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ESTABLISHED IN 1880. : Jevoted to the Protection of Home and the Interests ef the County. , ' ESTABLISHED IN18SS
Vol. IX. J- .T--gggS& "" Gastonia, N. C; January 13, 1888. i'&iZLmAm ifa 3
"""' """ '"""""" " """"" """"" T . r ., r . 1 , . , 1 . . "i ' .
. The city of Philadelphia owns a va
cant lots that are' appraised at three
hundred thousand dollars.
An old gentleman living near Har
nett county was awakened from
sleep a few nights ago to find a rat
sitting on his face just beside his
nose.
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History of the Andrews Kailroad
Eaid Into. Georgia in 1862.
The blost Heroic and Tragic Episcdo
of the Civil "War.
Kmbraclnir a Full and Accurate Account
of the Secret 'Journey to. -the Heart of
the Confederacy, the Capture of a
ltalltrny TrulM In a Confederate Camp,
the Terrible Ctiae That Followed, and
the Subsequent Fortune of the L,end
and III l'arty.
The expedition, in the during of its inception,
bad the wil,lnKS-i of a romance; while in the
gigantic and overwhelming n-snlts it sought anl
vrns likely .o olitnin it was absolutely sublime.
Jldos Advocatb General Holt's Official. Re
port. .
It wits all tho deepest laid scheme, ami on the
grainiest Kcale, that ever ouiauated from the
braim of any number of Yankees combined.
The Roitiierh Confederacy (Atlanta, Gx.
Avril IS, IbM.
DoHpitc its trng'5 termination, it shows what n
hantifu1 of brave meti could undertake in Airier
' lea. -. jits b Paris' Ii$tort of toe Civil Wab
tx Auuuca, vol. 2, p. 187.
By WILLI AM PITTEN.GER,
A MEHISEll Of THE EXPEDITION.
...
lOopyriprhted, 1S87, by War Publishing Co.. N. Y
uud published by arrangement w ith them.J
CHAPTER XXIL
. HEROISM ON TTIK FCAFFOLD.
Thecgmctery is beautifully located and
finely kept. The scaffold had been built
in a little wood at the southeastern, side
of the yard, then outside, but since in
cluded in its boundaries. A monument
to the Confederate dead had since been
erected in this cemetery, and a large por
tion of land deeded by the cemetery asso
ciation for their burial, and it was at the
edge of this plot that the great tragedy
took place. No element of melancholy
horror was- omitted. A shullow trench
had been already dug within a few feet of
the long and hideous scaffold, so that the
men as they drove up could look upon
their own qpen grave. The scaffold, which
' 'had just been completed, consisted of a
- single long beam, extending from one tree
-to another, to which the ropes were at
tached, and a narrow platform of loose
plank extending under this, so arranged
that the knocking out of props would
cause it to fall. A considerable number
of spectators were present, but not nearly
so many as attended the execution of An
drews no general gathering of the citi-
. zens boing permitted indeed the prepara
tions had been carried on us secretly as
possible.
Capt. Fuller, who had chased the men
- on the cars and attended the trial at.
Knoxville, was here also to see the end.
He had been moved to come by a promise
whit he as a Mason had made to Ross,
that ho would mark the spot of his burial,
and notify his father, in Ohio. He was
faithful to his promise, though tho notifi
cation, owing to the policy of the Con-
federate war department, could not be
made until the close of the war.
Our comrades mounted tho scaffold by
means of eteps from behind, and then
stood, all seven, side by side, with tho
. ropes dangling beside them, t the foot
'. of the steps Fuller shook hands with Ross,
for whom he declares he had come to feel
n deep friendship. The clergymen, with
. their souls in indignant protest agninst
the manner of death, had not accompanied
tho procession.. There was no help, and
' in a few moments death in its most awful
form was to come.
Yet the bravery of the seven was such
as to command the admiration even of
their foes. Capt. Fuller had attended
many military executions during the war,
for. such things were fearfully frequent on
the Confederate side; yet he-says that he
never saw men die as bravely as these.
" With uncovered faces they looked steadily
and serenely on the surrounding foe. But
they were not to die without a word of
testimony that should be long rcmem-
"bered,; and which to some hearts then
present seemed the death knell of the Con
federacy. Wilson was their spokesman. He asked
permission to say a word before death,
and it was freely accorded. Possibly the
. surrounding hundreds expected to hear
some word of pleading or confession
some solution of what still seemed mys
terious in the great raid. But if so they
were - mistaken. I have received nn ac
count of this address from more than n
. score of persons who were present sol
diers, citizens and negroes and it made
the same impression on all. Wilson was
a boru orator, and he now spoke with
marvelous skill and persuasive eloquence.
, lie Lad Conquered fearund banished aU
resentment; and his calm and dispassion
ate earnestness was such as became a
man on the threshold of another world.
THE SPEECH OF WILSOX ON THE SCAFFOLD.
He began by telling them that though he
was condemned to death as a spy, he was
no spy, but simply a soldier in the per
formance of dutv; he said he did not re
gret dying for his country, for that wa a
soldier's duty, but only tho manner of
death, which was unbecoming to a soldier.
