The Washington herald., 1913-10-31

chance of gaining their liberty was by
escaping from prison.
This. eventually. they did, reaching
Union territory only after many hard
ships and adventures, which subsequent
ly were graphically described by Mr..
Richardson in book.
Under Virkshurg's batteries.
The correspondents had fallen into the
hands Of the Confederates through their
eagerness to serve their paper and their
disregard of danger in attempting to
reach the center of news in the Vicks-
burg campaign at the time of Grants ad-
vance.
On May 3, 1865, Mr.. Richardson. trav-
cling from the East accompanied by
Richard T. CoIburn, of the New York
World, reached Millikens Bend, on the
Mississippi River, above Vicksburg. Here
they met Mr.. Browne. The three men
were anxious to join Grants army. which
was at New Carthage, below Vicksburg.
Grant had found that supplies for his
army could be foated past the Vicksburg
batteries at night. On the evening the
correspondents arrived at Millikens Bend
an expedition with stores and forage was
ready to attempt running the gantlet
The three men resolved to go with il.
There were two barges lashed on either
side of a steam tug, on board of which
was 4 party of thirty-fve persons. in
cluding a detail from the forty-seventh
Ohio Regiment.
Everything was quiet along the banks
Of the river until the batteries of Vicks-
burg were reached about l o'clock, A
rocket rising from the Mississippi shore
then gave signal that the boats had been
discovered. A few minutes later a heavy
fire was directed at the silently floating
barges in mid-stream. The channel Of
the river at some points along the four
miles of batteries ran within 200 yards
of the shore. The correspondents stood
behind some hay bales on the tugs deck
and watched the bombSrdment The bat
teries had been nearly passed when a
shot entered the tugs boiler. An eX-
plosion followed and the tug and barges,
with their deck loads of hay, were ablaze.
In a few seconds the correspondents
found themselves on bale of hay in the
river. After they had drifted near the
shore Confederates put out in boats and
rescued them.
At Vicksburg the entire party of sur
vivors was regularly paroled by Maj. n.
G. Watts, the Confederate agent Of ex-
change at that point Only the temporary
suspension of hag-of-truce communica-
ton, because of the operations of Grants
army at the time, prevented their return
TO the Union lines. Richmond being the
only other point OF exchange, MAJ. watts
decided to send them there.
Taken to Libby Prison.
The journey was made by rail At
various points on the route the corre-
spondents had opportunity to learn from
remarks made to them the feeling of the
Southern people against their paper.
Richmond was reached March 16 and
the correspondents soon found that their
paroles were not to be recognized.
The disappointed prisoners were taken
TO Libby Prison. There they were con-
Quoted up three flights of stairs, to an
apartment Is by 50 feet, which was filled
with captured Union officers. The cor
respondents soon lost their personal
identity, for having domiciled themselves
in one corner of the large room. they
were simply known as 'rMess No. 81"
On the arrival of the correspondents
at Richmond the Confederate commits
sioner of exchange, Maj. Robert Ould.
received a request from the editor of
the New York World for the release of
Mr.. CoIburn. After ten days in Libby
Mr.. CoIburn was sent home. Maj. Ould,
although besought to do so by Gen.
Humphrey Marshall, of Kentucky, who
was retained as counsel by Richardson
and Browne. refused to recognize the
validity of their Vicksburg parole.
The unfortunate men passed a miser-
able summer. Every time they saw
prisoners released through exchange
their hearts sunk within them.
On September they were transferred