The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-02-14
which had escaped the greed of the aa


our parole had been equally restraining
was restless enough at all times, even
on starvation rations. but high feeding
on dried beef, with the open fields in
full view, speedily renewed my ambi-
tion for travel.
On Sunday morning, scarcely more
than week after our arrival at Colum-
bia, Lieutenant Byers and l, in the
morning chopping hours, concealed two
tin cups and two blankets under heap
of brush, which, if we failed to reach
that night, we could easily reclaim the
next day. We seem to have been conf
dent of getting out, for we doubled our
wooden shirts and slowed supply of
dried beef between those garments above
the belt About o'clock we started out
to prospect. Between the hours of 9 in
the morning and 6 in the evening the
guard line on the west face of the camp
was SO extended as to take in stream
of clear water, thus including during
the day considerable area which was
outside the camp at night. We observed
a number of prisoners cutting down a
large pine tree near the water, which
soon fell with loud crash. AS the
choppers trimmed off the thick boughs
and heaped them together we also OBJ
served that several of the party disap-
peared under the mass of pine needles.
IL undiscovered, these officers would be
outside the guard line after the 6 o'clock
contraction, and when it became suffi-
GENTLY dark they could emerge from
their hiding place free men.
Accepting this brilliant suggestion,
Lieutenant Byers and promptly crawled
under another brush heap, where we lay
swelterihg for an hour or more await
ing the change in the line When that
event took place, the guard walked di-
rectly to the pine tree top, and prodding
the boughs with their bayonets drove
out the concealed officers. Straightway
from nearly every brush heap on the
hillside one or more United States Off
GERS emerged and retreated into camp,
Lieutenant Byers and I foremost among
the discounted.
My next attempt half hour later
was more original in conception, more
reckless in execution and more conspicu-
GUS in it's ignominious failure. At the
point where the inner guard line crossed
the road leading to the water several
hundred officers were wont to congre-
gate at O'Clock to watch the posting Of
the relief. The gathering twilight ia
vored my hastily conceived plan. From
a neighboring wood pile selected stick
about the length of gun, and throwing
gray blanket over my shoulders to
conceal my uniform took my stand in
the front rank of the spectators and
awaited the arrival of the relief. When
the guards halted at the post in front of
us, shouldered my wooden gun and
slipped unseen to the rear of the column
at the moment when the command to
march was given, intending to drop out
on the other side before reaching the
next post. AS bad luck would have it, a
halt was called for further instruction
to the sentinel, and my Confederate file
leader turned about and confronted me
with my stick. The angry corporal came
back and ordered me into camp with an
oath. I retreated incontinently upon the
mass of my fellow prisoners and in an
instant was lost in the crowd which
opened to receive me.
was in no wise discouraged by this
failure, and as soon as could find Lieu
tenant Byers I told him of my deter
minatior to get out some way. urged
him to follow and agreed to wait for
him at the place where we had concealed
our blankets until 1 should hear the
posting of the 10 o'clock relief.
Going as near as could to the dead
line, which was the inner edge of a
sandy road, outside of which the guards
walked, crouched in the shadow of a
clump of evergreens to watch my oppor-
tunity. Of the 1, 600 prisoners in Camp
Sorghum that night two other restless
officers would within the next hour
tempt fate as was recklessly bent on
doing. If had known at that moment
that before the next relief two of three
would be lying on that road shot to
death by the sentinels was watching,
should have gone quietly and sadly
back into camp.
The full moon was rising above the
evergreens ON the high ground 10 my
left, and the mufied forms of the guards
in that direction doomed dark against
the soft, misty light. The sandy road
lying between me and my would be ex-
ecutioners was white and terrible to
cross. There were ten chances of death
to one of escape, but l took no thought
of the awful nine. I noticed that the
two guards who met opposite to my hid
ing place after separating walked their
short beats without looking back. 1
must take my chances with the other
sentinels to the right and left, half a
dozen Of whom might see me. Every
the moon was growing bright.
or. Gliding from the shadow of the
pines, shot across the belt of soft sand
and threw myself upon the ground in
the coveted field 80 feet beyond the line
of sentinels.
CHAPTER III.
= II Il