Even those who condemned them well
knew that they were not spies; then leav
ing the personal question, he declared
that he had no hard feelings toward the
south or her people, with whom he had
long been well acquainted; that they were
generous and brave; he knew they were
lighting for what they believed to be
right, but they were terribly deceived.
Their leaders had not permitted them to
know the facts in the case, and they were
bringing blond and destruction upon their
section of the nation for a mere delusion.
He declared that the ieople of the north
loved the whole nation and the flag, and
were lighting to uphold them, not to do
any injury to the south, and that when
victory came the south would reap the
benefit as well as the north. The guilt of
the war would rest upon those who had
misled the southern people, and induced
them to engage in a causeless and hope
less reljcllion. He told them- that all
whose lives were spared for but a short
time would regret the part they had taken
in tiiis rebellion, and that the old Union
would yet be restored, and the flag of our
common country wave over the very
ground occupied by this scaffold.
There were tears coursing rapidly down
the cheeks of many Confederate soldiers;
the emotion of a number of negroes who
were a long way off, yet in easy hearing
of the trampct like voice, was almost un
controllable. One of them said to Capt.
Sarratt two years after, "Massa, if that
man had only spoke 11 fewjiinutes longer
they could never have hung him in the
world." A relel officer was heard to
mutter, "Why don't they stop him? What
do they allow such talk for?" Hut it was
not so easy to stop a dying, man, whose
words were so kind and persuasive, and
whose eloquence was of that highest type
which throws a spell ovec friend and
enemy.
So the tide of truthful speech flowed on
till many of the poor nun in the rebel
ranks heard for the first time the full ar
raignment of their own guilty government
with 11 clearness which carried conviction,
and then with, tho bold prophecy of 'com
ing triumph for the glorious cnr.se a
prospect which seemed to lift the speaker
above all fear of his own. death the hero
closed, giving the sign for the deed of
shnme-dying with 'this glorious predic
tion on his lips!
No coffins had been provided. As soon
as life was pronounced extinct the bodies
were laid in the shallow trench, just wide
enough for their length, and long enough
for all the seven to lie close together a
brotherhood in death as they had been in
life. Hero tho earth was filled in, and
they remained till, at the close of the war,
the national government removed their
bodies to an honored spot in the beautiful
national cemetery ut Chattanooga. A
monument should mark both this spot-and
that in Atlanta, where heroism iu death
shone so brightly.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CONVERSION AND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE.
Those who remained in prison suffered
scarcely less than their comrades. The
bitterness of death was upon us also. We
did not think that vengeance would stop
with those who lind fallen. The hope we
had so long cherished was overturned at a
blow. In Knoxville we had urged that all
should be-tried together, or that tho sen
tence of one should stand for alL There
was no reason for giving any preference to
one over another, and no indication that
such preference was, to bo given. But
even if we had not' believed that only, a
few days or hours, of prison life lay rle
tween lis and the scaffold,' the parting
from our loved friends, whose voices were
yet lingering in our ears while they them
selves had parsed beyond the gates oi
death, was enough to break the stoutest
heart. There were tears then in eyes thai
would not have quivered in the presence
of any danger.
But I could not shed a tear. A cloud ol
burning heat rushed' to my head, and
fever seemed to scorch through every
vein. For hours I scarcely could rctilize
where I was o-thc lots that had been suf
fered. Every glance around the room,
revealing tho vacant places of friends,
would bring our sorrow freshly upon us
again. Grief foronr comrades and iippre
hension for ourselves were inseparably
blended. The suddenness of the shock by
which we were separated seemed to reveal
a spirit that forbade us to hope, while it
was a terrible aggravation of .the pain oi
parting. Thus the afternoon hours tdowly
drifted by under n shadow too dark for
words. No one ventured as yet to speak
of hope.
The first distraction in this terrible hour
we owed to our friendly jailer. Tib asked
us if we would like to be all put in out
room.
We were eager for this privilege, and he
brought over the eight who were in the
front room and placed them with us. We
were now fourteen, including Capt. Fry,
of East Tennessee fame, who was placed
with us. There would have been much
to talk about in our separate experiences
in Knoxville and Chattanooga at any
other time, but now the thought of the
lost swallowed up everything else.
. At length some voice suggested rather
faintly at first, for only a few hours be
fore it would have met keen ridicule
that it would be well for us to pray. The
thought was warmly welcomed. Not Ihe
slightest objection was offered by any one,
and' we at once all knelt. One membct
of the party has lately told me that while
he knelt with the rest, and was careful tc
say npthing to discourage us, yet ho never
led in prayer, or said anything to indicate
that he hod changed his life purpose. 1
did not notice the exception at .the time,
as every head was bowed and every face
covered. Capt. Fry was first requested
to lead us, which was peculiarly appro
priate, as he had always maintained a
consistent religious life, and now seemed
to feel our great sorrow ns if it were hit
own. He prayed with deep earnestness,
strong sobs mingling with his fervent pe
titions. Then -others led, and we con
tinued until all but the one already al
luded to bad prayed in turn; then those
who had grayed before began again.
