The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-04
SET THEM FREE.
SOLDIERS GAINED LIBERTY IN
A PECULIAR MANNER.
tho Idea Came from--A Little
Piece Of Newspaper Floating on the
Surface OF u stream Gave one Of the
Mon the suggestion.


Men the Suggestion.
when we were shattered at Port
Conway, below Fredericksburg Il scout
ing part! Of II people had what might
be called a very narraw escape from
an involuntary trip To Richmond as
p%rIsoners,' remarked u sergeant of the
5th Pennsylvania cavalry, who, with
other enlisted men. was relating his
experiences to a Philadelphia Times re-
porter. You Sec" said he. I'VE had
been sent out by Gen. Bayard to see
what the enemy were doing. We num-
bereo all told thirty-siX men, under the
command of a lieutenant. and our in
strGctions were to go as far as the old
ware houses on the river below us. and
then return the way We had gore
Everything went right until about 4
o'clock; w hadn't seen any of the
enemy and were marching to camp
again, when the lieutenant thought
he'd sec what was in n house over on
Il right. When we arrived at the
house We found no one at home but
an old woman. two young girls, and
half a dozen female slaves. We dis
mounted and asked for something to
eat. There wasn't n mouthful of any
thing in the house; the m were
fed by n son-ia-law over by Port Con
way. There wasn't a horse or other
animal to be seen about the whole
place.
Are there no men about?" asked
the lieutenant.
"'Not one replied the lady with dig
nifty. They are all in the confederate
army. II YOU are after them you'll
have to &C where they are to find them
""Thanks.' laughingly replied the
lieutenant, we have ne particular wish
to go on the other side of the river at
present
perhaps you may GO said the
lady, without any desire
Eve mounted and were soon on our
way TO Port Conway, distant about six
over what the lady had said. Did she
mean a threat or was It only woman's
talk? ! rode up to the lieutenant and
was just about to mention the thing to
him when from a clump of bushes there
sounded such n shout as | had never
heard before. Our men were scattered
over about half a mile of road and
there was no chance to get them to-
gether; as 1t was, | don't believe any
effort was made, for each man seemed
to be taking care of himself. AS
pulled up | saw about "A dozen John.
MES making toward me.
Surrender, You Yankee -, o,
we'll I'll you full Of holes ! could d,
nothing, so thought discretion the bet
ter part of valor and pulled up wher,
I stood.
"'Dismount., cried a big fellow. aim
ing his gun at me.
Il dismounted and was led into thu
woods, where | found n number OF oul
men who had been previously captured
There was another sergeant beside my
self and l asked him how many there
were Of us. He told me that nine -
been captured with him. We did no
halt long in the woods, but were soor
=, taken over the river, there to wal
until the others came in. Only three
men were left to guard us. but a.
we without arms that vas quit,
enough. While We were sitting on thu
river bank bemoaning our fate ! no
tlced a little piece OF newspaper float
ing on the surface OF the water.
played with it awhile, then drew 4
forth. Glad to DO anything to pass tn
time l sat down and looked it over
Down in one corner | read the stor,
OF a woman throwing vitriol into an
others eyes.
when you have given up in despair
when nothing but a rebel prison stans
before you, your thoughts are some
what lively. Mine were, at any rate
and / prayed for an ounce Of vitriol a
that moment. But the prayer was II
vain; l had no vi,riol and nothing Il
take its place. We were sitting in tn
sand and the guards were talking Il
us like old friends. All at once | start
ed up. | had an idea that looked feas
ible. What's the matter with sand? !
we could manage to get a handful o
D sand In each guards eyes we nigh
4 escape. 1t was an inspiration. Th,
more | thought OF II the more feasible
t it became. and | got so nervous think
ing over it that | couldn't sit still.
sat down and got up. | walked as ia
as | dared and sat down again. w
I prisoners were all together and
t thought Of some plan by which | Nigh
communicate with the others. Tn
S guard surrounded us and It looked L
be impossible. ! made sly motions I
0 the other sergeant, but he was so niue
taken up with his own affairs that h
e couldn't understand, and | gave up tn