The Washington herald., 1911-03-12

We had three artistic tunnels under
guards. BY that time I had become an
inyeterate escaper. On the Fourth of
July about 800 of us were taken to
Charleston, S. c., and placed on the
water front. The commander of the
Federal fleet was then notified that if he
bombarded the city ne would probably
kill several hundred officers of the Union
army On the way to Charleston we
organized the most glorious exploit of
the war We even chose a colonel, but
he backed out at the last minute, de-
clfning to assume responsibility for the
lives that were sure to be lost. Our pur-
pose was to disarm the inside guards,
fight the outside guards, cut the railroad
and telegraph line. surprise and capture
the nearest Confederate fortiication, and
then notify our war ships off the coast
Of what had been done.
II had yellow fever while at Charles
ton. No attempt at escape was made
there After being sent to Columbia,
S. c., l got away twice. The first time
I was out but a day and was caught
in the woods at night The next time
Capt. NJ. R Baldwin. OF the Second WIS
cousin; Milton Ewing, captain OF my
we had been detailed to get firewood
Baldwin and / afterward served to-
gether in Congress. That night. we met
at a rendezvous in the forest agreed
upon several days in advance. We hoped
to reach the seacoast and signal one of
our vessels on blockade duty. The third
night Ewing, who was i'll and weak.
delayed US. At daylight we found that
we were in an open countrya of planta-
Il
and took us to the county Jail at War
rem. From there we went to Columbia.
where we began two tunnels. Sherman s
army was approaching. so we were
quickly loaded on cars and started to-
ward Savannah.
Deep in the night of February j.,
1865 again went through hole in the
floor of a freight car. I had been in
prison many months and was much re-
duced in strength. The night was bit
terly cold and a sleet storm was cover
ing everything with ice. My feet were
wrapped in rags and my clothing was
in tatters. The night was so rough that
was the only man in my car to take
the chance. / ran forward, just as | did
at Milan Junction. lay on the ties and
the train passed. l joined four men who
had escaped from other cars. One OF
them was Honeycup. of East Tennessee,
and another was Beck. from / don
know where. All were strangers to me.
Rescued by Negroes.
I'VE walked along the railroad in the
sleet and wind and / increased my
pain and misery by falling into A cattle
guard. Soon after that I gave out I
was frozen to the bone. We saw a light
and found a cabin. The negroes took
Us in. warmed and fed us and hid us
neighborhood several days and then the
negroes guided US to a slashinE far back
IN the forest. We slept on the ground.
lying close together to keep warm. The
smoke OF Columbia, which was burning.
drifted across the sky and We under
stood that Sherman was in the vicinity.
The sixth day We heard firing On
Sunday, as many as fifty negroes visited
US Not one of them betrayed us to the
enemy. But we ran out OF food. Honey
cup went one way and I went another.
! heard the tramp OF troops, the roll OF
wagons and hoOf heats of horses I
slipped down into a tangle of dead weeds
and underbrIsh. When the Confederates
were passing I tried to catch something
that was said. They'll be here about to-
morrow, was all that I heard. but it
was enough. ! knew that the Yankees
were meant. We had told the negroes
to bring Union soldiers to US IL any
appeared. On Washingtons Birthday a
cOlored man came through the woods
saying: Rise men, rise; your friends
are here
Copyright. 1911. by James B. Morrow