There seemed to be some help in simply
telling our trouble. On my own part, I
do not think that there was a great den
of faith, at least so far as temporal deliv
erance was concerned, but there came a
calmness and a passing away of bitter
ness that was restful to our tired hearts.
We besought God mainly that he would
prepare us for the fate that seemed
inevitable, and that as he had led
us into great trials, he would in some
manner sustain 11s there. We kept on
praying with but short intervals till the
sun went down. As twilight deepened
into darkness the emblem of our own
lives so our petitions grew more solemn.
God seemed nearer than ever before. In
the darkness it appeiJ-.-ed easier" to behold
the heavenly light. We began to ask foi
deliverance in this world as well as in the
hour of death, and to have a hope, very
faint and trembling, that it mfgbt be grant
ed. Then little by little we began to profess
our purpose to live religious lives' while
we were spared, whether the time was
long or short. I do not know that there
was anything clear and definite in the
way of conversion or sudden change on
bered that in the forenoon we had nmuset
ourselves by all kind of games, that pro
fane words and jests were not uncommon
and that we would have been ashamed U
speak of prayer or of religion in any waj
except as a mere theory, it will be scei
that there was no slight alteration in us
already. From that hour I date the birtl
of an immortal hope and a new purpose
in life. And iu this experience I am not
solitary- " I
It is an interesting fact, which the ra
tionalist may explain as he will, that from
tho time of that long prison prayer, meet
ing from early afternoon to midnight
the -fortunes of onr party began to im
prove. There were fearful trials still be
fore us, not much inferior to any that we
had passed; we long held our lives by the
frailest thread; yet til the close of the
war, though many perished around us,
death did not claim, another victim from
our midst. We committed ourselves tc
the Ird. not expecting deliverance in
this world; and in his boundless mercy
he bestowed upon us all we asked, and far
more than we had dared to hope.
Few things in our whole prison experi
ence were more fearful than awakening
the next morning. The chiH light of a
new day the dispelling of dreams that
may have been very pleasant, and have
brought home vividly before tis always
made the morning hour the most dreary
of the day. But on this occasion we
looked around and saw the places of our
friends vacant, and all the great, sorrow
of our bereavement again rolled over us
like the incoming of the sea.
. But we wished to do something. A
small Bible was borrowed from Mr. Tur
ner when ho came to bring our scanty
breakfast Mr. Thoer, who was always
' with him to see that he gave ns no undue
indulgence, did not object and then we
had reading, singing and prayer nearly
every one praying, so that it might rather
be called a morning prayer meeting than
"family worship," though the latter was
the title used. We now resolved to con
tinue this practice as long as our I'rison
life lasted.
From this time forward we had relig
ious exercises morning and evening, and
found them a great consolation and sup
port. They began and closed the day
aright, and thus added sweetness to all its
hours, supplying a subject or thought not
bearing directly upon our own gloomy
prospects, and thus enabling us to main
tain better mental health. We always.
sung a hymn or two on these occasions.
Indeed there was nearly as much singing
as at Chattanooga, but of a far different
and more inspiring character. Instead of
"Nettie More," "Carrier Dove" and such
harmless sentimentality, we sang "Rock
of Ages," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul,"
and others of a pronounced spiritual cast.
This greatly astonished the guards. -They
were given strict charge to watch us
closely, with the statement that we were
the most desperate characters in the whole
United States; then to hear us sing Meth
odist hymns, and to know that we had
prayers, morning and evening, was a con
tradiction they found it hard to reconcile.
Soon the story of the heroic death of our
comrades and our own religious bearing
was . noi.sedLabout Atlautasad no doubt
there were many expressions which, gave
some ground for the bitter complaint of
"sympathy" made afterward by the pro
vost marshal in his report. But we cared
Comparatively little for this, of which, in
deed, we then knew nothing.- We had
never expected to receive much help from
the people outside, and would not have
dared, for fear of treachery, to accept it if
offered. But we wished to find that
peace in believing that we had heard of
Christians possessing. What would we
not now have given for the counsels and
assistance of a minister we could fully
trust! - r -
It is a delicate, mntter to speak of the
beginning of one's own religious life to
say neither too much nor too little; but in
the hope of eluding some- other who is
feeling after the truth, I will venture,
using the light that twenty-five years
have thrown back on those early days..
After . the terrible 18th of Juue I am
not conscious of any experience of a re
ligious character for several days, except
a profound and burning conviction that it
is folly to wait for death before trying to.
be right with God. I might be sinful or"
wicked again,- but the idea that the great
business f life may safely be left to the
last could influence me no more! Just
how to be religious wa3 a puzzle. I Knew
if I had a command to execute from an
army officer I would do it, if iu my power,
no matter how difficult or dangerous; and
I wished intensely that it was just as easy
to be religious as to be a soldier. But
there was the question of right feelings
and right motives that did not seem to
come into play very much in the army;
for if a soldier did his duty, he was not
apt to be asked how he felt about it; I had
tho belief that I must have joy and rap-
ture in thinking of death, a readiness to
shout God's praises which I did not feel';
and for a time it seemed as if I could never
reach a genuine conversion. I diligently
read the Bible which we had borrowed,
but while I enjoyed many things in it,
little direct guidance for me was found.
