Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1893-01-11


Won Clodt was an Austrian count by
birth. a gentleman by education and a
soldier by profession. He came to America
at the breaking out of the war to study
the western method of conducting cam
paigns, and feel very sure that from the
first his sympathies were with the Union
i am certain they were when l first met
him-a fellow prisoner Of war in Libby
prison. My Austrian friend had secured q
lieutenant's commission on the staff OF
General Schurz and was captured in the
first days fight at Gettysburg.
Lieutenant Won Clodt when quite cool
could talk fairly good English, but when
at all excited his knowledge Of foreign
languages forsook him, and he fell back
on his native German. This was certainly
the case on the night of the escape from
the tunnel The lieutenant went out just
ahead OF me, and he got along very well
until we reached the middle Of the tunnel,
where there was large stone that caused
DETECTION and which made the passage
at that point narrow. Here the corners Of
the stone caught in Won Clodt's ragged
trousers, and in n voice full OF horror aud
agony he called back to me in German:
''Gott i'm himmel herr captainl | am
stuck"
"what is upi" asked.
"My trousers" be cried.
Reaching ahead felt his body and ascer-
tanned the difficulty.
"You must uDloose them" said, land
i will carry them out"
~ CD Gott, but it Is so cold, and then
may see some woman" he groaned. as
sured him that there was no danger OF
in he IN ard nj
length pulled of the unfortunate trousers
and carried them out to the opening where
my Austrian friend, now trembling with
cold and excitement, received them.
In order to avert suspicion, and to bother
our pursuers, whowe were sure would soon
be on our track, we divided into bands OF
two, or three at the most. Captain Mar
tin, OF Tennessee, was my companion, and
as soon as he Joined me at the exit from
the tunnel we started of. Had l then
known that Van Clodt had no companion
should have taken him with me, for as it
turned out we were both recaptured.
When | was taken back to Libby found
my friend there, and a more crushed and
wretched looking being it would be diff
cult to find even in the miserable prison.
He had not yet regained his small COM
VI l4hEllails bub WIS sthNfb W III
crease his fuency in the German tongue.
All Of us, some fifty who were brought
back, had TO tell our experience, and this
il how Van Clodt explained his recapture;
II had no bread, no drink, no meat, no
nothing, and so very, very little clothes
when | got this id prison outl There
was no one with me, only just myself
alone, and, ach Colt, how great a stranger
Iwasl
"Of course when left had knowledge
that the River James IL flowed to the east.
SO said to myself will follow that river,
will stick close to that river, and it will
take me, with heavens help, TO Fortress
Monroe and he great free sea.
"Well, met no one that first night, and
the next day | shivered out in bomb
proof not far from swamp. Oh. | was
so cold and so hungry that | could not
sleep, but | heard what you call ROSTERS
growing all day, and it made my mouth to
water and | said, 'Ha, you keep up that
growing, and maybe tonight we get some
better acquainted And that rooster he
keep right on Growing.
"When it got very dark again and the
rooster no longer crow, tighten my belt
to stop my hunger, and off steal and my
feet feel very heavy. After a time | come
to a little house. see IL between my eyes
and the stars and my heart beat hard and
say to myself; That Is too small for a
man to live in; it must be the place where
that rooster he crowed Ill day and where
he now rest with his wives all night
will take the liberty OF making the gem
tleman's acquaintance Ach, was so
hungry could eat that bird quite raw;
no care for the feathersl
''Softly, softly crept to the door. 1t
was open. listen; there was no noise in
side feel my heart get bolder | hit
something on the floor with my feet Then
hear yell. Mine Gott, what yell that
wasl No one ever heard anything like
such yell before"
"Was it the rooster?" asked
"Roosterl Ach, mol 1t was rebel guard.
That little house which | think was the
ROSTERS home it turn out to be sentry
Dor. and the id guard he was sleeping
inside. But he had gun, and he captured