Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-05-23
FIANKLIN'S ESCAPE.

Dut escaped. mere - the stOIy VI tAak u
cape as he himself told it once at the re-
quest Of Gen. Grant
Gen. Franklin was a member Of the board
/ of visitors at West Point in June, 1868. One
evening, while party Of old graduates were
talking about old times, Gen. Grant asked
Gen. Franklin to tell about the accident that
befell him when the confederates got him.
Franklin told it to me once, said
Gen. Grant, "but you other people never
have heard the particulars and ! want you
to hear how things happened and how he
came out OF il all and 80 is able to be here
tonight"
Il had been wounded at Sabine Cross
Roads-thas was April s, 1864 and had
generally become pretty bad in stamina"
said Gen. Franklin, land so was forced TO
become temporarily an invalid ! was
in a car one evening on the road between
Baltimore and Philadelphia when troop
OF confederates took possession Of things,
being one Of those things.
Finding they had major general of the
union army. they felt jubilant. They didn't
eeem TO think it was 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 dom is war, general
where they intended TO take me knew
MOTTO the nearest confederate prison,
o. course, but where was that? There we're
abort 20 Of them. and after we bad tramped
oiig through tie woods for hours they de-
cidea tbey'd 90 into camp for the night.
They built tirc and made big circle
of themselves around II, with me nearer
tie FIRE than they were, so tkey wouldn't
lose sight % ue We lad fairly good
snprer. thanks to wat those chaps had
got from the ear they al stalled. ard there
they sat and smoked till they logan to get
sleepy.
Finally. an Of item, with their guns in
their arms, s,re cied Themselves out to
sleep, after desisrs.irg one man to keep
awake for an hour 10 watch me and then
he could '.hake up bis relief from the
group They were all soon fast asleep-ex-
cept the watcher.
II laid myself out and apparently went
to sleep But didn't | Kept my eye on
my watch. He nodded and swung about
uneasily where he sat with his gun between
his knees till he, too. without changing his
position, fell asleep, his head hanging down
over his knees.
"How long ] lay quietly observing that
circle of men | never can tell. 1t seemed
to me ages. How could get out of that
circle?
"The fire used for the supper had flick
cred down, but there was enough light to
see anything move, and | knew Il anyone
of them once saw me on my feet | would be
a dead man. The strain was getting ter
rible upon me and half raised myself from
the ground resting on my elbow. j had no
frearms--even in tussle I'd have had no
chance. Would risk il all?
81 gradually got on my feet and stealthily
moved foot or two. just as did so one
of the fellows said something. / thought
ii was all up with me. But no--he was
talking in his sleep. had let myself fall
to the ground when | heard the voice.
got slowly up again.
ct was only question of seconds. l
stepped over one OF the men who was near
est TO me and got away few steps when
was held in check by voice. Again it
was a sleeper talking.
Slowly | erept along till thought I'd got
at fair distance where they would not hear
my footsteps, them hurried along /
never hurried so fast in my life. Well. to
make long story short. | scrambled.
CROPPED, crept, tottered along. trying to find
some hiding place.
81 saw at last that / was near great
corn field. The ground was full Of brake
wood and brambes and pitfalls and in my
weak condition | was in bad plight
Heavens! How long / tramped in the
corn field / know not. But whore was |
going? All ] knew was that ] was going
into corn field that seemed to have no
end The corn was high and close ranked
together, saw.
FINALLY, exhausted, / reached spot
just as day was breaking. where there was
pile of bramhles that had apparently
been dumped there. and wen there the corn
field was thick. could go no further |
used my last strength burrowing myself
under the brambles and dead wood, cover
ing myself mp completely. How long
hay there / den know. Rut ] soon heard
shouts and the rush OF horses right through
the field. II was my captors. They actu-
ally, one or two Of them, rode right over me
and galloped near me a dozen times in
their mad hunt for what seemed TO me
many hours.
That was all knew until suddenly saw
division after division Of troops march by
me--in full review, and as ] thought so
magnifcently. Would the review never
end? | had never seen such a tremendous
army. Then | came TO my senses. J had
been wandering in my mind-the army ]
thought / 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 stalk tips lit MP by the sun
1t was daytime-probably high noon.
"Partly because ] was too weak TO CREEP
out of my hiding place. partly because J
expected every moment to hear the enemy
gallop around me again. lay whore was.
must have tainted, for when | neered
through the branches over me the sun had
almost disappeared and there was less
light.
Il made a supreme effort and got to my
feet, and tottered along for miles and miles
l thought. Had that corn field no limit
"At last i saw a wooden farm house
mad reached the corn's border line. Owing
to my illness, my exposure in he hot field.
lack Of food and water was barely able to
keep on my feet
Then the thought came to me--my cap
tors may be in that house, or the owner