I asked counsel of Capt. Fry, for whom
I had the greatest esteem and respect.
But it was so easy for him to believe that
I thought his case must be very unlike my
own. I also spoke to J. R. Porter, the
only one of our number who had a clear
religious faith, and seemed to be happy in
it. His first answer was very striking. I
asked how he felt about death. He thought
that I referred to our worldly prospects,
and answered that probably we would
soon all be put to death. "But what is
your feeling about death itself?" I con
tinued. He said:
"I am not afraid to die, if it is God's
will; I trust him now, and I expect to
trust him to the lost." He took my hand,
and there was a steady light in his eye
that made me believe every word he said.
But when I asked him how he got such a
faith lie could only tell me that he went to
a Methodist "mourners' bench" two years
before and sought till he found it. ; This
did me no good, for there was no such
place accessible here.
In sore perplexity 1 read the Bible from
day to day and prayed, taking my turn in
praying aloud and reading with the
others. At length I thought I began to
see that trusting Chrjst meant something
like taking his words and teachings for
my guide, trying to do nil that he com
mands, nnd leaving the result, while I did
this, with him. This was not that sud
den transformation that Iliad hoped, but I
soon found that it opened up a good many
things that I had never dreamed of. One
of these seemed especially strange under
the circumstances. I had yet but a slender
hope of ever escaping from the prison ex
cept by the way of the scaffold. But in
spite of the dark prospect the question
oanie as an-absolute test of my obedience,
"Wijl you, if satisfied that it is God's
will, be ready to give up the profession of
law if you ever get home and go into the
ministry?" The first and spontaneous re
ply was, "No!" I had studied law and
meant to practice it if I ever got where
sponse was . clear, "What kind of
obedience is this!,', I saw that I
was not sincere in proposing to enlist
under Christ as my captain, unless
I would really bbey him. It would be a
poor allegiance that stopped short with
the things I wanted t do. For a long
time I could' not pass this point. ' The
difficulty when communicated to my'
prison companions seemed utterly absurd.
"Try to serve God In the prison, where
you are," they said iwith a rough plausi
bility, "and don't bother about preaching,
being a lawyer, or anything else, when
you get out, for Jroa never will get out."
This seemed good advice, but it would
not bring a serene mind or the victory
over the fear of death which I so much
desired. One after another of those in
the prison found the comfort -I lacked;
nnd it was not till wearied and worn out
with the struggle that I vowed if God
would only give me his peace, I would
serve him as sincerely in the prison or out
of it as I had tried to serve my country,
and in any way that he might direct.
Oh! that this vow had been always more
faithfully kept! - '
From this time I did have a steady con
viction that I was on the Lord's side, md
that I had a right to commit myself and
my life to his keeping. The prison did
not prove a palace; its discomforts were
still felt keenly, and the prospect of death
by the gallows did not appear more invit-'
ing. I would not have been the less ready
to make any desperate venture for escape;
but I had a hope which went beyond the
prison and the scaffold -beyond any con
tingency of earthly fortune, while it did
not take away any real earthly good. -
We aU remember with deepest grati
tude the Rev. George, G. N. MacDonell,
one of those who attended our comrades
on the day of death. We did not see
either of the clergymen then, or know
who they were, or, indeed, that there was
snch attendance until long after. Whether
Rev. Mr. Scott did visit us or not I am un
able to state with positiveness. A minis
ter came, and I was afterward told that
his name was Scott, bnt be may have been
another person, as I think this one was
not a resident of the city. . The interview
in this latter case was unpleasant. The
preacher had been brought in by our
old jailer on the very natural presumption
that persons who prayed and sung so
much would like to meet a clergyman.
He promised the officer of the guard that
he would talk only about religion. But
his first question built Bp an impassable
barrier between us. He asked how we
could be so wicked as to eonae down there
and fight against the south and try to
overturn their governmentf We had been
trying to repent of our sins, hut had not
got so far as that particular one yet, and
answered a little tartly by asking how he
and his friends could be .so wicked as to
rebel against a good government. He
answered by a reference to the north try
ing to overthrow slavery, and I asked
him if it was possible that he, a minister,
was an apologist for .slavery! It hap
pened that he was a zealous defender of
the institution and very sensitive ou this
point; nndsotuuch noise was soon made
in the discussion that the .guard removed
him. - He did not come.ag.4n. . -
- But ear interview1- and subsequent e
quaintancc with Rev. Mr. MacDonell was
of a very different character, though it
also opened unpromisingly. In his first
prayer he petitioned very earnestly that
our lives might be spared if consistent
with the good of the Confederacy ! This
offended some of us, but the better opinion
was that if sincere in his loyalty to the
rebel authority, he could hardly have
prayed differently. So kind was he to us
afterward that some thought he might
possibly be a Union man in real senti
ments; but he has since assured me that he
was not iu the slightest degree, and that
all he did for us was nt the dictates of hu
manity and religion. We had a very pleas
ant interview. : He gave us valuable coun
sel, and I felt it a great privilege- to talk
over religious questions with one ao Intel
ligent and sympathetic. When he left he
promised to send us some books, and did
not forget-to promptly forward them.
