The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-12-09

| began TO come pack at nm WITH
unbiblical language. Being in
the midst of five or six thousand
half-starved rebels, he curbed
his tongue; but within twenty
minutes after he drove out the
bugle sounded the assembly, and
| the entire prison was searched,
though without results. Two
nights afterwards, when all was
quiet, the coat was ripped ur,
washed in our cooking kettle,
Wrung out dry as possible, the
pieces placed smoothly r-t1,c
planks in the bottom of my bunk,
my oilcloth over them, my
blanket over that, and my bunk
mate and slept on them for a
week (no patent for either wash
ing or ironing on this plan was
applied for). ! took thennout at
night and, ripping UP an old rair
OF my pants, placed the pieces
over the blue cloth on our kitchen
table, cut out the pants with my
( pocket knife, and in three OF four
nights had them made. No
slouch of a job was it, either,
considering it was my first pair,
made without thimble or scissors,
and much of the thread drawn
from my old pants. All the work
had to be done secretly with q
shaded light at night. for the
prison was full Of spies, but at
last | was ready for business.
Next morning at roll call my
sergeant reported me sick; and
when the Yankee sergeant came
in to verify the report, he found
me in my bunk with blanket
drawn close up under my chin,
suffering from a severe chill (?),
but a moment later when the
bugle sounded break ranks |
threw off the blanket, sprang out
of my bunk in Yankee. uniform,
the butt of my pistol showing
braveiy in the scabbard belted
under my blouse allaf which /
expected to discarysdS soon as
was at safe distance outside,
for. the citizen suit / had on
underneath. Passing out the
back door Of our baprack as the
men came in Che FONT, ] sooS
found a squad (siX nsscno -Ch
three barrels) waiting fof-s
Federal guard to escort them out.
! Assuming authority, | ordered
them to take up the barrels and
move forward. We had to march
to the far side Of the prison, and
when we arrived at the little side
gate found all the scavenger
force in line, the first squad
standing at the edge of the dead
line, the others extending back
in the prison probably a hundred
yards. Glancing from under the
visor of my cap, saw the officer
! OF the day on the parapet direct
ly over the gate, a negro senti-
mel on either side, watching the
line form. He called to me as |
came up, asking if | was the
last. Replying that | was, he
ordered the guard below to open
the gate, and we began to pass
out. Up to this time it had been
nothing but pure bluff on my
part, but as we moved toward
the dead line my nerve began to
leave me. From the furtive
glances | gave from time to time
at the officer and sentinels I inn
agined they were giving me
! special attention, and the nearer
| approached the greater became
my fear that had been betrayed
or they had penetrated my dis
guise and were only waiting for
me to step over the dead line to
shoot. Had it been a dash or
rush with other comrades, | could
have taken my chance with the
bunch, but only one at a time
could pass out of the narrow
gate, and to be slowly moving up
foot by foot to a line that | knew
was certain death to cross, with
two negro guards watching me
and anxious to shoot, sent ting
ling sensation down my back and
a sharp pain in my jaws, as if ]
had bitten a sour pickle. A
dozen times | was tempted to
spring behind a barrack before
they could shoot, and give up the
attempt, but it was too late now.
| was within ten feet Of the line,
and the least wavering or false
step would confirm their suspic-
ions, if thew had any. and cer-