we talked
for several hours. | told him where
came from, and found that lie had
actually been born and raised not
thirty miles distant from my old home,
although in different state. lie
knew many of my acquainianccs, and
! had known many people with whom
he had been familiar. Any one listen
ing 10 us would have thought VIC
were old acquaintance and old
friends, and we certainly became
friends, if not old ones, that night.
My Yankee friend began to show
great deal of uneasiness before a great
while, and soon learned that lie had
a terrible dread of being sent to Lib
by, but as / had succeeded thus far in
running things to suit myself, told
him not to be uneasy, but to lic still
until | came buck.
First made him take Off his blouse
and his cap, and these | rolled up and
! 'shns.s # q is'rs'aaa'!s sis'sa EQx sSp
luc jacket and cap for the gray jacket
nd gray slouch hat of Confederate
its owner was asleep. From another
leeping soldier l borrowed big
hunk of cornbread. Returning TO
he tent | told my prisoner 10 put on
he jacket and hst--a mighty risky
usiness for both of us-and then led
i'm down over the hill, keeping in the
ark, until we struck the same ravine
there l had captured him, but at a
oint 100 feet distant from the picket.
After guiding him to the opening bc-
wecu the hills, | pointed out the di-
ection of the camp of his friends, and
fter telling him that they had proba-
ly retreated (Which learned after
yard was a facD, told him TO keep
II going, as our fellows would make
hings lively that morning. We then
hook hands and parted.
Five years ago, while Sitting in a
Jig country store in Ohio with about
ozen ex-Union soldiers, swapping
var stories, | told of the foregoing oc-
urrence. When l got up the next
morning a half dozen horsomcn had
lst arrived, and at their head was
gentleman whose air and
arriage betokeued prosperity and
appincss. lie sprang from his horse
nd walkcd-almost ran-to the porch
f the hotel where l was standing,
eized me by both shoulders with a
,air of trembling hands, looked me in
he eyes moment, as if in doubt, and
hen actually hugged me as the tears
an down his checks. Good bless you,
Johnny. | have always hoped, but
Icvcr expected 10 see you again. Get
our things and como along" and,
before l could recover my
cnscs or catch the first glimpse of the
meaning of the strange scene, | was
Gated on horse in the midst of the
rowd and on my way somewhere be-
ore found out that the gentleman
who had met me so affectionately was
ny quondam prisoner.
What a talk we had, and how many |
lueslions each of MS asked cannot now |
ell, but they covered the lapse of the
ears between the time when the bul-
cts sang requiems and the shell and
,hrapnel shricked, down over decades
If peace and prosperity. Our ride
snded in front of fine, large two
,tory brick country residence, about
which everything indicated the in-
cultivated taste of its own
ers. An old but sweet faced and
handsome lady stood at the stop step of
lie versnda, and as my conductor led
<ae up to her and said: ait is he,
'ssother." she placed her arms around
aav neck and kissed me, and while
= tears fell from her eyes, she said:
ssGod bless you. my son; may lie al
says prosper you."