Rock Island Argus., 1914-01-26
The Daily Story
THE BABY DID IT-BY r. A. mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1919. by Associated Literary Bureau

about two hundred. The ground wa.
bad for picket line; scrubby trees srs
bushes scattered irregularly.-
"Gone over to the enemy" said -.
officer.
The name of Private John wiIlisu.
was entered on the regimental rolls !,
his regiment as deserter.
Meanwhile Williams was huidI.a q
with other prisoners of war In the rsa.
of the Confederate lines. awaits.
transportation TO Libby prison at Rtes
mond. He spent some months ths-.
when. the prison becoming crowded =
detachment of prisoners was sent -
-stockade prison situated in sontb
Carolina. Williams, with Others I'm ~.
same car with him-a freight car
laid plan to escape. One OF them h,d
concealed n caseknife on his perxo-
and during the long hours of prison M.
had occupied his mind inventing war.
to make saw of it by nicking n.
edge. He had made poor headway nm.
til fellow prisoner lent him 6ls
After that the matter was easy.
williams and his friends in fbs
freight car by means of the improvises
in the floor of the car. When the train
stopped during the night they removed
the board and let themselves down
through the aperture. OF three men
who made the attempt two succeeded
in getting away; the third was shot by
the guard. Williams was one Of the
men who got away. but he and the
other ran in different directions and
did not come together again.
An account of the wanderings Of Pri.
vate Williams would be much the
same as other escaped prisoners OF
war from '61 to '65. He Travelled
at night and was hidden by the ne
groes during the day. His compass
was the north star. He suffered terri.
bly, from exposure and lived on Der.
ries. green corn and such other yegeta-
BILE food as he could find except when
some kind negro gave him little corr
pone.
Williams in order to escape detection
took often to swamp lands. There be
contracted fever, and when finally he
dragged himself into the Union lines
he was placed in hospital.
1t was about this time that the Unit
ed States government was beginning
to pay 5ounties to those who would
enlist. This afforded an opportunity
for criminals to secure the bounty and
desert. Enough of this was done to
attract the attention of the generals.
and they sought to put a stop to it by
trying the bounty jumpers for deser.
tion and shooting them in presence Of
their comrades.
1t was reported to the colonel OF
John Williams regiment that a soldier
was in hospital who had given that
name on being received there. He be-
came delirious. but was now better
The colonel directed the surgeon in
charge of the hospital to send vii
liams to him under guard as soon as
he was discharged
What has been told here having been
briefly stated to the president. the wo-
man handed him n soiled letter to read
1t had been dictated by her husband.
who was lying i'll at the time, TO one
of those self sacrificing women-both
of the north and the south-who gave
so much comfort to the sick and wound
ed of the war. 1t recounted his cap
ture. his escape, his wandering and
ending with a pititful re-
quest for her to come TO him.
81 was helped to go to him BY
friends" she added, 'and when |
found him he told me that as soon as
he was well enough he would be shot
for desertion."
The poor woman had been told what
was true. Her husband could at that
time get no proof of the story he had
TO tell. His witnesses were all cut OF
from him by bristling line of bayo
nets. And even il he could have been
free to go TO them he would not have
been able TO find the only witness who
could clear him. the man who had cap
-ured him. His wife had appealed 10
his colonel for mercy, but he had set
MS teeth. resolved to stop desertion II
le had to shoot every man in the army
Such was the situation that was
brought before Mr.. Lincoln>by the cry
If babe. And it would have been
wen more pathetic had the kind heart
ID president known when he heard It
hat the cry was an unconscious plead
ng for its fathers life Mr.. Lincoln
lad no proof that the woman's stoy
'eto nv iCluiiS-1 Aip HANSA'
aw woman pleading for her nus
'and's life with his child in her arms
md he had no desire, no time, to inyes
igate.
you shall have your husband" be
aid, '.and he shall have his pay. with
cave of absence and transportation 10
lis home"
The end OF the scene was told n
hese words by the messenger who naa
Introduced the woman to the presloeh'
nd was present during this intervie"
{ life and death:
AS he turned to his desk 10 wrile
he order the poor woman absolutely
ost consciousness of her SURROUNDINGS
4 her joy and gratitude. She stood py
he presidents side. holding the pap.
n one arm, while with her dlsengagep
ne she gently stroked the pGesidenls
nffied hair. saying, God bless yoe'
od bless you.'"
Too % 10 mcrIcan