The National tribune., 1897-08-12

pipe, which entered the same chimney from
both rooms, the pipe-holes being almost ex-
actly opposite. We would take off he pipe
elbow and speak through, tube fashion,
though we had to be careful that We were
not overheard. 1t was by this mea.s that
we learned, from some new prisoners
brought in, of the Emancipation Prcclama-
tion of President Lincoln.
This caused great conmotion among the
rebels, and brought down bitter maledic-
tions upon the good President LincOln's
head. The negroes, ignorant as they were,
seemed TO take lively interest in the Proc
lamation, and were never SO pleased as when
they could speak to US on the sly about it.
About this same time couple of Regular
Army soldiers confined in the next room,
which overlooked the front yard, overheard
Col. Lee, the Provost, telling the Officer of
the Guard that he hourly expected an order
for the execution of those raiders" This
information was soon made known to US,
and only corroborated other reports that We
had heard and things that we had seen.
The day following the wife Of citizen
prisoner came in to visit her husband. and
she told him that it was the general talk in
the city that the Yankee raiders were to be
executed within a day or two, and that
every body was going to witness the execu-
! tion. This man sent word TO US as soon as
he could from his room, and further advised
us to try 10 break Jail. He did not know
that we had already decided to do so. for we
kept our plans entirely secret.
After sitting and weighing closely all the
! Information We had 1t stood about IN Tins
way The rebel Secretary Of War had issued
orders TO the commander of that department
tha. we should be executed without further
delay, and little formality-Copfederat
army red tape-was all that now stoud be-
tween us and the scaffold. This would not
save our necks long. 1t might be an hour !;
it might be as long as a week; but if we had
any hope of getting beyond those prison
walls. except on death-cart to the gallows,
the blow must be struck at once. Other
wise we might as well say our prayers and
resign ourselves to our fate.
We resolved TO make the attempt to re-
gain our liberty and save our lives without
further delay. Hazardous and uDpromising
as was the prospect IL could not result in
| worse than death. and that was our fate in
any event within day or two. Our plan
was quickly agreed upon. We had talked
the matter over hundreds of times OF late.
1t WAS not to break the jail, for that, as is
already known, was an impossibili'y with
our poor means in the way Of implements.
PLAN TO ESCAPE
We had decided to seize the jailer, Mr..
! Turner when he came TO the door to put IN
our ra;ions, take the keys from him, unlock
the doors and lie, out the prisoners IN the
other rooms, then all dtscend the stairs aud
divide into two squads-one squad to go to
the rear door and capture the guards, while
the other squad should capture and disarm
the guards a the front door and in the yard.
This WIS all TO be done quietly as posi-
bic. Then, with the muskets so obtained,
We might he able TO march OH the double
) quick out of the city, at once sea ter to the
nearest woods, and make the best disposal
OF ourselves that circumstances would adj
NIT of.
When il is remembered that we were in
, the all of a large city, not street of which
we knew that soldiers, Home Guards and
police could be rail- d a moments WARM
ing, and that the whole population, dogs and
ali, would freely turn out TO hunt Tor the
traiE-thieves, and the further fact that we
had been so reduced and enleebled by months
of confinement and hunger, that we were
but shadows of our former selves, and il will
: be seen that we had no small contract on
/ our hands. But experience has taught me
, that man in the fix we were is the worst
v and most desperate creature on earth, and
j will do things that seem utter impossibili
ties before their accomplishment.
| We at once set about preparing our
g selves for journey. We mended our old
t WORKOUT clothes as well as we could so tha
: our appearance among strangers would no
| betray US. We cut out old pieces of biankeil
e and made socks to protect our feet from ou
s DID, wOra, hard shoes and boots. We gathered
9 up several hickory sticks that we had il
< prison, and also some old bottles and sucl
: other implements that we could lay hand
o on, 10 use weapons in our assault on tn,
!. guards. The time fixed for the assault wa
d in the evening when our supper rations wer
a brought in, which was sometime before sun