Gunnison news-champion., 1905-09-22
caApTEK XIV.

No~ and then sesser~ were recsssee
saaer fae % srsce. Aaa tas~e sese o.
easssss never to ke for9ofsen- s.on
sf,or Feschin0 Libby ~re1e a Rsrsiper
of sestcrs - ny ys-uRr. and frscaas and
orc ~ Carrie Eroa; IN ~sich ] explained
ms situation. A. oar lester- cossla no.
exceed page in lesgss. and wer. all
rsd ever by the prison .uthorisies. l
wss in despair of hearing from o-rrie.
when 10 my great d.lizhs-ana ssis on
the eve Of our cxsaus srom Lisey-l re-
ceiv.d an answer froN. her
the par; vital ~ nay story ] here
trsascribe.
HosE. Feb. 4. isss.
''My DrARc cNrrAIN WATTs: While ali
my sympatl4ies IN this cruel war are on
the side of the sammy south. stiil mus
confess ] am deeply pained 20 learn Of
,hs misfortune chat has bcfailen vou.
igr a brave man 10 be- deprived 81 his
liberty b. trying. no matter how kind
bis treatment. bat a. the ooufedeEate
suthori1ies can not properlv feed nor
slouhe their own brave men IN the field.
At stands 90 reason that the prisoners II
war in their hands must suffer dearly
for lii, s necessities.
Your mother has sent you through
two boxes Of provisions and ciothing.
ana have tried 70 show my esteem in
the same way Read all the books |
send Yea. Bible among the rest. and
nots the marked passsges. The set u
chess are the same yea and | 50 often
played With in the happy past.
And nov as to broihcr. He was re-
prieved by MIR Lincoln for ninety davs
and sent 10 JOhnstons Island Up near
Sandusky. ! have been TO see him three
times. and each time he has seemed
thinner and more worn. lie is in the
hospital. and the doctors say he has con-
sumption. but be refuses TO believe this
and says be would he himself in a week
If he were only back in the saddle.
Il have recently seen our mutual
friend, General Boyle, and he is hard at
work on plan whereby you can be ex-
changed for Frank. General Holt is
interested in this matter. and as he has
much influence, it will not surprise me
10 see you home any day.
II wish you and Frank, once you are
free, would pair off. as they do in Con-
gress. and let others finish up the war.
| am sure al kentuckians would agree
to this plan, if they only knew how the
hearts Of mothers, wives, sisters and
sweet-hearts are breaking at home.
Our beautiful land seems changed into
the valley of the shadow Of death, for
there is mourning in every household,
one day for dead boy in gray, and an
other for a dead boy in blue. But the
bullets that slay them do not stop on
the battlefield, but wing their way over
bill and dale, nor rest till they find
lOdr'mCnt in some woman's heart.
with an ever-keen memory of your
goodness to me and mine, and PRAYING
night and day for the dawn of peace,
believe me Your Friend,
''CARRIE BRENT"
read this letter over and over, read
1t till knew it by heart, read it till
it separated at the folds. and then,
sentimental youth that was, ] placed
it over my heart and felt happier and
better for having it there.
The same mail brought Howard Scott
a letter from Mollie Vernon, and he
showed that the love of love is stronger
than tho love of liberty, by forgetting
all about the tunnel while. with
moisture in his fine. brave ewes, be told
me Of the comfort this letter had brought
him.
At length the day came. or rather the
night, when there were two openings to
the tunnel. the new one being inside
the high board fence across the way.
The time had come when the pledge OF
secrecy could be removed from the
workers and they were free 10 tell their
friends that they had opened up way
that might lead to liberty.
by ten O'Clock Of the night Of the es-
cape, every prisoner in Libby knew of
tfe tunnel and was eager TO 20 through
it,
Howard and | decided 70 keep close to-
Cethcr SO We held each others hands
that We might not be parted by the
crowd va found about the opening in
the hearth al ten o'clock. II those men
had moved with the order Of soldiers.
five hundred. instead Of one hundred
and fifty. MIGHT have gone through; but.
as it was. they jostlCd about tIcopan-
iu~. pulling uen out who were Lllf ~.
and shouting and swearing like SO many
mad men.
II it were not for the customary noise
in tho Up0sr Potomac room. tre guards
must have noticod the hult-5 near the
chimney. Tor fllly two hours Howard
and | waited, still holding each others
hands. At length a s1regd tunncIIcr
near us raised the cry: The guards,
the guards" and on the instant, the
crowd about the opening sarged away
and rushed up the stairs.
The space about the hearth waselaared
and our chance had come. ! dropped
into the cellar first. cl0zclr followed by
the Lieu lant. We needed no guide
to lead us te the opening. and as soon as
found it we plunged in, | again in the ad-
vance
About tho middle OF the tunnel we had