The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-12-05
HOW A YANKEE RAN AWAY.
HAD TWO DAYS START.
Clever Ruse of an indiana Boy to Get
out of Andersonville.

In the month OF August, 1864, the writer
was engaged. under parole OF honor, as q
grave digger In the now historic cemetery
near Andersonvi!le prison. While there one
OF the prisoners, belonging to an Indiana regi-
ment made his escape under tho following
remarkable circumstances: The Indiana boy,
M will call him. inasmuch as | know not
his name, was ono OF the healthy ones con-
fined at that time In that Southern inferno,
AMI was requested to aid his half-dead com
raies, once "A week. out OF the stockade to
attend n so-called sick-cal for medical treat
ment.
On being thus permitted TO inhale a purer
atmosphere soon the desire for liberty iDvad-
ed his breast, and for days and nights he
studied Apon plan to escape.
On being out again. he was ordered by tho
surgeon to 20 to ths brook near the cook
house TO get water for his sick comrades. In
soing thither, he had to pass on his left, the
little shed. covered, arbor-like, with pine
boughs, and known as the dead-house. He
noticed that the driver Of the dead
wagon wore our uniform, and upon in
qury found that the driver was ono OF our
own men.
Unobserved by the Surgeon, he passed
around the rear end Of the ad-wagon, and
proposed to the driver that on his next com
ing out with sick men he would climb In
through the rear end gate OF the dead wagon
after the load was about completed lay him
self, apparently dead upon his dead compan-
ions. lbs hauled to the cemstery, and thence
make his escape.
A few days later. on asultry rainy day, our
Indiana boy was again outside, bringing
water to his less fortunate comrades. The
dend-wagon was again In front OF the dead
nrbor. this time little closer up to the shed
;.an usual Sixteen dead lay like so many
fence rails on top OF each other in the wagon
bed, ready TO be taken to their final resting
| place. The Indiana boy passed, and, on a
signal from tho driver, went to the end gate
OF the wagon and crawled In stretching him
self out on top OF his silent comrades, disre-
| gar1ing vermin and modification.
BY some mlshap the wagon was detained
| about 10 minutes. and II was during that time
that another one OF our men, n hospital Mt
| tendunt, passed In rear OF the dead wagon,
and noticed that the dead man on top had
| good shoes on his feet, an article OF clothing
| very much needed by the living, and useless
to anybody In tho grave. He examined them
| found them perfect, and Of the exact number
for "A perfect M. He began to open the
strings. The thoughts that passed through
| mind OF the sham dead Indiana boy can only
be imagnei-shoald he move he might be
betrayed. should he lose his shoes. he could
not travel and escape. Thus he lay motion.
| less until the unknown hand tried to pull
them of, when he arose and In low. sub
| terranean voice uttered. "Stopl need those
shoes myself" Like statue, motioness
stricken with awe, stood the man who wanted
the shoes; he thought the resurrection day
had come and IN terror, rs fast as his tremb-
ling limbs would carry him, ho fled from the
| confines of the dead
The wagon started and arrived at the Gem.
etery. The Indiana boy and the driver relat
cd the story. shook hands, and with good.
by" the escaped man went into the thick un
derbrush at the northeast corner OF the wood:
near the cemetery.
Two days later the old reb with his blood
hounds came In tho cemetery and inquired
"Did you see n runaway Yankee this week.?
To which question "No, SIR" was given
In few days the writes met the old hound
man and asked him.
"Well, did you catch anybody the Other
day?" 10 which he replied mo! He'll IT,
self can't catch Yankee. II he has 45 hours
start OF the hounds" II tho Indiana mar
should be alive and read the above wish he
would write to me.-J. l.. YoUSKoR, Corpora
Co. A, 18th U. s. Maxville, o.