These we took good care of, read thor
oughly to all in the room and then re
turned, asking for more. These ho gener
ally gave, and we thus continued till we
had read nearly his whole library. Those
only who know what a dreadful weari
ness it is to pass days without any defi
nite employment can realize the great
boon these good books bestowed on us. It
made the prison room a veritable school;
and in view of our religious efforts the
character of the books was just what we
would most have desired. I did not care,
as in Knoxville, for law books, but the
fact that many, though not all, of the
minister's, books were of a theological and
religious cast only made them the more
welcome. This Atlanta jail was my
theological seminary!
CHAPTER XXIV.
A DARING ESCAPE PLANNED.
From the very beginning of our impris
onment we had thought and planned about
escape. ' A -very hopeful scheme had been
foiled at Chattanooga by the separation of
the band when the twelve were sent to
Knoxville. Andrews and Wollam had
actually gotten outside the prison walls
the latter remaining at large for many
days. How to escape was one topic of
conversation which never lost its interest.
We felt that if once more in the open air
our chance- of reaching our lines in the
clear October weather, and with the abun
dant supplies in the fields, would be far
greater than in the spring. We went
over all tho errors committed on first
leaving the train, and each gave all others
the benefit of all the knowledge of geog
raphy he possessed.
But in many. other respects we were less
favorably situated npw for an escape than
we had ever been before. : The distnnce
was greater to be traversed, for Gen.
Buell had been forced back almost to the
Ohio river. Our own number was dimin
ished by death. We were all weakened
by more than six months of terrible im
prisonment, and some of our test men
were too sick to take a very active part in
the struggle, while a strong guard was
constantly on duty and we were' in a
strongly barred nnd locked upper room in
the edge of a city .which was almost in
the center of the Confederacy. -
But we resolved at every hazard to
make an attempt if there should bo' the
slightest intimation of an intention to
bring us before another court martial. It
was better to die on the bayonets of the
guards than on the scaffold.
Lohg before this, when utterly wearied
with captivity, we wrote a letter to Jef
ferson DavisstiU preserved in the gov
ernment archives stating our case from
our own point of view. This brought no
response. More recently we wrote again
to Gen. Bragg, commanding the depart
ment in which we were. This had been
forwarded, step by step, to the president
of the Confederacy, bringing from him a
savage question as to why we had not all
been executed like our comrades! This
letter and its numerous indorsements are
published in the War Records. We only
knew of the danger it Indicated at the
time indirectly, i Onr guard was strength
ened; the jailor was overheard by a
prisoner in another room saying: "Those
Ohio men will soon all be hung!" The
commander of the post, CoL Lee, visited
us and asked of ns almost the same ques
tion Davis asked, ns to the difference be
tween our case and that of our comrades,
nnd urged great vigilance on the guards.
These things convinced ns that our only
chance of life was by taking the- matter
in our own hands. : One plan proposed
was to try to get out secretly, at night,
by sawing off the bars of our windows
and lowering ourselves, one by one, to the
ground. ) The fatal objections to it were
that it required us to await a dark night,
nnd even then : it was scarcely possible
that more than one or two would get out
before an alarm was given. I had no
hope from it.
; But the other plan could not fail If every
man did his exacduty, and we were now
so well acquainted that we had perfect
confidence in each other. It was simply
to attack j our ' foes in toroad daylight.
When our food was brought in the after
noon, and the door opened, we could rush
out, seizing and holding perfectly quiet
the jailer and -his assistant, threatening
them with death if they moved, unlocking
all the doors so that we might have the
assistance of all the prisoners, and then
charge upon the seven soldiers below, dis
possessing them of their muskets in the
first rush; and if this was done without
noise or alarm, march them up into our
room and gag : them "there. It was not
likely, however, that we would be able to
keep everything quiet enough for this; in
which case we were to run as soon as an
alarm was raised," for we knew that there
was a strong reserve close by, nnd did not
feel able to reckon with any more than the
seven rebels on hand. I
In such an attack, the element of time
and exact planning of every man's work
so that there is no confusion and hesita
tion, are of vital importance. vWe ar
ranged with the utmost nicety. Capt.
Fry was .to begin the movement, for be
was the oldest, and we gave him the post
of honor; I was to stand by and help him
with the jailed and the watchman Thoer,
if the latter was on hand, as he usually
was; probably I was given this place from
the correct view that with my poor eyes
I would be of more service in a scuffle in
the halt than in the glaring light outside.
Then Buffum, who was as agile as a cat,
was to snatch the keys, and, waiting for
nothing else, to open all the doors above.
There were three, and the fitting of keys
from the bunch under, such excitement
was likely to make this take some time.
