The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-22
GEN. fRANKLlN'S STORY
HIS CAPTURE BY REBEL GUERRIL-
LAS NORTH OF BALTIMORE.
Escaped Under Difficult Circum-
stances-Aid Given by a Union Man
An After-the-war Sequel.
New York Sun.

toned. among other incidents of his ca
reer. the fact that he was once captured
by the Confederates. but escaped. Here
is the story of that escape he himself
told Il once at the request of General Grant:
General Franklin was a member of the
board of visitors at West Point in June,
1865. One evening while a party of old
graduates were talking about old times
General Grant asked General Franklin to
tell about the accident that befell him when
the Confederates got him.
Franklin told Ii TO me once" said Gen
eral Grant. but you other people never
have heard the particulars and want you
to hear how things happened and how he
came out OF II all and so is able to be here
tonight"
'T had been wounded at Sabine Cross
Roads-that was April s, 1s64-and had gen.
orally become pretty bad in stamina" said
General Franklin, land so was forced to
become temporarily an invalid. I was In a
car one evening on the road between Balti-
more and Philadelphia when a troop of
Confederate guerillas took possession of
things, being one Of those things"
Finding they had a major general of
the Union Army they felt jubilant They
didn't seem to think 1t worth while to
capture anybody else and so / was walked
out alone. They treated me kindly-indeed
kind o. sympathized with me, but added,
Them things we're doing is war, general
Where they intended 10 take me 1 knew
MOTTO the nearest Confederate prison, of
course, but where was that? There were
about twenty of them. and after we had
tramped along through the woods for hours
they decided they'd go into camp for the
night
They built fire and made big circle
of themselve. around it. with me nearer the
fire than they were, so they wouldn't lose
sight OF me. We had a fairly good supper,
thanks to what those chaps had got from
the car they had stalled, and there they sat
and smoked till they began to get sleepy.
Finally, all OF Them with their guns in
their arms, stretched themselves out to
sleep-after designating one man to keep
he could shake up his relief from the
group. They were all soon fast asleep-ex-
cept the watcher.
II laid myself out and apparently went TO
sleep. But l didn't. / kept my eye on the
watch. He nodded and swung about un-
easily where he sat with his gun between
his knees till he, too, without changing his
position. fell asleep, his head hanging down
How long / lay quietly observing that
circle OF men never can tell. 1t seemed to
me ages. How could get out of that Cir
Gle?
The fire used for the supper had flick
cred down, but there was enough light to
see anything move. and 1 knew if any one
of them once saw me on my feet / would
be dead man. The strain was getting
terrible upon me and / halr raised myself
from the ground, resting my elbow. L
had no .frearms-even in tussle I'd have
no chance. Would / risk it all?
II gradually got on my feet and stealth
lily moved foot or two. Just as 1 did so
one Of the fellows said something.
thought ii was all up with me- But no
he was talking in his sleep. 1 had let my
self fall to the ground when L heard the
voice. i got slowly up again.
II was only question of seconds. 1
stepped over one of the men who was
nearest TO me and got away few steps
when was held in check by a voice. Again
1t was a sleeper talking.
Slowly i crept along till 1 thought I'd
got at fair distance where they would
not hear my footsteps, then-I hurried
along. 1 never hurried so fast in my life
Well, to make a long story short, 1 scram-
bled, CROPPED, crept, tottered along, trying
TO find some hiding place.
Il saw at last that 1 was near a great
cornfield. The ground was full of brake
wood and brambles and pitfalls. and i'm nv
weak condition / was in a bad plight But
the knowledge that my captors would, as
soon as they discovered my escape, scour
the land for me. which probably they knew
every inch of, gave me some strength.
Heavens! How long / tramped in the
csrnneld know not. But where was
going? All that / knew was that / was
going into cornfield that seemed to have
no end. The corn was high and close
ranked together, / saw.
Finally, exhausted 1 reached a spot lust
as day was breaking, where there was a
pile of brambles that had apparently been
dumped du16 ed tnsre; nsi and even there the corn
used my last strength burrowing myself
under the brambles and dead wood. cover
Ing myself up completely. How long l lay
there | don't know. But l soon heard
shouts and the rush of horses right through
the neid- 1t was my captors. They ac-
tually, one or two Of them, rode right over
their mad aunt for what seemed to me
many hours.
That is all knew until 1 suddenly saw
DIVISION a1ter division of troops march by
me IN full review. and, as l thought. so
magniticently. Would the review never
emo! mad never seen such tremendous
army. Inen L came to my senses I had
been wandering in my mind-the army /
thought L saw passing in review was the
great field of corn swaying to and fro with
the wind. and the bayonets had seen were
the silky corn stalks tips lit by the sun
Ii was daytime-probably high noon.
Partly because was too weak to creep
our OF my hiding place, partly because
expected every moment to hear the 'rebs'
gallop around me again. lay where was
l must have tainted, for when 1 peered
through the branches over me the sun had
almost disappeared and there was less
light.
Il made supreme effort and got to my
feet and tottered along for miles and miles
L thought Had that corn field no limit?
AT last L saw wooden farmhouse
had reached the corn,s border line. Owing
TO my Illness, my exposure in the hot field
lack of food and water, / was barely able
20 keep on my feet.
Then the thought came TO me- nv cap
tors may be in that house, or the owner
maye be a Johnny Reb.' But il was a case
OF slow death anyhow-what was the diff
ference of places? / reached the door and
knocked. The farmer half opened il. Then
he bade me come in. He saw / was near
fainting.
II know you,' he said They've been
here and gone. You are Major General
Franklin, of the Union army
:" And you?, l asked. Are you a friend
of those men,?
Imagine my change of feeling when he
exclaimed:
% Il m Union man. Do as tell you'
And that Union man gave me nourish-
ment and slowed me away in that house
until he could notify the nearest Union
forces where / was.
II heard clatter of horses feet and the
clanking OF sabers outside about two
hours afterward- They were not my cap
tors-they were Union troops that had
come to my rescue, thanks TO that owner
OF the corn field"
An After-the-War Sequel.
Hartford Courant.
In Mondays Courant we reprinted from
the Sun the story of the capture and es-