The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-17


about TO mention the thing to him when
from a elump of trees there sounded
such a shout as / had never heard be-
Tore. Our men were scattered over
ABOUT half mile of road and there
was no chance to get them together; as
IL was, L don't believe any effort was
made. for each man seemed TO be TAX
ing care of himself. AS / pulled up /
saw about dozen Johnnies making to-
ward me. Surrender, you Yankee
----. or We'll fill you full of holes. !"
could do nothing, so thought discre-
ton the better part Of valor, and pulled
M where | stood. 'Dismount cried a
big fellow. aiming his gun at me. /
diSmounted and was led into the woods,
where | found a number of our men
who had been previously captured.
There was another sergeant beside my
self and | asked him how many there
We're of us. He told me that nine had
been captured with him. We did not
halt long in the woods, but were soon
taken over by the river. there to wait
until the others came in. Only three
men were left to guard us, but as we
We're without arms, that was quite
enough. While we were sitting on the
river bank bemoaning our fate, / no
ticed a little piece of paper floating on
the water. / played with while, then
drew ii forth. Glad to do anything to
pass the time, l sat down and looked it
story of woman throwing vitriol into
another's eyes.
w hen you have given up in despair,
when nothing but a rebel prison stands
before you. your thoughts are some
what lively Mine We're, at any rate.
and prayed for an ounce of vitriol at
that moment But the prayer was in
vain; / had no vitriol and nothing to
take its place. We Were sitting in the
sand, and the guards were talking to
us like old friends. All at once | start
ed up. | had an idea that looked feas-
iblc. What's the matter With sand?
asked myself If we could manage to
get handful of sand in each guard S
eyes we might escape. 1t was an in
spration. The more | thought of it the
more feasible 1t became and | got so
nervous thinking over it that | couldn't
sit still. ] sat down and got up. /
walked as far as / dared. and sat down
again. We prisoners We're all together,
and ! thought of some plan by which l
might communicate With the others.
The guard surrounded us and it looked
to be impossible. / made sly motions
to the other sergeant. but he was too
much taken up with his own affairs
that he couldn't understand, and | gave
up the idea of attracting his attention.
Right next to me was little York
county Dutchman. I'd try him. l
whispered that if we could only cast
handful of sand into each guards eyes
we might escape. He was a cunning
little duck, and instantly grasped the
idea, and signaled it was all right. ]
saw him look for sand right away.
Then ! whispered to another man man,
and he signaled that he understood and
he booked for sand. In this way ! man.
aged To- communicate the idea to others,
and in a little while | had six men in
the secret. / had no doubt that the
4
the point.
We had been waiting about half an
hour and the guards We're becoming
restless They stood about and talked
to each other and to us Then ] entered
into conversation with them about
the war and I saw the York county man
gather double handful of sand: then
some of the others did the same. and
one would have thought that Us Yanks
We're mud-pie makers without doubt
had they seen the industry of these
men. | was determined to be in ii and
soCn left the guard and collected my
sand. The other men We're sitting about
thinking of their trip to rebellion, when
] suddenly arose as il to depart. which
caused the guards to look about The
next instant | had dashed a handful of
sand directly into his eyes and he was
swearing as only trooper can. |
looked about and saw that the other
X udl lliu bttll TAKEN care VI bS Jul
fellows and We're scampering about rub
bing their eyes like mad men. We We're
not long in disarming them and max
ing them prisoners: ii was all over in
less than two minutes. When we had
shared their sabres. pistols and car
bineS among us and We're masters of
the situation, we walked them down to
the river and assisted them to get the
sand out of their eyes. Then We took
the lariets and tied them. Thus far
there hadn't been a loud word spoken.
except when we dashed the sand into
their eyes. They sat for a time in sto-
cial silence: then as if the comical side
of the affair had just occurred to them.
they sat up laugh in which we all
Joined"
'Youuns got weuns this time Yaks,"
said one of them.
I've often heard that the Yanks were
cunnin but | swar II this wasn't the
cunninst thing | ever heard Of said
another. How in = did you ever think
of such thing
That gave me the idea said |. and
l showed them the piece of paper | had
fshed out of the river.
1T amt much said the first speak
er, but it done the business, didn't
it,"
Soon after we made our departure,
first securing our prisoners, but not
taking them along. Three of us mount
ed the horses we had taken from the
prisoners and then each one doing the
best he could for himself dashed into
the woods and soon we We're all safely
in camp. Some of our party had al
ready come in, hut out of SO men that
started. but - came back. All the rest
We're captured. The enemy was scout
ing party of the First Virginia cavalry,
who had been watching for Just this
opportunity for some days. We went
H.
but they We're gone. whether rescued
by their own men or escaped in some
other way. we did not stop to in
quire."