I think no one of us felt that Buffum had
a desirable office. But it was desirable to
to have all the .prisoners released if only
to distract the pursuit. All the others
were arranged into two bands with lead
ers, to slip down the stairway at the pro
per time and break out on the guards at
the front and rear doors, simultaneously.
Then quickness, courage and desperation
were to be pitted against loaded muskets
and bayonets, and the issue left to the
God of battles.
Wo had also chosen our comrades" and
routes. We were to traTeV-' in . pairs and
in every direction. , Capt.. Fry was to be
teyrWer,'andialt",ihe reat eousidereu
that I was fortunate, for- he would be at
home in the Cumberland mountains, to
ward which we were to journey. The
iuteuded course was marked out for each
couple and, everything done to forward
the movement on which we believed de
pended our last chance of escaping the
gallows. ; We did not forget to make most
earnest supplications in prayer, and to
vow, in the old time manner, that we
would render faithful service to the Lord
of Hosts if he would aid ; us in this great
emergency. I
It was afternoon when we received the
intelligence which determined our ' action
nnd we could not very well be ready to
start that day. So the work was set for
the following afternoon. ) We patched our
shoes as well as we could, and made cloth
moccasins to protect our feet, for many
shoes were worn out. We gave messages
to each other beginning with the form,
"If you get out and I do not" for we
conld not tell who would be the fortunate
ones in the : effort, or - how many might
fail. .We had a strong conviction of. sue-,
cess, but whether seven guards would
allow their muskets to be taken without
using bullet or bayonet against some of
their assailants with fatal effect, seemed
more than doubtful! I have made ready
for battlo more than once, but never had
so deep and solemn a realization of the
uncertainty of the issue as on this occa
sion.
CHAPTER XXV
j THE ATTEMPT.
The lost night that we ever spent to
gether was a very quiet . one. We sung
but little only the usual number of
hymns in our worship But wo talked
late and thoughtfully. We were never all
to meet again iu this world, and the sha
dow of j tho separation was already upon
us. ; j j ..!.'. '
The next day was long and tedious.
All our usual exercises had lost their zest,
and we .could do little but discuss in low
tones the coming effort. We would not
risk an attack in the morning, for that
would have given our enemies all day to
earch for us. It was far better to wait
for evening, even if the day seemed well
nigh endless. Slowly the sun rose up,
reached the meridian and disappeared be
hind the jaiL We watched the shadow
slowly : moving up the I hill opposite our
window till it had well nigh reached the
line on ' the summit that usually marked
our supper ; time. The hour was come!
We shook hands with a strong, lingering
'clasp, for we knew not how many of us
might be cold in death before the stars
came out. Capt. Fry who was tender
hearted as a child; wept at the parting.
He had two coats, and as he had imme
diate use for one only he loaned the other
to me.i It was a wonderful boon, for I
was nearly destitute of clothing. Every
thing that we felt ought to be taken we
secured about us, so as not to be in the
way of the coming struggle. - We still had
on hand a lot of books belonging to Rev.
George MacDonell, who had sent them in
not. long before. We had not dared to re
turn them for fear of arousing suspicion,
and I carefully piled them in the corner
and wrote him a note' thanking him for
the use of them. I
At length the noise of shuffling feet and
the voices of the colored women who
carried in our provisioii wus heard in the
hall a sound , always welcome, for we
were hungry enough to make the coming
of our miserable dinner a great . event.
The door was unlocked only one was
kept fastened in the daytime now our
food was handed in and the door locked as
usual, while the company moved on to
give rations to the other prisoners.
Again we heard the shuffling feet in the
hall as the waiters returned. For a mo
ment I felt a sharp, knifelike pang shoot
to my heart. So keen was it that I
thought for -a moment that my physical
strength was about to fail in this time
of sore need something that had never
always in the presence of danger I had
possessed more than usual power. . But in
an instant it passed away, and I looked
about to see if all were at their post. A
glance was enough toOshow that there
would be no flinching. The men. looked
pale, but their teeth were firmly set, and
they were leaning slightly forward like a
horse straining on the bridle. If there
was any fear it was. that they would
strike even too soon. As for Capt. Fry;
whom I had seen weeping a few moments
before, he was perfectly calm and his face
wore a pleasant smile. ' .1
As the jailer unlocked and opened the
door for the bread pans to be passed out,
Fry stepped forward in such a manner
that it could not be closed, and said very
quietly "as if it" were the most natural
thing in the world: - I
"A pleasant evening, Mr. Turner."
We had no thought of hurting the old
man if it could possibly be avoided, and
hoped to frighten him into surrendering
and giving up the keys without any alarm.
"Yes, rather pleasant,'' responded he,
in a dazed and bewildered manner. He'
could not understand what Fry had come
out there for. 1
The fiction of the next few moments
was so quick and under such a fever of
excitement that accounts of both words
and deeds vary widely. I have reconciled
themns far as I can, not always follow
ing my own recollections when the pre
ponderance of evidence is strongly against
me. ' , : . ,: .. I
"We are going to take a little walk
this evening we are going out of here,"
continued Fry, standing close to'him, and
looking in his eye to see the first symptom
of a motion. I was by his side equally
watchful. , There was no fear of an alarm
being given by the colored women. ;They
were frightened neafly white, but were
our friends, and bad enough of their wits
about them to remain sHent.
