The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-02-24
LA, WEDNESDAY,, FEB


and hair breadth escapes. For
nearly Il month that party was
lodging ahont tls Mississippi
swamps cndeavoring to effect their.
purpose. They bad Il light ambu-
lance with two splendid horses, ~
tskiff mounted on wheels, and an
army wagon loaded With the money
and ammunition. They success.
|siyely passed through Shnhnta,
ElIisville, Williamsburg, Mt. Car
mel, Monticello, across Pearl river,
Summit, Liberty, Woodyille,l For
Adams, and other points.
Oh the night of October Z, the
party left Captain j.. Hunters
place below Waterloo, and plunged
into the swamp along the bank of
the river. Every attempt to cross
the stream was at night. 1t was
as dark as Erehus. The party was
unusually merry because they
thought their daring mission was
about to be fulfilled. They crossed
Buffalo bayou, caught sight ofOld
river, and plunged into a swamp
~. FHAssH4. Egt=-s 49, |
road where the giant trees, with
their pendant moss and sentinel
o%utstrptchcd arms obscured the
stars overhead AID made the uigl.t
a rayless darkness. The wheels Of
the vehicles We're wrapped with
cloths to make them noiseless, and
silence rs profound as death was
observed.
A reconnoitre by N jor Springer
after u halt, revealed Il gunboat in
close proximity aud the marines
actually landing. Tie horses were
hastily unhitchel and the ambu
lance left standing in the road,
aud the animals urged into a gal
lep in a mad rush to escape. The
horses and most of the party esca
ped, but this writer, who had Cap
laiu FanntLeRoy's red artillery
E ,eAfA 80, - tx $3.50. -E.
cap hid under his jacket Captains
FsuntLeRoy, Clark, Maj>f Lasalle
and Que or two others uf the party
were surrounded. The word was
.passcl in Il whisper to slip cut, il
possible, and each II make his
way lack to Col. Hunters Cap
tain FauntLeRoy's artillery cap
was disposed of by being thrust
into convenient hollow tree, and
the bearer managed to escape in
. the dense darkness acknowledgement.
The tread OF the blue coats was
plainly heard. The Advantage WAS
With the temporary prisoners,
whose presence was undiscovered
!, aud who were free to act. Tley
made their escape by the ''skin Of
their teeth The party all reach
led Col. Hunters by lOclock II. IN.
save Captains FauMLeRoy and
Clark FauntLeRoy came III du-
ring the night, but Clark who
wore along army oyercoat only ar
rived on the next day, being pilot.
Ell out of tlie.swamp, where he she-
came lost, by Il negro, to whom he
gave 500.
Recounting his experiences lie
!, said he had paced the picket line
! with a Yankee sentry, with a cock.
+. ed revolver ready to shoot him il
detected. His long coat and the
darkness made the sentry mistake
him for a federal officer.
), The frderals rai,ied the Barclay
place adjacent to this spot, de
. stloyed his boat and took him
prisoner as a suspect. This local
ity became too warm for the heaItl
!, and comfort of the blockade run
, uers and tie party moved up tho
= river to a point between Rodney
aud Waterproof. On the night o.
4 October 90, they livouacea il
!. the grounds around Oakland Col
: lege. The next morning in TIL.
gray Of the dawn, aud preyaleuc'
,, of ii dense fog hanging over thu
stream shutting out everything
!, they launched the boat abov'
: Waterproof, loaded in the plunde
: took the wheels from the amin
lance, the body and gear of which
g they put on the boat, mufled thu
. oars and swimming the horses
- dared their fate.
H.. The Whole party, Gen. Allen