The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-12
SAND SET THEM FREE.
How Union Prisoners Escaped from a
 Rebel Prison

De called very narrow escape from an involuntary trip to Richmond as pris- oners remarked a sergeant of the Firth Pennsylvania cavalry, who, with other enlisted men, was relating his ex- perlences. You see," said he, i've had been sent out by General Bayard to see what the enemy were doing. We numbered all told thirty-six men under the command of lieutenant, and our instructions were to go as far as the old warehouses on the river below us, and then return the way we had gone. Ev- erything went right until about four o'clock; we hadn't seen any of the enc my, and were marching to camp again. when the lieutenant thought he'd see what was in house over on our right | When We arrived at the house we found no one at home but an old woman, two young girls and half dozen female slaves. We dismounted and asked for something to eat There wasn't a mouthful of anything in the house; the women were fed by son-in-law over by Port Conway. There wasn't horse or other animal to be seen about the whole place.
 1 Are there no men about?' asked the lieutenant.
 Not one, replied the lady with dig nifty. They are all in the Confederate army. If you are after them you'll have to go where they are to ind them
 Thanks laughingly replied the lieutenant. We have no particular wish to go on the other side of the river at present.
 Perhaps you may go,' said the lady, without any desire
 We mounted and were soon on our way to Port Conway, distant about six I'miles.t As we rode along thought over what the lady had said. Did she mean a threat, or was it only woman's talk? I rode up to the lieutenant and was just about to mention the thing to him when from a clump of bushes there sounded such shout as I had never heard be- fore. Our men were scattered over about half mile of road and there was no chance to get them together; as 1t was, I don't believe any effort was made, for each man seemed to be talk ing care of himself. As I pulled up saw about dozen Johnnies making toward me. Surrender, you Yankee --, or we'll fill you full of holes I could do nothing, so thought discretion the better part of valor and pulled up where stood 'Dismount' cried big fellow, aiming his gun at me. I dis mounted and was led into the woods, where l found number of our men who had been previously captured. There was another sergeant beside my self, and asked him how many there %o1I t1,at ,oir hnd d 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 were without arms that was quite enough. While we were sitting on the river bank bemoanng out fate, notic- ed little piece of newspaper floating on the surface of the water. l played with 1t awhile, then drew 1t forth. Glad to do anything to pass the time, l sat down and looked it over. Down in one corner I read the story of woman throwing vitriol into another's eyes.
 When you have given up in despair, when nothing but rebel prison stands before you, your thoughts are some what lively Mine were at any rate, and I prayed for an ounce Of vitriol at that moment. But the prayer was in vain I had not 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 I start ed up I had an idea that looked feasi- be Whats the matter with sand? l asked myself If we could manage to get handful of sand in each guard s eyes we might escape. It was an in spiration The more I thought Of 1t the more feasible it became, and l got so nervous thinking over it that could not sit still I sat down and got up. , walked as far as I dared and sat down l, again. We prisoners were all together, } and I thought of some plan by which I might communicate with the others. , The guard surrounded us and 1t looked to be impossible. I made sly motions to the other sergeant but he was so 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. I whis- pered that if we could only cast hand ful of sand into each guards eyes we | 01lgnC escape. f1e was CuuIllllS lllliS duck and instantly grasped the idea, and signalled that it was all right. l , saw him look for sand right away. Then I whispered to another man, and he sgnalled that he understood and he looked for sand. In this way I man. , aged to communicate the idea to the others, and in a little while I had six , men in the secret. I had no doubt that the others would get in as soon as they saw the point.
 5 We had been waiting about half ar } hour and the guards were becoming restless They stood about and talked to each other and to us. Then I entered 5 into a converse ton with them about t the war and I saw the York county mar gather double-handful of sand; ther some of the others did the same, anc ore would have thought that us Tanks
 were mud-pie makers without doubt
 had they seen the industry of these men. I had not got my sand yet, but
 determined to be in it and soon left the , guard and collected my sand. The oth
 CT men were sitting about thinking ot
 their trip to rebeldom, when I suddenly ; arose as if to depart, which caused the : guards to look about. The next instant