.Turner seemed undecided. "How about
the guards?" he said in a feeble tone. We
were nearly all in the entry now, for
there had been a slow, almost unconscious
edging forward, and half a dozen low,
quick voices answered, "We'll attend to
the' guard, Mr. Turner." -t
"Well, you can go then," he said trem
bling, while his face seemed to grow even
whiter, for our looks Were not pleasant,
"Well, give us the keys, then, and
you'll not be h art, ' ' said Fry, while Buffum
reached out his hand to take them.
The action seemed to rouse Ttirner like"
an electric spark." "You can't do that,"
he said, and then sprang back, and opened
his mouth in tho cry, "Guar" when my
hand closed over his mouth and stifled the
incipient alarm.- It was scarcely fair, but
in a moment the three of us were upon
him. Fry had clasped him round the body,
and arms in no gentle " embrace, Buffum
had wrested away his keys, and was oft
like a shot and unlocked the doors as if his
life depended upon it, while my hand had
effectually stopped all noise. He bit my
finger with all his -might, but the teeth
were hot sharp enough to do any real
injury, and the other. bands were gliding
down stairs. - ,
Buffum unlocked all the doors' easily till
be eame to the last one, in which were tin
fer-UaiOH sok;.?r? ?ud t ' 1 "?"--..
Not on In f v - f t
forth! r.L .t.the6.''c.i - s
anxious. Ho enconragad La'Ium, sa
"Dou't hurry, it will come in a moment."
Finally it yielded, and the poor fellow
flung himself out like a-shot from a can
non and was soon in the front of the flight,
but the four others remained inside.
One of the points about which there is a
little difference of opinion among us is
whether the attack on the guard below
was not a few seconds too quick a most
natural error un'der the circumstances. - If
all the doors could have been first un
locked, and all who were willing to go
have been ready, the jailer bound and
gagged, and the whole number, led by
those who had been appointed for the
work, had burst upon the guard together,
it is possible that tho victory would have
been more decisive and the number of es
capes Jarger. But Knight thought, as he
was gliding cautiously down the stair
way, that there was a movement in the
group of guards by the front gate indicat
ing alarm. In this case the attack could
not be delayed, and it was made with sur
passing boldness and success.
Porter and Bensinger led at the back
door. The former grabbed - the gun of a
guard that stood near, and jerked so hard
that the guard, suddenly letting go, Porter
fell fiat, but was on his feet in a moment.
Bensinger caught the sentinel who was
disarmed and held him perfectly quiet
Another enemy was in the corner of the
yard, and, seeing the rush, brought his
gun up, but before ho could take aim Por
ter's musket had covered him, and he was
emphatically and briefly warned that any
. movement would forfeit his life. The third
guard in the back yard was at once over
powered and knocked down, though not
seriously injured, and in a moment the
victory was completely won in this quar
ter. It was time, for matters had not
gone as well in the front yard.
Knight and Brown went down the
stairway as softly as cats, but the passage
behind them was filled for a little time
with those who were to make the attack
at the back door, which left them without
support, two men against four, and the
latter armed. But they did not for a mo-
A"
ff.
SEIZING THE GUARD.
ment hesitate, though the guards were,
unfortunately, not near the door. Knight
darted on the nearest, who was by the
fence, and as he was bringing the gun
down to a charge, Knight seized it with
his left hand and struck its owner so pow
erfully with his right that the gun was
instantly released. Brown had dgalt with
another in an effective manner, and re-enforcements
for the prisoners were now
coming; but two other guards, who were
close to the gate, instead of standing their
ground, ran out and raised a great outcry.
Wilson, Dorsey nnd others threw some
loose bricks, which happened to be handy,
after them, and prepared to charge out
through the gate, when Knight heard the
running of the reserve guard up the road,
and, flinging away his musket, gave the
. , , !iu'l'!-
word, "Boys, we've got to get' out of
this;" then, hurrying through the hall
and down to the lower corner of the yard,
was in a moment to the top" of the fence,
being the first Over, but was closely fol
lowed by the others. The fence was nine
or ten feet high and was no slight obsta
cle, but it was soon passed and then fol
lowed a most desperate and exciting
chase. . ''-
All of this, took but a moment. The -negro
"waiters had kept perfectly quiet,
looking on the proceedings with, the great
est interest, and only beginning to scream
when the noise outside convinced them
that they might as well contribute their
share. Buffum had just succeeded - in
opening the last door, and flinging it wide
with an impatient "There, now,-'.', when
the thrilliug outcry from below-warned,
him that his own departure must be nO
longer delayed. Fry and myself had been
engaged In securing the jailer, who, though
old, was powerful, and fought vigorously,
but had not finished when we were warned
by the uproar that all thought of a quiet
departure was at an end, and that there
was no longer a motive in holding on to -Turner.
