Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-03-18

tnbh nAu IN the Dfubh uubn tne ueA
night when swan the river and wen
up within a half mile Of Front Royal
where / again hid in the brush, ealeu
lating TO watch the next day and Sc
if any of our troops were there. Tn
4 first thing I saw in the morning wa
a company Of rebel cavalry going dow
the pike; this showed me at once tha
our troops were not there, and my onl,
show was TO go and give myself up o
strike for Harper's Ferry. l was s,
lonesome that 1 did not know what t,
do; didn't know whether the othe
two boys were killed or what had be
came Of them. / finally concluded t,
strike for Harper's Ferry; so at nigh
started out, but my feet were so sor,
could not travel, and / did not get
more than FIVE or six miles all night
so came to the conclusion that if
could get skiff I would try and gel
down the river that way-although the
river was full Of falls and rapids.
crawled up on a point of the bluff
just before shndown one night and dis
covered skiff lying on the other side
of the river; this / thought was my
best chance, so at dark / crawled down
to the bank Of the river and was wait.
ing for everything to get still when a
man jumped into the skiff and crossed
over to where was lying; kept quiet
and he passed on up to a house about
80 yards distant. After he had gone
jumped into the skiff and started down
stream. The skiff was an old clumsy
and leaky one and 1 had to use my
hat to bail il out. About / O'Clock
discovered that / was followed by a
party on each side Of the river. i pad
died along just as though did not ex.
pect anything, but kept close watch of
my pursuers / could see them every
few minutes when there would be an
opening in the bushes on the bank. /
padded along until came to an island
of pretty good size when / ran clear upI
under the shade Of the trees, jumped
out on the bank and let the skifT 90. II
then went back up to the head of the
island and swan the river, crossed to
the rear Of my pursuers and put for the
] don't know how long they
the skiff but l guess they felt
cheap when they found the bird had
hown. The next night crawled along |
\ few miles farther, but there was
stone bruise coming on my heel, and it
was getting so bad l could not walk.
laid in the woods here two days and
,wo nights just getting far enough to
ind what blackberries / wanted.
The evening of tho 9th saw a skin
IN the opposite bank and thought If
,ould get it ] could get to our lines by
as it could not be more than
20 miles. | waited until dark and
hen swan the river and got the skiff
which proved to be a very nice and
light one. / got along very well until
'bout 3 O'Clock, when came to some
apids; l finally got past them after
five or six times and running
'ver falls of seven or eight feet. At
laylight l came in sight Of the noun
aims on the Maryland side l knew
hem as soon as / saw them and l knew
{ could not be more than FIVE or six
niles to Harper's Ferry; so l kept on
fter daylight passing over several
alls and getting my boat filled several
lines. | finally got to Harper Ferry
bout o'clock in the following con
ition; No shoes; pair of pants
Anus the seat and part of the legs;
coat minus the tails and lining !
'hieh l had cut up TO wrap my feet
a; shirt | had worn for nearly two
'onths and a hat that beggars descrip-
ion.
l reported TO the Provost Marshal
nd there found TO my surprise, one
my comrades who had got in the
ay before, II he had been my own
rother I could not have been more
lad 10 sec him. The marshal gave us
! We wanted TO eat, and some Of the
oys gave us pants and that afternoon
q were sent 20 Washington, and from
lenee here, where we arrived yester- !.
ly. | found a couple Of old com
.des who belong 20 our regiment and :,
'e Of them gave me a clean shirt and :,
ouse and the other pair Of pants !
Id drawers, I have no shoes yet and
fact could not wear them>if l had, : :
r my stone bruise is very painful, :
ID l have 70 walk with erutch. I :,
ink in the course Of two or three
'eks ! will be able 60 return TO duty. =
met several boys Of the regiment, but
was so thin aud poeS, that they did =,
I know mo until told them who =