The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21

Lieutenant Williamson was captured at the surrender of Port Hudson, July. 1863, as above stated. and with all other officers. surrendered at the same time, was sent to New Orleans and incarcerated in what had been the United States mint. Here the prison CTS were the recipients of so much kindly attention from the ladies of the city that 1t was thuoght advisable by Federal authorities to move them to some northern prison. Accordingly. the entire body was taken to Johnson's Island. Lake Erie. where they realized more than they had hitherto done, that they were prisoners of war. Though Lieutenant Williamson mentioned fre- quently in his letters home that the prisoners were comfortable, and well cared for, and were as cheerful as prisoners could expect to be- But such was the degree and fire of patriotism which filled his soul that the desire to be actively engaged in service to. or defence of his country. became so intense that he so chaffed under confinement and in activity as to be constantly meditating some plan Of escape. He made one or two suc- cessful attempts. in one of which he succeeded fin scaling the wall one night while the guards walked their beats with their backs turned to each other. but In doing this he injured his hip so as to make 1t impossible for him to get more than a few hundred yards away. and after lying out And suffer- Ing all night. was discovered next day and taken back to prison. After this experience he concluded 1t was too hazardous to attempt to scale the wall again. as second recapture would go very hard with him, so he began think ing of another plan of escape. After m "a nv nnlrS following manner:
 body of workmen from Sandusky City who were engaged in the enlarge ment of the prison came over to the is- land at 6:30 every morning and return ed to the city at 5:30 D. m. At these respective hours the prison gates were thrown open and the body of men walked in or out without question. be- ing recognized by the guards as work men. Observing this, and that the men all dressed pretty much alike. in dark blue work shirts and very dark gray pants, Lieutenant Williamson conceived the idea that if he could pro- cure a similar suit, don it. roll up his sleeves and dedab his hands and arms With mortar, in real workman like manner and saunter near whore the work was going on. pretending to be at work. he might, unobserved, fall In With the men as the gates were opened and walk out with them and | leave the island in the same boat with them for Sandusky City. This attain ed, he felt he could easily take care of himself. Among his fellow prisoners to whom he confided his plans. such garments as he needed were found and gladly exchanged for such as he had. while others of his own were bought by other comrades who had money with which to buy. For a fine double case gold watch he received thirty dollars In this way he got together sufficient money. he felt with which to take care | Of himself short time in a hostile land, and felt himself equipped for the hazardous undertaking. On the day appointed when the gates were open ed at 5:S0 p. m.. he fell in with the workmen. as has been his plan, and walked out without question or moles- tation. going with them Immediately to the boat that was to take them to Sandusky. On board he was confront ed by an unforeseen difficulty. As soon as the boat had left the shore a pass port officer began his round. among the passengers, calling for passports This was observed immediately by Lieutenant Williamson who had seated 1 himself little apart from the other passengers and was seemingly inter- ested in newspaper which he held before him but was really watching very keenly, every thing that was go- ing on. He noticed that the workmen, who for the most part, sat in a group were passed by without being called upon for passports. and concluded at once that recognition as the workmen engaged upon the island, served as passport for them. So little later. when the officer found him sitting alone and called for his passport, he merely spread his arms a little and looking himself over, asked if his be- smeared hands, arms and clothing were not sufficient passport. The officer thought he might pass upon his ap- pearance and went on to the next pas l senger. Reaching Sandusky,-~ he bought at once suit of citizens cloth ing and hurried from the city, intend ing to make for Canada with all pos sible speed. avoiding public travel as much as he could. as at that time passports were required of every per son travelling. both in the North and in the South. His movements were very quiet as he passed from San dusky across Ohio into Michigan and , up till Detroit river was reached sev- eral weeks later. Here he found an old fisherman lounging idly in his boat upon the river, whom he asked to put him across. Finding while crossing
 
 ! ed a copper head. neutral in politics , Lieutenant Williamson, as he stepped from the boat on the Canada side threw him a dollar and said to him that he would be surprised to know he had put across the river an escaped prisoner and one of the very best rebels south of Mason and Dixon's line who was hurrying home as fast as he could to go right to the front again The old man said that he didn't care and bade him God speed" Arriving in Toronto, and knowing he would find quarters there, he sought them at once lthe South. Having been a prisoner about eighteen months, he knew noth- ing except what he had read from the Northern press, and felt that he knew nothing at all of the true conditions South. As soon as 1t was known thai he was immediately from Johnson's Is- month in Canada and assist in a plot then on hand for the release of the prisoners there. Being so thoroughly acquainted with the entire situation 1t was thought he could be of valuable assistance In carrying out the scheme He was eager to be of service to his country in any way he could, so readily agreed to assist, and to him was as signed the part of notifying the prison CTS of the plan and date. and securing their cooperation this had been done and all things were about ready fo the undertaking, when one of the men also engaged in the plan, in a drunker