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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8675d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63120 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63120) diff --git a/old/63120-0.txt b/old/63120-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e081689..0000000 --- a/old/63120-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6756 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Beyond the Lines, by John James Geer - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Beyond the Lines - Or, A Yankee Prisoner Loose in Dixie - - -Author: John James Geer - - - -Release Date: September 4, 2020 [eBook #63120] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE LINES*** - - -E-text prepared by David Tipple and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 63120-h.htm or 63120-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/63120/63120-h/63120-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/63120/63120-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/beyondlinesoryan01geer - - -Transcriber’s note: - - There is only one footnote; it follows the paragraph in - which it was flagged. - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -[Illustration: John J. Geer.] - - -BEYOND THE LINES: - -Or - -A Yankee Prisoner Loose in Dixie. - -by - -CAPTAIN J. J. GEER, - -Late of General Buckland’S Staff. - -With an Introduction, -by Rev. Alexander Clark. - - - “In the dark fens of the dismal swamp - The hunted Yankees lay; - They saw the fire of the midnight camp, - And heard at times the horses’ tramp, - And the bloodhounds’ distant bay.” - - - - - - -Philadelphia: -J. W. Daughaday, Publisher, -1308 Chestnut Street. -1863. - -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by -John J. Geer, -In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the -Eastern District of Pennsylvania. - - - - - PREFACE. - - -In presenting the following narrative of suffering endured while a -prisoner in the so-called Southern Confederacy, the principal object -had in view by the author, is to place before those into whose hands -this volume may come, a plain, straightforward, unvarnished account of -_facts_. - -In regard to the workings and results of that system of human bondage -to which our country owes its present difficulties, there have been so -many mistaken ideas, statements, and theories, that it has become the -duty of every true and loyal man to expose the truth; or, speaking with -more correctness, to strip from the hideous skeleton of Slavery all its -gaily painted and deceptive cloaks and masks, and to exhibit it in all -its ghastly repulsiveness. - -It is my purpose in the succeeding pages to narrate simply how, after -being captured at the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, I was, -on the most frivolous charges, tried for my life before several -prominent Rebel Generals, among whom were Bragg and Beauregard; how -I was subsequently chained with negro chains and cast into military -prisons and common jails; how, escaping from these, and in company with -Lieutenant A. P. COLLINS, I made my way to the swamps; how we -lived in these malarious marshes for three weeks; how we were hunted -with bloodhounds; how we were assisted by the slaves in our flight, and -lastly, how, being recaptured, we spent weary months in confinement, -and were finally released on exchange from our dreadful captivity. - -To all those friends who have cheered him since his return home with -kind words and deeds, the author begs leave to extend his warmest -thanks,—but more especially to Rev. ALEXANDER CLARK, Editor of -_Clark’s School Visitor_, who revised and arranged the Manuscripts -for the press, and to whose scholarly abilities this volume owes so -much. He desires also to testify to like kindness on the part of Rev. -W. B. WATKINS, A.M., and MILO A. TOWNSEND, Esq., of New Brighton, -Pennsylvania, whose friendship has laid him under a debt of grateful -remembrance. - - J. J. GEER. - - SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, _June, 8, 1863_. - - - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - Leave Camp Dennison—Up the Tennessee—Under the Enemy’s Fire—Attacked - in Force—A Struggle for Liberty—Captured. 21–29 - - - CHAPTER II. - - First Sight of a Rebel Camp—Arraigned before Generals Jackson, - Bragg, Hardee, Beauregard, and Johnston—A Storm in Camp—Bayoneting - a Sleeping Man (?)—Interior of a Rebel Prison—“Calico Bill”—An - Escape—Rebel Exaggerations. 30–44 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Taken to Columbus, Mississippi—Visit from the Clergy—An Enthusiastic - Mute—American Aristocracy—Secession Lies—Political and - Ecclesiastical Prisoners—Reflections. 45–54 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - The Wounded from Shiloh—Inquisitive Negroes—An Abomination—A - Striking Contrast—Tom—Attempted Escape—An Ingenious Darkey—Rebel - Fare—The Irish Sergeant—Narrow Escape—Mending Clothes and Getting - News—Horrible Scenes in Prison—A Discussion. 55–69 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Southern Inhumanity—A Prison Telegraph—Mobile—Conversation with a - Fire-Eater—Negro Sale Stables—A Bad Sign—Mule-Beef—Montgomery—In - the Penitentiary—Felon Soldiers—Hanging for Theft—Visit to a - Condemned Prisoner—Who Shall Answer? 70–80 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - A New Prison—Murder of Lieutenant Bliss—In Irons—Yankee - Ingenuity—Rebel Ignorance—Parson Rogers—Faithful Servants—Bold and - Successful Escape of Prisoners—Captain Troy—A Blindfold Journey—A - Traitor. 81–90 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Macon—A Southern Unionist in the Rebel Army—Beneath a Georgia - Sun—Secession Speech—Thoughts of Home—Political Prisoners—Horrible - Place—Offer of the Gospel—Lieutenant A. P. Collins—Contemplated - Escape—Robes of Blood!—Pinning a Federal Soldier to the Ground. - 91–102 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Preparing the Way—Dave—Pepper, Matches, and Fish-hooks—Exchange of - Clothing—Passing the Guard-lines—Frightened Horse—Halted—Passed—In - the Woods—Hidden in the Swamp—Pursued—A Night Journey in the - Cane-brake—Manna. 103–113 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Seeking the Hills—Retreating to the Swamps—Pursued by - Bloodhounds—Suffering from Hunger—A Dreary Night—An Answered - Prayer—Singular Noise—Lost in the Cane-brake—A Dismal Journey—A - Dream—A Surprise—Wanderings and Wearyings in the Wilderness—A - Comforter Present—Hope and Cheer—A Cotton-field—A Friend in - Need—Negro Music—A Feast in the Night—An Intelligent Slave—Advice - to Fugitives. 114–130 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Pursued by Horses, Hounds, and Men—Another Night in the Cane-brake— - An Alligator—A Pleasant Discovery—The Pass-word—Slaves at Work—A - Negro Supper—Important Information—A Panther—A Chase to avoid a - Chase—Bloodhounds Again—Fourth-of-July Dinner—Dismal Night in the - Ruins of a Meeting-house. 131–142 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Nearing the Coast—Dangerous Predicament—Suspicious Company—A - Fugitive Conscript—Clay-eating Officials—The Squire—Arrested— - Mess No. 44, _alias_ Mr. Meeser—Acquitted—Placed under Guard—In - Chains Again—A Forced March—Before the Court—A Union Speech in - Dixie—Better Fare—Southern Superstition—A Slave at Prayer. 143–157 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Christian Fellowship—Candid Conversation with a Slaveholder— - Clay-eaters—A True Unionist—Secret Organizations in the South— - Washington and Randolph on Slavery—Aunt Katy—Religion and - Republicanism—Pro-slavery Inexcusable in the North—A Distinguished - Abolitionist. 158–169 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Classes in the Confederacy—Terror of a Name—Insurrection—Suppressing - a Religious Meeting—The Safe Ground—A Sad Parting—Why Prisoners’ - Stories Differ—Effect of Church Division—The Darien Road—A Wealthy - Planter. 170–181 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - On the Cars—An Old Acquaintance—His Reasons for being in - the Army—Meeting the Slave we Chased—Rebel Account of our - Pursuit—Interesting Advertisement—In Jail Again—Captain Clay - Crawford—Prison Fare—Rebel Barbarities—Taking Comfort. 182–193 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - An Earnest Prayer—What came of it—A Skeptic—Fiend’s - Stratagem—Reflections and Opinions on the “Peculiar Institution.” - 194–198 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - The Rebel Reveille—A Horrid Dinner—A Reinforcement of Little - Rebels—The Darkie’s Explanation—An Exciting Trial—Hope of - Release—Retribution—My Old Chains doing good Service. 199–209 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Sufferings of Captives—Shooting a Deaf Man—A Terrible - Punishment—Arguments on Slavery—Opinions of Celebrated - Men—A Sabbath-School in Prison—A Loyal Lady—Pennsylvania a - Pioneer—Emancipation—Our Prayer-Meetings—Rays of Sunshine. 210–237 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - The Slave’s Ruse—The Richmond Enquirer—President’s Proclamation—A - Negro Prayer—A “Big Bug”—A Casibianca—Death of Mr. Eckels—Thoughts - and Plans of Escape—Lieutenant Pittenger. 238–251 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Just Judgment—General Prentiss in Close Confinement—Northern Peace - Men—Bear Story—In the Hospital—Old Aunt Susie—Sold Children—Without - Bread, and Satisfied—What our Fathers thought—An Untrammeled - Pulpit—Clay-eaters—Commissioners to Washington—Homeward Bound—An - Irate Southron—My Yellow Angel—Our Journey—An Accident—Jeff. - Davis’ Coffin—Don’t Know Myself—Safe at Home—Conclusion. 252–285 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - John J. Geer Frontispiece - - “I attempted to roll quietly away from the wretch, ...” - facing page 39 - - “We beheld the glistening eyes of the hounds, ...” facing page 139 - - “One end of the chain was twined round my neck, ...” facing page 150 - - “In an instant there was an uproar, ...” facing page 154 - - “The prisoner is thrown to the ground ...” facing page 211 - - - - - INTRODUCTION. - - -John James Geer was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, June 1st, -1833. He is next to the youngest of a family of nine children. The -father emigrated to Ohio when John was quite young, and settled in -Shelby county, where he lived and labored as an industrious farmer -for a long lifetime. Being in moderate circumstances, he was unable -to educate his children as he wished, as their young hands were an -indispensable help in the clearing and tilling of the land; but the -lads wrought for themselves a training and discipline in the fields and -at the fireside, such as made honest-hearted heroes of them. - -Though this tuition may not be the most fashionable, it is far from -being the least useful or influential in a nation like ours. The -only external polish that will never grow coarse is the out-shining -of inward purity and kindness. The law of love is a sufficient code -of politeness and etiquette. The rarest soul-furnishing, and the -most radiant and reliable loyalty, are virtuous intelligence, an -appreciation of the true and the beautiful in Nature, in mind and -morals, the utterance of generous impulses, the self-respect that -prefers its own calm approval to the world’s admiration and flattery. -Such a heroism is purely democratic, and sets the price of its -integrity too high to offer itself as a prize for party bidding! It -stands like a granite pillar, strong, and straight, and upright. We may -build on this, and stand secure for solid years. It is this untrammeled -life the nation needs at this very time in the hearts of all her -citizens. - -Mr. Geer never received any lessons in the school of pretences. He -never learned the art of deceiving or being deceived. He studied -something deeper of the world while his hands held the plough that -furrowed its surface. He gained more instruction from the leaves on -the forest trees than from the leaves of printed books. He cultivated -at one and the same time his own mind, and the soil of his father’s -farm. His surroundings were the pictures and poetries of Nature. -His eye saw no shams, his ear heard no complaints, his heart knew -no hypocrisies. Trained in such a school, he became a thinker and a -worker; his associations were altogether with plain and practical -people; he was never flushed with feverish fancies, nor discouraged at -any disappointments. Always cheerful, as only a busy doer and darer can -be, he grew into manhood, full-built, tough-muscled, keen-nerved, and -strong-minded. He acquired by hygienic habits a “constitution” that -needed never an “amendment.” He shaped, all unconsciously to himself, -a moral character as honorable as it was humble; yet it was such as -recognized in the minutest particular, and exacted to the fullest -degree, the claims of a common brotherhood. - -Pure democracy, like all living, blossoming, fruit-bearing growths, -flourishes best in the country. A principle that strikes root in an -hour in the hotbed of the city, is apt to wilt and die in the sunshine -of the open world. Aristocracy may be plaited into politics; but it -takes integrity and fellow-hood for web and woof of republicanism. -Young Geer was a democrat, in the honest signification of the term. -Though poor and sunburnt, hard-fisted and plain-worded, he learned to -feel that no man in the republic was his superior in rights—that no man -in the republic was his inferior in privileges. The truth of Holy Writ, -that declares “all nations to be of one blood,” was his confession of -faith in conscience and Christianity. The spirit of the Declaration -of Independence, that “all men are created free and equal,” was his -political platform. These high authorities gave him early and earnest -boldness as a friend of human liberty. - -At the age of eighteen, he was called to the work of the Gospel -ministry. He passed into this work, not as a mere _profession_, by the -paths marked out by ecclesiastics,—not by college carpets and seminary -shades,—but as the early preachers were called, so was he, from his -daily avocation. His inherent firmness made him an unyielding, if not -an aggressive Christian. He stemmed a strong current of opposition from -the beginning of his ministry. His independent manner gave offence to -rowdy transgressors, and frequently was he threatened and waylaid by -the very doers of the deeds he made it a business to denounce in his -sermons. But he wavered not from his sense of duty. - -One of his first and truest friends was the Rev. R. M. DALBY, a -well-known minister and Temperance reformer in South-western Ohio. -These two men were acknowledged leaders in the war of annihilation -against King Alcohol and his conscripted hosts. For years they were -joined in word and work in the good cause of Temperance, and were -separated only when, in the spring of 1861, Geer heard his wounded -country’s cry for help, and quickly stepped to a place in the front -rank of her brave defenders. His well-tried associate in battling -against wrong, Mr. Dalby, was left behind now, only because he was -physically unable to march to the rescue. - -Before entering the army of the Union, Mr. Geer had spent some ten -years in the ministry, in and around the city of Cincinnati. During -that time he received about eleven hundred members into the church. -He was eminently successful as a revivalist. When Fort Sumpter was -fired upon, he was stationed as pastor of the George Street Methodist -Protestant Church, in Cincinnati. When the news of the outrage was -received at the Queen City, the pastor of George Street Church vowed -he was a United States soldier until either himself or the rebellion -should be crushed. He began recruiting at once for the Army of Freedom, -and was as successful as he had been in marshaling forces for the Army -of Peace. - -Until this time he had been unwilling to interfere with the “peculiar -institution” of the South. But the moment the Stars and Stripes were -insulted by the proud power, that moment a new resolve was made, to -hate and to hurt the accursed thing henceforward, until the last -vestige of it should be obliterated from American soil! - -Captain Geer is an earnest man. He engaged in the war, not for position -or popularity, but as a soldier. Although he started into the service -as Chaplain, he was willing to resign that responsible office to -the charge of another; and at once accepted a position that promised -more excitement and adventure in days of battle. He was appointed -Assistant-Adjutant General on the Staff of General Buckland, which -commission he held when he was wounded and captured at Shiloh. - -In these days of adventure and sacrifice, when the noblest men in -the nation are made to suffer for country’s sake, it is shameful to -see how certain northern people and papers, professing to be loyal, -are in sympathy with the arch-treason of the Secessionists. However -well-attested may be the statements of surviving sufferers,—and no -matter how fair the reputation of the man who dares to denounce the -Slaveholders’ Rebellion,—there are lurking copperheads with viper -tongues to hiss their venomous abuses on all the brave soldiers who -have bled under the Federal banner! From the liberty to talk treason, -slander the Administration, and abuse the soldiers—O God, deliver us! -The nation cries for _liberty_—not license—a liberty that is always -loyal to God and this Government—a liberty to love and bless the poor, -the outcast, the suffering, and the oppressed! - -It may not be amiss to append the following extracts from letters which -will explain themselves: - - “SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, MAY 3, 1863. - - “_To all whom it may concern_:— - -“The undersigned, ministers of the Gospel in the Methodist Protestant -Church, take pleasure in certifying that Captain John J. Geer is also -a minister in the same church—that he is in good standing, and that -he is a man of moral probity and Christian character. Some of us -have known him for many years as a reputable, useful, pious man. We -are all personally acquainted with him, and we have no hesitancy in -recommending him to personal and public confidence. - - REV. GEORGE BROWN, D.D. - - REV. A. H. BASSETT, - Ag’t M. P. Book Concern. - - REV. A. H. TRUMBO, - Assistant Ag’t M. P. Book Concern. - - REV. D. B. DORSEY, M.D., - Editor _Western Methodist Protestant_.” - - “OFFICE OF MILITARY COMMISSION, } - Memphis, Tenn, May 11, 1863. } - - * * * * * “The large number of men he recruited for my regiment, and -the hardships which he endured, to uphold the Flag of the Free, point -out Captain Geer to the historian as a brave and true man. * * * But -two days before the memorable battle of Shiloh, he was captured while -making a bold and vigorous dash at the enemy, within two miles of our -encampment. * * * * The tears are now filling my eyes as I look back -upon that bloody battle-field, and remember the havoc and slaughter of -my heroic boys of the Forty-Eighth! - -“The brave men who, upon that occasion, maintained the fortunes of our -bleeding country, have ever since been the subjects of persecution -and calumny by those base cowards who ran from the battle-field and -hid themselves in ravines and gulches at Shiloh, and the contemptible -traitors whose tongues are as the tongues of serpents at home. - - “Your sincere friend, - PETER J. SULLIVAN, - Colonel 48th Reg’t Ohio Volunteers.” - -Since his return from Dixie, Captain Geer and Lieutenant William -Pittenger (one of the survivors of that heroic scouting party sent -into the heart of Georgia by General Mitchell), have been doing good -service for the Union cause in the North by public lectures. Both -are well-tried soldiers and effective speakers. Both are temporarily -disabled, but expect soon to re-enter the army. Lieutenant Pittenger -has prepared a volume of his experience, as a prisoner in the South, -which will be a desirable companion to the book whose thrilling pages -are now opened to _you_, reader. Turn forward, and read. - - A. C. - - - - - BEYOND THE LINES; - - OR - - A YANKEE PRISONER LOOSE IN DIXIE. - - - CHAPTER I. - - Leave Camp Dennison—Under the Enemy’s Fire—Attacked in Force—A - Struggle for Liberty—Captured. - - -On the 17th of February, 1862, the Forty-eighth Ohio regiment of -volunteer infantry, under command of Colonel P. G. Sullivan, left -Camp Dennison, landing at Paducah, Kentucky, and on the 4th of March, -was ordered to Savannah, Tennessee. As our fleet made its way up the -river, it was a sight at once grand and beautiful. It was composed of -one hundred large steamers, laden to the guards with soldiers, cattle, -and munitions of war. The river was at high water mark. Through its -surging waters our noble vessels ploughed their way, sending forth vast -volumes of smoke, which shadowed and sooted the atmosphere from hill -to hill across the river valley. Over our heads waved proudly the old -banner—emblem of the free. All hearts seemed anxious to meet the foe -who had sought to strike down that flag, and the hopes and liberties of -which it is representative. - -A cry was heard on board that the enemy was near. A moment more, and he -opened fire upon us, to which we very promptly replied, and with good -effect, for he soon dispersed, while none of our men received injury. - -Continuing our way onward we stopped at Hamburg on the 11th of March; -but, owing to the great freshet, were unable to disembark, and the next -day were obliged to fall back to Pittsburg, where we effected a landing -on the 13th. In the mean time, I was appointed on the staff of Colonel -Ralph D. Buckland, then acting as Brigadier of the Fourth Brigade, -under General Sherman, who commanded the First Division. Most of us -landed by the 15th, and parties were sent out every day to reconnoitre, -and many returned, reporting fights with the enemy, and the capture of -prisoners, horses, and other valuables. - -On the 28th, we had quite a bloody conflict in a cotton-field, -belonging to Mr. Beach, who was the owner of a small lot of cotton. The -rebels had robbed him of all his horses, pork, and wheat, leaving him -nothing but the cotton and a small amount of corn, which the Government -intended to purchase. But when we were dispatched for it, we found that -the rebels, who were now in full retreat, had rolled the cotton against -a corn-crib, and set both on fire. The next day we had a fight near the -same spot. Again, the next day, a reconnaissance showed the enemy to be -in full force. On the 3d of April, the Fourth Brigade was sent out, and -the skirmishers who were deployed, were soon fired upon. Col. Buckland -then sent me forward to order the two companies to retreat. One of -these I found was already doing so, under the command of the Major, who -was in advance. The company belonging to the Seventy-second regiment -stood their ground, awaiting orders. - -When I rode to the top of the hill, I could see the enemy about two -hundred yards distant. The lieutenant of the Seventy-second was holding -his men in readiness, and just as I reached them, they arose and -opened fire, at which the rebels retreated to the right, evidently -intending to flank us. But this was an unfortunate movement for them, -as they had not proceeded far when they encountered Major Crockett, -of the Seventy-second, with two hundred men, by whom they were -repulsed with heavy loss. By this time I had come up with the brigade. -Buckland dispatched me immediately to order Crockett to fall back, but -to continue fighting while retreating. As I proceeded on my way to -Crockett—who, indeed, was a brave and daring officer—I met a lady of -advanced age, in great distress. She was wringing her hands and crying: - -“Oh, my son! Oh, my son! Save me and my poor son!” - -I rode forward to Crockett, and found that he had repulsed the enemy, -and was falling back in order. - -Being alone, and in advance of the retreating companies, I again -encountered the old lady on the same spot where I first saw her. -Inquiring the cause of her grief, I learned that the rebels had been -at her house, representing themselves as Union men, and that she had -expressed herself to them, without disguise or reserve. They had -thereupon seized her son, tied him on a horse, and bore him away, -intending to press him into their service. My heart ached at the -recital of this sad story, and at the thought of the suffering and -agony to which so many families, between the two great armies, would -be subjected. My sincere prayer to God, was that he would sustain the -right, and send confusion amidst the foes of freedom and humanity. -The old lady seemed very apprehensive they would learn that she had -divulged to me the facts alluded to. Thus it is by _fear_ that the -loyal in heart are kept in submission. Thus, the tyrant’s power rules -and dominates in the South. Wherever oppression and tyranny reign, they -must have for their basis, violence and brute force—and these beget -fear. It is as true that fear casts out love, as it is that “love casts -out fear.” - -We returned to camp, and that night we felt confident that our pickets -were in danger. The dreary hours passed slowly away, bringing at last -the light of another morning. Our pickets were then extended; and on -returning from this duty, I remarked to Buckland that I believed we -would be attacked before night. But he thought not, and requested me -to retire to my tent, and seek repose. I went, but concluded to write -to my wife. About two o’clock that afternoon, the rebels opened fire -upon our picket. I instantly mounted my horse that I had left standing -at the door, and rode with all speed to the picket line, where I -discovered that the rebels had captured Lieutenant Herbert and seven -privates. The Seventy-second, Forty-eighth, and Seventieth were soon -rallied; and I thought if no fight now ensued, it would be no fault of -mine, eager as I was for the fray. So I rode rapidly up the Tennessee -river, in order to strike the Hamburg road, aware that I could see up -that road about one mile, and thus discover what was going on. - -As I was proceeding, I perceived, at a little distance, two rebels, who -fled at my approach. I soon reached the road, and discovered, to my -great surprise, that it was lined with rebels as far as I could see. I -soon wheeled my horse, and, with accelerated speed, made my way back to -General Buckland. He again dispatched me to inform Major Crockett to -retreat in order. - -On my way thither, these words greeted my ear: - -“Halt dar! halt dar!” - -I responded by firing my revolver, as a signal that I did not design -to comply with the peremptory demand so euphoniously expressed. The -words proceeded from two rebels, whom I discovered approaching me. -They fired, and both loads took effect in my horse’s shoulder. But he -did not fall. Applying my spurs, he sprang down a little declivity, -where the rebels stood with their empty guns. One of them struck at -me with his empty weapon. I attempted to parry the blow with my left -hand, and received a severe wound, having my second finger broken, -which was thus rendered useless for life. The instant discharge of my -revolver resulted in breaking an arm of this foe, and I immediately -turned to my second antagonist, who was hastily reloading his gun. -The contents of another barrel at once disabled him. This was all -the work of a moment. Just at this juncture, it began to rain in -torrents; and before I realized my situation, I discovered that I was -surrounded by about fifty rebels. The rain and the darkness in the -woods, from the overhanging storm-cloud, rendered it difficult for -the rebels to distinguish their own men from ours, and they made the -mistake—fortunately for me, but the reverse for them—of firing at each -other. Their colonel, however, soon discovered the error, and gave -the command to cease firing. There was now no possible chance for my -escape, and I instantly received a blow which felled me to the earth. -How long I remained insensible I could not tell. The first thing I -recollect taking cognizance of, was the act of Colonel Gladden, who, -dragging me out of a pool of water into which I had fallen, demanded my -surrender. I seemed to lose all thought of home, wife, friends, earth, -or heaven. The absorbing thought was the success of our army. - -“Will you surrender?” demanded Colonel Gladden. - -“I have discharged my last bullet, sir,” I replied. - -He commanded me to mount my horse. I refused. My captors then seized -hold of me, and, throwing me across my wounded horse, made a rapid -retreat. Our boys were coming at “double quick,” and so impetuous was -their charge towards the enemy, who was now approaching—consisting of -Beauregard’s advance guard of five thousand cavalry—that they began -retreating in wild confusion. More than a hundred riderless horses -ran dashing past me. The conflict became general and terrific, and -the mighty, sweeping onset of our brave boys was only stayed by the -opening of Bragg’s front battery, which incessantly poured forth its -shot and shell. During this interim, myself and the guards detailed -to take charge of me were located in a ravine, and hence the cannon -shots passed over our heads. A rifle-ball from one of our men, however, -at this juncture, brought one of the guards from his horse. A rebel -colonel approached him, saying, “You are too good a _man_ to die so.” -At this moment a second ball pierced the heart of the rebel colonel, -and he dropped dead. - -It was here that my horse fell and died, and I felt as if a friend had -gone, whose place could not be easily filled. - -There was a wild and gloomy grandeur in this battle-storm raging and -booming over our heads like ten thousand thunders; and my heart was -tremulous with hope at one moment, and with apprehension at another, -for the fate of our gallant braves. Alas! my soul mourned when I found -they had been driven back by the overwhelming force of the enemy. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - First Sight of a Rebel Camp—Arraigned before Generals Jackson, Bragg, - Hardee, Beauregard and Johnson—A Storm in Camp—Bayoneting a Sleeping - Man (?)—Inside View of a Rebel Prison—“Calico Bill”—An Escape—Rebel - Exaggerations. - - -In due time, I was conveyed to General Jackson. What a scene was opened -to view! What a motley, mongrel, nondescript crowd did rebeldom here -present! Old and young, bond and free, small and great, black and -white, with countenances forlorn, agonized, or ferocious, with limbs -mangled and torn. Sorrowful were the wailings of the wounded, and -bitter the imprecations of the chagrined and discomfited crew. - -Colonel Gladden and four privates were my escort to Jackson’s tent. - -“I have brought you a Yankee, General,” said Colonel Gladden. - -The rebel general inquired of me my rank. I declined telling him. I was -then asked for papers and upon making examination, they found with me -maps of the Hamburg road, and a small rebel fortification. As soon as -they made this discovery, Jackson inquired: - -“Sir, what is the number of your men?” - -“We have a small skirmishing party, General,” I replied. “You have not -captured them all to-day, and you will not to-morrow.” - -“Sir,” he answered sharply, “you know the number, and if you do not -inform me, and that promptly, I shall have you punished.” - -“I shall not inform you,” said I, coolly; “you affirm that you are -going there to-morrow, and if so, you can then see for yourself.” - -Somewhat enraged at this, he again threatened that he would punish me. - -“Proceed with your punishment, sir,” was my rejoinder; “but I shall -reveal to you nothing that I think it my duty to withhold.” - -“I will refer you to General Bragg,” said Jackson. - -“Refer me to whom you please.” - -I was then taken before General Bragg. On our way thither, much -excitement prevailed in the crowd, to many of whom the sight of a -Yankee was as great a curiosity as one of Du Chaillu’s famous gorillas. -Various remarks saluted my ear, such as “What a big man he is.” “Why! -do Yankees look that thar way?” “Why! golly, they’re better looking -fellows nor we are.” - -Such expressions are significant of that stratum of society which -exists in the South to an almost incredible extent. - -When we arrived at General Bragg’s quarters, some men were engaged in -placing in a rude box, the body of a man who had been shot by Bragg’s -orders, for attempting to escape to our lines. I was not without -apprehensions that such would be my own fate. Still, my mind was more -occupied as to what was to be the result of the battle that had just -begun. The long-haired monster in human shape stood over the dead man’s -remains, swearing that “it was good enough for him.” Just as we were -entering Bragg’s tent, a rough, uncouth-looking fellow, exclaimed: - -“Tarnation! are you going to shoot this ere fellow?” pointing to me. - -“No,” said one of the guards, “we are going to keep him for a show, by -golly.” - -I began soon to realize that the chances for my life were growing less -and less. The charges arrayed against me, were for firing and killing -six men, after I had been surrounded. I neither affirmed nor denied. -The full results of my firing I did not know. I made up my mind, -however, that whatever fate was before me, I would exhibit no shrinking -or fear. It seemed probable that my doom was to be shot, and I felt -impelled to answer their interrogatories in a somewhat defiant manner. -The following dialogue ensued: - -_Bragg._ “Well, sir, you are a prisoner.” - -_Geer._ “You have me in your power, sir.” - -_B._ “You have not surrendered, they say.” - -_G._ “But you have me in your possession.” - -_B._ “Well, sir, what is the number of your troops at Pittsburg -Landing?” - -_G._ “That I do not feel disposed to communicate.” - -_B._ “But we will make you communicate.” - -_G._ “You cannot do that.” - -_B._ “We will punish you, and that severely.” - -_G._ “Punish if you will, I shall not reveal to you anything I deem it -proper to withhold.” - -_B._ “Well, sir, I will refer you to General Hardee, and there you will -get justice. You abolitionists think you are playing h—ll over there, -don’t you?” - -_G._ “We are only sending home some of her stray inmates.” - -_B._ “Be careful how you talk, sir.” Turning to a rebel officer, the -speaker continued: “Colonel, take this man to General Hardee, and give -him all the particulars.” (_Handing him a note addressed to Hardee._) - -I was thereupon placed on a stolen horse, and conducted to General -Hardee. - -On my way from Bragg’s to Hardee’s quarters, my mind was busied -with singular fancies. I thought of rebel treachery and oppression; -I thought of the arch-conspirators at Montgomery, the disgraceful -bombardment of Sumpter, the murder of United States troops in the -streets of Baltimore, the enslavement of four millions of Adam’s -race, all by the hateful power that now had me in its clutches. These -atrocities made me the more willing to suffer in the defense of the -Government that I had volunteered to serve. - -Hardee is a noble-looking man, and on this occasion was dressed in full -uniform of blue cloth. - -“General,” said my conductor, “here is a Yankee officer, referred to -you by General Bragg.” - -“For what purpose?” asked the General. - -“For examination, sir.” - -The General, with a look of surprise and indignation, replied: - -“I shall ask the young man no questions that I would not answer -myself under similar circumstances. But,” added he, after a moment’s -consideration, “I shall send you to General Beauregard.” - -I could hardly repress a smile at this decision, for now, thought I, I -shall see the chiefest rebel of them all. - -We passed through motley crowds of long-haired “butternuts,” to a -place called Monterey. The General-in-Chief’s headquarters were in a -dilapidated cabin. I was immediately arraigned before a bony-faced -old man with a gray moustache, not at all prepossessing in personal -appearance. Yet, on closer observation, I could detect a cunning -shrewdness and a penetrating forethought in his tones and manner. - -_Beauregard._ “You have been rather unfortunate to-day, sir.” - -_Geer._ “Yes, sir, a little so to-day, but not so much on other days.” -(I referred to the four days’ skirmishing prior to the Shiloh fight, in -which we had seriously worsted the rebels.) - -_B._ “Sir, they tell me you have not surrendered.” - -_G._ “No, sir; but you have me in your power.” - -_B._ “What are your reasons for not surrendering?” - -_G._ “I decline telling you, sir.” - -_B._ “But you _shall_ tell me!” - -_G._ “If you press me, I will tell you. I surrender to no foe that can -not look me in the face nationally.” - -When I had uttered these words, great excitement prevailed. In the din -and confusion, I could discover the cry, “Cut his head off!” But in the -midst of the melee, General Beauregard ordered silence, and said he -would refer me to General Johnson. - -As I was leaving Beauregard’s quarters, I heard that gentleman say: - -“We intend to go on from victory to victory, till we drive you invaders -from our soil.” - -“Yes,” replied I, for I felt his remarks keenly, “just as you did at -Fort Donelson.” - -I left in the midst of the bitterest imprecations, escorted by a heavy -guard. By this time it had grown quite dark; and as my clothing was -very wet, I began to suffer with the cold. - -Still conducted by the colonel, I soon came to Johnson’s headquarters, -which were upon the battle-field. In a tent adjoining that of Johnson, -a court-martial was in session, presided over by the General, and into -this tent I was taken, where the following colloquy ensued: - -_Col. G._ “General Johnson, I have brought you a Yankee prisoner, sir.” - -_Gen. J._ “Yes, sir.” - -_Col. G._ “General, what are you going to do with him?” - -_Gen. J._ “Treat him like a man. Bring in the surgeon and dress his -wounds, and give him something to eat.” - -A colored boy was immediately called, and I was soon engaged in -discussing the merits of a warm supper. After finishing the meal, I was -taken out and seated by a fire near the tent, still closely watched -and heavily guarded. I heard the General say to the court-martial that -“the charges against the prisoner were, 1st. For firing after he was -surrounded; 2d. For injuring our men by firing; and 3d. That he never -surrendered.” - -“Now,” said Johnson, “if he had first surrendered, and then fired and -injured our men, he would have been guilty, and the court-martial -might have condemned him. But inasmuch as he did _not_ surrender, he -is not liable to the death punishment. In regard to this third charge, -I will remark that you can not legally court-martial a man for not -surrendering. And now,” continued he, addressing the officers, “do you -know that, if I had been placed in similar circumstances, I would have -done just as he did?” - -It would be impossible for me to describe the emotions I then -experienced. Until I heard this, I had not indulged the faintest hope -of life. Johnson handed me a paper, and said: - -“Will you please sign this parole that you will report at Corinth -to-morrow?” - -I declined to do this, for I hoped that if I could make my escape to -the Union lines that night, I could impart information of great value -to our army. - -When I declined, the rebel Colonel said, “There, General, I told you -what he was.” General Johnson replied: - -“Detail a guard of six men to take charge of him, and treat him well.” - -The guard was brought, and amidst their guns and bayonets, I was led -away. - -They conducted me to a tent on the hill, near a small ravine, whose -waters flowed into the Tennessee. From the locality of the ground, I -thought that if I could run the guards that night, I could find my way -to the river, and thence back to my brigade. Lying down in the tent, -which was now my prison, I awaited patiently the development of events, -hoping the while that the guards might soon be blest by the gentle -embrace of slumber. I feigned sleep and snored prodigiously. - -[Illustration: “I attempted to roll quietly away from the wretch, and -might have succeeded, had I not encountered a guard, who thrust me with -his bayonet, exclaiming, ‘Halt, dar!’”—Page 39.] - -“How sound that Yankee sleeps,” I heard one of the guards remark. - -About midnight a storm arose, and threatened destruction to my tent, -which was shortly after blown over by an auspicious blast. It instantly -occurred to me that perchance there was now an opportunity to escape, -in the darkness and noise of the storm. I attempted to roll quietly -away from the wreck, and might have succeeded had I not encountered -a guard, who thrust me with his bayonet, exclaiming, “Halt, dar!” I -inquired as innocently as I could, “You wouldn’t bayonet a sleeping -man, would you?” - -“Oh!” said he, apologetically, “I thought you was awake.” - -“Why! our tent has blown over, don’t you see?” - -The tent was soon put up, and I again safely ensconced within its -canvas walls. The next day I was taken to Corinth, in a mule wagon, -and deposited in a rickety old warehouse. Among the prisoners here -were about twenty slaves, some of them almost white, and all clad in -rags. Also in the company were ten or a dozen Tennesseeans, yclept -“political prisoners,” together with a few rebel soldiers. - -Among the latter was a droll genius, who answered to the name of -“Calico Bill,” who was under sentence of death for flogging his -captain. By some means he had procured an old United States uniform, -in which he donned the dignity of a brigadier. In this garb he would -frequently assume the position of drill-master, and the poor imbecile -clay-eaters would obey his orders with the menial servitude of slaves. -His conduct, while it was highly tyrannous, was nevertheless amusing. -He seemed to have these ignorant soldiers completely under his control, -and I refer to this illustration of slavish fear to “point the -moral,” if not “to adorn the tale.” It does not require very profound -penetration to ascertain the fact that all through the South “the -schoolmaster has long been _abroad_.” I have sometimes thought that if -our present conflict resulted in no other good, it would send light to -many a benighted spot, and, perchance, - - “Pour fresh instruction o’er the mind, - Breathe the enlivening spirit, and fix - The generous purpose in the glowing breast.” - -Not a man in the prison with us could read! Bill practiced largely -upon their credulity, and when he desired a little “contraband” fun, he -would go to the window, which was always crowded outside with “secesh,” -and cry out: - -“What will you have?” - -“We want to see a Yankee,” they frequently answered. - -“Well, now you see _me_, and what do you think of us?” - -“What are you ’uns all down here fighting we ’uns fur?” - -Bill would reply: “For a hundred and sixty acres of land and your -negroes.” - -“Calico Bill” was a genuine, shrewd and intelligent Yankee, from the -State of Maine. He gave me a sketch of his history, in which I learned -that he was teaching in a private family in Florida, when the war -broke out, was pressed into the Confederate service, and had quarreled -with his captain, who undertook to exercise an authority over him, -incompatible with his native freedom. He said he would rather meet -his fate there than to die in the rebel army. He said there were many -Northern men in their army, and that three-fourths of them would vote -for the old banner and Constitution, if uninfluenced by their leaders. -“But,” he added, “you see how this fellow does” (referring to the man -he had been drilling); “and there are thousands in their army just as -ignorant as he.” - -When he went for a bucket of water, he would call out, “Come on, about -thirty or forty of you infernal rebels, and go with me after some -water!” - -In this way he would drill these guards, so that those on the outside -thought him a Federal, while those on the inside believed him to be a -rebel officer. - -In the rear of the warehouse was a counting-room; and the entire -prison could boast but one bed, for which I, being the only officer, -got the preference. It consisted of an old coffee-sack, filled with -“body-guards,” and I reluctantly accepted its use. - -While standing near the door, two men came in who were dressed in -Federal uniforms. They came to me and asked me if I was a Federal -officer. - -“No,” said I, “not now; but I was a few days ago. I am a prisoner now.” - -In conversation with them, I ascertained that they were northern men, -but, being in the South when the war broke out, were pressed, like -thousands of others, into the rebel army. At the battle of Belmont, -they deserted and joined the Fourth United States Cavalry, but were -afterwards taken prisoners at Shiloh, and had been recognized as -deserters. That day they had had their trial before General Bragg, who -sentenced them to be shot on the following Tuesday. I at once became -interested in their escape; and, forgetting my wounded and painful -hand, and the disagreeableness of my situation, I pondered the fate -of these men late into that dismal night. On the evening of the same -day, a piece of file and a knife had been found upon a shelf in the -prison. We converted the knife into a saw, and with this sawed off -one of the planks of the floor, thereby making an aperture sufficient -to permit a man to pass through. By this means, these two men, in -company with “Calico Bill,” made their escape. The hole I afterwards -carefully concealed by placing the bed over it. We had agreed with -the Tennesseeans that they should answer to the names of the escaped -prisoners when the rebel officer came to the door to call the roll of -the inmates of the prison. This they continued to do until Monday, at -which time I was taken to Columbus, Mississippi. - -We had only one meal of victuals during the forty-eight hours we -remained in the prison, and there were quite a number of men there -who did not get anything to eat. But for this we had some apology, in -the fact that the armies were fighting very near us, and about all -these rebels could do was to lie and boast about their success on the -previous evening. They brought us the news that our whole army had been -captured, that they had got between our forces and the river, and had -taken twenty-seven thousand prisoners, and that the remainder of the -army had been driven to the gunboats. So incredible and exaggerated -were their reports, that when they afterward informed us of the capture -of Prentiss and his division, we placed no confidence whatever in the -story. On Sunday, at three o’clock, the Texan Rangers came in greatly -decimated, themselves declaring that they had been cut to pieces by our -sharpshooters. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - -Taken to Columbus, Mississippi—Visit from the Clergy—An Enthusiastic - Mute—American Aristocracy—Secession Lies—Political and Ecclesiastical - Prisoners—Reflections. - - -On Monday morning, at ten o’clock, a part of the prisoners left -Corinth, for Columbus, Mississippi. Wherever the cars stopped, the -wildest excitement prevailed. - -“How goes the day?” was the constant inquiry. - -We were exhibited as some of the trophies of the battle. That the -people were somewhat divided, could easily be perceived from their -countenances. On the evening of the same day, we arrived at Columbus, -and there we were placed under a heavy guard, in an old warehouse; but -the ex-Governor of Mississippi came to the prison, and took us to the -hotel, where we enjoyed supper at his expense. There the crowd gathered -round us as though we were some mammoth traveling menagerie, while our -hostess kept commenting earnestly upon our handsome appearance, that, -in spite of my longitudinal neck and limbs, I began to suspect myself -worthy the compliment. While under guard here, I heard men declaring -most unequivocally their opposition to a Republican form of government. -Two ministers who visited me—Rev. Doctor Tensley, of the First Baptist -Church, and Rev. Mr. Morris, of the M. E. Church South—expressed but -little confidence in the Confederate cause. These gentlemen invited me -to their church on Sabbath, but the force of circumstances compelled me -to decline the invitation. These circumstances were, close confinement -under a heavy guard; and of this fact they were perfectly aware. I was -led from this to believe that their sympathy was not genuine. - -After the ministers left me, a deaf and dumb man came to the door, and -handed me a paper which contained an article relative to the recent -battle of Shiloh. The account began in the following self-gratulatory -style: “Glory! glory! glory! Victory! victory! I write from Yankee -paper.” The writer proceeded in his intense and heated manner by -saying, “Of all the victories that have ever been on record, ours is -the most complete. Their repulse at Bull Run was nothing to compare -to our victory at Shiloh. General Buell is killed, and General Grant -wounded and taken prisoner. Soon we will prove too much for them, and -they will be compelled to let us alone. Our brave boys have driven them -to the river, and compelled them to flee to their gunboats. The day is -ours.” - -The mute who had given me the paper was so permeated with the prospect -of rebel success, that he favored hoisting the black flag, and in this -was sustained by a large number in that neighborhood. As the news came -slowly in, the comments made on the state of affairs were as various -as they were amusing. Only through the friendship and ingenuity of -the slaves, who were the _attaches_ of the prison, were we privileged -to receive papers giving the account of the recent fight. When they -learned the true condition of their army after the battle, and -realized that their boasted victory was a bloody defeat, they became -more charitable in their opinions. I became well satisfied from the -conversation I overheard from rebel officers and visitors, during my -incarceration here, that a favorite doctrine of Dixie is to adjust -their “peculiar institution” in such a way as to include the poor -whites as well as the colored people as chattel property. - -I was here visited by two rebel captains belonging to Bushrod -Johnston’s staff, one of whom was a lawyer from Virginia, named -McMoore. These men converged freely on the times. Both of them -expressed themselves as decidedly in favor of an American Aristocracy! -They argued, with as much earnestness and ability as their vocabulary -furnished words, the imbecility of Republican government; and to prove -the immutability of their opinions, cited to me the semi-idiotic and -degraded “clay-eaters” of the South, saying: - -“What do these men know of civil institutions, and what right have they -to vote?” - -Said I, “Gentlemen, is it possible that this is the faith of your -leaders?” - -They replied emphatically in the affirmative. - -“Then, sirs, we of the North have not been mistaken on a subject which -has been forcing itself upon us as a fact, but which we were loth to -believe could harbor itself even in the basest American heart. Since -you are frank enough to own it, certainly the world should know it, and -execrate it as it deserves.” - -When I became acquainted with the motives of these two representative -men—how they despised their poor, ignorant soldier-brethren, armed and -fighting to fasten fetters on themselves and children for ever, I could -but exclaim, “Send out thy light and thy truth, O God! into all the -earth. Hasten the day when ignorance and oppression shall vanish before -the free gospel, and righteousness through all the land prevail.” - -From my prison windows I now had ample leisure to study the -countenances of all classes of our rebellious enemies, from -Brigadier Generals down to the conscript “Sand-hillers.” All faces -were indicative of sadness. From what I could see and overhear—the -downcast eyes and the conflicting stories—I was well satisfied that -they had been worsted at Shiloh. The officers were given to wholesale -exaggeration, their falsifying tongues gliding from lie to lie with the -alacrity of a Baron Munchausen! These prevarications forcibly reminded -me of a negro boy down South, who undertook to describe to his master a -storm. - -“Why, massa, dare was de wonderfullest, de tremendus’est most -powerfulest win’ stohm dat you ever heah. De win’ blowed so hard dat it -blowd de har—_de har_—all off one man’s head. Ya’as, de har all off one -man’s head! De har!” - -“Now, Sam, you lying rascal, why didn’t the wind blow _your_ hair off?” - -“Why—why—you’se allers bodderin white folks when dey’se tellin’ de -trufe—why, _dare was a man a-stan’in’ a-holdin my har on_! Ya’as—a man -a stan’in’—a man!” - -“But why wasn’t his hair blown off?” - -“O dare was anudder man a-standin’ a-holdin’ his har on! Ya’as anudder -man.” - -“But why was’nt _his_ hair blown off?” - -“Kase—why—w-why,—(you’se bodderen you’sef about de wind-stohm)—why -_dare was a little boy a-standin a-holdin his har on. Ya’as, a-ha_-a -little boy—a holden his har on!” - -“But why wasn’t the little boy’s hair blown off, you black scamp?” - -“Why—w-why—golly, does’nt you see plain ’nuff how it was? Why, DARE WAS -A MAN WID A BALD HEAD A-STANDIN’ A-HOLDIN’ HIS HAR ON!” - -Just so the secession leaders falsify, and thus they attempt to bolster -up their improbable Confederacy. The whole compact is a libelous league -with darkness! - -Some of these pompous Southerners would treat us with a kind of -counterfeit courtesy, which became to us even more disgusting than -outright abuse. The rebel army is made up of a passive-minded, -illiterate citizenship, officered by slave-owners and negro-drivers. -The maximum of soldiers in a regiment is much smaller than in the -Federal army, and each company has three Lieutenants. This gives -the young men of aristocratic families an opportunity to wear -shoulder-straps and lord it over the “poor white trash,” which compose -the rank and file. I learned from the prison guards, many of whom -would be loyal to the old Stars and Stripes if they dared, that the -mass of the Southern armies have been forced by the most stringent -and often cruel measures to take up arms against the United States -Government. - -At this place there were a number of political prisoners, and a few -prisoners of war. Once we obtained leave to visit them. We were -conducted by a vigilant guard to their apartments in an upper room -of a very dilapidated building. We found about one hundred and fifty -Mississippi citizens, such as were suspected of Union sentiments, in -a most loathsome situation. Among them were three clergymen—one a -Presbyterian, one a “United Brother,” and the other a Methodist. There -was also a lawyer from Kentucky, named Halleck, who had been captured -by Bishop General Polk. Halleck was a subject of the ecclesiastical -body over which the Bishop ruled; but his loyalty to church did -not save him from arrest and trouble for want of confidence in -arch-treason. He had been dragged from his bed by a band of ruffians -who tied his hands behind him, and forced him into a filthy prison -where he lay for seven months in close confinement. He was finally -permitted to share a room with thirty-five or forty other Unionists. -At one time they were so shamefully neglected, that for three days they -were unsupplied with any food. To prevent absolute starvation, they -were obliged to beg the guards to assist them in stealing a barrel of -soap-grease, which they devoured with a greedy relish! This was in the -midst of the boasted chivalry of Columbus, Mississippi! - -I should not forget to mention here the names of the ex-Governor of the -State, Mr. Whitefield, and his son. They had human hearts, and extended -to us some degree of kindness and sympathy. But these friendships were -rare exceptions, and all sufficient, if reported to rebel officials, -to call down vengeance on their heads. The people, to avoid suspicion -and imprisonment, were compelled to practice all manner of apparent -cruelties. In this building we began to feel the hateful oppressor’s -power. We could hardly believe that any portion of our once united and -happy country could be so soon, so darkly blighted by accursed treason! - -While looking on the old, rusty walls of my prison-house, mocked and -insulted by the jeering outside multitudes, I had time and heart for -reflection. I thought of a familiar cottage amid the hills of Ohio, at -that very hour all fair and free in the spring sunlight, the orchard -blossoms, the opening flowers in garden and arbor, the dewy meadow -grass, and the thousand charming scenes of my home! I thought of wife -and children there—how they would wonder and fear at receiving no -tidings from the one they loved. I thought of God and his cause—my -country and her honor—my flag and her insulted glory. I thought of the -poor Southern conscript, and the despised and fettered slave of the -cotton-field, and my soul was stirred with mingled hope and compassion. -Thinking of my home, my friends, my country, my wounds, my prison, I -could but say: - - “Patience, my soul, the Saviour’s feet were worn; - The Saviour’s heart and hands were weary too; - His garments stained, and travel-worn, and old, - His vision blinded with a pitying dew. - Love thou the path of sorrow that he trod, - Toil on, and wait in patience for thy rest; - Oh! country that I love, we soon shall see - Thy glorious cause triumphant, crowned and blest.” - -While reflecting upon the inconsistency of secession, and witnessing -the persecutions heaped upon those who were loyal to the flag and truth -of our fathers, I almost faltered in my religious faith, for many of -these leaders in treason were professed Christians. But, through the -power of prayer, came a satisfying answer to my questioning fear. I -felt that the Lord Omnipotent was just—that his grace and gospel were -for the poor and the oppressed. - -I remembered the day when the Saviour appeared to me—when denser, -darker prison-bands were sundered. Then old things passed away. Then -came the strength to believe and trust in a Higher Power—an Infinite -Deliverer. Remembering when the friendly voice had spoken to my -troubled heart, “Peace, be still,” even in prison, and hated of men for -Christ’s and country’s sake, I could exclaim: - - “Faith, of our fathers, living still, - In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword; - Oh! how our hearts beat high with joy - Where’er we hear that glorious word! - Faith of our fathers! holy faith! - We will be true to thee till death!” - -Though a prisoner of war, a soldier can be a Christian. He realizes in -trial and trouble that the Judge of all the earth does right. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - The Wounded from Shiloh—Inquisitive Negroes—An Abomination—A - Striking Contrast—Tom—Attempted Escape—An Ingenious Darkey—Rebel - Fare—The Irish Sergeant—Narrow Escape—Mending Clothes and Getting - News—Horrible Scenes in Prison—A Discussion. - - -During my imprisonment, many wounded soldiers from Corinth, were -brought to Columbus. The leading men were painfully struck at the -loss of General Albert Sidney Johnson. My prison life was romantic -and instructive, and I endeavored to make a partial atonement for its -deprivations. The negroes, whose business it was to bring our victuals, -and keep the prison in some sort of order, were generally inquisitive -in their looks, and often in their words. They wondered why so many -white men were confined and guarded. I was much interested with two -negro waiters, who came daily to our room, one about twelve, and the -other about fifteen years of age. Said George, the younger: - -“Massa, when’s you gwine to take Memphis?” - -“Why? George!” said one of our party. - -“Kase my mother’s dar, and she’ll be free when de Linkum sogers gits -Memphis.” - -“George,” said I, “what do you know about freedom?” - -“Why, Lor’ massa, I know’d if you’d whip ’em up dar, us colored folks -’ud all be free, an’ dat’s what makes dem rebels fight like de debel. -God bless you massa, I knows why. When de war broke out, I was livin’ -up in old Kentuck, and dey say now we’se got to take dis here nigger -off, or else de Yankees will hab him. I hoped and prayed dat de Yankees -_would_ git me. God bless you, massa, _I knows_.” - -From this time I began to be more than ever interested in the negroes. -I discovered a latent talent in the despised race. I resolved to -investigate this new field of inquiry. The older one of these waiters -and myself, had afterward many a friendly interview. He told me that he -had been reared in New Orleans. His father was a white man, who often -comforted his innocent victim, by saying that her offspring should be -sent North to freedom. But when hostilities began, he entered the army, -forgetful alike of his promises and his crimes. This outraged woman was -afterward hired to a planter, to work in a cotton-field, while her son -was sent to Columbus, as a hotel waiter. Such, thought I, are some of -the barbarities of this horrid system of enslavement. - -About this time a Colonel was appointed as commandant of this post, -_vice_ ex-Governor Whitefield. Our boarding and location were now -changed, and we were placed in a back room and fed on scanty rations -of corn-bread _minus_ salt, and an indifferent supply of tainted meat, -which emitted a very disagreeable effluvia. - -While in this condition, and lying on the bare floor, a citizen -entered and informed us that his brother-in-law was then a prisoner -in Columbus, Ohio. He said he had been taken at Fort Donelson, and -that his wife had that day received a letter from him, and that he was -walking the streets of Columbus, carrying his side-arms, and boarding -at the American House! - -This statement aroused my indignation. I never before felt so keenly -my condition, and when he attributed the lenity of our government -to cowardice and a disposition to admit the superiority of southern -claims and dignity, and stigmatized us as “invaders” of their soil -and suffering justly as such, I could not restrain the fiery wrath -that burned within me. I have a faint recollection of seeing the man -hurrying in greedy haste from the prison, doubtless impelled by the -fear of something to come. - -Again we were indebted to the kind services of our ever-faithful and -unwavering friends of the race despised. One, who flourished under the -sobriquet of “Tom,” rendered us efficient aid. Our object was to escape -from the prison, and for this purpose Tom brought us a rope and chisel. -With the chisel, I cut a hole through the prison floor, but after -laboring faithfully for some time, I discovered that the room below -was filled to the ceiling with boxes and bales containing commissary -stores. I had arranged with Tom, who had brought me a desiderated map -of Mississippi and Tennessee, to leave that night, he occupying a -station on the outside, ready to aid me if necessary, and supplied with -sufficient provisions for my contemplated flight. - -When I found myself foiled in my effort to pass through the floor, -I turned my attention to the hearth of the room, which I took up, -intending to let myself down at that point, and make my escape through -a window below, which was covered by a projecting roof. But just as I -was about to take away the key-stone of the hearth, I heard the guard -cry out, “_Corporal o’ de guard, post number fo’_,” which arrested my -attention, and moving toward the window, discovered in the darkness of -the night, that the rain was falling in torrents. Again my ear caught -the voice of the guard, who, in his peculiar Southern intonations, was -addressing the corporal. - -“I’s gittin’ all wet; put me undah dat ar windah, dar.” - -So the guard was stationed under the window where I had contemplated -making my exit, and all my plans, for the nonce, were frustrated. - -Early the next morning Tom came to the door and said: - -“_Why_ you don’ didn’t come, massa?” - -“Why, Tom, that room below is full of commissary stores.” - -“Why, massa, I don’ ought to have told you dat, but I don’ didn’t know -it.” - -Tom came in, and I exhibited the hole in the floor, and assured him -that if the fact of its existence were not concealed, I should be -either sent to jail or hung. He looked at it, and fruitful as he was of -expedients, soon devised a remedy. He first tacked a piece of carpet -over the hole, and afterward, finding that it would yield if trodden -upon, constructed a rude seat immediately above it. - -This, and other manifestations of intellectual and mechanical aptness, -led me into a train of reflection concerning a race so decried and -degraded. I asked with Campbell— - - “Was man ordained the slave of man to toil, - Yoked with the brutes, and fettered to the soil; - Weighed in a tyrant’s balance with his gold? - No! Nature stamped us in a heavenly mould! - She bade no wretch his thankless labor urge, - Nor, trembling, take the pittance and the scourge.” - -From this time I became deeply interested in my African protege. He -seemed keenly alive to his condition. He told me in a conversation -that “the colored people were all heathens—they knew nothing. I was -talking,” he added, “with massa and missus dis mornin’, and missus -asked me, ‘Tom what you tink of dem Yankees?’ - -“‘Ah,’ says I, ‘missus, I don’ don’t like em at all. Dey won’t have -nothin’ to say to a nigger.’ Den missus said, ses she. - -“‘Tom, don’t you know dese Yankees are comin’ down har to confisticate -all you cullod people?’ Now, she tink I don’ don’t know what -‘confisticate’ means; spec’ she tinks I tought it was _to kill_. God -bless you, massa, I knows it is to _free de darkies_, and den dis pore -nigger have hoss and carriage, if I don’ can work and pay for ’em. -While I was talkin’ wid massa and missus, I stood and shake all over. I -tells ’em dat I is so ’feared dat dey would come dat I don’t know what -for to do. God bless you, don’t you tink dey was fool enough to tink I -_was_ afeerd. Ha! ha! ha!” - -The hours wore heavily on in that dreary prison-house. Tom brought our -food in an old trough, which had doubtless been employed in feeding -swine, and we were compelled to take in food in genuine primitive -style. In a short time, we received intelligence that we were to be -removed to another apartment in the same building, and I began to feel -a degree of uneasiness lest my effort to escape should be discovered by -the hole in the floor. Tom again befriended me. He ascertained that a -printing-press was to be put up in the room the prisoners had occupied, -and while assisting in the work succeeded in placing a portion of the -stationary materials in such a manner as to effectually secrete the -aperture. - -As I have already intimated, our supply of food grew “smaller by -degrees and horribly less.” Our gastronomic propensities were however, -occasionally regaled by some delicacies (?) smuggled in to us by Tom -and his brother Pete. We did not care then to inquire whether they -obtained them honestly or not, but the probability is that they were -appropriated from their master’s larder. - -One of our chief annoyances in this prison was in the person of a -diminutive, pompous, and arrogant Irishman named Mackey, who seemed -to rejoice in the title of “sergeant,” which he took great care to -frequently ventilate in the presence of the prisoners. He was an -orderly of the provost marshal, and the fellow, clothed with a little -brief authority, seemed to be impressed with the sole idea that tyranny -was the only attribute of one so exalted. Once, when he came into my -quarters, I asked him what object he could have in the rebel army, -and what profit he expected to derive from the establishment of a -confederacy? - -“Enough, be jabers,” he replied. “You Yankees want to free our nagers, -be sure, and we’re all ferninst that here, and we won’t submit at all, -at all.” - -“How many negroes have _you_, Mr. Mackey,” I asked. - -“Why, sure, and be jabers, and I haven’t a nager in the world.” - -“Well, sir, what interest then can you have in this war?” - -“Och, and be sure, a poor tool of an Irishman can hardly git a wee jab -of work now, and if these divels were free, we’d have to go beggin’ -foriver.” - -So, selfishness, in the guise of slavery and pride, forms the -substratum of the so-called Southern Confederacy. - -On further conversation with the sergeant, I learned that he had really -no interest in the cause of the South, that he was not in the army from -choice, but as a means of obtaining a livelihood, and that he bitterly -cursed rebellion in his heart as the prolific parent of untold evils. - -Our new room fronted the hotel, and from some of the officers we -obtained permission to stand upon the balcony of the prison during -a part of each evening. On one occasion we were ordered back by the -guards. I hesitated a moment; but in that moment a guard leveled his -piece and drew the trigger. Fortunately for me the gun missed fire, but -at the same moment another guard fired, and killed a deaf man who had -thrust his head from an upper window. Realizing the danger to which I -was exposed, I instantly withdrew. - -On the same evening, I noticed an unusual excitement among the rebel -officials. To ascertain its cause I again had recourse to Tom. He -requested me to tear a hole in my coat, and then order him, in the -presence of the guards, to take it to some tailor for repairs. He -insisted that I should speak angrily to him, for such a course would -more effectually deceive the guards. I did as he had directed, and he -demurred, declaring that he wished dem “Yankees would mend dar own -close.” The guards in a peremptory tone commanded him to get the coat, -and have it repaired forthwith. This was what Tom desired; and with -many protestations of hatred toward the whole Yankee race, he, with -great apparent reluctance, carried the garment from the prison. - -In a short time he returned, seemingly in the same mood, and with -well-feigned indignation, handed over the coat. On examination I -found a newspaper in one of the pockets which contained an account -of the evacuation of Corinth, the surrender of Island No. 10, and -the bombardment of Fort Pillow, New Orleans, and other important -information of which we had previously known nothing! This little -artifice and its successful management, while it furnished me with very -cheering intelligence, also gave me an elevated opinion of Tom’s native -talents. - -Other prisoners continued to arrive, many of whom had been wounded in -the battle of Shiloh, and new quarters were prepared for them. They -were incarcerated in an old stone building not far from our prison, and -although wounded and almost famished, were compelled to lie upon the -hard floor, their wounds undressed, and their physical wants unattended -to. I obtained permission to visit them, and as I entered the house -my eyes were pained by a sight that beggars description. Eighteen -prisoners, “crushed by pain and smart,” occupied the room. There were -men in that room who had been wounded for two weeks, and who, during -that whole time, had not received the slightest attention. The result -had been that their wounds were tainted with putrid flesh, and alive -with crawling maggots! I obtained a list of their names at the time, -but, as the reader will hereafter learn, was subsequently compelled to -burn it. The only apology the rebel authorities could offer for this -brutal neglect was that they were too busily employed in attending to -the wants of their own to look to the welfare of others. - -Many of the men died, some from their wounds, and others from disease. -The sad and sickening scenes of prison life daily harrowed up the -soul’s keener susceptibilities, and one by one they yielded up their -lives a sacrifice for liberty. - -On one occasion, I heard the guards engaged in an animated discussion -concerning their participation in the war. One of them remarked: - -“Bill, you and I are both poor men, and what in the name of God are we -fighting for?” - -“Why, Tom, you haven’t turned traitor to the Confederacy, have you?” - -“No,” said he, “I can’t say that I have, but I’d like mighty well to -know what profit this whole thing will be to us poor people. I have -a family, you know; and I have been forced to leave them, and here I -am. You know how everything hes riz. There’s flour now, and you can’t -git a barrel for less nor forty dollars, and pork is fifty dollars a -hundred, and there aint a bit of salt to be got for love nor money. -Now, I’d jist like to know what a man’s family is going to do under -such circumstances?” - -Bill answered by saying: - -“This war aint a-going to last long. How’ll them fellers do without -cotton. They’ll have to give in afore two months, for all their -manufactures have stopped now.” - -“Don’t you believe a word of that ’ere stuff. It’s all gammon, I tell -you. They can do without _us_ a great deal better nor we can do -without _them_. They’ve got the whole world to resort to, and can git -their supplies anywhere they please.” - -“Yes, I know that; but then they haint got anything other nations want. -It was _our_ cotton what brought all the gold and silver into the -country.” - -“There’s that old song again. Why, they’ve got the best perducing land -in the world. And their corn and cattle aint to be sneezed at the world -over.” - -“Well, that may all be true,” rejoined the other, “but they can’t whip -us.” - -“Well, suppose we whip them, what will be gained?” - -“Why, we’ll stop the ’tarnal thieves from stealing our niggers.” - -“Now that’s a grand mistake. Don’t you see every nigger in the South -will break right for the North, for there won’t be no Fugitive Slave -Law then. And then you know what a dreadful time we had not long ago up -Lowndes county with the niggers, for this here country’s got twice as -many niggers as whites.” - -At this an angry dispute arose between them, one declaring the other -an abominable Yankee, and the other is stoutly denying it. Oaths were -freely bandied, and the loyal Southerner threatened to call the -corporal of the guard, and have the other arrested. The latter in the -mean time continued to protest that he had said nothing detrimental to -Southern interests. - -“Well, how did you know,” said the rabid secessionist, “about the -cattle and corn in New York, if you had never lived there?” - -“But I have been there, though I never lived in that region.” - -“Well, if that’s the case,” responded his antagonist, “you had better -keep mighty quiet about it, or we’ll treat you like we did John -Peterson, that miserable Yankee that we hung last week to a pine tree.” - -Just then the relief-guard came, and the conversation ceased. I noted -down at the time the dialogue as it occurred, gave the manuscript -subsequently to my friend Captain Steadman, who, in connection with -other papers, as the reader will presently learn, carried it to -Washington city, where I received it from him. - -From all this, which was spoken in a most angry and boisterous manner, -and while I held my ear to the key-hole of the prison-door, I learned -what excessive antipathy the Southern people, as a mass, entertain -towards persons of Northern birth. As the reader follows me through -this book, other evidences of Southern ignorance, malice, and -inhumanity will arise, all of which I witnessed or experienced, and -all of which are related with no spirit of hatred, but as an “ower -true tale.” I do not relate these facts in the spirit of a politician, -nor for political purposes; for the nativity, education, and political -antecedents of myself and of the entire family from which I sprung, -have developed a warm support of Democratic principles. To these I yet -ardently adhere, though positively and absolutely repudiating that -form thereof which in the slightest degree affiliates with treason or -oppression. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - Southern Inhumanity—A Prison Telegraph—Mobile—Conversation with a - Fire-Eater—Negro Sale Stables—A Bad Sign—Mule-Beef—Montgomery—In the - Penitentiary—Felon Soldiers—Hanging for Theft—Visit to a Condemned - Prisoner—Who Shall Answer? - - -Our condition now became so painful and distressing, that, as a last -resort, we determined to petition the authorities for a redress of our -grievances. We had neither beds nor blankets, and the allowance of -rations doled out to us was insufficient to sustain life. A lieutenant -in the Confederate service, a poor, illiterate fellow, not possessed -of education sufficient to call the muster-roll correctly, entered the -prison and threatened to place Major Crockett—of whom we have spoken -before—in irons, simply because he had referred, in the Lieutenant’s -presence, in no very favorable terms, to the character of our -treatment. We had made application personally to Colonel McClain, then -commandant of the post, and who, we learned, was a professed Christian. -We were careful to appeal to his Christianity as a means of awakening -an interest in our behalf. His reply was as follows: - -“You invaders! you abolitionists! you that are _stealing_ our -property! _you_ talk about Christianity! You should be the last men to -utter a word on that subject.” - -A lieutenant in our ranks, named Herbert, answered him by saying: - -“If your so-called Southern Confederacy cannot furnish us with enough -to eat, just inform us and we will acquaint our government of the fact.” - -This seemed to irritate the doughty Colonel, and he replied very -fiercely: - -“I’ll let you know that we have a government strong enough to hold -_you_. You will have to go into close confinement.” - -In a short time four men with loaded guns entered, and took Lieutenant -Herbert from the prison. What was to be his fate we knew not, but in -five days he returned, his appearance indicating that he had been -exposed to severe treatment. He told me that he was taken to the old -county jail, was there incarcerated in a damp, filthy, and bedless -cell, swarming with odious vermin, and from which a negro had recently -been taken to be executed. This barbarous outrage was inflicted for the -sole purpose, in the language of his tormentor, “of letting him know -that there was a Southern Confederacy.” - -The sick and wounded prisoners in the room above us were suffering -intensely, and we were not allowed the privilege of visiting them. In -order to hold any communication at all with the inmates above, we were -compelled to resort to an expedient which answered our purpose for the -time. We obtained a small wire, and by letting it down from the upper -window to the one below, and attaching a written communication to it, -opened up a kind of telegraphic connection between the two departments -of the prison. In this way we were daily informed of the transactions -of our friends above. - -We were now about to leave the prison, and we quitted it, feeling with -Bishop King, that - - “A prison is in all things like a grave, - Where we no better privileges have - Than dead men; nor so good.” - -We were next taken to Mobile, Alabama. On our way thither, I conversed -with a number of Southrons, among whom was an insignificant personage -from South Carolina. He complained because their officers were not -allowed to have their servants with them. He called it one of the most -inhuman deprivations imaginable! - -“Sir,” said I, “we have been treated like beasts and half-starved here -on your southern soil; what do you think of that?” - -“O,” he replied, “that’s all right enough for you ’uns; but _we_ belong -to the first families of South Carolina!” - -“Your logic is vain, sir, for we of the free North recognize no officer -in the army as made of better stuff than the least drummer-boy in the -service. Your ‘first families’ were the prime movers in this rebellion, -being the degenerate descendants of bankrupt royalists and luckless -adventurers.” The truth cut him severely, and he began to curse the -“mudsills” of the North, ridiculing that pure democracy which lifts up -the poor and levels down the rich. When I referred to our free schools -and our general information as a people, he raved like a madman. -His ignorance boiled over in froth and fury, only to emphasize the -corrupting effects of the bastard aristocracy of the South. - -We arrived in Mobile on Sabbath morning, the 26th of May. Here, too, -we could detect an undercurrent of Union sentiment in the humane -treatment we received. I knew full well, however, the odium in which -the Mobilians held all who opposed human bondage as legalized in the -Confederacy. I felt that we were indeed among enemies and barbarians. -We were driven like yoked bondmen to the heart of the city, and there -halted in the crowded streets for about two hours and a half beneath a -sweltering Alabama sun, after which we were thrust into the negro sale -stables. Of course we were fatigued and sickened by such outrageous -treatment, but we bore it all as patiently as grace would allow. As we -entered these human chattel stalls where many poor hearts had sorrowed -before, we noticed this inscription over our stable door. - - “NEGROES FOR SAIL AND GOOD FEALD HANDS.” - -During our stay in this place there was quite a stir among the rebels. -The astounding fact was revealed that the mules slain at Shiloh had -been barreled up and forwarded to Mobile to feed Yankee prisoners! -When this abomination was made known to the commandant, he immediately -ordered the mule-beef to be thrown into the river; and in order to -redeem his government from the merited contempt of the civilized world, -he published the facts in the Mobile papers. A copy of a daily paper -containing the information was furnished us by a negro, and we had the -satisfaction of reading the history of our rations! - -The commandant’s motives in publishing this barbarity were not -appreciated by the chivalrous (?) authorities, and he was himself -arrested and imprisoned for an act that even cannibals might blush to -condemn. - -The negroes, who were shrewder and more manly than their masters, were -our faithful friends and news-bearers. They all understood how to -furnish us papers in the manner described in a previous chapter. The -results of the mule-beef investigation plainly proved that the whole -transaction was sanctioned by the Government. It was not an individual -speculation by an unprincipled army contractor, but an official -outrage, perpetrated by the chivalrous Confederacy! - -From Mobile we were taken to Selma, from thence to Tuscaloosa, and -from thence to Montgomery. Here we were placed in the penitentiary -over night, until arrangements could be made for our accommodation -in the military prison. Here we shared the fare of criminals, which -proved to be the best I ever received in Dixie. As to the truthfulness -of the report that the Confederacy had liberated their felons as -soldiers, I am not prepared to speak. But while I was in the Montgomery -penitentiary, during the brief space of thirty hours, two inmates were -released and paid eight hundred dollars each to enter the service as -substitutes. This I witnessed. The keeper of the prison informed me, on -inquiring the nature of their crimes, that they were murderers. From -reliable sources I learned that many criminals, from different southern -prisons, were received into the army as soldiers. The two I saw were -desperate-looking men. - -While here I was deeply impressed at seeing a negro in an adjoining -cell under condemnation of death. In order to frighten him to make such -confessions as his accusers desired, the rope with which he was to be -suspended from the gallows, was put in the cell with the culprit. I -asked the keeper the nature of the man’s offence, and was told that he -was sentenced to die for stealing a watch. - -“What! are you going to hang a man for stealing a watch?” - -“O, yes,” said my informant, “we must be severe with these niggers, or -we couldn’t live for them.” - -“But he is a valuable-looking piece of property.” - -“True, sir, but the State is obligated to pay one-half his value to the -master, and he was appraised at sixteen hundred dollars,—so you see -only one-half the loss will fall upon his master.” - -All this was spoken with that serious business air which showed a real -sympathy with the slaveholder who was about to suffer the loss of eight -hundred dollars! - -On account of my crippled hand and general debility, I was privileged -to walk about the hall. There I could see the doomed man who was -so soon to suffer the ignominious death of the scaffold. The -keeper’s sympathy was altogether with the owner of the negro; but he -congratulated himself in the master’s behalf by saying that, since the -beginning of the war, negroes were poor sale, and that for the owner -of this condemned one to get half his appraised value would be very -consoling in the hour of trouble! One circumstance in connection with -this incident gladdened my heart. On one occasion I overheard two men -conversing with the negro in his cell. They were godly men, and had -come to offer the sympathy of supplication in prayer. One of these -visitors was gifted in a special manner. His pleadings before the court -of heaven in behalf of his unfortunate fellow-man, were touchingly -eloquent. He sang and prayed alternately, and with tearful eyes and -tender tones, pointed the criminal to the Saviour who blessed the dying -thief on Calvary. But all his instructions and persuasions seemed -alike in vain. The stoic prisoner remained hard-hearted and unmoved. - -I asked and obtained permission from the keeper to speak a few words to -the man so soon to die. The conditions on which I obtained the favor -were that my instructions should be given in the keeper’s presence. - -Looking through the iron bars at my sinful but unfortunate auditor, I -said, - -“Do you believe that Christ died for all?” - -“I don’t know, massa,” he replied. - -“Well, you know something about the Bible, don’t you?” - -“No, massa.” - -“Have you never heard the Gospel preached?” - -“Yes, massa, I used to hear old parson Cooper preach, and I guess dat -was what he preached about.” - -“Can you read?” - -“No, massa.” - -“Did you ever pray?” - -“No, massa. I’se heard folks a-prayin’. My massa never prayed like dis -nigga,”—referring to the visitor who had been praying with him in the -cell. - -“Well, my dear fellow, you know you have to die, don’t you?” - -“Yes, massa.” - -“What do you think will become of you when you die?” - -“I dun know, massa.” - -“Did you ever talk with white people on this subject?” - -“No, massa.” - -Here our conversation was interrupted by the keeper, who told me I -must return to my cell. I had no further opportunity to converse with -the poor negro prisoner. My thoughts troubled me. I reflected on the -destiny of these immortal beings, thus oppressed in body and soul by -their tyrant masters. What a fearful weight of responsibility rests -_somewhere_! Who shall give account in the great day for the ignorance -of the four millions of slaves, going up to judgment from a land of -boasted light and knowledge? This slave was a representative man. -Although he knew little about secular matters, he had opportunity to -learn even less of religion! - -But despite all the efforts to keep the slaves in ignorance, both by -legal enactments and tyrannical vigilance, very many of them gained a -surprising fund of information. What an accursed system of wrong is -that which locks the Bible from the homes and hearts of the poor! May -the uttermost overthrow come upon an institution that prohibits the -education of any class or color of God’s children! - -The next day, before leaving the prison, I asked permission to visit -the colored convict once more, but the privilege was not granted. That -very day a dark man was hung, and a darker crime registered in the book -of Judgment-day accounts, the penalty of which will by-and-by rest upon -the head of the guilty perpetrators. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - A New Prison—Murder of Lieutenant Bliss—In Irons—Yankee - Ingenuity—Rebel Ignorance—Parson Rogers—Faithful Servants—Bold and - Successful Escape of Prisoners—Captain Troy—A Blindfold Journey—A - Traitor. - - -We were now conducted to our new quarters in the military prison, a -description of which I will attempt. The side walls were of brick, -twenty inches in thickness, and thirteen feet high. The ends were -closed by massive ironclad wooden gates, extending the whole width of -the prison. The room was about two hundred feet long, and forty in -width. It was used formerly as a cotton depot. There was on either side -a narrow shed-roof, sloping inward, extending two-thirds of the entire -length of the building. Beneath this shelter were six hundred soldiers, -and about one hundred and fifty political prisoners. - -Near this prison, Lieutenant Bliss, of Illinois, one of the noblest and -truest men I ever knew, and a minister of the gospel, was murdered. -The circumstances of this cruel outrage are as follows: One beautiful -morning in May, the Lieutenant, being somewhat indisposed, and desiring -to breathe the fresh and fragrant air without our prison walls, asked -permission of the Captain of the Guard, to go to an adjacent house and -get his canteen filled with fresh milk. With considerable reluctance -the privilege was granted, and the Lieutenant and myself were allowed -to go on our errand, under a guard of four armed men. Upon our arrival -at the house, Bliss handed his canteen through the window, where a lady -received it, and in accordance with his request, filled it with milk, -and passed it back to him. At this moment, one of the guards muttered -some undistinguishable order, which I was unable to understand, -although I was nearer the guard than Bliss. The command, whatever it -was, of course could not be obeyed; but the guard instantly raised his -gun. Bliss saw it, and remarked pleasantly, though a little excited: - -“You are not going to shoot me, are you?” - -No sooner were his words uttered, than the gun was fired and the -bullet pierced the heart of my gallant comrade. His last words were, -“Brother, I’m shot!” I stood amazed and dumb with indignation over the -bleeding corpse of my faithful companion, the three remaining loaded -guns pointed at me. From this scene of murder I was forced back to the -prison. I felt it my duty to report this inhuman act to the commandant, -and ask redress, by having the reckless guard punished. What was my -astonishment and indignation to learn, afterward, that that very guard, -for that very act, was granted thirty days’ furlough as a reward. The -only apology offered was, that possibly the guard misunderstood his -instructions! I ventured to tell the commandant, Captain Troy, my -opinion of such conduct, and to his face called the outrage by its -proper name, a bloody murder, committed under his guilty authority. As -I might have expected, this plain language brought down his vengeful -wrath, and he replied: - -“I will put you in irons, sir.” - -I could but reply, thinking of my dear, lost comrade: - -“I am in your power, sir, irons or no irons; but you murdered my sick -friend, and are guilty of shedding his blood!” - -For my impertinence, I was handcuffed and made to suffer the cruel -spite of my hateful enemies. - -These things occurred in the city of Montgomery, Alabama, among the -chivalry of the South. - -We often suffered for water in this cotton-shed prison. Some of our -boys resolved to dig a well within the walls. In digging, they came to -a stratum of potters’ clay, by which, after the well was completed, -they passed many a leisure hour in manufacturing little wares, such -as pipes, rings, cups, &c., all of which found a ready sale among -the rebels, and commanded a fair price in Confederate shinplasters. -The ingenuity of our Yankee boys was a constant marvel to the stupid -Southrons. We received sufficient pocket money by our manufactures -to furnish us with many little conveniences and comforts. One of -our comrades, who had formerly been an engraver, and who had no -conscientious scruples about using the rebel currency to the best -advantage, was very skilful in changing five cent scrip to fifties, and -many of the fives that were _passed in_ for our wares, _passed out_ -fifties for gingerbread! - -One day quite a commotion prevailed among the rebel peddlers in our -prison. A gaunt, gawking fellow had received one of these changed -bills, but was not quite satisfied of its genuineness. A motley crowd -were huddled around him trying to unravel the mystery. I was called by -the holder of the bill to explain. Said the puzzled critic, holding out -the suspected paper and pointing to the redundant cipher at the right -of the five: - -“Look here, Capt’n, at this tarnal round thing here. This thing ortn’t -fur to be here.” - -“Well, sir,” said I, “I can’t help it; why did you put it there?” - -“I didn’t put it thar, nuther. I got it uv that thar feller,” said he, -pointing to a bright-eyed soldier about seventeen years of age, who sat -looking on with apparent indifference, but who was greatly enjoying the -confusion of the ignorant butternut, who had just sense enough to know -that something was wrong, but no ingenuity to detect the imposition. I -do not justify this money-making trick, but, under the circumstances, -its sinfulness is somewhat diminished. - -We were then more than a thousand miles from home, surrounded by -a bloodthirsty and infuriated mob, robbers of our government, -and oppressors of our fellow-men. We were dragged to that prison -half-starved and moneyless. Our rations consisted of a bit of spoiled -beef not larger than your two fingers, a small slice of coarse -corn-bread without salt, and this only twice a day. Whatever more than -this we received, we were compelled to buy at fabulous prices. While -in Montgomery I became acquainted with a clergyman named Rogers, a -member of the Methodist Church South, who had spent many years in the -itineracy, and who was a chaplain in the Mexican war. Mr. Rogers was -a man of fine talent, vast experience, and apparently of great piety. -He had been an intimate friend, in other years, of Parson Brownlow, -which circumstance made his acquaintance an interesting one to me. He -had been arrested, and, without a trial hurried from his motherless -children to this gloomy prison. The old divine gave me an account of -some of his sufferings. He had been frequently imprisoned for his -loyal sentiments; and in a few instances made hair-breadth escapes -from lynching. While he was in prison he preached for us. The gospel -sound was glorious to hear, even beneath the cloud that rested upon us. -Though in bonds, we could listen to the voice of truth—the truth that -makes us free indeed. - -I was here again amused and benefited by the ingeniousness of the -colored people, of whom so many wiseacres are constantly seeking to -prove a natural imbecility. Very often these shrewd observers would -anticipate our wants, and bring us such articles as we really most -desired. Sometimes an apparently careless lounger would lean himself -against our prison-gates, as if to rest himself, and while facing -the guards, his skilful fingers would slip a file or a knife through -some small aperture to an inside Yankee. These implements were always -in demand for the purpose of making rings and trinkets from refuse -beef bones. And in case of a contemplated escape from prison, such -helps as these are invaluable. It was a constant perplexity to the -“Clay-eaters,” to see the negroes so well posted on war matters. Though -the unhappy race have been downtrodden and abused to an outrageous -extent, which nothing short of eternity will adequately punish, yet -they are more intellectual and virtuous than the majority of the -whites in Secessia. With Anthony Benezett, the philanthrophic Quaker, -I sincerely declare that I have found among the negroes as great a -variety of talent as among a like number of whites; and I am bold to -assert that the notion entertained by some, that they are inferior -in their capacities, is a vulgar prejudice, founded on the pride or -ignorance of their lordly masters, who have kept their slaves at such a -distance as to be unable to form a right judgment of them. - -While we lay in this old cotton-shed, thirteen of the prisoners -conceived and executed a plan of escape. They succeeded in scaling -the walls, and wandered about the country for some time; but being -unacquainted with the geographical features of the locality, were all -subsequently recaptured, and again brought to the prison. For this -attempted escape, several were shot, and others were loaded with huge -chains. In the midst of this severe punishment they never once repined, -but looked forward with ardent hope to a period when they might again -be permitted to defend the ensign of liberty they so dearly cherished. -Many who had previously been “conservative” in their views of the -peculiar institution, now realized a modification of their sentiments, -while the universal conviction seemed to be that this system of human -bondage had been the parent source of all our national dissensions. - -Captain Troy seemed to derive special delight in practising almost -every species of deception upon the defenceless prisoners. He -frequently cheered us with assurances that our imprisonment would -soon terminate, and that we would be on our way homeward in a short -time. All these hopes would as quickly give place to saddening -disappointments, for in none of his declarations was there the least -shadow of truth! One day he entered and told us that we had been -exchanged, and ordered us to immediately prepare for our departure. -Then we realized “how deep a gloom one beam of hope enlightens,” and in -our fancy, already treading the soil of liberty, lost no time in making -all necessary preparations to quit the land of chains and cruelty. Nor -had we much to prepare—a few moments only, and we stood ready for our -exodus. The minutes dragged lazily on that were to introduce us to -freedom; but what was our unspeakable vexation and chagrin to learn -that we had been the victims of a cruel hoax, perpetrated through sheer -diabolism. - -One bright and beautiful summer morning, however, legitimate orders -came for our instantaneous departure, and, as before, we were soon -ready. At eleven o’clock, we stepped aboard the cars, and were soon -whirled from this Sodomic city to await the gradual developments of our -destiny unknown. Two hundred and fifty miles brought us to the city -of Columbus, Georgia, on the Chattahoochee river. The crowd that met -us here was composed of remarkably coarse material, and as far as we -could perceive, seamed to be an average of the staple human product in -that locality. They saluted us with such epithets as “blue-bellied -Yankees,” “dirty nigger-thieves,” &c., exhausting the entire slave-pen -vocabulary, the reigning vernacular. - -I regret that I am compelled to record the defection of one of our -party, whom we had supposed to be in hearty sympathy with us, but, -who, as the sequel will show, was co-operating with the enemy. Our -first suspicions were aroused by the tender regard shown him by the -rebel officials and ladies; but when we came to Columbus, his designs -and character became more and more apparent. Of him we shall hereafter -speak more at length. - -The city in which we had temporarily halted quartered a large force -of rebel soldiers, the majority of them better clad than any we had -yet met. The place itself, extending one mile and a quarter in the -direction of the river, and about half a mile toward the interior, and -numbering a population of nearly nine thousand, was a beautiful one. I -observed a number of unfinished buildings, erected most probably before -the war, but now standing exposed and weather-beaten, with no roofs to -protect them from the sun and rain. The people here seemed determined -to prolong the war to the last, confident of ultimate success. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Macon—A Southern Unionist in the Rebel Army—Beneath a Georgia - Sun—Secession Speech—Thoughts of Home—Political Prisoners—Horrible - Place—Offer of the Gospel—Lieutenant A. P. Collins—Contemplated - Escape—Robes of Blood!—Pinning a Federal Soldier to the Ground. - - -We were next taken to Macon, Georgia. Traveling by night in box-cars, -we had little opportunity to see the country. We were much annoyed -on this trip by drunken, profane, and sleepy guards. Their cuffs and -curses were almost too intolerable to be borne. - -On board the train, however, there was one companionable and -intelligent gentleman. I regret that I cannot record his name, for he -was a worthy man, and a lover of his country. He related to me many -strange inconsistencies of rebeldom. Said he: - -“I am here in the army. I was a Douglas Democrat, and opposed this -war until my life was threatened. My only alternative was to become a -soldier. You may think your case a hard one, sir, but I would readily -exchange with you, for then I should not be compelled to fire upon any -who rallied beneath the stars and stripes. I was in the Mexican war, -and there followed the dear old flag until it floated proudly over the -metropolis of the enemy.” - -He also informed me that he had a family dependent upon him for a -livelihood, and complained of a government that paid eleven dollars a -month to soldiers, and allowed fifty dollars per barrel to be exacted -for flour, and all other necessaries in proportion. Pointing to his -coarse shoes, he said: - -“These cost me eleven dollars; this flimsy clothing I wear cost ten -dollars a yard! Once times were good and we were content and happy; -but now my family is suffering, and I know not my own fate. I know not -whether you are a Christian or not; but, sir, my hope is in the Lord. -He knows my heart; and although I am compelled to do what I believe to -be wrong, I feel that God will forgive me for my family’s sake.” - -He was a member of the Methodist Church South, an uneducated man, -but honest and humble. He remarked that, if our conversation were -overheard, we would both be in danger of immediate death. - -The morning light appeared at last, and we were passing through a -level, boggy country, very thinly inhabited. - -Soon after dawn, the long, shrill scream of the locomotive announced -that we were approaching a place of some note. In a few minutes we -were in Macon depot; but of our destiny or doom we knew nothing. At -this time there were about six hundred of us. Not until ten o’clock -were we permitted to move, hungry and hampered as we were. Then we -were taken from the cars, and for the first time set our feet on the -traitor-cursed soil of Bibb county, Georgia. In a short time we were -driven, like a herd of mules, to the fair-ground, an area of three -acres, surrounded by a picket-fence. Within were several large, rough, -wooden buildings thrown together for the purpose of holding Yankee -prisoners. - -It was now the 29th of May, and the noonday heat was intense. They -kept us sweltering in the broiling sun for more than two hours, and -our sufferings were excessive. Suddenly the attention of the crowd was -attracted by a pompous-looking individual, who mounted a stump in the -enclosure, and began, with violent gesticulations, to harangue the -prisoners. - -The substance of this speech is herewith appended, though I confess my -inability to transmit it in the _patois_ in which it was spoken. It is -reported to serve as a specimen of the average of Southern logic and -oratory, such as often harried our unwilling ears: - -“Prisoners, you have been committed to my charge, and you know that -you are invaders of our soil. You have been stealing our property, and -running them off to Canada and other places. And when we appealed to -you to deliver up our slaves, you passed liberty bills in your States, -nullifying a law that had been passed by the legislature, declaring -that you would not regard the Fugitive Slave Law. We, in assuming -the position we now do, are acting as a safeguard to our slaves, and -protecting them as our property—property to which we have the right -guaranteed to us by God himself, when he said, ‘Servants, be obedient -unto your masters.’ But you of the North have violated the Word of -God, and the Constitution of the once United States. When we asked to -secede from you, giving you all your rights, and demanding only our -own, your government waged an unholy war against us—have carried it -into our country with all its carnage, destruction, and bloodshed. The -God of battles is turning all things in our favor, and we are driving -your army from our soil—taking your men prisoners, which is your own -sad experience. Now, prisoners, you are in my charge, and I am sure -you cannot expect me to treat you only as invaders of our soil, and -murderers of our countrymen. Notwithstanding all this, I shall try to -do the best for you, as poor unfortunate prisoners, that the conscience -of a brave and gallant officer would allow him. While you obey my -orders strictly, you shall not suffer. But if you disobey them, you -must expect to take the consequences.” - -After this address, embodying so much profundity and wisdom, we were -surrounded by a heavy guard, and taken within the guard-lines located -on the grounds referred to. - -What a dreary spot for our abode, to be endured we knew not how long! A -gloomy, dismal pen was to be our habitation. The only shade afforded us -was that of a few straggling pine-trees, beneath which we sat at times, -brooding over our forlorn and desolate situation. Oh! how wearily -passed the days! how sadly the nights! How much did our thoughts revert -to the “loved ones at home,” and how in imagination did we realize the -loneliness of their sorrowing hearts! - -Mr. Rogers—before spoken of—came and informed me that a group of men -standing at a little distance were from Tennessee and Mississippi, -with several of whom he was well acquainted, and asked me to accompany -him to where they were. I did so, and learned that there were seven -hundred from those States in prison, many of whom had been incarcerated -ten or twelve months without any change of clothing, or any comfort to -relieve the gloom and monotony of prison life. Among them were lawyers, -doctors, and clergymen—persons who had been accustomed to the luxuries -of refined society, and the endearments of home. A volume might be -written, recording the reflections, sufferings, and experiences of each -of these brothers, shut up there in a loathsome prison for faithful -adhesion to their loyalty. During that night I slept but little, and -said less. My mind was busy in contemplation. - -Mr. Rogers conducted me the next night to a long board shanty, which -was used as a hospital for the sick and wounded. When I entered, my -heart sickened at the awful sight presented. There were confined within -that rough wooden enclosure about one hundred sick and dying, with -nothing upon which to rest their aching heads. We began the work of -contributing as much as possible to their comfort, and of alleviating -their sufferings. Most of them were victims of typhoid fever. We had -no light to guide us, and the only way we could distinguish the dead -from the living was by touch. From time to time was it our painful duty -to carry the dead bodies of these, our fellow-prisoners, and lay them -upon the grass, where they would often be suffered to remain two or -three days, when, being tumbled into rough boxes, they were put upon -a dray, and taken we knew not whither. This night was one of gloom, -loneliness, and desolation. Our bed was the hard floor, and sleep was -too “coy a dame” to be won to conditions so comfortless and lorn. I -lay longing for the morning which came at last; and never did I greet -the light of day more joyously than the 30th of May, 1862. This was my -first night in Macon, Georgia, among the sick, dead, and dying. The -place or pen thus used for a hospital, and the ground enclosing it, -were of such limited dimensions, that the large number of men found -it impossible to be other than exceedingly uncomfortable, and their -clothes became infested with bugs and vermin. - -The night of the 30th passed wearily away, and ushered in the -Sabbath—“soft halcyon on life’s turbid waters.” The other ministers -sought to hold a meeting, and I went to the commandant to obtain -his consent, which, he granted. With a light heart, I returned to my -brother ministers to report my success. A moment after, a note was -handed us, stating that no religious services, public or private, would -be permitted. After the lapse of a brief period, they concluded to send -their own chaplain to preach to us. But we declined to hear him; and I -was appointed to give our reasons therefor, which I did as pertinently -as possible. They then threatened to force us to become listeners to -sentiments which were utterly incompatible with our views of patriotism -and Christianity. But they parleyed, and finally desisted from their -threats. - -It was here that I first became acquainted with Lieutenant A. P. -Collins, a gentleman of refinement and culture, and with whom I was -destined afterward to share incredible sufferings and perils. He was -a religious man, and a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at -Delaware, Ohio. He had in his possession a portion of the Old and New -Testament, and with this volume it was our wont every day to repair to -the shade of the pine-trees for meditation, reading, and prayer. The -idea of escaping from our horrible imprisonment, which was every day -growing more and more severe, seemed to enter both our minds at about -the same time, and we agreed to make it a subject of special prayer. -We shrank at the thought of abandoning our comrades in distress; but -the hope of life, and the possibility of again striking a blow for -justice and right, stimulated us while contemplating such a daring -and dangerous project. We looked upon the height of the picket-fence -that environed us, the vigilant guard of four hundred men that watched -our every movement, and the battery of artillery planted within the -enclosure, and our hearts oftentimes sank within us. But our friends -were dying around us, and day by day we saw them deposited in rude -boxes, hurried for ever from our sight. Once we relinquished our hope -of personal deliverance, and determined to remain with our brethren, -and, if necessary, die with them. Many who perished there were noble -men, though they passed away “unwept, unhonored, and unsung.” We now -concluded to continue our prayer-meetings in the hospital. In this -work we seconded the efforts of the Rev. Mr. Rogers, Dr. Doke, of East -Tennessee, and Dr. Fisk, of Illinois. We had not acquainted these -gentlemen with our plans. Their names should never die, for - - “Midst fawning priests and courtiers foul, - The losel swarm of crown and cowl, - White-robed walked these noble men, - Stainless as Uriel in the sun.” - -Their deeds of mercy were too many for record here. No circumstances -too repulsive, no night too dark, no duty too onerous, but they were -ready for every good word and work. Where suffering and pain were, -there were they present to alleviate and sympathize, and many a poor -fellow, now gone to his long home, blessed them for prayers and -consolations in the night of death. - -These noble philanthropists determined to ask for something to mitigate -the sufferings of the prisoners, and accordingly made an appeal through -a humane surgeon for some bedding on which the dying men might rest. -This man carried the message to the commandant, Major Rylander, but -that dignitary utterly refused to listen to the appeal. The surgeon -then endeavored to awaken his humanity and Christian feeling; but he -replied to all this, by saying very emphatically: - -“Sir, I have laid off my robe of righteousness, and put on one of -blood, and the best way to get rid of these d——d Yankees is to let -them lay there and rot.” - -Such was the conduct of this man Rylander. - -We were compelled still to submit to our fate, though we employed every -effort in our power to alleviate the sufferings of our dying friends. -One case, in particular, attracted my attention. A political prisoner -named Foote, who had formerly been a captain of a steamboat plying on -the Florida rivers, being suspected as a Union man, was arrested and -thrown into prison. He was occasionally visited by his wife, and so -careful were the rebels, notwithstanding their boasted superiority, -that two guards with loaded guns were invariably detailed to dog the -footsteps of this woman. A system of perfect espionage was constantly -maintained, and so suspicious were the rebels of each other, that they -would not permit a single guard, in any case, to accompany a prisoner. -An instance of the most barbarous torture it was ever my lot to -behold, I witnessed while here. It was inflicted upon a young man from -Illinois, for some offence unknown to me. He was taken and stretched -upon the ground, face downward, his legs and arms drawn as far apart as -possible, and then pinned to the ground by driving stakes across them; -and in this state of terrible torture was he left for twenty-four -hours. - -Acts like these filled our hearts with the most gloomy forebodings, -and we began to seriously deliberate the propriety of consummating -our previously contemplated escape. We were about three hundred -and fifty miles from the nearest point where the stars and stripes -could be reached by water, and two hundred and eighty miles by land. -The distance seemed to be insurmountable, to say nothing of the -impossibility of surviving the hot weather. But the hope of liberty -gave zest to the project, and we determined at once and for ever to -abandon the scene of so much horror and misery. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Preparing the Way—Dave—Pepper, Matches, and Fish-hooks—Exchange of - Clothing—Passing the Guard-lines—Frightened Horse—Halted—Passed—In - the Woods—Hidden in the Swamp—Pursued—A Night Journey in the - Cane-brake—Manna. - - -We resolved to select a dark and rainy night to put into execution -our long cherished plan, and we waited anxiously for such a night. -The morning of the 1st of June, which was the anniversary of my -twenty-ninth birth-day, brought with it deep and long forgotten -memories of other days. - -The next day I was attracted by the movements of the old negro Dave, -who was employed in the menial services of the prison. He was evidently -well acquainted with our position, and knew all about the state of -affairs. As he passed near me, he gave me a significant grin, hung his -head in assumed diffidence, and began shoveling among the rubbish with -all his might, saying to me as he labored, just loud enough for my ear, -but looking all the while at his work: - -“You Yankees has jis made about a tousand of the drefful rebels bite -the dust up in Tennessee. I golly, I’se glad!” - -“Why, Dave, aren’t you a rebel, yourself?” - -“No, _sah_, massa, I’se—” - -Just here, a straggling rebel official sauntered in sight, and our -conversation was interrupted. If any Federal prisoners were discovered -holding private consultations with the slaves, there was a death -penalty just so adjusted in the martial laws of the Confederacy, as to -meet the case. I let the day pass without further effort to see Dave. - -The next day, however, finding a favorable opportunity, I asked Dave if -he could furnish me three fish-hooks. - -“God bless you, massa, yes!”—his eyes snapping fire as he responded. - -“Can you get me a tin full of salt, and a paper of pepper?” - -“Yes, massa!” - -“Can you get me a box of matches?” - -“Yes, massa; but how’s I gwine to get ’em past the guards?” - -“Try, Dave, won’t you?” - -“Bless your soul, massa, yes!” - -I gave him the money, and when his chores were done, he passed out, -apparently one of the most stupid darkies I ever saw. Fortunately our -conversation was not overheard, and I soon was in possession of the -desired articles. - -During the day, I visited a Tennesseean—a political prisoner—and -proposed to exchange clothes with him, to which he at once assented, -suspecting my object. He promised to be true, and reveal nothing. We -agreed upon an hour when he should visit my quarters, at which time we -were to exchange our clothing. I then informed Collins what I had done, -and he made a similar arrangement with another Tennesseean. - -Time passed wearily on, and brought the night of the 18th of June,[A] -which was dark and rainy, and promised fairly for our proposed -adventure. In due time our United States uniform was exchanged, and we -were clad in rebel rags. Our hearts beat high with hope, and we were -resolved to escape or perish in the attempt. - -[Footnote A: A coincidence here is worthy of notice. On the 18th of -June, seven United States soldiers were hung by the rebels at Atlanta, -Georgia. They were a part of the celebrated Chattanooga Railroad -scouts, sent out on a military excursion by General Mitchell, but -who were captured and treated as spies. One of the survivors of the -party, Lieut. WM. PITTENGER, gives a full and graphic account of their -captivity and imprisonment in a book which every reader of this work -should peruse.] - -About half past eight o’clock, we slowly crawled out of the -prison—Collins a little in the rear. - -This, with the exception of crossing the guard-lines, we apprehended -would be the most dangerous part of our undertaking, and our movements -were consequently slow and cautious. We continued to advance, keeping -within whispering distance of each other, until we reached a little -clump of pines near the fence, which point we had previously selected -as a rendezvous. Here we paused to make further arrangements. We felt -certain, now, that if we were discovered, we would be shot. Life for -us was only in pressing warily forward. After a minute’s consultation, -in the lowest whispers, it was agreed that I should take the advance, -and that should I be discovered, and shot, he should return to -his quarters; but if I succeeded in passing the guard-lines, and -reaching our second rendezvous—a thicket of fallen bushes between the -guard-lines and picket-fence—I was then to announce my success by a -single clap of the hands, which would be a signal for him to follow. - -I accordingly lay down on my face, and crept quietly outward through -the lines. The intense darkness prevented my seeing a guard, who -chanced to be stationed close to my path. I came within six feet of -him, and could distinguish that he was reposing carelessly against a -tree, playing with the rammer of his gun, the noise of which served to -keep me from running against him. It was the most thrilling moment of -my life! But I soon got beyond the sound of the clicking ramrod of an -enemy whose business it was to shoot just such adventurers as myself, -and I began to breathe a little more freely as I neared our second -rendezvous. In a few minutes I was safe outside the lines, and snugly -hidden beneath the dark foliage of the tangled bushes. Just as I was -about giving the signal to Collins, I discovered that I had frightened -an artillery horse so much, that he broke loose from his hitching-rack, -and in another moment it seemed as if all rebeldom were out in pursuit -of him. Now I should be discovered! To run or lie still would be death. -An unseen Deliverer gave me presence of mind. I resolved to turn rebel -for the time being, and assist in catching the horse. My life depended -on the action of that moment. I ordered all the rebels astir, assuming -as best I could the arrogant Southern tone of authority, to assist -me in securing the animal, and had the gratification of seeing him -caught and led away, wondering whether that would be the last of the -“catching” to be done that night! Again I started for our place of -rendezvous; but being somewhat excited, and the darkness and rain of -the night adding to my bewilderment, I ran against an artillery guard, -who instantly exclaimed: - -“Halt, dar!” - -My unseen Protector again aided me, and I once more assumed the rebel -tone and manner. I replied, with as much offended dignity as my beating -heart would allow: - -“Halt, whar?” - -“Who are you, sah?” - -“Have you been here so long, sir, and don’t know me yet? What’s this -mean, sir? Don’t you understand your business, sir?” - -“O, yes, sah, I know you, now; you ’long to that thar battallin over -thar. Go on, sah!” - -Soon after this, I succeeded in reaching our appointed place of -meeting, but believing that the confusion of the guards in capturing -the frightened horse had prevented Collins from attempting to -follow, I went down to the fence alone. Five minutes later, I heard -my comrade giving the signal at the outer rendezvous, to which I -instantly responded, and in a very few minutes we were both outside the -picket-fence, on the dismal banks of the Ocmulgee river. - -We traveled fifteen miles before sunrise, and, just at daylight, -crossed the river on a railroad bridge, leaving it between us and our -enemies. It was a glorious summer morning. The birds, all beautiful -and free, were chirping their matin praises. The fields and forests -were fragrant with the blessed baptism of dews, and glittered in rare -brilliance before the rising sun. All nature was clad in robes of -royalty, and voiced to sweet anthems of rejoicing. But we were weary -wanderers, homeless and hated, fallen among thieves and robbers in the -midst of our native land. As the daylight grew stronger, we resolved -to secrete ourselves in the thicket among the croaking frogs, and lie -low in the dense undergrowth among the reptiles of the cane-brake. We -were destitute of provisions. In our haversacks were the matches, salt, -pepper and fish-hooks. We kindled a small fire, and burnt our papers. -We did this regretfully, for we had some valuable notes and memoranda -among them, but we chose to suffer their positive loss, rather than -risk the danger of a recapture with them still in our possession. It -was a sad sacrifice, in a solitary sanctuary, on a strange altar. Yet -our safety demanded it, and it was done. - -Our situation was now both desolate and dangerous. We were in the -midst of a vast cane-brake, the extent and surroundings of which were -altogether unknown to us. The tall, straight cane-growths, like steady -fingers, pointed upward to a land of liberty on high, and we knew a -Present Guide thither, but we were without chart or compass in this -lower wilderness. - -About three o’clock in the afternoon, we ventured to the road, keeping -a vigilant lookout in every direction, dreading the sight of white -men, and ardently hoping to see the face of some lowly slave, in order -to arrange with our ever-faithful friends and now brothers in common -peril and oppression, for something to eat. For a long time we lay -silent and watchful beneath the broad leaves of the swamp palm, close -by the road-side; but instead of discovering a sympathizing negro to -whom we might appeal for food and friendship, what was our bitter -disappointment at discovering six armed men on horseback, in pursuit -of us! They were making diligent search. We could see them dismount -and examine all probable lurking-places to the right and left of the -road as they passed along. As they came nearer, we heard their savage -curses, and the threatened tortures that awaited us if recaptured. -They circled the thicket, and penetrated at every possible angle all -about us; but we were so completely concealed that nothing but personal -contact would reveal our hiding-place. At one time, our pursuers were -within a few feet of us. They must have known we were in that brake, -for they lingered within hearing until nightfall, when they abandoned -the search. How thankfully beat our hearts as the sound of their -horses’ hoofs died away in the rearward distance! - -There was an advantage to us in what we at first so dreaded—the -proximity of these men. We were thereby enabled to overhear their plans -of pursuit. They agreed to set watches at certain points on the road, -the river, and railroad leading to Darien. We were quite confident we -had been betrayed by some cowardly prisoner, and suspected that fellow -named Clinton, from Mississippi. - -We learned from our pursuers themselves, as they were searching for -us, that this traitor of traitors gave the authorities of the prison -all the information they desired, for he had played eaves-dropper more -than once, rebel and prisoner as he was! He had actually mapped our -proposed route, although our scheme was arranged between Collins and -myself in whispers. But we were silently thankful for the information -we received, and when we ascertained the plan of pursuit, we fixed our -course so as to elude their pickets. - -With a thanksgiving and a prayer, we resolved to continue our journey -immediately with the beginning of the night. The night was calm -and clear. All the sounds that broke the stillness were the hoarse -croakings of the frogs, and the distant barking of watch-dogs on the -plantations. Looking up to God for guidance, he gave us a glimpse -of the North Star, the fugitive’s light of hope. We started in a -south-east direction, through the cane-brake, traveling part of the -time through dirty, stagnant water two feet deep, and sometimes -almost to our arms; but it was a venture for life, and we urged our -way patiently onward, until we came to water so deep that we were -obliged to stop, and wait for the morning. We hailed the day-dawn -with delight, hungry and weary as we were, for we had not tasted a -mouthful of food since we left the prison. As soon as the grayish -light appeared, we discovered that we were on the bank of a swail, -beyond which, on a little elevation of land, was one of the richest -blackberry fields I ever saw. It was like manna in the wilderness. With -these delicious berries we appeased our hunger, and were strengthened -for new hardships. The forenoon was one of peculiar beauty to us. We -found our Comforting Friend in that sacred retreat, present to cheer -our souls and feed our bodies. We rested a few hours, and talked of -the goodness of the Lord. Occasionally we would see a strange, unknown -reptile glide among the dense ground-foliage, or hear the song of some -strange wild-bird. We again started on our way, trying to pass the time -pleasantly by remarking the new varieties of vegetation that everywhere -met the eye—the wild-flowers, the singular leaves, the swamp-mosses, -and the thousand beautiful creations of an Omnipotent Hand, far in the -solitudes of Georgia. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Seeking the Hills—Retreating to the Swamps—Pursued by - Bloodhounds—Suffering from Hunger—A Dreary Night—An Answered - Prayer—Singular Noise—Lost in the Cane-brake—A Dismal Journey—A - Dream—A Surprise—Wanderings and Wearyings in the Wilderness—A - Comforter Present—Hope and Cheer—A Cotton-field—A Friend in - Need—Negro Music—A Feast in the Night—An Intelligent Slave—Advice to - Fugitives. - - -About two o’clock, we ventured to leave the swamp, and strike out -for the low hills, and travel through the pines. It was the 20th of -June, and a long day to us. We had scarcely entered the pine forest, -when we saw eight men with guns, on the lookout for us, some of whom -we had previously seen on the same errand. We instantly retreated to -the swamp, yet not before we were discovered. The dogs were instantly -put on our track, and in order to break the scent, we again sought -the swail, and waded in water to our knees. We passed through the -densest portions of the brake, where it stood thick and tall, forming, -in places, an almost impenetrable wall of stalks, which we carefully -adjusted behind us. After several hours of this cautious traveling -and covering our way, we were obliged to lie down among the swamp -palm-leaves for rest. We could distinctly hear the baying of the -bloodhounds in search of our track, but we felt pretty well assured -they would not be able to follow it. The next morning found us wet and -weary, and quite chilled by the dampness of our bed. We thought to make -our way out to the pine hills, but had hardly concluded to hazard the -attempt, when we again heard the hounds nearer than before. We then -penetrated yet further into the tangled cane-thicket, for it had become -a welcome retreat for us. By patient endurance we again baffled our -enemies, only, however, to find ourselves threatened with starvation. -We tried to catch fish, but failed. We were even “unlucky” in our -attempts to take frogs from the swail with our hooks. Our forlorn -situation can better be imagined than described. Cold, wet, hungry, -weak from exposure, heartsick with disappointments, and, worse than -all, pursued as criminals by those who should have befriended us, we -were almost ready to despair, and lie down to die in the midst of the -dismal swamp. I felt that indeed strange changes had occurred in my -life; for, only a few months before, I was a free man, surrounded by -the kindest of friends, happy in my cottage home, or in my pastoral -walks among the people whom I loved. But now I was compelled to -flee for life, half clad and half starved, to the heart of a watery -wilderness! From our covert of shade we watched the sun go down, and -felt the quiet night coming on. Oh! dreary evening! sunless, hopeless, -comfortless, and dark! thy memory haunts me still! But we lost not our -confidence in God. We knelt in the black water, and prayed. And down -through the still night—down through the deep darkness—down through the -dense cane-brake—down to our prostrate souls afar in the solitude, came -the Blessed Comforter, and we took courage. We thought of the old Jews, -compelled to wander about in sheep-skins and goat-skins. We trusted in -Elijah’s and Elisha’s God, and remembered that Daniel had dwelt safely -in the den of lions. We were so completely thrown upon God’s mercy, -that our faith was stronger than ever. We felt that God was nearer in -the shadows than in the sunshine—that in bowing in the water of the -swamp to pray, we placed our lips nearer to the Infinite Ear than if we -worshipped in temples on the mountain. - -We spent the entire day, the 21st of June, in this bog. When night -came, we tried again to sleep, but were annoyed by a new enemy—a -legion strong—the pestiferous musquitoes. During the night, our -attention was attracted by a sound like the driving of a stake. We -arose and cautiously reconnoitered in the direction from which the -noise proceeded. To our surprise, we came upon a small corn-field, -containing about two acres, surrounded by a rude fence of pine poles. -We trembled at the thought of being so near a human habitation; and -after pulling a few stalks of the young corn to eat, we hastened -into the thicket, and traveled on. The roots of the corn, cleansed -and salted, were eaten with a relish. The sound which had arrested -our attention proved to be that produced by an insect of the beetle -species, and the painful stillness and solitude of the place, served -to make it more impressive than it would otherwise have been. The -North Star was our only guide; and shaping our course by its uncertain -light, we again resumed our journey. We had not traveled far, however, -until we became completely bewildered in the cane-brake. The sluggish -water spread on every side, the thick cane and underbush so mingled and -commingled, that it was impossible to move in any direction. Again we -concluded to tarry for the daylight; and breaking a few cane-stalks, -and laying them on the ground near a mossy log, for a bed, we tried to -sleep. We were frequently disturbed in the night by prowling animals, -but none of them was so terrible to think of as our human pursuers. -Judging it best to guard against all surprises from man or beast, we -agreed to sleep and stand sentinel alternately until morning. Thus we -relieved and rested each other that memorable night. - -It was a welcome day-dawn to us. For two hours I had stood guard over -Collins, watching the stars mirrored on the smooth waters about our -feet, and it was a glorious sunrise to us that chased the shadows and -images away, and flooded our gloomy retreat with the light of morning. -Again we started onward, taking the sun for our guide. The water grew -gradually more and more shallow, and the brushwood thicker. Berries -became scarcer, and our sufferings from hunger increased with every -step. We were that day wandering weary, foot-sore, and heart-heavy, -where in all probability, human foot had never trod before: - - “In the dark fens of the dismal swamp, - The hunted Yankees lay; - We saw the fire of the midnight camp, - And heard at times the horses’ tramp - And the bloodhounds’ distant bay. - - “Where hardly a human foot would pass, - Or a human heart would dare, - On the quickening turf of the green morass, - We crouched in the thick and tangled grass, - Like wild beasts in their lair.” - -On we pressed, amid the wild voices of the dark cane forest. Our -progress was slow. By-and-by, as we came upon a mossy log, we tarried -and tried to rest our aching heads. We soon fell asleep, being overcome -by fatigue. I dreamed of my loved ones at home—of watchful eyes and -praying voices in our behalf. I saw the old familiar hill-slope before -my cottage door, the orchard, the fields, and, better than all, -the friends of other days, and myself among them—all happy at the -old homestead in free Ohio. Some hovering angel must have come and -held the picture before my eyes, for I was in raptures of delight! -Suddenly I was aroused from my slumbers by the tread of some animal, -I knew not what. As I stirred, it hastened into the dark foliage and -was gone. I awakened my comrade and told him it was morning. He was -surprised to think he had slept so long, and both of us were greatly -refreshed. Again we prayed and pressed onward for home and friends, -and for a sight of the Stars and Stripes. We had decided on keeping -steadily on in a south-easterly course until we reached some point on -the sea-coast then in our possession. The sun beamed hotly over our -heads. We traveled as fast as possible all day, hoping that we might -find some negro—none else in that region were human beings—and through -the aid of slaves get something to eat, for we were actually starving. -We captured a frog that day, and divided the precious morsel between -us, with thanksgiving. At night we lay down, but hunger and faintness -prohibited repose. We longed for morning. We gazed upward to the -twinkling stars, praying them to speed faster through the firmament, -and let the sun arise. At length the blushing morn appeared. I hailed -it as the dawn of an eventful day, for now we must seek and obtain -food, or perish in the swamp. The idea of falling into the hands of our -enemies chilled our very souls. We thought to die alone, and “let the -dead bury the dead” in the wilderness, rather than suffer ourselves to -be recaptured and tortured to death by inches, to gratify the jeering, -jabbering multitudes. But the day was come when something more must be -ventured for life’s sake. At last dawn came, and again we fell upon -our knees and asked for wisdom and direction in the hour of need. -Rising comforted and strengthened, we changed our course, and pressed -forward, expecting to emerge from the cane-brake and find a plantation -where there were slaves. The undergrowth was so dense that we could -with difficulty make about one mile per hour. The day was fast passing -away, and so was our strength. At about three o’clock in the afternoon, -we sat down, almost in despair, and held a council, when we decided -that nothing but the hand of the Lord could deliver us. Again we bowed -ourselves before Him, and rose refreshed both in mind and body. Our -steps were elastic—our hearts gladdened, and we hurried onward, under -the conscious protection of God. - -Suddenly, I heard the barking of a dog not far distant. We paused -and listened. It was not a bloodhound. Collins, being a little deaf -from the effects of terrific artillery-firing at Shiloh, did not, at -first, catch the sound. Now we knew that help was near. We quickened -our pace, and in a few minutes heard the voices of some negro men. A -few steps farther, and we came in sight of a cotton-field, which we -approached by walking in the water of a small brook that flowed in that -direction. With great caution, we neared the field, in which there -were twenty-five negroes at work ploughing cotton. Most of the men -looked old and toil-worn. While we were reconnoitering our ground, I -observed an old, gray-haired man nearing the fence with his furrow, and -when he paused a moment to scrape his plough, before returning across -the field, I rapped on a rail, which instantly drew his attention. -When I caught his eye, I beheld an intellect and a sympathy languaged -there which gave me hope. I approached the old man with trembling step -and faltering voice, I know, for there was danger of communicating -with some excitable and treacherous slave—although such are rare -cases—yet I ventured to speak to my wondering auditor. I approached -that cotton-field, half famished as I was, with many of my Virginia -prejudices against the negroes, for I had been taught to regard them as -unreliable and stupid. But I felt that death was in the swamp, and life -_might_ be in the cotton-field. - -“Well, uncle,” said I, “I am traveling through your country, and I am -very ragged, as you see. I don’t wish to call on white folks in this -condition, and I am very hungry. Could you get me something to eat?” - -“Oh, yes, massa! God bless you! all you want; but go back! go -back!” he continued, waving his hand, as if to hurry me back to our -hiding-place; “go back, massa! they’s after you wid de houns and de -horses! Do you see dat ole cabin up dar, in dat field? To-night, just -at ’leven o’clock, come to dat cabin, massa, and I’ll gin you all de -supper you want. Now, go back! go back, massa!” - -“Uncle, you won’t bring anybody with you, will you?” - -“Why, God bless you, massa. _I knows you! I knows you!_” - -“Now, uncle, what do you know about me?” - -“Why, you’s one of dem Yankees dat broke away from Macon prison, massa. -_I knows you!_ God bless you!” - -“Well, uncle, don’t tell that to anybody, will you?” - -“Tinks _I_ tell anybody, massa, when all I’s got in dis worl’ depends -on ye? No, no, massa! But go back! go back, till ’leven o’clock! mine, -now, massa!” and he started after his plough, for by this time the -other hands were approaching. I went back, and reported the prospects -to my comrade. We concealed ourselves in the thick brush to await -the appointed hour. Just at dusk, the slaves unhitched their mules, -finished up their rows, and started for their cabins, singing: - - “We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses, - We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses, - We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses, - And wing, and wing, and wing with the angels, - And den wing with the angels, - In the New Jerusalem!” - -It was weird, eccentric music, but really the most thrilling I had ever -heard, as it rose through the still evening air in rich, mellow accord -from the voices of the whole company of slaves returning to their -humble homes for supper and rest. I thought, how little the people in -the North knew about these _crosses_! and I silently but fervently -prayed for the day to hasten when all these weary ones might find the -liberty for which they sang and suffered. - -The hours passed slowly away, but at length the appointed hour of -eleven o’clock drew nigh. We left our retreat, and advanced with the -utmost caution, until we came within thirty yards of the cabin, when we -lay down in a brier-path to watch for whatever movements might occur. -For a few minutes we were kept in suspense, not feeling fully satisfied -whether friend or foe might advance to meet us. Soon, however, the -faithful old negro came to the designated trysting-place. He was -evidently alone. He walked round and round the cabin, looking and -waiting for us, and on seeing us not, seemed greatly disappointed. When -we had assured ourselves that no one was with him, and that he was -true, we arose from our concealment, and walked to the cabin. He was -rejoiced to see our confidence in him, and was as thankful to give, as -we were to receive, the rich repast he had prepared for us. Our supper -consisted of corn-bread, smoked bacon, and boiled cauliflowers. He -also brought us a bottle of sweetened water. What a feast! Never did I -partake of food with such a relish. We received it as directly from the -hand of Him who “heareth the young ravens when they cry.” Being assured -by our old friend that we were perfectly safe, we tarried after supper -several hours, conversing on the state of our country, and receiving -advice as to the manner of proceeding on our journey. As the venerable -man talked to us, telling as how to escape to our homes and friends, -sharing his sympathies and his means with as poor destitute wanderers, -my old prejudices of caste were entirely obliterated. Beneath that -dark brow was the mind of a man, and within that slave’s bosom beat a -brother’s heart. I could have embraced him as my father. - -“Now, massa,” said he, as we were about to separate until all true -friends shall meet in heaven, “now do jis as I tells you, and you’ll -git away. You keep dis pine-ridge straight on through massa’s -plantation for five mile. Dis ridge goes clean to de coast. It’s ’bout -three hundred mile to de coast by de Ocmulgee riber. The Ocmulgee flows -into de Altamaha, and Darien is at de mouth of de Altamaha, and you’ll -find lots of de Yankees dar.” - -The old man understood the times. His knowledge of the war, with all -its recent and important movements, was thorough and accurate, although -he was careful and somewhat reticent, even in his communications to us. -In order to test his professed knowledge of us, and to ascertain all we -could relative to our pursuers, we plied him with various questions. - -“Well, uncle,” said we, “I suppose you know we are running from the -conscript?” - -“No, sah, I knows you is the Yankees what broke out o’ jail at Macon, -dat’s what I knows.” - -“You’re right, uncle. Now what do you know about this war?” - -“I doesn’t know much about it, sah; only I knows dat dey say, if de -Yankees whips, de darkies all be free, but if dese har rebels whips, -den we be slaves.” - -“Which do you prefer should gain the day?” - -“Why, God bless you, massa! does you tink I’s a fool? Course, I wants -you to whip.” - -“You say they are hunting us; how many have they after us?” - -“I doesn’t know jis zacly; but I knows dat tree men come to massa day -’fore yesterday for to git a bloodhound to hunt Yankees with what -runned away from Macon prison.” - -I confess that the thought of being pursued by bloodhounds was -horrifying in the extreme; and notwithstanding we had already seen two -large packs at different times upon our track, the possible death by -these fierce monsters in this wilderness made my blood run cold. - -Our further conversation gave us a full and satisfactory knowledge of -our route, and was delineated by our sable friend, as we had afterward -reason to know, with perfect geographical accuracy. We asked him that -in case we should be pursued by the bloodhounds, what means we should -employ to bewilder them. This was no new subject to him. He, in common -with his fellow-bondmen, had seen too many instances in which these -brutes had been employed in capturing fugitives, not to know their -nature, as well as the plans adopted to elude them. He told us when -the dogs followed us in the cane-brake, in order to prevent them from -keeping the trail, we should travel as much as possible in the water; -but if we should be closely pursued, to leave the cane-brake, and take -to the Ocmulgee river. He assured us that the dogs were fearful of the -alligators with which that river abounded, and that the slaves were -taught that alligators would destroy only negroes and dogs. He didn’t -believe it himself, although his master thought he did. He added: - -“If dem houns gits close on to you, why you jis git a long pole, and -hop about twenty feet, if you kin. You do dis four or five times, and -whenever you light, why jis put some pepper in de holes what your -heels make, and when de houns come, dey lose dar scent, and den dey -goes a snufflin and a snufflin roun’, and bymeby dey snuffles up dat -’ar pepper into dar nostrils, and den dey’ll go chee! chee! chee! and -dat’ll be de last dem dogs can do dat day.” - -This piece of information, and the manner in which it was conveyed, -accompanied as it was by violent gyrations of the body, and an exact -imitation of dog-sneezing, was very amusing; and though surrounded by -forbidding circumstances, we indulged in an audible smile. - -From this man we first learned of a complete organization among the -negroes, for the purpose of aiding fugitives in making their escape. It -was similar to an institution which I had often heard of as existing -in the Northern States, under the name of “Underground Railroad.” The -officers of this Southern Underground Railroad, on which we were glad -to take passage, were the slaves of the different plantations, who were -thoroughly acquainted with their duties, and were very suspicious lest -they should be imposed upon. When we inquired how these men should know -us, he told us that he would arrange that matter, so that we need have -no fears, but to submit ourselves to their guidance, and all would be -well. - -We traveled that night through the plantation belonging to the master -of this black man. We reached the woods just a little before the dawn -of day, and here we lay down until a faint light streamed in from “the -windows of morning,” when we resumed our journey. All was lone and -silent. The wood through which we went, with its alluring depths—the -verdant moss beneath our eager feet—each blossom-laden, fragrant -bough—and the bearded grasses that shook in the wind,—all gave me -their secret sigh. All the sweet land around—the distant hill—the -distant shore, said, “Redeem me from my chains!” - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - Pursued by Horses, Hounds, and Men—Another Night in the Cane-brake—An - Alligator—A Pleasant Discovery—The Pass-word—Slaves at Work—A Negro - Supper—Important Information—A Panther—A Chase to avoid a - Chase—Bloodhounds Again—Fourth-of-July Dinner—Dismal Night in the - Ruins of a Meeting-house. - - -While thus making our way through the forest, we fancied we heard the -sound of pursuers, and were once more obliged to take refuge in the -dismal, but now welcome cane-brake. Just where we entered the swamp, -the water was very shallow, and, consequently, afforded us but poor -protection from the bloodhounds, whose peculiar cries we expected -to hear every moment. We therefore made our way with as much haste -as possible far into our miry retreat, where the depth of mud and -water secured us from the scenting of the fearful animals and their -bloodthirsty masters. - -Presently we came upon a stream of water, which, diverging from the -river at a point above, made a circuit, and fell into the river again -at a point below us, thus converting the area it embraced into an -island. The water looked deep, and we did not relish a soaking, after -having our clothes dried during our stay in the woods. But once on the -island, our safety was insured for there was no ferry-boat, nor even a -skiff, in that silent, murky swamp, by which our would-be captors might -cross over. Besides, we had seen too many hardships to be frightened by -trifles, and we therefore plunged boldly in, my brave comrade taking -the advance, and soon reached the island. - -That night, June 24th, we made ourselves a bed on the banks of the -Ocmulgee, by cutting down the canes which grew around us in luxuriance. -We also kindled a fire, after screening the spot so effectually as to -prevent its light reaching the eyes of any foe; and by its cheering -flames we partially dried our wet and ragged clothing. Casting -ourselves upon our rude couch, we watched the beautiful stars in the -distant realm on high, and listened to the murmurs of the crystal -stream that was protecting us from pursuit, until at last we fell -into a deep slumber. Just before closing our eyes, we heard, at some -little distance below us, a noise resembling that which might be made -by a huge log, one end of which was caught upon a sand-bank, and the -other playing loosely in the stream. But we were too sleepy to suppose -that there was any danger indicated by the odd sound, and we paid no -attention to it. - -Protected by that God who watched Hagar in the wilderness, we slept -peacefully until day-dawn, when we were suddenly aroused by the most -terrific noise I had ever heard. It resembled the sound of a heavy -steam-whistle, though not quite so loud nor shrill. Remembering at the -moment a description by the Rev. Joshua Boucher, who had traveled in -Georgia, of the bellowing of an alligator, I at once concluded that -this must be one. Stepping from my tent, or rather cane-hut, I had -ocular demonstration of the fact, for there, only a short distance from -me, lay the hideous reptile in all his ugliness. Thinking it about time -that one or the other of us should change quarters, I threw a chunk at -him. He took the hint, and crawled away into the water, only, however, -to return in about ten minutes to his old post, where, opening his -fearful jaws, and keeping them so until they were covered with flies, -he snapped them together with a report that chilled our blood. This -was Wednesday morning, June 25, and we intended to remain all day in -the swamp, for the river was lined with boys and negroes. During the -afternoon, we espied a skiff on the opposite side, and laid several -plans to obtain possession of it, but they were all frustrated. This -proved to be a blessing, however, for, while making our last attempt, -we were seen by an old negro, who seemed to recognize us immediately. -From this lowly slave we learned that the river was guarded for miles, -to prevent our escape. Our pursuers were on the watch for us all the -way to Hockinsville. This newly-found friend pointed out to us our -only path of escape, and appointed a spot where he would meet us at -midnight, and bring us some food. We blessed the negro, and, following -his directions, reached the place of refuge, where we anxiously awaited -his second appearance. But the hour passed on, and so did several more, -but he came not. He had, doubtless, been seized by the patrollers. - -The sun of the 26th found us still pressing forward. We had gotten -thus far, like the old apostles, with “neither scrip nor staves,” but -we felt that God was with us, and his servants, the poor, downtrodden -slaves, helped us on. Whenever we met one of the latter, who replied -to our question, “Can’t dis yer day,” he was a friend, but unable to -assist us on account of the patrollers. If one answered, “I know you,” -he was posted, and all was well. - -We passed the night in the pine-woods, I remaining awake, and guarding -my friend, Collins, who was completely worn out. During the next day, -we made a good distance, in spite of numerous difficulties. By the -28th, our rebel clothing was well nigh worn off us, and our hunger -began to increase terribly. In the evening, we came upon some slaves -in a field, among whom were several females, about eighteen or twenty -years of age. The latter were almost naked, having nothing on them save -a very short skirt, fastened round the waist, and held in its place -by straps, which passed over the shoulders. All the upper portion of -the body, and about three-fourths of the nether limbs, were thereby -exposed. None of their complexions were black, while one or two of them -were nearly white. We agreed with these slaves to hide ourselves in -a neighboring lane until night, when they promised to bring us food. -Shortly after, one of them brought us the unwelcome intelligence that -we were in danger, and warned us to again take to the swamp, which -was some half a mile away. This we did, and after wandering some time -along the edge thereof, sat down at last beside a clear crystal spring, -in which were sporting numbers of beautiful fish. We could hear the -negroes singing in the field—which exercise was a signal we understood -to mean that we should lie still until it ceased, when we might safety -venture out to the lane—until about nine o’clock, when all became -quiet. By midnight we returned to our designated hiding-place, where -we were soon joined by a black man and one of the girls, a beautiful, -modest creature we had seen in the corn-field. They brought us fat -meat, corn-bread, greens, and “bonny-clabber,” which was a welcome -sight to us. During the conversation we held with these negroes, we -learned that their master had gone to the war, leaving them in the -charge of an overseer. We ascertained, also, that “the Yankees” had -possession of Darien, on the coast, and that, in consequence, the -slaves had been removed into the interior of Georgia. Close by there -were three hundred rice-farm hands encamped, who were in a starving -condition, having been driven to the interior of the State by their -masters, in order to prevent confiscation, and being unable to make -a living for themselves. Our humble friends informed us that if we -continued straight on we would reach Darien in two days, provided we -exercised due caution to avoid the patrollers, who, since our escape -from Macon, had been searching for us vigilantly. The night was well -nigh all spent in conversation with these slaves, and we had not got -much further on our way, when the dawn broke upon us, compelling us to -leave the road and take to the pines. We were subsequently obliged to -leave even these, and plunge once more into the more friendly swamps. - -After our slender stock of provisions was exhausted, we became -exceedingly hungry, and the day passed away without our obtaining -even so much as a frog or fish. We slumbered all the night, which was -chilly and damp, in the cane-brake. A fire which we had kindled, we -were obliged to extinguish, for fear that its light might point out our -refuge to some enemy. During the stilly hours that followed, we were -once disturbed by a strange noise, which, I subsequently ascertained, -in a conversation with Rev. Dr. Kost, must have been made by a panther. - -The next day, being terribly fatigued and hungry, we resolved to make -an attempt at replenishing our commissary department. The sun came -up bright and very hot, and our journey through the swamp-palms was -indeed a toilsome one; but these self-same palms secured us against our -pursuers, and we therefore did not complain. - -An effort that we made shortly after to leave the marsh, discovered to -us our pursuers, and we were once more forced back to our muddy asylum, -where we concealed ourselves beneath a muscadine vine until twelve -o’clock. While so concealed, a strange noise fell upon our ears, and -presently we saw a black man coming directly toward us, blowing a horn -to call swine. When he was about thirty feet from us, we called to him, -with the expectation of learning from him at what points on the river -the guards were stationed, and also of obtaining from him something to -eat. - -Upon being first hailed, he exclaimed, “Don’t know you, sah!” and when, -stepping from my concealment, I called to him a second time, he seemed -terrified. The next instant he fled madly away from us, we pursuing him -desperately, in order to secure him, and thus save ourselves from new -pursuers. But, notwithstanding the fact that he carried a bushel basket -half filled with corn upon his back, he distanced us. Once he stumbled -in a swail, and sent the corn and mud all over himself, but he quickly -regained his feet, and was soon after lost to our view. - -[Illustration: “We beheld the glistening eyes of the hounds, saw their -long tongues lolling from between their powerful jaws, and saw their -large, terrible teeth shining like pearls.”—Page 139.] - -We were now indeed in peril; and very shortly afterward, the wild bay -of the bloodhounds rang upon our ears through the murky air of the -morass. Nearer, clearer, deadlier came the dreadful sounds, and we -crouched in our retreat, expecting every moment to see the ferocious -animals bounding upon us. But, thank God for his watchful mercy, the -brutes, misguided by a stratagem which the negroes had taught us how to -execute, were deceived, and we had the infinite delight of seeing them -dash into the stream, swim to the other side, and then, renewing their -fierce cries, bound away, closely followed by fifteen human bloodhounds -mounted on fleet horses. The peril was not past yet, however, for, -finding themselves thrown from the scent, the well-trained brutes soon -came back to the stream, recrossed to the side we were on, and coming -to our old track, lay down, snuffing and panting, not a hundred yards -from us. Think of that, reader! Peeping through the canes we beheld -the glistening eyes of the hounds, saw their long tongues lolling -from between their powerful jaws, and saw their large, terrible teeth -shining like pearls. - -Their savage masters stood on the bank of the swail cursing us, and -threatening what they would do if they retook us. Once more the God of -our fathers stretched forth His arm and delivered us, for, hearing them -post their men we struck away from them in a northern direction, and -shortly had the satisfaction of leaving them some fifteen miles in the -rear. - -Onward, onward we pushed, until so overcome with fatigue that we were -fain to stretch ourselves upon the sand and sleep. This was July 3d. -The succeeding day—the Fourth—broke upon us bright and beautifully, -and we sped forward with all the power of our limbs. We came at last -to a very scanty corn-field, which, as we learned from the slaves who -attended to it, yielded only about two and a half bushels to the acre. -Cotton was the staple in that region, and with it were bought all -the necessaries of life. Poor as was the corn, however, we carefully -confiscated some roasting-ears, on which, with half of a frog, we made -our Fourth-of-July dinner, thanking our Divine Preserver for the gift. -The remaining half of the frog was carefully reserved, with some corn, -for a future meal. - -The morrow was cloudy and cool. We were now drawing near to the coast, -for, as we went along, we espied a turtle belonging to a species that -lived only in salt water. His shell was extremely beautiful, and would, -doubtless, have been very valuable had we thought about dollars and -cents; but some berries, which we found, were of far greater worth to -us at that time. - -Night found us still wandering in the land of rattlesnakes, scorpions, -and traitors. Next day, while hunting a sweet-potato patch for a stray -root or two, we saw a negro man, to whom we did not, however, get a -chance to speak. Fearing that he might not, perhaps, be friendly, we -once more betook ourselves to the pines, where, although we did not -know it at the time, we were hotly pursued. Soon afterwards, the rain -fell in torrents, while the thunder rolled in heavy peals, and the -lightning played sharply about us. When evening came, we were soaking -wet, and chilled through; and coming to an old dilapidated building, -that was overgrown with Spanish moss, and seemed as though it had been -uninhabited for many a year, we hurried into it. By the aid of the -lightning, we found that it was nearly filled with half-wild goats, -which, on our arrival, hastily evacuated the premises, leaving us -in free and undisputed possession. The structure was nothing more -than an old church, with some rude benches in one end, and a ruined -chancel at the other. I here found some leaves of a Bible, upon which -I pillowed my head for the night, and slept the more sweetly that I -did so. Adjoining this church was a graveyard, containing some rough -tombstones, beneath which slept the dead ones of many years, all -unconscious of the events passing above their heads. - -The following day we left our retreat, and continued our flight in -the midst of a terrible storm. About three o’clock, we discovered a -sweet-potato patch, but it had been completely stripped of every root. -That night, unable, on account of having got our matches wet, to kindle -a fire, we slept in a corn-field, pulling the dried stalks over us to -partially shelter us from the descending rain. The next day, we resumed -our flight, or rather our wading, for every rivulet was swollen to a -good-sized creek. In endeavoring to cross a turbid stream upon the -“giddy footing” of a loose log, we were precipitated into twelve feet -of water, and were obliged to swim to the other shore, grateful that we -escaped with nothing worse than a ducking. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Nearing the Coast—Dangerous Predicament—Suspicious Company—A Fugitive - Conscript—Clay-eating Officials—The Squire—Arrested—Mess No. 44, - _alias_ Mr. Meeser—Acquitted—Placed under Guard—In Chains Again—A - Forced March—Before the Court—A Union Speech in Dixie—Better - Fare—Southern Superstition—A Slave at Prayer. - - -We were now within thirty-five miles of the coast, and here the river -took a direct turn eastward, by which we knew that we were on the -direct road to Darien. Two miles further on, we suddenly came upon some -houses. Men and women were passing almost within hailing distance; but -caution forbade us revealing ourselves, and so we attempted to regain -the swampy thicket. On our way thither, we passed a field in which -were a number of geese; and so strong was the temptation to ascertain -whether goose was as palatable as frog, that we halted, and concealing -ourselves, wearily awaited the fall of night, intending to make a foray -by starlight. But by four o’clock a heavy thunderstorm came up; and -dreading to be again wet, we made our way to an old waste-house near -by where, shortly, much to our surprise, in came two men, one rather -old, and the other young. They inquired where we were from. Collins, -whose fictitious name was Compton, told them that we lived in Pulaski -county, Georgia; that we had been driven by the Yankees from Darien, -and were now on our way home. We were in a hurry to get there before -the conscripts left for the seat of war, in order that we might go with -our own boys. - -This they thought was all true; and when the rain ceased, we kept up -the deception by walking along the road with them. They soon after -struck off into a by-road, and when we had gone a little further on, -and thought ourselves safe, we turned our footsteps back towards -Darien. Just as we turned, we were hailed by a man all clothed in rags, -whose appearance indicated that he might have been hiding in the swamp -for months. He quickly joined us, and entered into conversation. He -opposed the war violently; and judging from this that he was merely -acting a part, I determined to be “secesh.” - -“I don’t understand,” said he, “this tarnal war!” - -“Why! you’re not a Yankee, are you?” I asked. - -“Oh, no!” he replied; “but I don’t understand it.” - -“Why,” resumed I, “don’t you know that the Yankees are coming down here -to free our negroes?” - -“Darn the tarnal niggers!” was the rejoinder; “I ain’t got any.” - -“But they will confiscate our land.” - -“Well, I haven’t got no land, so they can’t hurt me. Another thing, -they say they’re fighting for the old flag we all loved.” - -Rallying myself, I answered: - -“They’re all abolitionists; and if you and I don’t fight, these negroes -will be freed among us.” - -“Well, now, gentlemen,” said our new companion, “if you’ll hear me a -minute, without getting mad, I’ll tell you all about my case. I’m a -conscript, and I’ve got to go soldiering for eleven dollars a month. If -I’d get a jean like that of yours”—pointing to an old cotton coat that -I wore—“I’d have to pay eleven dollars a yard for it. These shoes I’ve -got on cost ten dollars; corn-meal is two dollars and fifty cents per -bushel, and salt one dollar per pound. Now, how in the d——l can a man -soldier under them circumstances?” - -I felt myself completely beaten; but still fearing a catch somewhere, I -resolved to try the fellow again. - -“Why, you’re a regular-built Yankee!” I exclaimed, “and ought to be -taken up, and if I had my way, you would be.” - -At this he changed the subject, and we told him the Pulaski county -story. He then invited us to his house to get something to eat, to -which, of course, we had to consent. While there enjoying our meal, -which consisted of corn-bread and sour milk, and watching him closely -all the time, in marched fifteen conscripts. They immediately seized -the master of the house, and put him under a heavy guard. Here was -a new dilemma, and I winked at my comrade to answer all questions, -as I was fearful that if both of us undertook the task, some fatal -mistake might occur. He did so, and succeeded remarkably well, for he -was shrewd and quick at perception. I stood carelessly by the fire, -drying the only stocking I had, and playing the idiot to what I thought -perfection. The intruders were dressed savagely, their heads being -covered with rudely-made caps of coon-skin, the tail of the animal -hanging down their backs. Several of them were eating the clay which -has so often been noticed by travellers in the South. - -These miserable creatures despatched one of their number on a jenny, -who shortly after returned, bringing with him the “squire,” a long, -lanky, knock-kneed man, with hollow eyes and lantern jaws. He had -a law-book tucked under his arm, to give weight, I suppose, to his -appearance. This dignitary (?) stepped to me, and began questioning me -with much official haughtiness, in fact so offensively, that I became -enraged at last, and throwing off my assumed character of an idiot, -exclaimed: - -“Who _are you_?” - -“I’m the _squiah_, sir, the _squiah_!” he replied, in his half negro -dialect, and in exceedingly pompous tones. - -“Well,” said I, “the people who made a squire of you must have been -very short of material. But, sir squire, what is your business here?” - -“To hold a trial over _you_; that thar’s my bis’nis here.” - -I looked the ignoramus sternly in the face, as I rejoined: - -“Well, sir, if you undertake to ‘_hold a trial_’ over Pulaski county -citizens, we’ll make you smoke for it.” - -My determined manner nonplussed him considerably, and turning to a -companion, who seemed to be a conscripting officer, he said: - -“I don’t want nuthin’ to do with these yer tarnal fellers, fur they -know ’emselves, I golly!” - -The conscripting officer, however, was not so easily turned aside, -for failing to induce the “_squire_ to hold a trial on us,” he sent a -message to the deputy sheriff, and that high functionary came promptly -to the rescue of the “Confederacy,” and arrested us. The squire having -thus shifted this responsibility, regained his courage, and said to us, -fiercely: - -“Now, then, you’re arrested, and you’ve got ter tell us who you are, -and whar from.” - -“Ah! we’re prisoners now, and you may find out all you want to know if -you can,” was our reply. - -We were forthwith searched, the result of which was the finding of a -slip of paper in one of my pockets with “_Mess No. 44_” written on -it. Not one of our captors could read; and when I asked for a written -copy of the charges against us, they were completely dumbfounded. The -“squire,” with a kind of glorification in his tones, said: - -“A bill, you tarnal fool! I can’t write, I golly!” - -My comrade was asked if he could read and write, and on his saying yes, -the card was handed to him to decipher. The crowd clustered around, -and when he assisted them in spelling out the word upon it, one cute -fellow exclaimed: - -“Meeser! Meeser! that’s it!” - -“Yes, that’s it,” bawled another, who had thrown himself on a bed; “Mr. -Meeser, I golly! John Meeser, what lives up in Pulaski county, and -keeps a grocery, and sells good whiskey, I golly.” - -Here was our salvation; and starting forward, I harangued my -wondering auditors with all the eloquence at my command, appealing, -and threatening, and reasoning by turns. The result was that we were -acquitted, the “squire” himself announcing it in the following laconic -style: - -“You’re clar, I golly!” - -The night setting in with a heavy storm of rain, again we were all -compelled to remain in the house together. We, ourselves, pretended to -sleep, and heard the rebels several times remark: - -“How sound these men sleep! None but innocent men could sleep that way.” - -Shortly after midnight, we made an attempt to escape, but, opening -the wrong door, we found ourselves in another room, which was tenanted -by some of the conscripts. In an instant all were awake, and we were -once more seized. Several of them accused us of being devilish Yankees, -and urged hanging as the best course to pursue. Others of them still -believed us to be what we had represented ourselves. This division of -opinion resulted in the deputy sheriff ordering us to be taken from the -house under a guard of six men with loaded muskets. He followed us out, -telling us as we walked along, that we must go into close confinement. -We could not realize what he meant, but we soon learned, for within ten -minutes we were chained together with a huge chain. One end was twined -round my neck, and secured with a large padlock, while the other end -was placed in like manner about Collins’ neck. - -There, in the midst of ruthless foes, a thousand miles away from home -and its endearments, we stood wet, ragged, and forlorn; chained, yes, -chained together, like felons, like oxen, like wild beasts. Had it not -been for the comforting spirit of God, I am certain that I should have -sunk at this juncture with despair; for in fancy I could see my wife -and my little ones in their peaceful cottage, fondly asking when the -absent loved one would return. “Ah!” thought I, “when, indeed, shall I -be joined to you once more, darlings? Shall it be on this earth, or -shall it be in that better land where man’s inhumanity to man makes -no one mourn?” - -[Illustration: “One end of the chain was twined round my neck, and -secured with a large padlock, while the other end was placed in like -manner about Collin’s neck.”—Page 150.] - -In the morning, our merciless captors, forming on either side of us, -and also in our rear, forced us to march forward. My wounded foot and -hand pained me very much, and it was with the utmost difficulty that -I could walk. The disparity, also, in the height of my comrade and -myself—I being much taller than he—caused me to give him a severe jerk -at every step. So fatigued and dispirited did we at last become, that -we threw ourselves down, and refused to go any further. At this our -captors threatened to shoot us. We were not to be intimidated thus, -however, and the ruffians were at last obliged to obtain a rickety -old wagon, in which we were carried some distance. After traveling -forty-five or fifty miles, we arrived at the town of Jackson, Georgia, -where the people had already heard of our approach. On reaching the -place, we were allowed to seat ourselves on a Captain Smith’s porch, -until a court could be convened for our trial. The jury was composed -almost entirely of old men, and while they were preparing for their -assumed duties, our guards were off trying to hunt up some whiskey. -But the latter article was worth eight dollars a pint, their efforts -were not likely to meet with much success. This was fortunate for us, -as, if they should obtain enough of the vile compound to intoxicate -themselves, they would most likely kill us on their return. - -The court soon being prepared to proceed, I was the first arraigned. We -had resolved to tell the truth concerning ourselves, no matter whether -we should die for it or not, and so I addressed the court as follows: - -“May it please the court, I was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, -but early in life removed with my father to Ohio, and settled in Shelby -county, where he raised his family of six sons and three daughters. -Of this family, I am the youngest member, except one. Early in life -I commenced a public career, which I followed until I heard of the -bombardment of Fort Sumpter—until I heard that a league of men, banded -together for the express purpose of destroying the best government -on God’s earth,—had dragged our glorious old banner down into the -dust, and trampled it beneath their feet, and finally fired it from -a cannon’s mouth, in order that no vestige of it might remain. Then -I remembered that my grandsire had fought under that holy banner at -Bunker Hill; that he was present on the field, when Molly Pitcher, -stripping the uniform from the stiffening limbs of her dying husband, -assumed his command, and drove the enemy back. I also remembered that, -in 1812, my father, leaving at home all his loved ones, took the field -in defence of the Stars and Stripes. I have heard my mother say—God -bless her! she is now in heaven—that her husband and six brothers were -in the army at the same time. Now, gentlemen, do not think I will waive -any part of the facts in the case. The son of pious parents, I was -always taught to speak nothing save the truth; but, on the day we were -arrested by these gentlemen, if I dare call them such, I gave my first -denial of the positive truth. We both endeavored to deceive you. And -why? Because we knew that our lives were not safe, if you should learn -who we really were.” - -(Here a voice said, “No, by golly, they’re not safe, _now_!”) - -“Gentlemen, be that as it may,” continued I, “I will speak my last -words with courage, and they shall be truthful words. When this war -broke out, I was engaged at my profession in Cincinnati, Ohio; but I -felt, and I avowed it at Heaven’s altar, that I could be nothing else -than a United States soldier. I accordingly volunteered to join my -loyal countrymen already in the field. - -“On March 4th, we left Paducah, Kentucky, and on the 13th, we -landed on Pittsburg Hill. I contended with all my heart and might -against Beauregard’s skirmishers for several days; but I was finally -overpowered by numbers, captured, and taken to Corinth. From there I -was taken to Columbus, Mississippi, from there to Montgomery, Alabama, -and from thence to Macon, Georgia. On the night of June 18th, in -company with my comrade, I broke from the guard-house at the latter -place, ran your guard-lines, and escaped. Since then we have been fed -and assisted by your negroes, until now we are in your power. - -“In conclusion, gentlemen, I would say, shoot me, hang me, cut my -throat, kill me in any way you please. But, know you, that in so doing, -you kill a United States soldier, who glories in these chains!” I shook -my chains as I finished. - -In an instant there was an uproar, some demanding that our chains -should be removed, and others swearing that they should not. The matter -was settled by the sheriff, however, who, on receiving our word that we -would give him no trouble, freed us from the disgusting bonds. - -[Illustration: “In an instant there was an uproar, some demanding that -our chains should be removed, and others swearing that they should -not.”—Page 154.] - -This change of our fortune was as sudden as it was unexpected. We -enjoyed supper with Captain Smith, having finished which, we found the -deputy sheriff ready, with a team of splendid horses, to convey us -to his own residence, some two miles from town. We were not long in -ascertaining that the sheriff was a Western Virginia man, and that his -sympathies were with the United States government. He informed us that -Captain Smith was under bonds for ten thousand dollars for his good -behavior. From the Captain we got the story of the men who followed us -in the sweet-potato patch on the same day we came to the old church, of -which I have before spoken. - -In the course of their pursuit they had stopped at the Captain’s door, -and inquired of him if two men, answering our descriptions, had passed -that way lately. Thinking at the moment of the old church, and wishing -to test their bravery, he informed them that he believed they would -find us there. He took care to add, however, that the building was -haunted, and that from out of the graves which surrounded it, they -would see men rising without heads. One and another at this exclaimed -against going on an errand fraught with such danger from spirits, and -we were thereby saved from capture, at least at that time. - -After hinting to us the sentiments of Captain Smith and himself, the -sheriff invited us to his house. It was constructed of rough pine logs, -but scrupulously clean and neat in all its arrangements. We also saw -his negroes’ quarters, and they were nearly as good as his own house. -As we passed along on our way to inspect a field of sugar-cane, we were -amused to see the slaves peeping at us from behind the corners of their -cabins. - -Our friend next furnished us with water, soap, towels, and a razor, and -going into the sugar-house, we cleaned ourselves. This expression may -seem rather strong to delicate ears, but it is the only term which even -faintly describes our task. We at once commenced hostilities, scraping -rebel mud, wood-ticks, and body-guards from our skins. The contest -lasted for over two hours and a half, we proving entirely victorious. - -When it was dark, we heard the same old song that we had heard -before, when the negroes were coming from their work. As I sauntered -down a lane near by, words of prayer fell upon my ears, and a little -investigation discovered to me a female slave down on her knees in her -lowly hut, asking God to bless and preserve her husband, who was to -be parted from her and sold to a new master. What Christian meekness, -resignation, and faith in God’s power, did this poor creature manifest -in her words of petition! and the lines sprang into my mind: - - “Christian men have bought and sold me, - Paid my price in paltry gold; - But, though slave they have enrolled me, - Minds are never to be sold.” - -Her prayer comforted her, and rising from her knees, she began to sing -“the song of David.” - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Christian Fellowship—Candid Conversation with a Slaveholder— - Clay-eaters—A True Unionist—Secret Organizations in the - South—Washington and Randolph on Slavery—Aunt Katy—Religion and - Republicanism—Pro-slavery Inexcusable in the North—A Distinguished - Abolitionist. - - -As the words of inspiration came to my ears, I, too, sank on my knees, -and poured forth my soul at the mercy-seat. I must have spoken rather -loudly, for the next morning, this identical slave woman, while -dressing my wounded foot, asked me to what church I belonged. On my -telling her, she sprang away quickly, and ran and informed her mistress -that I was a minister of their church. The lady immediately came to me, -her face wreathed in sweet smiles, and inquired if such was really the -case. I told her it was, and had been so since my seventeenth year. - -“Oh! sir,” she answered, “my husband is a member of that church.” - -At this moment breakfast was announced, and after the conclusion of -the meal, I was requested by both the sheriff and his wife, to lead -in prayer. The Lord put words into my mouth, and we had, indeed, a -happy time. My host then invited me to take a walk with him, which I -did, though my foot gave me considerable pain. We fell immediately to -conversation, in the course of which I got a full insight into the real -condition of affairs in the Southern Confederacy. - -To one of my questions, he answered: - -“Yes, sir, the war is the cause of all our misery. You see, for -instance, this region of country is adapted only to raising cotton, -for the land is too light for sugar-cane or rice. The masses of the -people in this particular county are employed in cutting timber, which, -being floated down the Ocmulgee to Darien, is sold there, and with the -proceeds are obtained the necessaries of life, flour, corn-meal, salt, -&c.” - -“Well,” suggested I, “you rich men, at least, will not suffer.” - -“There, sir, you are much mistaken. We shall suffer heavily; for, -though we have farms and plantations, yet we have not hands to work -them. And another thing, perhaps, you are not aware of, is, that we -have thousands of poor men who live here and there, in their pole-huts, -rearing large families on the little crops of cotton and so forth, -which they raise on some other man’s farm, upon which they have -squatted. In the fall they hunt, and thus supply their families with -meat and salt; the skins of the animals they take to procure the latter -article. So they live, half human, half animal, letting their progeny -loose upon us. Of course, many of them must starve now. If they could -obtain salt, however, they might live on gophers, which abound in the -pine-forests.” - -Presently, we came in sight of a wretched hut, about which I saw some -white children playing. My companion led me thither, with the remark: - -“I will show you, sir, a family belonging to the class of which I -speak.” - -Upon reaching the hut, my blood almost chilled at the sight of squalid -poverty which I beheld. There stood a family of ten persons; a -father—who on account of his age had escaped the conscription—a mother, -and eight ragged, filthy children. The ages of the latter, I should -judge, ranged from one year up to sixteen. The peculiar color of their -complexions struck me very forcibly; it was the same as that of the men -composing the first court by which I had been tried. My host gave us a -reason for it, that “they laid around so much in the dirt, and _ate so -much clay_.” I asked the man himself why he and his family ate clay. - -“Cause it’s good, I golly!” was the prompt reply. - -“Well, how are you getting along?” - -“Bad enough,” said he, “fur we hain’t had a grain o’ salt in the house -fur more’n four months, only as the sheriff here gins it to us.” - -“What do you live on, then?” I asked. - -“Oh, on gophers and corn-meal, now-a-days. But, I golly! our meal’s -out, and I don’t know what we’ll do next.” - -I got this miserable creature to make me a pair of slippers from old -boots, for which I paid him one dollar and fifty cents, in order that -he might get some corn-meal, which sold at two dollars and fifty cents -per bushel. This money was part of a sum that the sheriff had kindly -lent me. Before we took our departure, the lady (?) of the hut gave us -her opinion, in no measured terms, of the rascally Yankees. - -“Ah, sir,” said the sheriff, when we were out of hearing, “if I were -to speak the real sentiments of my mind, I should be hung before -twenty-four hours. I am a Union man, and when you get back to Ohio, I -want you to tell all the friends in our Church that I am so. I have -twenty-seven negroes, and a thousand acres of land, and I would let -the whole of it go, could I only see the Union restored to what it once -was. But this I never expect to behold, for while slavery exists, the -Union cannot be preserved. I am in reality an anti-slavery man, and -these are my reasons therefor: First, it is a sin in the sight of God; -secondly, it is an injury to the slave himself; and thirdly, it is an -injury to the white race.” - -“How so?” asked I. - -“Because land worked by slave labor is not worth half so much as when -worked by free labor. And, besides, if it were not for slavery, society -would be much improved, for the rich and poor, as things are now, are -very ignorant.” - -“How do the rich obtain their wealth?” said I. - -“In this way. A man comes here, perhaps, with one female slave, and, -in a comparatively short time, he has quite a number of young servants -about him. Some of these he sells, and with the proceeds purchases a -piece of timber-land. This he has cleared, sells the timber, gets more -slaves and another piece of land, and so goes on adding to his wealth -continually. He has no education himself, and, three times out of four, -gives his children none.” - -My host further informed me that he himself had three hundred acres -of land in Illinois, and that he had intended to send his son to -that State to be educated, but he supposed he would be unable to do -so now. He said he had no doubt that this Illinois property would be -confiscated. “But,” added he, warmly, “I do not care if it is, provided -the Union is restored!” - -The sentiments expressed by this man astonished me, and I could not -forbear asking him the reason why he opposed slavery so earnestly, and -yet held in bondage twenty-seven human beings. - -“I never bought nor sold a slave in my life!” said he. “You saw that -old negress, Kate, this morning; well, she belonged to my wife, as -did also her two sisters. These other slaves are all their children. -I would have freed them long ago, but they refused to leave me; and -I, on the other hand, could not leave them to go North, for I would -have been obliged to give security that they would not become a pest -and burden to the community, and that I was unable to do. So, you see -how the case stands. But I am not alone in my sentiments, sir. There -are thirty-five of us within an area of ten miles, who have organized -themselves into a society, and hold regular meeting every two weeks, to -oppose the conscription. This is confidential, for I know I can trust -you.” He spoke of the notice which had been taken by Northern journals -of the existence of such societies in the South, and referred to the -_disunion_ associations in the North. I informed him that the latter, -thank God, were few and far between, and could do no harm to the cause. - -This gentleman’s statement concerning the depreciation of Southern -land, brought to my mind the authority of the fathers of our Republic -on the subject. John Sinclair had written to Washington concerning -the difference of the land in Pennsylvania from that of Virginia and -Maryland. Washington’s answer was this: - -“Because there are in Pennsylvania laws for the gradual _abolition of -slavery_, which neither Maryland nor Virginia has at present; but there -is nothing more certain than that they must have, and at a period not -remote.” - -The sheriff’s statement regarding the liberation of his slaves, was the -same as that of John Randolph, Governor of Virginia. The latter said: - -“The deplorable error of our ancestors in copying a civil institution -from savage Africa, has affixed to their posterity a depressing burden, -which nothing but the extraordinary benefits conferred by our happy -climate could have enabled us to support. We have been far outstripped -by States to whom nature has been far less bountiful. It is painful to -consider what might have been, under other circumstances, the amount of -general wealth in Virginia, or the whole sum of comfortable subsistence -and happiness possessed by all her inhabitants.”—_Addressed to the -Legislature of Virginia_, 1820. - -In the course of a conversation I had with the old slave woman, Kate, I -said: - -“Aunt Katy, if the slaves were to be freed, it would not do you much -good, for you are old, and will soon pass into eternity.” - -“Thank de Lord, sah,” she replied, “I am ready to go! But, oh! I wish -I could only see my children and grandchildren in hope of freedom! And -dar’s my husband. You see his massa might sell him, and den I don’t -think I could live. Dar’s no danger of _my_ massa selling me, for -he’s a good man, and he’s let me and my children learn to read, and I -learned my husband.” - -“What is the law in Georgia on that point?” I asked. - -“God bless you, sah! they’d penitentiary a man for learning a slave to -read.” - -This I had heard before, but never until now did I give it credence. -Aunt Katy told me she was sorry we had not struck that town before in -our flight, as her son was an operator on the Underground Railroad, and -would have insured our escape. - -Evening came, and once more did I lead in prayer at family worship. I -did so with more assurance and faith than the evening before, for I now -thoroughly knew the sheriff’s sentiments. Had I not known them, I must -confess that my faith in his religion would have been greatly weakened. -Do not tell me of republican or mutual rights, or Christianity, when -the soul is full of tyranny. - - “Are you republicans? away! - ’Tis blasphemy the word to say. - You talk of freedom? Out, for shame! - Your lips contaminate the name. - How dare _you_ prate of public good, - Your hands besmeared with human blood? - How dare you lift those hands to Heaven, - And ask a hope to be forgiven? - How dare you breathe the wounded air - That wafts to Heaven the negro’s prayer? - How dare you tread the conscious earth - That gave mankind an equal birth? - And, while you thus inflict the rod, - How dare you say there is a God, - Who will in justice from the skies, - Hear and avenge his creatures’ cries? - ‘Slaves to be sold!’ hark, what a sound! - You give America a wound, - A scar, a stigma of disgrace, - Which you, nor time, can e’er efface; - And prove of nations yet unborn - The curse, the hatred, and the scorn.” - - _The Horrors of Slavery._ - -There are a few weak-kneed politicians in the North, who think to -curry favor with the South at this time, by exclaiming, that “we love -slavery, and that the negroes were made for slaves.” Did they but know -the opinion of Union men in the South, their hopes for popularity would -be for ever blighted. - -After our devotions were ended, conversation on the current topics of -the day was resumed. The sheriff expressed the hope that he would soon -hear of the arrests of all in the North who were opposed to a vigorous -prosecution of the war. This converse we continued until bedtime, when, -again joining in a supplication to the Throne of Grace, we retired for -the night. But sleep was a stranger to my eyes, for my foot and hand, -although Aunt Katy had dressed them skilfully, gave me excessive pain. -As I lay writhing on my couch, I was unable to banish the thoughts that -came flashing into my mind concerning the bondmen of the South; and -I pondered deeply whether I could not do something toward benefitting -them. Yet when such men as Washington and Jefferson failed, how should -I succeed? - -“But,” exclaims the tender-footed Union man, “you would not intimate -that Washington was an abolitionist?” - -To such an one I would say, “Hear the words of that great and good man.” - -“The benevolence of your heart, my dear Marquis, is so conspicuous on -all occasions, that I never wonder at fresh proofs of it. But your -late purchase of an estate in the colony of Cayenne, with a view of -emancipating the slave, is a generous and noble proof of your humanity. -Would to God a like spirit might diffuse itself generally among the -minds of the people of this country! But I despair of seeing it. Some -petitions were presented to the Assembly, at its last session, for the -abolition of slavery, but they scarcely obtained a hearing.”—_Letter to -Lafayette._ - -Rising early the next morning, I walked abroad to view the works of -God; and as I limped along, I thanked him exceedingly for his goodness -and kindness to me, his unworthy servant. As I passed the cabins of -the sheriff’s slaves, they were preparing to go up to his house for -prayers. - -After breakfast, our host, taking us aside, informed us that as we -had been committed to his charge, he would be obliged to return us to -Macon, where he would get the commandant to parole us, limiting us -at the same time to the boundaries of the State. Had he himself come -across us accidentally, he assured us that, instead of holding us, he -would have had us conveyed secretly to our lines. But this, under the -circumstances, he was now unable to do, as he would thereby incur the -death-penalty himself. We, of course, assented to this, as it would -have been extremely ungrateful to our host, who had protected us from -violence, to refuse. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Classes in the Confederacy—Terror of a Name—Insurrection—Suppressing - a Religious Meeting—The Safe Ground—A Sad Parting—Why Prisoners’ - Stories Differ—Effect of Church Division—The Darien Road—A Wealthy - Planter. - - -During the day, I walked out into the pines that I might be alone with -my thoughts; and there in the solitude I mused upon all the knowledge -that I had gained from my host, and also from my previous experience. -Oh! thought I, if our people at the North were permitted to look into -the hearts of the better class in the South, there they would see -nothing but opposition to the great sin of slavery. Could they but see -the South as I have seen it, they would come to the same conclusions as -myself, viz., that there are three distinct classes or castes. First, -there are the clay-eaters, or common mass of the people, upon whom even -the negroes look down with contempt. Second, there is the middle class, -in which we find all those who sympathize with the North in this war. -Lastly, we have the slave-owning aristocracy, haughty, supercilious and -powerful. - -Our host belonged to the middle class, and on being questioned why that -class held the peculiar position it did in regard to the rebellion, he -replied: - -“We know that the very moment they—the aristocracy—succeed in forming -a Confederacy, they will, of necessity, keep a large standing army. -Into this army they will force the sons of the poorest class, or -clay-eaters, while they themselves, having negroes to do all their -labor, will have full control of affairs. Then assuming all the -lucrative offices for themselves, they will force us in reality to -support them. - -“You may ask why we do not educate the poor whites, and thus set at -work a force that would destroy the power of the aristocracy. We would -willingly do so, but for the fact that they are so stubborn, ignorant, -and bigoted, that any attempt of such a nature would be termed -_abolition_, and you might, with far more safety, call a man a thief or -murderer than call him an _abolitionist_. - -“Should the Confederacy succeed, too, there will be another danger, -which will require all the power of the government to combat, and that -is the insurrection of the slaves. The latter are, almost to a unit, -expecting their liberty by reason of this war, and are at present -quietly awaiting such a result. Should it unfortunately turn out, -however, that the rebellion succeeds, then they will doubtless strike -a blow for themselves; and may Heaven spare me from witnessing the -terrible scenes which must follow.” - -Showing me his hand, which I noticed had been wounded at some former -time, the speaker added: - -“That wound I received in the following manner. It will serve to show -what harsh measures have already been resorted to for preventing any -rise of the slaves. I used to allow my servants to hold prayer-meetings -sometimes in the house; and on one occasion a patroller came to the -house while one of their meetings was in progress, and summarily -proceeded to break it up. I interfered, when, turning upon me, he -struck me a fearful blow with his weapon, breaking my fingers as you -see. I instantly shot him. Since then I have been obliged not to allow -the meetings.” - -In my own mind, I could but compare this noble gentleman to many -half-hearted Christians in the North, who would assist in perpetuating -the curse of slavery on the ground of policy. Shame on such false -Christians and hypocrites! They would call themselves democrats of the -nineteenth century. They would say they were on the side of Washington -and Adams, and all the fathers. But they are not, for Washington was -not in his heart a slaveholder, as the following extract from a letter -written by him is sufficient to prove: - -“I hope,” writes he, “it will not be conceived from these observations -that it is in my heart to hold the unhappy people, who are the subject -of this letter, in slavery. I can only say, there is not a man living -who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the -abolition of it.” - -Reader, you may, perhaps, complain or disapprove of my digressions from -the subject of my own perils and adventures to that of slavery; but, so -long as God blesses me with thoughts and words, so long will I continue -to strike at the wicked, man-degrading institution, with all my heart, -with all my soul, and with all my might. Slavery is the baneful Upas -that overshadows our glorious Republic, and its deadly exhalations -must in time destroy us, unless we cut it down, tear it out by the -roots, and completely annihilate it now and for ever. I, with the great -founders of the Republic, hold these to be self-evident truths: “That -all men are created free and equal; that they are endowed by their -Creator with certain inalienable rights: that among these are life, -liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, -governments are instituted among men, deriving their powers from the -just consent of the governed,” &c. - -But to return to my theme. When, after passing through innumerable -hardships and perils, being imprisoned in Columbus, Mobile, Montgomery, -and Macon, and spending twenty-one weary days in the dismal swamps and -pine-woods of Georgia, I reached the home of the sheriff, I, like Paul -the apostle, thanked God and took courage. - -As soon as practicable we set out for Macon, and while memory holds a -place in my being, I can never forget the parting of ourselves and the -kind family by whom we had been so befriended. - -“Good-bye, gentlemen,” said the lady of the house, her eyes suffused -with tears; “and should we never meet again on earth, we shall, -perhaps, in that better land, where all is love and peace.” - -There was such a sincerity in the fair speaker’s tones, that I could -not repress the tears that her words brought to my eyes. The servants, -too, clustered around us, and in their intelligent countenances I could -discern that they appreciated all that was going on. A final shaking -of hands, an adieu, and we were off. Our buggy bore us quickly out -of sight of the house, and I must acknowledge, prisoner as I was, -that there was a pang in my heart at the moment. And here a thought -suggests itself. The reader has, doubtless, often thought, after -reading the various and conflicting accounts of returned prisoners, -how strange it was that they could so differ. Now, their treatment -depended entirely upon their own conduct, and the class of people among -whom the chances of war threw them. It was very rarely that any one -expressing his opinions against the Southern system as boldly as I did, -met, upon the whole, with such good fortune. Those who fared well were -semi-secessionists. I will give a case in point: - -At Columbus, Mississippi, there was a man from Illinois, who stated -that he was a quarter-master in a cavalry regiment. He was an ardent -pro-slavery man, and whenever the subject came up, he defended the -right of the South to hold slaves, and became enraged if that right -was assailed by any of his companions. This man took the trip with us -through Mobile, Montgomery, and Macon, and was continually receiving -favors that were denied to the rest. While in Macon, he was appointed -prison quarter-master; was permitted to run at large, and he used the -privilege to post the secessionists in everything that was favorable to -them. This man will be referred to again ere I close this narrative. - -We were to go by land to Hockinsville, where we were to take the cars. -We traveled slowly, in order, as the sheriff remarked, that we might -really see the destitute condition of the country through which we -passed. We stopped at a place where a deer had just been killed, and -obtained some fresh venison. The man from whom we got the meat, was -from Eastern Maryland, and, while conversing with him, I found that -he had some knowledge of the disunion men of the Methodist Episcopal -Church. He was deeply opposed to the separation, but at the same time, -candidly admitted that the North had sufficient cause therefor. Still -he thought that it would have been far better to remain united, and -endeavor to reform the pro-slavery portion. - -“I and this gentleman,” said he, turning to the sheriff, “have stood up -for our faith comparatively alone, until the outbreak of the war. Since -that, we have been joined by several more, but we are crushed, and dare -not speak what we think. If we did, we should be hung to the first tree -that could hold us.” - -He persistently contended that it was a very unfortunate thing that -the Church had divided, urging that it led to a division of the -government. I held not much further argument with him on this subject, -as anti-slavery men of his class were very unpopular in Ohio when I -left there. - -At evening we seated ourselves on the porch of this man’s cottage, and -began conversing with the family, the subject being changed of course. - -The majority of the residents in this county held the same opinions as -these two. I would like to give the names of these gentlemen, but as -they might possibly get into some of those traitorous Northern papers -which circulate in the South, and thereby bring them into trouble, I am -constrained to suppress them. - -We remained at this house all night, and bidding our new friends -farewell, started the next morning on our way. We kept the Darien road, -which I could recognize by the descriptions given of it by the negroes. -Our next stopping-place was far from agreeable, for every one in it -was a strong secessionist—so strong indeed, that, when they found out -our characters, they did not object to the sheriff having anything he -wanted, but not with us. The keeper of the house at which we were, -cursed fearfully, they utterly refused to give us anything to eat, -swearing that the d——d Yankees shouldn’t have a morsel of food. The -sheriff, however, pacified him at last by telling him that I was from -Virginia, and that, although I was in the Yankee army, still I was as -pro-slavery a man as himself. This made matters a little better, and -the surly host proceeded to question me. I baffled him, however, by -saying: - -“What paper do you take?” - -“We don’t take none,” said he, “fur I can’t read. Have you ever been in -a fight?” he quickly added to his reply. I answered in the affirmative. - -“Have you ever seed a gunboat?” - -“Yes,” I rejoined. - -He then became much interested, and was not satisfied until I had given -him a long description of a gunboat, its object, and its powers. - -At this juncture five villainous-looking men entered the room, and -calling to my listener, took him outside. When the sheriff saw this, he -turned rather pale, fearing that some violence was threatened. When he -was about to leave with us, he asked the landlord what his bill was. - -“Oh, nothing! as you’re taking them d——d Yankees to justice,” was the -reply. - -Though by no means complimentary, this expression took a heavy load off -our minds, and we were comparatively light-hearted when we took our -departure. - -The sheriff resolved not to halt again until he reached a place where -he was known, as he feared that otherwise we might be mobbed. By -rapid driving he reached this point. Drawing up before the door of -a tavern, we immediately dismounted, and were invited to enter by -a house-servant, who led us to a small fire at which we might warm -ourselves. As we sat there, a hard-looking female came in, and seeing -my hand bound up, asked me what ailed it. I responded that I had caught -cold in an old bruise which had assumed somewhat the character of a -felon. She inquired if she could do anything for it. I thanked her, and -told her that I had a poultice of sweet gum on it. - -We were presently shown up to our chamber, and went to bed. My hand -pained me so much, however, that I could not sleep; and getting up, -I took a pan of water, and putting into it a lump of opium, which I -obtained from my comrade, I laid my hand in it, and so passed the -remainder of the night. - -We resumed our journey at an early hour, and pressed forward in order -to reach the railroad, which was not quite finished to Hockinsville. -On the road we were compelled to stop at the house of a man named -Phillips. He was very wealthy, owning over two hundred and seventy-five -slaves, and a fine plantation. He was a bitter and unrelenting -secessionist, and therefore the sheriff thought it best not to mention -what or who we were. Our horses were put up, and we entered the -dwelling. Phillips came in almost immediately after, and opened a -conversation about the war. The sheriff inquired of him if he had any -late papers. - -“I don’t take no papers!” he rejoined; “I can’t read. But,” added he, -casting a glance at us, “there was some men hunting round here the -other day for them Yankees that got away at Macon, and I only wish -they’d catch the thieves, and shoot them!” - -This was not pleasant to our ears, and the disagreeable sensation was -considerably increased, as Phillips, nodding his head towards us, asked -the sheriff his errand to Macon with us. - -Our friend hesitated a moment to reply, but finally stated his mission. -Phillips instantly flew into a rage, and commenced to swear and -threaten dreadfully. The sheriff told him that I was a Virginian, and -of like sentiments with himself, and so forth, but it did not effect -much. Phillips spoke of the outrageous conduct of our men, and Butler’s -famous New Orleans Proclamation, and swore, with a horrid oath, that -if he had his own way, he would shoot every Yankee that was caught. -I rose, and walked outside, and was followed by Phillips, who seemed -fearful of trusting me near the negroes who were hanging round the -house, and in whose faces I could see an expression that showed they -fully comprehended who we were. - -Presently the sound of the approaching train came gratefully to our -ears. When it arrived, however, we learned that it would make a stop of -an hour, as a number of conscripts were to be put aboard. Fearing to -remain longer in Phillips’s house, we adjourned into the neighboring -pines to avoid the mob. One after another, several wagons, loaded with -conscripts, drove up. These conscripts and their friends had, by some -means or other, heard of our arrest, but did not know that we were the -men. They spoke favorably of us, however, and were heartily endorsed -by some old ladies who had come hither with their sons, and who were -decidedly opposed to the conscription. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - On the Cars—An Old Acquaintance—His Reasons for being in - the Army—Meeting the Slave we Chased—Rebel Account of our - Pursuit—Interesting Advertisement—In Jail Again—Captain Clay - Crawford—Prison Fare—Rebel Barbarities—Taking Comfort. - - -In due time we took our places on the train, and recommenced our -journey. At the next stopping-place, a man in rebel uniform approached -me, and said: - -“I think I know you, sir.” - -I made no reply, supposing his object was merely to quarrel with me. He -repeated his remark, and still I refused to notice him. The third time -he spoke, he said: - -“Your name is Rev. J. J. Geer, and you come from Cincinnati, Ohio. You -used to preach there in the George street Methodist Protestant Church. -I am ——, who studied medicine with Dr. Newton of that city.” - -He extended his hand, and I instantly grasped it, and shook it -heartily. I would state his name; but, for the same reason that -I suppress the sheriff’s, I must also omit his. Stepping back to -where he had set down a basket, my old acquaintance brought me some -biscuits and roast chicken. After this welcome gift had been properly -attended to, the donor introduced me to his lady, who was a fine, -intelligent-looking person. Her husband then taking his seat beside me, -we fell into conversation, the chances of being overheard being small, -on account of the noise made by the train. Said he to a question of -mine: - -“I should never have taken any part in this war, could I have helped -myself. But when the conscription law was passed, I knew there was -no chance for my escaping it, nor could I remove with my family. If -I remained, I must go into the army as a private. This I could not -endure, and so I obtained an office.” - -At this moment, the cars suddenly stopped, and an officer attended by -a guard, who must have partially overheard the last portion of the -speaker’s remarks, ordered him to leave me, and take a seat in another -part of the car. - -Presently, we reached a place where we were detained three hours. While -waiting here, the master of that negro whom we chased in the swamp, and -whom I have before mentioned as having a basket of corn strapped to -his back, stepped aboard of the train. He came forward smiling, and, -taking us by the hand, told us what a fierce chase he had had after -us. He then asked us if he should call the negro in, and on receiving -an affirmative answer, did so. - -I asked, with the permission of his master, why he ran from us in the -swamp. - -“Kase, sah, I thought you wuz Tom Jimmer son, an’ he said he’d shoot me -if he ever had a chance.” - -This negro seemed excessively ignorant; but this is a habit with them -all, as a general thing, when their masters are present. - -“Where in the d——l did you hide,” asked the owner of this slave, “when -we were after you?” - -“Where did you look?” queried I. - -“Well,” said he, “when the boy came in and told me that he had seen you -in the swamp, I went down to the soldiers who were hunting you on the -river, and put them on the lookout. Then I returned and started out all -the dogs in the neighborhood. One of these, an old hound, that belonged -to Tom Brown, never before failed to bring to us his game within a -short time after he took the tracks. In two hours, sixteen of us, with -the two negroes and the hounds, were after you hot-footed. Not long -after we put the dogs on your track, they got confused, and ran my own -boy up to the house. I called them back, and in returning, Brown’s -old dog struck round a fence, as we thought, on your track. He kept on -the branch back of my field, and there crossed and went up the creek, -with the whole pack at his heels. We followed after, and found that -he crossed the water again, and came down the other side to where he -crossed the first time. There the scent was lost, and the dogs gave it -up. We hunted round there till nearly night, and not finding any one, -went down to the river to guard it. When we got there, the corporal -advised me, with six or eight others, to go up the river and take -another hunt; but, of course, it brought no good.” - -My comrade here informed the narrator how we had been lying concealed -under the palm-leaves, and watching all their motions, at a distance -of not over a hundred yards or so. This astonished him very much; so -much so, indeed, that he seemed to doubt it, until Collins repeated to -him the identical expressions used on that occasion by himself, his -companions, and the soldiers. He then turned to the sheriff and said -with an oath: - -“I’ve hunted bear, and deer, and fox, and never failed; but these -Yankees fooled me bad.” - -The sheriff told him we were Virginians, which seemed to relieve him, -as he exclaimed: - -“Well, I thought Yankees couldn’t have so much pluck.” - -One fact he was rather curious about, and that was, how we had thrown -the bloodhounds off our track so easily. But this knowledge, which had -been imparted to us by the negroes, we refused to divulge. - -“Well,” said he in conclusion, “I wish you a long life; and if I had -the say in it, I’d let you go free, for you’re none of these d——d -Yankees.” - -At this moment the cars started, and he, bidding us another good-bye, -leaped off, and we saw him no more. - -Soon after this little incident, my friend, the sheriff, got a paper -which he handed to me. In it I noticed an account of the recapture of -Captain Clay Crawford, who was in prison with us, and had escaped at -the same time, but had been separated from us in the alarm of that -occasion. I read also an advertisement of one J. J. Geer, described as -follows: “Six feet and three-fourths of an inch in height, black hair, -and blue eyes.” Lieutenant A. P. Collins was also named, but without -any description. - -I knew instantly that I had been reported by the man that I mentioned -in the beginning of my narrative as having been a deceiver. He had -measured me in Columbus jail, Mississippi, and, as I was in my bare -feet at the time, this measurement was short, as by all military -standards I always measured six feet two inches. - -There were other unpleasant items in this paper, the principal one of -which was that in reference to McClellan’s retreat from before Richmond. - -In due season we arrived at the end of our journey, Macon, Georgia. In -conferring with the sheriff on the subject of our future course, I told -him it would be best for his own safety to take us to the prison as -soon as possible. This he did; and it was but a short time after, that -we were again face to face with the tyrant Rylander. He sent us under a -guard of four men to our cells, where the jailor came and robbed us of -our money. He took also our watches, which until now we had succeeded -in carrying. We were then heavily ironed, and left in those filthy -cells with only a little straw to lie upon, and this full of odious -vermin. - -We ascertained that it was true concerning Captain Clay Crawford’s -recapture. He belonged to a Missouri regiment, and was a genteel, -manly comrade, never, like most of his companions, jeering at religion -or its advocates. He was a graduate of West Point, and consequently a -man well versed in military matters. - -Hearing of our return, Captain Crawford, who was confined close to us, -made himself known, and a conversation was shortly opened. We learned -from him that he had succeeded in making his escape at the same time we -did, dressed in a rebel uniform. Going boldly to the Provost Marshal’s -office, he passed himself off for a Confederate officer, and obtained -a pass to Savannah, where he hoped to be able to get aboard a United -States gunboat. His knowledge of the South and Southern officers, and -the fact that there was a Captain Crawford in the rebel army, assisted -him greatly. In one or two places through which he passed, he was in -peril from Union sympathizers, who looked upon him as an enemy. In all -these localities he found that all the young, able-bodied men had been -swept into the army, while the old men who were left behind were very -decided Unionists. This I may add was exactly my own experience. - -I asked him what fare he got in prison. - -“Oh,” said he, “nothing but corn-meal and maggots!” - -That he stated truth in regard to the food, I had ample proof, when at -night a negro brought us some boiled colards, a species of cabbage. He -carried it in a dirty-looking bucket, mixed with corn-bread, made of -meal and water. Producing two tin plates, he put a mess of the colards -on each, and then pushed them through the grating of our cell to us. -The greens appeared to have been boiled with something like meat, -or rather scraps of refuse fat, certainly not fit for anything save -soap-grease. On close inspection of the mess, we could see the maggots, -which, by way of curiosity, we commenced to pick out. By the time we -had picked out half a teaspoonful of large fat ones—not skippers, but -maggots—our stomachs, hungry as they were, sickened, and we could not -touch the horrid food. - -We then examined our haversacks and a pillow-slip that old Aunt Kate -had given us. In the latter, as much to our gratification as surprise, -we found two fine roasted chickens, and plenty of elegant corn bread -made with molasses. After enjoying this good fare, we knelt and raised -our voices in thanks to the Lord, who still watched and guarded us. -We felt very happy, and made the misty old prison ring again with our -hymns of praise. - -The night passed slowly, for my wounded hand and foot pained me -exceedingly. With the return of daylight, conversation with Captain -Crawford was resumed, and we learned that in his cell with him was -a man named Rowley, who was from Florida. He, like ourselves, had -attempted to pass the lines, but was recaptured in the act. - -Originally residing in Florida, taking no part in the war, and -attending quietly to his own business, he had been suddenly arrested. -The circumstances thereof were as follows: “On the night of -August 20th, 1861, a party of ruffians surrounded his dwelling, and -without the slightest warning, battered in the door, and rushed into -his house. So unexpected and so fierce was the attack, that his -wife, who was in a delicate condition of health at the time, sank -swooning to the floor. The astonished husband, not stopping to defend -himself, sprang to the assistance of his wife. While thus engaged, -his assailants seized him, and roughly binding his hands behind him, -dragged him from the house, and mounted him upon a mule, which they -immediately drove off with them. When thus ruthlessly torn from the -bosom of his family, he was looking forward with a husband’s fond -anxiety to the moment which was to make him a father. And now, more -than eleven months had passed away, but he had never heard any tidings -of his family or property. He owned several slaves. Whether his loving -wife had survived the shock she had received on the night in question, -or whether the angels of a merciful God had carried her own soul, and -that one yet unborn, away to heaven, he did not know. - -His captors had taken him to a negro jail, and cast him into a filthy -cell, in which he laid for three or four days, eating nor drinking -nothing. By this time, they deemed him sufficiently reduced to become -subservient to their will. They accordingly took him from his cell, and -brought him to a man they styled “Colonel.” By this man he was ordered -to take a certain oath. Upon his refusal, he was shown a rope that -had been used in the execution of four of his neighbors, and he was -informed that it was still strong enough to hang him. The man who held -the rope strode toward him for the purpose of placing it around his -neck. Thus convinced that there was something more than menace meant, -he attempted to reason with his brutal captors, informing them that he -was so bewildered that he did not comprehend what they wished him to do. - -The person called Colonel thereupon ordered him to be remanded to his -cell. The next day, hearing that the Union forces were approaching -them, they hurried their poor prisoner to Macon. - -This man gave me accounts of the most horrid scenes that he had -witnessed. At one period, he said that it was certain death for a man -to refuse to volunteer. - -Our second day of imprisonment passed dully enough, and indeed it -would have been much worse, but for the converse we held with Captain -Crawford and Mr. Rowley, whose principal theme was the lightness of -their rations. Their allowance of corn-bread, for instance, was a -bit about one and a half inches square twice a day. My wounds were -exceedingly painful, but I was obliged to suffer on without obtaining -any relief. Before I lay down for the night, however, I comforted -myself with joining my comrade in singing those beautiful lines— - - “From every stormy wind that blows, - And every swelling tide of woe, - There is a calm, a safe retreat; - ’Tis found beneath the mercy-seat.” - -God’s blessing made us happy, and we could exclaim with faith, “These -chains will not always hold us here.” How insignificant were our -sufferings when compared to those which had been endured by the -followers of Christ in ancient times! Again, while on our wretched -couches, we sang: - - “My days are gliding swiftly by, - And I, a pilgrim stranger, - Would not detain them as they fly— - These hours of toil and danger.” - -The next day I penned a letter to Major Rylander, exhorting him, if -he had any fear of God before his eyes, or any spark of humanity in -his breast, to have me released from my miserable cell, though it -were to take me to execution. I committed it to the care of a negro, -who was to convey it to the guard, who in turn was to present it to -Major Rylander. Whether the latter ever received it, I never knew, but -certainly if he did, he never noticed it. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - An Earnest Prayer—What came of it—A Skeptic— - Fiend-Stratagem—Reflections and Opinions on the “Peculiar - Institution.” - - -Night again found me still suffering, and still a captive. The next -day I heard from Captain Crawford that the prayer which I put up that -evening to the Throne of Grace was rather eccentric, very strong, and -directed specially to the case of our oppressive jailor. I suppose it -must have been rather so, for the jailor visited me the next day. His -house was in the prison yard directly opposite my window. - -Entering my cell, as I have said, he ordered me to follow him. I did -so, not knowing what fate I was about to meet. When out of hearing of -my fellow-prisoners, he said: - -“Who is that who prays in this prison every night? It is you, I -suspect.” - -“I presume so,” replied I, “for it is my habit to pray night and -morning; for I am told in the good Book to pray for my enemies, and I -apprehend you are one.” - -“Well, now, there’s no use in fooling! Did you pray for the Lord to -kill me?” - -“No, sir,” said I, “I prayed for the Lord to convert you, or else kill -you.” - -“Well, you prayed for them fellows the Bible speaks of,” he rejoined, -referring to the Apostles Paul and Silas. - -“Yes,” I answered. - -“Well, that’s all one tarnal big lie!” - -“Why, sir,” I inquired, “do you not believe in the Bible?” - -“No! I don’t believe one tarnal word of it, I don’t.” - -“Then, sir, if you escape the rod of God in this life, you certainly -will not in eternity.” - -“See here, sir,” he rejoined angrily, “you had better mind what you -say.” - -“I will speak my mind whenever it pleases me to do so,” I said, looking -the jailor directly in the eye. - -In this strain the conversation continued, till at length he became so -enraged, that, pushing me violently back in my cell, he locked me fast -to a staple driven into the floor. - -While lying thus, a negro came and gazed intently at me, through the -bars of the cell door. This he repeated many times during the day, and -at night I asked him if he belonged to the jailor. - -“No, sah,” said he, “I b’long to the richest man in dis county.” - -“What are you in here for?” - -He dropped his voice almost to a whisper, as he replied: - -“Two white fellers came to my quarters one night, and got me to go -with ’em. Dey had dar faces blacked all ober. Den dey crawled into a -winder whar dar wus some white gals, an’ de gals dey hollered, an’ de -two fellers dey runned, an’ I runned arter ’em. But I didn’t know what -they’d done, an’ so I stopped, an’ de white men what run arter all o’ -us, cotched me, an’ brought me down here. Den dey chained me like you -is now, and den de white rascals what had blacked ’emselves, dey runned -off right away. But dey won’t b’lieve a poor darkey. Now, massa, Tom -White, an’ he’s a white man, seed dem white fellers what blacked dar -faces, an’ he told so, an’ den I was tuk out o’ de cell.” - -Here the poor creature started after the jailor for the performance of -some duty. - -I was now desirous to know what Captain Crawford’s candid opinion was -concerning slavery, but the loud tones in which we were forced to talk -prevented me, for fear of drawing down some cruel punishment upon -us. I conversed on the subject, however, with my comrade, Lieutenant -Collins, and we both resolved never to cease its agitation so long as -the Lord gave us life, and so long as there remained a single slave on -the fair soil of Columbia. Our minds were much strengthened in this -resolve by recalling to memory the teachings of Washington, Adams, -Monroe, and others. Abigail Adams, the mother of John Quincy Adams, -said: - -“I wish most sincerely that there was not a slave in the Province.” - -Benjamin Franklin, whose life was my school-book, in an address to the -Senate and House of Representatives, said: - -“From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the portion, and -is still the birthright, of all men, and influenced by the strong ties -of humanity, and the principle of their institution, your memorialists -conceive themselves bound to use all justifiable endeavors to loosen -the bands of slavery; that you will be pleased to countenance the -restoration of liberty to these unhappy men, who alone, in this land -of Freedom, are degraded into perpetual bondage, and who, amidst the -general joy of surrounding freemen are groaning in servile subjection; -that you will devise means for removing this inconsistency from the -character of the American people; that you will promote mercy and -justice towards this distressed race; and that you will step to the -very verge of the power vested in you, for discouraging every species -of traffic in the persons of our fellow-men.”—B. F., Pres’t (_F. -Gazette, 1790_). - -During the dreary night I often awoke, and I remember once, when thus -arousing, those beautiful lines came into my mind: - - “When for the rights of man we fight, - And all seems lost, and friends have fled, - Remembering in Misfortune’s night, - New glory rests on Virtue’s head, - Duty remains, though joy is gone, - On final good I fix mine eyes; - Distance all fear, and, though alone, - Stand ready for the sacrifice.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - The Rebel Reveille—A Horrid Dinner—A Reinforcement of Little - Rebels—The Darkie’s Explanation—An Exciting Trial—Hope of - Release—Retribution—My Old Chains doing good Service. - - -The dawn came at last, bringing with it the reveille of the rebel -drums, and the yelling of rebel guards. Our rations, however, took a -longer time to reach us, for it was not until about eleven o’clock that -the negro brought us a mess of the stereotyped greens and corn-bread. -A glance into the pan showed us that the maggots had received heavy -reinforcements; but so, also, had our hunger gained strength, and we -were glad to receive even the repulsive maggots and spoiled-bread, and -thank God we fared so well. I could not forbear questioning the negro -concerning this outrageous food, and from him I received the following -explanation: - -The jailor had some time before purchased a lot of meat at a lower -figure than it could now be bought for, for the reason that a portion -of it was tainted. The worst of this meat had been thrown aside into a -large box used for holding soap-grease. - -“He tole me, sah,” said the negro, “to go to dat box and get dat meat, -an’ when I tole him it stink like de debbil, he swore de tallest kind -o’ swore dat I lied, an’ fur me to go git it, as it wus plenty good -’nuff for dem d——d Yankees. I’se sorry, sah, but I had to do as massa -tole me.” - -We were satisfied with the poor slave’s explanation, and shutting our -eyes, demolished our horrid dinner to the last atom, and were still -as hungry as ever, for the quantity of the food was as meagre as its -quality. As yet I had received no reply to the letter I had sent out by -the hands of the negro, to whom I have previously referred. Days and -nights passed successively in monotonous misery, and still I beheld -the face of no friend save that One which beamed down from above, and -supported me in all my trials. Whenever we got the opportunity, we used -to question the negroes as to their opinions and ideas concerning the -war and slavery. In so doing, we assumed a great risk, as a white man -who is caught conversing with the slaves, receives the most rigorous -treatment. One day I asked the slave, who brought us our scanty supply -of loathsome food, what he thought of the war. - -“God bless you, sah,” he answered, in the same whispering tones of -caution as I myself had used, “I knows all ’bout it, an’ all us niggas -knows all ’bout it. Why I couldn’t tell you half what we knows an’ what -we says ’mong ourselves, sah!” - -“God grant that more light may be sent into the land of the slave, and -salvation to the downtrodden inhabitants thereof!” prayed I, as the -negro, seeing his master, hurried away from our cell. - -Our rest was much disturbed at night by the howling and yelping of a -dog, which was doubtless as much ill treated and starved as we were -ourselves. - -Time rolled on, but still no event occurred to dispel the gloom -that surrounded me, until I learned that the man I had met on the -cars, and who, it will be remembered, asserted that he had known me -in Cincinnati, had arrived in Macon. I learned, also, that he was -reporting it about the town, that, in Ohio I was possessed of some -degree of influence. The faithful slave who told me this added: - -“One of you is a-gwine to be taken out, for I heard de sheriff say -that a lot o’ people went to the Major, and wanted him to let you out.” - -This was, of course, like a star of hope in a dark horizon, and day -after day I awaited the appearance of some deliverer who should bid me -walk forth free. But, alas! it was a delusive dream, for none came, and -I was no nearer liberty than ever. - -About this time, an occurrence took place which I here record, to show -the workings of that pernicious system which is the real root of all -our national troubles. I was standing at the bars of my cell, looking -out into the prison yard, and saw Woods, the jailor, order the negro, -who used to wait on us, to bring him an ax. Upon receiving it, he -deliberately broke off the lock of a trunk that belonged to Captain -Clay Crawford, and took therefrom a watch and several cards of jewelry. -Soon after the darkey brought us our rations, and upon our speaking -of the affair, he was quite surprised that we knew of it. He said the -trunk was Mr. Crawford’s, and smiled knowingly. - -Two days after, a party of men came for the trunk, and found it broken -open, as I have stated. They, of course, called the jailor to account, -and he was fairly implicated in the matter. Without hesitation, -however, the vile robber accused the poor negro of having committed -the act. Of course the latter denied the charge, and told the whole -truth about it. This enraged Woods, and he tied him up to a rough -timber cross so that, while his arms were stretched to their utmost -extent, his toes barely touched the ground. He then took a heavy whip, -with three thongs, and lashed the unfortunate negro until his shirt was -actually soaked in blood. - -Occasionally the monster ceased a moment, and bade the victim of his -brutality to confess to the deed; but with the most heroic fortitude -the poor slave refused to comply, and Woods, finding that he could not -succeed thus, untied the bleeding man, and threw him into the cell next -to our own. - -Between us there was only an iron grating, so that we could converse -with the negro, and see with our own eyes the horrible treatment to -which he had been subjected. - -As chance had it, Captain Clay Crawford himself had been a witness of -all the proceedings, and upon seeing the negro so unmercifully beaten, -he lost his temper, and uttered a rent of oaths, swearing that he saw -the jailor do the deed. As he was regarded, however, as a Yankee, -his word had no more effect than the negro’s. As I gazed upon the -quivering back of that poor, downtrodden African, I exclaimed, in the -words of Thomas Pringle: - - “Oh, slavery, thou art a bitter draught, - And twice accursed is thy poisoned bowl, - Which taints with leprosy the white man’s soul!” - -In the power of such monsters what might not we expect at their -blood-stained hands? There was but one Deliverer for us, as well as -the slave, and that deliverer was God, and on Him we cast ourselves, -feeling that He was all-powerful. Job truly wrote: - -“The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of -years is hidden to the oppressor.” - -And with equal truth did the prophet exclaim: - -“So I returned, and considered all the oppression that is done under -the sun, and beheld the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had -no comfort. And on the side of the oppressed there was power, but they -had no comfort.” - -Oh, may the hand be stilled in death that would raise itself to defend -such a system! - -While the jailor was in the midst of his trouble, the star of hope that -had arisen on the coming to Macon of my Ohio friend, and then set so -suddenly, came up once more, but with more cheering brilliancy this -time; for, through the hubbub that he had raised, I was released from -my prison cell the very day on which the poor negro, who had been so -unmercifully lashed, was to have his trial. I was scarcely fit to be -seen, for I was yet clothed in the wretched rags in which I had lived -for several months. Yet, notwithstanding this, when I appeared before -the Major, whose opinion, since having heard of my real character and -position, was wonderfully changed, he began to bow and scrape in his -best style. - -“Oh, sir,” he exclaimed, “I did not know that you were a minister, or I -would not have had you put into that cell. And now,” added he, “I will -give you a parole of the town, and you may report here every morning.” - -As commissioners had come to terms concerning the exchange of -prisoners, the only object that the contemptible Major had in view, -was to induce me, upon my return home, to speak well of him and his -friends. I must confess that I lost my temper. However, I said nothing, -but, called, in very positive tones, for a guard to accompany me to the -military prison, which was near at hand. As I was going thither, the -thought that the poor negro was to be tried that day for the offence -which had been really committed by his master, shot across my mind, and -I resolved that I would do my duty in the matter. I instantly returned -to the commandant, and asked him to give me a parole of the town. -This he forthwith did, as he imagined that I wished to purchase new -clothing. He furnished me, also, with two guards with loaded muskets. I -then went to the building where the trial was being held. Upon entering -the room, I saw the poor, friendless slave, loaded with chains, sitting -in the culprit’s dock, while the brutal Woods sat confidently near -him, fully expecting to have him condemned. When I mildly requested -the court to allow me to speak a word in defence of the accused, Woods -sprang to his feet, and swore that they would not listen to any d——d -Yankee. This brought the owner of the negro to _his_ feet, with the -exclamation, that I was a white man, and, consequently, entitled to -speak. A long debate ensued on this point, which was settled finally in -my favor, and I took the stand. - -“Gentlemen,” I began, “I am a Yankee prisoner. I have been in some -three or four of your county jails, and several of your penitentiaries; -but still your commandant has confidence in me, and has given a parole -of the town, and your surgeon has made statements which prove me to be -a man of some little credit at home. If, therefore, I shall find any -favor in your eyes, I will make a statement in reference to the matter -on trial.” - -I paused until I was assured by the court that what I had to say would -receive credence, and then resumed: - -“I saw that man, Woods, who sits here at my right, force the prisoner -at the bar to bring him an axe. Upon receiving it, he deliberately -broke open the trunk referred to, and took therefrom a watch and a -card of jewelry. Subsequently, that he might extort from the prisoner -a false acknowledgment of guilt, he tied him up, and beat him most -inhumanly.” - -This brought Woods to his feet once more, livid with rage. - -“You don’t mean to say that I broke open that trunk, do you, sir?” he -ejaculated, shaking at me his clenched fists. - -“I do; and you know you did it!” was my prompt reply. - -The villain thereupon lost all control of himself, and, drawing a -bowie-knife, swore vengeance upon me. I quietly stepped back, and -placed myself between the two guards, who, lowering their pieces, -prepared to protect me, should my assailant attempt to do me violence. - -I then made a statement that my testimony could be corroborated, if -necessary, by Captain Clay Crawford himself, and Lieutenant Collins, -both officers in the United States army. He quibbled, and protested, -and reasoned, and raved alternately; but it was all useless, and when -at last I told the minutest particulars about the affair, such as where -the negro took the axe from, _et cetera_, he was forced to give in, and -was accordingly found guilty, while the poor black fellow was released -amid the most tumultuous excitement. - -To show that Providence was retributive in this case, I need only state -that the crest-fallen culprit was taken from court, placed in the -same cell in which I had been incarcerated, was chained with the same -irons, slept on the same filthy bed, and I have no doubt was bitten and -tormented by the identical little inhabitants of the last, by which I -had been long annoyed, so much to his merriment. - -Before my time was out, I reported at the jail, and then went over to -the military prison, where I had a bone removed from my wounded hand. I -then passed in among the prisoners, and while conversing with them, I -was obliged to repeat the story of my escape and recapture many times. -That night, on account of the pain I suffered, I was unable to sleep, -and so I spent the still hours in reflections on my situation, God’s -mercy and goodness, and on those dear ones at home, who were then, most -likely, peacefully slumbering and dreaming of a soldier of the Union, -far away in a Southern prison, wounded and weary, and no one even to -speak a word of kindness to him. - -The next day I heard of many deaths which had occurred during my -absence. Quite a number of the names were familiar to me, and my heart -was indeed sad. Some of these noble fellows died shouting for God and -their country with their last breath. Think of it, reader, and let it -awaken your grateful remembrances for the heroic martyrs. They had -left pleasant homes, fruitful fields, beloved relations, and cherished -friends, to fight and suffer for the Union. And there, in a loathsome -prison, without a pillow for their dying heads, without a covering, -without proper food, without medicine, without water even to slake -their burning tongues, they died, a glorious sacrifice on a glorious -altar. