The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-15
MEMOIRS OF A PRISONER.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF A CON-
FEDERATE OFFICER.

A Futile Attempt to Escape-The Re-
turn to Fort DeIaware-HOw the
News of LincOIn's Assassination
Was Received-Liberty at Last.
w. w. Goldsmith, in Philadelphia Record.
For the information of those who have
not read the sketches published in the
Record, of which this is the last, will
state that they deal with prison life dur
ing the Civil War and particularly the
adventures and vicssitudes that befell 600
Confederate officers, prisoners of war in
Fort Delaware who were sent to Norris
Island, S. c.. and placed under fire of the
| batteries engaging Forts Gregg and Wag-
ner, between which they were imprisoned
in retaliation for a like number of federal
officers confined in Charles ton, and alleg-
ed to be within range of the guns firing
upon that city. After a sojourn of six
weeks on Morris Island these same Con-
federate officers were removed to Fort Pu-
lask My last article gave their expert
ence in that prison up TO the time that
Sherman reached the Atlantic coast, at
Savannah.
/ As I stated before. Gen. Leslie Moli-
neux succeeded Col. p. P. Brown in COM
mand of Fort Pulaski, and his advent
caused no little anxiety among us, for we
had no idea what manner of man he might
{ develop, but that he would prove to be
such n one as Col. Brown was scarcely to
! be expected
| very few days, however, were sufficient
/ to convince us that Gen Molineux and his
ragged "bummers" from Shermans army
were kindly disposed. But one thing I
could not understand, and thai was why
I they so studi0uSly avoided coming where
we were, and I never saw the color of
/ the Generals eyes. Their appearance was
as tough as our own, and from the amount
/ of diminishing" I saw going on daily
among them, 1 don't think much could
have been added to their stock of bodily
"discOmforts' had they been more soci-
able
An Attempt to Escape.
BY this time our number had been sad
/ ly reduced by death and sickness and there
We're almost as many in the hospital out
| side of the fort as were confined in the
classmates. However, with the increased
ration thanks to Gen. Gilmore. came
marked improvement in our physical con-
/ dition, and with returning strength there
grew a longing for liberty.
| From an outside source it was learned
! that many boats lined the shore, which
were unguarded. Why not seize these
boats some dark night and row up to Sa-
vannah or its vicinity and take the chances
Of eluding any of Sherman's troops that
might be here? But how were to get
out of the classmates, with their barred
embrasures or past the huge iron doors
that confined us within prescribed limits?
A happy discovery was made Under each
casemate was found a chamber TO which
there was access by trap doors. Why
no dig through the walls from chamber TO
chamber until he had passed beyond the
iron door into classmates where the en-
brasures were not grated, then lower our
selves into the moat when a few strokes
would take us to the opposite bank?
The plan had hardly been suggested be-
fore the strongest among our number
were at work, up to their knees in wa er.
and in a few days the walls that barred
our way to liberty had been pierced, and
there was nothing TO prevent our escape
from the fort at least.
But the best laid plans of mice and men
aft gang aglee." Two of the officers in the
hospital. who We're convalescing, concetv-
ed the idea of escaping by these same
boats and did not night row off and sue
&, cessfully elude pursuit.
This disa greeabe intelligence quickly
came TO us, and threw a d1mper upon
most of those who had intended to make
the attempt to escape. for it was to be ex-
pected that in the future the boats would
be heavily guarded. But there were a doz-
or 50 of reckless spirits VINO determined
to make the attempt. come what might,
and in an hour after they had crossed the
moat they We're brought back, looking like
so many half-drowned rats.
When daylight came We We're treated to
a genuine surprise. With great solemnty
all the prisoners were marched from he
casemate to the parade ground, and there
lined IN in two ranks. Then Two fe
pieces were brought upon the ground nj
stationed within seventy-yards of us and
loaded with canister, and behind these two
guns several companies Of soldiers were
drawn up and the unhappy-lool1ing litt!e
general ordered these soldiers to load their
guns. Great heaven, what did all this
mean Had our government commit ted
any dreadful act that justified such horri-
BILE retaliation Or was this the act of a
mailman!
A Little Comedy.
Do not be alarmed, reader. We were