The National tribune., 1899-11-30
LIVELY PRISON DUTY.
Random "reminiscences OF 10th Kansas Man About Guarding
Fractions Prisoners.

terry, ICapt. Tenney,. OF the 1st, obeye
orders, but Col. Ware refused, saying h
was going to take his regiment back t
st. Louis; that his men had seen servic
enough, and they had no right to make hin
serve out of his department.; that his regi
ment was more needed there. He gav
orders to the gunners of the siege-guns t.
hail the first boat that came up the Missis
lsippi River.
HOLDING UP A STEAMER. -
Shortly afterward one came in sight
| 1t proved to be the one that conveyed TIN
arms captured at Vicksburg. The gunner
fired hailing shot, but no attention wa.
paid, and we soon learned the cause. An
other shot pretty close made the Captain
OF the boat come near enough to know
what was meant. Col. Ware informed
him he was going to carry his men to st
| Louis.
q can't take your men aboard. I am
already Loaded to the gunwales, and your
regiment would sink her; besides, | have
orders not to touch any point until we
reach st. Louis"
You will land, or will sink your boat, u
SAID Col. Ware grimly. Then turning to
the gunner he gave orders to sink the boat
If it did not land Immediately.
| Hold on" said the Captain, and his
| boat approached the landing, plank
was run out, and as soon as the plank
struck land Co. A was at the end, and
| marched on. Other companies followed,
until all We're on board, when the boat
| backed off and went on its wayto st. Louis.
Arriving at that port below Cape Girar-
| deau, Mo, Tor wood, we espied the rebels i'll
force advancing. We We're not then strong
enough to meet the attack, and Col. Ware
ordered the boat to proceed; so we were
soon out of rifle-shot. No artillery had
come into position at the woodward. We
all thought there had been some previous
"a "a Dlf fran for fIa .Snf 70, t,, hn
rebels might recapture the $1,000 stand of
| small-arms, "a siege guns, and nine tons Of
powder. This would have been quite a
haul for Jeff Thompson's command, in
force there then.
We finally arrived safe at st. Louis,
and went back to the same quarters that
we had before we went after John Morgan's s
raiders. In Indiana Col. Ware was put
under arrest and relieved of the command
of the 10th Kan. The regiment then was
commanded by Lieut.-Col. Burris to the
end OF the uneXpired term Of three years.
A DESPERATE DASH.
We were put or prison duty at Mcdowell
College building, which was then occupied
by 400 rebel officers. The rear of the center
OF the building had back yard with a
high fence, 16 feet high, with wagon-gate
to the outside. By this gate guard
was kept, and also one on inside the inclos-
ure. The prisoners We're let out in this in
closure % at a time each day to exercise.
One day when a rebel Colonel was out with
his 20 or so they struck for liberty. Get
ting near the guard they asked him what
kind of gun that was he had. While his
attention was drawn in front one Of the
prisoners grabbed him from behind. They
rushed him and disarmed him, then took
an ak from the ground cut hole through
the gate at a time when the other guard
was taking a drink at well at the end
# III IF4I han lilln lnI
Lieutenant and bayoneted another man,
who afterwards was found dead under a
culvert on an adjoining street Another
was shot and killed three blocks away from
prison, while running.
AS soon as the shot was fired the alarm
ran from one sentinel to another. Soon
all the companies on duty turned out. i
took my revolver and ran to the building
fronting on a street adjoining the alley in
the rear of the house where the prisoners
made their break. "A French lady APP
peared at the front door as ] came in front
with some soldiers. She called to us, and
said: There are thieves in the house" j
directed the soldiers to the second story
by the front stairway, while | asked the
lady if they We're armed She said they
probably were by this time, as there We're
arms in the house. So | entered a door
into the back parlor with pistols in my
hands, looking for the prisoners, who had
press in this room. ] called out to the
men / believed to be in it to surrender, when
they commenced begging for life
Are you armed?" 1 asked, and they said,
'No"
Then" said, come out and you shall
not be shot" Two opened the door of the
press and walked out into the room, trem-
bling.
Soon the comrades joined me in this
room; they had found no one above. l