The National tribune., 1900-07-12

around the city, confirmed all the state.
mentS as TO localities.
There came the sound of wildly enthu-
siaStie cheering from the rebel camps
Ioutside Boniires were blazing, and the
mcaser. Tattle-banc band was playing over
and over its scanty repertoire Of The
Bonnie Blue Flag" Dixie" Maryland,
My Maryland and ''Stonewall Jackson
Crossing Into Maryland" The guards on
the stockade were jeering and taunting
the prisoners inside.
There was SiCkeniug silence for 4
while. and despair possessed the boys
There seemed nothing before them but
rotting and dying in Andersonville.
Il won't believe it. | aint going to be-
lieye it, said 81, speaking ut last Il be-
lieve it's just one of old Sherman's tricks.
He's sCheminS to git Il new hitch on them
in some unexpected place. Did you no.
tice that they don't claim to've got Il
thing in our campSI Not cannon, nor 4
. wagonI That don't look much like we
We're busted and running, does it? should
say not. Old Sherman's moving to break
ont in a fresh spot somewhere, and you
mind what l tell you.
''Shad.' said Shorty. going up TO that
! individual. ''now we're ready to work on
| that tunnel for every cent we're worth"
That night they attacked the tunnel
work with fcverish energy. The next day
| there was an ominOuS silence everywhere.
| Nobody i'll the prison laughed on any ac-
| count, nobody could raise cheer for any
| thing But, unaccountably, there was a
similar silence in the rebel camps. The
music and cheering there were heard no
more. The guards on the stOckade were
not taunting or glorying. They were NOR
ose and sullen, violently abusive, and
| reader than ever to shoot.
| 1t was impossible to get an Atlanta
paper, or even hear of one. try as hard
as Shorty could. Mary an Atlanty paper
| come. fur as | kin hear" reported lib
| belts.
| When the night came there We're no
more bontircs. II was growing so dark
| that 81 was on the point of starting for
| his shift on the tunnel. when the guard
| just over him called out:
Post numbeh fu'-cight o'clock, an
| Atlauty's gone ter hell
Only one guard thus varied his formula,
| but that was enough to eectrify the camp.
1t did not take but an instant for the
| startled prisoners to grasp the meaning,
| and interpret the SrillenneSS which had
| pervaded the rebels all day, in contrast
| with their jubilancy of the previous day,
| and then Il tempest of cheering swept
| through the prison.
"Durn the old tunnel said ST. throw
| ing down his tools, Il amt going to do no
work on it tonight
The next day brought full admissions
| from all the rebels that Atlanta had been
| captured, that what they had mistaken fon
Sherman's retreat had been shrewI
| Ranking movement which had deceived all
| their Generals, and that while they Were
| jubilating over Sherman's disappearance
| he suddenly reappeared ut JOnesbOro
south of Atlanta. cut their remaining rail
road, and forced them to evacuate the
place.
Then came days of eager expectancy Of
the advent of our army, when men had
day dreams of the sound of firing in ths
distance and the Union cavalry scatter.
ing the guards around the stOckade.
One evening the camp was thrown into
tumult by the appearance of the rebci
Sergeants who usually called the roll whc
announced:
Men, I'm sent in hyah ter tell yo' all
that a jineru exchange has at last bin
agreed on. and II begin immejitly. Yo'
alrs vessels air already at Savannah wait,
III fer yo. an detachments from i TO 20 Il
git ready ter start ter-morrer mornin' feI
that thar place ter 90 home
The men of the lOwer-numbered detacin
ments simply went wild with delight. and
spent the evening in joyful conferences
with one another us to what they would
do when they got back to Gods coun.
try, and in preparations for their dc,
parture.
The Fourteenth Detachment, to which
the boys belonged. was, of course. one OF
the lucky ones. but somehow 81 and
Shorty did not share the transports OF
their comrades.
Sounds very fair and NICE ST com.
muned with Shorty, '.and the guards talk
as if we wuz going right straight home,
sure enough But somehow I've an in.
ward Whispering, as pap used to say, that
Ii amt all right. L don't like Citing fur.
ther away from Sherman. Sherman's right
up there in the woods some place. moi
more'n 100 miles from here. and it don't
take long for Sherman to go 100 milef
when he gets started"
That's So" agreed Shorty, with the all
of a Lew light striking him. After all
its like betting which of two cards n
come up winner at faro. One card is
whether the rebels are telling the truth,
and the other is whether Sherman is head
ed this way. Judging by the past, thu
rebels amt teliin the truth. and Shernan's
headed this way. Let's play that card to
win and copper the other
If there's i general exchange" rea-
sOned ST, I'VE won't lose only a few DAYS
by stayin' behind. while if they're lying
we'll lose all chance o Sherman gittin'
US"
The temptation was very strong thu
next morning to march out with the rest,
but they held firm to their decision, and
let their places he taken by eager flank.
ers' from the higher numbered detach,
mentS.
So several days went on. with the stock.
ade rapidly emptying, though no Union
cavalry appeared in response to theiI
anxious eyes. They put in the time re.
pairing their house with the material.
from the shanties of those who had gone
and i'll caring for Pete. Sandy Baker, All
Russell and Gid Mackall. who were Wis
IDLY succumbing to gangrehe and scurvy
September WAS nearly gone. Sherman
had most unaccountably not appeared. the
stockade was emptied of nearly everybod,
who could walk, and their hearts began e
sink. when the rebel Sergeant came in ana
said to 81:
Il want yO' ter 90 through the camu
this side of the road and make out a list
of all the men captured from Sherman o.
the march ter Atlanty. with their riiiment.
and time o capture. Thar's talk of a spes
cial exchange betwiXt Hood and Sherman
and we'uns want ter git the men ready
Don't take nobody but jinuwine Sherman
men,.
"A special exchange" gasped ST. ''Ther
them men that've went from here hainf
bin eXchanged?"
No, that wuz only IL leetle humbug-ini
ter git EN- away quietly. Thy 'uns is all
now ut Charleston Savannah But thi,
others the rayle thing, | believe
81 did as ordered, and few davs later
was ordered 10 get the men whose names
he had taken together. and they would bs
carried over to the train to take them
IN Sherman