The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-09-02
THE SARCOPHAGUS

The soldiers at Minersvale were daily
and nightly called upon to arrest de-
serters from the Union armies.
The term deserter was applied by
law alike to volunteers who fled from
the front in violation of their enlist
ment obligations, and to such drafted
men as refused to report to the pro-
vost marshal in obedience to his or
ders.
1t was not always an easy matter to
effect the capture of determined de-
linquents of either class. Facilities
for ESCAPE and concealment were am
plified by a popular inulsposition to
afford information to the troops, while
on the contrary all possible aid, in
formation, food, shelter and conceal
ment were given to the deserters.
Here and there was found loyal
man; but detestation of the provost
marshal was too nearly universal to
make it safe for such as might be in
q bed to aid that officer or the forces
S3isting him to do them any SER
vide.
cealing deetstsU wers ingenious and
unique.
One plan became so common that 1t
became wholly useless. The desert
er would shave clean, put on a night
gown and nightcap and retire to the
bed of some woman or girl of the
household, relying upon the delicacy
of the soldiers to prevent discovery.
There was one young man at Jer-
myn for whom search was made al
most daily for weeks, as there was
positive information of his presence in
the house. Every search was fruitless,
save as each renewed effort afforded
the women of the house opportunity
to ridicule the soldiers. One night a
soldier thrust his sabre into what had
always been mistaken for a hogshead
of bran. The blade penetrated six
inches of bran and stuck upright
in board. Cleats had been nailed to
the inside of the vessel, upon those a
of very small holes were bored from
within--a work Of tremendous and te-
dious labor! These holes, impercep-
tible from without, in the darkness Of
the cellar, afforded ventilation for the
deserter, who, upon alarm, jumped
into the hogshead, when member Of
the family would adjust the lid and
empty upon it bag of bran which
was kept there for that purpose, ready
for instant use, and the emptied bag
was concealed in the bran as the de-
serter was concealed beneath it.
AT Archibald the middle shelf of an
old-fashioned corner cupboard was re-
moved and the compartment thus en-
lareed was utilized as place of con-
ceaiIent which proved effectual for
a long time. No one ever thought of
searching a small corner cupboard for
a mar Indeed, so small did it look
that if they had been locking for
truant boy they probably would
have considered it useless to
search there for him. After many
visits to the house soldier
CHANGED to observe that the door press
ed hard against the wooden button by
which 1t was secured, and with some
effort he succeeded in opening it.
There drawn up in cramped and con-
strained position was the object of
their search Crawling out, the de-
serter sarcastically inquired
Are you hungry, that you rummage
woman's cupboard?"
At Minersvale a man was rolled in a
big carpet and evaded discovery for
nearly month, though search was
made three or four times every week.
At Minersvale another ter sue
cessfully escaped for time by
being buried under lot Oh onions kept
In garret and was discovered at last
only because one foot was exposed by
his own movement
Troops frequently secured the hills