Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-02-03

tain Gubbins was delegated. de sool
had the job completed and poked hi
head out through the opening.
The storm which had been raginE
all day had now passed away, anC
though it was cloudy, the light Of th'
moon made it too risky for them tC
make their escape for awhile. 81
they decided to wait till the moor
had gone down. By 1 o'clock it wa
as dark as pitch, and then began theil
perilous escape.
Mr.. Skally, the imprisoned citizen
who had been incarcerated on some
trivial charge, decided to remain in
the prison. The first to make his un
ceremonious exit through the hole in
the roof was, of course, the dare-deN i
Gubbins, followed by La Mar, SchereI
and Dorsey. Mr.. Compton bringing up
the rear.
Having clambered out upon the
parapet wall OF the fort they all Law
down fat, one behind the other, and
began, snake fashion, to move for,
ward around the wall on the lookout
for favorable spot where they might
slip down unnoticed by the sentinels.
At last, having found q safe place,
they slipped down. But they were
not yet free, for the outer wall OF the
fort had yet to be scaled. After a
short consultation 1t was decided that
Gubbins should make circuit OF the
outer wall and ascertain what the
chances for scaling it unnoticed might
be. He was gone perhaps half an
hour, though it seemed almost an age
to his companions, and when he re-
turned he reported that escape was
simply impossible, as the entire wall
was heavily guarded by sentinels sta
toned within only few yards Of each
other. Their situation had now be-
come desperate indeed Outside the
waters of the Patapsco splash ed
against the fort; inside the muffled
tread OF the guards as tney paced
their beats. There in the inky dark
ness, afraid even to whisper, huddled
together beneath the parapet wall OF
the fort, they stood, not knowing
what to do.
All at once, seized by some unac-
countable, uncomfortable impulse,
the incorrigible Gubbins, STOPPING
down, picked up two large stones,
and yelling "chargeW at the top OF
his voice, he hurled one OF those
stones at the sentinel nearest him
with all his might. No doubt that
sentinel was pretty badly scared, for
he dropped his gun and ran with all
his speed toward the next sentinel,
thus leaving a possible chance Of es-
cape which our friends were not slow
in taking advantage Of. After get
ting upon the outer wall they found
they had to drop fifteen feet, bat
whether they were going to drop on
land or in the river they could not
tell, as it was still pitch dark. But
they dropped, and as luck would have
it they landed on the river bank.
They did not swim the river, as was
then reported, and is still believed by
many even to day, but wading around
the wall OF the fort through water up
to their arm-pits, they at last got
safely on dry land. Gubbins had u
sweetheart in Baltimore, and in spite
of all the efforts Of his companions to
dissuade him from his purpose he
swore he would 90 TO see her. Bid
ding them hasty goodbye he set
out.
The remaining four then turned in
the opposite direction, but it was now
almost daylight. Suddenly a great
commotion and alarm was heard in
the fort, and our friends knew that
their escape had been discovered, and
that in a few moments cavalrymen
would be securing the whole country
in search of them. Not being able to
see where they were going, they soon
ran into an old swamp, and, wading
out into the middle OF 1t, they lay
down in the mud and water. and not
a moment too soon, for the next min
ute a squad of mounted men were in
the swamp in search Of them. For
tunately they were not discovered,
but, although search in the swamp
was given up, guards were placed all
around 1t to keep any one who might
be in there from escaping.
Mr.. Compton and his companions
remained concealed in the water,
slime and mud all day long, not dar-
ing to venture out until after dark,
when they quietly slipped out and
proceeded to Baltimore. Mr.. Comp
ton and a companion stayed with
friends until midnight, and though a
most tempting supper had been pre-
pared for him, the days excitement
had been 80 great that 1t was iInpos-
sible for him to eat. Going out into
the country about three miles, they
spent the remainder OF the night until
daybreak with another friend, and
then, after hot breakfast, they bade
their kind host good-day, and as the
surrounding country, as well as the
city, was now being secured in search
OF them, they had to take to the
woods again. During that day they
proceeded FIVE miles to the house OF
another friend. who took them lS
miles further on TO the house OF 3
man who had a contract with the
Federal government for supplying
the army with horses. But this man,
strange to say, was q sympathizer
with the south. However, though he