The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-06

m NdSnVllle In lJ05, on the occhSlOn ol d meeting of the grand chapter of Tennes- see, Royal Arch Masons. The story was written by C. H. Smart of the Nashville American.
 Following is the story:
 There came to light at the recent meet ing of the grand chapter of Tennessee Royal Arch Masons, one of those many stories of the civil war that go to make up the history of our country-one that has just that tinge of romance about 1t to make it still more interesting. As told by two of the participants, it is as fol- lows:
 In December 1862 William Galloway, who was a farmer at Salisbury, Tenn, had an altercation with one Major Street, who at that time belonged to an inde- pendent gang of bushwhackers operating in West Tennessee and Northern Missis- sippi under the guise of Confederates, but principally seeking to serve their own selfish ends. This wordy war was about the sale of some cotton, and Street killed Galloway without provocation. Street left the neighborhood, and some time after wards his company became part or Gen. N. B. Forests command.
 Galloway had son named Robert, who swore that he would avenge his fathers death-foul murder, he called it-sending word far and wide that he would kill Street on sight. He was not quite 1T years of age but at once enlisted in Cap tain Higgs independent scouts and bided his time.
 It was over a year before he ran across the man he had sworn to kill. On May ?, 1864 just after Forests command, numbering about 200 all told, had had brush with over 1000 federal troops near Bolivar, Tenn. Higgs' scouts camped with Forests troops at Bolivar, and there Robert Galloway met Major Street. True to his word, he avenged his fathers death, sending the slayer of his parent to answer at the bar of God.
 Shooting a major of his command was to Forrest an unpardonable crime, and young Galloway was placed in charge or a guard of 10 men with the cheering in- formation that as sure as the sun rose in the morning he would be shot, and he was admonished to make his peace with God. The guards were instructed to "bind him fast and have him forthcoming when called for, or their lives should answer for his escape" Forrest also ordered that he should be tied with a rope and two men at a time should stand guard over him, one of whom should "hold on to the rope" Accordingly his hands were tied and a long rope was placed around his neck which one of the guards held in his hand
 The first two to have charge of him were John w. Key, now a prominent real estate agent in Washington, D. C., and L. H. Russ, now city secretary and treas urer of Shelbyville, Tenn. Russ at that time was only about 18 years old, not much bigger than piece of chalk-he Is not much larger now-and for that reason was called the Baby of. Forests Es- cort" From the first his sympathies were enlisted on the side of the prisoner. Get ting into conversation with Galloway. he got the entire story of the killing, talked it over with the other guards, and won over the most of them to the Idea of let ting him get away Russ stayed awake the whole night, and every two hours, when the relief was changed, he asked, "Is he still there?" hoping that each suc- ceedng relief would give him a chance to skip.
 Things ran along until Key and Russ went on duty just before day. They had been guarding the prisoner in the corner of rail fence and the two men began talking in way to give Galloway to un- derstand that he had better unite himself and seek tall timber. That fellow is a fool to stay here and be shot, said Russ "If he tries to get away shall shoot at him-but I won't hit him. replied Key If I was in his place, I'd make a break for our horses over there, take one and ride like the devil.'' sad Russ, and wouldn't care if he got mine" Key was "holding the rope" Russ laid down across it, between Key and the prisoner, and Galloway worked around, and Russ loosened the rope. He said he saw one old white fellow standing up on three legs and he knew that he would make no fuss when a stranger came near him, so he jumped the fence where he was tied and took a sneak" but preferred to leave on foot rather than give them any chance to track him, as they would be able to do had he taken a horse, as ''reveille" was sounded just as he disappeared in the woods.
 Waiting a sufficient time to give Gal loway chance to make good his escape, the two guards began shooting their re- vovers, and running in an opposite di- rection from that taken by the prisoner Boots and saddles" was at once sounded the escort formed in line, and in two minutes Forrest put in an appearance, supposug the Federals were about to at tack them
 On learning that the prisoner had es- capped, and none of the guard being able to tell how it had happened, the dash ing cavalry leader began cursing the guard, damning them individually. col lectively, in detail and by sections, damned his whole escort from the high est officer in 1t to the nigger cook-not one escaped his wrath-and after CUTS ing all of the state of Tennessee in gen eral and the town of Bolivar in particu- lar he ordered the guard under arrest, with the statement that he was about to march to Tupelo, Miss, and on ar rival there he ''intended to shoot every damned one of the 10 guards" They were ordered to fall In in the rear of the escort, and the march began.
 On the way to Tupelo, the guards were all disheartened at the prospect of being shot except the Baby" who kept saying. Don't worry, boys, Forrest won't shoot 10 of his escort-good men are too scarce to kill 'em that way"
 Arriving at Tupelo, Forrest put the guard in a little old nigger shanty in which a number of goats had been housed for a year. again telling them he would ''shoot the whole 10 at sunrise" They were kept there for a week or more, when Russ one day climbed up the old-fash- toned chimney while some of his com panons engaged the attention of the guard, climbed down the roof, made his way to his company quarters and got Captain Jackson and Major Strange to intercede with Forrest for their release.
 Russ made his way back to the goat 1 Den the same way he got out and For rest, who had somewhat cooled down by this time released all except Sergeant Sims, who was sergeant of the guard, declaring that he would courtmartial and shoot him. Sims stayed in the goat pen