New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-19
AN ESCAPE FROM THE PEN.
A THRILLING INCIDENT OF PRISON LIFE
DURING THE LATE WAR

HOW TENNESSEE coNscRrPT WHO JOINED
THE NORTHERN ARMY, WAS CAPTURED AND
SENTENCED TO BE SHOT ESCAPED
OVER THE srOcKADEs.
From The Chattanooga Times.
James Walker was born Knoxville, In
| East Tennessee about the year ls3}' so that ne
was in his twenty-eighth year when our civil
War began. When twcnty-sM years OF age
! Walker was offered the place OF master me-
chanc in the railroad machine shops In Atlanta
Ca Being n single man. he accepted the oner,
! though like all East Tenncsseeans, MS Devotion
| 10 the mountains Of his native state was one OF
the strongest impulses Of his life.
The war had been going for eight months
when Walker who had carefully prepared ms
! plans escaped from Atlanta one saturday hlghi,
and before his flight was discovered he had
reached friends I'm the Cumberland Mountains
Within month for the man was porn ieaner'
/ Walker had recruited one hundred ana twenty
seven mountaiueers. and, without any warrant
| swore them into the Union service. WIN these
/ men dressed in butternut and armed with OLD
| fashioned huntine-rifies. Walker travelled by
night through the lines Of Kirby smith, ana
succeeded in reaching the Union forces uhuer
| Nelson i'm Central Kentucky.
/ Walker received a captains commission ana
| he and his men were regularly mustered INTO
the service; but instead Of being consolidated
/ into one Of the many East Tennessee Union
| regiments. they remained a separate command
| known as walker Scouts" Because of their
/ great familiarity with the country over which
the armies Of East Tennessee and OF the Cumb'r-
/ land were then operating. Walker and his men
We're Of the greatest service. and II may ne
added that it would be impossible to find in
| either army harder. handsomer or more
| desperate body 81 mounted men.
first met Walker at Chattanooga. n few
weeks before the effective battles OF Lookout
| Mountain and Missionary Ridge. He had gone
through the enemys lines alone with message
for help from Burnside. then starving in Knox
| vile.
Three weeks after he had started bach 20
! Burnside we had had our big fights. and In
| hot pursuit OF Bragg that followed was c.i'-
tured. with some sixty men; All the Union
| prisoners were sent 10 the Bull PEN. an
! unroofed Enclosure I'm Atlanta, from which point
the officers were forwarded TO Libby Prison
and the enlisted men to Belle Isle, in the James
| River.
II was a cold. sleety evening In early December
when we were marched from the cars at Atlanta
TO the Bull Pen at the edge OF the town. me
| inclosure was more than ankle deep IN mud
In less than the space Of half an acre four
thousand shverng men were packed. About the
| centre Of the incosure there were two brick
piles remnants Of the chimneys ~ house
that had beer burned down. AS | was stin, my
comrades helped me 70 the chmneys and made
seat ~ some Of the bricks.
CHAINED TO A HUNDRED-POUND SHOT
sat down. and had just uttered groan.
caused by mental rather than physical suffering
when my attention was attracted by the clank-
ing Of a chain near by Looking quickly up. |
was surprised and shocked to the tall form
Of Captain Walker bending over me. About his
right ankle there heavy ring and fas-
tened to this a log chain. at the other 0nd of
which was an iron ball that looked like one
hundred pound shot. This ball the captain car
ried on his shoulder with the greatest ease; but
he dropped II beside me. and made a scat Of It,
when he took my hand in both Of his and whis-
percd he wrung IT.
MY. Cap. bur | am glad to see you hyar"
"Glad 10 see me- here. Walker" | repeated.
That's what / said. old fellow"
We'll. don't think I hate any man 50 much
that I'd like 10 sec him In this pen, and ]
waved my hands at the guards on the high
,1o Tor, he do and he.
fellows trudeng through the mud 10 keep warm
Bending nearer and sinking his voice to the
low. soft pitch that seemed 50 out Of keeping
with his character. Walker said:
God knows. I'm not glad to see you prczner.
old fellow. and you know il, too But you
see" here he shook the chain II am in a bad
fix. and I'm here waiting for some man to show
UP that know has the interest in me to see
through"
You can count on me and my boys. Walker"
I responded But what does this ball and
chain mean on a prisoner Of war and an Of
SENTENCED TO BE SHOT.
That is just it," he fastened to say II am
not regarded Federal soldier they call
our people"
How, then. do they regard you?" I asked.
though, knowing much Of his past. half guessed
at the truth In his habitualy quiet way
Walker went on to explain his former place in
Atlanta and how he had been conscripted and
then detailed work in the railroad shops
After his escape 10 the Union lines h. had been
set down a descrtcr. and as he had retained
MS own name ana ndi become a conspicuous
figure in the war. reward was offered FOR his
pture.
Ten days before our meeting in the prison pen
Walker had been captured in cavalry fight at
Campbels station In East Tennessee As soon
as hc reached thu depot In Atlanta he was recos-
nizoG. Ii. tried the Monday before our
meeting. which was on Thursday evening. and
hc was cond mined to be shot For des,rtlon on
Friday morning. now about twelv, hours off
Now tn ball and chain is explained" said
the condemned man I'm conclusion. and he
quietly proceeded TO light his pipe. The pm
was fenced in 10y logs set end in the ground
on IN outside and four feet lower than the
top of the stockade there was a platform on
which guards walked every ten PAGES lnsds
the stockade and fifteen feet away there was a
littlr ditch known as the dead lire" which
prisoners could not cross under pain Of death.
This line was indicated at night by rows Of dim
lamps. These lamps were being lit while |
talked with Walker Tn, chances for escape
were practically NIL and with that ball and
chain attached any attempt meant death from
tn guards Vt coulG not help saying:
IF you must die. Walker. right up to the
dead line. ana fall under the rihcs OF the home
guards; better that than to be led out and shot
down like Il fog"
Il can slip the bah and chain on" said
Walker. and he demonstrated that this could
b. done by removing his boot and stocking
then he straightenod out his long foot and
with slight effort freed himself from tho ring
with the help ~ yourself and other friends"
h. went to say. II believe | can get over tn.
stockale and make my escape, though there is
veteran brigade I'm camp about the place"
Near where sat there Was stretcher. the
body and handles OF which wore about ten feet
I'm length A belt fastened across tn, ends would
make step or resting place fully eight feet
from the ground, If the stretchcr were SET on
end. Walker. as has been said was a very tan
man, and without Interference he could reach
tho top OF the stockadc and drop To the other
Side But there were the lights on the dead line
ana the watchful and Ubiquitous guards Walker
went on To that the guards were old mon