The National tribune., 1899-05-04
pRISOp-pEn
AND SWAMP.
Massachusetts, Cavalryman's
Escape and Attempt to Reach
the Union Lines.
By WEI. P. LAWRENCE,
Sergeant, Co. II, 2i Mass. Cav.

We arrived Mt the jail by 10 O'Clock, AMI |
was placed III siune cell wit: an iron G""r
and Il stone ilnor. On one side there WAS :,
grated window, Tut too high for me to iooS
out. There WAS nothing IN the cell. neither
char, stool nCr bed, and net even straw to
lie upon-only the coli. hari stones. At
Eoon woman itraUght ne Il broken pitcher
with some water in II. and about two table
spoonluls of t0lsd rice for my dinner. She
took away from me broken butcher-anitc
that had, promising TO give 1t back to me
when lett, but did not 81 C the woman or
knife again.
Ahout : o'cio k in the evening the Deputy
Shsr came into my cell and brought ne a
good supper Of wheat and corn breti. sweet
potatoes and meat from his own table. lie
remained in the cell with me for about two
hours talking with me- He was native OF
Vermont. iitfore the war he hal moved
down there with his family, vie. boy
aged eight years and 4 girl of siX years. lie
was n school teavher when the war bio&e out.
lie coaid not get away with his family, and
would not 90 into the Confederate army. bat
accepted the position of Deputy Sheriff III
order that he might remain with his family.
lie was a goo,l Union man, but had 10 con
ccal his opinions. He visited me three or
four hours each night, and brought me all
the fnol could eat.
The third night he brought his little boy
and food enough 10 last me two days. He
was anxious to knew Just how the war WIS
pros resting, and although / had been Il
prisoner eight months / knew just how
things were from oi.;er prisoners.
| told him the WAR was drawing TO Il
81 eedy close. OF course he was delighted.
He told Inc that lie was going back tn
Vermont rs soon As lie could get there. lie
also told me that it would he the last time
that lie would see me, as the Sheriff would
come for me BY ) O'Clock in the morning 10
take ME to B,a-kwell Station. He sai that
/ wonld be pIa,ed on train there and taken
to Columbia Jail; that | would he two days
getting there and would not receive any
rations until after l arrivel. He said that
his wife had IL. ed the last of her white flour
to make me some bread, and had been out TO
dine with Il friend and mad begged n piece Of
roast pork Tor me- lie said he WIS sorry he
could not do more Tor me. He told me that
there was a company of home guards
stationed there, WHO had found out that /
was a Massachusetts Yankee. and had
planned 10 take me out the following night
and hang ME. He said they would be un-
able to protect me- and the Sheriff was going
their threat He farther warned me against
the Sheriff, telling me that he was regular
fre-eater and would shoot me OH the least
provocation, but ii l did not talk back to
him or make move that he could construe
into an attempt to escape l would get
through all light.
The Sheriff came for me promptly at five
O'Clock. He had a two-seated wagon and Il
negro driver. sat with the driver and the
Sheriff and a lawyer occupied the back seat.
1t was frosty morning, and l suffered
greatly from that 1j-mile ride. The
Sheriff and lawyer talked for my benefit
abusing the Yankees roundly and myself in
particular, but 1 submitted to it in silence
They had wretched team, the road was in
a poor condition, and / think it was o'clock
when We arrived at Blackwell Station.
Here l was placed in charge Of Confederate
soldier and was forced to remain i'll the road
until the train came along, which was some
time in the afternoon.
We arrived in Columbia by 10 o'clock that
night. My guard was very kind to me, and