Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1914-07-14

peated, and. still receiving no answer,
asked where he had been posted.
third man to the east of the pike
replied the sergeant. between Rice
and Kimball"
did either Of you men hear any
thing of Williams during the night?"
asked the officer of the men mentioned
Both men replied that they had not.
How far apart were the men post
edT asked the officer Of the sergeant.
.'On the west side of the pike | put
them hundred feet apart; on the east
side ! fell short of men and made Ii
about two hundred The ground was
bad for picket line: scrubby trees and
bushes scattered irreguarly."
"Gone over to the enemy" said the
officer.
The name of Private John Williams
was entered on the regimental rolls OF
his regiment as deserter.
Meanwhile Williams was huddled in
with other prisoners of war in the rear
Of the Confederate lines. awaiting
transportation 20 Libby prison at Rich
mond. He spent some months there,
when. the prison becoming crowded,
detachment of prisoners WAS sent to
a stockade prison situated in South
Carolina Williams, with others in the
same car with him-a freight car
laid plan to escape One Of them had
concealed a caseknife on his person
and during the long hours OF prison life
had occupied his mind invcntlng ways
to make a saw of it by ncking the
edge. He had made poor Roadway I'M
til a fellow prisoner lent him file.
After that the matter was easy.
Williams and his friends in the
freight car by means of the inprovised
tool managed to saw throu@h a board
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 81 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 vegeta-
BILE food as he could find except when
some kind negro gave him little corn
pone
Williams in order to escape detection
took often to swamp lands There he
contracted fever, and when finally he
dragged himself into the Union lines
he was placed In a hospital.
1t was about this time that the Unit
ed States government was beginning
to pay bounties 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 1t by
trying the bounty Jumpers for deser-
ton and shooting them in presence Of
their comrades.
1t was reported to the colonel of
John Williams regiment that 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 VIII
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 a soiled letter to read.
1t had been dictated by her husband,
who was lying III 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
privations, ending with a pititful re-
quest for her to come to him.
II was helped to go to him by
friends" she added. land 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 be had
to tell. His witnesses were all cut of
from him by bristling line Of bayo-
nets. And even If he could have been
free to 20 TO them he would not have
been able to find the only witness who
could clear him, the man who had cap
tured him. His wife had appealed to
bis colonel for mercy, but be had set
his teeth. resolved to stop desertion IL
he had to shoot every man in the army.
Such was the situation that was
brought before Mr.. Lincoln by the cry
Of a babe And It would have been
even more pathetic had the kind heart
ed president known when he heard II
that the cry was an unconscious plead
ing for its fathers life. Mr.. Lincoln
had no proof that the woman's story
was true; be required no proof. He
saw a woman pleading for her hus-
bands life with his child In her arms,
and he had no desire, no time. to inves-
tigate.
you shall have your husband" he
said, land he shall have bis pay, with
leave Of absence and transportation to
his home"
The end Of the scene was told in
these words by the messenger who had
introduced the woman to the president
and was present during this interview
of life and death:
As he turned to bis desk to write
the order the poor woman absolutely
lost consciousness Of her surroundings
In her Joy and gratitude. She stood by
the presidents side, holding the baby
on one arm. while with her disengaged
one she gently stroked the presidents
ruffled hair. saying, God bless you;
God bless you"
Every reason for man to get his shoes
here: Three lines in particular 80, -. 50