We all rushed down stairs as best
we could, well knowing that we would
now be lost in the flight, which was not
the post of safety.'- The' deserter passed
us all like a tiger on the leap I never saw
such speed in a narrow place and getting
to the back door found two guards await
ing him with bayonets at the charge. Het
seized one in each ; hand, cutting. himself
severely, but flinging them aside so. forci
bly that the men were very nearly over
thrown, and then with the same swiftness
continued over the fence and on to the
woods, soon being in advance of all .the
fugitives. I learned tha he escaped to
Washington, bnt months after returning
south secretly to visit his family, -was cap- '
Buffum followed after him and got over
the fence with ' difficulty, but though a
very brave' man and a hard fighter, he
was a poor runner. ' One Confederate
who was quite swift footed, kept tight
after him, gaining considerably, and
threatening to shoot him if he did not
stop. To this Buffum paid no attention,
for a running man has an unsteady hand
and no. certain, aim, but he soon stopped
because -of exhaustion, just as the "man
overtook him. . Now Buffum thought it
the right time to try his "Yankee wit;"
so he threw himself down and said:- "I
am so done out that I can go no further;
you run on and catch that fellow,'' point
ing to a fugitive running a short distance
ahead. But the man saw the design, and
with a great oath declared -that he had
him now and neant to keep him. ' Poor
Buffum was allowed a very brief time to
rest, and then was marched back again to
the prison. I have scarcely a doubt that
if he had not waited to unlock the doors
he would have made good his own "escape.
Capt. Fry and myself were close to
gether in going down the stairs, he being
a little in advance. - At a glance he saw
there was no chance in the front yard
the way we had intended to take and at
once turned to the back door,' which was
left open by the passage of the rebel deserter.-
He .'got over 'the-w"
Lands an 1 .... .
lowing him passeu tu tv, . ,
game, and when the . way was clear Le
arose and resumed his course. He was
seen again and had a most desperate
chase, but reached the shelter of the
friendly woods. v.
At no time in all my southern expe
rience did I Und defective vision to be
such a dreadful -misfortune as just now.
My eyes were easily dazzled, by a sudden
increase of light, and as I came out of the
obscurity into the broad light," for some
seconds I could scarcely see at alL In
this interval I was parted from Fry by
running to the, front door according to
our original plan. There were two
frightened guards in the gate tossing their
guns about and seeming not to know what
they should do. These were not danger
ous looking and I ran up. to them lor bow
tho power of seeing had come back; but
just as I was about darting cut of the
gate I saw the stream of. guards outside.
They called on me to surrender, but I
'was not ready for that and hurried back
into the yard. A sentinel tried to shoot
me at point blank range, but, fortu
nately, his gun failed to . go off. I
got back into- the jail and now started
out the back way -the course I
should have taken at first.' There were a
this time, but in the confusion I got
through them and to the top of the fence.
What was my dismay to see a consider
able number , of self, oossessed soldiers
outside waiting with lifted guns to shoot
any one whose head' might appear above
the fence. I jumped very quickly down
on the inside. One hope yet remained. I
ran into the building and out at the front
might not be guarded, and that In this
least likely way I might slipthrough.
diers were on the ground and they were
being carefully posted. I saw that the
nrst panic ana ail tne advantages or. sur
prise were over. I ran back into the jail
to try the back door once more, but a
sentinel was now standing at it and
several soldiers followed me into the
building. -I did not care whether they
fired of not, for I now utterly despaired.
I went up the stairway,, the guards not
molesting me, and looked out at the chase
which was continuing over the adjacent
hills. ;- -
It was a wild and exciting spectacle.
Company after company of soldiers cime
up. The bells of the city were . ringing,
and shots were being fired rapidly, while
loud commands and screams were min
gled. I feared that-many of onr number
v ere or soon would be killed. Then I left
tho window nnd went to the front room
where the prisoners of war were and to
my incxpressiuie surprise round tnot tuey
had not gone out of their room nt all!
XllVJ CMia ..AJC.V l.ll.l0 CXO lUlllvli 4 IDA,
in it that it would not be -possible for
anyone to get oft.
Parrottand Reddick were captured in
side the prison yard and -Buffum .outside..
Bensinger, who had been so gallant in, the
Struggle in the jailyard, had a fearful ex
perience nf terwajd. After the first race
for the woods lie was discovered by some
Wltn - j1i-k(TO . TtiVtaa
they pressed him sorely. He could get
out of sight of the men, but the hounda
clung to his trail, like bloodhounds as
they were! When wearied almost ta
death, he found a stream of water, an J
by running for a long distance in that;
was able at last to get away from .them.
But he was utterly exhausted in this lor 3
and critical chase,' and, being alone, was
in no fit condition for the terrible joumt y
that lay before him. . . '
. The next evening he went to the ncg-rn
quarters on a plantation and was received
by the slaves , with the - sympathy they
were always prepared to extend to fugi
tives. But the planter also saw his re
proach, and, coming unawares upon I i-