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Sufferings of Captives—Shooting a Deaf Man—A Terrible - Punishment—Arguments on Slavery—Opinions of Celebrated - Men—A Sabbath-School in Prison—A Loyal Lady—Pennsylvania a - Pioneer—Emancipation—Our Prayer-Meetings—Rays of Sunshine. - - -A large proportion of the prisoners in Macon were nearly naked, and -actually were obliged to wrap rags of blankets about themselves to hide -their nakedness, and many times, while listening to their stories of -wrong and woe, I was moved to tears. Among several harrowing incidents, -about this time occurred the shooting of one of our party, a political -prisoner, if I remember right, who was deaf. A brutal guard had fired -on him because he did not obey some order which he had given, but which -of course, the victim did not hear. I saw the poor fellow writhing in -his death-agonies. The shot had pierced directly through his bowels, -inflicting a horrid and mortal wound. - -Another man named Flood, for the offence of coming nearer than ten feet -to the guard-lines, was pinned down to the earth. As this punishment is -doubtless not understood by a majority of readers, I will describe -it. The person subjected to it is thrown to the ground, either face -or back down, according to the whim of the punisher, and while held -in this position, a number of stakes or wooden pins are driven in the -earth around him, in such a manner as to bind him immovably to the -ground. A more terrible punishment can scarcely be conceived. - -[Illustration: “The prisoner is thrown to the ground, either face or -back down, according to the whim of the punisher, and a number of -stakes are driven in the earth around him.”—Page 211.] - -Flood was a large man, and possessed of immense strength; and the -first time he was thus pinned down, he tore himself loose from his -fastenings. Upon seeing this, his captors again seized him. But he -struggled manfully, and it was not until six or eight powerful men -attacked him simultaneously, and with weapons, that he was secured. -This done, however, they obtained stakes that an ox could not have -broken, and with these they fastened their victim down firmly that it -was impossible for him to move half an inch. And in this position, he -lay face down for _twenty-four hours_, during which time a heavy rain -fell. In consequence he took a fatal cold, and, four days later, he was -laid in the grave. This punishment was quite common among the rebels. - -While listening to the accounts of my fellow-prisoners, especially -concerning the deaf man and Flood, I could not help thinking -bitterly of the thousands in the free North, who, while our country -is struggling for existence, are apologizing for the vile system -which breeds such monsters as I have been describing. Oh reader, if -you would be just to yourself and to God, and not allow your mind to -be influenced by the fallacies with which traitors would delude you, -you would at once perceive the fountain-spring of all our national -troubles to be naught else but slavery. And here, at the expense of -interrupting my personal narrative, I have concluded to advance some -facts and arguments in support of my conclusions. It is a most common -and dangerous fallacy to condemn the emancipation theory of Abraham -Lincoln, as the cause of this terrible bloodshed that has been going on -for two years past. Now I assume the opposite side of the argument, and -find myself supported therein, not only by common sense, but all the -teachings of past history. - -When the question of immediate abolition was first agitated in England, -the friends of slavery were loud in their belief that universal -insurrection and bloodshed would follow; and nothing could have taken -a stronger hold on the sympathies and fears of the people than these -same assertions. - -In June, 1793, a civil war occurred between the aristocrats and -republicans of St. Domingo, and the planters called in the aid of Great -Britain. The opposing party proclaimed freedom to all slaves, and armed -them against the British. It is generally supposed that the abolition -of slavery in St. Domingo was in consequence of insurrection among -the slaves. Nothing is farther from the truth, for the whole measure -was nothing more nor less than one of political expediency. A little -research into the histories of the island about this period will show -that the whole colored population remained faithful to the republicans -to whom they owed their liberty. - -The British were defeated, and were obliged to evacuate the island; -but they still held possession of the ocean, and consequently troubled -the French to such an extent, that the latter were entirely unable -to look after St. Domingo. The colonists were therefore left to -themselves. Certainly here was an opportunity for the breaking forth -of that dreaded insurrection which had been predicted as the sure -result of immediate abolition. Yet, on the contrary, though there were -_five hundred thousand negroes_, thus unfettered and made free, there -was an actual decrease in crime, and a corresponding increase in the -prosperity and peace of the island. - -A resident, Colonel Malenfaut, says in his historical memoir: - -“After this public act of emancipation, the negroes remained quiet -both in the south and west, and they continued to work upon all the -plantations. Even upon those estates which had been abandoned by owners -and managers, the negroes continued their labor where there were any -agents to guide; and where no white men were left to direct them, they -betook themselves to planting provisions. The colony was flourishing. -The whites lived happily and in peace upon their estates, and the -negroes continued to work for them.” - -General La Croix, in his memoir, speaking of the same period, writes: - -“The colony marched as by enchantment towards its ancient splendor; -cultivation prospered, and every day produced perceptible proofs of its -progress. This prosperous state of things lasted about eight years, and -would probably have continued to this day, had not Bonaparte, at the -instigation of the old aristocratic French planters, sent an army to -deprive the blacks of the freedom which they had used so well. It was -the attempt to restore slavery that produced all the bloody horrors of -St. Domingo. Emancipation produced the most blessed effects.” - -In June, 1794, Victor Hugo, a French republican general, retook the -island of Guadaloupe from the British, and immediately proclaimed -freedom to all the slaves. They were _thirty-five thousand_ in number, -and the whites _thirteen thousand_. No disaster whatever occurred from -the humane action of Hugo. - -On the 10th of October, 1811, the Chilian Congress decreed that every -child born after that date, should be free. Likewise, the congress of -Columbia emancipated all slaves who had borne arms in defence of the -Republic, and provided for the emancipation, in eighteen years, of the -whole slave population, amounting to nine hundred thousand beings. - -September, 1829, saw immediate liberty granted by the government of -Mexico to every slave in the realm. - -Now, in all these cases not one single insurrection or bloodshed has -ever been heard of as resulting from emancipation. - -Even the thirty thousand Hottentots—the most ignorant, degraded people -on the earth—who were manumitted at Cape colony, in July, 1823, gave -instant evidence of improvement on being admitted to the rights and -privileges of freemen. As a gentleman facetiously remarked, they worked -far better for Mr. Cash than they had for Mr. Lash. - -A statement in the _South African Commercial Advertiser_, of February, -1813, read as follows: - -“Three thousand prize negroes have received their freedom—four hundred -in one day. But not the least difficulty or disaster occurred. Servants -found masters, and masters hired servants; all gained homes, and, -at night, scarcely an idler was to be seen. To state that sudden -emancipation would create disorder and distress to those you mean to -serve, is not reason, but the plea of all men adverse to abolition.” - -On the 1st of August, 1834, the government of Great Britain emancipated -the slaves in all her colonies, of which she had twenty, viz., -seventeen in the West Indies, and three in the East Indies. The -numerical superiority of the negroes in the West was great. In Jamaica, -there were three hundred and thirty-one thousand slaves, and only -thirty-seven thousand whites. - -Even by the clumsy apprenticeship system, where the stimulus of the -whip was removed without being replaced by the stimulus of wages, the -negroes were a little improved. They knew they would not be lashed if -they did not work, and that if they did work they would not be paid -for it. Yet, under such disadvantages as these, there occurred no -difficulty, excepting in three of the islands, and even there they were -slight and only temporary. Even the bitterest enemies of abolition have -not yet been able to show that a single drop of blood has been shed, or -a single plantation destroyed, in consequence of emancipation in all -the British West Indies! - -The journals of Antigua, where the apprenticeship system was not tried, -but the stimulus of wages applied at once, say: - -“The great doubt is solved, and the highest hopes of the negro’s -friends are fulfilled. Thirty thousand men have passed from slavery -into freedom, not only without the slightest irregularity, but with the -solemn and decorous tranquillity of a Sabbath. In Antigua, there an two -thousand whites, thirty thousand slaves, and four thousand five hundred -free blacks.” - -Antigua and St. Christopher’s are within gunshot of each other, and -both are sugar-growing colonies. In the latter island, the proportion -of blacks is smaller than in the former, yet St. Christopher’s has had -some difficulty with the gradual system, while the quiet of Antigua -has not been disturbed for one hour by immediate manumission. Such -facts are worth more than volumes of sophistry. - -If, however, the humane view be not allowed, let us look at the -question in a pecuniary one. The results in this direction, of the -British Emancipation Bill, are truly wonderful. To the astonishment of -even the most sanguine friends of abolition, the plantations of the -colonies are more productive, more easily managed, and accepted as -security for higher sums or mortgages, than they ever were under the -slave system. It appears from an official statement, that in the first -quarter of the present year, there is an increase over the average of -the first quarter of the three years preceding emancipation in the -great staples of West Indian produce exported, as follows: - -From Georgetown, Demarara, twenty per cent. increase. From Berbice, -fifty per cent. increase. Coffee increased about one hundred per cent. - -The hundred million indemnity thus appears to have been a compensation -for having been made richer. - -Now, with all this weight of testimony, it is impossible for the candid -reader to cleave any longer to the idea that emancipation is the cause -of all this misery. - -“If,” says a distinguished logician, “you have a right to make another -man a slave, he has a right to make you a slave.” “And if we have no -right,” says Ramsey, “to sell him, no one has a right to purchase him. -If ever negroes, bursting their chains, should come (which Heaven -forbid!) on the European coast, to drag whites of both sexes from their -families, to chain them, and conduct them to Africa, and mark them -with a hot iron; if whites stolen, sold, purchased by criminals, and -placed under the guidance of merciless inspectors, were immediately -compelled, by the stroke of the whip, to work in a climate injurious -to their health, when at the close of each day they could have no -other consolation than that of advancing another step to the tomb, -no other perspective than to suffer and to die in all the anguish of -despair; if devoted to misery and ignominy, they were excluded from -all the privileges of society, and declared legally incapable of -judicial action, their testimony not admitted against the black class; -if, driven from the sidewalks, they were compelled to mingle with the -animals in the middle of the street; if a conscription were made to -have them lashed in a mass, and their backs, to prevent gangrene, -covered with pepper and salt; if the forfeit for killing them were but -a trifling sum; if a reward were offered for apprehending those who -escaped from slavery; if those who escaped were hunted by a pack of -hounds, trained to carnage; if, blaspheming the Divinity, the blacks -pretended that by their origin they had permission of heaven to preach -passive obedience and resignation to the whites; if greedy, hireling -writers published that, for this reason, just reprisals might be -exercised against rebellious whites, and that white slaves were happy, -more happy than the peasants in the bosom of Africa; in a word, if all -the arts of cunning calumny, all the strength and fury of avarice, all -the invention of ferocity, were directed against you by a coalition of -merchants, priests, kings, soldiers and colonists, what a cry of horror -would resound through these countries! To express it, new epithets -would be sought. A crowd of writers, and particularly poets, would -exhaust their eloquent lamentations, provided, that having nothing to -fear, there was something to gain. - -“Europeans, reverse this hypothesis, and see what you are. Yes, I -repeat it, there is not a vice, not a species of wickedness, of which -Europe is not guilty towards negroes, of which she has not shown them -the example. Avenging God! suspend thy thunder, exhaust thy compassion -in giving her time and courage to repair, if possible, these horrors -and atrocities!” - -Now, these things are all perfectly reasonable. Though written a long -time ago, they are now not the less true; and those of us who may live -to see the end of this war will know well the cause of it; and I trust -that the rising generation may profit by the history of their fathers. -May they learn from their earliest years to denounce the name that -offers an apology for the dark curse of slavery! - -It was of this evil that Jefferson spoke in the original Declaration of -Independence, drafted by himself, but suppressed by Southern influence. -The language is: - -“He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its -most sacred rights of life and liberty, in the persons of a distant -people, who never offended him; capturing them and carrying them into -slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their -transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of -infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. -Determined to keep open a market where men should be bought and sold, -he has prostituted his prerogative for suppressing every legislative -attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that -this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished dye, -he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and -to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, thus paying -off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with -crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.” - -The same spirit possessed the heart of Luther Martin, when, before the -Legislature of Maryland, he delivered a report concerning the topic of -which we speak. The report was adopted by a majority of the convention, -though not without considerable opposition. - -“It was said that we had just assumed a place among independent -nations, in consequence of our opposition to the attempts of Great -Britain to enslave us. That this opposition was grounded upon the -preservation of those rights to which God and nature entitled us, not -in particular, but in common with all the rest of mankind. That we -had appealed to the Supreme Being for His assistance, as the God of -freedom, who could not but approve our efforts to preserve the rights -which he had thus imparted to all his creatures. That now, when we -scarcely had risen from our knees and supplications for his aid and -protection, in the form of government we had chosen, we proposed to -have a provision therein, not only putting it out of its power to -restrain and prevent the slave trade, but actually to encourage that -most infamous traffic, by giving the States power and influence in the -Union, in proportion as they cruelly and wantonly sported with the -rights of their fellow creatures. Such a course ought to be considered -a solemn mockery of, and insult to, that God whose protection we had -implored, and it could not fail to hold us up to the detestation and -contempt of every true friend of liberty in the world. National crimes -can only be, and frequently are punished, at least, in the world, by -national calamities. And if we thus give national sanction to the slave -trade, we justly expose ourselves to the displeasure and vengeance of -Him who is equally Lord of all, and who views with equal eye the poor -African slave and his American master.” - -The same fire which dictated the above, burned also in Captain Riley’s -heart, when he exclaimed: - -“Strange as it may seem to the philanthropist, my free and -proud-spirited countrymen still hold a million and a half of human -beings in the most cruel bonds of slavery, who are kept at hard labor, -and, smarting under the lash of inhuman, mercenary drivers, in many -instances enduring the miseries of hunger, thirst, imprisonment, cold, -nakedness, and even tortures. This is no picture of the imagination. -For the honor of human nature, I wish likenesses were nowhere to be -found. I myself have witnessed such scenes in different parts of my own -country, and the bare recollection of them now chills my blood with -horror.” - -In connection with this, we have the statement of De Witt Clinton, -who, during the period of his legislative career—1797—bestowed a large -portion of his attention to the protection of the public health, the -promotion of agriculture, manufactures, and the arts, the _gradual_ -abolition of slavery, &c. - -The record of the proceedings of the Senate of New York for the -sessions of 1809–11 exhibits proofs of Mr. Clinton’s great usefulness. -Under his auspices, the New York Historical Society was incorporated, -the Orphan Asylum and free schools were fostered and encouraged. He -introduced laws to prevent kidnapping, and the further introduction of -slaves; also to punish those who should treat slaves inhumanly.—_De -Witt Clinton’s Life in Delaplaine’s Repository._ - -I have been forced, after honest and serious consideration, to the -conclusion, that God, who rules all the affairs of men, is now speaking -to the American nation in thunder tones. He is afflicting us for the -terrible sin of slavery. - -The great fear of those who have fostered this rebellion, is that a -true knowledge of God and his word would be instilled into the minds of -the people. This is proven by their own arguments. Let us cite one from -General Duff Green’s favorite strain: - -“We are of those who believe that the South has nothing to fear from a -servile war. We do not believe that the abolitionists intend, nor could -they if they would, to excite the slaves to insurrection. The danger -of this is remote. We believe we have most to fear from the organized -action upon the consciences and fears of the slaveholders themselves; -from the insinuations of their dangerous heresies into our schools -and pulpits and our domestic circles. It is only by alarming the -consciences of the weak and feeble, and diffusing among our own people -a morbid sensibility on the question of slavery, that the abolitionists -can accomplish their object. Preparatory to this, they are now -laboring to saturate the non-slaveholding States with the belief that -slavery is a sin against God; that the national compact involves the -non-slaveholders in that sin, and that it is their duty to toil and -suffer that our country may be delivered from what they term its -blackest stain, its foulest reproach, its deadliest curse.”—_Southern -Review._ - -Such arguments as these blacken the souls of thousands, shut up the -avenues of knowledge in the South, and push on the car of slavery until -it crushes all liberty beneath its iron wheels. - -While I was thus in my old prison a second time, I met with a -friend, Rev. William Rogers. During my absence he had organized a -Sabbath-school among the prisoners. He had been fortunate enough to -obtain, by some means or other, a copy of the Old or New Testament, and -from this precious volume he used to read to the captives, who listened -to him in alternate groups. Just about the time that Mr. Rogers was -producing a good effect by this habit, the school was peremptorily -discontinued by the rebels, who feared the dissemination of abolition -doctrines, notwithstanding the fact that Rogers was a Southern man. - -While here, I made the acquaintance of Dr. Doke of East Tennessee, and -Dr. Fish of Illinois, both of whom were busy day and night ministering -to the physical wants and ailments of the prisoners. Medical stores -were meagre, and Dr. Doke informed me that to this cause was traceable -one-half the deaths that occurred. - -Mr. Rogers and I, falling into conversation one afternoon, struck -upon the question of God’s special providence. In this we agreed very -well, but on that of slavery we were opposed to each other. He had -been all his life an inhabitant of the South, and though he did not -fully justify the keeping of slaves, he did not so blindly and bitterly -denounce those of an opposite opinion, as Southerners are generally -wont to do. But I still pray for God to bless this good divine, as he -loves and venerates the Stars and Stripes. He is one of that class who, -notwithstanding all the ordinances of secession cannot give up their -affection for the old standard. - -Soon after this, we were sent to Atlanta, Georgia, under guard of one -lieutenant. This was the first privilege we had yet enjoyed, and we -appreciated it accordingly. Along the route the rebels were extremely -anxious to converse with us, but we remained decidedly silent, for the -least word, inconsiderately spoken, would have placed us at the mercy -of a mob, and we well knew what result would follow that. We were often -insulted by such expressions as “Yankee thieves,” “nigger-stealers,” &c. - -With no other incidents than these, we reached Atlanta in safety. Here -we found a large number of Confederate wounded from Virginia, for whom -large tables had been set out, spread with what food and luxuries could -be obtained. - -As I was still dressed in the ragged Confederate uniform in which I had -escaped from prison, a lady hailed me, to know if I was a soldier. Of -course, I answered yes, and for a moment hesitated about the rest of -my answer; but, thinking any other course might be productive of ill, -I added that I was a United States soldier, and of course could not -expect to share in a meal set out specially for Confederates. With an -assumption of affectation, she turned away, saying: - -“Ah, we do not feed Yankees!” - -But I noticed her dark eyes closely following me as I limped away -through the crowd, and ere I was out of sight, she came hurrying -through the latter, as though to speak to some one near me, and she -whispered in my ear: - -“I am from New York, and I will give you a cup of coffee. Come around, -and I will slip it to you, but you must keep silent.” - -My heart swelled with emotion as I obeyed this angel woman, and I know -the tears dropped on my face, as, with husky tones, I thanked her for -the mug of rye coffee and the nice biscuit she placed in my hands. - -We remained here long enough to learn that a captain and three -Tennesseeans had been hung for their Union sentiments, and to learn -also that captives fared very badly. Then we pushed on to Madison, -where we were incarcerated in an old factory building, four stories -high, and situated in the southeastern portion of the town. It was two -o’clock, A.M., when we arrived, and we were immediately locked up in a -room entirely destitute of a bed. But still there was such a contrast -between it and the old jail in which we had been immured, that we -thought it very fine indeed. - -We lay down till morning, and when we arose, we found ourselves in -company with General Prentiss and General Crittenden, together with two -hundred and sixteen other officers of various grades. Here also I met -with my old prison companions, Lieutenants Todd, Stokes, Hollingsworth, -and Winslow—all clergymen like myself—Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, -Majors Crockett, Chandler, McCormick and Studman. I soon formed an -agreeable acquaintance with General Prentiss, who was taken prisoner -on Sunday, April 6th, 1862, at Shiloh. It had generally been reported -that the General had surrendered early in the morning; but this was -false, for I now learned that he did not give up until five o’clock in -the afternoon, thus holding at least five or six times his own number -in check the whole of that dreadful day. Without doubt, history will -do the gallant hero justice; for on that bloody field he displayed -coolness and heroism seldom equalled and never excelled. - -I found General Prentiss not one of your half-hearted war men, who -fight conditionally, but a whole-souled patriot, who would destroy the -institution that is the root of the war. He would not see the glorious -banner trailed in the dust to uphold a few Southern aristocrats in -perpetuating their horrid system of human bondage. His feelings were -consonant with those of John Quincy Adams, when that wise man addressed -Congress, February 4th, 1843, in the following words: - -“Three days since, Mr. Clayton, of Georgia, called that species of -population (slaves) the machinery of the South. Now, that machinery -has twenty odd representatives in this hall, not elected by the -machinery, but by those who own it. And if I should go back to the -history of the Government from its foundations, it would be easy -to prove that its decisions have been effected in general by less -majorities than that. Nay, I might go further, and insist that that -very representation has ever been, in fact, the ruling power of this -Government. - -“The history of the Union has afforded a continual proof that the -representation of property, which they enjoy, as well in the election -of President and Vice-President of the United States, as upon the -floor of the House of Representatives, has secured to the slaveholding -States the entire control of the national policy, and almost without -exception, the possession of the highest executive office of the -Union. Always united in the purpose of regulating the affairs of -the whole Union by the standard of the slaveholding interest, their -disproportionate numbers in the electoral colleges have enabled them, -in ten out of twelve quadrennial elections, to confer the Chief -Magistracy upon one of their own citizens. Their suffrages at every -election, without exception, have been exclusively confined to a -candidate of their own caste.” - -General Prentiss was kind and affable to all around him, and among -fifteen hundred men of his command with whom I freely conversed, there -was not one who did not love and respect him. - -Every day found me growing more and more hostile to the slave system; -and the actions of the various States against slavery often recurred to -my mind, and always produced a pleasurable feeling. Pennsylvania took -the lead in this noble race. The Act is to be found in Smith’s Laws, -Vol. I., p. 493, 1780. It was for the gradual abolishment of slavery, -and every word of it should have been printed in letters of gold. This -just Act was, for a long course of years, adhered to and perfected -until slavery ceased in the State. - -In the year 1827, the following open avowal of the State doctrine was -made preface to the Act: - -“_To prevent certain abuses of the laws relative to fugitives from -labor._ - -“They ought not to be tolerated in the State of Pennsylvania. - -“Above all let us never yield up the right of the free discussion of -any evil which may arise in the land or any part of it; convinced that -the moment we do so, the bond of the Union is broken. For the Union, a -voluntary compact to continue together for certain specified purposes, -the instant one portion of it succeeds in imposing terms and dictating -conditions upon another not found in the contract, the relation between -them changes, and that which was union becomes subjection.”—_Message to -Pennsylvania Legislature_, 1836. - -Had we obeyed these admonitions when it was first attempted to stop our -arguments, had we stood up like men and never yielded our rights on -this subject, our foes would never have succeeded. Oh, that the united -North had stood up like the martyr, Elijah Lovejoy! Said he: - -“I know that I have a right fully to speak and publish my sentiments, -subject only to the laws of the land for the abuse of that right; and -this right was given to me by my Maker, and is solemnly guaranteed to -me by the Constitution of the United States and also the State. What I -wish to know of you is, whether you will protect me in this right, or -whether, as heretofore, I am to be subjected to personal indignity and -outrage.” - -Was this noble man protected? No! He fell into the arms of his brother -one day, shot, down on the threshold of his own house, by the bullet of -a cowardly and fanatical assassin. - -General Crittenden, with whom I also became acquainted here, was a -slaveholder, yet he did not pretend to endorse the system. Another -gentleman, Lieutenant-Colonel Pratt, of Missouri, born and bred in -North Carolina, was strongly anti-slavery in his views. - -Henry Clay, that peerless statesman, made the following remarks in a -speech before a meeting of the Colonization Society: - -“As a mere laborer, the slave feels that he toils for his master, -and not for himself; that the laws do not recognize his capacity to -acquire and hold property, which depends altogether upon the pleasure -of his proprietor; and that all the fruits of his exertion are reaped -by others. He knows that whether sick or well, in times of scarcity or -abundance, his master is bound to provide for him by the all-powerful -influence of self-interest. He is generally, therefore, indifferent to -the adverse or prosperous fortunes of his master, being contented if he -can escape his displeasure or chastisement by a careless and slovenly -performance of his duties. - -“That labor is best in which the laborer knows that he will receive -the profits of his industry, and where his employment depends upon -his diligence, and his reward upon his assiduity. He then has every -motive to excite him to exertion, and animate him to perseverance. -He knows that if he is treated badly, he can exchange his employer. -With the proceeds of his toil to his own hands, he distributes it as -his pleasure indicates. In a word, he is a free agent, with rights, -privileges, and sensibilities. Wherever the option exists to employ, -at an equal hire, free or slave labor, the former will always have the -preference. It is more capable, more diligent, more faithful, and in -every respect more worthy of confidence.” - -Among the prisoners with whom I was in company, there were ninety-six -incarcerated for political offences; that means for conscience’ sake. -They were mostly from East Tennessee, and they all, with one exception, -believed slavery to be the cause of the war. This they often remarked -to me, and invariably added that the war would never cease until -slavery was destroyed. These opinions were expressed before we heard of -the President’s proclamation. - -“Why, sir,” remarked I, to a Tennesseean of wealth and influence, “we -are told by men in our country, that if you in the South thought this, -you would be a united opposition at once.” - -“Sir,” was the answer, “there are some in the South, now Union men whom -this notion might affect; but the truth is, that you can never restore -the Union until you emancipate the slaves. For their masters can use -them, both small and great, old and young, as efficiently as you can -white men. They make them hoe corn and cotton to feed and clothe -soldiers in the field; and here again the females are as useful as the -males. If I could see some move made at this system of slavery, I would -have some hope. I am myself the owner of ten or twelve slaves, and I -would willingly give them all up to see the desired result brought -about. Emancipation, sir, is the only hope that the Union men have of -a restoration. While you return the slaves to their masters as soon -as you take them, there is no hope. You might as well, when you take -a rebel soldier prisoner, send him immediately back to his own lines -without parole.” - -My spirits were often depressed, and on one of these occasions I -committed all my papers to the care of Captain Stedman, with whom I had -formed a friendship in prison, requesting him that, in case I succumbed -to my sufferings, he would endeavor to forward them to my wife. - -During the daytime, we were permitted the liberty of the prison yard. -One day, while walking about, I noticed a cellar, to which entrance was -had from the yard. Into this dark cellar I made my way, and prayed to -God to remember me in my sore tribulation. Once, when I was making my -exit from this retreat in company with a comrade or two who had joined -me, I was seen by Captain Stedman, who on learning what we did there, -begged us to pray for him. The next night we prayed in our apartment -before retiring. This awakened some surprise among the rest of our -comrades, some of whom were swearing and others playing cards. The -night following, we held a regular prayer-meeting in our cellar, and -God blessed us, and made us exceedingly happy. Each evening thereafter -found us holding our prayer-meetings, and each evening saw several -recruits added to our number. It had been agreed that there was to -be no noise, fearing, as we did, that in case there was, we would be -discovered by the guards, and a stop put to our proceedings. The rule -was faithfully observed until one night, Captain Stedman, receiving a -baptism from on high, could not restrain his happiness, but shouted, -“Glory to God in the highest,” and the shout was taken up by the rest. - -Here, we thought, was an end of our meetings, for the guards heard us. -But we were agreeably mistaken. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - The Slave’s Ruse—The Richmond Enquirer—President’s Proclamation—A - Negro Prayer—A “Big Bug”—A Casibianca—Death of Mr. Eckels—Thoughts - and Plans of Escape—Lieutenant Pittenger. - - -The next day after this occurrence, as I was walking in the yard, a -negro, who worked in the prison, slyly pulled me as I was passing him, -and exclaimed in an under-tone: - -“All us darkies gwine to be free, yah! yah!” - -“What?” asked I, taking care to avoid being seen by the guards. - -“Why, all us nigs gwine to be free, yah! yah! gin us yer coat, massa!” - -I fully understood this coat business, as the reader must be aware from -an explanation previously given, but, as I had no coat myself, I went -to Captain McCormick, my messmate, and got his. It very fortunately had -a long rip in the right sleeve. - -“Here, nigger,” cried I, in loud tones, “can’t you get this coat -mended?” - -“Mended!” exclaimed the intelligent fellow, in assumed tones of wrath, -intended for the guards. “I wish dar wus no Yankees! dere more bodder -den dar wuff! good deal!” - -“Go get it mended for him, you black skunk!” exclaimed one of the -guard, “and make him pay well for’t.” - -“Dat’s jes what dis yere nigger’ll do, I golly!” - -The coat was taken roughly away by the negro, and returned the next -morning, with the rip mended, and a copy of the _Richmond Enquirer, -containing the President’s Emancipation Proclamation, artfully -concealed in the lining_! The paragraph was carefully marked all -around, and its perusal gave me the utmost delight. I dared not tell -even my most intimate friends how I got this paper, for there were -spies among us to report us. - -I felt restive under the curb that kept my tongue still, but the -thought rose to comfort me, that, though they bound me in the chains of -a slave, the day would come when, with the poet, I could sing: - - “Oh, Liberty, thou Goddess heavenly bright, - Profuse of bliss, and pregnant with delight, - Eternal pleasures in thy presence reign, - And smiling Plenty leads thy wanton train. - Eased of her load, Subjection grows more light, - And Poverty looks cheerful in thy sight. - Thou mak’st the gloomy face of Nature gay, - Giv’st beauty to the sun, and pleasure to the day. - - * * * * * * * - - Wrenched the red scourge from proud oppressors’ hands, - And broke, curs’d slavery, thy iron bands. - E’en now, e’en now, on yonder western shores, - Weeps pale Despair, and writhing Anguish roars. - E’en now, in Afric’s groves, with hideous yell, - Fierce slavery stalks, and slips the dogs of Hell! - From vale to vale the gathering cries rebound, - And sable nations tremble at the sound. - Who right the injured, and reward the brave, - Stretch your strong arms, for ye have power to save! - Throned in the vaulted heart, his dread resort, - Inexorable Conscience holds his court. - With still, small voice, the plots of guilt alarms, - Bares his masked brow, his lifted hand disarms; - But wrapped in night, with terrors all his own, - He speaks in thunders when the deed is done; - Hear him, ye Senates, hear this truth sublime,— - He who allows oppression shares the crime.” - -That night our prayer-meeting—which was no longer secret—was one of the -happiest we ever enjoyed. I found that, like myself, all had heard of -the proclamation, and we all reverently thanked God for it. Next to me -was an old negro who had been taken prisoner in East Tennessee. He had -originally been freed by his master, a wealthy Georgian planter. When -this son of Africa prayed, he let himself out in all the power and -exuberance of his strong but uneducated mind. - -“O, good Lord!” cried he, “don’t let off de steam, but put on more -steam, O, good Lord! and don’t put on de brakes; but run her right up -to de fust of January! And den O, good, blessed Lord, my wife’ll be -free! Tank God! glory! Amen! God send down de power! Amen, and amen!” - -As this earnest freedman ceased prayer, I thought of my own white -countrymen who were fighting to keep the slave enchained: - - “And we are free—but is there not - One blot upon our name? - Is our proud record written fair - Upon the scroll of fame? - - “Our banner floateth by the shore, - Our flag upon the sea; - But when the fettered slave is loosed, - We shall be truly free.” - -That night I shall never forget, for we took our prayer-meeting up -to the second floor. We had gained in strength, and God had shed his -blessing on our efforts, so that even the most profane man in our -midst, Captain Crawford, was affected. Said he to me one day: - -“After such demonstrations as I have witnessed in your prayer-meetings, -all the devils in hell could not make me believe there was no reality -in religion.” - -As the rebel authorities were now arresting and imprisoning every man -who refused to bear arms for the Confederacy, we had additions made -to our numbers every morning. On one occasion, among a crowd that -were brought in, was a very large man. He was five feet eight inches -high, and weighed _three hundred and eighty pounds_. He was a man of -wealth and influence, and after having had innumerable servants to -wait upon him, it came rather hard on him to be obliged to get his -own place ready to sleep in. I say _place_, for our quarters were -entirely innocent of a bed, and if we took turns sleeping on a blanket, -we considered ourselves lucky. In the morning he spent some time in -rising, for it needed his utmost efforts to get his vast body to an -upright position. His exertions ruffled his temper exceedingly, and as -the perspiration poured down his face, he muttered to himself over and -over again: - -“Now, old Henry, you’ve got yourself in a h—l of a fix, ain’t you, you -d——d old fool!” Notwithstanding, this old man was very gentlemanly in -his deportment. - -Among a batch that had lately arrived, was a man whom the rebels were -endeavoring to force to take the oath of allegiance to the Southern -Confederacy. But his wife, who had been confined just after his arrest, -fearing that his regard for her condition might induce him to submit to -what was demanded, sent her son, who was only eight years old, to tell -his father not to take the oath. - -This brave little fellow came nearly one hundred miles on his mission, -and, when he arrived, the guards refused to admit him. Undaunted, -however, by the rebuff, the young hero got close to the picket-fence, -and shouted with all his might: - -“Pa! pa! don’t you swear! Oh, pa, don’t you swear! We can get along; I -got the lot ploughed to put in the wheat!” - -I wished at the time that this scene could be witnessed by the whole -North. I feel convinced that in that case no one would raise a cry of -indignation at the arrest of traitors who cry for peace, and who thus -aid the South in oppressing the really true Union men in that region. - -A gentleman by the name of Shaw, was the object of Confederate malice, -and on no rational grounds whatever. Hoping to secure a place of refuge -for his wife and helpless children, he had, some ten months previous, -sought to leave his native State, Virginia, as he knew that the most -terrible battles of the war must take place there. On the road he -was met and seized by a band of ruffians, who, without the slightest -explanation, tore him from the presence of his family, and hurried him -away to jail, for disloyalty to the South. The last he had seen of his -wife and four little ones was when they stood weeping and wringing -their hands on the road-side, as his ruthless captors carried him -from their sight. He had never heard tale nor tidings of them since, -and what their fate had been he knew not. His case was only one of a -thousand others. - - “See the dire victim, torn from social life, - The shrieking babe, the agonizing wife. - See! wretch forlorn is dragged by hostile hands - To distant tyrants, sold on distant lands; - Transmitted miseries and successive chains, - The soul-sad heritage, her child obtains. - E’en this last wretched boon their foes deny, - To live together, or together die! - By felon hands, by one relentless stroke, - See the fond links of feeling Nature broke! - The fibres twisting round a parent’s heart, - Torn from their grasp, and bleeding as they part!” - -This unfortunate man gave me instances of where he had seen his -neighbors hung, some until not quite dead, and then taken down to -take the oath of allegiance. In case they refused, they were instantly -strung up again. - -We were so much encouraged in holding our prayer-meetings, that we -finally were bold enough to request the privilege of having divine -service every Sabbath. This was granted, much to our surprise, and we -had the most happy times imaginable. Oh, it was glorious for the soul -to bask in that heavenly sunlight which God thus shed upon us in our -dreary prison. - -About this time, I became acquainted with Simeon B. Eckels. He was very -sick, and requested me often to pray for him. Our friendship was as -cordial as it was short, for his sickness was unto death. The God who -sent his angel to free his apostle Peter, took our sick brother by the -hand, and led him from out the noisome prison to the mansions above, -where care comes not, and where sickness is not known. He died at half -past ten o’clock, P.M., on August 22, 1862. For several days prior to -his death, I was constantly by him, and was much gratified with the -manifestations he gave of preparation for the future. Brother Eckels -gave me the name of the church in Iowa to which he belonged, also the -names of his mother and sister, who lived in Ohio. He requested me to -visit the latter. His thoughts were centred solely upon heaven and his -mother, and in his moments of revival he would often repeat the lines: - - “My mother, at thy holy name, - Within my bosom is a gush - Of feeling, which no time can tame, - And which, for worlds of fame, - I would not, could not crush.” - -Brother Eckels’s end was indeed one of peace and bright serenity. At -his request I preached his funeral sermon the day succeeding his death, -from the text, “They that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” - -At the hour appointed for the funeral of the deceased, a negro drove -up with a dirty dray, on which we supposed they intended to throw the -corpse, and cart it away like some animal’s carcass. At this, the -Colonel of his regiment, Colonel Shaw, earnestly requested that we -might be allowed to bear the body, and thus prevent the insult offered -to the dead. This request had the effect of causing the officers to -send for a light wagon, and in this was our sleeping brother and -comrade soldier carried to his long home, followed by myself and a -companion or two. Gentle be his slumbers beneath the sods of Georgia’s -soil! - -Unfortunately, among some other papers, I lost that on which I had -taken the address of Mr. Eckels’ mother, and have, therefore, as yet, -been unable to fulfil my promise to visit her. Nothing would give me -more pleasure than to see this dear old lady, and tell her what a -glorious death-bed was that of her son. Since my return home, I have -frequently heard a sweet song, the words of which picture before me -the last hours of Mr. Eckels. How touchingly appropriate to the dying -breath of this Christian hero, were the lines: - - “Soon with angels I’ll be marching, - With bright laurels on my brow— - For my country I have fallen, - Who will care for mother now?” - -Hitherto our spirits had been borne up by the hopes of a speedy -exchange; but as day followed day, this fond hope faded, and we -began seriously to think of making our escape. A general rise of the -prisoners was proposed, which would no doubt have been successful, -with perhaps the loss of five or ten of our number. This I did not -personally approve of, as I was unable to travel; but still I stated -to my fellow captives, that I would put no hindrance in their way if -they should decide upon such a course. A sufficient number not being -obtained to give this plan any chance of success, it was finally -abandoned for some others that promised more success. - -I had ascertained the distance to the river, and also, that if we -could reach the latter, we could run down it in a skiff. I immediately -selected a comrade, broke the intelligence to him, and obtained his -consent to make a dash for liberty. We made known our intention to a -third one, and he, too, consented to join in the perilous undertaking. -The plan of operations was this: - -On the first rainy night, we were to go to some Murfreesboro’ -prisoners, who had blankets, and obtain some of the latter under the -pretense of washing them. We then intended to make our way to the -fence, and with our knives, cut around the heads of the nails, so that -the boards could be easily pulled off. Then filling the places we had -cut with sand, we intended to hang the blankets over the fence so as -to hide our work. At some subsequent time, when the guards drove us -up to our room, we were going to the fence under pretense of getting -our blankets, and intended to remain there till all was quiet. Then, -tearing off several boards, we were to make an effort to gain our -freedom. - -All worked well until the night of our final attempt, and then, -unfortunately, one of our companions was taken ill. This was the first -disappointment. The next wet night that came, we were all well, and -started; but, just as we were about to accomplish our purpose, General -Prentiss, with several others, made a like attempt, unknown however, to -us. Of course, an alarm was immediately raised, and the guards were on -the _qui vive_. The General’s party, headed by him, dashed back, and -hid themselves in the cellar where we used to hold our prayer-meetings, -while we reached our own room in safety. A Tennesseean tore up a plank -from our floor and succeeded in getting one, Lieutenant Ward, up out of -the cellar beneath; but, ere another could be assisted thus, the guards -had captured the fugitives, and marched them out into the yard. A -short time afterward, they were brought back into the room in which we -were, amid the jokes and laughs of the rest of the prisoners at their -non-success. - -A few hours after daylight, a guard of fifteen or twenty men marched -in and took General Prentiss, Captain Gaddus, Major Ward, and several -others into custody. Where they took them we did not know; but, a -few days subsequently, I heard through Dolph, the black boy, that -they were put into a common jail, and chained to the floor. From the -description he gave of it, their condition must indeed have been -horrible. - -Think of that, all you who sympathize with traitors, and equivocate, -if you can, or dare, upon such acts as these! You may say you do not -believe such things were done. Let me then refer you to a case, sworn -to by one of the sufferers, upon his return home, now Lieutenant -William Pittenger, as noble a young man as ever breathed, and formerly -associate of Rev. Alexander Clark, in the publication of “_Clark’s -School Visitor_.” It is from an official report, given before Judge -Holt, by order of the Secretary of War: - -“An order came for the execution of our seven comrades who had been -tried. It was at that time entirely unexpected to us, although at -first it would not have been. Sentence of death was read to them, and -they were immediately tied, without any time for preparation being -allowed them. They were told to bid us farewell, and be quick about it. -They were then taken out of the prison, and we could see them from a -window, seated in a wagon, and escorted by cavalry. In the course of an -hour or so, the cavalry returned without them. That evening, Captain -Farackers, the provost marshal, called upon us. We asked him how our -companions had met their fate. He told us, “like brave men.” The next -day, we conversed with the guards who were guarding us, with one in -particular, who described the scenes of the execution. He told us of -a speech of one of these men, named Wilson, from my regiment, on the -scaffold. He told us, also, that two of the heaviest men had broken -the ropes by which they were suspended, and fell to the ground. They -afterwards revived, and asked for a drink of water; which being given -to them, they requested an hour to prepare for death, and pray before -they were again hung up. Their request was refused, and, as soon as -the ropes could be re-adjusted, they were compelled to re-ascend the -scaffold. The guard told me that Mr. Wilson had spoken very calmly; had -told them they were all in the wrong; that they would yet see the time -when the old Union would be restored, and the flag of our country would -wave over all that region.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Just Judgment—General Prentiss in Close Confinement—Northern Peace - Men—Bear Story—In the Hospital—Old Aunt Susie—Sold Children—Without - Bread, and Satisfied—What our Fathers thought—An Untrammeled - Pulpit—Clay-eaters—Commissioners to Washington—Homeward Bound—An - Irate Southron—My Yellow Angel—Our Journey—An Accident—Jeff. Davis’ - Coffin—Don’t Know Myself—Safe at Home—Conclusion. - - -Is it not passing strange that enlightened Americans can be thus so -barbarous? It is related of a certain English judge, that a criminal -was brought before him, whom, for certain offences, he sentenced to -seven years transportation. The prisoner’s friends immediately sent a -petition to the judge, stating that he was a well-informed man, and if -he had an opportunity, might yet be a useful member of society. The -judge forthwith, sent for the criminal, and thus addressed him: - -“I understand, sir, that you are a man of knowledge, and well-informed, -and might be a useful member to society. But see what you have done -in the face of all your knowledge. Now, sir, I had intended to give -you only seven years; but because you know better, I shall double your -term and give you _fourteen years transportation, with hard labor_.” -That was a just judge, and before him should the South be tried for the -deeds she has committed during this war. - -What renders the offence against the noble General Prentiss so much -more aggravating, is the fact, that he was thus treated after he had -been regularly exchanged. The man for whom he was exchanged, General -Price, had been set at liberty, and returned to his family. - -What apology the Southerners could offer in this case I know not; but -I suppose they might treat the matter in the same light as they do the -wrongs inflicted upon the four millions of human beings whom they hold -in bondage. Their reply is, when spoken to of their cruelties to their -slaves: - -“Oh, they’re only niggers!” - -So, in regard to General Prentiss, they might say: - -“Oh, he’s only a Yankee abolitionist!” - -And shame mantles my brow as I say that there is a class of men in the -North, whom this answer would not only satisfy, but actually delight. -Thank God that this class is a harmless minority! What a sorry figure -they will cut after the war is over, and the rebels thrashed back into -the Union! They remind me of an anecdote I once heard, of a man named -John Williams. John was a poor, lazy coward himself, while his wife was -just the reverse. Moving to a mountainous region in Virginia, they got -a little cabin and lot of ground. One day Lucy, his wife, was working -in the garden, while John was nursing the baby. Suddenly an old, hungry -bear was seen coming down the mountain side, directly toward them. John -instantly dropped the child, ran to the cabin, climbed up the ladder -into the loft, and pulled the ladder up after him, thus leaving the -mother and baby to do the best they could. Lucy, seeing her chance of -escape thus cut off, did not wait to scold her cowardly husband, but -seizing an ax, went out to meet the bear. As soon as old Bruin came -within reach, the courageous mother struck him on the head again and -again. - -John, as he witnessed this from the loft-window, cried out: - -“Quit that, you Lucy; you’ll make him madder and madder!” - -Lucy paid no attention to John, but continued chopping away at the bear -until she killed him. As the beast fell dead, John breathed somewhat -more freely, and called out: - -“Lucy, is he dead?” - -“Yes.” - -“Are you sure he’s dead, Lucy?” - -“Yes! of course he is.” - -John came down, and going to where the dead bear lay, he looked first -at it, and then at his wife, ready, however, to start off on a run -should the brute give any signs of life. After thus contemplating -matters, he gave his collar a jerk, and exclaimed, proudly: - -“Hurrah, Lucy, _we’ve_ killed a big bear! blamed if we ain’t!” - -So it is with the peace-men of to-day. They cry now loudly for peace, -and whine about the unconstitutional arrest of a few tories. And when -it is over, and freedom triumphs, _their_ coward lips will boast of -victories won over the legions of secession. Such are the Vallandigham -traitors. - -General Prentiss remained in close confinement until October 6th, and -during the time he had been absent from our party. I had been taken -with a severe illness, which obtained for me admission to a rear room -of the prison, which was dignified by the name of a hospital. Here I -enjoyed the privilege of drawing my allowance of corn-meal from the -commissary, and taking it, or sending it, under guard, out to some -one in the town, to have it cooked. I got a slave, called Aunt Susie, -belonging to a widow, to attend to mine, and she did it well. I was -forbidden to speak to her, however. - -One day, Lieutenant Welsh came in with the report that Aunt Susie was -having great trouble. I suspected the reason, but kept silent. The next -day, feeling well enough, I obtained permission to take my own meal out -to get it cooked. As it happened, two black boys were on guard, and one -of these only accompanied me. He knew all about Aunt Susie’s sorrow, -and, as he walked along, he said: - -“Don’t b’lieve Aunt Susie ’ill be able to do your cookin’, sah.” - -“Why?” asked I. - -“Kase she’s in heaps o’ trouble, sah. You see, de sheriff sold her -little boy an’ gal t’oder day, an’ she’s bin cryin’ eber since, as -though her heart ’ud break.” - -“Do you think that sale was right?” said I. - -“Well, now, I guess I doesn’t, sah!” was the quick reply. - -“Well, then, why are you in the army that supports such doings?” - -“Ah, sah, dey makes me shoulder my gun, an’ dey makes me fire, sah; -but dey can’t make me shoot low, so as to hit anybody. When I fire, -sah, I shoots ober, d’ye understand, sah? I fires, but nobody gits hurt -wid my ball, sah!” - -“Well, why is it,” continued I, “that your masters mix you up with -white soldiers? Why don’t they put all you blacks into regiments by -yourselves?” - -“Yah! yah! sah,” said the slave, “dey knows ’nuff better dan dat. Dey -knows we’d fight t’odder way, if we got togedder. Yes, sah!” - -By this time we reached Aunt Susie’s cabin, where I found the poor -creature sitting an a stool, weeping bitterly. On her lap lay a little -boy two years old, while by her knee stood another of four years. - -When I entered the cabin, she sprang to her feet in an excited manner; -but when she saw myself and guard, she became calmer. - -“What is the matter, Aunt Susie?” I asked. - -“Oh, sah,” she replied, amidst tears and sobs, “I darsen’t tell you, -sah, for it’ll break my poor old heart.” - -“Oh, yes, come now, Susie, tell me. If I cannot help you, I can at -least feel sorry for you.” - -“Oh, sah, but you are kind to feel sorry for a poor old slave like me. -Dey’re sold my two dear little children, and dey’ll take ’em away -to-morrow, and I knows I’ll neber see ’em no more ’till I sees ’em up -dar, sah—up dar, sah, whar none of us’ll be sold any more.” - -As Aunt Susie made this reply, she turned her face heavenward, and -pointed up with her finger. In her agonized countenance, wet as it -was with her sorrowful tears, I read an appeal for the freedom of the -slave, stronger and more touching than all the volumes and speeches -that have ever been written or made upon the subject. - -I could not stand it any longer, and bidding the poor old slave -good-bye, I turned away without my bread, for my heart was full. I no -longer wondered at the strength of the language used by Ireland’s great -orator, Daniel O’Connell, when he said: - -“The Americans, in their conduct towards the slaves, are traitors -to the cause of human liberty, foul detractors of the democratic -principles which I have cherished throughout my political life. They -are blasphemers of that great and sacred name which they pretend to -honor. For in their solemn league and covenant, the Declaration of -Independence, they declare that all men have certain ‘inalienable -rights.’ These they defined to be life, liberty, and the pursuit of -happiness. To maintain these, they pledged themselves with all the -solemnity of an oath in the presence of Almighty God. The aid which -they invoked from heaven was awarded to them; but they have violated -their awfully solemn compact with the Deity, and set at naught every -principle which they profess to hold sacred, by keeping two and a -half millions of their fellow-men in bondage. In reprobation of that -disgraceful conduct, my humble voice is heard across the waves of -the wide Atlantic. Like the thunderstorm in its strength, it careers -against the breeze armed with the lightning of Christian truth. And let -them seek to repress it as they may; let them murder and assassinate -in the true spirit of Lynch law; the storm will rave louder and -louder around them till the claims of justice become too strong to be -withstood, and the black man will stand up too big for his chains. I -hope what I am about to say is not a profanation, but it seems as if -the curse of the Almighty has already overtaken them. For the first -time in their political history, disgraceful tumults and anarchy -have been witnessed in their cities. Blood has been shed without the -sanction of the law, and even Sir Robert Peel has been enabled to -taunt Americans with gross inconsistency and lawless proceedings. I -differ with Sir Robert Peel on many points. On one point, however, I -fully agree with him. Let the proud Americans learn that all parties -in this country unite in condemnation of their present conduct, and -let them also learn that the worst of all aristocracies is that which -prevails in America, an aristocracy which has been aptly denominated -that of the human skin. The most insufferable pride is that shown by -such an aristocracy. I will continue to hurl these taunts across the -Atlantic. They will ascend the Mississippi, they will descend the -Missouri, and be heard along the banks of the Ohio and Monongahela, -till the black man leaps delightedly to express his gratitude to those -who have effected his emancipation. And oh! but perhaps it is my pride -that dictates this hope, that some black O’Connell may rise among his -fellow-slaves, who will cry ‘agitate! agitate! agitate!’ till the two -millions and a half of his fellow-sufferers learn their strength, -learn that they _are_ two millions and a half! If there is one thing -more than another which can excite my hatred, it is the laws which the -Americans have framed to prevent the instruction of their slaves. To -teach a slave to read is made a capital offence! Shame! To be seen in -the company of a slave who can write, is visited with imprisonment! -Shame! And to teach the slave the principles of freedom is punishable -with death! It may be asked, Are these human laws? Are they not made by -the wolves of the forest? No, but they are made by a congregation of -two-legged wolves, American wolves, monsters in human shape, who boast -of their liberty and of their humanity, while they carry the hearts of -tigers within them. With regard to the attacks that have been made upon -my countrymen by such men, I rejoice at them. They prove to me that the -sufferings to which they have been subjected in the land of their birth -have not been lost upon them; but that their kindly affections have -been nurtured into strength, and that they have ranged themselves on -the side of the oppressed slave.” - -Would to heaven that ministers of religion, as well as statesmen -would shake off their lip-fetters, and throughout the whole nation -proclaim, as with one voice, the liberty of Gospel love! As long as -the heralds of salvation are time-servers and caste-courters, there -will be Pharisaical hatred to God’s poor. The reader will peruse an -extract here from a sermon on _Christian Courage_ by Rev. Alexander -Clark, delivered in the mid-summer of 1862, some weeks before the -announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. The words are timely and -truthful now as then: - -“To the Christian citizen, who, in this nation, is greater than a ruler -in any other, I would say a word to-day. These are times of sorrow. Our -nation is terribly lacerated, and bleeding at every pore. Horrid civil -war hangs her black pall over our summer skies. The clouds have hovered -long, and still they gather. All the light we have are the vivid -lightnings that flash across our battle-fields, though every flash -reveals a flying foe, records the victory, and thrills it in electric -velocity throughout our loyal land. Then an impenetrable darkness -prevails. We cannot yet see the ‘cloud with the silver lining.’ We -cannot hail the day of universal peace. The thick shadows obscure our -vision. The groans we hear, and the tears we see, hinder our exulting. -Oh, the tears of this war—what a river of them, enough, with the added -tears of the suffering slaves for lo! these many years, to float the -cruel ship that first brought bondmen to our shores! The graves already -filled, and others filling every day, and every where, almost crush our -very hopes. In the midst of this darkness and storm, this carnage and -blood, we would fear for the result, were it not for the assurance -that we feel to nerve us right from the God of nations. _Be not afraid, -only believe._ - -“And what shall we believe? What shall be our faith? This—no more, and -no less—that this nation must first be pure, then peaceable. Amen. -Lord, help thou our unbelief! Purify us from all sin! Take away from -us all false trust, and all man-glorying! The Lord help us to accept -universal liberty for this nation—boldly, immediately, unconditionally, -that the sunlight of God’s favor may shine upon us once more and -for ever! May our rulers and generals, and all Christians, accept -the life-thought of freedom to all men as the talisman of triumph -henceforth! And may none in authority, may none in the churches or -closets, be unwilling to trust in the arm of the Lord. Oh, that the -entire people might cease trembling, and _believe_ and be bold for the -right! - -“The same Power that spoke life to the daughter of Jairus, is able -to restore our lost prosperity—is able to return to us our national -renown. And He will, if we only believe. Our Republic is young in -years, as a child among the nations, but it will yet be raised to its -second life, which shall be more glorious than the first. The noise of -party politicians and mock mourners shall be hushed as insolence, and -the professional fault-finders who ridicule the workings of Providence, -shall be _turned out_; and independent of their viperous hisses over -a dead Republic, it even already pleaseth Almighty God to awake our -slumbering people to the liberty of truth. _His_ name, and not a -paltry, pitiful _party’s_, shall have the glory for a nation redeemed, -and a weary, toil-worn race emancipated! - - ‘He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; - He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat; - Oh, be swift my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet! - Our God is marching on.’ - -“And even to-day, while so many are afraid to trust God, afraid to -hope that all this commotion shall end gloriously, let us believe that -the same Power which conquered devils among the Gadarenes, healed most -desperate maladies in the region of His pilgrimage, and raised the cold -dead to life again, will give us the great victory. Brethren, give to -the winds your fears! - -“A word in view of our national truth. Bless God! in our prosperous -North, that has been full and free; and it shall be as enduring as -the Plymouth Rock, where it first breasted the New World’s winter and -storm. That Truth is Christian liberty, unalloyed and untrammeled, the -Pilgrim fathers’ treasure; that is the citizen-children’s inheritance, -and it shall be perpetuated. The ‘Mayflower’ weathered the storms of -a December Atlantic. The blood she brought to America courses now in -so many veins, and the spirit life at Plymouth planted, is to-day so -thrilling all true Christian hearts, that this strife must end in -proclamation of a Gospel to the poor. These we have with us always. Let -the people—the _whole_ people, have the Truth—the _whole_ Truth—and -nothing but the Truth. If this include body and conscience-liberty, -_be not afraid of that_, and let the good news go forth to captive -ones. Truth is used to storms. It has battled and beaten before. Itself -bled on Calvary, grappled with Death, and conquered the monster on -the marble floor of the new sepulchre, and is to-day a risen Sun of -Righteousness, dawning upon the nations! - -“The Pilgrim fires, kindled so long ago on the cold New England shores, -shall yet dart light and warmth to earth’s remotest bounds. America -must evangelize the world. But not yet. Not until all human fetters -shall have been melted, and all tyranny consumed at home. If it takes -fire to purify the people and burn out oppression, then blow, ye winds -of heaven, and fan the flames! Let our nation be the land of slaves and -sorrow no longer. Give us, O, thou Ruler of men, a home-land of freedom -and of Gospel light! Then our missionary efforts will be successful. -Then the day of vain mockery at our own pagan idols and wicked worship -of the world’s trinity, Gold-power-honor, will be for ever ended. Then -the true God shall be honored, when His human image is disenthralled, -when all hearts and voices publish the good news throughout the land; -then shall the high hallelujah melody, - - ‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea— - _Jehovah hath triumphed_—his people are free!’ - -ring a joy unspeakable to the benighted sons of heathendom abroad. -And the warbling melody, sweeter and richer far than the notes of a -bugle-band, shall fill and thrill the very desert airs of Africa. The -wild men of Ethiopia shall catch the sounding song, and leap as harts -on the mountains. The inhabitants of the far-off sea-islands shall hear -the sweet gospel pæan, and welcome a religion that sounds liberty to -the captive. - -“What music! The first measures of the anthem have been performed in -plaintive preludes, outsighing for years, in tedious time, by the -weary bondmen of the cotton-fields. Now comes the bold, loud bass, -majestic as the march of the whirlwind, introducing the discord of -rattling muskets, and anon the rumbling thunder-roar of artillery and -the neighing of war-horses. And hark! for an alto, the striking and -flashing of swords, the cheers of the victors, the screams of the -wounded, and the groans of the dying! But still the sweet ringing -melody sounds on high in octaves of glory, like the trill of a freed -bird, and as exultant as the angels’ song over the Bethlehem hills -before the day-dawn; soon the chorus-bar shall be reached and crossed, -for the Omnipotent beats the time in downward and upward suns; then the -mournful minor strains shall cease, the hoarse bass shall be keyed anew -for very joy, and the heavenly soprano of peace, sung by angels and -sainted choirs above, shall blend with the glad voices of a freed and -shouting multitude in one rapturous burst of accord, - - ‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea— - _Jehovah hath triumphed_—his people are free!’ - -Who will be afraid, since God rules? _Only believe_, and all will be -well. - -“Rather let us rejoice aloud and praise the Lord! For now a better -day is dawning upon our own dear native land. These sweet summer -mornings, with their blessed, balmy breezes, breathe and beam it. The -birds warble it. The rain patters it. The flowers nod it. The leaves -laugh it. The sun is rising that shall flash it in one blaze of glory -the rolling globe around! ‘Be not afraid—only believe.’ ‘Amen; so -let it be.’ The infamous slave trade, and the scarcely less infamous -institution of American slavery, _God is crushing out of this land -for ever_—thanks be to His name! Soon our poor shall have the gospel -preached to them. Soon shall eyes that have looked so long through -tears to a tyrant master’s frown, see their prison-bands severed -in pieces, to fall in tingling music at their feet. Soon shall the -illiterate slave be taught to read, in silent meditation, or aloud to -his children, the simple story of a Saviour’s love. Soon shall the -hearts that have sickened at the selling of kindred flesh for gold, -bound and beat to the welcome, ‘_Come_, come unto _me_, all ye that -labor and are heavy laden, and _I_ will give you rest.’ - -“The Almighty Deliverer is working now and, as in the days of his -incarnation, there are men now who desire in their hearts that God -would leave the country. They think Him unable to pay for the loss of -the herds. Men will not believe it; but the Almighty Deliverer works. -Glory to God! Underneath our cause are the Everlasting Arms; and side -by side with the heroic soldier, as he walks to war, the Lord is -marching on! Again and again let it ring—let Southern hills the echo -sound, - - ‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea— - _Jehovah hath triumphed_—HIS PEOPLE ARE FREE!’ - -“Be not afraid to come out, and speak out for freedom. Only believe -that the Lord will grant it. Already it comes—the victorious march -of the Almighty! The nation’s capital He has freed and blessed, and -foundationed on consecrated ground. The very flowers must yield a -richer fragrance there. The feathered choristers that hop among the -elms in the yards and gardens there, so early in the morning, must -strike higher, gladder notes of praise. _Now_ Washington _is_ safe. Let -the conquest circle the Republic until the waves of the Gulf and the -rippling Rio Grande shall lave the soil of liberty.” - -Upon my return to prison I found that Aunt Susie’s troubles had been -heard of there. The little boy and girl played close by the fence -during two days, and then we lost them. They were gone to spend the -rest of their lives in chains and slavery, unless the Almighty arm -breaks every bond of every oppressor! - -I am aware that those who would excuse the slave system, often attempt -to give conclusive weight to their arguments by asserting that our -forefathers were slaveholders. Let me give some facts to the contrary. - -One day, the wife of Samuel Adams returning home from a visit, informed -her husband that a dear friend had made her a present of a female slave. - -“My dear,” replied Mr. Adams, “she may come; but not as a slave, for a -slave cannot live in my house. If she comes, she must be free.” - -She came, and took up her _free_ abode with the family of this great -champion of American liberty, and there she continued free until her -death. - -General Kosciusko, by his will, placed in the hands of Mr. Jefferson a -sum exceeding twenty thousand dollars, to be laid out in the purchase -of young female slaves, who were to be both educated and emancipated. -The laws of Virginia prevented the will of Kosciusko from being carried -into effect—1820. - -A tyrant power had captured nine hundred and twenty Sardinian slaves, -of whom General William Eaton thus makes mention: - -“Many have died of grief, and others linger out a life less tolerable -than death. Alas! remorse seizes my whole soul when I reflect that this -is indeed but a copy of the very barbarity which my eyes have seen in -my own native country.” - -“Dissipation, as well as power,” wrote the immortal John Randolph, -“hardens the heart; but avarice deadens it to every feeling but the -thirst for riches. Avarice alone could have produced the slave trade. -Avarice alone can, as it does, drive the infernal traffic, and the -wretched victims, like so many post-horses, are whipped to death in -a small coach. Ambition has its incentives in the pride, pomp, and -circumstance of glorious war; but where are the trophies of avarice? -The handcuffs, the manacles, and the blood-stained cowhide!” - -But to return to my narrative. One morning, as I stood gazing at the -guards about our prison, I was forcibly struck with their appearance. -They were a new set of men, who had relieved our old guards, the latter -having been sent to Richmond. They were all tall and ungainly, and, -in speaking, always said “har,” “sar,” “whar,” and “dar.” Their most -favorite exclamations were, “tarnal Jesus,” and “I golly.” - -As I was thus surveying these degraded creatures, I heard one of them -say: - -“Tom, what do you always go to old Sanders’s mill for? Why don’t you go -to Mike Adams’s mill?” - -“Why, you tarnal fool,” was the reply, “don’t you know there’s a good -deal better clay up at old Sanders’s than there is at Mike Adams’s?” - -As we were at this time under the charge of one Captain Collins, -who was more indulgent than any of our previous keepers, we were -allowed to converse with the guards. I resolved to settle this matter -of clay-eating. So I asked one of the fellows to whom I have just -referred, what his comrade wanted with the clay that he got at the mill. - -“Why, tarnal J——s,” retorted the repulsive brute, “and don’t you know -nothin’? He wanted it to eat, I golly!” - -Reader, it would be impossible to describe the personal appearance of -these wretched clay-eaters, except by the remark an Ohio lady made upon -seeing them in all their glory, in Georgia. Said she, “_they do not -look like fresh dead men, but men who have been dead some time_.” - -Of all the negro-haters in the world, the clay-eater is the most -bitter, the cause of which is nothing more than jealousy and a degraded -moral system. - -While in this prison, we were permitted occasionally to receive our -dinners from outside; but even this privilege was stopped every few -days, so that it was always altogether uncertain. - -Commissioners having been sent to Washington, in relation to the matter -of exchanges by cartel, they returned, and brought with them to General -Prentiss several hundred dollars, which the General divided among the -officers. Our mess, consisting of three, received _one_ dollar, which, -of course, with prices as high as they were in Dixie at that time, was -almost useless. Sometimes we complained of our bad fare, and asked for -wheat-bread. Wheat-bread seemed to be a standing joke in rebeldom, or -rather one of the institutions that were long since forgotten. - -“Wheat-bread indeed!” laughed our keepers, “why poor flour is -sixty-nine dollars per barrel!” - -On the 7th of October, we left Madison, Georgia, as we hoped, for our -homes. Arriving at Augusta, we remained a short time, not being allowed -to leave the cars. During our stay, however, we managed to learn from -the negroes that there were but few white men in the place. - -The loquacity of the darkies gave the guards much trouble; that is, -those who were not Unionists themselves, and of the latter class there -were many. Captain Collins, whom I have mentioned just before, still -had us in his charge, of which we were very glad. - -The whites, as well as the negroes, crowded about our cars, and among -other questions, we were asked: - -“Well, whar did they dun get you? What do you uns tink you uns’ll dun -down here? We uns have dun been waiting for you uns.” - -From this place to Columbia, South Carolina, we were received much in -the same manner by all the inhabitants. Thence we took the Charleston -railroad to Branchville, from which place, starting due east, we struck -the Wilmington road at Kingsville. At Columbia, we were placed for -safe-keeping in the State Prison, while arrangements were being made in -regard to the cartel. As it was supposed that we would soon be within -our own lines, more liberty than usual was allowed us, of which I took -advantage by requesting to be allowed to go about the town under guard. -My wish was granted. - -As I was walking along, I overheard two men talking of a young lady -and two gentlemen who had just been put into cells. There was an -apple-stand near by, and I stopped, with the apparent intention of -purchasing some of the shriveled fruit, but really to listen to the -conversation going on between the men. - -“I’ve no doubt,” said one, “that they’re Yankees.” - -“Well,” said the other, “the lady was put in for hiding and feeding a -conscript.” - -“Yes,” savagely rejoined the first, “and if that’s so, she ought to -have been hung, and not put into prison.” - -Upon returning to prison, I, in company with my tried friend, Captain -Studman, went up stairs, where we both saw the lady and gentlemen in -question. She had no hope whatever of escaping execution, and her pale, -finely-formed face, though sorrowful, was determined in its expression. -Her companions shared her imprisonment, because they had defended her, -and to defend such an one was death or imprisonment. - -When the appointed time for our departure arrived, we were soon ready. -While standing in the street, drawn up in a rank, there was near us an -old man, who, whenever he had an opportunity, would grossly insult -us. The sun was broiling hot, and my temper, not being much cooler, I -felt inclined to admonish this old rebel a little. But, not wishing to -offend Captain Collins, who had treated me so well, I refrained, and -listened for some time to the hoary-headed coward in silence. - -A line of female negroes as long as our own, stood close to us watching -us, and commented upon our appearance. While thus engaged, a little dog -made his way through them, and commenced barking at, and playing with -one of our number, a captain from Missouri. - -The captain patted the little animal, and said, in half-joking tones: - -“Well, puppy, I’ve got one friend in South Carolina, anyhow.” - -At this, the old man rushed up to the prisoner, and exclaimed: - -“What are you talking about? Them things’ll hang you before you leave -this place!” - -“Whom do you think he’s talking to, sir?” I asked, in stern tones. - -“He’s talking to them niggers, and he shall hang for it, before he -leaves the place.” - -Just then, one of our number said sarcastically: - -“Ah, now, my dear old gentleman, you are altogether mistaken. He’s not -talking to your _children_, but your dog!” - -This enraged him beyond measure, and he wanted to fight, and demolish -the “whole crowd of d——d Yankees at once, and on the spot.” - -Captain Collins, at length, thinking that he had amused himself long -enough, quietly took hold of him, and passed him over to the guards, -who, however, were unable to appease him, until they jagged a sharp -bayonet into that delicate portion of his corporeal organization, -where, doubtless, his feelings and his brains were _seated_. - -We were soon after on our way to the capital of North Carolina. On our -journey thither, we stopped at Salisbury, where many a Yankee head was -thrust out at the car-windows in hopes of attracting the attention of -some of the kind-hearted negroes. My unshorn beard and straggling hair, -charmed a pretty yellow maiden to such an extent that she drew near and -said: - -“Are you a Yankee, sah?” - -“Yes,” replied I, determined to profit by the opportunity, “and I’m a -very hungry Yankee!” - -“God bless you, sah! I’ll go an’ git you a possum leg dis minnit.” - -With these words, she flew away, but soon returned, bringing a good -sized limb of “a possum.” I must admit, even at the risk of angering a -certain lady, that the yellow angel who thus relieved my hunger, did -look very beautiful in my eyes at the time. And as though she read my -thoughts, she asked coyly: - -“When am you uns coming here for we uns?” - -At this moment, a surly, vigilant guard relieved me from the -embarrassment which this question produced, and the girl, catching -a glimpse of him, “dispersed,” without even so much as bidding me -farewell. - -From this slave girl’s question, I was more than ever convinced that -the slaves possessed more knowledge of their own rights, situation, -and strength, than is generally supposed. I should not be surprised to -see them some day rise in one solid phalanx, sweep their masters from -existence, and cut their way to freedom! And who could pity the latter? -No one. We should be compelled to say just what Mary did to her bashful -suitor. - -One evening, as the lovers were standing on the verandah, Willie, -after immense mental effort, asked his betrothed if he might kiss -her. He had never been guilty of the offence before. Mary, delighted -that Willie was at last becoming sensible, gave immediate approval. -Willie accomplished the kiss, and fainted on the instant. Mary stepped -back, and wishing to exonerate herself from any charges which might be -brought against her, as to doing him injury, exclaimed loudly: - -“You did it yourself! you did it yourself!” - -As we traveled to Mason, near the State line, between Virginia and -North Carolina, we came to a stream across which was a trestle bridge. -Upon reaching the bridge, a rebel soldier who had been standing on the -platform of the car, and who was intoxicated, lost his balance and -fell through the trestle-work, a distance of full thirty feet. He was -seen to fall only by Captain Crawford and myself. He was not missed, -however, until we had nearly reached Petersburg, Virginia, where it was -discovered when they were about to change guards. This was many miles -away from the bridge, and we informed Captain Collins of the accident -the moment he came in. - -At Petersburg, we fell in with a rebel captain who was one of those -fellows who can suit all crowds. He was much animated on the result of -the Northern elections, and said that we would now most likely have -peace. I asked him why. - -“Why,” replied he, “look how you are voting over there.” - -I did not say much, for nothing that could have been said would have -done the rebel captain any good, and might perhaps have brought harm to -me. - -We were obliged to cross the city to reach the Richmond depot, and on -our way we passed by a large factory building, in which were confined a -large number both of blacks and whites, the negroes for endeavoring to -get away, and the whites for their Union sentiments. - -During our march to the depot, we were surrounded by a strong guard -of cavalry. Oh, how galling it was to me think that I, a native born -Virginian, was thus driven through the streets of the principal city of -the Old Dominion, without a shoe on my foot, scarcely rags enough to -satisfy decency, and soaked by a cold, heavy rain! - -At night, we were shut up in an old building that had been used -for storing tobacco and molasses. As there were a large number of -prisoners here, awaiting exchange, every one was obliged to shift for -a resting-place as well as he could. Of course all the best spots -were appropriated before our arrival, and we were forced to take up -our quarters in the back part of the building. A few of the blankets -captured by the rebels at Harper’s Ferry were distributed among us; but -I, unfortunately, did not get one. So, suffering much from the cold, I -laid down in the dirt and molasses, which formed a sort of soft cement -of an inch or two in depth. Completely wearied out, however, I soon -fell asleep, and dreamed of the happy home in Ohio to which I was going. - -The next morning I was roughly aroused by two men who stood on either -side of me with barrel-staves. - -“What are you doing?” exclaimed I, as the two men began prying me up -from the floor. - -They did not notice my question, but like sailors weighing anchor, -wrenched again at me, exclaiming: - -“We’ll fetch him clear this poke! heave ho! yo! ho!” - -I had positively stuck so fast to the floor, that it was only after the -most strenuous exertions I succeeded in getting loose, even with the -aid of my two rough helpers. - -Our descriptive list did not come until ten o’clock; but when it did, -we were not long in signing it, after which we were taken to Aiken’s -Landing, some fourteen miles south-east of Richmond. Though a cold rain -was still falling at intervals, I did not complain, for I was going -home,—thank God! home! - -Oh, how overflowing was my heart with joy at the prospect! Every drop -of rain that pattered on my shivering form, fell upon me like the -summer shower falls upon the parched and thirsty grass. I did not -complain that I had to march the whole fourteen miles through the -cold, mud, and snow, in my bare feet, for I knew that this was my last -hardship. - -Our guard were not at all rigorous in our marching, and therefore, I -often had an opportunity to converse with the teamsters. One of them -remarked to me: - -“Did you know dere wuz a coffin laid on Massa Jeff Davis’s door step -t’odder night?” - -“No,” answered I; “what do you think that was done for?” - -“I dunno, I ’spect some ob de Union men done it to let him know dey -would kill him if he didn’t mind. He’s had his house guarded ebber -since wid two hundred men.” - -“Well, uncle, what do you black folks think about this war?” - -“Why, God bless you, sah! we been looking for Massa McClellan wid -all our eyes. And if he’d jes come leetle closer, dar’s a darky here -what’ud a leff dis State quick!” - -At this instant I chanced to raise my eyes, and there, in the distance, -I beheld the glorious old Stars and Stripes floating proudly and -beautifully upon the breeze. - -“There she is! God bless her stars!” burst from two hundred and sixty -throats in one breath of relief. The very clouds seemed to break -asunder and let the glorious sun down upon our enfranchised souls. We -wept, and laughed, and shook hands, and bounded with delight, until -some time after we were taken aboard the Federal transport, which had -been sent up the James river for us. We were soon tossing on the ocean, -and in due time arrived without accident at Washington. - -My first act upon landing and reaching Willard’s Hotel, was to secure -the services of a photographer, who took myself and comrade with the -chain about our necks, and in our rebel rags, exactly as is represented -in the engraving. The next important operation was to clean myself, -trim my beard and hair, and make myself fit to go into decent society. -This was by no means a small undertaking; but by dint of scrub-brushes, -soaps of incredible strength, and exercise of muscle to an indefinite -extent, I at last succeeded in accomplishing my objects. As I left the -bath-room, I noticed at the other end of the hall, a tall strange -gentleman, who, for all I did not recognize him, seemed familiar to -me. However, I walked toward him, and he did the same, coming toward -me. When I got sufficiently near to address him, I bowed and extended -my hand. He did exactly the same. I thought he was behaving very -strangely, and with rather a grim smile I drew back and raised myself -to my full height. He did exactly the same, and I suddenly discovered -that I had been the victim of a huge mirror, and that I had, all the -while, been mistaking myself for a clever, gentlemanly-looking old -friend of mine. I merely relate this circumstance to prove to the -reader, that a man who is unfortunate enough to spend six months in -Dixie, is scarcely able to recognize himself upon his return home. - -Home! home! that word still sounds with strange music in my ears. Its -mention brings before my mind the little cottage in Ohio, with its -happy yet anxious faces turned up the road, along which papa must come -after being away so many months. Home! ah, that is but another name -for the dear being, who, while I lay wounded and languishing in the -loathsome jails of a merciless enemy, cared for the sweet babes of the -captive, who taught their little lips to add a prayer for papa to their -vesper offerings at the mercy-seat, and who, weary with many months of -watching, never ceased to treasure in her heart’s holiest recesses him -who pens this tribute. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - - A small number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - Except for these corrections the spelling and punctuation of the book - have not been changed. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE LINES*** - - -******* This file should be named 63120-0.txt or 63120-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/3/1/2/63120 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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- font-size: 110%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - h4.pgx { text-align: center; - clear: both; - font-weight: bold; - font-size: 100%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - word-spacing: 0em; - letter-spacing: 0em; - line-height: 1; } - hr.pgx { width: 100%; - margin-top: 3em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - height: 4px; - border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ - border-style: solid; - border-color: #000000; - clear: both; } - </style> -</head> -<body> -<h1 class="pgx" title="">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Beyond the Lines, by John James Geer</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Beyond the Lines</p> -<p> Or, A Yankee Prisoner Loose in Dixie</p> -<p>Author: John James Geer</p> -<p>Release Date: September 4, 2020 [eBook #63120]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE LINES***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4 class="pgx" title="">E-text prepared by David Tipple<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/beyondlinesoryan01geer"> - https://archive.org/details/beyondlinesoryan01geer</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<div class="transnotes"> -<p class="skip3"> -Transcriber’s Note: -</p> -<ul> -<li class="lspace">There is only one footnote. It has been moved to the -end of the file</li> -</ul> -</div> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - - - -<div class="figcenter" id="jjgeer"> -<img src="images/jjgeer.jpg" width="700" height="435" -alt="Signed portrait of the author" /> -</div> - -<hr class="page" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h1>BEYOND THE LINES:<br /> -<span class="tiny">OR</span><br /> -<span class="subtitle">A Yankee Prisoner Loose in Dixie.</span></h1> - -<p class="author">BY CAPTAIN J. J. GEER,</p> - - -<p class="author2">LATE OF GENERAL BUCKLAND’S STAFF.</p> - -<hr class="vshort" /> - -<p class="intro">WITH AN INTRODUCTION,</p> - -<p class="clark">BY REV. ALEXANDER CLARK.</p> - -<hr class="vshort skip1" /> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“In the dark fens of the dismal swamp</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The hunted Yankees lay;</div> -<div class="verse">They saw the fire of the midnight camp,</div> -<div class="verse">And heard at times the horses’ tramp,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And the bloodhounds’ distant bay.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p class="publisher">PHILADELPHIA:<br /> -<span class="daughaday">J. W. DAUGHADAY, PUBLISHER,</span><br /> - 1308 CHESTNUT STREET.<br /> - 1863.</p> - -<hr class="page" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> - - - -<p class="center">Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by</p> -<p class="center">JOHN J. GEER,</p> -<p class="center">In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the<br /> - Eastern District of Pennsylvania. </p> - -<hr class="page" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak xls"><a id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</a></h2> -</div> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p>In presenting the following narrative of -suffering endured while a prisoner in the so-called -Southern Confederacy, the principal -object had in view by the author, is to place -before those into whose hands this volume may -come, a plain, straightforward, unvarnished -account of <i>facts</i>.</p> - -<p>In regard to the workings and results of that -system of human bondage to which our country -owes its present difficulties, there have been so -many mistaken ideas, statements, and theories, -that it has become the duty of every true and -loyal man to expose the truth; or, speaking -with more correctness, to strip from the hideous -skeleton of Slavery all its gaily painted and -deceptive cloaks and masks, and to exhibit it in -all its ghastly repulsiveness.</p> - -<p>It is my purpose in the succeeding pages to -narrate simply how, after being captured at the -battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, I was, -on the most frivolous charges, tried for my life -before several prominent Rebel Generals, among -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> -whom were Bragg and Beauregard; how I was -subsequently chained with negro chains and -cast into military prisons and common jails; -how, escaping from these, and in company with -Lieutenant <span class="smcap">A. P. Collins</span>, I made my way to -the swamps; how we lived in these malarious -marshes for three weeks; how we were hunted -with bloodhounds; how we were assisted by -the slaves in our flight, and lastly, how, being -recaptured, we spent weary months in confinement, -and were finally released on exchange -from our dreadful captivity.</p> - -<p>To all those friends who have cheered him since his return home with -kind words and deeds, the author begs leave to extend his warmest -thanks,—but more especially to Rev. <span class="smcap">Alexander -Clark</span>, Editor of <i>Clark’s School Visitor</i>, who revised and -arranged the Manuscripts for the press, and to whose scholarly abilities -this volume owes so much. He desires also to testify to like kindness on -the part of Rev. <span class="smcap">W. B. Watkins</span>, A. M., and -<span class="smcap">Milo A. Townsend</span>, Esq., of New Brighton, -Pennsylvania, whose friendship has laid him under a debt of grateful -remembrance.</p> - -<p class="signature"> -J. J. GEER.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Springfield, Ohio</span>, <i>June, 8, 1863</i>.</p> - -<hr class="page" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="TABLE_OF_CONTENTS">TABLE OF CONTENTS.</a></h2> -</div> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Leave Camp Dennison—Up the Tennessee—Under the Enemy’s -Fire—Attacked in Force—A Struggle for Liberty—Captured. -<span class="flr">21-29</span> -</p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -First Sight of a Rebel Camp—Arraigned before Generals Jackson, Bragg, -Hardee, Beauregard, and Johnston—A Storm in Camp—Bayoneting a -Sleeping Man (?)—Interior of a Rebel Prison—“Calico Bill”—An -Escape—Rebel Exaggerations. -<span class="flr">30-44</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Taken to Columbus, Mississippi—Visit from the Clergy—An -Enthusiastic Mute—American Aristocracy—Secession -Lies—Political and Ecclesiastical Prisoners—Reflections. -<span class="flr">45-54</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -The Wounded from Shiloh—Inquisitive Negroes—An -Abomination—A Striking Contrast—Tom—Attempted -Escape—An Ingenious Darkey—Rebel Fare—The Irish -Sergeant—Narrow Escape—Mending Clothes and Getting -News—Horrible Scenes in Prison—A Discussion. -<span class="flr">55-69</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Southern Inhumanity—A Prison Telegraph—Mobile—Conversation -with a Fire-Eater—Negro Sale Stables—A Bad -Sign—Mule-Beef—Montgomery—In the Penitentiary—Felon -Soldiers—Hanging for Theft—Visit to a Condemned -Prisoner—Who Shall Answer? -<span class="flr">70-80</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -A New Prison—Murder of Lieutenant Bliss—In Irons—Yankee -Ingenuity—Rebel Ignorance—Parson Rogers—Faithful -Servants—Bold and Successful Escape of -Prisoners—Captain Troy—A Blindfold Journey—A -Traitor. -<span class="flr">81-90</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Macon—A Southern Unionist in the Rebel Army—Beneath -a Georgia Sun—Secession Speech—Thoughts of Home—Political -Prisoners—Horrible Place—Offer of the Gospel—Lieutenant -A. P. Collins—Contemplated Escape—Robes -of Blood!—Pinning a Federal Soldier to the Ground. -<span class="flr">91-102</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Preparing the Way—Dave—Pepper, Matches, and Fish-hooks—Exchange -of Clothing—Passing the Guard-lines—Frightened -Horse—Halted—Passed—In the Woods—Hidden -in the Swamp—Pursued—A Night Journey in -the Cane-brake—Manna. -<span class="flr">103-113</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Seeking the Hills—Retreating to the Swamps—Pursued -by Bloodhounds—Suffering from Hunger—A Dreary -Night—An Answered Prayer—Singular Noise—Lost in -the Cane-brake—A Dismal Journey—A Dream—A Surprise—Wanderings -and Wearyings in the Wilderness—A -Comforter Present—Hope and Cheer—A Cotton-field—A -Friend in Need—Negro Music—A Feast in the Night—An -Intelligent Slave—Advice to Fugitives. -<span class="flr">114-130</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Pursued by Horses, Hounds, and Men—Another Night in -the Cane-brake—An Alligator—A Pleasant Discovery—The -Pass-word—Slaves at Work—A Negro Supper—Important -Information—A Panther—A Chase to avoid -a Chase—Bloodhounds Again—Fourth-of-July Dinner—Dismal -Night in the Ruins of a Meeting-house. -<span class="flr">131-142</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Nearing the Coast—Dangerous Predicament—Suspicious Company—A -Fugitive Conscript—Clay-eating Officials—The -Squire—Arrested—Mess No. 44, <i>alias</i> Mr. -Meeser—Acquitted—Placed under Guard—In Chains Again—A -Forced March—Before the Court—A Union Speech in Dixie—Better -Fare—Southern Superstition—A Slave at Prayer. -<span class="flr">143-157</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Christian Fellowship—Candid Conversation with a -Slaveholder—Clay-eaters—A True Unionist—Secret Organizations -in the South—Washington and Randolph on Slavery—Aunt -Katy—Religion and Republicanism—Pro-slavery Inexcusable in the -North—A Distinguished Abolitionist. -<span class="flr">158-169</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Classes in the Confederacy—Terror of a -Name—Insurrection—Suppressing a Religious Meeting—The Safe -Ground—A Sad Parting—Why Prisoners’ Stories Differ—Effect of -Church Division—The Darien Road—A Wealthy Planter. -<span class="flr">170-181</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -On the Cars—An Old Acquaintance—His Reasons for being -in the Army—Meeting the Slave we Chased—Rebel Account -of our Pursuit—Interesting Advertisement—In -Jail Again—Captain Clay Crawford—Prison Fare—Rebel -Barbarities—Taking Comfort. -<span class="flr">182-193</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -An Earnest Prayer—What came of it—A Skeptic—Fiend’s -Stratagem—Reflections and Opinions on the “Peculiar -Institution.” -<span class="flr">194-198</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -The Rebel Reveille—A Horrid Dinner—A Reinforcement of -Little Rebels—The Darkie’s Explanation—An Exciting -Trial—Hope of Release—Retribution—My Old Chains -doing good Service. -<span class="flr">199-209</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Sufferings of Captives—Shooting a Deaf Man—A Terrible -Punishment—Arguments on Slavery—Opinions of Celebrated -Men—A Sabbath-School in Prison—A Loyal Lady—Pennsylvania -a Pioneer—Emancipation—Our Prayer-Meetings—Rays -of Sunshine. -<span class="flr">210-237</span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -The Slave’s Ruse—The Richmond Enquirer—President’s -Proclamation—A Negro Prayer—A “Big Bug”—A -Casibianca—Death of Mr. Eckels—Thoughts and Plans of -Escape—Lieutenant Pittenger. -<span class="flr">238-251</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a></p> - -<p class="csummary"> -Just Judgment—General Prentiss in Close Confinement—Northern Peace -Men—Bear Story—In the Hospital—Old Aunt Susie—Sold -Children—Without Bread, and Satisfied—What our Fathers -thought—An Untrammeled Pulpit—Clay-eaters—Commissioners to -Washington—Homeward Bound—An Irate Southron—My Yellow -Angel—Our Journey—An Accident—Jeff. Davis’ Coffin—Don’t -Know Myself—Safe at Home—Conclusion. -<span class="flr">252-285</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -</div> - -<p class="noindent">John J. Geer -<span class="flr"><a href="#jjgeer">Frontispiece</a></span></p> - -<p class="illus"> - “I attempted to roll quietly away from the wretch, ...” -<span class="flr"><a href="#attempted">facing page 39</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="illus"> -“We beheld the glistening eyes of the hounds, ...” -<span class="flr"><a href="#beheld">facing page 139</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="illus"> -“One end of the chain was twined round my neck, ...” -<span class="flr"><a href="#chain">facing page 150</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="illus"> -“In an instant there was an uproar, ...” -<span class="flr"><a href="#uproar">facing page 154</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="illus"> -“The prisoner is thrown to the ground ...” -<span class="flr"><a href="#prisoner">facing page 211</a></span> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION.</a></h2> -</div> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p>John James Geer was born in Rockbridge -county, Virginia, June 1st, 1833. He is next -to the youngest of a family of nine children. -The father emigrated to Ohio when John was -quite young, and settled in Shelby county, where -he lived and labored as an industrious farmer -for a long lifetime. Being in moderate circumstances, -he was unable to educate his children as -he wished, as their young hands were an indispensable -help in the clearing and tilling of the -land; but the lads wrought for themselves a -training and discipline in the fields and at the -fireside, such as made honest-hearted heroes of -them.</p> - -<p>Though this tuition may not be the most -fashionable, it is far from being the least useful -or influential in a nation like ours. The only -external polish that will never grow coarse is -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> -the out-shining of inward purity and kindness. -The law of love is a sufficient code of politeness -and etiquette. The rarest soul-furnishing, and -the most radiant and reliable loyalty, are virtuous -intelligence, an appreciation of the true and -the beautiful in Nature, in mind and morals, the -utterance of generous impulses, the self-respect -that prefers its own calm approval to the world’s -admiration and flattery. Such a heroism is -purely democratic, and sets the price of its integrity -too high to offer itself as a prize for party -bidding! It stands like a granite pillar, strong, -and straight, and upright. We may build on -this, and stand secure for solid years. It is this -untrammeled life the nation needs at this very -time in the hearts of all her citizens.</p> - -<p>Mr. Geer never received any lessons in the -school of pretences. He never learned the art -of deceiving or being deceived. He studied -something deeper of the world while his hands -held the plough that furrowed its surface. He -gained more instruction from the leaves on the -forest trees than from the leaves of printed books. -He cultivated at one and the same time his own -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> -mind, and the soil of his father’s farm. His surroundings -were the pictures and poetries of Nature. -His eye saw no shams, his ear heard no -complaints, his heart knew no hypocrisies. -Trained in such a school, he became a thinker -and a worker; his associations were altogether -with plain and practical people; he was never -flushed with feverish fancies, nor discouraged at -any disappointments. Always cheerful, as only a -busy doer and darer can be, he grew into manhood, -full-built, tough-muscled, keen-nerved, and -strong-minded. He acquired by hygienic habits -a “constitution” that needed never an “amendment.” -He shaped, all unconsciously to himself, -a moral character as honorable as it was humble; -yet it was such as recognized in the minutest -particular, and exacted to the fullest degree, the -claims of a common brotherhood.</p> - -<p>Pure democracy, like all living, blossoming, -fruit-bearing growths, flourishes best in the -country. A principle that strikes root in an hour -in the hotbed of the city, is apt to wilt and die in -the sunshine of the open world. Aristocracy -may be plaited into politics; but it takes integrity -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> -and fellow-hood for web and woof of republicanism. -Young Geer was a democrat, in the -honest signification of the term. Though poor -and sunburnt, -hard-fisted and plain-worded, he -learned to feel that no man in the republic was -his superior in rights—that no man in the republic -was his inferior in privileges. The truth of -Holy Writ, that declares “all nations to be of -one blood,” was his confession of faith in conscience -and Christianity. The spirit of the Declaration -of Independence, that “all men are -created free and equal,” was his political platform. -These high authorities gave him early -and earnest boldness as a friend of human liberty.</p> - -<p>At the age of eighteen, he was called to the -work of the Gospel ministry. He passed into -this work, not as a mere <i>profession</i>, by the paths -marked out by ecclesiastics,—not by college carpets -and seminary shades,—but as the early -preachers were called, so was he, from his daily -avocation. His inherent firmness made him an -unyielding, if not an aggressive Christian. He -stemmed a strong current of opposition from the -beginning of his ministry. His independent -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> -manner gave offence to rowdy transgressors, and -frequently was he threatened and waylaid by -the very doers of the deeds he made it a business -to denounce in his sermons. But he wavered -not from his sense of duty.</p> - -<p>One of his first and truest friends was the -Rev. <span class="smcap">R. M. Dalby</span>, a well-known minister and -Temperance reformer in South-western Ohio. -These two men were acknowledged leaders in -the war of annihilation against King Alcohol -and his conscripted hosts. For years they were -joined in word and work in the good cause of -Temperance, and were separated only when, -in the spring of 1861, Geer heard his wounded -country’s cry for help, and quickly stepped to -a place in the front rank of her brave defenders. -His well-tried associate in battling against -wrong, Mr. Dalby, was left behind now, only -because he was physically unable to march -to the rescue.</p> - -<p>Before entering the army of the Union, Mr. -Geer had spent some ten years in the ministry, -in and around the city of Cincinnati. During -that time he received about eleven hundred -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> -members into the church. He was eminently -successful as a revivalist. When Fort Sumpter -was fired upon, he was stationed as pastor of the -George Street Methodist Protestant Church, in -Cincinnati. When the news of the outrage was -received at the Queen City, the pastor of George -Street Church vowed he was a United States -soldier until either himself or the rebellion -should be crushed. He began recruiting at -once for the Army of Freedom, and was as -successful as he had been in marshaling forces -for the Army of Peace.</p> - -<p>Until this time he had been unwilling to -interfere with the “peculiar institution” of the -South. But the moment the Stars and Stripes -were insulted by the proud power, that moment -a new resolve was made, to hate and to hurt the -accursed thing henceforward, until the last -vestige of it should be obliterated from American -soil!</p> - -<p>Captain Geer is an earnest man. He engaged -in the war, not for position or popularity, but -as a soldier. Although he started into the service -as Chaplain, he was willing to resign that -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> -responsible office to the charge of another; and -at once accepted a position that promised more -excitement and adventure in days of battle. He -was appointed Assistant-Adjutant General on -the Staff of General Buckland, which commission -he held when he was wounded and captured at -Shiloh.</p> - -<p>In these days of adventure and sacrifice, -when the noblest men in the nation are made -to suffer for country’s sake, it is shameful to -see how certain northern people and papers, -professing to be loyal, are in sympathy with -the arch-treason of the Secessionists. However -well-attested may be the statements of -surviving sufferers,—and no matter how fair the -reputation of the man who dares to denounce -the Slaveholders’ Rebellion,—there are lurking -copperheads with viper tongues to hiss their -venomous abuses on all the brave soldiers who -have bled under the Federal banner! From the -liberty to talk treason, slander the Administration, -and abuse the soldiers—O God, deliver us! -The nation cries for <i>liberty</i>—not license—a -liberty that is always loyal to God and this -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> -Government—a liberty to love and bless the -poor, the outcast, the suffering, and the oppressed!</p> - -<p>It may not be amiss to append the following -extracts from letters which will explain themselves:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="address"> -“<span class="smcap">Springfield, Ohio, May 3, 1863.</span></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -“<i>To all whom it may concern</i>:— -</p> - -<p>“The undersigned, ministers of the Gospel -in the Methodist Protestant Church, take pleasure -in certifying that Captain John J. Geer is -also a minister in the same church—that he is -in good standing, and that he is a man of moral -probity and Christian character. Some of us -have known him for many years as a reputable, -useful, pious man. We are all personally acquainted -with him, and we have no hesitancy -in recommending him to personal and public -confidence.”</p> - -<p class="sig1"> -<span class="smcap">Rev. George Brown</span>, D. D. -</p> - -<p class="sig1"> - <span class="smcap">Rev. A. H. Bassett</span>, -</p> - -<p class="sig2"> -Ag’t M. P. Book Concern. -</p> - -<p class="sig1"> -<span class="smcap">Rev. A. H. Trumbo</span>, -</p> - -<p class="sig2"> -Assistant Ag’t M. P. Book Concern. -</p> - -<p class="sig1"> -<span class="smcap">Rev. D. B. Dorsey</span>, M. D., -</p> - -<p class="sig2"> -Editor <i>Western Methodist Protestant</i>.”<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p class="address"> -“<span class="smcap">Office of Military Commission</span>,<br /> -Memphis, Tenn, May 11, 1863. -</p> - -<p>* * * * *  “The large number of men -he recruited for my regiment, and the hardships -which he endured, to uphold the Flag of -the Free, point out Captain Geer to the historian -as a brave and true man. * * *  But two -days before the memorable battle of Shiloh, -he was captured while making a bold and -vigorous dash at the enemy, within two miles -of our encampment. * * * *  The tears -are now filling my eyes as I look back upon -that bloody battle-field, and remember the -havoc and slaughter of my heroic boys of the -Forty-Eighth!</p> - -<p>“The brave men who, upon that occasion, -maintained the fortunes of our bleeding country, -have ever since been the subjects of persecution -and calumny by those base cowards who ran -from the battle-field and hid themselves in -ravines and gulches at Shiloh, and the contemptible -traitors whose tongues are as the -tongues of serpents at home.</p> - -<p class="signature"> “Your sincere friend,<br /> -<span class="smcap">Peter J. Sullivan</span>,<br /> -Colonel 48th Reg’t Ohio Volunteers.” -</p> -</div> - -<p>Since his return from Dixie, Captain Geer -and Lieutenant William Pittenger (one of the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -survivors of that heroic scouting party sent -into the heart of Georgia by General Mitchell), -have been doing good service for the Union -cause in the North by public lectures. Both -are well-tried soldiers and effective speakers. -Both are temporarily disabled, but expect soon -to re-enter the army. Lieutenant Pittenger -has prepared a volume of his experience, as a -prisoner in the South, which will be a desirable -companion to the book whose thrilling pages -are now opened to <i>you</i>, reader. Turn forward, -and read.</p> - -<p class="signature"> -<span class="smcap">A. C.</span><br /> -</p> - -<hr class="page" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> - -<p class="title2"><a id="BEYOND_THE_LINES">BEYOND THE LINES;</a></p> - -<p class="center reduced">OR</p> - -<p class="subtitle2">A YANKEE PRISONER LOOSE IN DIXIE.</p> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Leave Camp Dennison—Under the Enemy’s -Fire—Attacked in Force—A Struggle for Liberty—Captured.</p> - -<p class="noindent">On the 17th of February, 1862, the Forty-eighth -Ohio regiment of volunteer infantry, under -command of Colonel P. G. Sullivan, left Camp -Dennison, landing at Paducah, Kentucky, and -on the 4th of March, was ordered to Savannah, -Tennessee. As our fleet made its way up the -river, it was a sight at once grand and beautiful. -It was composed of one hundred large -steamers, laden to the guards with soldiers, cattle, -and munitions of war. The river was at -high water mark. Through its surging waters -our noble vessels ploughed their way, sending -forth vast volumes of smoke, which shadowed -and sooted the atmosphere from hill to hill across -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> -the river valley. Over our heads waved proudly -the old banner—emblem of the free. All hearts -seemed anxious to meet the foe who had sought -to strike down that flag, and the hopes and -liberties of which it is representative.</p> - -<p>A cry was heard on board that the enemy -was near. A moment more, and he opened fire -upon us, to which we very promptly replied, -and with good effect, for he soon dispersed, -while none of our men received injury.</p> - -<p>Continuing our way onward we stopped at -Hamburg on the 11th of March; but, owing to -the great freshet, were unable to disembark, and -the next day were obliged to fall back to Pittsburg, -where we effected a landing on the 13th. -In the mean time, I was appointed on the staff -of Colonel Ralph D. Buckland, then acting as -Brigadier of the Fourth Brigade, under General -Sherman, who commanded the First Division. -Most of us landed by the 15th, and parties were -sent out every day to reconnoitre, and many -returned, reporting fights with the enemy, and -the capture of prisoners, horses, and other -valuables.</p> - -<p>On the 28th, we had quite a bloody conflict -in a cotton-field, belonging to Mr. Beach, who -was the owner of a small lot of cotton. The -rebels had robbed him of all his horses, pork, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -and wheat, leaving him nothing but the cotton -and a small amount of corn, which the Government -intended to purchase. But when we were -dispatched for it, we found that the rebels, who -were now in full retreat, had rolled the cotton -against a corn-crib, and set both on fire. The -next day we had a fight near the same spot. -Again, the next day, a reconnaissance showed -the enemy to be in full force. On the 3d of -April, the Fourth Brigade was sent out, and the -skirmishers who were deployed, were soon fired -upon. Col. Buckland then sent me forward to -order the two companies to retreat. One of -these I found was already doing so, under -the command of the Major, who was in advance. -The company belonging to the Seventy-second -regiment stood their ground, awaiting -orders.</p> - -<p>When I rode to the top of the hill, I could -see the enemy about two hundred yards distant. -The lieutenant of the Seventy-second -was holding his men in readiness, and just as I -reached them, they arose and opened fire, at -which the rebels retreated to the right, evidently -intending to flank us. But this was an -unfortunate movement for them, as they had -not proceeded far when they encountered Major -Crockett, of the Seventy-second, with two -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> -hundred men, by whom they were repulsed -with heavy loss. By this time I had come up -with the brigade. Buckland dispatched me immediately -to order Crockett to fall back, but to -continue fighting while retreating. As I proceeded -on my way to Crockett—who, indeed, -was a brave and daring officer—I met a -lady of advanced age, in great distress. She -was wringing her hands and crying:</p> - -<p>“Oh, my son! Oh, my son! Save me and -my poor son!”</p> - -<p>I rode forward to Crockett, and found that he -had repulsed the enemy, and was falling back -in order.</p> - -<p>Being alone, and in advance of the retreating -companies, I again encountered the old lady on -the same spot where I first saw her. Inquiring -the cause of her grief, I learned that the rebels -had been at her house, representing themselves -as Union men, and that she had expressed herself -to them, without disguise or reserve. They -had thereupon seized her son, tied him on a -horse, and bore him away, intending to press -him into their service. My heart ached at the -recital of this sad story, and at the thought of -the suffering and agony to which so many families, -between the two great armies, would be -subjected. My sincere prayer to God, was that -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> -he would sustain the right, and send confusion -amidst the foes of freedom and humanity. The -old lady seemed very apprehensive they would -learn that she had divulged to me the facts -alluded to. Thus it is by <i>fear</i> that the loyal in -heart are kept in submission. Thus, the tyrant’s -power rules and dominates in the South. -Wherever oppression and tyranny reign, they -must have for their basis, violence and brute -force—and these beget fear. It is as true that -fear casts out love, as it is that “love casts out -fear.”</p> - -<p>We returned to camp, and that night we felt -confident that our pickets were in danger. The -dreary hours passed slowly away, bringing at -last the light of another morning. Our pickets -were then extended; and on returning from this -duty, I remarked to Buckland that I believed -we would be attacked before night. But he -thought not, and requested me to retire to my -tent, and seek repose. I went, but concluded -to write to my wife. About two o’clock that -afternoon, the rebels opened fire upon our -picket. I instantly mounted my horse that I -had left standing at the door, and rode with all -speed to the picket line, where I discovered that -the rebels had captured Lieutenant Herbert and -seven privates. The Seventy-second, Forty-eighth, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> -and Seventieth were soon rallied; and I -thought if no fight now ensued, it would be no -fault of mine, eager as I was for the fray. So -I rode rapidly up the Tennessee river, in order -to strike the Hamburg road, aware that I could -see up that road about one mile, and thus discover -what was going on.</p> - -<p>As I was proceeding, I perceived, at a little -distance, two rebels, who fled at my approach. -I soon reached the road, and discovered, to my -great surprise, that it was lined with rebels as -far as I could see. I soon wheeled my horse, -and, with accelerated speed, made my way back -to General Buckland. He again dispatched me -to inform Major Crockett to retreat in order.</p> - -<p>On my way thither, these words greeted my -ear:</p> - -<p>“Halt dar! halt dar!”</p> - -<p>I responded by firing my revolver, as a signal -that I did not design to comply with the -peremptory demand so euphoniously expressed. -The words proceeded from two rebels, whom I -discovered approaching me. They fired, and -both loads took effect in my horse’s shoulder. -But he did not fall. Applying my spurs, he -sprang down a little declivity, where the rebels -stood with their empty guns. One of them -struck at me with his empty weapon. I attempted -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> -to parry the blow with my left hand, -and received a severe wound, having my second -finger broken, which was thus rendered useless -for life. The instant discharge of my revolver -resulted in breaking an arm of this foe, and I -immediately turned to my second antagonist, -who was hastily reloading his gun. The contents -of another barrel at once disabled him. -This was all the work of a moment. Just at -this juncture, it began to rain in torrents; and -before I realized my situation, I discovered that -I was surrounded by about fifty rebels. The -rain and the darkness in the woods, from the -overhanging storm-cloud, rendered it difficult -for the rebels to distinguish their own men -from ours, and they made the mistake—fortunately -for me, but the reverse for them—of -firing at each other. Their colonel, however, -soon discovered the error, and gave the command -to cease firing. There was now no possible -chance for my escape, and I instantly -received a blow which felled me to the earth. -How long I remained insensible I could not -tell. The first thing I recollect taking cognizance -of, was the act of Colonel Gladden, who, -dragging me out of a pool of water into which -I had fallen, demanded my surrender. I seemed -to lose all thought of home, wife, friends, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> -earth, or heaven. The absorbing thought was -the success of our army.</p> - -<p>“Will you surrender?” demanded Colonel -Gladden.</p> - -<p>“I have discharged my last bullet, sir,” I -replied.</p> - -<p>He commanded me to mount my horse. I -refused. My captors then seized hold of me, -and, throwing me across my wounded horse, -made a rapid retreat. Our boys were coming -at “double quick,” and so impetuous was their -charge towards the enemy, who was now approaching—consisting -of Beauregard’s advance -guard of five thousand cavalry—that they began -retreating in wild confusion. More than a -hundred riderless horses ran dashing past me. -The conflict became general and terrific, and -the mighty, sweeping onset of our brave boys -was only stayed by the opening of Bragg’s -front battery, which incessantly poured forth its -shot and shell. During this interim, myself -and the guards detailed to take charge of me -were located in a ravine, and hence the cannon -shots passed over our heads. A rifle-ball from -one of our men, however, at this juncture, -brought one of the guards from his horse. A -rebel colonel approached him, saying, “You -are too good a <i>man</i> to die so.” At this moment -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -a second ball pierced the heart of the rebel -colonel, and he dropped dead.</p> - -<p>It was here that my horse fell and died, and -I felt as if a friend had gone, whose place could -not be easily filled.</p> - -<p>There was a wild and gloomy grandeur in -this battle-storm raging and booming over -our heads like ten thousand thunders; and my -heart was tremulous with hope at one moment, -and with apprehension at another, for the fate -of our gallant braves. Alas! my soul mourned -when I found they had been driven back by -the overwhelming force of the enemy.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">First Sight of a Rebel Camp—Arraigned before Generals -Jackson, Bragg, Hardee, Beauregard and Johnson—A -Storm in Camp—Bayoneting a Sleeping Man (?)—Inside -View of a Rebel Prison—“Calico Bill”—An Escape—Rebel -Exaggerations.</p> - -<p class="noindent">In due time, I was conveyed to General Jackson. What -a scene was opened to view! What a motley, mongrel, nondescript crowd -did rebeldom here present! Old and young, bond and free, small and -great, black and white, with countenances forlorn, agonized, or -ferocious, with limbs mangled and torn. Sorrowful were the wailings of -the wounded, and bitter the imprecations of the chagrined and -discomfited crew.</p> - -<p>Colonel Gladden and four privates were my -escort to Jackson’s tent.</p> - -<p>“I have brought you a Yankee, General,” -said Colonel Gladden.</p> - -<p>The rebel general inquired of me my rank. -I declined telling him. I was then asked for -papers and upon making examination, they -found with me maps of the Hamburg road, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -and a small rebel fortification. As soon as -they made this discovery, Jackson inquired:</p> - -<p>“Sir, what is the number of your men?”</p> - -<p>“We have a small skirmishing party, General,” -I replied. “You have not captured them -all to-day, and you will not to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“Sir,” he answered sharply, “you know the -number, and if you do not inform me, and that -promptly, I shall have you punished.”</p> - -<p>“I shall not inform you,” said I, coolly; -“you affirm that you are going there to-morrow, -and if so, you can then see for yourself.”</p> - -<p>Somewhat enraged at this, he again threatened -that he would punish me.</p> - -<p>“Proceed with your punishment, sir,” was my -rejoinder; “but I shall reveal to you nothing -that I think it my duty to withhold.”</p> - -<p>“I will refer you to General Bragg,” said -Jackson.</p> - -<p>“Refer me to whom you please.”</p> - -<p>I was then taken before General Bragg. On -our way thither, much excitement prevailed in -the crowd, to many of whom the sight of a -Yankee was as great a curiosity as one of Du -Chaillu’s famous gorillas. Various remarks -saluted my ear, such as “What a big man he -is.” “Why! do Yankees look that thar way?” -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> -“Why! golly, they’re better looking fellows nor -we are.”</p> - -<p>Such expressions are significant of that stratum -of society which exists in the South to an -almost incredible extent.</p> - -<p>When we arrived at General Bragg’s quarters, -some men were engaged in placing in a -rude box, the body of a man who had been -shot by Bragg’s orders, for attempting to escape -to our lines. I was not without apprehensions -that such would be my own fate. Still, my -mind was more occupied as to what was to be -the result of the battle that had just begun. -The long-haired monster in human shape stood -over the dead man’s remains, swearing that “it -was good enough for him.” Just as we were -entering Bragg’s tent, a rough, uncouth-looking -fellow, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Tarnation! are you going to shoot this -ere fellow?” pointing to me.</p> - -<p>“No,” said one of the guards, “we are going -to keep him for a show, by golly.”</p> - -<p>I began soon to realize that the chances for -my life were growing less and less. The -charges arrayed against me, were for firing and -killing six men, after I had been surrounded. -I neither affirmed nor denied. The full results -of my firing I did not know. I made up my -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> -mind, however, that whatever fate was before -me, I would exhibit no shrinking or fear. It -seemed probable that my doom was to be shot, -and I felt impelled to answer their interrogatories -in a somewhat defiant manner. The following -dialogue ensued:</p> - -<p><i>Bragg.</i> “Well, sir, you are a prisoner.”</p> - -<p><i>Geer.</i> “You have me in your power, sir.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “You have not surrendered, they say.”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “But you have me in your possession.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “Well, sir, what is the number of your -troops at Pittsburg Landing?”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “That I do not feel disposed to communicate.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “But we will make you communicate.”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “You cannot do that.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “We will punish you, and that severely.”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “Punish if you will, I shall not reveal to -you anything I deem it proper to withhold.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “Well, sir, I will refer you to General -Hardee, and there you will get justice. You -abolitionists think you are playing h—ll over -there, don’t you?”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “We are only sending home some of her -stray inmates.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “Be careful how you talk, sir.” Turning -to a rebel officer, the speaker continued: “Colonel, -take this man to General Hardee, and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -give him all the particulars.” (<i>Handing him a -note addressed to Hardee.</i>)</p> - -<p>I was thereupon placed on a stolen horse, and -conducted to General Hardee.</p> - -<p>On my way from Bragg’s to Hardee’s quarters, -my mind was busied with singular fancies. -I thought of rebel treachery and oppression; I -thought of the arch-conspirators at Montgomery, -the disgraceful bombardment of Sumpter, -the murder of United States troops in the -streets of Baltimore, the enslavement of four -millions of Adam’s race, all by the hateful -power that now had me in its clutches. These -atrocities made me the more willing to suffer in -the defense of the Government that I had volunteered -to serve.</p> - -<p>Hardee is a noble-looking man, and on this -occasion was dressed in full uniform of blue -cloth.</p> - -<p>“General,” said my conductor, “here is a -Yankee officer, referred to you by General -Bragg.”</p> - -<p>“For what purpose?” asked the General.</p> - -<p>“For examination, sir.”</p> - -<p>The General, with a look of surprise and indignation, -replied:</p> - -<p>“I shall ask the young man no questions that -I would not answer myself under similar -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> -circumstances. But,” added he, after a moment’s -consideration, “I shall send you to General -Beauregard.”</p> - -<p>I could hardly repress a smile at this decision, -for now, thought I, I shall see the chiefest rebel -of them all.</p> - -<p>We passed through motley crowds of long-haired -“butternuts,” to a place called Monterey. -The General-in-Chief’s headquarters were in a -dilapidated cabin. I was immediately arraigned -before a bony-faced old man with a gray moustache, -not at all prepossessing in personal appearance. -Yet, on closer observation, I could -detect a cunning shrewdness and a penetrating -forethought in his tones and manner.</p> - -<p><i>Beauregard.</i> “You have been rather unfortunate -to-day, sir.”</p> - -<p><i>Geer.</i> “Yes, sir, a little so to-day, but not so -much on other days.” (I referred to the four -days’ skirmishing prior to the Shiloh fight, in -which we had seriously worsted the rebels.)</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “Sir, they tell me you have not surrendered.”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “No, sir; but you have me in your -power.”</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “What are your reasons for not surrendering?”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “I decline telling you, sir.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> - -<p><i>B.</i> “But you <i>shall</i> tell me!”</p> - -<p><i>G.</i> “If you press me, I will tell you. I surrender -to no foe that can not look me in the -face nationally.”</p> - -<p>When I had uttered these words, great excitement -prevailed. In the din and confusion, I -could discover the cry, “Cut his head off!” -But in the midst of the melee, General Beauregard -ordered silence, and said he would refer -me to General Johnson.</p> - -<p>As I was leaving Beauregard’s quarters, I -heard that gentleman say:</p> - -<p>“We intend to go on from victory to victory, -till we drive you invaders from our soil.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied I, for I felt his remarks -keenly, “just as you did at Fort Donelson.”</p> - -<p>I left in the midst of the bitterest imprecations, -escorted by a heavy guard. By this -time it had grown quite dark; and as my -clothing was very wet, I began to suffer with -the cold.</p> - -<p>Still conducted by the colonel, I soon came -to Johnson’s headquarters, which were upon the -battle-field. In a tent adjoining that of Johnson, -a court-martial was in session, presided -over by the General, and into this tent I was -taken, where the following colloquy ensued:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> - -<p><i>Col. G.</i> “General Johnson, I have brought -you a Yankee prisoner, sir.”</p> - -<p><i>Gen. J.</i> “Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p><i>Col. G.</i> “General, what are you going to do -with him?”</p> - -<p><i>Gen. J.</i> “Treat him like a man. Bring in the -surgeon and dress his wounds, and give him -something to eat.”</p> - -<p>A colored boy was immediately called, and I -was soon engaged in discussing the merits of a -warm supper. After finishing the meal, I was -taken out and seated by a fire near the tent, -still closely watched and heavily guarded. I -heard the General say to the court-martial that -“the charges against the prisoner were, 1st. -For firing after he was surrounded; 2d. For -injuring our men by firing; and 3d. That he -never surrendered.”</p> - -<p>“Now,” said Johnson, “if he had first surrendered, -and then fired and injured our men, he -would have been guilty, and the court-martial -might have condemned him. But inasmuch -as he did <i>not</i> surrender, he is not liable to the -death punishment. In regard to this third -charge, I will remark that you can not legally -court-martial a man for not surrendering. And -now,” continued he, addressing the officers, “do -you know that, if I had been placed in similar -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> -circumstances, I would have done just as he -did?”</p> - -<p>It would be impossible for me to describe the -emotions I then experienced. Until I heard -this, I had not indulged the faintest hope of life. -Johnson handed me a paper, and said:</p> - -<p>“Will you please sign this parole that you -will report at Corinth to-morrow?”</p> - -<p>I declined to do this, for I hoped that if I -could make my escape to the Union lines that -night, I could impart information of great value -to our army.</p> - -<p>When I declined, the rebel Colonel said, -“There, General, I told you what he was.” -General Johnson replied:</p> - -<p>“Detail a guard of six men to take charge of -him, and treat him well.”</p> - -<p>The guard was brought, and amidst their -guns and bayonets, I was led away.</p> - -<p>They conducted me to a tent on the hill, near -a small ravine, whose waters flowed into the -Tennessee. From the locality of the ground, I -thought that if I could run the guards that -night, I could find my way to the river, and -thence back to my brigade. Lying down in -the tent, which was now my prison, I awaited -patiently the development of events, hoping the -while that the guards might soon be blest by -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> -the gentle embrace of slumber. I feigned sleep -and snored prodigiously.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="attempted"> -<img src="images/image01.jpg" width="700" height="431" - alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> - “I attempted to roll quietly away from the wretch, and might have succeeded, - had I not encountered a guard, who thrust me with his bayonet, - exclaiming, ‘Halt, dar!’”—Page 39. -</div> -</div> - -<p>“How sound that Yankee sleeps,” I heard -one of the guards remark.</p> - -<p>About midnight a storm arose, and threatened -destruction to my tent, which was shortly -after blown over by an auspicious blast. It -instantly occurred to me that perchance there -was now an opportunity to escape, in the darkness -and noise of the storm. I attempted to -roll quietly away from the wreck, and might -have succeeded had I not encountered a guard, -who thrust me with his bayonet, exclaiming, -“Halt, dar!” I inquired as innocently as I -could, “You wouldn’t bayonet a sleeping man, -would you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” said he, apologetically, “I thought -you was awake.”</p> - -<p>“Why! our tent has blown over, don’t you -see?”</p> - -<p>The tent was soon put up, and I again safely -ensconced within its canvas walls. The next -day I was taken to Corinth, in a mule wagon, -and deposited in a rickety old warehouse. -Among the prisoners here were about twenty -slaves, some of them almost white, and all clad -in rags. Also in the company were ten or a -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -dozen Tennesseeans, yclept “political prisoners,” -together with a few rebel soldiers.</p> - -<p>Among the latter was a droll genius, who -answered to the name of “Calico Bill,” who -was under sentence of death for flogging his -captain. By some means he had procured an -old United States uniform, in which he donned -the dignity of a brigadier. In this garb he -would frequently assume the position of drill-master, -and the poor imbecile clay-eaters would -obey his orders with the menial servitude of -slaves. His conduct, while it was highly tyrannous, -was nevertheless amusing. He seemed -to have these ignorant soldiers completely -under his control, and I refer to this illustration -of slavish fear to “point the moral,” if not -“to adorn the tale.” It does not require very -profound penetration to ascertain the fact that -all through the South “the schoolmaster has -long been <i>abroad</i>.” I have sometimes thought -that if our present conflict resulted in no other -good, it would send light to many a benighted -spot, and, perchance,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Pour fresh instruction o’er the mind,</div> -<div class="verse">Breathe the enlivening spirit, and fix</div> -<div class="verse">The generous purpose in the glowing breast.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">Not a man in the prison with us could read! -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> -Bill practiced largely upon their credulity, and -when he desired a little “contraband” fun, he -would go to the window, which was always -crowded outside with “secesh,” and cry out:</p> - -<p>“What will you have?”</p> - -<p>“We want to see a Yankee,” they frequently -answered.</p> - -<p>“Well, now you see <i>me</i>, and what do you -think of us?”</p> - -<p>“What are you ’uns all down here fighting -we ’uns fur?”</p> - -<p>Bill would reply: “For a hundred and sixty -acres of land and your negroes.”</p> - -<p>“Calico Bill” was a genuine, shrewd and intelligent -Yankee, from the State of Maine. He -gave me a sketch of his history, in which I -learned that he was teaching in a private family -in Florida, when the war broke out, was pressed -into the Confederate service, and had quarreled -with his captain, who undertook to exercise -an authority over him, incompatible with -his native freedom. He said he would rather -meet his fate there than to die in the rebel -army. He said there were many Northern -men in their army, and that three-fourths of -them would vote for the old banner and Constitution, -if uninfluenced by their leaders. “But,” -he added, “you see how this fellow does” (referring -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> -to the man he had been drilling); “and -there are thousands in their army just as ignorant -as he.”</p> - -<p>When he went for a bucket of water, he -would call out, “Come on, about thirty or forty -of you infernal rebels, and go with me after -some water!”</p> - -<p>In this way he would drill these guards, so -that those on the outside thought him a Federal, -while those on the inside believed him to be a -rebel officer.</p> - -<p>In the rear of the warehouse was a counting-room; -and the entire prison could boast but -one bed, for which I, being the only officer, got -the preference. It consisted of an old coffee-sack, -filled with “body-guards,” and I reluctantly -accepted its use.</p> - -<p>While standing near the door, two men came -in who were dressed in Federal uniforms. They -came to me and asked me if I was a Federal -officer.</p> - -<p>“No,” said I, “not now; but I was a few -days ago. I am a prisoner now.”</p> - -<p>In conversation with them, I ascertained that -they were northern men, but, being in the -South when the war broke out, were pressed, -like thousands of others, into the rebel army. -At the battle of Belmont, they deserted and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> -joined the Fourth United States Cavalry, but -were afterwards taken prisoners at Shiloh, and -had been recognized as deserters. That day -they had had their trial before General Bragg, -who sentenced them to be shot on the following -Tuesday. I at once became interested in their -escape; and, forgetting my wounded and painful -hand, and the disagreeableness of my situation, -I pondered the fate of these men late into -that dismal night. On the evening of the same -day, a piece of file and a knife had been found -upon a shelf in the prison. We converted the -knife into a saw, and with this sawed off one of -the planks of the floor, thereby making an -aperture sufficient to permit a man to pass -through. By this means, these two men, in -company with “Calico Bill,” made their escape. -The hole I afterwards carefully concealed by -placing the bed over it. We had agreed with -the Tennesseeans that they should answer to -the names of the escaped prisoners when the -rebel officer came to the door to call the roll of -the inmates of the prison. This they continued -to do until Monday, at which time I was taken -to Columbus, Mississippi.</p> - -<p>We had only one meal of victuals during the -forty-eight hours we remained in the prison, -and there were quite a number of men there -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> -who did not get anything to eat. But for this -we had some apology, in the fact that the -armies were fighting very near us, and about -all these rebels could do was to lie and boast -about their success on the previous evening. -They brought us the news that our whole -army had been captured, that they had got -between our forces and the river, and had taken -twenty-seven thousand prisoners, and that the -remainder of the army had been driven to the -gunboats. So incredible and exaggerated were -their reports, that when they afterward informed -us of the capture of Prentiss and his -division, we placed no confidence whatever in -the story. On Sunday, at three o’clock, the -Texan Rangers came in greatly decimated, -themselves declaring that they had been cut to -pieces by our sharpshooters.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Taken to Columbus, Mississippi—Visit from the -Clergy—An Enthusiastic Mute—American -Aristocracy—Secession Lies—Political and Ecclesiastical -Prisoners—Reflections.</p> - -<p class="noindent">On Monday morning, at ten o’clock, a part of -the prisoners left Corinth, for Columbus, Mississippi. -Wherever the cars stopped, the wildest -excitement prevailed.</p> - -<p>“How goes the day?” was the constant inquiry.</p> - -<p>We were exhibited as some of the trophies -of the battle. That the people were somewhat -divided, could easily be perceived from their -countenances. On the evening of the same -day, we arrived at Columbus, and there we -were placed under a heavy guard, in an old -warehouse; but the ex-Governor of Mississippi -came to the prison, and took us to the hotel, -where we enjoyed supper at his expense. -There the crowd gathered round us as though -we were some mammoth traveling menagerie, -while our hostess kept commenting earnestly -upon our handsome appearance, that, in spite -of my longitudinal neck and limbs, I began to -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> -suspect myself worthy the compliment. While -under guard here, I heard men declaring most -unequivocally their opposition to a Republican -form of government. Two ministers who -visited me—Rev. Doctor Tensley, of the First -Baptist Church, and Rev. Mr. Morris, of the -M. E. Church South—expressed but little confidence -in the Confederate cause. These gentlemen -invited me to their church on Sabbath, -but the force of circumstances compelled me to -decline the invitation. These circumstances -were, close confinement under a heavy guard; -and of this fact they were perfectly aware. I -was led from this to believe that their sympathy -was not genuine.</p> - -<p>After the ministers left me, a deaf and dumb -man came to the door, and handed me a paper -which contained an article relative to the recent -battle of Shiloh. The account began in the -following self-gratulatory style: “Glory! glory! -glory! Victory! victory! I write from Yankee -paper.” The writer proceeded in his intense -and heated manner by saying, “Of all the victories -that have ever been on record, ours is the -most complete. Their repulse at Bull Run was -nothing to compare to our victory at Shiloh. -General Buell is killed, and General Grant -wounded and taken prisoner. Soon we will -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> -prove too much for them, and they will be compelled -to let us alone. Our brave boys have -driven them to the river, and compelled them to -flee to their gunboats. The day is ours.”</p> - -<p>The mute who had given me the paper was -so permeated with the prospect of rebel success, -that he favored hoisting the black flag, and in -this was sustained by a large number in that -neighborhood. As the news came slowly in, -the comments made on the state of affairs were -as various as they were amusing. Only through -the friendship and ingenuity of the slaves, who -were the <i>attaches</i> of the prison, were we privileged -to receive papers giving the account of the -recent fight. When they learned the true condition -of their army after the battle, and realized -that their boasted victory was a bloody defeat, -they became more charitable in their opinions. -I became well satisfied from the conversation I -overheard from rebel officers and visitors, during -my incarceration here, that a favorite doctrine -of Dixie is to adjust their “peculiar institution” -in such a way as to include the poor whites as -well as the colored people as chattel property.</p> - -<p>I was here visited by two rebel captains -belonging to Bushrod Johnston’s staff, one of -whom was a lawyer from Virginia, named -McMoore. These men converged freely on the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> -times. Both of them expressed themselves as -decidedly in favor of an American Aristocracy! -They argued, with as much earnestness and -ability as their vocabulary furnished words, the -imbecility of Republican government; and to -prove the immutability of their opinions, cited -to me the semi-idiotic and degraded “clay-eaters” -of the South, saying:</p> - -<p>“What do these men know of civil institutions, -and what right have they to vote?”</p> - -<p>Said I, “Gentlemen, is it possible that this is -the faith of your leaders?”</p> - -<p>They replied emphatically in the affirmative.</p> - -<p>“Then, sirs, we of the North have not been -mistaken on a subject which has been forcing -itself upon us as a fact, but which we were loth -to believe could harbor itself even in the basest -American heart. Since you are frank enough -to own it, certainly the world should know it, -and execrate it as it deserves.”</p> - -<p>When I became acquainted with the motives -of these two representative men—how they despised -their poor, ignorant soldier-brethren, -armed and fighting to fasten fetters on themselves -and children for ever, I could but exclaim, -“Send out thy light and thy truth, O God! into -all the earth. Hasten the day when ignorance -and oppression shall vanish before the free gospel, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> -and righteousness through all the land -prevail.”</p> - -<p>From my prison windows I now had ample -leisure to study the countenances of all classes -of our rebellious enemies, from Brigadier Generals -down to the conscript “Sand-hillers.” All -faces were indicative of sadness. From what I -could see and overhear—the downcast eyes and -the conflicting stories—I was well satisfied that -they had been worsted at Shiloh. The officers -were given to wholesale exaggeration, their -falsifying tongues gliding from lie to lie with -the alacrity of a Baron Munchausen! These -prevarications forcibly reminded me of a negro -boy down South, who undertook to describe to -his master a storm.</p> - -<p>“Why, massa, dare was de wonderfullest, de -tremendus’est most powerfulest win’ stohm dat -you ever heah. De win’ blowed so hard dat it -blowd de har—<i>de har</i>—all off one man’s head. -Ya’as, de har all off one man’s head! De har!”</p> - -<p>“Now, Sam, you lying rascal, why didn’t the -wind blow <i>your</i> hair off?”</p> - -<p>“Why—why—you’se allers bodderin white -folks when dey’se tellin’ de trufe—why, <i>dare was -a man a-stan’in’ a-holdin my har on</i>! Ya’as—a -man a stan’in’—a man!”</p> - -<p>“But why wasn’t his hair blown off?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - -<p>“O dare was anudder man a-standin’ a-holdin’ -his har on! Ya’as anudder man.”</p> - -<p>“But why was’nt <i>his</i> hair blown off?”</p> - -<p>“Kase—why—w-why,—(you’se bodderen -you’sef about de wind-stohm)—why <i>dare was a -little boy a-standin a-holdin his har on. Ya’as, a-ha</i>-a -little boy—a holden his har on!”</p> - -<p>“But why wasn’t the little boy’s hair blown -off, you black scamp?”</p> - -<p>“Why—w-why—golly, does’nt you see plain -’nuff how it was? Why, <span class="smcap">DARE WAS A MAN WID -A BALD HEAD A-STANDIN’ A-HOLDIN’ HIS HAR -ON</span>!”</p> - -<p>Just so the secession leaders falsify, and thus -they attempt to bolster up their improbable -Confederacy. The whole compact is a libelous -league with darkness!</p> - -<p>Some of these pompous Southerners would -treat us with a kind of counterfeit courtesy, -which became to us even more disgusting than -outright abuse. The rebel army is made up of -a passive-minded, illiterate citizenship, officered -by slave-owners and negro-drivers. The maximum -of soldiers in a regiment is much smaller -than in the Federal army, and each company -has three Lieutenants. This gives the young -men of aristocratic families an opportunity to -wear shoulder-straps and lord it over the “poor -white trash,” which compose the rank and file. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> -I learned from the prison guards, many of whom -would be loyal to the old Stars and Stripes if -they dared, that the mass of the Southern armies -have been forced by the most stringent and often -cruel measures to take up arms against the -United States Government.</p> - -<p>At this place there were a number of political -prisoners, and a few prisoners of war. Once -we obtained leave to visit them. We were conducted -by a vigilant guard to their apartments -in an upper room of a very dilapidated building. -We found about one hundred and fifty Mississippi -citizens, such as were suspected of Union -sentiments, in a most loathsome situation. -Among them were three clergymen—one a -Presbyterian, one a “United Brother,” and the -other a Methodist. There was also a lawyer -from Kentucky, named Halleck, who had been -captured by Bishop General Polk. Halleck was -a subject of the ecclesiastical body over which -the Bishop ruled; but his loyalty to church did -not save him from arrest and trouble for want -of confidence in arch-treason. He had been -dragged from his bed by a band of ruffians who -tied his hands behind him, and forced him into -a filthy prison where he lay for seven months -in close confinement. He was finally permitted -to share a room with thirty-five or forty other -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -Unionists. At one time they were so shamefully -neglected, that for three days they were unsupplied -with any food. To prevent absolute starvation, -they were obliged to beg the guards to -assist them in stealing a barrel of soap-grease, -which they devoured with a greedy relish! This -was in the midst of the boasted chivalry of -Columbus, Mississippi!</p> - -<p>I should not forget to mention here the names -of the ex-Governor of the State, Mr. Whitefield, -and his son. They had human hearts, and extended -to us some degree of kindness and -sympathy. But these friendships were rare exceptions, -and all sufficient, if reported to rebel -officials, to call down vengeance on their heads. -The people, to avoid suspicion and imprisonment, -were compelled to practice all manner of -apparent cruelties. In this building we began -to feel the hateful oppressor’s power. We could -hardly believe that any portion of our once -united and happy country could be so soon, so -darkly blighted by accursed treason!</p> - -<p>While looking on the old, rusty walls of my -prison-house, mocked and insulted by the jeering -outside multitudes, I had time and heart for -reflection. I thought of a familiar cottage amid -the hills of Ohio, at that very hour all fair and -free in the spring sunlight, the orchard blossoms, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -the opening flowers in garden and arbor, -the dewy meadow grass, and the thousand -charming scenes of my home! I thought of -wife and children there—how they would -wonder and fear at receiving no tidings from -the one they loved. I thought of God and his -cause—my country and her honor—my flag -and her insulted glory. I thought of the poor -Southern conscript, and the despised and fettered -slave of the cotton-field, and my soul was -stirred with mingled hope and compassion. -Thinking of my home, my friends, my country, -my wounds, my prison, I could but say:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Patience, my soul, the Saviour’s feet were worn;</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The Saviour’s heart and hands were weary too;</div> -<div class="verse">His garments stained, and travel-worn, and old,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">His vision blinded with a pitying dew.</div> -<div class="verse">Love thou the path of sorrow that he trod,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Toil on, and wait in patience for thy rest;</div> -<div class="verse">Oh! country that I love, we soon shall see</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Thy glorious cause triumphant, crowned and blest.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>While reflecting upon the inconsistency of secession, -and witnessing the persecutions heaped -upon those who were loyal to the flag and truth -of our fathers, I almost faltered in my religious -faith, for many of these leaders in treason -were professed Christians. But, through the -power of prayer, came a satisfying answer to -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> -my questioning fear. I felt that the Lord Omnipotent -was just—that his grace and gospel -were for the poor and the oppressed.</p> - -<p>I remembered the day when the Saviour appeared -to me—when denser, darker prison-bands -were sundered. Then old things passed -away. Then came the strength to believe and -trust in a Higher Power—an Infinite Deliverer. -Remembering when the friendly voice had -spoken to my troubled heart, “Peace, be still,” -even in prison, and hated of men for Christ’s -and country’s sake, I could exclaim:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Faith, of our fathers, living still,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;</div> -<div class="verse">Oh! how our hearts beat high with joy</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Where’er we hear that glorious word!</div> -<div class="verse">Faith of our fathers! holy faith!</div> -<div class="verse">We will be true to thee till death!”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Though a prisoner of war, a soldier can be a -Christian. He realizes in trial and trouble that -the Judge of all the earth does right.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">The Wounded from Shiloh—Inquisitive -Negroes—An Abomination—A Striking -Contrast—Tom—Attempted Escape—An Ingenious -Darkey—Rebel Fare—The Irish Sergeant—Narrow -Escape—Mending Clothes and Getting News—Horrible Scenes in -Prison—A Discussion.