Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30


/ IN the prison, and with improvised knives
and saws, made very sharp, soon succeed
ed In cutting a hole about l2xlS incnei
through the stockade, which, In the petit
| ing dowrpour of rain, they managed &c
plug UP again; then. crossing the beacf
In the dark, Ferguson and MCCULLOUGH
wadod into the lake. and would have es'
caped oil guards and succeeded In build
ing raft Of logs, on which they proposed
TO drift TO Michigan or Canada. Provi-
dentially perhaps--though they could not
SEQ Il that way-Timberlake misunder-
stood the directions after getting out. ana,
instead OF following the others into the
water. he undertook 10 walk beneath the
| platform on which were the guards Even
| then he might have escaped their obserya-
! ton, but. 10 and beholdl the officer OF
the day, about to make his grand round
| Of inspection. coming out OF the block
| house at that instant ran full against
| Timberiake, whom he grasped. and, after
| a short struggle, turned him over to the
| guards. The garrison was immediately
aroused. and several hundred men were
| stationed around the shore OF the Island.
Ferguson and Mccullough. hiding under
pile of brush, were discovered at day
break. They were returned 10 our mess.
the most disappointed and crestfallen VIC
tins OF hard luck, muddy, wet, and In
every way disgruntled.
I considered myself fortunate In not
having been with them, and this AFFAIR
determined me in having no associates
in any plans or further attempts / might
contemplate for escape.
The several wells within the stockade.
from which our water-supply came. were
soon so impregnated with impure and un-
healthy acids and alkalies. which perco-
lated through the earth into these wells
from the sinks and refuse matter thrown
into the bitches and yards. as to be the
foulest cesspoos of intolerable liquid, TO
be Stunned by US as would be draught
of deadly poison: so finally the authori-
ties. through sheer necessity, granted us
the right to obtain water from the clear
and pure lake. o, what a boon 1t was
considered by those who for weeks and
months had not known the taste of pure
waterl What an eager throng waited at
the opening Of the large southern gate.
which opened from the stockade upon the
lake shorel Before the gate was opened
in winter a semicircle Of guards was sta
toned. facing inward. to watch our every
movement An officer stationed at the
gate counted us, one by one. until one
hundred prisoners with tubs. buckets, can
seens. and other vessels, had passed. Then
the crowding, eager throng within halted.
and no others were allowed to pass cut
until the fortunate first hundred had,
after breaking the ice and filling their
vessels, returned. Then another hundred
were counted out and back.
I noticed at times the inability OF the |
officers to be entirely accurate In count |
ing and this determined me In the time |
and manner Of a trial for liberty. / i'm |
...sk - vod srnd
form by taking the black stripe off my |
Confederate officers trousers. They made |
a very good substitute, although they |
showed a rent In the leg just above the |
knee. made by o bullet of no mean size
received while advancing in that terrible
charge of Pickett's Division TO what has
since been correctly named the BLOODY |
Angle" at Gettysburg. My coat was SIM
oily q blue blouse, and the hat black |
SLOUGH, done up in the jaunty, wide-awake
STYLE. with q fancy back-and-gold cord
around 1.-THE style Federal officers usu-
ally wore Under this suit I wore citi-
zen's suit, my plan being to pass as citi-
zen, should be fortunate enough to effect
ny escape. over it all I wore loosely a
Confederate gray shawl, to attract as little
attention as possible to my makeup as
4 Federal soldier. My bedfellow and
warmest friend, Captain John Latane. OF
Virginia, did all the sewing, and zealously
helped me to adjust and fit both suits.
The citizens trousers had been worn out
If prison by Colonel Luce. OF Mississippi,
who was fortunate enough to escape. but
was recaptured near Alton, o., and re-
turned TO prison. No fancy zephyr or
on velvet wrought by woman's
lngers has ever been watched with more
or received from her hands
with more loving pride by any fond de-
,otee than was this needlework of my
friend and fellow-prisoner, modest
brave fellow who survived
he war man who made others around
lin happier and their lives brighter by
Icing many little irksome duties for them
,heerfully and unmurmuringly.
FORTUNATE COLD SPELL.
We had long, cold spell. freezing Lake
Erie over solidly in the month of Febru-
Try. The provisions and other supplies
lad to be brought over to the island by
means Of sleds or ice-boats, and all pass
ng TO and fro was done on the ice. On
he 22d OF February the troops from San
husky City and our guards on the island
we're 10 have quite celebration. de-
ermined on this day for my escape. / |
lad kept my plans to myself, except to
INFORM two or three whom ii was neces-
airy to take into my confidence in order
o make preparation. 1t was a beautiful
lay, with the sun shining bright, and the
ce-felds glistening in effulgence for miles
way to the east. l determined to carry
nut my attempt, and communicated my
Intention to a few valued friends. Two
Il them helped me to secure a place in
inc early, so as to be counted out with
he first hundred going after water that
morning. They approached the circle of
yards as near as permissible before cut
ing holes in the ice. then commenced
n angry alteration with each other to .
tract crowd of Confederates, and as
he guards closed in to dispense the crowd
nd drive them back into the prison (some
ven before they had filed their buckets.
isorder of this kind being looked upon
uspiciously and often punished, quiet
Y handed my gray shawl to Captain ..
l