Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-03

lar face This light to retire by and tie
hickory pillow LETT by the French sailor
were all the hospitality could Offer.
The lieutenant entertained me with tho
story Of his capture in Florida, follow d
by his travels ia Africa. and when fell
asleep he was entertaining the Prince Of
Wales at DelagOa bay.
When we returned few days there
after TO Camp Sorghum, Lieutenant
Dorr found fellow Mason on the tram
in the person Of Confederate general
officer stationed at Columbia. rejoinCd
nv old mess about the lst of November.
presenting Lieutenant DOrr % Byers IS
an ablebodied and active minded recruit.
Lieutenant Sill had returned from his
fruitless expedition for exchange, and
approaching my experiences outside he
exacted a promise from me that would
join his party ~ soon as he could pro
vide himself with shoes.
There had been some changes IN camp
in the course II my absence. The officers
were now allowed to 90 out Oh chopping
expeditions by giving their parole at tho
main entrance. After casting their wood
over the guard line at the most conven-
lent point they returned and reported 10
headquarters and were duly excused
from parole. The confusion Of trans
ferring the wood from the choppers out
side 20 the messmates inside involved
the parties in constant disputes with tho
inexperienced guards and proved fruit
ful means OF getting men out not re-
strained by parole Officers ESCAPED
almost every day, many Of whom were
recaptured after longer or shorter ID
sence in the direction Of the western
mountains
Immediately following my return the
camp was visited by a succession Of
sleetstorms Whenever the weather per
mitted our mess was industriously nc
work constructing winter cabin. The
walls and chimney We're completed. and
on the 2Sth day Of November all handJ
had been outside cutting section u
pine log to be split into shingles for the
roof. We had rolled our log up 20 the
hut and engaged Tennessee woodman
to split out our shingles on the follow
ing day, when Lieutenant Sill appeared
on the ground III serviceable pair Of
shoe: to remind me Of my promise.
donot know whether the guards had
been changed i'll the course Of my alb
sence on the Charleston expedition, but
| do know that discipline had grown SD
lax that escape was easily possible to
every officer who cared 10 undergo the
bardships of winter travel Perhaps the
guards had become more amiable on
better acquaintance Indeed this result
could hardly be avoided among mcn
brought into SO intimate an association
as we were, enduring the same expos ure
and living Cu about the same fare, with
no stOckade TO separate rs. Our keepers,
forced into the service against their VIII
SONS, fathers and graDdfathers IN the
same battal!on-were heartily tired Of
the war and must have realized that,
while they were nominally holding Us
prisoners, we were practically holding
them to the same conditions. They
found US human beings, equally sensitive
10 hunger and cold, and disposed 10
tighten their burdens whenever we
could. The parole system engenderod
endless confusion and afforded infinite
expedients TO the fertile minds Of expert
enced officers bent on escape.
Our party leaving Camp Sorghum IL.
cluded Lieutenant Lamson of New
York regiment, and having deliberately
made our arrangements to go We coolly
forged parole, and On the afternoon Of
the goth of November We easily per-
suaded a boyish guard to permit Us to
pass out over his post. Once outside, We
strolled down the line to the stream,
where several Of our friends were await
ing Us. We called across to them that
we wanted blankets to gather pine
boughG in and lay down on the bank
until they returned with the blankets
and such other convenicnces for the road
as they cou! ID conceal without suspicion.
(To;BE CONTINUED.