The National tribune., 1903-06-25


| then told him to keep close to me and to
follow my lead without word, and rs
though it was all u matter of common
occurrence.
oUTwITTING THE GUARDS.
had seen that The officers were but
tOring up their coats preparatory to a
start, so | placed myself near the or
and when the guard lifted his bayOnet to
let them pass followed close behind them
with White close on my footsteps.
The guards had noticed that we hld
been permitted to shift for ourselves the
previous night, and / reasoned that in the
absence or orders to the contrary. they
would still regard us as favored ones who
were still on parole.
/ reasoned further that rs the officers
had to travel toward the north and facing
that cold wind, they would not be likely
to turn around to see if anyone was fol-
lowing. 1t turned out exactly as | had
planned, the guard permitted us to pass
out Immediately behind the officers. We
followed in their footsteps, but gradually,
by taking shorter steps, allowed ourselves
to fall 10 or II rods behind them by the
time we had gotten down to the house
where we had slept the previous n ght.
At that point we stepped to the right, rs
if we were going to enter the house, 81
that if by chance any of the guards sh 1u,d
be watching us through the window they
would think VIC were to stop there, by
permission of the Lieutenant Command
ing. ta,j
Instead of entering the house. we pass
ed to its rear and through dilapidated
picket fence and into, n peach orchard,
and thence back to the woods. The peach
trees and row of quarters concealed us
from the view of InE one. so that we
gained the woods WITHOUT further trouble.
We were now facing the east. but
wanted to go to the west to strike the
Mississippi River ata1some point below
Memphis We reasoned that if we went
directly toward Memphis We would be
intercepted by Confederate forces, the
weather being too severe to admit of our
skulking through the woods and lying
out Mt nights without fire. If we took
Il course least expected by them we
thought we would be less likely to meet
any of the enemy. Therefore we Travelled
in circle around to the west of Como
on a radius of about three nilas and
came to n main road leading from Como
in nearly due west course. We had run
every step OF the way, and when we ar
rived at this main road we congratulated
ourselves on being on the direct road to
freedom. There had been no recent trav-
el OH this road, so we did not hesitate to
follow it, keeping a sharp lookout for the
enemy.
We now started west at n rapid walk,
and had gone but few miles when sud
denly my right knee gave out. / had
never had rheumatism and had never in
jured that leg in the least manner, so
we were at a loss to know what was the
matter. Within few minutes I could
not bear my weight on that leg. We tried
rubbing it, but it did no good. At length
White fished out an old handkerchief and
tied it about the knee and putting a stick
in it, twisted it up so that l had no feel
ing in the leg. Then / was abe to walk
on it for half mile Then taking off the
twist could walk another half mile. Then
putting a twist below the knee l made
still another half mile, but all this time
the pain was so eXcruciating that almost
any kind of captivity would have been
preferable. | tried to have White 20 on
and leave me, telling him that in the event
of my recapture l could find a later OPP
pOrtunity to escape, but he would not lis
ten to it. He wanted to carry me, but
that was not to be thodght of for n mo-
ment He wanted to get me off into the
deep woods, where we could make n fire
TO keep from freezing until my les became
well enough to travel on, but We had no
matches and there were no inhabited
houses along the read.
We then resortcd to the twisting proc
css again. which enabled us to gain per-
haps is miles before dark. This brought
us to q plantation on which considerable
cotton was grown, much of which was
still unpicked. The Onlyinhaoited house we
could see WAS occupied by some negroes,
who gave us n very scant supper, but
said it would not be safe for us to re-
m i'm bn i,ybf Irt
this main road on which we We're trav-
cling led TO a town on the Mississippi
River. named Austin; that within Il cou-
pie Of miles from where we We're the road
ran down into the Codwater River Val
ley, aud that this valley was also at this
point part Of the Mississippi Valley
They also stated that where this road
crossed the Coldwatcr on bridge. there
was a force of COnfederates guarding it.
They said that if we could succeed in get
ting across the COldwater, we would prob
ably have no further trouble in getting to
Austin, where. they stated, was located
one of our gunbOats.
A negro then led .us into n back
field, where was Il rail pen containing
quantity of seed-cOtton (that is. cotton
lint not yet ginned from the seed.
He advised us to NOT, attempt to come
to his house in the morning, as some of
the feDelS were likely 10 prOWl around
there at all times of the day, and espe-
cially if word should reach them that
there were some escaped prisoners around
that vicinity. We b,Ifrowed into the cot
ton to spend the night. but l think that
that was the most tedious and painful
night l ever experienced. We could not
get warm. but lay and shook and shiv-
cred all night rDs
CTO be contfnued.)