The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-05-19


heard the booming of cannons and the clash of
swords. Happiness began more to reign in the
homes of those Florida ex-solders Happiness, did
we says Alas! this happiness was not without ex"
ceptiOns There was the widowed heart, the sonless
mother, the brotheress sister, whose loved
in distant graves. In their silent grief and with
Christian fortitude they strove to outve their grief
and to forget and forgive the ruthless foe who had
visited this affection upon them. OF this latter
class there was, at least one exception. Mary Hud
son did not fOrget-did not forgive. She did not
try to; she did not wish to- Her chief qualification
existed in the hatred of those who had robbed her
of her two darling brothers.
Mr.. Hudson and his family, consisting of wife,
two sons and one daughter, were living in Manatee
County, Fla, near the town now called Elenton,
when the great civil strife between the North and
South eliminated in bloodshed. With true heart
felt patriotism, John Hudson and his brother Henry,
one year younger, enlisted in behalf of the South.
Their last fighting was done at Fort Gaines on Mo.
bile bay at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. 1t
was here that Admiral Farragut run the gauntlet,
Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan pouring upon him
missiles of death from their giant guns, which at
that time was the heaviest bombardment record.
General Granger, making land attack at the same
time, Fort Gaines, under Colonel Anderson, sur
rendered, and the prisoners, including the two broth
ers, were carried to New Orleans, where they were
kept for two and half months, and then sent to
Ship Island. This island belongs to the State of
Mississippi and is on the Gulf of Mexico. Here the
prisoners were guarded by negro soldiers under for
poorest of diet Ship Island Is about fifteen miles
long, and six of the fifteen is barren sand, termi.
mating in point. On this point the prisoners had
small tents in which they slept, and were compelled
every day to walk six miles up this sandy point and
bring back on their shoulders a load of wood-not
for their own use but for the of the officers This
was very CALLING to the prisoners, especially to these
two brothers.
Henry" said John one day after they had re.
turned, is there no way, no hope of escape"
fha
nearest point of mainland, and it is twelve miles
from u.s."
True; but II we could secure boat, Henry?"
ooh, as to that" replied the younger brother
81 would be willing to risk the voyage on raft;
we are just simply starving the small quantity of
foOd that they give us is OF nature that will ult
matey cause death. In our regiment, Alone there
is an average OF about seven deaths O day."
"Yes," replied John, "being deprived of vegetable
diet brings on that terrible disease, scurvy Which,
as soon it affects the bowels the poor prisoner
escapes to another world"
Our only chance of escape, john is to secure a
boat and these dusky sons of Ham are 80 on the
alert that escape in that way seems impossible"
Including our command" replied John "there
are about eighteen hundred prisoners here. We
could easily overcome the negroes with their brutal
officers"
"No question about that, John. But what good
would it be to usf The enemy's feet lying there 30
dlstressingy near would soon shell us to death
Those insulting officers and their black soldiers would
not be in our way long If it were not for that feet"
few days after the above conversation Henry
sought his brother, and taking him apart from his
fellow prisoners, said:
"John, have some good news to tell you"
What is it" inquired John "Have you found
a gold miner"
II have found something of more value to us
than that" was the answer
well, what is it, Henry Don't keep me in sus.
pense"
To-day, when went after wood" answered
Henry, "you may have noticed that strayed some
distance from the others in hunting for nv load Of
wood. was some distance from my guard. when I
noticed small bayou and at its termination saw
a small rowboat and two oars. l suppose it drifted
there from some larger boat"
ut looks, though" said John, "as il it would
have gone back with the tide"
1T doubtless would, hut think it was damned"
well, Henry, how we utilize this boatY"
I'VE must pass the guards somehow, get posses
sion OF it, and pull for Biloxi"
what we do, Henry, must be done at once "a
some one may discover the boat"
Il propose, John, that we make the attempt to.