The National tribune., 1900-04-19
CTo be continued.)
ESCAPING FROM FORREST.
How Union Men Again Reached Our Lines
After the Surrender Of Athens and Sulphur
Trestle a -

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The
capture of Athens and Sulphur Trestle in
Alabama, by Forrest, has heretofore been
pretty fully written UP. Some of the inci-
dents following the capture were thrilling,
some amusing and some ridiculous. /
will here relate some of the escapes after
capture, as they We're certainly interesting.
There was a man in the Sd Tenn. Cav.
named James Pegg. He was every inch
soldier, tall, erect. commanding and brave.
He could not bear thGidca of going to prison.
Soon after the fort was SURRENDERED he
managed to exchange his uniform for suit
Of the gray, and with that on boldly picked
up n doublc-barelcd shotgun, threw it
over his shoulder, then went to one of the
horses with a Confederate outfit on it,
strung one of their canteens on his shoulder,
and started riding off very boldly.
He rode on until he thought that he was
about out Of danger when to his surprise
he came upon q number of Confederate
soldiers pressing hard around a spring of
bold flowing water. He feared that he
might still be recognized, and in order to
throw off suspicion, pu. on his boldeSt
countcnance and rode up among them,
pressing the horse against some of the
outside men; then handing his canteen
over the heads of those nearest them, de-
manded that some one at the stream should
fill his canteen. His horse coming so
abruptly against them, it was demanded of
him where he belonged. That puzzled
him worse than anything that he had had
10 meet so far, for be did not know the name
Of a single command among his captors.
Hesitation was dangerous, ami he was
well aware OF that fact, so, in an abrupt and
prOfane manner, he replied: ITO the bat
terry. Hand me that canteen of water"
The canteen filled with water was handed to
him, and he passed without further SuSpi-
con, and reached his home in East Tennes-
see; then when the way was clear he. re
turned to the remnant Of his regiment that
had been gathered after the capture and
served on faithfully until the close of the
war and was honorably mustered out
There was Lieutenant who made his
escape from his guards and was working
his way through the country. The Com
federates got on his track and were follow
ing him up very closely;as he was near some
negro cabins, he ran into one of them. A
fat old negro woman was there alone, and
she saw the trouble at once. Throwing
down a feather bed she told the Lieutenant
to jump in. He obeyed orders. She threw
the feather bed back over him, and then
she piled in on top and feigned sickness.
Almost instantly after this the Confed-
crates came into the cabin, hunting for the
officer. She denied knowing anything of
him, and told the men to hunt the premises,
and if there was any Yankee officer about
there she did hope that they would get him
and take him off They were very diligent
in their search, looking under the bed. in
the loft, i'll the cellar and everywhere that
it was possible, as they thought, for any one
to hide. The old ftdtsress was so very sick
that she could ndtiSEen cit up in the bed.
The Confederates gave it up. went on their
way, and after due time the Lieutenant got
to the Federal lines safe and sound.
The Confederatbsl were guarding our
mon on their wayts6uth the morning after
the capture. They were afraid Of an at
tack from our fotteSes going out from De
catur, so We're hurTying on as speedily as
possible, not knowing at what time they
might be attacked1ibin this state Of mind,
just before daylight the morning after the
capture, there was'ae scared team OF mules
from behind the cdljmn that set up fear
full racket. They at once thought Of the
Yankee cavalry from the rear, and this
afforded an opportunity for many to make
their escape. Cmn
One of our mer saw small patch of
briars and thick ttndsrgrowth at the side of
the road, so ieaped into that. A guard saw
him and leveled his gun on him. demand
ing that he come out. He thought that he
would take the chance of being shot, as it
was not daylight, so he lazy still on the
ground. Another one Of our men, how
knew was there, thinking that the guard
was talking to him, crawled out and gave
himself up. The first man kept quiet
until the way was safe, then went on to
camp.
There were two men of much the same
One was the regimental Bugler, J. C. Boyd,
and the other was Corpl John Brakebill, |
OF Co. A. They We're short, thick, fat men.
When the mule stampede came on them,
one OF them leaped over fence into field,
while the other saw him, and knowing who
it was, followed, hoping to soon overtake
him, and then they would be together and
company for each other. The front one
did not turn to see who was after him, but