</p> - -<p class="noindent">During my imprisonment, many wounded -soldiers from Corinth, were brought to Columbus. -The leading men were painfully struck at -the loss of General Albert Sidney Johnson. -My prison life was romantic and instructive, -and I endeavored to make a partial atonement -for its deprivations. The negroes, whose business -it was to bring our victuals, and keep the -prison in some sort of order, were generally -inquisitive in their looks, and often in their -words. They wondered why so many white -men were confined and guarded. I was much -interested with two negro waiters, who came -daily to our room, one about twelve, and the -other about fifteen years of age. Said George, -the younger:</p> - -<p>“Massa, when’s you gwine to take Memphis?”</p> - -<p>“Why? George!” said one of our party.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Kase my mother’s dar, and she’ll be free -when de Linkum sogers gits Memphis.”</p> - -<p>“George,” said I, “what do you know about -freedom?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Lor’ massa, I know’d if you’d whip -’em up dar, us colored folks ’ud all be free, an’ -dat’s what makes dem rebels fight like de debel. -God bless you massa, I knows why. When de -war broke out, I was livin’ up in old Kentuck, -and dey say now we’se got to take dis here -nigger off, or else de Yankees will hab him. I -hoped and prayed dat de Yankees <i>would</i> git -me. God bless you, massa, <i>I knows</i>.”</p> - -<p>From this time I began to be more than ever -interested in the negroes. I discovered a latent -talent in the despised race. I resolved to investigate -this new field of inquiry. The older -one of these waiters and myself, had afterward -many a friendly interview. He told me that he -had been reared in New Orleans. His father -was a white man, who often comforted his innocent -victim, by saying that her offspring should -be sent North to freedom. But when hostilities -began, he entered the army, forgetful alike -of his promises and his crimes. This outraged -woman was afterward hired to a planter, to -work in a cotton-field, while her son was sent -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -to Columbus, as a hotel waiter. Such, thought -I, are some of the barbarities of this horrid -system of enslavement.</p> - -<p>About this time a Colonel was appointed as -commandant of this post, <i>vice</i> ex-Governor -Whitefield. Our boarding and location were -now changed, and we were placed in a back room -and fed on scanty rations of corn-bread <i>minus</i> -salt, and an indifferent supply of tainted meat, -which emitted a very disagreeable effluvia.</p> - -<p>While in this condition, and lying on the bare -floor, a citizen entered and informed us that his -brother-in-law was then a prisoner in Columbus, -Ohio. He said he had been taken at Fort Donelson, -and that his wife had that day received a -letter from him, and that he was walking the -streets of Columbus, carrying his side-arms, and -boarding at the American House!</p> - -<p>This statement aroused my indignation. I -never before felt so keenly my condition, and -when he attributed the lenity of our government -to cowardice and a disposition to admit the superiority -of southern claims and dignity, and -stigmatized us as “invaders” of their soil and -suffering justly as such, I could not restrain the -fiery wrath that burned within me. I have a -faint recollection of seeing the man hurrying in -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -greedy haste from the prison, doubtless impelled -by the fear of something to come.</p> - -<p>Again we were indebted to the kind services -of our ever-faithful and unwavering friends of -the race despised. One, who flourished under -the sobriquet of “Tom,” rendered us efficient -aid. Our object was to escape from the prison, -and for this purpose Tom brought us a rope and -chisel. With the chisel, I cut a hole through -the prison floor, but after laboring faithfully for -some time, I discovered that the room below -was filled to the ceiling with boxes and bales -containing commissary stores. I had arranged -with Tom, who had brought me a desiderated -map of Mississippi and Tennessee, to leave that -night, he occupying a station on the outside, -ready to aid me if necessary, and supplied with -sufficient provisions for my contemplated flight.</p> - -<p>When I found myself foiled in my effort to -pass through the floor, I turned my attention to -the hearth of the room, which I took up, intending -to let myself down at that point, and make -my escape through a window below, which was -covered by a projecting roof. But just as I was -about to take away the key-stone of the hearth, -I heard the guard cry out, “<i>Corporal o’ de guard, -post number fo’</i>,” which arrested my attention, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -and moving toward the window, discovered in -the darkness of the night, that the rain was falling -in torrents. Again my ear caught the voice -of the guard, who, in his peculiar Southern intonations, -was addressing the corporal.</p> - -<p>“I’s gittin’ all wet; put me undah dat ar -windah, dar.”</p> - -<p>So the guard was stationed under the window -where I had contemplated making my exit, -and all my plans, for the nonce, were frustrated.</p> - -<p>Early the next morning Tom came to the -door and said:</p> - -<p>“<i>Why</i> you don’ didn’t come, massa?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Tom, that room below is full of commissary -stores.”</p> - -<p>“Why, massa, I don’ ought to have told you -dat, but I don’ didn’t know it.”</p> - -<p>Tom came in, and I exhibited the hole in the -floor, and assured him that if the fact of its existence -were not concealed, I should be either -sent to jail or hung. He looked at it, and fruitful -as he was of expedients, soon devised a -remedy. He first tacked a piece of carpet over -the hole, and afterward, finding that it would -yield if trodden upon, constructed a rude seat -immediately above it.</p> - -<p>This, and other manifestations of intellectual -and mechanical aptness, led me into a train of -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> -reflection concerning a race so decried and degraded. -I asked with Campbell—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Was man ordained the slave of man to toil,</div> -<div class="verse">Yoked with the brutes, and fettered to the soil;</div> -<div class="verse">Weighed in a tyrant’s balance with his gold?</div> -<div class="verse">No! Nature stamped us in a heavenly mould!</div> -<div class="verse">She bade no wretch his thankless labor urge,</div> -<div class="verse">Nor, trembling, take the pittance and the scourge.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>From this time I became deeply interested in -my African protege. He seemed keenly alive -to his condition. He told me in a conversation -that “the colored people were all heathens—they -knew nothing. I was talking,” he added, -“with massa and missus dis mornin’, and -missus asked me, ‘Tom what you tink of dem -Yankees?’</p> - -<p>“‘Ah,’ says I, ‘missus, I don’ don’t like em at -all. Dey won’t have nothin’ to say to a nigger.’ -Den missus said, ses she.</p> - -<p>“‘Tom, don’t you know dese Yankees are -comin’ down har to confisticate all you cullod -people?’ Now, she tink I don’ don’t know -what ‘confisticate’ means; spec’ she tinks I tought -it was <i>to kill</i>. God bless you, massa, I knows -it is to <i>free de darkies</i>, and den dis pore nigger -have hoss and carriage, if I don’ can work and -pay for ’em. While I was talkin’ wid massa -and missus, I stood and shake all over. I tells -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -’em dat I is so ’feared dat dey would come dat -I don’t know what for to do. God bless you, -don’t you tink dey was fool enough to tink I -<i>was</i> afeerd. Ha! ha! ha!”</p> - -<p>The hours wore heavily on in that dreary -prison-house. Tom brought our food in an old -trough, which had doubtless been employed in -feeding swine, and we were compelled to take in -food in genuine primitive style. In a short -time, we received intelligence that we were to -be removed to another apartment in the same -building, and I began to feel a degree of -uneasiness lest my effort to escape should be -discovered by the hole in the floor. Tom again -befriended me. He ascertained that a printing-press -was to be put up in the room the prisoners -had occupied, and while assisting in the work -succeeded in placing a portion of the stationary -materials in such a manner as to effectually -secrete the aperture.</p> - -<p>As I have already intimated, our supply of -food grew “smaller by degrees and horribly -less.” Our gastronomic propensities were however, -occasionally regaled by some delicacies (?) -smuggled in to us by Tom and his brother Pete. -We did not care then to inquire whether they -obtained them honestly or not, but the probability -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> -is that they were appropriated from their -master’s larder.</p> - -<p>One of our chief annoyances in this prison -was in the person of a diminutive, pompous, -and arrogant Irishman named Mackey, who -seemed to rejoice in the title of “sergeant,” -which he took great care to frequently ventilate -in the presence of the prisoners. He was an -orderly of the provost marshal, and the fellow, -clothed with a little brief authority, seemed to -be impressed with the sole idea that tyranny -was the only attribute of one so exalted. Once, -when he came into my quarters, I asked him -what object he could have in the rebel army, -and what profit he expected to derive from the -establishment of a confederacy?</p> - -<p>“Enough, be jabers,” he replied. “You -Yankees want to free our nagers, be sure, and -we’re all ferninst that here, and we won’t submit -at all, at all.”</p> - -<p>“How many negroes have <i>you</i>, Mr. Mackey,” -I asked.</p> - -<p>“Why, sure, and be jabers, and I haven’t a -nager in the world.”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, what interest then can you have -in this war?”</p> - -<p>“Och, and be sure, a poor tool of an Irishman -can hardly git a wee jab of work now, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> -and if these divels were free, we’d have to go -beggin’ foriver.”</p> - -<p>So, selfishness, in the guise of slavery and -pride, forms the substratum of the so-called -Southern Confederacy.</p> - -<p>On further conversation with the sergeant, I -learned that he had really no interest in the -cause of the South, that he was not in the army -from choice, but as a means of obtaining a -livelihood, and that he bitterly cursed rebellion -in his heart as the prolific parent of untold -evils.</p> - -<p>Our new room fronted the hotel, and from -some of the officers we obtained permission to -stand upon the balcony of the prison during -a part of each evening. On one occasion we -were ordered back by the guards. I hesitated -a moment; but in that moment a guard leveled -his piece and drew the trigger. Fortunately -for me the gun missed fire, but at the same -moment another guard fired, and killed a deaf -man who had thrust his head from an upper -window. Realizing the danger to which I was -exposed, I instantly withdrew.</p> - -<p>On the same evening, I noticed an unusual -excitement among the rebel officials. To ascertain -its cause I again had recourse to Tom. He -requested me to tear a hole in my coat, and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> -then order him, in the presence of the guards, -to take it to some tailor for repairs. He insisted -that I should speak angrily to him, for -such a course would more effectually deceive -the guards. I did as he had directed, and he demurred, -declaring that he wished dem “Yankees -would mend dar own close.” The guards in a -peremptory tone commanded him to get the -coat, and have it repaired forthwith. This was -what Tom desired; and with many protestations -of hatred toward the whole Yankee race, -he, with great apparent reluctance, carried the -garment from the prison.</p> - -<p>In a short time he returned, seemingly in the -same mood, and with well-feigned indignation, -handed over the coat. On examination I found -a newspaper in one of the pockets which contained -an account of the evacuation of Corinth, -the surrender of Island No. 10, and the -bombardment of Fort Pillow, New Orleans, -and other important information of which we -had previously known nothing! This little -artifice and its successful management, while it -furnished me with very cheering intelligence, -also gave me an elevated opinion of Tom’s -native talents.</p> - -<p>Other prisoners continued to arrive, many of -whom had been wounded in the battle of -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> -Shiloh, and new quarters were prepared for -them. They were incarcerated in an old stone -building not far from our prison, and although -wounded and almost famished, were compelled -to lie upon the hard floor, their wounds undressed, -and their physical wants unattended -to. I obtained permission to visit them, -and as I entered the house my eyes were -pained by a sight that beggars description. -Eighteen prisoners, “crushed by pain and -smart,” occupied the room. There were men -in that room who had been wounded for two -weeks, and who, during that whole time, had -not received the slightest attention. The result -had been that their wounds were tainted with -putrid flesh, and alive with crawling maggots! -I obtained a list of their names at the time, but, -as the reader will hereafter learn, was subsequently -compelled to burn it. The only -apology the rebel authorities could offer for -this brutal neglect was that they were too -busily employed in attending to the wants of -their own to look to the welfare of others.</p> - -<p>Many of the men died, some from their -wounds, and others from disease. The sad and -sickening scenes of prison life daily harrowed -up the soul’s keener susceptibilities, and one -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> -by one they yielded up their lives a sacrifice -for liberty.</p> - -<p>On one occasion, I heard the guards engaged -in an animated discussion concerning their participation -in the war. One of them remarked:</p> - -<p>“Bill, you and I are both poor men, and -what in the name of God are we fighting for?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Tom, you haven’t turned traitor to -the Confederacy, have you?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said he, “I can’t say that I have, but -I’d like mighty well to know what profit this -whole thing will be to us poor people. I have -a family, you know; and I have been forced to -leave them, and here I am. You know how -everything hes riz. There’s flour now, and -you can’t git a barrel for less nor forty dollars, -and pork is fifty dollars a hundred, and there -aint a bit of salt to be got for love nor money. -Now, I’d jist like to know what a man’s family -is going to do under such circumstances?”</p> - -<p>Bill answered by saying:</p> - -<p>“This war aint a-going to last long. How’ll -them fellers do without cotton. They’ll have -to give in afore two months, for all their manufactures -have stopped now.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t you believe a word of that ’ere stuff. -It’s all gammon, I tell you. They can do -without <i>us</i> a great deal better nor we can do -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -without <i>them</i>. They’ve got the whole world to -resort to, and can git their supplies anywhere -they please.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know that; but then they haint got -anything other nations want. It was <i>our</i> cotton -what brought all the gold and silver into the -country.”</p> - -<p>“There’s that old song again. Why, they’ve -got the best perducing land in the world. And -their corn and cattle aint to be sneezed at the -world over.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that may all be true,” rejoined the -other, “but they can’t whip us.”</p> - -<p>“Well, suppose we whip them, what will -be gained?”</p> - -<p>“Why, we’ll stop the ’tarnal thieves from -stealing our niggers.”</p> - -<p>“Now that’s a grand mistake. Don’t you see -every nigger in the South will break right for -the North, for there won’t be no Fugitive Slave -Law then. And then you know what a dreadful -time we had not long ago up Lowndes -county with the niggers, for this here country’s -got twice as many niggers as whites.”</p> - -<p>At this an angry dispute arose between them, -one declaring the other an abominable Yankee, -and the other is stoutly denying it. Oaths -were freely bandied, and the loyal Southerner -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> -threatened to call the corporal of the guard, -and have the other arrested. The latter in the -mean time continued to protest that he had said -nothing detrimental to Southern interests.</p> - -<p>“Well, how did you know,” said the rabid -secessionist, “about the cattle and corn in New -York, if you had never lived there?”</p> - -<p>“But I have been there, though I never lived -in that region.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if that’s the case,” responded his -antagonist, “you had better keep mighty quiet -about it, or we’ll treat you like we did John -Peterson, that miserable Yankee that we hung -last week to a pine tree.”</p> - -<p>Just then the relief-guard came, and the conversation -ceased. I noted down at the time the -dialogue as it occurred, gave the manuscript -subsequently to my friend Captain Steadman, -who, in connection with other papers, as the -reader will presently learn, carried it to Washington -city, where I received it from him.</p> - -<p>From all this, which was spoken in a most -angry and boisterous manner, and while I held -my ear to the key-hole of the prison-door, I -learned what excessive antipathy the Southern -people, as a mass, entertain towards persons of -Northern birth. As the reader follows me -through this book, other evidences of Southern -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> -ignorance, malice, and inhumanity will arise, -all of which I witnessed or experienced, and all -of which are related with no spirit of hatred, -but as an “ower true tale.” I do not relate -these facts in the spirit of a politician, nor for -political purposes; for the nativity, education, -and political antecedents of myself and of the -entire family from which I sprung, have developed -a warm support of Democratic principles. -To these I yet ardently adhere, though -positively and absolutely repudiating that form -thereof which in the slightest degree affiliates -with treason or oppression.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Southern Inhumanity—A Prison -Telegraph—Mobile—Conversation with a Fire-Eater—Negro -Sale Stables—A Bad Sign—Mule-Beef—Montgomery—In -the Penitentiary—Felon Soldiers—Hanging for -Theft—Visit to a Condemned Prisoner—Who Shall Answer?</p> - -<p class="noindent">Our condition now became so painful and -distressing, that, as a last resort, we determined -to petition the authorities for a redress of our -grievances. We had neither beds nor blankets, -and the allowance of rations doled out to us -was insufficient to sustain life. A lieutenant in -the Confederate service, a poor, illiterate fellow, -not possessed of education sufficient to call the -muster-roll correctly, entered the prison and -threatened to place Major Crockett—of whom -we have spoken before—in irons, simply because -he had referred, in the Lieutenant’s presence, -in no very favorable terms, to the character -of our treatment. We had made application -personally to Colonel McClain, then commandant -of the post, and who, we learned, was a -professed Christian. We were careful to appeal -to his Christianity as a means of awakening an -interest in our behalf. His reply was as follows:</p> - -<p>“You invaders! you abolitionists! you that -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -are <i>stealing</i> our property! <i>you</i> talk about -Christianity! You should be the last men to -utter a word on that subject.”</p> - -<p>A lieutenant in our ranks, named Herbert, -answered him by saying:</p> - -<p>“If your so-called Southern Confederacy -cannot furnish us with enough to eat, just inform -us and we will acquaint our government -of the fact.”</p> - -<p>This seemed to irritate the doughty Colonel, -and he replied very fiercely:</p> - -<p>“I’ll let you know that we have a government -strong enough to hold <i>you</i>. You will -have to go into close confinement.”</p> - -<p>In a short time four men with loaded guns -entered, and took Lieutenant Herbert from the -prison. What was to be his fate we knew not, -but in five days he returned, his appearance -indicating that he had been exposed to severe -treatment. He told me that he was taken to -the old county jail, was there incarcerated in a -damp, filthy, and bedless cell, swarming with -odious vermin, and from which a negro had -recently been taken to be executed. This -barbarous outrage was inflicted for the sole -purpose, in the language of his tormentor, “of -letting him know that there was a Southern -Confederacy.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> - -<p>The sick and wounded prisoners in the room -above us were suffering intensely, and we were -not allowed the privilege of visiting them. In -order to hold any communication at all with -the inmates above, we were compelled to resort -to an expedient which answered our purpose -for the time. We obtained a small wire, and -by letting it down from the upper window -to the one below, and attaching a written -communication to it, opened up a kind of -telegraphic connection between the two departments -of the prison. In this way we were -daily informed of the transactions of our friends -above.</p> - -<p>We were now about to leave the prison, and -we quitted it, feeling with Bishop King, that</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“A prison is in all things like a grave,</div> -<div class="verse">Where we no better privileges have</div> -<div class="verse">Than dead men; nor so good.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>We were next taken to Mobile, Alabama. -On our way thither, I conversed with a number -of Southrons, among whom was an insignificant -personage from South Carolina. He complained -because their officers were not allowed to have -their servants with them. He called it one of -the most inhuman deprivations imaginable!</p> - -<p>“Sir,” said I, “we have been treated like -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> -beasts and half-starved here on your southern -soil; what do you think of that?”</p> - -<p>“O,” he replied, “that’s all right enough for -you ’uns; but <i>we</i> belong to the first families of -South Carolina!”</p> - -<p>“Your logic is vain, sir, for we of the free -North recognize no officer in the army as made -of better stuff than the least drummer-boy in -the service. Your ‘first families’ were the prime -movers in this rebellion, being the degenerate -descendants of bankrupt royalists and luckless -adventurers.” The truth cut him severely, and -he began to curse the “mudsills” of the North, -ridiculing that pure democracy which lifts up -the poor and levels down the rich. When I -referred to our free schools and our general information -as a people, he raved like a madman. -His ignorance boiled over in froth and fury, -only to emphasize the corrupting effects of the -bastard aristocracy of the South.</p> - -<p>We arrived in Mobile on Sabbath morning, -the 26th of May. Here, too, we could detect -an undercurrent of Union sentiment in the humane -treatment we received. I knew full well, -however, the odium in which the Mobilians held -all who opposed human bondage as legalized in -the Confederacy. I felt that we were indeed -among enemies and barbarians. We were -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -driven like yoked bondmen to the heart of the -city, and there halted in the crowded streets for -about two hours and a half beneath a sweltering -Alabama sun, after which we were thrust into -the negro sale stables. Of course we were fatigued -and sickened by such outrageous treatment, -but we bore it all as patiently as grace -would allow. As we entered these human chattel -stalls where many poor hearts had sorrowed -before, we noticed this inscription over our stable -door.</p> - -<p class="center"> -“<span class="smcap">NEGROES FOR SAIL AND GOOD FEALD HANDS.</span>” -</p> - -<p>During our stay in this place there was quite -a stir among the rebels. The astounding fact -was revealed that the mules slain at Shiloh had -been barreled up and forwarded to Mobile to -feed Yankee prisoners! When this abomination -was made known to the commandant, he -immediately ordered the mule-beef to be thrown -into the river; and in order to redeem his government -from the merited contempt of the civilized -world, he published the facts in the Mobile -papers. A copy of a daily paper containing -the information was furnished us by a negro, -and we had the satisfaction of reading the history -of our rations!</p> - -<p>The commandant’s motives in publishing this -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> -barbarity were not appreciated by the chivalrous -(?) authorities, and he was himself arrested -and imprisoned for an act that even cannibals -might blush to condemn.</p> - -<p>The negroes, who were shrewder and more -manly than their masters, were our faithful -friends and news-bearers. They all understood -how to furnish us papers in the manner described -in a previous chapter. The results of -the mule-beef investigation plainly proved that -the whole transaction was sanctioned by the -Government. It was not an individual speculation -by an unprincipled army contractor, but -an official outrage, perpetrated by the chivalrous -Confederacy!</p> - -<p>From Mobile we were taken to Selma, from -thence to Tuscaloosa, and from thence to Montgomery. -Here we were placed in the penitentiary -over night, until arrangements could be -made for our accommodation in the military -prison. Here we shared the fare of criminals, -which proved to be the best I ever received in -Dixie. As to the truthfulness of the report that -the Confederacy had liberated their felons as -soldiers, I am not prepared to speak. But while -I was in the Montgomery penitentiary, during -the brief space of thirty hours, two inmates were -released and paid eight hundred dollars each to -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> -enter the service as substitutes. This I witnessed. -The keeper of the prison informed me, -on inquiring the nature of their crimes, that -they were murderers. From reliable sources I -learned that many criminals, from different -southern prisons, were received into the army -as soldiers. The two I saw were desperate-looking -men.</p> - -<p>While here I was deeply impressed at seeing -a negro in an adjoining cell under condemnation -of death. In order to frighten him to make -such confessions as his accusers desired, the -rope with which he was to be suspended from -the gallows, was put in the cell with the culprit. -I asked the keeper the nature of the man’s offence, -and was told that he was sentenced to die -for stealing a watch.</p> - -<p>“What! are you going to hang a man for -stealing a watch?”</p> - -<p>“O, yes,” said my informant, “we must be -severe with these niggers, or we couldn’t live for -them.”</p> - -<p>“But he is a valuable-looking piece of property.”</p> - -<p>“True, sir, but the State is obligated to pay -one-half his value to the master, and he was appraised -at sixteen hundred dollars,—so you see -only one-half the loss will fall upon his master.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> - -<p>All this was spoken with that serious business -air which showed a real sympathy with the -slaveholder who was about to suffer the loss of -eight hundred dollars!</p> - -<p>On account of my crippled hand and general -debility, I was privileged to walk about the hall. -There I could see the doomed man who was so -soon to suffer the ignominious death of the scaffold. -The keeper’s sympathy was altogether -with the owner of the negro; but he congratulated -himself in the master’s behalf by saying -that, since the beginning of the war, negroes -were poor sale, and that for the owner of this -condemned one to get half his appraised value -would be very consoling in the hour of trouble! -One circumstance in connection with this incident -gladdened my heart. On one occasion I -overheard two men conversing with the negro -in his cell. They were godly men, and had -come to offer the sympathy of supplication in -prayer. One of these visitors was gifted in a -special manner. His pleadings before the court -of heaven in behalf of his unfortunate fellow-man, -were touchingly eloquent. He sang and -prayed alternately, and with tearful eyes and -tender tones, pointed the criminal to the Saviour -who blessed the dying thief on Calvary. But -all his instructions and persuasions seemed alike -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> -in vain. The stoic prisoner remained hard-hearted -and unmoved.</p> - -<p>I asked and obtained permission from the -keeper to speak a few words to the man so soon -to die. The conditions on which I obtained the -favor were that my instructions should be given -in the keeper’s presence.</p> - -<p>Looking through the iron bars at my sinful -but unfortunate auditor, I said,</p> - -<p>“Do you believe that Christ died for all?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, massa,” he replied.</p> - -<p>“Well, you know something about the Bible, -don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“No, massa.”</p> - -<p>“Have you never heard the Gospel preached?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, massa, I used to hear old parson Cooper -preach, and I guess dat was what he preached -about.”</p> - -<p>“Can you read?”</p> - -<p>“No, massa.”</p> - -<p>“Did you ever pray?”</p> - -<p>“No, massa. I’se heard folks a-prayin’. My -massa never prayed like dis nigga,”—referring -to the visitor who had been praying with him -in the cell.</p> - -<p>“Well, my dear fellow, you know you have -to die, don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, massa.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What do you think will become of you -when you die?”</p> - -<p>“I dun know, massa.”</p> - -<p>“Did you ever talk with white people on -this subject?”</p> - -<p>“No, massa.”</p> - -<p>Here our conversation was interrupted by -the keeper, who told me I must return to my -cell. I had no further opportunity to converse -with the poor negro prisoner. My thoughts -troubled me. I reflected on the destiny of -these immortal beings, thus oppressed in body -and soul by their tyrant masters. What a -fearful weight of responsibility rests <i>somewhere</i>! -Who shall give account in the great day for -the ignorance of the four millions of slaves, -going up to judgment from a land of boasted -light and knowledge? This slave was a representative -man. Although he knew little about -secular matters, he had opportunity to learn -even less of religion!</p> - -<p>But despite all the efforts to keep the slaves -in ignorance, both by legal enactments and -tyrannical vigilance, very many of them gained -a surprising fund of information. What an -accursed system of wrong is that which locks -the Bible from the homes and hearts of the -poor! May the uttermost overthrow come upon -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> -an institution that prohibits the education of -any class or color of God’s children!</p> - -<p>The next day, before leaving the prison, I -asked permission to visit the colored convict -once more, but the privilege was not granted. -That very day a dark man was hung, and a -darker crime registered in the book of Judgment-day -accounts, the penalty of which will -by-and-by rest upon the head of the guilty perpetrators.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">A New Prison—Murder of Lieutenant -Bliss—In Irons—Yankee Ingenuity—Rebel -Ignorance—Parson Rogers—Faithful Servants—Bold and -Successful Escape of Prisoners—Captain Troy—A Blindfold -Journey—A Traitor.</p> - -<p class="noindent">We were now conducted to our new quarters in the -military prison, a description of which I will attempt. The side walls -were of brick, twenty inches in thickness, and thirteen feet high. The -ends were closed by massive ironclad wooden gates, extending the whole -width of the prison. The room was about two hundred feet long, and forty -in width. It was used formerly as a cotton depot. There was on either -side a narrow shed-roof, sloping inward, extending two-thirds of the -entire length of the building. Beneath this shelter were six hundred -soldiers, and about one hundred and fifty political prisoners.</p> - -<p>Near this prison, Lieutenant Bliss, of Illinois, -one of the noblest and truest men I ever knew, -and a minister of the gospel, was murdered. -The circumstances of this cruel outrage are as -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> -follows: One beautiful morning in May, the -Lieutenant, being somewhat indisposed, and -desiring to breathe the fresh and fragrant air -without our prison walls, asked permission of -the Captain of the Guard, to go to an adjacent -house and get his canteen filled with fresh milk. -With considerable reluctance the privilege was -granted, and the Lieutenant and myself were -allowed to go on our errand, under a guard of -four armed men. Upon our arrival at the -house, Bliss handed his canteen through the -window, where a lady received it, and in accordance -with his request, filled it with milk, and -passed it back to him. At this moment, one -of the guards muttered some undistinguishable -order, which I was unable to understand, -although I was nearer the guard than Bliss. -The command, whatever it was, of course could -not be obeyed; but the guard instantly raised -his gun. Bliss saw it, and remarked pleasantly, -though a little excited:</p> - -<p>“You are not going to shoot me, are you?”</p> - -<p>No sooner were his words uttered, than the -gun was fired and the bullet pierced the heart -of my gallant comrade. His last words were, -“Brother, I’m shot!” I stood amazed and -dumb with indignation over the bleeding corpse -of my faithful companion, the three remaining -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> -loaded guns pointed at me. From this scene of -murder I was forced back to the prison. I felt -it my duty to report this inhuman act to the -commandant, and ask redress, by having the -reckless guard punished. What was my astonishment -and indignation to learn, afterward, -that that very guard, for that very act, was -granted thirty days’ furlough as a reward. The -only apology offered was, that possibly the -guard misunderstood his instructions! I ventured -to tell the commandant, Captain Troy, -my opinion of such conduct, and to his face -called the outrage by its proper name, a bloody -murder, committed under his guilty authority. -As I might have expected, this plain language -brought down his vengeful wrath, and he replied:</p> - -<p>“I will put you in irons, sir.”</p> - -<p>I could but reply, thinking of my dear, lost -comrade:</p> - -<p>“I am in your power, sir, irons or no irons; -but you murdered my sick friend, and are guilty -of shedding his blood!”</p> - -<p>For my impertinence, I was handcuffed and -made to suffer the cruel spite of my hateful enemies.</p> - -<p>These things occurred in the city of Montgomery, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> -Alabama, among the chivalry of the -South.</p> - -<p>We often suffered for water in this cotton-shed -prison. Some of our boys resolved to dig a -well within the walls. In digging, they came to -a stratum of potters’ clay, by which, after the -well was completed, they passed many a leisure -hour in manufacturing little wares, such as pipes, -rings, cups, &c., all of which found a ready sale -among the rebels, and commanded a fair price -in Confederate shinplasters. The ingenuity of -our Yankee boys was a constant marvel to the -stupid Southrons. We received sufficient pocket -money by our manufactures to furnish us with -many little conveniences and comforts. One of -our comrades, who had formerly been an engraver, -and who had no conscientious scruples -about using the rebel currency to the best advantage, -was very skilful in changing five cent -scrip to fifties, and many of the fives that -were <i>passed in</i> for our wares, <i>passed out</i> fifties -for gingerbread!</p> - -<p>One day quite a commotion prevailed among -the rebel peddlers in our prison. A gaunt, gawking -fellow had received one of these changed -bills, but was not quite satisfied of its genuineness. -A motley crowd were huddled around -him trying to unravel the mystery. I was called -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> -by the holder of the bill to explain. Said the -puzzled critic, holding out the suspected paper -and pointing to the redundant cipher at the right -of the five:</p> - -<p>“Look here, Capt’n, at this tarnal round -thing here. This thing ortn’t fur to be here.”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir,” said I, “I can’t help it; why did -you put it there?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t put it thar, nuther. I got it uv -that thar feller,” said he, pointing to a bright-eyed -soldier about seventeen years of age, who -sat looking on with apparent indifference, but -who was greatly enjoying the confusion of the -ignorant butternut, who had just sense enough -to know that something was wrong, but no ingenuity -to detect the imposition. I do not justify -this money-making trick, but, under the -circumstances, its sinfulness is somewhat diminished.</p> - -<p>We were then more than a thousand miles -from home, surrounded by a bloodthirsty and -infuriated mob, robbers of our government, and -oppressors of our fellow-men. We were dragged -to that prison half-starved and moneyless. Our -rations consisted of a bit of spoiled beef not -larger than your two fingers, a small slice of -coarse corn-bread without salt, and this only -twice a day. Whatever more than this we -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> -received, we were compelled to buy at fabulous -prices. While in Montgomery I became acquainted -with a clergyman named Rogers, a -member of the Methodist Church South, who -had spent many years in the itineracy, and who -was a chaplain in the Mexican war. Mr. Rogers -was a man of fine talent, vast experience, and -apparently of great piety. He had been an -intimate friend, in other years, of Parson Brownlow, -which circumstance made his acquaintance -an interesting one to me. He had been arrested, -and, without a trial hurried from his motherless -children to this gloomy prison. The old divine -gave me an account of some of his sufferings. -He had been frequently imprisoned for his loyal -sentiments; and in a few instances made hair-breadth -escapes from lynching. While he was -in prison he preached for us. The gospel sound -was glorious to hear, even beneath the cloud -that rested upon us. Though in bonds, we -could listen to the voice of truth—the truth -that makes us free indeed.</p> - -<p>I was here again amused and benefited by -the ingeniousness of the colored people, of -whom so many wiseacres are constantly seeking -to prove a natural imbecility. Very often these -shrewd observers would anticipate our wants, -and bring us such articles as we really most -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> -desired. Sometimes an apparently careless -lounger would lean himself against our prison-gates, -as if to rest himself, and while facing -the guards, his skilful fingers would slip a file -or a knife through some small aperture to an -inside Yankee. These implements were always -in demand for the purpose of making rings -and trinkets from refuse beef bones. And in -case of a contemplated escape from prison, -such helps as these are invaluable. It was a -constant perplexity to the “Clay-eaters,” to see -the negroes so well posted on war matters. -Though the unhappy race have been downtrodden -and abused to an outrageous extent, -which nothing short of eternity will adequately -punish, yet they are more intellectual and -virtuous than the majority of the whites in -Secessia. With Anthony Benezett, the philanthrophic -Quaker, I sincerely declare that I -have found among the negroes as great a -variety of talent as among a like number of -whites; and I am bold to assert that the notion -entertained by some, that they are inferior in -their capacities, is a vulgar prejudice, founded -on the pride or ignorance of their lordly -masters, who have kept their slaves at such a -distance as to be unable to form a right judgment -of them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> - -<p>While we lay in this old cotton-shed, thirteen -of the prisoners conceived and executed a plan -of escape. They succeeded in scaling the walls, -and wandered about the country for some time; -but being unacquainted with the geographical -features of the locality, were all subsequently -recaptured, and again brought to the prison. -For this attempted escape, several were shot, -and others were loaded with huge chains. In -the midst of this severe punishment they never -once repined, but looked forward with ardent -hope to a period when they might again be -permitted to defend the ensign of liberty they -so dearly cherished. Many who had previously -been “conservative” in their views of the peculiar -institution, now realized a modification -of their sentiments, while the universal conviction -seemed to be that this system of human -bondage had been the parent source of all our -national dissensions.</p> - -<p>Captain Troy seemed to derive special delight -in practising almost every species of deception -upon the defenceless prisoners. He frequently -cheered us with assurances that our imprisonment -would soon terminate, and that we would -be on our way homeward in a short time. All -these hopes would as quickly give place to -saddening disappointments, for in none of his -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> -declarations was there the least shadow of truth! -One day he entered and told us that we had -been exchanged, and ordered us to immediately -prepare for our departure. Then we realized -“how deep a gloom one beam of hope enlightens,” -and in our fancy, already treading -the soil of liberty, lost no time in making all -necessary preparations to quit the land of -chains and cruelty. Nor had we much to prepare—a -few moments only, and we stood ready -for our exodus. The minutes dragged lazily -on that were to introduce us to freedom; but -what was our unspeakable vexation and chagrin -to learn that we had been the victims of a -cruel hoax, perpetrated through sheer diabolism.</p> - -<p>One bright and beautiful summer morning, -however, legitimate orders came for our instantaneous -departure, and, as before, we were soon -ready. At eleven o’clock, we stepped aboard -the cars, and were soon whirled from this -Sodomic city to await the gradual developments -of our destiny unknown. Two hundred -and fifty miles brought us to the city of Columbus, -Georgia, on the Chattahoochee river. The -crowd that met us here was composed of -remarkably coarse material, and as far as we -could perceive, seamed to be an average of the -staple human product in that locality. They -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> -saluted us with such epithets as “blue-bellied -Yankees,” “dirty nigger-thieves,” &c., exhausting -the entire slave-pen vocabulary, the reigning -vernacular.</p> - -<p>I regret that I am compelled to record the -defection of one of our party, whom we had -supposed to be in hearty sympathy with us, -but, who, as the sequel will show, was co-operating -with the enemy. Our first suspicions -were aroused by the tender regard shown him -by the rebel officials and ladies; but when we -came to Columbus, his designs and character -became more and more apparent. Of him we -shall hereafter speak more at length.</p> - -<p>The city in which we had temporarily halted -quartered a large force of rebel soldiers, the -majority of them better clad than any we had -yet met. The place itself, extending one mile -and a quarter in the direction of the river, and -about half a mile toward the interior, and -numbering a population of nearly nine thousand, -was a beautiful one. I observed a -number of unfinished buildings, erected most -probably before the war, but now standing -exposed and weather-beaten, with no roofs to -protect them from the sun and rain. The -people here seemed determined to prolong the -war to the last, confident of ultimate success.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Macon—A Southern Unionist in the Rebel Army—Beneath -a Georgia Sun—Secession Speech—Thoughts of Home—Political -Prisoners—Horrible Place—Offer of the Gospel—Lieutenant -A. P. Collins—Contemplated Escape—Robes -of Blood!—Pinning a Federal Soldier to the Ground.</p> - -<p class="noindent">We were next taken to Macon, Georgia. Traveling -by night in box-cars, we had little -opportunity to see the country. We were -much annoyed on this trip by drunken, profane, -and sleepy guards. Their cuffs and curses were -almost too intolerable to be borne.</p> - -<p>On board the train, however, there was one -companionable and intelligent gentleman. I -regret that I cannot record his name, for he -was a worthy man, and a lover of his country. -He related to me many strange inconsistencies -of rebeldom. Said he:</p> - -<p>“I am here in the army. I was a Douglas -Democrat, and opposed this war until my life -was threatened. My only alternative was to -become a soldier. You may think your case -a hard one, sir, but I would readily exchange -with you, for then I should not be compelled to -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> -fire upon any who rallied beneath the stars and -stripes. I was in the Mexican war, and there -followed the dear old flag until it floated -proudly over the metropolis of the enemy.”</p> - -<p>He also informed me that he had a family -dependent upon him for a livelihood, and complained -of a government that paid eleven dollars -a month to soldiers, and allowed fifty dollars -per barrel to be exacted for flour, and all other -necessaries in proportion. Pointing to his -coarse shoes, he said:</p> - -<p>“These cost me eleven dollars; this flimsy -clothing I wear cost ten dollars a yard! Once -times were good and we were content and -happy; but now my family is suffering, and I -know not my own fate. I know not whether -you are a Christian or not; but, sir, my hope is -in the Lord. He knows my heart; and although -I am compelled to do what I believe to be -wrong, I feel that God will forgive me for my -family’s sake.”</p> - -<p>He was a member of the Methodist Church -South, an uneducated man, but honest and humble. -He remarked that, if our conversation -were overheard, we would both be in danger of -immediate death.</p> - -<p>The morning light appeared at last, and we -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> -were passing through a level, boggy country, -very thinly inhabited.</p> - -<p>Soon after dawn, the long, shrill scream of -the locomotive announced that we were approaching -a place of some note. In a few minutes -we were in Macon depot; but of our destiny -or doom we knew nothing. At this time -there were about six hundred of us. Not until -ten o’clock were we permitted to move, -hungry and hampered as we were. Then we -were taken from the cars, and for the first time -set our feet on the traitor-cursed soil of Bibb -county, Georgia. In a short time we were -driven, like a herd of mules, to the fair-ground, -an area of three acres, surrounded by a picket-fence. -Within were several large, rough, -wooden buildings thrown together for the purpose -of holding Yankee prisoners.</p> - -<p>It was now the 29th of May, and the noonday -heat was intense. They kept us sweltering -in the broiling sun for more than two hours, -and our sufferings were excessive. Suddenly -the attention of the crowd was attracted by a -pompous-looking individual, who mounted a -stump in the enclosure, and began, with violent -gesticulations, to harangue the prisoners.</p> - -<p>The substance of this speech is herewith appended, -though I confess my inability to transmit -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> -it in the <i>patois</i> in which it was spoken. It -is reported to serve as a specimen of the average -of Southern logic and oratory, such as -often harried our unwilling ears:</p> - -<p>“Prisoners, you have been committed to my -charge, and you know that you are invaders of -our soil. You have been stealing our property, -and running them off to Canada and other -places. And when we appealed to you to deliver -up our slaves, you passed liberty bills -in your States, nullifying a law that had been -passed by the legislature, declaring that you -would not regard the Fugitive Slave Law. We, -in assuming the position we now do, are acting -as a safeguard to our slaves, and protecting -them as our property—property to which we -have the right guaranteed to us by God himself, -when he said, ‘Servants, be obedient unto -your masters.’ But you of the North have -violated the Word of God, and the Constitution -of the once United States. When we asked to -secede from you, giving you all your rights, -and demanding only our own, your government -waged an unholy war against us—have carried -it into our country with all its carnage, destruction, -and bloodshed. The God of battles is -turning all things in our favor, and we are -driving your army from our soil—taking your -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> -men prisoners, which is your own sad experience. -Now, prisoners, you are in my charge, -and I am sure you cannot expect me to treat -you only as invaders of our soil, and murderers -of our countrymen. Notwithstanding all this, -I shall try to do the best for you, as poor unfortunate -prisoners, that the conscience of a -brave and gallant officer would allow him. -While you obey my orders strictly, you shall -not suffer. But if you disobey them, you must -expect to take the consequences.”</p> - -<p>After this address, embodying so much profundity -and wisdom, we were surrounded by a -heavy guard, and taken within the guard-lines -located on the grounds referred to.</p> - -<p>What a dreary spot for our abode, to be endured -we knew not how long! A gloomy, dismal -pen was to be our habitation. The only -shade afforded us was that of a few straggling -pine-trees, beneath which we sat at times, -brooding over our forlorn and desolate situation. -Oh! how wearily passed the days! how -sadly the nights! How much did our thoughts -revert to the “loved ones at home,” and how -in imagination did we realize the loneliness of -their sorrowing hearts!</p> - -<p>Mr. Rogers—before spoken of—came and -informed me that a group of men standing at a -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> -little distance were from Tennessee and Mississippi, -with several of whom he was well acquainted, -and asked me to accompany him to -where they were. I did so, and learned that -there were seven hundred from those States in -prison, many of whom had been incarcerated -ten or twelve months without any change of -clothing, or any comfort to relieve the gloom -and monotony of prison life. Among them -were lawyers, doctors, and clergymen—persons -who had been accustomed to the luxuries of -refined society, and the endearments of home. -A volume might be written, recording the -reflections, sufferings, and experiences of each -of these brothers, shut up there in a loathsome -prison for faithful adhesion to their loyalty. -During that night I slept but little, and said -less. My mind was busy in contemplation.</p> - -<p>Mr. Rogers conducted me the next night to -a long board shanty, which was used as a hospital -for the sick and wounded. When I entered, -my heart sickened at the awful sight presented. -There were confined within that rough -wooden enclosure about one hundred sick and -dying, with nothing upon which to rest their -aching heads. We began the work of contributing -as much as possible to their comfort, and -of alleviating their sufferings. Most of them -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> -were victims of typhoid fever. We had no -light to guide us, and the only way we could -distinguish the dead from the living was by -touch. From time to time was it our painful -duty to carry the dead bodies of these, our -fellow-prisoners, and lay them upon the grass, -where they would often be suffered to remain -two or three days, when, being tumbled into -rough boxes, they were put upon a dray, and -taken we knew not whither. This night was -one of gloom, loneliness, and desolation. Our -bed was the hard floor, and sleep was too “coy -a dame” to be won to conditions so comfortless -and lorn. I lay longing for the morning which -came at last; and never did I greet the light of -day more joyously than the 30th of May, 1862. -This was my first night in Macon, Georgia, -among the sick, dead, and dying. The place or -pen thus used for a hospital, and the ground -enclosing it, were of such limited dimensions, that -the large number of men found it impossible to -be other than exceedingly uncomfortable, and -their clothes became infested with bugs and -vermin.</p> - -<p>The night of the 30th passed wearily away, -and ushered in the Sabbath—“soft halcyon on -life’s turbid waters.” The other ministers sought -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> -to hold a meeting, and I went to the commandant -to obtain his consent, which, he granted. -With a light heart, I returned to my brother -ministers to report my success. A moment -after, a note was handed us, stating that no -religious services, public or private, would be -permitted. After the lapse of a brief period, -they concluded to send their own chaplain -to preach to us. But we declined to hear him; -and I was appointed to give our reasons therefor, -which I did as pertinently as possible. -They then threatened to force us to become -listeners to sentiments which were utterly incompatible -with our views of patriotism and -Christianity. But they parleyed, and finally -desisted from their threats.</p> - -<p>It was here that I first became acquainted -with Lieutenant A. P. Collins, a gentleman of -refinement and culture, and with whom I was -destined afterward to share incredible sufferings -and perils. He was a religious man, and a -graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at -Delaware, Ohio. He had in his possession a -portion of the Old and New Testament, and -with this volume it was our wont every day to -repair to the shade of the pine-trees for meditation, -reading, and prayer. The idea of escaping -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> -from our horrible imprisonment, which was -every day growing more and more severe, -seemed to enter both our minds at about the -same time, and we agreed to make it a subject -of special prayer. We shrank at the thought -of abandoning our comrades in distress; but -the hope of life, and the possibility of again -striking a blow for justice and right, stimulated -us while contemplating such a daring and dangerous -project. We looked upon the height -of the picket-fence that environed us, the vigilant -guard of four hundred men that watched -our every movement, and the battery of artillery -planted within the enclosure, and our -hearts oftentimes sank within us. But our -friends were dying around us, and day by day -we saw them deposited in rude boxes, hurried -for ever from our sight. Once we relinquished -our hope of personal deliverance, and determined -to remain with our brethren, and, if -necessary, die with them. Many who perished -there were noble men, though they passed away -“unwept, unhonored, and unsung.” We now -concluded to continue our prayer-meetings in -the hospital. In this work we seconded the -efforts of the Rev. Mr. Rogers, Dr. Doke, of -East Tennessee, and Dr. Fisk, of Illinois. We -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> -had not acquainted these gentlemen with our -plans. Their names should never die, for</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Midst fawning priests and courtiers foul,</div> -<div class="verse">The losel swarm of crown and cowl,</div> -<div class="verse">White-robed walked these noble men,</div> -<div class="verse">Stainless as Uriel in the sun.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Their deeds of mercy were too many for -record here. No circumstances too repulsive, -no night too dark, no duty too onerous, but -they were ready for every good word and work. -Where suffering and pain were, there were they -present to alleviate and sympathize, and many -a poor fellow, now gone to his long home, -blessed them for prayers and consolations in -the night of death.</p> - -<p>These noble philanthropists determined to -ask for something to mitigate the sufferings of -the prisoners, and accordingly made an appeal -through a humane surgeon for some bedding -on which the dying men might rest. This man -carried the message to the commandant, Major -Rylander, but that dignitary utterly refused to -listen to the appeal. The surgeon then endeavored -to awaken his humanity and Christian -feeling; but he replied to all this, by saying -very emphatically:</p> - -<p>“Sir, I have laid off my robe of righteousness, -and put on one of blood, and the best way -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> -to get rid of these d——d Yankees is to let -them lay there and rot.”</p> - -<p>Such was the conduct of this man Rylander.</p> - -<p>We were compelled still to submit to our -fate, though we employed every effort in our -power to alleviate the sufferings of our dying -friends. One case, in particular, attracted my -attention. A political prisoner named Foote, -who had formerly been a captain of a steamboat -plying on the Florida rivers, being suspected -as a Union man, was arrested and -thrown into prison. He was occasionally visited -by his wife, and so careful were the rebels, notwithstanding -their boasted superiority, that two -guards with loaded guns were invariably detailed -to dog the footsteps of this woman. A -system of perfect espionage was constantly -maintained, and so suspicious were the rebels -of each other, that they would not permit a -single guard, in any case, to accompany a -prisoner. An instance of the most barbarous -torture it was ever my lot to behold, I witnessed -while here. It was inflicted upon a young man -from Illinois, for some offence unknown to me. -He was taken and stretched upon the ground, -face downward, his legs and arms drawn as far -apart as possible, and then pinned to the ground -by driving stakes across them; and in this state -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> -of terrible torture was he left for twenty-four -hours.</p> - -<p>Acts like these filled our hearts with the -most gloomy forebodings, and we began to -seriously deliberate the propriety of consummating -our previously contemplated escape. -We were about three hundred and fifty miles -from the nearest point where the stars and -stripes could be reached by water, and two -hundred and eighty miles by land. The distance -seemed to be insurmountable, to say -nothing of the impossibility of surviving the -hot weather. But the hope of liberty gave -zest to the project, and we determined at once -and for ever to abandon the scene of so much -horror and misery.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Preparing the Way—Dave—Pepper, Matches, -and Fish-hooks—Exchange of Clothing—Passing the -Guard-lines—Frightened Horse—Halted—Passed—In -the Woods—Hidden in the Swamp—Pursued—A Night Journey -in the Cane-brake—Manna.</p> - -<p class="noindent">We resolved to select a dark and rainy night to put -into execution our long cherished plan, and we waited anxiously for such -a night. The morning of the 1st of June, which was the anniversary of my -twenty-ninth birth-day, brought with it deep and long forgotten memories -of other days.</p> - -<p>The next day I was attracted by the movements -of the old negro Dave, who was employed -in the menial services of the prison. He -was evidently well acquainted with our position, -and knew all about the state of affairs. As he -passed near me, he gave me a significant grin, -hung his head in assumed diffidence, and began -shoveling among the rubbish with all his might, -saying to me as he labored, just loud enough -for my ear, but looking all the while at his -work:</p> - -<p>“You Yankees has jis made about a tousand -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> -of the drefful rebels bite the dust up in Tennessee. -I golly, I’se glad!”</p> - -<p>“Why, Dave, aren’t you a rebel, yourself?”</p> - -<p>“No, <i>sah</i>, massa, I’se—”</p> - -<p>Just here, a straggling rebel official sauntered -in sight, and our conversation was interrupted. -If any Federal prisoners were discovered holding -private consultations with the slaves, there -was a death penalty just so adjusted in the martial -laws of the Confederacy, as to meet the -case. I let the day pass without further effort -to see Dave.</p> - -<p>The next day, however, finding a favorable -opportunity, I asked Dave if he could furnish -me three fish-hooks.</p> - -<p>“God bless you, massa, yes!”—his eyes snapping -fire as he responded.</p> - -<p>“Can you get me a tin full of salt, and a -paper of pepper?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, massa!”</p> - -<p>“Can you get me a box of matches?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, massa; but how’s I gwine to get ’em -past the guards?”</p> - -<p>“Try, Dave, won’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Bless your soul, massa, yes!”</p> - -<p>I gave him the money, and when his chores -were done, he passed out, apparently one of the -most stupid darkies I ever saw. Fortunately -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> -our conversation was not overheard, and I soon -was in possession of the desired articles.</p> - -<p>During the day, I visited a Tennesseean—a -political prisoner—and proposed to exchange -clothes with him, to which he at once assented, -suspecting my object. He promised to be true, -and reveal nothing. We agreed upon an hour -when he should visit my quarters, at which -time we were to exchange our clothing. I then -informed Collins what I had done, and he made -a similar arrangement with another Tennesseean.</p> - -<p>Time passed wearily on, and brought the -night of the 18th of June,<a id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a -href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a> -which was dark and rainy, and promised fairly for our proposed -adventure. In due time our United States uniform was exchanged, and we -were clad in rebel rags. Our hearts beat high with hope, and we were -resolved to escape or perish in the attempt.</p> - - - -<p>About half past eight o’clock, we slowly -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> -crawled out of the prison—Collins a little in the -rear.</p> - -<p>This, with the exception of crossing the -guard-lines, we apprehended would be the most -dangerous part of our undertaking, and our -movements were consequently slow and cautious. -We continued to advance, keeping -within whispering distance of each other, until -we reached a little clump of pines near the -fence, which point we had previously selected -as a rendezvous. Here we paused to make further -arrangements. We felt certain, now, that -if we were discovered, we would be shot. Life -for us was only in pressing warily forward. -After a minute’s consultation, in the lowest -whispers, it was agreed that I should take the -advance, and that should I be discovered, and -shot, he should return to his quarters; but if I -succeeded in passing the guard-lines, and reaching -our second rendezvous—a thicket of fallen -bushes between the guard-lines and picket-fence—I -was then to announce my success by a -single clap of the hands, which would be a signal -for him to follow.</p> - -<p>I accordingly lay down on my face, and crept -quietly outward through the lines. The intense -darkness prevented my seeing a guard, who -chanced to be stationed close to my path. I -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> -came within six feet of him, and could distinguish -that he was reposing carelessly against a -tree, playing with the rammer of his gun, the -noise of which served to keep me from running -against him. It was the most thrilling moment -of my life! But I soon got beyond the sound -of the clicking ramrod of an enemy whose business -it was to shoot just such adventurers as -myself, and I began to breathe a little more -freely as I neared our second rendezvous. In a -few minutes I was safe outside the lines, and -snugly hidden beneath the dark foliage of the -tangled bushes. Just as I was about giving the -signal to Collins, I discovered that I had frightened -an artillery horse so much, that he broke -loose from his hitching-rack, and in another -moment it seemed as if all rebeldom were out -in pursuit of him. Now I should be discovered! -To run or lie still would be death. An -unseen Deliverer gave me presence of mind. I -resolved to turn rebel for the time being, and -assist in catching the horse. My life depended -on the action of that moment. I ordered all -the rebels astir, assuming as best I could the -arrogant Southern tone of authority, to assist -me in securing the animal, and had the gratification -of seeing him caught and led away, wondering -whether that would be the last of the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -“catching” to be done that night! Again I -started for our place of rendezvous; but being -somewhat excited, and the darkness and rain of -the night adding to my bewilderment, I ran -against an artillery guard, who instantly exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Halt, dar!”</p> - -<p>My unseen Protector again aided me, and I -once more assumed the rebel tone and manner. -I replied, with as much offended dignity as my -beating heart would allow:</p> - -<p>“Halt, whar?”</p> - -<p>“Who are you, sah?”</p> - -<p>“Have you been here so long, sir, and don’t -know me yet? What’s this mean, sir? Don’t -you understand your business, sir?”</p> - -<p>“O, yes, sah, I know you, now; you ’long -to that thar battallin over thar. Go on, sah!”</p> - -<p>Soon after this, I succeeded in reaching our -appointed place of meeting, but believing that -the confusion of the guards in capturing the -frightened horse had prevented Collins from -attempting to follow, I went down to the fence -alone. Five minutes later, I heard my comrade -giving the signal at the outer rendezvous, to -which I instantly responded, and in a very few -minutes we were both outside the picket-fence, -on the dismal banks of the Ocmulgee river.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> - -<p>We traveled fifteen miles before sunrise, and, -just at daylight, crossed the river on a railroad -bridge, leaving it between us and our enemies. -It was a glorious summer morning. The birds, -all beautiful and free, were chirping their matin -praises. The fields and forests were fragrant -with the blessed baptism of dews, and glittered -in rare brilliance before the rising sun. All -nature was clad in robes of royalty, and voiced -to sweet anthems of rejoicing. But we were -weary wanderers, homeless and hated, fallen -among thieves and robbers in the midst of our -native land. As the daylight grew stronger, -we resolved to secrete ourselves in the thicket -among the croaking frogs, and lie low in the -dense undergrowth among the reptiles of the -cane-brake. We were destitute of provisions. -In our haversacks were the matches, salt, pepper -and fish-hooks. We kindled a small fire, and -burnt our papers. We did this regretfully, for -we had some valuable notes and memoranda -among them, but we chose to suffer their positive -loss, rather than risk the danger of a recapture -with them still in our possession. It -was a sad sacrifice, in a solitary sanctuary, on a -strange altar. Yet our safety demanded it, and -it was done.</p> - -<p>Our situation was now both desolate and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> -dangerous. We were in the midst of a vast -cane-brake, the extent and surroundings of -which were altogether unknown to us. The -tall, straight cane-growths, like steady fingers, -pointed upward to a land of liberty on high, -and we knew a Present Guide thither, but we -were without chart or compass in this lower -wilderness.</p> - -<p>About three o’clock in the afternoon, we -ventured to the road, keeping a vigilant lookout -in every direction, dreading the sight of -white men, and ardently hoping to see the face -of some lowly slave, in order to arrange with -our ever-faithful friends and now brothers in -common peril and oppression, for something to -eat. For a long time we lay silent and watchful -beneath the broad leaves of the swamp -palm, close by the road-side; but instead of -discovering a sympathizing negro to whom we -might appeal for food and friendship, what was -our bitter disappointment at discovering six -armed men on horseback, in pursuit of us! -They were making diligent search. We could -see them dismount and examine all probable -lurking-places to the right and left of the road -as they passed along. As they came nearer, we -heard their savage curses, and the threatened -tortures that awaited us if recaptured. They -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -circled the thicket, and penetrated at every -possible angle all about us; but we were so -completely concealed that nothing but personal -contact would reveal our hiding-place. At one -time, our pursuers were within a few feet of us. -They must have known we were in that brake, -for they lingered within hearing until nightfall, -when they abandoned the search. How thankfully -beat our hearts as the sound of their -horses’ hoofs died away in the rearward distance!</p> - -<p>There was an advantage to us in what we at -first so dreaded—the proximity of these men. -We were thereby enabled to overhear their -plans of pursuit. They agreed to set watches -at certain points on the road, the river, and -railroad leading to Darien. We were quite confident -we had been betrayed by some cowardly -prisoner, and suspected that fellow named Clinton, -from Mississippi.</p> - -<p>We learned from our pursuers themselves, as -they were searching for us, that this traitor of -traitors gave the authorities of the prison all -the information they desired, for he had played -eaves-dropper more than once, rebel and prisoner -as he was! He had actually mapped our -proposed route, although our scheme was arranged -between Collins and myself in whispers. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> -But we were silently thankful for the information -we received, and when we ascertained the -plan of pursuit, we fixed our course so as to -elude their pickets.</p> - -<p>With a thanksgiving and a prayer, we resolved -to continue our journey immediately -with the beginning of the night. The night -was calm and clear. All the sounds that broke -the stillness were the hoarse croakings of the -frogs, and the distant barking of watch-dogs on -the plantations. Looking up to God for guidance, -he gave us a glimpse of the North Star, -the fugitive’s light of hope. We started in a -south-east direction, through the cane-brake, -traveling part of the time through dirty, stagnant -water two feet deep, and sometimes almost to -our arms; but it was a venture for life, and we -urged our way patiently onward, until we came -to water so deep that we were obliged to stop, -and wait for the morning. We hailed the day-dawn -with delight, hungry and weary as we -were, for we had not tasted a mouthful of food -since we left the prison. As soon as the grayish -light appeared, we discovered that we were on -the bank of a swail, beyond which, on a little -elevation of land, was one of the richest blackberry -fields I ever saw. It was like manna in -the wilderness. With these delicious berries we -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> -appeased our hunger, and were strengthened -for new hardships. The forenoon was one of -peculiar beauty to us. We found our Comforting -Friend in that sacred retreat, present to -cheer our souls and feed our bodies. We rested -a few hours, and talked of the goodness of the -Lord. Occasionally we would see a strange, -unknown reptile glide among the dense ground-foliage, -or hear the song of some strange wild-bird. -We again started on our way, trying to -pass the time pleasantly by remarking the new -varieties of vegetation that everywhere met the -eye—the wild-flowers, the singular leaves, the -swamp-mosses, and the thousand beautiful creations -of an Omnipotent Hand, far in the solitudes -of Georgia.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Seeking the Hills—Retreating to the -Swamps—Pursued by Bloodhounds—Suffering from Hunger—A -Dreary Night—An Answered Prayer—Singular Noise—Lost in -the Cane-brake—A Dismal Journey—A Dream—A -Surprise—Wanderings and Wearyings in the Wilderness—A -Comforter Present—Hope and Cheer—A Cotton-field—A -Friend in Need—Negro Music—A Feast in the Night—An -Intelligent Slave—Advice to Fugitives.</p> - -<p class="noindent">About two o’clock, we ventured to leave the -swamp, and strike out for the low hills, and -travel through the pines. It was the 20th of -June, and a long day to us. We had scarcely -entered the pine forest, when we saw eight men -with guns, on the lookout for us, some of whom -we had previously seen on the same errand. -We instantly retreated to the swamp, yet not -before we were discovered. The dogs were instantly -put on our track, and in order to break -the scent, we again sought the swail, and waded -in water to our knees. We passed through -the densest portions of the brake, where it -stood thick and tall, forming, in places, an -almost impenetrable wall of stalks, which we -carefully adjusted behind us. After several -hours of this cautious traveling and covering -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> -our way, we were obliged to lie down among -the swamp palm-leaves for rest. We could distinctly -hear the baying of the bloodhounds in -search of our track, but we felt pretty well assured -they would not be able to follow it. The -next morning found us wet and weary, and -quite chilled by the dampness of our bed. We -thought to make our way out to the pine hills, -but had hardly concluded to hazard the attempt, -when we again heard the hounds nearer than -before. We then penetrated yet further into -the tangled cane-thicket, for it had become a -welcome retreat for us. By patient endurance -we again baffled our enemies, only, however, to -find ourselves threatened with starvation. We -tried to catch fish, but failed. We were even -“unlucky” in our attempts to take frogs from -the swail with our hooks. Our forlorn situation -can better be imagined than described. -Cold, wet, hungry, weak from exposure, heartsick -with disappointments, and, worse than all, -pursued as criminals by those who should have -befriended us, we were almost ready to despair, -and lie down to die in the midst of the dismal -swamp. I felt that indeed strange changes had -occurred in my life; for, only a few months -before, I was a free man, surrounded by the kindest -of friends, happy in my cottage home, or in -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> -my pastoral walks among the people whom I -loved. But now I was compelled to flee for -life, half clad and half starved, to the heart of -a watery wilderness! From our covert of -shade we watched the sun go down, and felt the -quiet night coming on. Oh! dreary evening! -sunless, hopeless, comfortless, and dark! thy -memory haunts me still! But we lost not our -confidence in God. We knelt in the black -water, and prayed. And down through the -still night—down through the deep darkness—down -through the dense cane-brake—down to -our prostrate souls afar in the solitude, came the -Blessed Comforter, and we took courage. We -thought of the old Jews, compelled to wander -about in sheep-skins and goat-skins. We -trusted in Elijah’s and Elisha’s God, and remembered -that Daniel had dwelt safely in the -den of lions. We were so completely thrown -upon God’s mercy, that our faith was stronger -than ever. We felt that God was nearer in -the shadows than in the sunshine—that in -bowing in the water of the swamp to pray, we -placed our lips nearer to the Infinite Ear -than if we worshipped in temples on the mountain.</p> - -<p>We spent the entire day, the 21st of June, -in this bog. When night came, we tried again -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> -to sleep, but were annoyed by a new enemy—a -legion strong—the pestiferous musquitoes. During -the night, our attention was attracted by a -sound like the driving of a stake. We arose -and cautiously reconnoitered in the direction -from which the noise proceeded. To our surprise, -we came upon a small corn-field, containing -about two acres, surrounded by a rude fence -of pine poles. We trembled at the thought of -being so near a human habitation; and after -pulling a few stalks of the young corn to eat, -we hastened into the thicket, and traveled on. -The roots of the corn, cleansed and salted, were -eaten with a relish. The sound which had -arrested our attention proved to be that produced -by an insect of the beetle species, and the -painful stillness and solitude of the place, served -to make it more impressive than it would otherwise -have been. The North Star was our only -guide; and shaping our course by its uncertain -light, we again resumed our journey. We had -not traveled far, however, until we became -completely bewildered in the cane-brake. The -sluggish water spread on every side, the thick -cane and underbush so mingled and commingled, -that it was impossible to move in any direction. -Again we concluded to tarry for the daylight; -and breaking a few cane-stalks, and laying them -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> -on the ground near a mossy log, for a bed, we -tried to sleep. We were frequently disturbed -in the night by prowling animals, but none of -them was so terrible to think of as our human -pursuers. Judging it best to guard against all -surprises from man or beast, we agreed to -sleep and stand sentinel alternately until morning. -Thus we relieved and rested each other -that memorable night.</p> - -<p>It was a welcome day-dawn to us. For two -hours I had stood guard over Collins, watching -the stars mirrored on the smooth waters about -our feet, and it was a glorious sunrise to us that -chased the shadows and images away, and -flooded our gloomy retreat with the light of -morning. Again we started onward, taking -the sun for our guide. The water grew gradually -more and more shallow, and the brushwood -thicker. Berries became scarcer, and our -sufferings from hunger increased with every -step. We were that day wandering weary, foot-sore, -and heart-heavy, where in all probability, -human foot had never trod before:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“In the dark fens of the dismal swamp,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">The hunted Yankees lay;</div> -<div class="verse">We saw the fire of the midnight camp,</div> -<div class="verse">And heard at times the horses’ tramp</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And the bloodhounds’ distant bay.