The National tribune., 1897-10-21
4 ROME-G0IAG CUT SHORT.
How Comrade Found the Way From
Atlanta to- Andersonvilla

ar 10, 1864, left that city on freight train {
n the North. l had in my possession s1o5
m greenbacks that some of the bows of nv roo
,d ment had intrusteds 'fne to carry home
d relatives. | had few dollars of INV oy
rolled up in my blouse pocket. l was n,
It. wealthy. yet comparatively well off. for m
a haversack was bulged,out with bareback an
!, bacon.
II was in happy mood, too I had g,
ct perienced some perils, and when the wagon
N were thick mad even marched successful
d alongside OF mules without ever being hi
J. NO mule had caused my legs to be ampntated
d and was as fleet as any of the razor-bsc
; shotes that rooted in the Alleoan;es
4 tossed my knapsack aboard an omen car an,
:, clinging to my fat hayersack boarded fl
train. The whistle echoed over tbe Atlon+
q hills, the rickety cars started the avIa
: squealed with hunger for oil. and Sherman,
q weather-beaten canvas that still pirdled tb
. city was left behind
6 Our tram was made up of open platform a
well as box cars, and as the weather wa.
favorable, | seated myself on nv knapsack
on one OF the former, for if | had chosen .
! box car it would have been necessary for me
to do as others did-kicE out the sides To oh.
tain air.
Looking out into the big world as we
passed along ! found happiness stored in
everything saw-in Georgia crows in bio
landscape, at some point dotted with fat
yearllDg calves that had been saved from re-
lentless foragers; in rifle-pits at wooded edoe
There were about 100 passengers aboard
all soldiers, apparently, but without mus.
kets. Some were on their way home, others
bent on various missions We crossed the
Chattahoochee.
There was considerable upgrade to Mari
e1'a, "nlch reduced our speed noticeably,
ana do iaso we moved so slow that fell in
a revere, thinking of the yellow blossoms of
inuiieih stalks ID one OF my fathers pasture
helds. was suddenly awakened to dancer
and, looking up, as we were passing tbro1al
acut, saw line of smoke on the left bank
| above u.s.
1t was old rebel smoke too T was sure of
1t. 1t was like what some of the bows had
seen one forenoon at Culp's Hill. where if
obscured the green leaves and painted the
liinbs OF the trees gray, until at times some
OF the branches looked like rebel sharpslioot
eis away up there on top Here the smoke
h;id III It's midst the same old wells that were
SO often heard in battle, and half covered
gray uniforms
we looked up to the bank above in silent
dismay. At this time we wanted NOTHING tn
do with such noisy people. We had met
them at the front. and that was the nlace to |
do business; but here in the rear thew made |
us tired, and their further acquaintance was |
not desirable. Men began to fall on the car
around me, and others jumped off before
they were killed. 1t had suddenly become a
not place b,r unarmed men, and our omen car
was soon bloody platform. had my choice
In one OF three things Stump off on the left
ana surrender; jumpof ION my right and run
loi my freedom; or remain aboard and run
the gantlet %
Mylightning calculator figured it all ont
before another rebeEfred a shot, and drop
pea 10 the bottom Of the car and lay there.
ne engineer or t9esfiEman / believe. had
Deen Killed. but there, saemed to be n hand
On the lever, and the tEtain still moved in
creased In speed, and finally pulled MS. ayvay
from the noise and smoke. | was neither
Killed nor wounded, and although the tenn
Iation had been great / felt happy that
had not jumped off and gun for the woods as
'oAe Others had, for u any mind their capt
are was certain.
our tram moved faster, and I became ex-
nectant exultant ana rising to nv feet ;
;iltchea one OF the stakes of the car, and {
'Wlnging myself pretty well outside of the
platform looked on ahead of the train. 6
1 saw enough IN front Rebels were there. I
mounted and disrnounted, and on the left y
we're locking like sheep towards our train. f
ID Tar away they were standing like statues Y
eside the track, where it was probably torn il
~. :, y
But perhaps the track was not vet torn Nh. !,
MS deluslGn became the father of a sickly O.
mile, ana singing my knapsack on my back II
'r protection from bullets, again threw n
lyscii down on the bottom of the car, and
cured up my chances OF salvation. | Law d.
,iii' as II had been slaughtered some mo- CO
lents before at the first fire. | heard the II
'iumphanf rebel yells. Bullets struck the d,
IF, and went over, singing some of their
ateful old song Iheard the locomotive Il,
ugh her dry cough and blow down TO
rakesu =;
There was hum of approaching noises. NJ
ntil Surrender, Yanks, surrender smote o;
e ar on our left. Instantly tremor shot ell
ohg the whole line OF cars as the engine
nnged into the roadside. Our train wa.. IF
raiyzed. or
i rolled Off the car on the right-hand side, be
q, landing on my feet, started for the woods, in
her men piled out of the box-cars and ran wi
D. The cries of Halt ]" from the enemy riff
d no restraining influence upon us. and the an
llets that were sent after us only expedited Sill
r footsteps the more, for the woods ahead !,
Is going to be to us great place for strategy III,
a real paradise when compared with the DIN
stored and sun-burnt stockades of the Con. Inf
leracy ;nst
Bullets flew thicker after us. and our legs r
'reased their strides, our feet making the an,
st and gravel fly. On we went, and reached 70
: trees, where our army shoes made the dry An
cks snap until the green woods echoed. NM
ough the woods, faster and faster, until
Its outer edge, we at last succeeded in the
ming right into a line of rebel cavalry. ers
We were nearly captured in hot blood 70
family turning we ran back to the center fen
the woods again. We were surrounded r
loopholes for escape, no hollow logs to ron
wi into The rebels were in greater force GOV
II we suspected; they We're noisy lot. too: wI,
heard them all around as they began to milo
W In their lines. 1t was no use in talking oct
ut captivating; they would make their are
terms As = -
had been wearing a fatigue cap all Sum- r
. 1t was an old campaigner and some and
Is, between Chattanooga and Atlanta, I are
used it at night doubled up for pillow. of n
frequently my head had pressed it to the p
n while resting ON the march by day. in (
ed and discolOred, ian old musketo pas wor,
field with the Hue eaten off, priced it fnIl.
e highly than if it we're new, and at once h;l;t
e it depository,tor my money, believing Of II
for the present II would be q safe recep. oct
J, for the soldiers of fba Con f.d.u.4. - 90,