The National tribune., 1909-02-25
ment from the officer that I shall never

ment from the officer that shall never
t forget his words:
: NO" said he; ''you can't go to-
: night, but before we leave tomorrow
L give you my word of honor as a gem
tleman YOU shall have the privilege
of leaving your address"
I thanked him. This was all could
ask, but did not feel disposed to give
up. and tried another scheme.
had a very good hat at Mrs. Watts's
and, looking over our guards, selected a
good-looking, good-natured young man
| about my age, who / thought could use
| and appreciate this hat. and made him
the offer that if he would take me to
| Mrs. Watts's, so that ! could get my
knapsack, / would give the hat to him,
1 promising him not to try to escape.
| AS it was then after dark, we had no
| trouble in getting away from the squad
of prisoners without being observed.
| We had to go the whole length of the
| town from southwest to northeast.
| A large amount of the hospital sup
| plies for ShermaD's army were stored
at Dalton. and the smell in the air as
| we pushed our way thru the streets,
| crowded with soldiers, suggested that
a whole block of drug stores had been
| broken UP and large per cent of the
| crowd was intoxicated
| We arrived at Mrs. Wattss without
| any difficulty, and / had my fears as to
| Whether i should receive as cordial a
reception from her now that / was ac-
| conf panied By one of her own soldier
| boys. But to my surprise she seemed
to appear to be really sorry that 1 was
| a prisoner. / gave my guard the hat
L had promised him. and sat down for
a chat with Mrs Watts and Betty of
perhaps half an hour. When we were
ready to leave Mrs. Watts got a roll
of Confederate money, containing S400
or $500. and gave me few bills, say
ing that as ] was prisoner l might
need it.
Ny guard asked her if she had given
me all she intended. and then made
her give him the balance of the money.
demonstrated with him. telling him
that she was as true and loyal to the
South as he was; that had written to
one of her SONS at Camp Douglas, and
she had told me she had two other
sons at the front
He replied that this money would
do her no good, but would help him.
and he kept all but a small roll of So
cent shinplasters.
After bidding Mrs. Watts good-by /
returned with my guard to the prison.
ers' camp at Wheeler's headquarters.
, The next morning we. the prisoners,
formed in line. and for the first time
NHlie L WdS III the L TOBACCO
/. issued to me. the officer giving each
of us half of 12-inch plug.
! We then started around the west side
of town toward Chattanooga, prison
ers in the rear. Before we had got
more than two or three miles north OF
town we heard musketry firing at the
I front. We knew then that reinforce
ments had arrived from Chattanooga
and that Wheeler's advance had met
/. them We Immediately about-faced
@ this bringing the prisoners in the ad-
+ vance, and started on double-quick
: keeping up this pace, if my memory
:. does not fail me, until we went thru
: Dalton. and, turning east, came within
: a hundred rods of the place where the
Q boys were still lying behind their TEN,
: porary breastworks. We could see
them lying behind the logs, so neal
. and yet so far
: About this time / threw away nearly
, everything I carried in my hands
Among the few articles / kept was
/ very fine, embroidered suffers shirt
! This / tried to sell to the officer wht
was riding along beside me. After look
ing at it he said it was too fancy fo
q him, but perhaps "his ngger," his col
ored servant. might buy it.
We'll" said ], "it makes no differ
ence to me who buys it, if L get my pa.
for 'it'
+ How much yo' want fo' it?" tn
- darky asked when / showed it to him
lg Now, / remembered that the nigh
8. before my guard who had accompa
> MED me to Mrs. Watts's had sold his oI'
~ hat, which was absolutely worthless
he for SIS, so l priced my shirt at abou
Mt SO in greenbacks, or 800 in Confeder
ate money.
"Oh, den yo' think our money ain
so good as yo money
| had no disposition to argue wit
negro any more than Southerne
would have had. and informed him i
forcible language that If he gave m
any impudence | should knock him o.
his horse with rock. The officer i'm
mediately ordered his servant to "shu
Z: up" That" said he, sis the way
/: like 10 hear white man talk TO mig
ger"
About five miles east of town ther
no was a piece of woods which / kne'
we had to pass thru, and | decide
TO when we reached the place to make a
IN. attempt to escape, Notwithstanding tn
fact that the prisoners had been prom
ised their liberty on parole
few days. 1t was now and ha
been raining for the past fe'
hours. giving me a better opportunit
II to get away After we had got we
III jumped into the bushes and, droppin
what l had in my hands, ran for Iii
and liberty.
Now, old comrades, I used to thin
II L was pretty lively on foot, and I don
believe there was soldier in the Cor
federacy that could have kept up wit
me for the next three minutes. Afts
Il getting well out of sight in the wood
- and feeling satisfied that l was not 70
. lowed, / stopped running. and worke
my way slowly back toward Dalto
keeping well under cover unit! all
the rebel army had passed.
a / got back to Mrs. Watts's at Dalto
~ :, L think, about noon. and she was
"" glad to see me as il / had been one
her own boys. That afternoon l mad
the call on Miss Davis which I had a
N tempted the day before. I found s.
I'd or eight wounded soldiers being care
fn 1,ar A q,