</div> -</div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> -<div class="verse">“Where hardly a human foot would pass,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Or a human heart would dare,</div> -<div class="verse">On the quickening turf of the green morass,</div> -<div class="verse">We crouched in the thick and tangled grass,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Like wild beasts in their lair.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>On we pressed, amid the wild voices of the -dark cane forest. Our progress was slow. By-and-by, -as we came upon a mossy log, we tarried -and tried to rest our aching heads. We soon -fell asleep, being overcome by fatigue. I -dreamed of my loved ones at home—of watchful -eyes and praying voices in our behalf. I -saw the old familiar hill-slope before my cottage -door, the orchard, the fields, and, better -than all, the friends of other days, and myself -among them—all happy at the old homestead -in free Ohio. Some hovering angel must have -come and held the picture before my eyes, for I -was in raptures of delight! Suddenly I was -aroused from my slumbers by the tread of some -animal, I knew not what. As I stirred, it -hastened into the dark foliage and was gone. I -awakened my comrade and told him it was -morning. He was surprised to think he had -slept so long, and both of us were greatly refreshed. -Again we prayed and pressed onward -for home and friends, and for a sight of the -Stars and Stripes. We had decided on keeping -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> -steadily on in a south-easterly course until we -reached some point on the sea-coast then in -our possession. The sun beamed hotly over -our heads. We traveled as fast as possible all -day, hoping that we might find some negro—none -else in that region were human beings—and -through the aid of slaves get something to -eat, for we were actually starving. We captured -a frog that day, and divided the precious -morsel between us, with thanksgiving. At -night we lay down, but hunger and faintness -prohibited repose. We longed for morning. -We gazed upward to the twinkling stars, praying -them to speed faster through the firmament, -and let the sun arise. At length the blushing -morn appeared. I hailed it as the dawn of an -eventful day, for now we must seek and obtain -food, or perish in the swamp. The idea of falling -into the hands of our enemies chilled our -very souls. We thought to die alone, and “let -the dead bury the dead” in the wilderness, -rather than suffer ourselves to be recaptured -and tortured to death by inches, to gratify the -jeering, jabbering multitudes. But the day -was come when something more must be ventured -for life’s sake. At last dawn came, and -again we fell upon our knees and asked for -wisdom and direction in the hour of need. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> -Rising comforted and strengthened, we changed -our course, and pressed forward, expecting to -emerge from the cane-brake and find a plantation -where there were slaves. The undergrowth -was so dense that we could with difficulty make -about one mile per hour. The day was fast -passing away, and so was our strength. At -about three o’clock in the afternoon, we sat -down, almost in despair, and held a council, -when we decided that nothing but the hand of -the Lord could deliver us. Again we bowed -ourselves before Him, and rose refreshed both -in mind and body. Our steps were elastic—our -hearts gladdened, and we hurried onward, under -the conscious protection of God.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, I heard the barking of a dog not -far distant. We paused and listened. It was -not a bloodhound. Collins, being a little deaf -from the effects of terrific artillery-firing at -Shiloh, did not, at first, catch the sound. Now -we knew that help was near. We quickened -our pace, and in a few minutes heard the voices -of some negro men. A few steps farther, and -we came in sight of a cotton-field, which we -approached by walking in the water of a small -brook that flowed in that direction. With -great caution, we neared the field, in which there -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> -were twenty-five negroes at work ploughing cotton. -Most of the men looked old and toil-worn. -While we were reconnoitering our ground, I -observed an old, gray-haired man nearing the -fence with his furrow, and when he paused a -moment to scrape his plough, before returning -across the field, I rapped on a rail, which instantly -drew his attention. When I caught his -eye, I beheld an intellect and a sympathy languaged -there which gave me hope. I approached -the old man with trembling step and -faltering voice, I know, for there was danger of -communicating with some excitable and treacherous -slave—although such are rare cases—yet -I ventured to speak to my wondering auditor. I -approached that cotton-field, half famished as I -was, with many of my Virginia prejudices -against the negroes, for I had been taught to -regard them as unreliable and stupid. But I -felt that death was in the swamp, and life <i>might</i> -be in the cotton-field.</p> - -<p>“Well, uncle,” said I, “I am traveling -through your country, and I am very ragged, as -you see. I don’t wish to call on white folks in -this condition, and I am very hungry. Could -you get me something to eat?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, massa! God bless you! all you -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> -want; but go back! go back!” he continued, -waving his hand, as if to hurry me back to our -hiding-place; “go back, massa! they’s after you -wid de houns and de horses! Do you see dat -ole cabin up dar, in dat field? To-night, just -at ’leven o’clock, come to dat cabin, massa, and -I’ll gin you all de supper you want. Now, go -back! go back, massa!”</p> - -<p>“Uncle, you won’t bring anybody with you, -will you?”</p> - -<p>“Why, God bless you, massa. <i>I knows -you! I knows you!</i>”</p> - -<p>“Now, uncle, what do you know about me?”</p> - -<p>“Why, you’s one of dem Yankees dat -broke away from Macon prison, massa. <i>I -knows you!</i> God bless you!”</p> - -<p>“Well, uncle, don’t tell that to anybody, will -you?”</p> - -<p>“Tinks <i>I</i> tell anybody, massa, when all I’s -got in dis worl’ depends on ye? No, no, massa! -But go back! go back, till ’leven o’clock! mine, -now, massa!” and he started after his plough, -for by this time the other hands were approaching. -I went back, and reported the prospects -to my comrade. We concealed ourselves -in the thick brush to await the appointed hour. -Just at dusk, the slaves unhitched their mules, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -finished up their rows, and started for their -cabins, singing:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses,</div> -<div class="verse">We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses,</div> -<div class="verse">We’ll soon be done wagging with the crosses,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And wing, and wing, and wing with the angels,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And den wing with the angels,</div> -<div class="verse">In the New Jerusalem!”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>It was weird, eccentric music, but really the -most thrilling I had ever heard, as it rose -through the still evening air in rich, mellow -accord from the voices of the whole company -of slaves returning to their humble homes for -supper and rest. I thought, how little the -people in the North knew about these <i>crosses</i>! -and I silently but fervently prayed for the day -to hasten when all these weary ones might find -the liberty for which they sang and suffered.</p> - -<p>The hours passed slowly away, but at length -the appointed hour of eleven o’clock drew nigh. -We left our retreat, and advanced with the -utmost caution, until we came within thirty -yards of the cabin, when we lay down in a -brier-path to watch for whatever movements -might occur. For a few minutes we were kept -in suspense, not feeling fully satisfied whether -friend or foe might advance to meet us. Soon, -however, the faithful old negro came to the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> -designated trysting-place. He was evidently -alone. He walked round and round the cabin, -looking and waiting for us, and on seeing us -not, seemed greatly disappointed. When we -had assured ourselves that no one was with -him, and that he was true, we arose from our -concealment, and walked to the cabin. He was -rejoiced to see our confidence in him, and was -as thankful to give, as we were to receive, the -rich repast he had prepared for us. Our supper -consisted of corn-bread, smoked bacon, and -boiled cauliflowers. He also brought us a -bottle of sweetened water. What a feast! -Never did I partake of food with such a relish. -We received it as directly from the hand of -Him who “heareth the young ravens when -they cry.” Being assured by our old friend that -we were perfectly safe, we tarried after supper -several hours, conversing on the state of our -country, and receiving advice as to the manner -of proceeding on our journey. As the venerable -man talked to us, telling as how to escape -to our homes and friends, sharing his sympathies -and his means with as poor destitute -wanderers, my old prejudices of caste were -entirely obliterated. Beneath that dark brow -was the mind of a man, and within that slave’s -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> -bosom beat a brother’s heart. I could have -embraced him as my father.</p> - -<p>“Now, massa,” said he, as we were about to -separate until all true friends shall meet in -heaven, “now do jis as I tells you, and you’ll -git away. You keep dis pine-ridge straight -on through massa’s plantation for five mile. -Dis ridge goes clean to de coast. It’s ’bout -three hundred mile to de coast by de Ocmulgee -riber. The Ocmulgee flows into de Altamaha, -and Darien is at de mouth of de Altamaha, -and you’ll find lots of de Yankees dar.”</p> - -<p>The old man understood the times. His -knowledge of the war, with all its recent and -important movements, was thorough and accurate, -although he was careful and somewhat -reticent, even in his communications to us. In -order to test his professed knowledge of us, -and to ascertain all we could relative to our -pursuers, we plied him with various questions.</p> - -<p>“Well, uncle,” said we, “I suppose you know -we are running from the conscript?”</p> - -<p>“No, sah, I knows you is the Yankees what -broke out o’ jail at Macon, dat’s what I knows.”</p> - -<p>“You’re right, uncle. Now what do you -know about this war?”</p> - -<p>“I doesn’t know much about it, sah; only I -knows dat dey say, if de Yankees whips, de -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> -darkies all be free, but if dese har rebels whips, -den we be slaves.”</p> - -<p>“Which do you prefer should gain the day?”</p> - -<p>“Why, God bless you, massa! does you tink -I’s a fool? Course, I wants you to whip.”</p> - -<p>“You say they are hunting us; how many -have they after us?”</p> - -<p>“I doesn’t know jis zacly; but I knows dat -tree men come to massa day ’fore yesterday for -to git a bloodhound to hunt Yankees with -what runned away from Macon prison.”</p> - -<p>I confess that the thought of being pursued -by bloodhounds was horrifying in the extreme; -and notwithstanding we had already seen two -large packs at different times upon our track, -the possible death by these fierce monsters in -this wilderness made my blood run cold.</p> - -<p>Our further conversation gave us a full and -satisfactory knowledge of our route, and was -delineated by our sable friend, as we had afterward -reason to know, with perfect geographical -accuracy. We asked him that in case we -should be pursued by the bloodhounds, what -means we should employ to bewilder them. -This was no new subject to him. He, in common -with his fellow-bondmen, had seen too -many instances in which these brutes had been -employed in capturing fugitives, not to know -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> -their nature, as well as the plans adopted to -elude them. He told us when the dogs followed -us in the cane-brake, in order to prevent them -from keeping the trail, we should travel as -much as possible in the water; but if we -should be closely pursued, to leave the cane-brake, -and take to the Ocmulgee river. He -assured us that the dogs were fearful of the -alligators with which that river abounded, and -that the slaves were taught that alligators would -destroy only negroes and dogs. He didn’t -believe it himself, although his master thought -he did. He added:</p> - -<p>“If dem houns gits close on to you, why you -jis git a long pole, and hop about twenty feet, -if you kin. You do dis four or five times, and -whenever you light, why jis put some pepper in -de holes what your heels make, and when de -houns come, dey lose dar scent, and den dey -goes a snufflin and a snufflin roun’, and bymeby -dey snuffles up dat ’ar pepper into dar nostrils, -and den dey’ll go chee! chee! chee! and dat’ll -be de last dem dogs can do dat day.”</p> - -<p>This piece of information, and the manner in -which it was conveyed, accompanied as it was -by violent gyrations of the body, and an exact -imitation of dog-sneezing, was very amusing; -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> -and though surrounded by forbidding circumstances, -we indulged in an audible smile.</p> - -<p>From this man we first learned of a complete -organization among the negroes, for the purpose -of aiding fugitives in making their escape. It -was similar to an institution which I had often -heard of as existing in the Northern States, -under the name of “Underground Railroad.” -The officers of this Southern Underground -Railroad, on which we were glad to take passage, -were the slaves of the different plantations, -who were thoroughly acquainted with their -duties, and were very suspicious lest they should -be imposed upon. When we inquired how -these men should know us, he told us that he -would arrange that matter, so that we need -have no fears, but to submit ourselves to their -guidance, and all would be well.</p> - -<p>We traveled that night through the plantation -belonging to the master of this black man. -We reached the woods just a little before the -dawn of day, and here we lay down until a -faint light streamed in from “the windows of -morning,” when we resumed our journey. All -was lone and silent. The wood through which -we went, with its alluring depths—the verdant -moss beneath our eager feet—each blossom-laden, -fragrant bough—and the bearded grasses -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> -that shook in the wind,—all gave me their secret -sigh. All the sweet land around—the distant -hill—the distant shore, said, “Redeem me -from my chains!”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Pursued by Horses, Hounds, and Men—Another Night in -the Cane-brake—An Alligator—A Pleasant Discovery—The -Pass-word—Slaves at Work—A Negro Supper—Important -Information—A Panther—A Chase to avoid a -Chase—Bloodhounds Again—Fourth-of-July Dinner—Dismal -Night in the Ruins of a Meeting-house.</p> - - -<p class="noindent">While thus making our way through the forest, -we fancied we heard the sound of pursuers, -and were once more obliged to take refuge in -the dismal, but now welcome cane-brake. Just -where we entered the swamp, the water was -very shallow, and, consequently, afforded us -but poor protection from the bloodhounds, -whose peculiar cries we expected to hear every -moment. We therefore made our way with -as much haste as possible far into our miry -retreat, where the depth of mud and water -secured us from the scenting of the fearful animals -and their bloodthirsty masters.</p> - -<p>Presently we came upon a stream of water, -which, diverging from the river at a point above, -made a circuit, and fell into the river again at a -point below us, thus converting the area it embraced -into an island. The water looked deep, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> -and we did not relish a soaking, after having -our clothes dried during our stay in the woods. -But once on the island, our safety was insured -for there was no ferry-boat, nor even a skiff, in -that silent, murky swamp, by which our would-be -captors might cross over. Besides, we had -seen too many hardships to be frightened by -trifles, and we therefore plunged boldly in, my -brave comrade taking the advance, and soon -reached the island.</p> - -<p>That night, June 24th, we made ourselves a -bed on the banks of the Ocmulgee, by cutting -down the canes which grew around us in luxuriance. -We also kindled a fire, after screening -the spot so effectually as to prevent its light -reaching the eyes of any foe; and by its cheering -flames we partially dried our wet and ragged -clothing. Casting ourselves upon our rude -couch, we watched the beautiful stars in the distant -realm on high, and listened to the murmurs -of the crystal stream that was protecting -us from pursuit, until at last we fell into a deep -slumber. Just before closing our eyes, we heard, -at some little distance below us, a noise resembling -that which might be made by a huge log, -one end of which was caught upon a sand-bank, -and the other playing loosely in the stream. -But we were too sleepy to suppose that there -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> -was any danger indicated by the odd sound, and -we paid no attention to it.</p> - -<p>Protected by that God who watched Hagar in -the wilderness, we slept peacefully until day-dawn, -when we were suddenly aroused by the -most terrific noise I had ever heard. It resembled -the sound of a heavy steam-whistle, though -not quite so loud nor shrill. Remembering at -the moment a description by the Rev. Joshua -Boucher, who had traveled in Georgia, of the -bellowing of an alligator, I at once concluded -that this must be one. Stepping from my tent, -or rather cane-hut, I had ocular demonstration -of the fact, for there, only a short distance from -me, lay the hideous reptile in all his ugliness. -Thinking it about time that one or the other of -us should change quarters, I threw a chunk -at him. He took the hint, and crawled away -into the water, only, however, to return in about -ten minutes to his old post, where, opening his -fearful jaws, and keeping them so until they -were covered with flies, he snapped them together -with a report that chilled our blood. -This was Wednesday morning, June 25, and we -intended to remain all day in the swamp, for the -river was lined with boys and negroes. During -the afternoon, we espied a skiff on the opposite -side, and laid several plans to obtain possession -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> -of it, but they were all frustrated. This proved -to be a blessing, however, for, while making our -last attempt, we were seen by an old negro, who -seemed to recognize us immediately. From this -lowly slave we learned that the river was -guarded for miles, to prevent our escape. Our -pursuers were on the watch for us all the way -to Hockinsville. This newly-found friend -pointed out to us our only path of escape, and -appointed a spot where he would meet us at -midnight, and bring us some food. We blessed -the negro, and, following his directions, reached -the place of refuge, where we anxiously awaited -his second appearance. But the hour passed on, -and so did several more, but he came not. He -had, doubtless, been seized by the patrollers.</p> - -<p>The sun of the 26th found us still pressing -forward. We had gotten thus far, like the old -apostles, with “neither scrip nor staves,” but -we felt that God was with us, and his servants, -the poor, downtrodden slaves, helped us on. -Whenever we met one of the latter, who replied -to our question, “Can’t dis yer day,” he -was a friend, but unable to assist us on account -of the patrollers. If one answered, “I know -you,” he was posted, and all was well.</p> - -<p>We passed the night in the pine-woods, I -remaining awake, and guarding my friend, Collins, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> -who was completely worn out. During -the next day, we made a good distance, in spite -of numerous difficulties. By the 28th, our -rebel clothing was well nigh worn off us, and -our hunger began to increase terribly. In the -evening, we came upon some slaves in a field, -among whom were several females, about -eighteen or twenty years of age. The latter -were almost naked, having nothing on them save -a very short skirt, fastened round the waist, and -held in its place by straps, which passed over -the shoulders. All the upper portion of the -body, and about three-fourths of the nether -limbs, were thereby exposed. None of their -complexions were black, while one or two of -them were nearly white. We agreed with -these slaves to hide ourselves in a neighboring -lane until night, when they promised to bring -us food. Shortly after, one of them brought -us the unwelcome intelligence that we were in -danger, and warned us to again take to the -swamp, which was some half a mile away. -This we did, and after wandering some time -along the edge thereof, sat down at last beside -a clear crystal spring, in which were sporting -numbers of beautiful fish. We could hear the -negroes singing in the field—which exercise -was a signal we understood to mean that we -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> -should lie still until it ceased, when we might -safety venture out to the lane—until about -nine o’clock, when all became quiet. By midnight -we returned to our designated hiding-place, -where we were soon joined by a black -man and one of the girls, a beautiful, modest -creature we had seen in the corn-field. They -brought us fat meat, corn-bread, greens, and -“bonny-clabber,” which was a welcome sight -to us. During the conversation we held with -these negroes, we learned that their master had -gone to the war, leaving them in the charge of -an overseer. We ascertained, also, that “the -Yankees” had possession of Darien, on the -coast, and that, in consequence, the slaves had -been removed into the interior of Georgia. -Close by there were three hundred rice-farm -hands encamped, who were in a starving condition, -having been driven to the interior of -the State by their masters, in order to prevent -confiscation, and being unable to make a living -for themselves. Our humble friends informed -us that if we continued straight on we would -reach Darien in two days, provided we exercised -due caution to avoid the patrollers, who, -since our escape from Macon, had been searching -for us vigilantly. The night was well nigh -all spent in conversation with these slaves, and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> -we had not got much further on our way, when -the dawn broke upon us, compelling us to leave -the road and take to the pines. We were subsequently -obliged to leave even these, and -plunge once more into the more friendly -swamps.</p> - -<p>After our slender stock of provisions was -exhausted, we became exceedingly hungry, and -the day passed away without our obtaining -even so much as a frog or fish. We slumbered -all the night, which was chilly and damp, in -the cane-brake. A fire which we had kindled, -we were obliged to extinguish, for fear that its -light might point out our refuge to some -enemy. During the stilly hours that followed, -we were once disturbed by a strange noise, -which, I subsequently ascertained, in a conversation -with Rev. Dr. Kost, must have been -made by a panther.</p> - -<p>The next day, being terribly fatigued and -hungry, we resolved to make an attempt at -replenishing our commissary department. The -sun came up bright and very hot, and our -journey through the swamp-palms was indeed -a toilsome one; but these self-same palms secured -us against our pursuers, and we therefore -did not complain.</p> - -<p>An effort that we made shortly after to leave -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> -the marsh, discovered to us our pursuers, and -we were once more forced back to our muddy -asylum, where we concealed ourselves beneath -a muscadine vine until twelve o’clock. While -so concealed, a strange noise fell upon our ears, -and presently we saw a black man coming directly -toward us, blowing a horn to call swine. -When he was about thirty feet from us, we -called to him, with the expectation of learning -from him at what points on the river the guards -were stationed, and also of obtaining from him -something to eat.</p> - -<p>Upon being first hailed, he exclaimed, “Don’t -know you, sah!” and when, stepping from my -concealment, I called to him a second time, he -seemed terrified. The next instant he fled -madly away from us, we pursuing him desperately, -in order to secure him, and thus save ourselves -from new pursuers. But, notwithstanding -the fact that he carried a bushel basket half -filled with corn upon his back, he distanced us. -Once he stumbled in a swail, and sent the corn -and mud all over himself, but he quickly regained -his feet, and was soon after lost to our -view.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="beheld"> -<img src="images/image02.jpg" width="700" height="426" - alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -“We beheld the glistening eyes of the hounds, saw their -long tongues lolling from between their powerful jaws, and saw their -large, terrible teeth shining like pearls.”—Page 139. -</div> -</div> - -<p>We were now indeed in peril; and very -shortly afterward, the wild bay of the bloodhounds -rang upon our ears through the murky -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> -air of the morass. Nearer, clearer, deadlier -came the dreadful sounds, and we crouched in -our retreat, expecting every moment to see the -ferocious animals bounding upon us. But, -thank God for his watchful mercy, the brutes, -misguided by a stratagem which the negroes -had taught us how to execute, were deceived, -and we had the infinite delight of seeing them -dash into the stream, swim to the other side, -and then, renewing their fierce cries, bound -away, closely followed by fifteen human bloodhounds -mounted on fleet horses. The peril -was not past yet, however, for, finding themselves -thrown from the scent, the well-trained -brutes soon came back to the stream, recrossed -to the side we were on, and coming to our old -track, lay down, snuffing and panting, not a -hundred yards from us. Think of that, reader! -Peeping through the canes we beheld the glistening -eyes of the hounds, saw their long -tongues lolling from between their powerful -jaws, and saw their large, terrible teeth shining -like pearls.</p> - -<p>Their savage masters stood on the bank of -the swail cursing us, and threatening what they -would do if they retook us. Once more the -God of our fathers stretched forth His arm and -delivered us, for, hearing them post their men -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> -we struck away from them in a northern direction, -and shortly had the satisfaction of leaving -them some fifteen miles in the rear.</p> - -<p>Onward, onward we pushed, until so overcome -with fatigue that we were fain to stretch -ourselves upon the sand and sleep. This was -July 3d. The succeeding day—the Fourth—broke -upon us bright and beautifully, and we -sped forward with all the power of our limbs. -We came at last to a very scanty corn-field, -which, as we learned from the slaves who -attended to it, yielded only about two and a -half bushels to the acre. Cotton was the staple -in that region, and with it were bought all the -necessaries of life. Poor as was the corn, however, -we carefully confiscated some roasting-ears, -on which, with half of a frog, we made -our Fourth-of-July dinner, thanking our Divine -Preserver for the gift. The remaining half of -the frog was carefully reserved, with some corn, -for a future meal.</p> - -<p>The morrow was cloudy and cool. We were -now drawing near to the coast, for, as we went -along, we espied a turtle belonging to a species -that lived only in salt water. His shell was extremely -beautiful, and would, doubtless, have -been very valuable had we thought about dollars -and cents; but some berries, which we -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> -found, were of far greater worth to us at that -time.</p> - -<p>Night found us still wandering in the land of -rattlesnakes, scorpions, and traitors. Next day, -while hunting a sweet-potato patch for a stray -root or two, we saw a negro man, to whom we -did not, however, get a chance to speak. Fearing -that he might not, perhaps, be friendly, we -once more betook ourselves to the pines, where, -although we did not know it at the time, we -were hotly pursued. Soon afterwards, the rain -fell in torrents, while the thunder rolled in -heavy peals, and the lightning played sharply -about us. When evening came, we were -soaking wet, and chilled through; and coming -to an old dilapidated building, that was overgrown -with Spanish moss, and seemed as though -it had been uninhabited for many a year, we -hurried into it. By the aid of the lightning, we -found that it was nearly filled with half-wild -goats, which, on our arrival, hastily evacuated -the premises, leaving us in free and undisputed -possession. The structure was nothing more -than an old church, with some rude benches in -one end, and a ruined chancel at the other. I -here found some leaves of a Bible, upon which -I pillowed my head for the night, and slept the -more sweetly that I did so. Adjoining this -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> -church was a graveyard, containing some rough -tombstones, beneath which slept the dead ones -of many years, all unconscious of the events -passing above their heads.</p> - -<p>The following day we left our retreat, and -continued our flight in the midst of a terrible -storm. About three o’clock, we discovered a -sweet-potato patch, but it had been completely -stripped of every root. That night, unable, on -account of having got our matches wet, to kindle -a fire, we slept in a corn-field, pulling the dried -stalks over us to partially shelter us from the -descending rain. The next day, we resumed -our flight, or rather our wading, for every rivulet -was swollen to a good-sized creek. In endeavoring -to cross a turbid stream upon the -“giddy footing” of a loose log, we were precipitated -into twelve feet of water, and were -obliged to swim to the other shore, grateful -that we escaped with nothing worse than a -ducking.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Nearing the Coast—Dangerous -Predicament—Suspicious Company—A Fugitive -Conscript—Clay-eating Officials—The -Squire—Arrested—Mess No. 44, <i>alias</i> Mr. -Meeser—Acquitted—Placed under Guard—In Chains -Again—A Forced March—Before the Court—A Union Speech -in Dixie—Better Fare—Southern Superstition—A Slave at -Prayer.</p> - -<p class="noindent">We were now within thirty-five miles of the -coast, and here the river took a direct turn eastward, -by which we knew that we were on the -direct road to Darien. Two miles further on, -we suddenly came upon some houses. Men and -women were passing almost within hailing distance; -but caution forbade us revealing ourselves, -and so we attempted to regain the -swampy thicket. On our way thither, we passed -a field in which were a number of geese; and -so strong was the temptation to ascertain -whether goose was as palatable as frog, that we -halted, and concealing ourselves, wearily awaited -the fall of night, intending to make a foray by -starlight. But by four o’clock a heavy thunderstorm -came up; and dreading to be again wet, -we made our way to an old waste-house near by -where, shortly, much to our surprise, in came -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -two men, one rather old, and the other young. -They inquired where we were from. Collins, -whose fictitious name was Compton, told them -that we lived in Pulaski county, Georgia; that -we had been driven by the Yankees from Darien, -and were now on our way home. We -were in a hurry to get there before the conscripts -left for the seat of war, in order that we -might go with our own boys.</p> - -<p>This they thought was all true; and when the -rain ceased, we kept up the deception by walking -along the road with them. They soon after -struck off into a by-road, and when we had gone -a little further on, and thought ourselves safe, -we turned our footsteps back towards Darien. -Just as we turned, we were hailed by a man all -clothed in rags, whose appearance indicated that -he might have been hiding in the swamp for -months. He quickly joined us, and entered -into conversation. He opposed the war violently; -and judging from this that he was merely -acting a part, I determined to be “secesh.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t understand,” said he, “this tarnal -war!”</p> - -<p>“Why! you’re not a Yankee, are you?” I -asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” he replied; “but I don’t understand -it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why,” resumed I, “don’t you know that -the Yankees are coming down here to free -our negroes?”</p> - -<p>“Darn the tarnal niggers!” was the rejoinder; -“I ain’t got any.”</p> - -<p>“But they will confiscate our land.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I haven’t got no land, so they can’t -hurt me. Another thing, they say they’re -fighting for the old flag we all loved.”</p> - -<p>Rallying myself, I answered:</p> - -<p>“They’re all abolitionists; and if you and I -don’t fight, these negroes will be freed among -us.”</p> - -<p>“Well, now, gentlemen,” said our new companion, -“if you’ll hear me a minute, without -getting mad, I’ll tell you all about my case. I’m -a conscript, and I’ve got to go soldiering for -eleven dollars a month. If I’d get a jean like -that of yours”—pointing to an old cotton coat -that I wore—“I’d have to pay eleven dollars a -yard for it. These shoes I’ve got on cost ten -dollars; corn-meal is two dollars and fifty cents -per bushel, and salt one dollar per pound. Now, -how in the d——l can a man soldier under -them circumstances?”</p> - -<p>I felt myself completely beaten; but still -fearing a catch somewhere, I resolved to try the -fellow again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why, you’re a regular-built Yankee!” I -exclaimed, “and ought to be taken up, and if I -had my way, you would be.”</p> - -<p>At this he changed the subject, and we told -him the Pulaski county story. He then invited -us to his house to get something to eat, to -which, of course, we had to consent. While -there enjoying our meal, which consisted of corn-bread -and sour milk, and watching him closely -all the time, in marched fifteen conscripts. -They immediately seized the master of the -house, and put him under a heavy guard. -Here was a new dilemma, and I winked at my -comrade to answer all questions, as I was fearful -that if both of us undertook the task, some -fatal mistake might occur. He did so, and -succeeded remarkably well, for he was shrewd -and quick at perception. I stood carelessly by -the fire, drying the only stocking I had, and -playing the idiot to what I thought perfection. -The intruders were dressed savagely, their -heads being covered with rudely-made caps of -coon-skin, the tail of the animal hanging down -their backs. Several of them were eating the -clay which has so often been noticed by travellers -in the South.</p> - -<p>These miserable creatures despatched one of -their number on a jenny, who shortly after -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> -returned, bringing with him the “squire,” a -long, lanky, knock-kneed man, with hollow -eyes and lantern jaws. He had a law-book -tucked under his arm, to give weight, I suppose, -to his appearance. This dignitary (?) stepped -to me, and began questioning me with much -official haughtiness, in fact so offensively, that -I became enraged at last, and throwing off my -assumed character of an idiot, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Who <i>are you</i>?”</p> - -<p>“I’m the <i>squiah</i>, sir, the <i>squiah</i>!” he replied, -in his half negro dialect, and in exceedingly -pompous tones.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said I, “the people who made a -squire of you must have been very short of -material. But, sir squire, what is your business -here?”</p> - -<p>“To hold a trial over <i>you</i>; that thar’s my -bis’nis here.”</p> - -<p>I looked the ignoramus sternly in the face, -as I rejoined:</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, if you undertake to ‘<i>hold a trial</i>’ -over Pulaski county citizens, we’ll make you -smoke for it.”</p> - -<p>My determined manner nonplussed him considerably, -and turning to a companion, who -seemed to be a conscripting officer, he said:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I don’t want nuthin’ to do with these yer -tarnal fellers, fur they know ’emselves, I golly!”</p> - -<p>The conscripting officer, however, was not so -easily turned aside, for failing to induce the -“<i>squire</i> to hold a trial on us,” he sent a message -to the deputy sheriff, and that high functionary -came promptly to the rescue of the “Confederacy,” -and arrested us. The squire having thus -shifted this responsibility, regained his courage, -and said to us, fiercely:</p> - -<p>“Now, then, you’re arrested, and you’ve got -ter tell us who you are, and whar from.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! we’re prisoners now, and you may find -out all you want to know if you can,” was our -reply.</p> - -<p>We were forthwith searched, the result of -which was the finding of a slip of paper in one -of my pockets with “<i>Mess No. 44</i>” written on -it. Not one of our captors could read; and -when I asked for a written copy of the charges -against us, they were completely dumbfounded. -The “squire,” with a kind of glorification in -his tones, said:</p> - -<p>“A bill, you tarnal fool! I can’t write, I -golly!”</p> - -<p>My comrade was asked if he could read and -write, and on his saying yes, the card was -handed to him to decipher. The crowd clustered -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> -around, and when he assisted them in -spelling out the word upon it, one cute fellow -exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Meeser! Meeser! that’s it!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s it,” bawled another, who had -thrown himself on a bed; “Mr. Meeser, I golly! -John Meeser, what lives up in Pulaski county, -and keeps a grocery, and sells good whiskey, I -golly.”</p> - -<p>Here was our salvation; and starting forward, -I harangued my wondering auditors with all -the eloquence at my command, appealing, and -threatening, and reasoning by turns. The -result was that we were acquitted, the “squire” -himself announcing it in the following laconic -style:</p> - -<p>“You’re clar, I golly!”</p> - -<p>The night setting in with a heavy storm of -rain, again we were all compelled to remain in -the house together. We, ourselves, pretended -to sleep, and heard the rebels several times remark:</p> - -<p>“How sound these men sleep! None but innocent -men could sleep that way.”</p> - -<p>Shortly after midnight, we made an attempt -to escape, but, opening the wrong door, we -found ourselves in another room, which was -tenanted by some of the conscripts. In an -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> -instant all were awake, and we were once more -seized. Several of them accused us of being -devilish Yankees, and urged hanging as the -best course to pursue. Others of them still believed -us to be what we had represented ourselves. -This division of opinion resulted in -the deputy sheriff ordering us to be taken from -the house under a guard of six men with loaded -muskets. He followed us out, telling us as we -walked along, that we must go into close confinement. -We could not realize what he meant, -but we soon learned, for within ten minutes we -were chained together with a huge chain. One -end was twined round my neck, and secured -with a large padlock, while the other end was -placed in like manner about Collins’ neck.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="chain"> -<img src="images/image03.jpg" width="451" height="700" - alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -“One end of the chain was twined round my neck, and -secured with a large padlock, while the other end was placed in like -manner about Collin’s neck.”—Page 150. -</div> -</div> - -<p>There, in the midst of ruthless foes, a thousand -miles away from home and its endearments, -we stood wet, ragged, and forlorn; chained, yes, -chained together, like felons, like oxen, like -wild beasts. Had it not been for the comforting -spirit of God, I am certain that I should have -sunk at this juncture with despair; for in fancy -I could see my wife and my little ones in their -peaceful cottage, fondly asking when the absent -loved one would return. “Ah!” thought I, -“when, indeed, shall I be joined to you once -more, darlings? Shall it be on this earth, or -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> -shall it be in that better land where man’s inhumanity -to man makes no one mourn?”</p> - -<p>In the morning, our merciless captors, forming -on either side of us, and also in our rear, -forced us to march forward. My wounded foot -and hand pained me very much, and it was with -the utmost difficulty that I could walk. The -disparity, also, in the height of my comrade and -myself—I being much taller than he—caused -me to give him a severe jerk at every step. So -fatigued and dispirited did we at last become, -that we threw ourselves down, and refused to -go any further. At this our captors threatened -to shoot us. We were not to be intimidated thus, -however, and the ruffians were at last obliged -to obtain a rickety old wagon, in which we were -carried some distance. After traveling forty-five -or fifty miles, we arrived at the town of -Jackson, Georgia, where the people had already -heard of our approach. On reaching the place, -we were allowed to seat ourselves on a Captain -Smith’s porch, until a court could be convened -for our trial. The jury was composed almost -entirely of old men, and while they were preparing -for their assumed duties, our guards -were off trying to hunt up some whiskey. But -the latter article was worth eight dollars a -pint, their efforts were not likely to meet with -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> -much success. This was fortunate for us, as, if -they should obtain enough of the vile compound -to intoxicate themselves, they would -most likely kill us on their return.</p> - -<p>The court soon being prepared to proceed, I -was the first arraigned. We had resolved to -tell the truth concerning ourselves, no matter -whether we should die for it or not, and so I -addressed the court as follows:</p> - -<p>“May it please the court, I was born in Rockbridge -county, Virginia, but early in life removed -with my father to Ohio, and settled in -Shelby county, where he raised his family of -six sons and three daughters. Of this family, -I am the youngest member, except one. Early -in life I commenced a public career, which I -followed until I heard of the bombardment of -Fort Sumpter—until I heard that a league of -men, banded together for the express purpose -of destroying the best government on God’s -earth,—had dragged our glorious old banner -down into the dust, and trampled it beneath -their feet, and finally fired it from a cannon’s -mouth, in order that no vestige of it might remain. -Then I remembered that my grandsire -had fought under that holy banner at Bunker -Hill; that he was present on the field, when -Molly Pitcher, stripping the uniform from the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> -stiffening limbs of her dying husband, assumed -his command, and drove the enemy back. I -also remembered that, in 1812, my father, -leaving at home all his loved ones, took the -field in defence of the Stars and Stripes. I -have heard my mother say—God bless her! she -is now in heaven—that her husband and six -brothers were in the army at the same time. -Now, gentlemen, do not think I will waive any -part of the facts in the case. The son of pious -parents, I was always taught to speak nothing -save the truth; but, on the day we were arrested -by these gentlemen, if I dare call them -such, I gave my first denial of the positive -truth. We both endeavored to deceive you. -And why? Because we knew that our lives -were not safe, if you should learn who we really -were.”</p> - -<p>(Here a voice said, “No, by golly, they’re -not safe, <i>now</i>!”)</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen, be that as it may,” continued I, -“I will speak my last words with courage, and -they shall be truthful words. When this war -broke out, I was engaged at my profession in -Cincinnati, Ohio; but I felt, and I avowed it at -Heaven’s altar, that I could be nothing else than -a United States soldier. I accordingly volunteered -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> -to join my loyal countrymen already in -the field.</p> - -<p>“On March 4th, we left Paducah, Kentucky, -and on the 13th, we landed on Pittsburg Hill. I -contended with all my heart and might against -Beauregard’s skirmishers for several days; but -I was finally overpowered by numbers, captured, -and taken to Corinth. From there I was taken -to Columbus, Mississippi, from there to Montgomery, -Alabama, and from thence to Macon, -Georgia. On the night of June 18th, in company -with my comrade, I broke from the -guard-house at the latter place, ran your guard-lines, -and escaped. Since then we have been -fed and assisted by your negroes, until now we -are in your power.</p> - -<p>“In conclusion, gentlemen, I would say, -shoot me, hang me, cut my throat, kill me in -any way you please. But, know you, that in -so doing, you kill a United States soldier, who -glories in these chains!” I shook my chains as -I finished.</p> - -<p>In an instant there was an uproar, some demanding -that our chains should be removed, -and others swearing that they should not. The -matter was settled by the sheriff, however, who, -on receiving our word that we would give him -no trouble, freed us from the disgusting bonds.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="uproar"> -<img src="images/image04.jpg" width="700" height="421" - alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -“In an instant there was an uproar, some demanding that -our chains should be removed, and others swearing that they should -not.”—Page 154. -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> - -<p>This change of our fortune was as sudden as -it was unexpected. We enjoyed supper with -Captain Smith, having finished which, we found -the deputy sheriff ready, with a team of splendid -horses, to convey us to his own residence, some -two miles from town. We were not long in -ascertaining that the sheriff was a Western -Virginia man, and that his sympathies were -with the United States government. He informed -us that Captain Smith was under bonds -for ten thousand dollars for his good behavior. -From the Captain we got the story of the men -who followed us in the sweet-potato patch on -the same day we came to the old church, of -which I have before spoken.</p> - -<p>In the course of their pursuit they had -stopped at the Captain’s door, and inquired of -him if two men, answering our descriptions, -had passed that way lately. Thinking at the -moment of the old church, and wishing to test -their bravery, he informed them that he believed -they would find us there. He took care to add, -however, that the building was haunted, and -that from out of the graves which surrounded -it, they would see men rising without heads. -One and another at this exclaimed against -going on an errand fraught with such danger -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> -from spirits, and we were thereby saved from -capture, at least at that time.</p> - -<p>After hinting to us the sentiments of Captain -Smith and himself, the sheriff invited us to his -house. It was constructed of rough pine logs, -but scrupulously clean and neat in all its arrangements. -We also saw his negroes’ quarters, -and they were nearly as good as his own house. -As we passed along on our way to inspect a -field of sugar-cane, we were amused to see the -slaves peeping at us from behind the corners of -their cabins.</p> - -<p>Our friend next furnished us with water, -soap, towels, and a razor, and going into the -sugar-house, we cleaned ourselves. This expression -may seem rather strong to delicate -ears, but it is the only term which even faintly -describes our task. We at once commenced -hostilities, scraping rebel mud, wood-ticks, and -body-guards from our skins. The contest -lasted for over two hours and a half, we proving -entirely victorious.</p> - -<p>When it was dark, we heard the same old -song that we had heard before, when the negroes -were coming from their work. As I sauntered -down a lane near by, words of prayer fell upon -my ears, and a little investigation discovered -to me a female slave down on her knees in her -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> -lowly hut, asking God to bless and preserve -her husband, who was to be parted from her -and sold to a new master. What Christian -meekness, resignation, and faith in God’s power, -did this poor creature manifest in her words of -petition! and the lines sprang into my mind:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Christian men have bought and sold me,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Paid my price in paltry gold;</div> -<div class="verse">But, though slave they have enrolled me,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Minds are never to be sold.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Her prayer comforted her, and rising from -her knees, she began to sing “the song of -David.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Christian Fellowship—Candid Conversation with a -Slaveholder— Clay-eaters—A True Unionist—Secret -Organizations in the South—Washington and Randolph on -Slavery—Aunt Katy—Religion and -Republicanism—Pro-slavery Inexcusable in the North—A -Distinguished Abolitionist.</p> - -<p class="noindent">As the words of inspiration came to my ears, I, too, -sank on my knees, and poured forth my soul at the mercy-seat. I must -have spoken rather loudly, for the next morning, this identical slave -woman, while dressing my wounded foot, asked me to what church I -belonged. On my telling her, she sprang away quickly, and ran and -informed her mistress that I was a minister of their church. The lady -immediately came to me, her face wreathed in sweet smiles, and inquired -if such was really the case. I told her it was, and had been so since my -seventeenth year.</p> - -<p>“Oh! sir,” she answered, “my husband is a -member of that church.”</p> - -<p>At this moment breakfast was announced, and -after the conclusion of the meal, I was requested -by both the sheriff and his wife, to lead in -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -prayer. The Lord put words into my mouth, -and we had, indeed, a happy time. My host -then invited me to take a walk with him, which -I did, though my foot gave me considerable -pain. We fell immediately to conversation, in -the course of which I got a full insight into the -real condition of affairs in the Southern Confederacy.</p> - -<p>To one of my questions, he answered:</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, the war is the cause of all our -misery. You see, for instance, this region of -country is adapted only to raising cotton, for -the land is too light for sugar-cane or rice. The -masses of the people in this particular county -are employed in cutting timber, which, being -floated down the Ocmulgee to Darien, is sold -there, and with the proceeds are obtained the -necessaries of life, flour, corn-meal, salt, &c.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” suggested I, “you rich men, at -least, will not suffer.”</p> - -<p>“There, sir, you are much mistaken. We -shall suffer heavily; for, though we have farms -and plantations, yet we have not hands to work -them. And another thing, perhaps, you are -not aware of, is, that we have thousands of poor -men who live here and there, in their pole-huts, -rearing large families on the little crops of cotton -and so forth, which they raise on some other -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> -man’s farm, upon which they have squatted. -In the fall they hunt, and thus supply their -families with meat and salt; the skins of the -animals they take to procure the latter article. -So they live, half human, half animal, letting -their progeny loose upon us. Of course, many -of them must starve now. If they could obtain -salt, however, they might live on gophers, -which abound in the pine-forests.”</p> - -<p>Presently, we came in sight of a wretched -hut, about which I saw some white children -playing. My companion led me thither, with -the remark:</p> - -<p>“I will show you, sir, a family belonging to -the class of which I speak.”</p> - -<p>Upon reaching the hut, my blood almost -chilled at the sight of squalid poverty which I -beheld. There stood a family of ten persons; -a father—who on account of his age had escaped -the conscription—a mother, and eight ragged, -filthy children. The ages of the latter, I should -judge, ranged from one year up to sixteen. The -peculiar color of their complexions struck me -very forcibly; it was the same as that of the -men composing the first court by which I had -been tried. My host gave us a reason for it, -that “they laid around so much in the dirt, and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> -<i>ate so much clay</i>.” I asked the man himself -why he and his family ate clay.</p> - -<p>“Cause it’s good, I golly!” was the prompt -reply.</p> - -<p>“Well, how are you getting along?”</p> - -<p>“Bad enough,” said he, “fur we hain’t had a -grain o’ salt in the house fur more’n four -months, only as the sheriff here gins it to us.”</p> - -<p>“What do you live on, then?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, on gophers and corn-meal, now-a-days. -But, I golly! our meal’s out, and I don’t know -what we’ll do next.”</p> - -<p>I got this miserable creature to make me a -pair of slippers from old boots, for which I paid -him one dollar and fifty cents, in order that he -might get some corn-meal, which sold at two -dollars and fifty cents per bushel. This money -was part of a sum that the sheriff had kindly -lent me. Before we took our departure, the -lady (?) of the hut gave us her opinion, in no -measured terms, of the rascally Yankees.</p> - -<p>“Ah, sir,” said the sheriff, when we were out -of hearing, “if I were to speak the real sentiments -of my mind, I should be hung before -twenty-four hours. I am a Union man, and -when you get back to Ohio, I want you to tell -all the friends in our Church that I am so. I -have twenty-seven negroes, and a thousand -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> -acres of land, and I would let the whole of it go, -could I only see the Union restored to what it -once was. But this I never expect to behold, -for while slavery exists, the Union cannot be -preserved. I am in reality an anti-slavery man, -and these are my reasons therefor: First, it is -a sin in the sight of God; secondly, it is an injury -to the slave himself; and thirdly, it is an -injury to the white race.”</p> - -<p>“How so?” asked I.</p> - -<p>“Because land worked by slave labor is not -worth half so much as when worked by free -labor. And, besides, if it were not for slavery, -society would be much improved, for the rich -and poor, as things are now, are very ignorant.”</p> - -<p>“How do the rich obtain their wealth?” -said I.</p> - -<p>“In this way. A man comes here, perhaps, -with one female slave, and, in a comparatively -short time, he has quite a number of young -servants about him. Some of these he sells, -and with the proceeds purchases a piece of -timber-land. This he has cleared, sells the -timber, gets more slaves and another piece of -land, and so goes on adding to his wealth continually. -He has no education himself, and, -three times out of four, gives his children none.”</p> - -<p>My host further informed me that he himself -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> -had three hundred acres of land in Illinois, and -that he had intended to send his son to that State -to be educated, but he supposed he would be unable -to do so now. He said he had no doubt -that this Illinois property would be confiscated. -“But,” added he, warmly, “I do not care if it -is, provided the Union is restored!”</p> - -<p>The sentiments expressed by this man astonished -me, and I could not forbear asking him -the reason why he opposed slavery so earnestly, -and yet held in bondage twenty-seven human -beings.</p> - -<p>“I never bought nor sold a slave in my life!” -said he. “You saw that old negress, Kate, this -morning; well, she belonged to my wife, as did -also her two sisters. These other slaves are all -their children. I would have freed them long -ago, but they refused to leave me; and I, on -the other hand, could not leave them to go -North, for I would have been obliged to give security -that they would not become a pest and -burden to the community, and that I was unable -to do. So, you see how the case stands. -But I am not alone in my sentiments, sir. -There are thirty-five of us within an area of ten -miles, who have organized themselves into a society, -and hold regular meeting every two -weeks, to oppose the conscription. This is -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> -confidential, for I know I can trust you.” He spoke -of the notice which had been taken by Northern -journals of the existence of such societies in -the South, and referred to the <i>disunion</i> associations -in the North. I informed him that the -latter, thank God, were few and far between, -and could do no harm to the cause.</p> - -<p>This gentleman’s statement concerning the -depreciation of Southern land, brought to my -mind the authority of the fathers of our Republic -on the subject. John Sinclair had -written to Washington concerning the difference -of the land in Pennsylvania from that of -Virginia and Maryland. Washington’s answer -was this:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Because there are in Pennsylvania laws for -the gradual <i>abolition of slavery</i>, which neither -Maryland nor Virginia has at present; but -there is nothing more certain than that they -must have, and at a period not remote.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The sheriff’s statement regarding the liberation -of his slaves, was the same as that of John -Randolph, Governor of Virginia. The latter -said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The deplorable error of our ancestors in -copying a civil institution from savage Africa, -has affixed to their posterity a depressing -burden, which nothing but the extraordinary -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -benefits conferred by our happy climate could -have enabled us to support. We have been far -outstripped by States to whom nature has been -far less bountiful. It is painful to consider -what might have been, under other circumstances, -the amount of general wealth in Virginia, -or the whole sum of comfortable -subsistence and happiness possessed by all her -inhabitants.”—<i>Addressed to the Legislature of -Virginia</i>, 1820.</p> -</div> - -<p>In the course of a conversation I had with -the old slave woman, Kate, I said:</p> - -<p>“Aunt Katy, if the slaves were to be freed, -it would not do you much good, for you are -old, and will soon pass into eternity.”</p> - -<p>“Thank de Lord, sah,” she replied, “I am -ready to go! But, oh! I wish I could only see -my children and grandchildren in hope of -freedom! And dar’s my husband. You see his -massa might sell him, and den I don’t think I -could live. Dar’s no danger of <i>my</i> massa -selling me, for he’s a good man, and he’s let me -and my children learn to read, and I learned -my husband.”</p> - -<p>“What is the law in Georgia on that point?” -I asked.</p> - -<p>“God bless you, sah! they’d penitentiary a -man for learning a slave to read.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> - -<p>This I had heard before, but never until now -did I give it credence. Aunt Katy told me she -was sorry we had not struck that town before -in our flight, as her son was an operator on the -Underground Railroad, and would have insured -our escape.</p> - -<p>Evening came, and once more did I lead in -prayer at family worship. I did so with more -assurance and faith than the evening before, for -I now thoroughly knew the sheriff’s sentiments. -Had I not known them, I must confess that my -faith in his religion would have been greatly -weakened. Do not tell me of republican or -mutual rights, or Christianity, when the soul is -full of tyranny.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Are you republicans? away!</div> -<div class="verse">’Tis blasphemy the word to say.</div> -<div class="verse">You talk of freedom? Out, for shame!</div> -<div class="verse">Your lips contaminate the name.</div> -<div class="verse">How dare <i>you</i> prate of public good,</div> -<div class="verse">Your hands besmeared with human blood?</div> -<div class="verse">How dare you lift those hands to Heaven,</div> -<div class="verse">And ask a hope to be forgiven?</div> -<div class="verse">How dare you breathe the wounded air</div> -<div class="verse">That wafts to Heaven the negro’s prayer?</div> -<div class="verse">How dare you tread the conscious earth</div> -<div class="verse">That gave mankind an equal birth?</div> -<div class="verse">And, while you thus inflict the rod,</div> -<div class="verse">How dare you say there is a God,</div> -<div class="verse">Who will in justice from the skies,</div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> -<div class="verse">Hear and avenge his creatures’ cries?</div> -<div class="verse">‘Slaves to be sold!’ hark, what a sound!</div> -<div class="verse">You give America a wound,</div> -<div class="verse">A scar, a stigma of disgrace,</div> -<div class="verse">Which you, nor time, can e’er efface;</div> -<div class="verse">And prove of nations yet unborn</div> -<div class="verse">The curse, the hatred, and the scorn.”</div> -</div></div> -<p class="poet">The Horrors of Slavery.</p> - -<p>There are a few weak-kneed politicians in the -North, who think to curry favor with the South -at this time, by exclaiming, that “we love -slavery, and that the negroes were made for -slaves.” Did they but know the opinion of -Union men in the South, their hopes for popularity -would be for ever blighted.</p> - -<p>After our devotions were ended, conversation -on the current topics of the day was resumed. -The sheriff expressed the hope that he would -soon hear of the arrests of all in the North who -were opposed to a vigorous prosecution of the -war. This converse we continued until bedtime, -when, again joining in a supplication to the -Throne of Grace, we retired for the night. But -sleep was a stranger to my eyes, for my foot -and hand, although Aunt Katy had dressed -them skilfully, gave me excessive pain. As I -lay writhing on my couch, I was unable to banish -the thoughts that came flashing into my -mind concerning the bondmen of the South; -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> -and I pondered deeply whether I could not do -something toward benefitting them. Yet when -such men as Washington and Jefferson failed, -how should I succeed?</p> - -<p>“But,” exclaims the tender-footed Union -man, “you would not intimate that Washington -was an abolitionist?”</p> - -<p>To such an one I would say, “Hear the -words of that great and good man.”</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The benevolence of your heart, my dear -Marquis, is so conspicuous on all occasions, that I -never wonder at fresh proofs of it. But your -late purchase of an estate in the colony of Cayenne, -with a view of emancipating the slave, is -a generous and noble proof of your humanity. -Would to God a like spirit might diffuse itself -generally among the minds of the people of -this country! But I despair of seeing it. -Some petitions were presented to the Assembly, -at its last session, for the abolition of slavery, -but they scarcely obtained a hearing.”—<i>Letter -to Lafayette.</i></p> -</div> - -<p>Rising early the next morning, I walked -abroad to view the works of God; and as I -limped along, I thanked him exceedingly for -his goodness and kindness to me, his unworthy -servant. As I passed the cabins of the sheriff’s -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> -slaves, they were preparing to go up to his -house for prayers.</p> - -<p>After breakfast, our host, taking us aside, -informed us that as we had been committed to -his charge, he would be obliged to return us to -Macon, where he would get the commandant to -parole us, limiting us at the same time to the -boundaries of the State. Had he himself come -across us accidentally, he assured us that, instead -of holding us, he would have had us -conveyed secretly to our lines. But this, under -the circumstances, he was now unable to do, -as he would thereby incur the death-penalty -himself. We, of course, assented to this, as it -would have been extremely ungrateful to our -host, who had protected us from violence, to -refuse.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Classes in the Confederacy—Terror of a -Name—Insurrection—Suppressing a Religious Meeting—The -Safe Ground—A Sad Parting—Why Prisoners’ Stories -Differ—Effect of Church Division—The Darien Road—A -Wealthy Planter.</p> - -<p class="noindent">During the day, I walked out into the pines -that I might be alone with my thoughts; and -there in the solitude I mused upon all the -knowledge that I had gained from my host, -and also from my previous experience. Oh! -thought I, if our people at the North were -permitted to look into the hearts of the better -class in the South, there they would see nothing -but opposition to the great sin of slavery. -Could they but see the South as I have seen it, -they would come to the same conclusions as -myself, viz., that there are three distinct classes -or castes. First, there are the clay-eaters, or -common mass of the people, upon whom even -the negroes look down with contempt. Second, -there is the middle class, in which we find all -those who sympathize with the North in this -war. Lastly, we have the slave-owning aristocracy, -haughty, supercilious and powerful.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> - -<p>Our host belonged to the middle class, and -on being questioned why that class held the -peculiar position it did in regard to the rebellion, -he replied:</p> - -<p>“We know that the very moment they—the -aristocracy—succeed in forming a Confederacy, -they will, of necessity, keep a large standing -army. Into this army they will force the sons -of the poorest class, or clay-eaters, while they -themselves, having negroes to do all their labor, -will have full control of affairs. Then assuming -all the lucrative offices for themselves, they -will force us in reality to support them.</p> - -<p>“You may ask why we do not educate the -poor whites, and thus set at work a force that -would destroy the power of the aristocracy. -We would willingly do so, but for the fact that -they are so stubborn, ignorant, and bigoted, -that any attempt of such a nature would be -termed <i>abolition</i>, and you might, with far more -safety, call a man a thief or murderer than call -him an <i>abolitionist</i>.</p> - -<p>“Should the Confederacy succeed, too, there -will be another danger, which will require all -the power of the government to combat, and -that is the insurrection of the slaves. The -latter are, almost to a unit, expecting their -liberty by reason of this war, and are at present -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> -quietly awaiting such a result. Should it unfortunately -turn out, however, that the rebellion -succeeds, then they will doubtless strike a blow -for themselves; and may Heaven spare me from -witnessing the terrible scenes which must follow.”</p> - -<p>Showing me his hand, which I noticed had -been wounded at some former time, the speaker -added:</p> - -<p>“That wound I received in the following -manner. It will serve to show what harsh -measures have already been resorted to for -preventing any rise of the slaves. I used to -allow my servants to hold prayer-meetings -sometimes in the house; and on one occasion a -patroller came to the house while one of their -meetings was in progress, and summarily proceeded -to break it up. I interfered, when, -turning upon me, he struck me a fearful blow -with his weapon, breaking my fingers as you -see. I instantly shot him. Since then I have -been obliged not to allow the meetings.”</p> - -<p>In my own mind, I could but compare this -noble gentleman to many half-hearted Christians -in the North, who would assist in perpetuating -the curse of slavery on the ground of policy. -Shame on such false Christians and hypocrites! -They would call themselves democrats of the -nineteenth century. They would say they were -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> -on the side of Washington and Adams, and all -the fathers. But they are not, for Washington -was not in his heart a slaveholder, as the following -extract from a letter written by him is -sufficient to prove:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“I hope,” writes he, “it will not be conceived -from these observations that it is in my heart -to hold the unhappy people, who are the subject -of this letter, in slavery. I can only say, -there is not a man living who wishes more -sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for -the abolition of it.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Reader, you may, perhaps, complain or disapprove -of my digressions from the subject of -my own perils and adventures to that of slavery; -but, so long as God blesses me with thoughts -and words, so long will I continue to strike at -the wicked, man-degrading institution, with -all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my -might. Slavery is the baneful Upas that overshadows -our glorious Republic, and its deadly -exhalations must in time destroy us, unless we -cut it down, tear it out by the roots, and completely -annihilate it now and for ever. I, with -the great founders of the Republic, hold these -to be self-evident truths: “That all men are -created free and equal; that they are endowed -by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> -that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit -of happiness. That, to secure these rights, -governments are instituted among men, deriving -their powers from the just consent of the -governed,” &c.</p> - -<p>But to return to my theme. When, after -passing through innumerable hardships and -perils, being imprisoned in Columbus, Mobile, -Montgomery, and Macon, and spending twenty-one -weary days in the dismal swamps and pine-woods -of Georgia, I reached the home of the -sheriff, I, like Paul the apostle, thanked God -and took courage.</p> - -<p>As soon as practicable we set out for Macon, -and while memory holds a place in my being, I -can never forget the parting of ourselves and the -kind family by whom we had been so befriended.</p> - -<p>“Good-bye, gentlemen,” said the lady of the -house, her eyes suffused with tears; “and should -we never meet again on earth, we shall, perhaps, -in that better land, where all is love and peace.”</p> - -<p>There was such a sincerity in the fair speaker’s -tones, that I could not repress the tears -that her words brought to my eyes. The servants, -too, clustered around us, and in their intelligent -countenances I could discern that they -appreciated all that was going on. A final -shaking of hands, an adieu, and we were off. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> -Our buggy bore us quickly out of sight of the -house, and I must acknowledge, prisoner as I -was, that there was a pang in my heart at the -moment. And here a thought suggests itself. -The reader has, doubtless, often thought, after -reading the various and conflicting accounts of -returned prisoners, how strange it was that they -could so differ. Now, their treatment depended -entirely upon their own conduct, and the class -of people among whom the chances of war -threw them. It was very rarely that any one -expressing his opinions against the Southern -system as boldly as I did, met, upon the whole, -with such good fortune. Those who fared well -were semi-secessionists. I will give a case in -point:</p> - -<p>At Columbus, Mississippi, there was a man -from Illinois, who stated that he was a quarter-master -in a cavalry regiment. He was an ardent -pro-slavery man, and whenever the subject -came up, he defended the right of the -South to hold slaves, and became enraged if -that right was assailed by any of his companions. -This man took the trip with us through -Mobile, Montgomery, and Macon, and was continually -receiving favors that were denied to -the rest. While in Macon, he was appointed -prison quarter-master; was permitted to run at -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> -large, and he used the privilege to post the secessionists -in everything that was favorable to -them. This man will be referred to again ere I -close this narrative.</p> - -<p>We were to go by land to Hockinsville, -where we were to take the cars. We traveled -slowly, in order, as the sheriff remarked, that -we might really see the destitute condition of -the country through which we passed. We stopped -at a place where a deer had just been killed, -and obtained some fresh venison. The man -from whom we got the meat, was from Eastern -Maryland, and, while conversing with him, I -found that he had some knowledge of the disunion -men of the Methodist Episcopal Church. -He was deeply opposed to the separation, but -at the same time, candidly admitted that the -North had sufficient cause therefor. Still he -thought that it would have been far better to -remain united, and endeavor to reform the pro-slavery -portion.</p> - -<p>“I and this gentleman,” said he, turning to -the sheriff, “have stood up for our faith comparatively -alone, until the outbreak of the war. -Since that, we have been joined by several -more, but we are crushed, and dare not speak -what we think. If we did, we should be hung -to the first tree that could hold us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p> - -<p>He persistently contended that it was a very -unfortunate thing that the Church had divided, -urging that it led to a division of the government. -I held not much further argument with -him on this subject, as anti-slavery men of his -class were very unpopular in Ohio when I left -there.</p> - -<p>At evening we seated ourselves on the porch -of this man’s cottage, and began conversing -with the family, the subject being changed of -course.</p> - -<p>The majority of the residents in this county -held the same opinions as these two. I would -like to give the names of these gentlemen, but -as they might possibly get into some of those -traitorous Northern papers which circulate in -the South, and thereby bring them into trouble, -I am constrained to suppress them.</p> - -<p>We remained at this house all night, and -bidding our new friends farewell, started the -next morning on our way. We kept the Darien -road, which I could recognize by the descriptions -given of it by the negroes. Our next -stopping-place was far from agreeable, for every -one in it was a strong secessionist—so strong -indeed, that, when they found out our characters, -they did not object to the sheriff having anything -he wanted, but not with us. The keeper -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> -of the house at which we were, cursed fearfully, -they utterly refused to give us anything to eat, -swearing that the d——d Yankees shouldn’t -have a morsel of food. The sheriff, however, -pacified him at last by telling him that I was -from Virginia, and that, although I was in the -Yankee army, still I was as pro-slavery a man -as himself. This made matters a little better, -and the surly host proceeded to question me. I -baffled him, however, by saying:</p> - -<p>“What paper do you take?”</p> - -<p>“We don’t take none,” said he, “fur I can’t -read. Have you ever been in a fight?” he -quickly added to his reply. I answered in the -affirmative.</p> - -<p>“Have you ever seed a gunboat?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” I rejoined.</p> - -<p>He then became much interested, and was -not satisfied until I had given him a long -description of a gunboat, its object, and its -powers.</p> - -<p>At this juncture five villainous-looking men -entered the room, and calling to my listener, -took him outside. When the sheriff saw this, -he turned rather pale, fearing that some violence -was threatened. When he was about to leave -with us, he asked the landlord what his bill -was.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Oh, nothing! as you’re taking them d——d -Yankees to justice,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>Though by no means complimentary, this -expression took a heavy load off our minds, -and we were comparatively light-hearted when -we took our departure.</p> - -<p>The sheriff resolved not to halt again until -he reached a place where he was known, as he -feared that otherwise we might be mobbed. -By rapid driving he reached this point. Drawing -up before the door of a tavern, we immediately -dismounted, and were invited to enter by -a house-servant, who led us to a small fire at -which we might warm ourselves. As we sat -there, a hard-looking female came in, and seeing -my hand bound up, asked me what ailed it. I -responded that I had caught cold in an old -bruise which had assumed somewhat the character -of a felon. She inquired if she could do -anything for it. I thanked her, and told her -that I had a poultice of sweet gum on it.</p> - -<p>We were presently shown up to our chamber, -and went to bed. My hand pained me so -much, however, that I could not sleep; and getting -up, I took a pan of water, and putting into -it a lump of opium, which I obtained from my -comrade, I laid my hand in it, and so passed the -remainder of the night.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span></p> - -<p>We resumed our journey at an early hour, -and pressed forward in order to reach the railroad, -which was not quite finished to Hockinsville. -On the road we were compelled to stop -at the house of a man named Phillips. He was -very wealthy, owning over two hundred and -seventy-five slaves, and a fine plantation. He -was a bitter and unrelenting secessionist, and -therefore the sheriff thought it best not to mention -what or who we were. Our horses were -put up, and we entered the dwelling. Phillips -came in almost immediately after, and opened -a conversation about the war. The sheriff inquired -of him if he had any late papers.