The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-04-26
A Promise Redeemed
IOriginal.l

During the civil war naO Dccn con-
fined as a prisoner in Libby prison. and
ten years after being discharged from
the United States service was sud
denly seized with desire to go south
and have look at it. AS was start
Ing an uncle Of mine insisted on Civ
ing me letter to ali old friend Of his,
Samuel Porcher, Richmond merchant
AS soon as / arrived in the former
Confederate capital | went down to
the river bank and, standing before
the old tobacco warehouse that had
been my prison, looked up at it with
very singular feelings. There on the
street level was the door OFT OF which
! had passed in broad daylight at the
imminent risk of my life ana, began a
Journey of intolerabIe suffering down
the James river. AS | stood in 1874
cooking on the scene of my adventure
of 1864 l scarcely realized that was
a free man, permitted to come and so
as | liked. Not a uniform was to be
seen, business had taken the place of
war.
This is how | came to make an at
tempt at escape: One of the prisoners
had secured a loaded revolver, how |
never knew except that it was pur
Joined from one of the guards when he
was asleep or drunk or who had left it
carelessly where it could be pounced
upon It was a dangerous article for
prisoner to have, and it was passed
from one to another till it came to me.
I was desperate, and, hiding it under
my shirt, buttoned my ragged coat
around it. hoping that | might find a
chance to use it in some desperate
move for freedom.
I was confined on the ground floor.
At times the door would be left open,
a guard pacing back and forth on the
pavement before it. At times | would
make bold to go to the door and look
out, usually to be ordered back. There
was one of the sentrieS whom / espe-
cially noticed He was what / then
called an old man of about forty five
and was doubtless a citizen relieving
regular troops at guarding prisoners
One day at noon went to the door
and stood looking out. Everybody was
at dinner, and l could see no soldier
except the oldish sentinel, who l no.
ticed was thinking about something
besides his guard duty. 1t was crazy
thing to do, but my life as a prisoner
was burden to me. / watched the
sentinel till he turned to walk with his
back to me, then like a fash slipped
out the door and ran like deer to the
corner where street sloped down to
the river. AS j turned a ball came
whizzing past me, and l knew l had
been discovered. The sentinel chased
me, and, although was much younger
than he, / was weakened by confine-
ment. He caught up with me just as
I was getting behind pile Of lumber.
I turned and shot him with my revolv-
er. Darling on, / saw a cellar win
dow open and crawled in. Searchers
passed my hiding place dozen times
without thinking to enter, and when it
was dark / crawled out, lodged along
down the river bank, found a boat and
foated on the bosom of the historic
James. How / reached Old Point Com
fort and our ships would make a story
q itself.
fs After inspecting Libby l presented
my letter Of Introduction to Mr..
Porcher. Now, there would be moth
breadth escape, of which there were
thousands in that war, had not my
host had pretty daughter ten years
my Junior, between whom and me
there sprang case of love at first
sight. l stayed in Richmond long
while, pretending to have business
there, all the while attempting to
smooth away Mr. Porcher's prejudice
against me as having been a Union
soldier. When at last I thought had
him in more Modified condition
ventured to ask him for his daughters
hand. He heard me through with low
ering brow, then said:
ST will give my consent on one con-
dition. There is man probably living
whom I wish to kill-a miserable dirty
little Yankee who was a prisoner in
Libby in 1864 / was member of
the home guard and a sentinel at the
prison when one day the impudent boy
walked out of the door and ran away.
/ followed him. He not only gave me
a wound in the shoulder from which
have suffered ever since, but | was
dropped from the guard in derision."
He was going on, getting more and
more excited as he proceeded, when
his daughter came in anxiously and
stopped him. He ended by making it
a condition of his consent to our union
that l would promise to scour the
north for that dirty little mudsilr'
and give him chance to shoot him.
/ listened to this with establishment.
There had been something familiar
about Mr.. Porcher's face and figure,
and l could not get over the idea that
/ had seen his somewhere As for me,