The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-24
A CAMP MORTON ESCAPE
COL. y. II. PHIPPs, or BALTIMORE,
RECALLS AN INCIDENT.
A Johnny Reb's Experience After lie
HAD Got Beyond the Guards
of the Prison.

During summer vacation In one of the
charming valleys of old Virginia I met a
man who told me that he had been a pris-
oner of war at one time and was confined
at Camp Morton. near indianapolis and
that he had succeeded in making his es-
cape" The speaker was COL Joseph g.
Phipps. who is an Indianapoltan born and
bred, but who now resides in Baltimore,
and is assistant adjutant general of the
First Brigade of the Maryland National
Guard
Il confess" continued Colonel Phipps,
ito a fondness for the Confederate vet
Grams and like to hear them talk, though
they seldom volunteer many war remi-
niscences. and one must be fairly well ac-
quainted with the old soldier to induce him
to talk of the stirring times when he pa
tiently marched through dust or mud and
fought a losing fight on an empty
stomach.
THE Confederate veteran is getting to be
gray of head and wrinkled of face and
when the last taps are sounded and all
lights are out and he has gone to the sleep
that hears no earthly reveille there will be
no one to take his place. for he is a type by
himself Slow of speech and gentle in man
ner. he does not brag much. and is reason
ably fair in giving credit where credit is due
to the bravery and endurance of the boys in
blue against whom he fit endurin' the
wah.' 1t is the young men of the South
who never heard bullet whistle, or hoofed
it with old Stonewall Jackson. or went crit
ter back with Stuart, or heard the shrek
of shell, or the moan of the wounded,
who are prone to tell amazing tales of the
flight and capture of the Yanks by the
Johnny Rebs at the rate. of sixteen Yankees
to one rebel but our old veteran soldier
will tell how them there blamed Yanks
came a skallyhootin and nothing could
stop them, though must say he is apt to
get slightly mixed as to the numbers en-
gagged On either side.
A CAMP MORTON ESCAPE
Speaking of numbers, / was shown a
place where it was said that seven Con-
federates captured nearly seven hundred
Union soldiers, and it was not a good day
for capturing Yankees either and further
more the man who told it to me honestly
believed it, too, but all this Is quite another
story from that related to ME by Captain
H, telling Of his escape from India pap
oils in the early sixties He was captured
at Fort Donelson and brought to Indian
apols and was confined at first, he said.
in the upper story of large building; soon
after he was transferred TO Camp Morton,
and later on was detailed to serve in the
prison hospital. He could not say just where
this hospital was located but he thought
the old Bellefontaine Railwac depot was
used for that purpose. The hospital steward
was a citizen who was an enthusiastic Odd
Fellow, and every Saturday night he would
forsake his pills and powders to visit his
lodge. leaving one of the detailed prisoners
in his room to be of service in case he
was needed. Knowing this to be so, Captain
H (who was not commissioned officer
at that time), with two other prisoners de-
rerminen to make their through the
window of that ROOM and would have at
tempted it the next Saturday night had not
the man in the room, for some reason, be-
come badly frightened and refused to UNI
lock the door. AS 1t was, they made such
a racket that the officer of the guard in
sisted on knowing what was the trouble
so they had to make up a story that they
were in urgent need of medicine for one OF
the sick, and to make their story good did
force one poor fellow to take double dose
OF medicine in spite of his protest that he
he had been given right smart mess of
that doctors stuff before, and that it
'peared to him they all were mighty dogond
free with it.
'"rhe way of escape through the stewards
room being impracticabIe. and knowing that
their time was limited the three held
nasty consultation and agreed to risk every
thing by trying to get away through a
window at the end of the building. Captain
II walked quickly to 1t and looked out;
made the track light as day. The guard
was walking toward the end of his beat
with his back toward the window, and con-
Guiding that 1t was now or never with him
he dropped silently from the window.
walked boldly past the engine, and
cealed himself in a garden, where he waited
for his COMPANIONS: they. however. for
some reason did not make the venture and
he lost no more time. but struck out for
get to Jeffersonville and from there to Ken
lucky, but having no idea of the points of
the compass he went north and wandered
around in the dark and finally hid himself
in a shock of corn in a field where he shiv-
cred all the next day. He had taken the
precaution to wear an old military cap and
a citizens coat, but had nothing with him
TO eat When night again came he crawled
out of his shock of corn ard walked until
daylight, when he found that he had
traced his steps in the darkness and was
on the Bellefontaine Railroad only few
miles from the city. Disguised and reck-
less from hunger he sought refuge in the
hayloft Of barn. Indifferent as to whether
he would be discovered or not. though men
came there to feed the horses and almost
stepped on him. Finally hunger compelled
him to go to farmhouse, and. fortunately
for him, he went to Mr. divers. who gave
him his breakfast and afterward hired him
to work as a farm hand. Mr.. and Mrs.
Oliver were strong Union people and he
come up from Posey county to enlist but
was unable to do so on account of a stop
being put to enlisting. The captain said
that If Mr.. and Mrs. Oliver are living he
imagined they would remember him on ac-
count of his able-bodied appetite and his
fine flow of language in abusing the rebels.
further north and walked TO a station on
the Bellefontaine Railroad which was about
eight miles from the city-probably Lanes
vile. There he had narrow escape from
being recognized by an officer who had
been on duty at the hospital, when, just in
time. train came along and he jumped
aboard, not knowing whether 1t would take
him to indianapolis or in the opposite direc-
ton. A number of Union soldiers We're on
the cars and he. told them his Posey coun-
ty story with such additions seemed
necessary to the requirements OF f1ne I'M
agination, weighted down by the depressing
fact that he had no idea where Il was ne
was going. Like all good stories, however,
this one ended happily and the conductor,
like a fairy good mother, transported him
to Ohio. where, If he did not live and die
in peace, he at least found friends. And l
grieve to relate. did finally get down to
Kentucky and Joined John Morgan's cav
airy. This ended his story. except that
told him it would have had different end
ing had he wandered into Fletcher's swamp
when he escaped from the hospital"
Government Crop Reports.