The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-10-21

THEY YELLED DERIsIvELY"
the north is the Savannah River; to the
east, southeast and south, are the two
! Ogeechee Rivers, and chain of sounds
and lagoons connecting with the Attain
tic Ocean. To the west is canal con-
Meeting the Savannah and Big Ogeechee
Rivers. We found ourselves headed off
by water whichever way we went. All
the bridges we're guarded, and all the
boats destroyed. -
Early in the morning the rebels dis
covered our absence, and the whole gar
rison of Savannah was sent out on
patrol after u.s. They picked up the
boys in squads of from 10 to 80, lurk-
ing around the shores Of the streams
waiting for night to come, to get across,
or engaged in building RATS for trans
| rortation. BY evening the whole mob
of US were back in the pen again. As
nobody was punished for running away,
we treated the whole affair as a lark,
and those brought back first stood
around the gate and yelled derisively as
the others came in.
That night big fires were built all
around the Stoekade, and line of
guards placed on the ground inside Of
these. In spite of this precaution, quite
number escaped. The next day a
dead-line was put up inside of the
prison, 20 feet from the Stockade. This
only increased the labor Of burrowing,
by making us go farther. Instead Of
being able to tunnel out in an hour, it
now took three or four hours. That
night several hundred Of us, rested from
our previous performance, and hopeful
of better luck, brought our faithful half
canteens--now secured very bright by
constant use-into requisition again, and
before the morning dawned we had
gained the high reeds of the swamps,
where we lay concealed until night.
In this way we managed to evade the
recapture that came to most of those
who went out, but it was fearful ex-
perience. Having been raised in a
country where venomous snakes
abounded, had that fear and horror Of
them that inhabitants of those districts
feel, and of which people living in sec
tons free from such scourge know lit
tie. | fancied that the southern swamps
were filled with all forms Of loathsome
and poisonous reptiles, and it required
all my courage to venture into them
barefooted. Besides, the snags and roots
hurt our feet fearfully.
| Our hope was to find boat some
where, in which we could float out to
sea, and trust to being picked up by
some of the blockading fleet. But no
boat could we find, with all our painful
and diligent search. We learned after
ward that the rebels made practice Of
breaking up all the boats along the
shore, to prevent negros and their own
deserters from escaping to the blockad-
ing fleet.
| We thought of making raft of logs,
but had we had the strength to do this,
we would doubtless have thought it too
risky, since we dreaded missing the
vessels, and being carried out to sea to
perish Of hunger.
During the night we came to the
railroad bridge across the Ogecchee.
We had some slender hope that if we
could reach this we might perhaps get
across the river, and find better oppor-
tunities for escape, But these last ex-
pectations were bansted by the discovery
that it was guarded There was post
and fire on the Ehore next us, and n
single guard with lantern was stationed
on one Of the middle spans.
Almost famished with hunger, and
30 weary and foptsore that we could
scarcely move another step, we went
back to cleared, place OH the high
ground, and laid down to sleep, entirely
reckless as to what became of us. Late
in the morning we we're awakened by
the rebel patrol and taken back to the
prison. -
Lieut.. Davis, Disguised with the per-
peIuili attelnpls 10 escape, moved the
dead-line out 48 feet from the Stockade;
but this restricted our room greatly
since the number of prisoners in the
pen had now risen to about 5000, and,
besides, it offered little additional pro-
lection against tunneling. 1t was not
much more difficult to dig so than it
had been to dig 80 feet. Davis soon
realized this. and put the dead-line back
to 20 feet.
His next device was a much more sensi-
BILE one. A crowd Of $50 negros dug
trench 20 feet wide and five feet deep
around the whole prison on the outside,
and this ditch was filed with water from