The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-08

pounds with a six-foot chain to II, II
pulled II out and sat on it.
Hall and Chain on Three Men:
forty-pound ball. and then the black
smith turned to me, and I said to him
with my best smile, put this one on
me-" He replied well, as you appear
to be the smallest of the lot / viii
give you this" He then pulled out
the big ball with short chain. and
rlveted 1t on Thomas. who. ever after,
had to put q leather string In tho links
OF chain and drag 1t along on tho
floor. while could sling mlne across
my shoulder and walk without any
trouble.
We were then taken back to the
building from whence we came and
put in room on the ground floor. In
which were stalls for horses. Two
sentinels were placed at the one door
leading out In this room wore con?
fined about ten Yankee deserters. who
were undergoing punishment In irons
for deUertion. This building was In
closed by a high board fence, with
about an acre of.land as yard, into
which, during the day, the Yankees
who had been caught in Baltimore
without leave OF absence were daily
brought and kept until forwarded to
their commands. Captain Beall, Lieu
| tenant MCGUIRE. Stedman and McFar-
| land were confined in the attic above
us. After being in irons few days.
we noticed that Edmoudson was TAX
ing lessons from one of the Yankee de-
| serters how To make wooden key to
| unlock the shackles, and 1T was not
long before all who were in shackles
could take them off at night and the
next morning. before the sergeant
i IN It's would thpu1
! on again. But we who had our chains
| riveted on had TO keep ours on, as
there was no way to get them off and
on again.
After about ten days Edmondson,
who was a stronger to fear. deter
mined TO escape and go TO Richmond
and inform the Confederate govern
ment OF our treatment.
I Edmondson's PInns.
He had noticed that several OF tho
| Yankee in the yard had been permitted
4 bv the sentinel at the door to come in
and converse with their friends who
/ were in irons undergoing punishment
\ for desertlon. When the time came we
noticed that all those who were daily
kept in the yard were allowed to go
out again and be carried into another
| building TO be kept for the night.
Without making known his intention
to any one but Crouch, Just as the
guard was taking the outside Yam
KEGS out OF the yard and into the
other building for the night, Edmond
son, dressed as citizen, rushed up
! 10 the two guards at the door and
said in a cool manner, Well. let me
/ out"
4 They replied, who arc your" and he
| answered, II am a member of the
4 Twenty seventh New York. and you
let mo in q while ago to see one o!
my regiment who is confined In here
in irons, and II you don't let me out
In a hurry T will report you to tbs
/, provost marshal for letting me In
Upon this they pushed Him out in the
yard. saying TO him. Don't you come
u In hero again"
Edmondson Escapes.
+ Ednondson was then carried to an
other building that was simply guard
I ed on the outside. While tho Yankee:
were having high old time singn:
and dancing. he jumped out of thu
window to tho ground. unseen by tn
: guards who We're enjoying the flli
they were having on the inside. II
then crawled down towards the Bal
tmorc Bay. expecting to swim Owe
the bay into Canton, but just as Ii
/ WAS near tHS nc was NtSHSsS'S ~
. by a sentinel and hailed, Who come
: there?"
AS the night was very dark, he com
menced to root and Srunt like a hos
and backed again ont OF sight OF tn
sentinel, who thought he was one 0
:, tho many hogs that Were then kept II
!. the fort. Edmondson then crawlcd Of
!, hands and knees towards the wall 0
the fort, and noticed that the senu
nels on top OF the wall would wall
towards each other and, after word
would then turn back to back an
3 march to the end of their respectlV
!, beats. When he saw them leave eac'
] other, he mode jump, caught the tol
: of the wall. sprang over, and rap
l Idly made his way up into Baltimore
Q Just as he reached the city-it wa
: Sunday night-a large crowd of poo
] pie wore coming out of one OF tn
] churches ard he mingled with tn
Q crowd until he was enabled to &C
u through tho most densey populate
.lpart. He then took the road to Fred
. cricll, his first stop. where he secure
y food. and, resting for day, h
' crossed the Potomac. and cot to Rich
, mond without any particular trouble
!. Reports on Federal OntrnEcs.
! Ere reported to the Navy Department
. that Captain Bcall and party wor
held in irons in Fort McHenry, to b
n treated as pirates The next mornfn
!. after Edmondsons escape, the ser
III geant came IN about o'clock to In
. spect and cali the roll. In calling tn
il roll. when he reached the name e
q Edmondson,' answered Here an
o the sergeant, looking over to where
: stood, and not having seen Edmont
! son. he called "G Edmondson." lookn
II me full in the face. did not answe
t, the second time, and then there wa
: a royal row.
II We We're all summoned to the Pre-
vost marshal's Office and questioned q
It to his escape and all answered eHceI
It Crouch and another member Of OF
& party whose name / have forgotte1
II All except those two dlsclaimed an
I knowledge of Iidmondsons escape {
I whereabouts. Both of those two VII
s would not answer We're buclted an
V gagged and punished in the most cru
1t lmanner to make them tell OF the mar
10 ner OF his escape, but as they coul
% not or would not they were again Y