The National tribune., 1899-07-13
A BOY LIEUTENANT.
CONTINUED from first pa.cJ

refused with an oath. and we were told that
the muddy water of the river was much toe
good for us. This explained why the
prisoners were so filthy. The men hardly
had sufficient water to satisfy their thirst.
To wash or battle was an impossibility.
Gen. Bartlett had long talk with the
officer in command of the prison regarding
the water, and the result was that the pris-
oners who We're officers had permission to
fill the water-buckets at the running brook;
but this privilege was peremptorily denied
to the enlisted men.
Details went for water twice each day.
| made two trips, but the third time | was
roughly ordered to stay in the prison, and
warned not to attempt To go with the detail
again. 1t was evident that | was a marked
man, and no possible opportunity for es-
cape was to be granted me.
The old prisoners cautioned the new
comerS not to touch the window gratIngS or
stand near the windows after dark. The
guards would fire without challenging at
any one who touched the window bars.
| The enlisted men on our floor were driven
over to one side of the building, and rope
stretched along to separate them from the
officers. Sentineis patrOied the space be
| tween with strict orders not to allow any
conversation between the officers and men.
Scraped the acquaintance Of one OF the
guards, a simple, goOd-natured country
boy, and found that the guards inside the
prison only had three cartridges each in
their cartridge-boxes. This was done to
! avoid giving the prisoners any supply ol
ammunition, should they overpower and
seize the guards. Tho presence of the
guards precuded the possibility OF any
tunneling or any other attempt to escape.
We soon found that there were other
occupants Of the prison than the prisoners.
Almost before we were aware of it we were
the order OF the day, and places where the
light streamed through window were at a
premium.
DEATH OF A MASSACHUSETTS CAPTAIN.
Fortunately for us we were not To remain
long at DanyilIe. On the evening Of the
third day orders came for us to be ready to
leave early the next morning. There was
but little packing up to do. At daylight
We were turned out, and marched to the
depot and loaded into box cars. All the
colored prisoners and part of the white
soldiers who were captured with us re-
mained behind. Among the latter was the
Captain of my regiment. He had given
the name of a white regiment, and passed
himself off as Sergeant. He remained
prisoner at Danville, contracted disease
there, and died. Before his death he found
d DIOJiltE hdSou blc DtISOH VI d Soll-
federate officer. To him he confided his
name, rank, and regiment. The Confed-
crate, true to his Masonic obligations, sent
word of the Captains death to his friends in
the North, and also made memorandum
Of it on the official records of the prison.
PLAN TO ESCAPE.
When we left Danvile we were informed
that our destination was Georgia. We
travelled slowly. making long stops on
sidetracks, waiting for the regular trains.
While waiting at one Of these sidetracks
there seemed to be favorable opportunity
to make an escape. On the right side OF the
train, not 20 yards away, was a thick
forest Of pines. The guards were all out
side. Looking cautiously out, l saw that
there was only one guard on the top of our
car, and he was lying on his back, ap-
parently asleep. His rifle was across his
knees and his hat over his face. The
other guards on the adjoining cars were
seated facing the left side of the train. II
the guard on our car was really asleep, 1t
would be possible to slip off into the brush
unobserved. l took the second look. He
was still asleep. The other guards were
all right, too; PREPARED to WA make eit the
know that soundl Mr. Johnny Reb was
only feinting sleep, watching sharply to get
Il chance to shoot a Yankee! Had he
cooked that musket noiselessly he might
have obtained that coveted shot, and per
haps l would not have been here to tell the
story.
On the evening Of the second day our
train arrived at Columbia, S. G. Orders
were received here to detain the officers at
Columbia and send the enlisted men to
Georgia. They waved us farewell as we
left the cars. Poor, brave, noble fellows.
Most of them lie buried at AQdersonville.
Not more than one-fourth of them survived
the Imprisonment.
We were now in the Capital City of South
Carolina, the place where the first ordinance
of secession was passed-the very cradle Of
treason.
ITO ha cOntinJIed \