</p> - -<p>“I don’t take no papers!” he rejoined; “I can’t -read. But,” added he, casting a glance at us, -“there was some men hunting round here the -other day for them Yankees that got away at -Macon, and I only wish they’d catch the thieves, -and shoot them!”</p> - -<p>This was not pleasant to our ears, and the -disagreeable sensation was considerably increased, -as Phillips, nodding his head towards us, -asked the sheriff his errand to Macon with us.</p> - -<p>Our friend hesitated a moment to reply, but -finally stated his mission. Phillips instantly -flew into a rage, and commenced to swear and -threaten dreadfully. The sheriff told him that -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> -I was a Virginian, and of like sentiments with -himself, and so forth, but it did not effect much. -Phillips spoke of the outrageous conduct of our -men, and Butler’s famous New Orleans Proclamation, -and swore, with a horrid oath, that if he -had his own way, he would shoot every Yankee -that was caught. I rose, and walked outside, -and was followed by Phillips, who seemed fearful -of trusting me near the negroes who were -hanging round the house, and in whose faces I -could see an expression that showed they fully -comprehended who we were.</p> - -<p>Presently the sound of the approaching train -came gratefully to our ears. When it arrived, -however, we learned that it would make a stop -of an hour, as a number of conscripts were to -be put aboard. Fearing to remain longer in -Phillips’s house, we adjourned into the neighboring -pines to avoid the mob. One after another, -several wagons, loaded with conscripts, -drove up. These conscripts and their friends -had, by some means or other, heard of our arrest, -but did not know that we were the men. -They spoke favorably of us, however, and -were heartily endorsed by some old ladies who -had come hither with their sons, and who were -decidedly opposed to the conscription.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">On the Cars—An Old Acquaintance—His Reasons for being -in the Army—Meeting the Slave we Chased—Rebel Account -of our Pursuit—Interesting Advertisement—In -Jail Again—Captain Clay Crawford—Prison Fare—Rebel -Barbarities—Taking Comfort.</p> - -<p class="noindent">In due time we took our places on the train, -and recommenced our journey. At the next -stopping-place, a man in rebel uniform approached -me, and said:</p> - -<p>“I think I know you, sir.”</p> - -<p>I made no reply, supposing his object was -merely to quarrel with me. He repeated his -remark, and still I refused to notice him. The -third time he spoke, he said:</p> - -<p>“Your name is Rev. J. J. Geer, and you -come from Cincinnati, Ohio. You used to -preach there in the George street Methodist -Protestant Church. I am ——, who studied -medicine with Dr. Newton of that city.”</p> - -<p>He extended his hand, and I instantly grasped -it, and shook it heartily. I would state his -name; but, for the same reason that I suppress -the sheriff’s, I must also omit his. Stepping -back to where he had set down a basket, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> -my old acquaintance brought me some biscuits -and roast chicken. After this welcome gift had -been properly attended to, the donor introduced -me to his lady, who was a fine, intelligent-looking -person. Her husband then taking his seat -beside me, we fell into conversation, the chances -of being overheard being small, on account of -the noise made by the train. Said he to a question -of mine:</p> - -<p>“I should never have taken any part in this -war, could I have helped myself. But when -the conscription law was passed, I knew there -was no chance for my escaping it, nor could I -remove with my family. If I remained, I must -go into the army as a private. This I could -not endure, and so I obtained an office.”</p> - -<p>At this moment, the cars suddenly stopped, -and an officer attended by a guard, who must -have partially overheard the last portion of the -speaker’s remarks, ordered him to leave me, and -take a seat in another part of the car.</p> - -<p>Presently, we reached a place where we were -detained three hours. While waiting here, the -master of that negro whom we chased in the -swamp, and whom I have before mentioned as -having a basket of corn strapped to his back, -stepped aboard of the train. He came forward -smiling, and, taking us by the hand, told us -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> -what a fierce chase he had had after us. He then -asked us if he should call the negro in, and on -receiving an affirmative answer, did so.</p> - -<p>I asked, with the permission of his master, -why he ran from us in the swamp.</p> - -<p>“Kase, sah, I thought you wuz Tom Jimmer -son, an’ he said he’d shoot me if he ever had -a chance.”</p> - -<p>This negro seemed excessively ignorant; but -this is a habit with them all, as a general thing, -when their masters are present.</p> - -<p>“Where in the d——l did you hide,” asked -the owner of this slave, “when we were after -you?”</p> - -<p>“Where did you look?” queried I.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said he, “when the boy came in and -told me that he had seen you in the swamp, I -went down to the soldiers who were hunting -you on the river, and put them on the lookout. -Then I returned and started out all the dogs in -the neighborhood. One of these, an old hound, -that belonged to Tom Brown, never before -failed to bring to us his game within a short -time after he took the tracks. In two hours, -sixteen of us, with the two negroes and the -hounds, were after you hot-footed. Not long -after we put the dogs on your track, they got -confused, and ran my own boy up to the house. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> -I called them back, and in returning, Brown’s -old dog struck round a fence, as we thought, on -your track. He kept on the branch back of my -field, and there crossed and went up the creek, -with the whole pack at his heels. We followed -after, and found that he crossed the water again, -and came down the other side to where he -crossed the first time. There the scent was -lost, and the dogs gave it up. We hunted -round there till nearly night, and not finding -any one, went down to the river to guard it. -When we got there, the corporal advised me, -with six or eight others, to go up the river and -take another hunt; but, of course, it brought no -good.”</p> - -<p>My comrade here informed the narrator how -we had been lying concealed under the palm-leaves, -and watching all their motions, at a -distance of not over a hundred yards or so. -This astonished him very much; so much so, -indeed, that he seemed to doubt it, until Collins -repeated to him the identical expressions used -on that occasion by himself, his companions, -and the soldiers. He then turned to the sheriff -and said with an oath:</p> - -<p>“I’ve hunted bear, and deer, and fox, and -never failed; but these Yankees fooled me bad.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> - -<p>The sheriff told him we were Virginians, -which seemed to relieve him, as he exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Well, I thought Yankees couldn’t have so -much pluck.”</p> - -<p>One fact he was rather curious about, and -that was, how we had thrown the bloodhounds -off our track so easily. But this knowledge, -which had been imparted to us by the negroes, -we refused to divulge.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said he in conclusion, “I wish you -a long life; and if I had the say in it, I’d let -you go free, for you’re none of these d——d -Yankees.”</p> - -<p>At this moment the cars started, and he, -bidding us another good-bye, leaped off, and we -saw him no more.</p> - -<p>Soon after this little incident, my friend, the -sheriff, got a paper which he handed to me. In -it I noticed an account of the recapture of Captain -Clay Crawford, who was in prison with us, -and had escaped at the same time, but had been -separated from us in the alarm of that occasion. -I read also an advertisement of one J. J. Geer, -described as follows: “Six feet and three-fourths -of an inch in height, black hair, and blue eyes.” -Lieutenant A. P. Collins was also named, but -without any description.</p> - -<p>I knew instantly that I had been reported by -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> -the man that I mentioned in the beginning of -my narrative as having been a deceiver. He -had measured me in Columbus jail, Mississippi, -and, as I was in my bare feet at the time, this -measurement was short, as by all military -standards I always measured six feet two -inches.</p> - -<p>There were other unpleasant items in this -paper, the principal one of which was that in -reference to McClellan’s retreat from before -Richmond.</p> - -<p>In due season we arrived at the end of our -journey, Macon, Georgia. In conferring with -the sheriff on the subject of our future course, I -told him it would be best for his own safety to -take us to the prison as soon as possible. This -he did; and it was but a short time after, that -we were again face to face with the tyrant -Rylander. He sent us under a guard of four -men to our cells, where the jailor came and -robbed us of our money. He took also our -watches, which until now we had succeeded in -carrying. We were then heavily ironed, and -left in those filthy cells with only a little straw -to lie upon, and this full of odious vermin.</p> - -<p>We ascertained that it was true concerning -Captain Clay Crawford’s recapture. He belonged -to a Missouri regiment, and was a -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> -genteel, manly comrade, never, like most of his -companions, jeering at religion or its advocates. -He was a graduate of West Point, and consequently -a man well versed in military matters.</p> - -<p>Hearing of our return, Captain Crawford, -who was confined close to us, made himself -known, and a conversation was shortly opened. -We learned from him that he had succeeded in -making his escape at the same time we did, -dressed in a rebel uniform. Going boldly to the -Provost Marshal’s office, he passed himself off -for a Confederate officer, and obtained a pass to -Savannah, where he hoped to be able to get -aboard a United States gunboat. His knowledge -of the South and Southern officers, and -the fact that there was a Captain Crawford in -the rebel army, assisted him greatly. In one -or two places through which he passed, he was -in peril from Union sympathizers, who looked -upon him as an enemy. In all these localities -he found that all the young, able-bodied men -had been swept into the army, while the old -men who were left behind were very decided -Unionists. This I may add was exactly my -own experience.</p> - -<p>I asked him what fare he got in prison.</p> - -<p>“Oh,” said he, “nothing but corn-meal and -maggots!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p> - -<p>That he stated truth in regard to the food, I -had ample proof, when at night a negro brought -us some boiled colards, a species of cabbage. -He carried it in a dirty-looking bucket, mixed -with corn-bread, made of meal and water. Producing -two tin plates, he put a mess of the colards -on each, and then pushed them through the -grating of our cell to us. The greens appeared -to have been boiled with something like meat, -or rather scraps of refuse fat, certainly not fit -for anything save soap-grease. On close inspection -of the mess, we could see the maggots, which, -by way of curiosity, we commenced to pick out. -By the time we had picked out half a teaspoonful -of large fat ones—not skippers, but maggots—our -stomachs, hungry as they were, sickened, -and we could not touch the horrid food.</p> - -<p>We then examined our haversacks and a -pillow-slip that old Aunt Kate had given us. In -the latter, as much to our gratification as surprise, -we found two fine roasted chickens, and -plenty of elegant corn bread made with molasses. -After enjoying this good fare, we knelt -and raised our voices in thanks to the Lord, who -still watched and guarded us. We felt very -happy, and made the misty old prison ring -again with our hymns of praise.</p> - -<p>The night passed slowly, for my wounded -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> -hand and foot pained me exceedingly. With -the return of daylight, conversation with Captain -Crawford was resumed, and we learned that -in his cell with him was a man named Rowley, -who was from Florida. He, like ourselves, had -attempted to pass the lines, but was recaptured -in the act.</p> - -<p>Originally residing in Florida, taking no part -in the war, and attending quietly to his own -business, he had been suddenly arrested. The -circumstances thereof were as follows: “On the -night of August 20th, 1861, a party of ruffians -surrounded his dwelling, and without the -slightest warning, battered in the door, and -rushed into his house. So unexpected and so -fierce was the attack, that his wife, who was in -a delicate condition of health at the time, sank -swooning to the floor. The astonished husband, -not stopping to defend himself, sprang to the -assistance of his wife. While thus engaged, -his assailants seized him, and roughly binding -his hands behind him, dragged him from the -house, and mounted him upon a mule, which -they immediately drove off with them. When -thus ruthlessly torn from the bosom of his family, -he was looking forward with a husband’s -fond anxiety to the moment which was to make -him a father. And now, more than eleven -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> -months had passed away, but he had never -heard any tidings of his family or property. He -owned several slaves. Whether his loving wife -had survived the shock she had received on the -night in question, or whether the angels of a -merciful God had carried her own soul, and -that one yet unborn, away to heaven, he did -not know.</p> - -<p>His captors had taken him to a negro jail, -and cast him into a filthy cell, in which he laid -for three or four days, eating nor drinking -nothing. By this time, they deemed him sufficiently -reduced to become subservient to their -will. They accordingly took him from his cell, -and brought him to a man they styled “Colonel.” -By this man he was ordered to take a certain -oath. Upon his refusal, he was shown a rope -that had been used in the execution of four -of his neighbors, and he was informed that it -was still strong enough to hang him. The man -who held the rope strode toward him for the -purpose of placing it around his neck. Thus -convinced that there was something more than -menace meant, he attempted to reason with his -brutal captors, informing them that he was so -bewildered that he did not comprehend what -they wished him to do.</p> - -<p>The person called Colonel thereupon ordered -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> -him to be remanded to his cell. The next day, -hearing that the Union forces were approaching -them, they hurried their poor prisoner to Macon.</p> - -<p>This man gave me accounts of the most -horrid scenes that he had witnessed. At one -period, he said that it was certain death for a -man to refuse to volunteer.</p> - -<p>Our second day of imprisonment passed dully -enough, and indeed it would have been much -worse, but for the converse we held with -Captain Crawford and Mr. Rowley, whose principal -theme was the lightness of their rations. -Their allowance of corn-bread, for instance, -was a bit about one and a half inches square -twice a day. My wounds were exceedingly -painful, but I was obliged to suffer on without -obtaining any relief. Before I lay down for -the night, however, I comforted myself with -joining my comrade in singing those beautiful -lines—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“From every stormy wind that blows,</div> -<div class="verse">And every swelling tide of woe,</div> -<div class="verse">There is a calm, a safe retreat;</div> -<div class="verse">’Tis found beneath the mercy-seat.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>God’s blessing made us happy, and we could -exclaim with faith, “These chains will not -always hold us here.” How insignificant were -our sufferings when compared to those which -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> -had been endured by the followers of Christ in -ancient times! Again, while on our wretched -couches, we sang:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“My days are gliding swiftly by,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And I, a pilgrim stranger,</div> -<div class="verse">Would not detain them as they fly—</div> -<div class="verse indent1">These hours of toil and danger.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The next day I penned a letter to Major -Rylander, exhorting him, if he had any fear of -God before his eyes, or any spark of humanity -in his breast, to have me released from my -miserable cell, though it were to take me to -execution. I committed it to the care of a -negro, who was to convey it to the guard, who -in turn was to present it to Major Rylander. -Whether the latter ever received it, I never -knew, but certainly if he did, he never noticed -it.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">An Earnest Prayer—What came of it—A -Skeptic—Fiend-Stratagem—Reflections and Opinions on the -“Peculiar Institution.”</p> - -<p class="noindent">Night again found me still suffering, and still a -captive. The next day I heard from Captain -Crawford that the prayer which I put up that -evening to the Throne of Grace was rather -eccentric, very strong, and directed specially to -the case of our oppressive jailor. I suppose it -must have been rather so, for the jailor visited -me the next day. His house was in the prison yard -directly opposite my window.</p> - -<p>Entering my cell, as I have said, he ordered -me to follow him. I did so, not knowing -what fate I was about to meet. When out of -hearing of my fellow-prisoners, he said:</p> - -<p>“Who is that who prays in this prison every -night? It is you, I suspect.”</p> - -<p>“I presume so,” replied I, “for it is my habit -to pray night and morning; for I am told in the -good Book to pray for my enemies, and I apprehend -you are one.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, now, there’s no use in fooling! Did -you pray for the Lord to kill me?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir,” said I, “I prayed for the Lord to -convert you, or else kill you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you prayed for them fellows the Bible -speaks of,” he rejoined, referring to the Apostles -Paul and Silas.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” I answered.</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s all one tarnal big lie!”</p> - -<p>“Why, sir,” I inquired, “do you not believe -in the Bible?”</p> - -<p>“No! I don’t believe one tarnal word of it, I -don’t.”</p> - -<p>“Then, sir, if you escape the rod of God in -this life, you certainly will not in eternity.”</p> - -<p>“See here, sir,” he rejoined angrily, “you -had better mind what you say.”</p> - -<p>“I will speak my mind whenever it pleases me -to do so,” I said, looking the jailor directly in -the eye.</p> - -<p>In this strain the conversation continued, till -at length he became so enraged, that, pushing -me violently back in my cell, he locked me fast -to a staple driven into the floor.</p> - -<p>While lying thus, a negro came and gazed -intently at me, through the bars of the cell -door. This he repeated many times during the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> -day, and at night I asked him if he belonged to -the jailor.</p> - -<p>“No, sah,” said he, “I b’long to the richest -man in dis county.”</p> - -<p>“What are you in here for?”</p> - -<p>He dropped his voice almost to a whisper, as -he replied:</p> - -<p>“Two white fellers came to my quarters one -night, and got me to go with ’em. Dey had dar -faces blacked all ober. Den dey crawled into a -winder whar dar wus some white gals, an’ de -gals dey hollered, an’ de two fellers dey runned, -an’ I runned arter ’em. But I didn’t know -what they’d done, an’ so I stopped, an’ de white -men what run arter all o’ us, cotched me, an’ -brought me down here. Den dey chained me like -you is now, and den de white rascals what had -blacked ’emselves, dey runned off right away. -But dey won’t b’lieve a poor darkey. Now, -massa, Tom White, an’ he’s a white man, seed -dem white fellers what blacked dar faces, an’ -he told so, an’ den I was tuk out o’ de cell.”</p> - -<p>Here the poor creature started after the -jailor for the performance of some duty.</p> - -<p>I was now desirous to know what Captain -Crawford’s candid opinion was concerning slavery, -but the loud tones in which we were -forced to talk prevented me, for fear of drawing -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> -down some cruel punishment upon us. I conversed -on the subject, however, with my comrade, -Lieutenant Collins, and we both resolved -never to cease its agitation so long as the Lord -gave us life, and so long as there remained a -single slave on the fair soil of Columbia. Our -minds were much strengthened in this resolve -by recalling to memory the teachings of Washington, -Adams, Monroe, and others. Abigail -Adams, the mother of John Quincy Adams, -said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“I wish most sincerely that there was not a -slave in the Province.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Benjamin Franklin, whose life was my school-book, -in an address to the Senate and House of -Representatives, said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“From a persuasion that equal liberty was -originally the portion, and is still the birthright, -of all men, and influenced by the strong ties of -humanity, and the principle of their institution, -your memorialists conceive themselves bound to -use all justifiable endeavors to loosen the bands -of slavery; that you will be pleased to countenance -the restoration of liberty to these unhappy -men, who alone, in this land of Freedom, are -degraded into perpetual bondage, and who, -amidst the general joy of surrounding freemen -are groaning in servile subjection; that you will -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> -devise means for removing this inconsistency -from the character of the American people; that -you will promote mercy and justice towards -this distressed race; and that you will step to -the very verge of the power vested in you, for -discouraging every species of traffic in the persons -of our fellow-men.”—B. F., Pres’t (<i>F. Gazette, -1790</i>).</p> -</div> - -<p>During the dreary night I often awoke, and I -remember once, when thus arousing, those beautiful -lines came into my mind:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“When for the rights of man we fight,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And all seems lost, and friends have fled,</div> -<div class="verse">Remembering in Misfortune’s night,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">New glory rests on Virtue’s head,</div> -<div class="verse">Duty remains, though joy is gone,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">On final good I fix mine eyes;</div> -<div class="verse">Distance all fear, and, though alone,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Stand ready for the sacrifice.”</div> -</div></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">The Rebel Reveille—A Horrid Dinner—A -Reinforcement of Little Rebels—The Darkie’s Explanation—An -Exciting Trial—Hope of Release—Retribution—My Old -Chains doing good Service.</p> - -<p class="noindent">The dawn came at last, bringing with it the -reveille of the rebel drums, and the yelling of -rebel guards. Our rations, however, took a -longer time to reach us, for it was not until about -eleven o’clock that the negro brought us a mess -of the stereotyped greens and corn-bread. A -glance into the pan showed us that the maggots -had received heavy reinforcements; but so, also, -had our hunger gained strength, and we were -glad to receive even the repulsive maggots and -spoiled-bread, and thank God we fared so well. -I could not forbear questioning the negro concerning -this outrageous food, and from him I -received the following explanation:</p> - -<p>The jailor had some time before purchased a -lot of meat at a lower figure than it could now -be bought for, for the reason that a portion -of it was tainted. The worst of this meat had -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> -been thrown aside into a large box used for -holding soap-grease.</p> - -<p>“He tole me, sah,” said the negro, “to go to -dat box and get dat meat, an’ when I tole him -it stink like de debbil, he swore de tallest kind -o’ swore dat I lied, an’ fur me to go git it, as it -wus plenty good ’nuff for dem d——d Yankees. -I’se sorry, sah, but I had to do as massa -tole me.”</p> - -<p>We were satisfied with the poor slave’s explanation, -and shutting our eyes, demolished -our horrid dinner to the last atom, and were -still as hungry as ever, for the quantity of the -food was as meagre as its quality. As yet I -had received no reply to the letter I had sent -out by the hands of the negro, to whom I have -previously referred. Days and nights passed -successively in monotonous misery, and still I -beheld the face of no friend save that One -which beamed down from above, and supported -me in all my trials. Whenever we got the -opportunity, we used to question the negroes as -to their opinions and ideas concerning the war -and slavery. In so doing, we assumed a great -risk, as a white man who is caught conversing -with the slaves, receives the most rigorous treatment. -One day I asked the slave, who brought -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> -us our scanty supply of loathsome food, what -he thought of the war.</p> - -<p>“God bless you, sah,” he answered, in the -same whispering tones of caution as I myself -had used, “I knows all ’bout it, an’ all us niggas -knows all ’bout it. Why I couldn’t tell you -half what we knows an’ what we says ’mong -ourselves, sah!”</p> - -<p>“God grant that more light may be sent into -the land of the slave, and salvation to the downtrodden -inhabitants thereof!” prayed I, as the -negro, seeing his master, hurried away from -our cell.</p> - -<p>Our rest was much disturbed at night by the -howling and yelping of a dog, which was -doubtless as much ill treated and starved as we -were ourselves.</p> - -<p>Time rolled on, but still no event occurred to -dispel the gloom that surrounded me, until I -learned that the man I had met on the cars, -and who, it will be remembered, asserted that -he had known me in Cincinnati, had arrived in -Macon. I learned, also, that he was reporting it -about the town, that, in Ohio I was possessed of -some degree of influence. The faithful slave -who told me this added:</p> - -<p>“One of you is a-gwine to be taken out, for -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> -I heard de sheriff say that a lot o’ people went -to the Major, and wanted him to let you out.”</p> - -<p>This was, of course, like a star of hope in a -dark horizon, and day after day I awaited the -appearance of some deliverer who should bid -me walk forth free. But, alas! it was a delusive -dream, for none came, and I was no nearer -liberty than ever.</p> - -<p>About this time, an occurrence took place -which I here record, to show the workings of that -pernicious system which is the real root of all -our national troubles. I was standing at the -bars of my cell, looking out into the prison -yard, and saw Woods, the jailor, order the -negro, who used to wait on us, to bring him an -ax. Upon receiving it, he deliberately broke -off the lock of a trunk that belonged to Captain -Clay Crawford, and took therefrom a watch -and several cards of jewelry. Soon after the -darkey brought us our rations, and upon our -speaking of the affair, he was quite surprised -that we knew of it. He said the trunk was -Mr. Crawford’s, and smiled knowingly.</p> - -<p>Two days after, a party of men came for the -trunk, and found it broken open, as I have -stated. They, of course, called the jailor to -account, and he was fairly implicated in the -matter. Without hesitation, however, the vile -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> -robber accused the poor negro of having committed -the act. Of course the latter denied -the charge, and told the whole truth about it. -This enraged Woods, and he tied him up to a -rough timber cross so that, while his arms were -stretched to their utmost extent, his toes barely -touched the ground. He then took a heavy -whip, with three thongs, and lashed the unfortunate -negro until his shirt was actually soaked -in blood.</p> - -<p>Occasionally the monster ceased a moment, -and bade the victim of his brutality to confess -to the deed; but with the most heroic fortitude -the poor slave refused to comply, and Woods, -finding that he could not succeed thus, untied -the bleeding man, and threw him into the cell -next to our own.</p> - -<p>Between us there was only an iron grating, -so that we could converse with the negro, and -see with our own eyes the horrible treatment -to which he had been subjected.</p> - -<p>As chance had it, Captain Clay Crawford -himself had been a witness of all the proceedings, -and upon seeing the negro so unmercifully -beaten, he lost his temper, and uttered a -rent of oaths, swearing that he saw the -jailor do the deed. As he was regarded, however, -as a Yankee, his word had no more effect -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> -than the negro’s. As I gazed upon the quivering -back of that poor, downtrodden African, I -exclaimed, in the words of Thomas Pringle:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Oh, slavery, thou art a bitter draught,</div> -<div class="verse">And twice accursed is thy poisoned bowl,</div> -<div class="verse">Which taints with leprosy the white man’s soul!”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>In the power of such monsters what might not we expect at their -blood-stained hands? There was but one Deliverer for us, as well as the -slave, and that deliverer was God, and on Him we cast ourselves, feeling -that He was all-powerful. Job truly wrote:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The wicked man travaileth with pain all -his days, and the number of years is hidden to -the oppressor.”</p> -</div> - -<p>And with equal truth did the prophet exclaim:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“So I returned, and considered all the oppression -that is done under the sun, and beheld -the tears of such as were oppressed, and they -had no comfort. And on the side of the oppressed -there was power, but they had no comfort.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Oh, may the hand be stilled in death that -would raise itself to defend such a system!</p> - -<p>While the jailor was in the midst of his -trouble, the star of hope that had arisen on the -coming to Macon of my Ohio friend, and then -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> -set so suddenly, came up once more, but with -more cheering brilliancy this time; for, through -the hubbub that he had raised, I was released -from my prison cell the very day on which the -poor negro, who had been so unmercifully -lashed, was to have his trial. I was scarcely -fit to be seen, for I was yet clothed in the -wretched rags in which I had lived for several -months. Yet, notwithstanding this, when I -appeared before the Major, whose opinion, since -having heard of my real character and position, -was wonderfully changed, he began to bow and -scrape in his best style.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir,” he exclaimed, “I did not know -that you were a minister, or I would not have -had you put into that cell. And now,” added -he, “I will give you a parole of the town, and -you may report here every morning.”</p> - -<p>As commissioners had come to terms concerning -the exchange of prisoners, the only object -that the contemptible Major had in view, -was to induce me, upon my return home, to -speak well of him and his friends. I must confess -that I lost my temper. However, I said -nothing, but, called, in very positive tones, for a -guard to accompany me to the military prison, -which was near at hand. As I was going thither, -the thought that the poor negro was to be tried -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> -that day for the offence which had been really -committed by his master, shot across my mind, -and I resolved that I would do my duty in the -matter. I instantly returned to the commandant, -and asked him to give me a parole of the -town. This he forthwith did, as he imagined -that I wished to purchase new clothing. He -furnished me, also, with two guards with loaded -muskets. I then went to the building where -the trial was being held. Upon entering the -room, I saw the poor, friendless slave, loaded -with chains, sitting in the culprit’s dock, while -the brutal Woods sat confidently near him, -fully expecting to have him condemned. When -I mildly requested the court to allow me to -speak a word in defence of the accused, Woods -sprang to his feet, and swore that they would -not listen to any d——d Yankee. This brought -the owner of the negro to <i>his</i> feet, with the -exclamation, that I was a white man, and, consequently, -entitled to speak. A long debate -ensued on this point, which was settled finally -in my favor, and I took the stand.</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen,” I began, “I am a Yankee prisoner. -I have been in some three or four of -your county jails, and several of your penitentiaries; -but still your commandant has confidence -in me, and has given a parole of the town, and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> -your surgeon has made statements which prove -me to be a man of some little credit at home. -If, therefore, I shall find any favor in your -eyes, I will make a statement in reference to -the matter on trial.”</p> - -<p>I paused until I was assured by the court -that what I had to say would receive credence, -and then resumed:</p> - -<p>“I saw that man, Woods, who sits here at -my right, force the prisoner at the bar to bring -him an axe. Upon receiving it, he deliberately -broke open the trunk referred to, and took -therefrom a watch and a card of jewelry. Subsequently, -that he might extort from the prisoner -a false acknowledgment of guilt, he tied -him up, and beat him most inhumanly.”</p> - -<p>This brought Woods to his feet once more, -livid with rage.</p> - -<p>“You don’t mean to say that I broke open -that trunk, do you, sir?” he ejaculated, shaking -at me his clenched fists.</p> - -<p>“I do; and you know you did it!” was my -prompt reply.</p> - -<p>The villain thereupon lost all control of himself, -and, drawing a bowie-knife, swore vengeance -upon me. I quietly stepped back, and -placed myself between the two guards, who, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> -lowering their pieces, prepared to protect me, -should my assailant attempt to do me violence.</p> - -<p>I then made a statement that my testimony -could be corroborated, if necessary, by Captain -Clay Crawford himself, and Lieutenant Collins, -both officers in the United States army. He -quibbled, and protested, and reasoned, and -raved alternately; but it was all useless, and -when at last I told the minutest particulars -about the affair, such as where the negro took -the axe from, <i>et cetera</i>, he was forced to give in, -and was accordingly found guilty, while the -poor black fellow was released amid the most -tumultuous excitement.</p> - -<p>To show that Providence was retributive in -this case, I need only state that the crest-fallen -culprit was taken from court, placed in the -same cell in which I had been incarcerated, was -chained with the same irons, slept on the same -filthy bed, and I have no doubt was bitten and -tormented by the identical little inhabitants of -the last, by which I had been long annoyed, so -much to his merriment.</p> - -<p>Before my time was out, I reported at the -jail, and then went over to the military prison, -where I had a bone removed from my wounded -hand. I then passed in among the prisoners, -and while conversing with them, I was obliged -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> -to repeat the story of my escape and recapture -many times. That night, on account of the -pain I suffered, I was unable to sleep, and so I -spent the still hours in reflections on my situation, -God’s mercy and goodness, and on those -dear ones at home, who were then, most likely, -peacefully slumbering and dreaming of a soldier -of the Union, far away in a Southern prison, -wounded and weary, and no one even to speak -a word of kindness to him.</p> - -<p>The next day I heard of many deaths which -had occurred during my absence. Quite a -number of the names were familiar to me, and -my heart was indeed sad. Some of these noble -fellows died shouting for God and their country -with their last breath. Think of it, reader, -and let it awaken your grateful remembrances -for the heroic martyrs. They had left pleasant -homes, fruitful fields, beloved relations, and -cherished friends, to fight and suffer for the -Union. And there, in a loathsome prison, without -a pillow for their dying heads, without a -covering, without proper food, without medicine, -without water even to slake their burning -tongues, they died, a glorious sacrifice on a -glorious altar.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Sufferings of Captives—Shooting a Deaf Man—A Terrible -Punishment—Arguments on Slavery—Opinions of Celebrated -Men—A Sabbath-School in Prison—A Loyal Lady—Pennsylvania -a Pioneer—Emancipation—Our Prayer-Meetings—Rays -of Sunshine.</p> - -<p class="noindent">A large proportion of the prisoners in Macon -were nearly naked, and actually were obliged -to wrap rags of blankets about themselves to -hide their nakedness, and many times, while -listening to their stories of wrong and woe, I -was moved to tears. Among several harrowing -incidents, about this time occurred the shooting -of one of our party, a political prisoner, if I -remember right, who was deaf. A brutal -guard had fired on him because he did not -obey some order which he had given, but which -of course, the victim did not hear. I saw the -poor fellow writhing in his death-agonies. The -shot had pierced directly through his bowels, -inflicting a horrid and mortal wound.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="prisoner"> -<img src="images/image05.jpg" width="700" height="433" - alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> -“The prisoner is thrown to the ground, either face or -back down, according to the whim of the punisher, and a number of -stakes are driven in the earth around him.”—Page 211. -</div> -</div> - -<p>Another man named Flood, for the offence -of coming nearer than ten feet to the guard-lines, -was pinned down to the earth. As this -punishment is doubtless not understood by a -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> -majority of readers, I will describe it. The -person subjected to it is thrown to the ground, -either face or back down, according to the whim -of the punisher, and while held in this position, -a number of stakes or wooden pins are driven -in the earth around him, in such a manner as -to bind him immovably to the ground. A -more terrible punishment can scarcely be conceived.</p> - -<p>Flood was a large man, and possessed of immense -strength; and the first time he was thus -pinned down, he tore himself loose from his fastenings. -Upon seeing this, his captors again -seized him. But he struggled manfully, and it -was not until six or eight powerful men attacked -him simultaneously, and with weapons, that he -was secured. This done, however, they obtained -stakes that an ox could not have broken, and -with these they fastened their victim down -firmly that it was impossible for him to move -half an inch. And in this position, he lay face -down for <i>twenty-four hours</i>, during which time a -heavy rain fell. In consequence he took a -fatal cold, and, four days later, he was laid in -the grave. This punishment was quite common -among the rebels.</p> - -<p>While listening to the accounts of my fellow-prisoners, -especially concerning the deaf man -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -and Flood, I could not help thinking bitterly of -the thousands in the free North, who, while our -country is struggling for existence, are apologizing -for the vile system which breeds such -monsters as I have been describing. Oh -reader, if you would be just to yourself and to -God, and not allow your mind to be influenced -by the fallacies with which traitors would delude -you, you would at once perceive the fountain-spring -of all our national troubles to be -naught else but slavery. And here, at the -expense of interrupting my personal narrative, -I have concluded to advance some facts and -arguments in support of my conclusions. It is -a most common and dangerous fallacy to condemn -the emancipation theory of Abraham -Lincoln, as the cause of this terrible bloodshed -that has been going on for two years past. -Now I assume the opposite side of the argument, -and find myself supported therein, not -only by common sense, but all the teachings of -past history.</p> - -<p>When the question of immediate abolition -was first agitated in England, the friends of -slavery were loud in their belief that universal -insurrection and bloodshed would follow; and -nothing could have taken a stronger hold on -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> -the sympathies and fears of the people than -these same assertions.</p> - -<p>In June, 1793, a civil war occurred between -the aristocrats and republicans of St. Domingo, -and the planters called in the aid of Great -Britain. The opposing party proclaimed freedom -to all slaves, and armed them against the -British. It is generally supposed that the abolition -of slavery in St. Domingo was in consequence -of insurrection among the slaves. -Nothing is farther from the truth, for the -whole measure was nothing more nor less than -one of political expediency. A little research -into the histories of the island about this period -will show that the whole colored population -remained faithful to the republicans to whom -they owed their liberty.</p> - -<p>The British were defeated, and were obliged -to evacuate the island; but they still held possession -of the ocean, and consequently troubled -the French to such an extent, that the latter -were entirely unable to look after St. Domingo. -The colonists were therefore left to themselves. -Certainly here was an opportunity for the -breaking forth of that dreaded insurrection -which had been predicted as the sure result of -immediate abolition. Yet, on the contrary, -though there were <i>five hundred thousand negroes</i>, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> -thus unfettered and made free, there was an -actual decrease in crime, and a corresponding -increase in the prosperity and peace of the -island.</p> - -<p>A resident, Colonel Malenfaut, says in his -historical memoir:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“After this public act of emancipation, the -negroes remained quiet both in the south and -west, and they continued to work upon all the -plantations. Even upon those estates which -had been abandoned by owners and managers, -the negroes continued their labor where there -were any agents to guide; and where no white -men were left to direct them, they betook themselves -to planting provisions. The colony was -flourishing. The whites lived happily and in -peace upon their estates, and the negroes continued -to work for them.”</p> -</div> - -<p>General La Croix, in his memoir, speaking of -the same period, writes:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The colony marched as by enchantment -towards its ancient splendor; cultivation prospered, -and every day produced perceptible -proofs of its progress. This prosperous state of -things lasted about eight years, and would probably -have continued to this day, had not Bonaparte, -at the instigation of the old aristocratic -French planters, sent an army to deprive the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> -blacks of the freedom which they had used so -well. It was the attempt to restore slavery that -produced all the bloody horrors of St. Domingo. -Emancipation produced the most blessed effects.”</p> -</div> - -<p>In June, 1794, Victor Hugo, a French republican -general, retook the island of Guadaloupe -from the British, and immediately proclaimed -freedom to all the slaves. They were <i>thirty-five -thousand</i> in number, and the whites <i>thirteen -thousand</i>. No disaster whatever occurred from -the humane action of Hugo.</p> - -<p>On the 10th of October, 1811, the Chilian -Congress decreed that every child born after -that date, should be free. Likewise, the congress -of Columbia emancipated all slaves who -had borne arms in defence of the Republic, and -provided for the emancipation, in eighteen years, -of the whole slave population, amounting to -nine hundred thousand beings.</p> - -<p>September, 1829, saw immediate liberty -granted by the government of Mexico to every -slave in the realm.</p> - -<p>Now, in all these cases not one single insurrection -or bloodshed has ever been heard of -as resulting from emancipation.</p> - -<p>Even the thirty thousand Hottentots—the -most ignorant, degraded people on the earth—who -were manumitted at Cape colony, in July, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> -1823, gave instant evidence of improvement on -being admitted to the rights and privileges of -freemen. As a gentleman facetiously remarked, -they worked far better for Mr. Cash than they -had for Mr. Lash.</p> - -<p>A statement in the <i>South African Commercial -Advertiser</i>, of February, 1813, read as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Three thousand prize negroes have received -their freedom—four hundred in one day. But -not the least difficulty or disaster occurred. -Servants found masters, and masters hired servants; -all gained homes, and, at night, scarcely -an idler was to be seen. To state that sudden -emancipation would create disorder and distress -to those you mean to serve, is not reason, but -the plea of all men adverse to abolition.”</p> -</div> - -<p>On the 1st of August, 1834, the government -of Great Britain emancipated the slaves in all -her colonies, of which she had twenty, viz., -seventeen in the West Indies, and three in the -East Indies. The numerical superiority of the -negroes in the West was great. In Jamaica, -there were three hundred and thirty-one thousand -slaves, and only thirty-seven thousand -whites.</p> - -<p>Even by the clumsy apprenticeship system, -where the stimulus of the whip was removed -without being replaced by the stimulus of wages, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> -the negroes were a little improved. They knew -they would not be lashed if they did not work, -and that if they did work they would not be -paid for it. Yet, under such disadvantages as -these, there occurred no difficulty, excepting in -three of the islands, and even there they were -slight and only temporary. Even the bitterest -enemies of abolition have not yet been able to -show that a single drop of blood has been shed, -or a single plantation destroyed, in consequence -of emancipation in all the British West Indies!</p> - -<p>The journals of Antigua, where the apprenticeship -system was not tried, but the stimulus -of wages applied at once, say:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The great doubt is solved, and the highest -hopes of the negro’s friends are fulfilled. Thirty -thousand men have passed from slavery into -freedom, not only without the slightest irregularity, -but with the solemn and decorous tranquillity -of a Sabbath. In Antigua, there an -two thousand whites, thirty thousand slaves, -and four thousand five hundred free blacks.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Antigua and St. Christopher’s are within -gunshot of each other, and both are sugar-growing -colonies. In the latter island, the proportion -of blacks is smaller than in the former, -yet St. Christopher’s has had some difficulty -with the gradual system, while the quiet of -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> -Antigua has not been disturbed for one hour -by immediate manumission. Such facts are -worth more than volumes of sophistry.</p> - -<p>If, however, the humane view be not allowed, -let us look at the question in a pecuniary one. -The results in this direction, of the British -Emancipation Bill, are truly wonderful. To -the astonishment of even the most sanguine -friends of abolition, the plantations of the colonies -are more productive, more easily managed, -and accepted as security for higher sums or -mortgages, than they ever were under the slave -system. It appears from an official statement, -that in the first quarter of the present year, -there is an increase over the average of the first -quarter of the three years preceding emancipation -in the great staples of West Indian produce -exported, as follows:</p> - -<p>From Georgetown, Demarara, twenty per -cent. increase. From Berbice, fifty per cent. -increase. Coffee increased about one hundred -per cent.</p> - -<p>The hundred million indemnity thus appears -to have been a compensation for having been -made richer.</p> - -<p>Now, with all this weight of testimony, it is -impossible for the candid reader to cleave any -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> -longer to the idea that emancipation is the cause -of all this misery.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“If,” says a distinguished logician, “you -have a right to make another man a slave, he -has a right to make you a slave.” -“And if we have no right,” -says Ramsey, -“to sell him, no -one has a right to purchase him. If ever -negroes, bursting their chains, should come -(which Heaven forbid!) on the European coast, -to drag whites of both sexes from their families, -to chain them, and conduct them to Africa, and -mark them with a hot iron; if whites stolen, -sold, purchased by criminals, and placed under -the guidance of merciless inspectors, were immediately -compelled, by the stroke of the whip, -to work in a climate injurious to their health, -when at the close of each day they could have -no other consolation than that of advancing another -step to the tomb, no other perspective -than to suffer and to die in all the anguish of -despair; if devoted to misery and ignominy, -they were excluded from all the privileges of -society, and declared legally incapable of judicial -action, their testimony not admitted against the -black class; if, driven from the sidewalks, they -were compelled to mingle with the animals in -the middle of the street; if a conscription were -made to have them lashed in a mass, and their -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> -backs, to prevent gangrene, covered with pepper -and salt; if the forfeit for killing them were -but a trifling sum; if a reward were offered for -apprehending those who escaped from slavery; -if those who escaped were hunted by a pack of -hounds, trained to carnage; if, blaspheming -the Divinity, the blacks pretended that by -their origin they had permission of heaven to -preach passive obedience and resignation to the -whites; if greedy, hireling writers published -that, for this reason, just reprisals might be -exercised against rebellious whites, and that -white slaves were happy, more happy than the -peasants in the bosom of Africa; in a word, if -all the arts of cunning calumny, all the strength -and fury of avarice, all the invention of ferocity, -were directed against you by a coalition of -merchants, priests, kings, soldiers and colonists, -what a cry of horror would resound through -these countries! To express it, new epithets -would be sought. A crowd of writers, and -particularly poets, would exhaust their eloquent -lamentations, provided, that having nothing to -fear, there was something to gain.</p> - -<p>“Europeans, reverse this hypothesis, and see -what you are. Yes, I repeat it, there is not a -vice, not a species of wickedness, of which -Europe is not guilty towards negroes, of which -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> -she has not shown them the example. Avenging -God! suspend thy thunder, exhaust thy -compassion in giving her time and courage to -repair, if possible, these horrors and atrocities!”</p> -</div> - -<p>Now, these things are all perfectly reasonable. -Though written a long time ago, they are now -not the less true; and those of us who may live -to see the end of this war will know well the -cause of it; and I trust that the rising generation -may profit by the history of their fathers. -May they learn from their earliest years to -denounce the name that offers an apology for -the dark curse of slavery!</p> - -<p>It was of this evil that Jefferson spoke in -the original Declaration of Independence, -drafted by himself, but suppressed by Southern -influence. The language is:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“He has waged cruel war against human -nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of -life and liberty, in the persons of a distant people, -who never offended him; capturing them -and carrying them into slavery in another -hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in -their transportation thither. This piratical -warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is -the warfare of the Christian King of Great -Britain. Determined to keep open a market -where men should be bought and sold, he has -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> -prostituted his prerogative for suppressing every -legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this -execrable commerce. And that this assemblage -of horrors might want no fact of distinguished -dye, he is now exciting those very people to -rise in arms among us, and to purchase that -liberty of which he has deprived them, thus -paying off former crimes committed against the -liberties of one people, with crimes which he -urges them to commit against the lives of -another.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The same spirit possessed the heart of Luther -Martin, when, before the Legislature of Maryland, -he delivered a report concerning the topic -of which we speak. The report was adopted -by a majority of the convention, though not -without considerable opposition.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“It was said that we had just assumed a place -among independent nations, in consequence of -our opposition to the attempts of Great Britain -to enslave us. That this opposition was grounded -upon the preservation of those rights to -which God and nature entitled us, not in particular, -but in common with all the rest of -mankind. That we had appealed to the Supreme -Being for His assistance, as the God of -freedom, who could not but approve our efforts -to preserve the rights which he had thus -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> -imparted to all his creatures. That now, when we -scarcely had risen from our knees and supplications -for his aid and protection, in the form -of government we had chosen, we proposed to -have a provision therein, not only putting it -out of its power to restrain and prevent the -slave trade, but actually to encourage that most -infamous traffic, by giving the States power -and influence in the Union, in proportion as -they cruelly and wantonly sported with the -rights of their fellow creatures. Such a course -ought to be considered a solemn mockery of, -and insult to, that God whose protection we -had implored, and it could not fail to hold us -up to the detestation and contempt of every -true friend of liberty in the world. National -crimes can only be, and frequently are punished, -at least, in the world, by national calamities. -And if we thus give national sanction to the -slave trade, we justly expose ourselves to the displeasure -and vengeance of Him who is equally -Lord of all, and who views with equal eye the -poor African slave and his American master.”</p> -</div> - -<p>The same fire which dictated the above, -burned also in Captain Riley’s heart, when he -exclaimed:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Strange as it may seem to the philanthropist, -my free and proud-spirited countrymen -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> -still hold a million and a half of human beings -in the most cruel bonds of slavery, who are -kept at hard labor, and, smarting under the lash -of inhuman, mercenary drivers, in many instances -enduring the miseries of hunger, thirst, -imprisonment, cold, nakedness, and even tortures. -This is no picture of the imagination. -For the honor of human nature, I wish likenesses -were nowhere to be found. I myself -have witnessed such scenes in different parts of -my own country, and the bare recollection of -them now chills my blood with horror.”</p> -</div> - -<p>In connection with this, we have the statement -of De Witt Clinton, who, during the -period of his legislative career—1797—bestowed -a large portion of his attention to the protection -of the public health, the promotion of agriculture, -manufactures, and the arts, the <i>gradual</i> -abolition of slavery, &c.</p> - -<p>The record of the proceedings of the Senate -of New York for the sessions of 1809-11 -exhibits proofs of Mr. Clinton’s great usefulness. -Under his auspices, the New York -Historical Society was incorporated, the Orphan -Asylum and free schools were fostered and -encouraged. He introduced laws to prevent -kidnapping, and the further introduction of -slaves; also to punish those who should treat -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> -slaves inhumanly.—<i>De Witt Clinton’s Life in -Delaplaine’s Repository.</i></p> - -<p>I have been forced, after honest and serious -consideration, to the conclusion, that God, who -rules all the affairs of men, is now speaking to -the American nation in thunder tones. He is -afflicting us for the terrible sin of slavery.</p> - -<p>The great fear of those who have fostered -this rebellion, is that a true knowledge of God -and his word would be instilled into the minds -of the people. This is proven by their own -arguments. Let us cite one from General Duff -Green’s favorite strain:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“We are of those who believe that the South -has nothing to fear from a servile war. We do -not believe that the abolitionists intend, nor -could they if they would, to excite the slaves -to insurrection. The danger of this is remote. -We believe we have most to fear from the -organized action upon the consciences and fears -of the slaveholders themselves; from the insinuations -of their dangerous heresies into our -schools and pulpits and our domestic circles. -It is only by alarming the consciences of the -weak and feeble, and diffusing among our own -people a morbid sensibility on the question of -slavery, that the abolitionists can accomplish -their object. Preparatory to this, they are now -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> -laboring to saturate the non-slaveholding States -with the belief that slavery is a sin against God; -that the national compact involves the non-slaveholders -in that sin, and that it is their duty to -toil and suffer that our country may be delivered -from what they term its blackest stain, its foulest -reproach, its deadliest curse.”—<i>Southern Review.</i></p> -</div> - -<p>Such arguments as these blacken the souls -of thousands, shut up the avenues of knowledge -in the South, and push on the car of slavery -until it crushes all liberty beneath its iron -wheels.</p> - -<p>While I was thus in my old prison a second -time, I met with a friend, Rev. William Rogers. -During my absence he had organized a Sabbath-school -among the prisoners. He had been fortunate -enough to obtain, by some means or -other, a copy of the Old or New Testament, -and from this precious volume he used to read -to the captives, who listened to him in alternate -groups. Just about the time that Mr. Rogers -was producing a good effect by this habit, the -school was peremptorily discontinued by the -rebels, who feared the dissemination of abolition -doctrines, notwithstanding the fact that Rogers -was a Southern man.</p> - -<p>While here, I made the acquaintance of Dr. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> -Doke of East Tennessee, and Dr. Fish of Illinois, -both of whom were busy day and night -ministering to the physical wants and ailments -of the prisoners. Medical stores were meagre, -and Dr. Doke informed me that to this cause was -traceable one-half the deaths that occurred.</p> - -<p>Mr. Rogers and I, falling into conversation -one afternoon, struck upon the question of -God’s special providence. In this we agreed -very well, but on that of slavery we were opposed -to each other. He had been all his life -an inhabitant of the South, and though he did -not fully justify the keeping of slaves, he did -not so blindly and bitterly denounce those of -an opposite opinion, as Southerners are generally -wont to do. But I still pray for God to -bless this good divine, as he loves and venerates -the Stars and Stripes. He is one of that class -who, notwithstanding all the ordinances of secession -cannot give up their affection for the -old standard.</p> - -<p>Soon after this, we were sent to Atlanta, -Georgia, under guard of one lieutenant. This -was the first privilege we had yet enjoyed, and -we appreciated it accordingly. Along the route -the rebels were extremely anxious to converse -with us, but we remained decidedly silent, for -the least word, inconsiderately spoken, would -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> -have placed us at the mercy of a mob, and we -well knew what result would follow that. We -were often insulted by such expressions as -“Yankee thieves,” “nigger-stealers,” &c.</p> - -<p>With no other incidents than these, we reached -Atlanta in safety. Here we found a large -number of Confederate wounded from Virginia, -for whom large tables had been set out, spread -with what food and luxuries could be obtained.</p> - -<p>As I was still dressed in the ragged Confederate -uniform in which I had escaped from -prison, a lady hailed me, to know if I was a -soldier. Of course, I answered yes, and for a -moment hesitated about the rest of my answer; -but, thinking any other course might be productive -of ill, I added that I was a United -States soldier, and of course could not expect -to share in a meal set out specially for Confederates. -With an assumption of affectation, -she turned away, saying:</p> - -<p>“Ah, we do not feed Yankees!”</p> - -<p>But I noticed her dark eyes closely following -me as I limped away through the crowd, and -ere I was out of sight, she came hurrying -through the latter, as though to speak to some -one near me, and she whispered in my ear:</p> - -<p>“I am from New York, and I will give you -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> -a cup of coffee. Come around, and I will slip -it to you, but you must keep silent.”</p> - -<p>My heart swelled with emotion as I obeyed -this angel woman, and I know the tears dropped -on my face, as, with husky tones, I thanked her -for the mug of rye coffee and the nice biscuit -she placed in my hands.</p> - -<p>We remained here long enough to learn that -a captain and three Tennesseeans had been hung -for their Union sentiments, and to learn also -that captives fared very badly. Then we pushed -on to Madison, where we were incarcerated in -an old factory building, four stories high, and -situated in the southeastern portion of the town. -It was two o’clock, A. M., when we arrived, and -we were immediately locked up in a room entirely -destitute of a bed. But still there was -such a contrast between it and the old jail in -which we had been immured, that we thought -it very fine indeed.</p> - -<p>We lay down till morning, and when we -arose, we found ourselves in company with -General Prentiss and General Crittenden, together -with two hundred and sixteen other -officers of various grades. Here also I met with -my old prison companions, Lieutenants Todd, -Stokes, Hollingsworth, and Winslow—all clergymen -like myself—Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> -Majors Crockett, Chandler, McCormick and -Studman. I soon formed an agreeable acquaintance -with General Prentiss, who was taken -prisoner on Sunday, April 6th, 1862, at Shiloh. -It had generally been reported that the General -had surrendered early in the morning; -but this was false, for I now learned that he did -not give up until five o’clock in the afternoon, -thus holding at least five or six times his own -number in check the whole of that dreadful -day. Without doubt, history will do the gallant -hero justice; for on that bloody field he -displayed coolness and heroism seldom equalled -and never excelled.</p> - -<p>I found General Prentiss not one of your -half-hearted war men, who fight conditionally, -but a whole-souled patriot, who would destroy -the institution that is the root of the war. He -would not see the glorious banner trailed in the -dust to uphold a few Southern aristocrats in -perpetuating their horrid system of human -bondage. His feelings were consonant with -those of John Quincy Adams, when that wise -man addressed Congress, February 4th, 1843, -in the following words:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Three days since, Mr. Clayton, of Georgia, -called that species of population (slaves) the -machinery of the South. Now, that machinery -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> -has twenty odd representatives in this hall, not -elected by the machinery, but by those who -own it. And if I should go back to the history -of the Government from its foundations, it -would be easy to prove that its decisions have -been effected in general by less majorities than -that. Nay, I might go further, and insist that -that very representation has ever been, in fact, -the ruling power of this Government.</p> - -<p>“The history of the Union has afforded a -continual proof that the representation of property, -which they enjoy, as well in the election -of President and Vice-President of the United -States, as upon the floor of the House of Representatives, -has secured to the slaveholding -States the entire control of the national policy, -and almost without exception, the possession of -the highest executive office of the Union. Always -united in the purpose of regulating the -affairs of the whole Union by the standard of -the slaveholding interest, their disproportionate -numbers in the electoral colleges have enabled -them, in ten out of twelve quadrennial elections, -to confer the Chief Magistracy upon one of their -own citizens. Their suffrages at every election, -without exception, have been exclusively confined -to a candidate of their own caste.”</p> -</div> - -<p>General Prentiss was kind and affable to all -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> -around him, and among fifteen hundred men of -his command with whom I freely conversed, -there was not one who did not love and respect -him.</p> - -<p>Every day found me growing more and more -hostile to the slave system; and the actions of -the various States against slavery often recurred -to my mind, and always produced a pleasurable -feeling. Pennsylvania took the lead in this -noble race. The Act is to be found in Smith’s -Laws, Vol. I., p. 493, 1780. It was for the -gradual abolishment of slavery, and every word -of it should have been printed in letters of gold. -This just Act was, for a long course of years, -adhered to and perfected until slavery ceased in -the State.</p> - -<p>In the year 1827, the following open avowal -of the State doctrine was made preface to the -Act:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“<i>To prevent certain abuses of the laws relative -to fugitives from labor.</i></p> - -<p>“They ought not to be tolerated in the State -of Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p>“Above all let us never yield up the right -of the free discussion of any evil which may -arise in the land or any part of it; convinced -that the moment we do so, the bond of the -Union is broken. For the Union, a voluntary -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> -compact to continue together for certain specified -purposes, the instant one portion of it succeeds -in imposing terms and dictating conditions -upon another not found in the contract, the relation -between them changes, and that which -was union becomes subjection.”—<i>Message to -Pennsylvania Legislature</i>, 1836.</p> -</div> - -<p>Had we obeyed these admonitions when it -was first attempted to stop our arguments, had -we stood up like men and never yielded our -rights on this subject, our foes would never -have succeeded. Oh, that the united North -had stood up like the martyr, Elijah Lovejoy! -Said he:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“I know that I have a right fully to speak and -publish my sentiments, subject only to the laws -of the land for the abuse of that right; and this -right was given to me by my Maker, and is -solemnly guaranteed to me by the Constitution -of the United States and also the State. What -I wish to know of you is, whether you will -protect me in this right, or whether, as heretofore, -I am to be subjected to personal indignity -and outrage.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Was this noble man protected? No! He -fell into the arms of his brother one day, shot, -down on the threshold of his own house, by the -bullet of a cowardly and fanatical assassin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> - -<p>General Crittenden, with whom I also became -acquainted here, was a slaveholder, yet he did -not pretend to endorse the system. Another -gentleman, Lieutenant-Colonel Pratt, of Missouri, -born and bred in North Carolina, was -strongly anti-slavery in his views.</p> - -<p>Henry Clay, that peerless statesman, made the -following remarks in a speech before a meeting -of the Colonization Society:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“As a mere laborer, the slave feels that he -toils for his master, and not for himself; that -the laws do not recognize his capacity to acquire -and hold property, which depends altogether -upon the pleasure of his proprietor; and -that all the fruits of his exertion are reaped by -others. He knows that whether sick or well, -in times of scarcity or abundance, his master is -bound to provide for him by the all-powerful -influence of self-interest. He is generally, therefore, -indifferent to the adverse or prosperous -fortunes of his master, being contented if he -can escape his displeasure or chastisement by a -careless and slovenly performance of his duties.</p> - -<p>“That labor is best in which the laborer -knows that he will receive the profits of his industry, -and where his employment depends -upon his diligence, and his reward upon his -assiduity. He then has every motive to excite -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> -him to exertion, and animate him to perseverance. -He knows that if he is treated badly, -he can exchange his employer. With the proceeds -of his toil to his own hands, he distributes -it as his pleasure indicates. In a word, he is a -free agent, with rights, privileges, and sensibilities. -Wherever the option exists to employ, at -an equal hire, free or slave labor, the former -will always have the preference. It is more -capable, more diligent, more faithful, and in -every respect more worthy of confidence.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Among the prisoners with whom I was in -company, there were ninety-six incarcerated for -political offences; that means for conscience’ -sake. They were mostly from East Tennessee, -and they all, with one exception, believed -slavery to be the cause of the war. This they -often remarked to me, and invariably added -that the war would never cease until slavery -was destroyed. These opinions were expressed -before we heard of the President’s proclamation.</p> - -<p>“Why, sir,” remarked I, to a Tennesseean of -wealth and influence, “we are told by men in -our country, that if you in the South thought -this, you would be a united opposition at once.”</p> - -<p>“Sir,” was the answer, “there are some in -the South, now Union men whom this notion -might affect; but the truth is, that you can -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> -never restore the Union until you emancipate -the slaves. For their masters can use them, -both small and great, old and young, as efficiently -as you can white men. They make them -hoe corn and cotton to feed and clothe soldiers -in the field; and here again the females are as -useful as the males. If I could see some move -made at this system of slavery, I would have -some hope. I am myself the owner of ten or -twelve slaves, and I would willingly give them -all up to see the desired result brought about. -Emancipation, sir, is the only hope that the -Union men have of a restoration. While you -return the slaves to their masters as soon as you -take them, there is no hope. You might as -well, when you take a rebel soldier prisoner, -send him immediately back to his own lines -without parole.”</p> - -<p>My spirits were often depressed, and on one -of these occasions I committed all my papers -to the care of Captain Stedman, with whom I -had formed a friendship in prison, requesting -him that, in case I succumbed to my sufferings, -he would endeavor to forward them to my wife.</p> - -<p>During the daytime, we were permitted the -liberty of the prison yard. One day, while -walking about, I noticed a cellar, to which -entrance was had from the yard. Into this -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> -dark cellar I made my way, and prayed to God -to remember me in my sore tribulation. Once, -when I was making my exit from this retreat -in company with a comrade or two who had -joined me, I was seen by Captain Stedman, who -on learning what we did there, begged us to -pray for him. The next night we prayed in -our apartment before retiring. This awakened -some surprise among the rest of our comrades, -some of whom were swearing and others playing -cards. The night following, we held a -regular prayer-meeting in our cellar, and God -blessed us, and made us exceedingly happy. -Each evening thereafter found us holding our -prayer-meetings, and each evening saw several -recruits added to our number. It had been -agreed that there was to be no noise, fearing, -as we did, that in case there was, we would be -discovered by the guards, and a stop put to our -proceedings. The rule was faithfully observed -until one night, Captain Stedman, receiving a -baptism from on high, could not restrain his -happiness, but shouted, “Glory to God in the -highest,” and the shout was taken up by the -rest.</p> - -<p>Here, we thought, was an end of our meetings, -for the guards heard us. But we were agreeably -mistaken.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">The Slave’s Ruse—The Richmond Enquirer—President’s -Proclamation—A Negro Prayer—A “Big Bug”—A Casibianca—Death -of Mr. Eckels—Thoughts and Plans of -Escape—Lieutenant Pittenger.</p> - -<p class="noindent">The next day after this occurrence, as I was -walking in the yard, a negro, who worked in -the prison, slyly pulled me as I was passing him, -and exclaimed in an under-tone:</p> - -<p>“All us darkies gwine to be free, yah! yah!”</p> - -<p>“What?” asked I, taking care to avoid being -seen by the guards.</p> - -<p>“Why, all us nigs gwine to be free, yah! -yah! gin us yer coat, massa!”</p> - -<p>I fully understood this coat business, as the -reader must be aware from an explanation previously -given, but, as I had no coat myself, I -went to Captain McCormick, my messmate, and -got his. It very fortunately had a long rip in -the right sleeve.</p> - -<p>“Here, nigger,” cried I, in loud tones, “can’t -you get this coat mended?”</p> - -<p>“Mended!” exclaimed the intelligent fellow, -in assumed tones of wrath, intended for the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> -guards. “I wish dar wus no Yankees! dere -more bodder den dar wuff! good deal!”</p> - -<p>“Go get it mended for him, you black -skunk!” exclaimed one of the guard, “and -make him pay well for’t.”</p> - -<p>“Dat’s jes what dis yere nigger’ll do, I -golly!”</p> - -<p>The coat was taken roughly away by the -negro, and returned the next morning, with the -rip mended, and a copy of the <i>Richmond Enquirer, -containing the President’s Emancipation -Proclamation, artfully concealed in the lining</i>! -The paragraph was carefully marked all around, -and its perusal gave me the utmost delight. I -dared not tell even my most intimate friends -how I got this paper, for there were spies -among us to report us.</p> - -<p>I felt restive under the curb that kept my -tongue still, but the thought rose to comfort me, -that, though they bound me in the chains of -a slave, the day would come when, with the poet, -I could sing:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“Oh, Liberty, thou Goddess heavenly bright,</div> -<div class="verse">Profuse of bliss, and pregnant with delight,</div> -<div class="verse">Eternal pleasures in thy presence reign,</div> -<div class="verse">And smiling Plenty leads thy wanton train.</div> -<div class="verse">Eased of her load, Subjection grows more light,</div> -<div class="verse">And Poverty looks cheerful in thy sight.</div> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> -<div class="verse">Thou mak’st the gloomy face of Nature gay,</div> -<div class="verse">Giv’st beauty to the sun, and pleasure to the day.</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<p class="center skip3"> - * * * * * * * -</p> - -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">Wrenched the red scourge from proud oppressors’ hands,</div> -<div class="verse">And broke, curs’d slavery, thy iron bands.</div> -<div class="verse">E’en now, e’en now, on yonder western shores,</div> -<div class="verse">Weeps pale Despair, and writhing Anguish roars.</div> -<div class="verse">E’en now, in Afric’s groves, with hideous yell,</div> -<div class="verse">Fierce slavery stalks, and slips the dogs of Hell!</div> -<div class="verse">From vale to vale the gathering cries rebound,</div> -<div class="verse">And sable nations tremble at the sound.</div> -<div class="verse">Who right the injured, and reward the brave,</div> -<div class="verse">Stretch your strong arms, for ye have power to save!</div> -<div class="verse">Throned in the vaulted heart, his dread resort,</div> -<div class="verse">Inexorable Conscience holds his court.</div> -<div class="verse">With still, small voice, the plots of guilt alarms,</div> -<div class="verse">Bares his masked brow, his lifted hand disarms;</div> -<div class="verse">But wrapped in night, with terrors all his own,</div> -<div class="verse">He speaks in thunders when the deed is done;</div> -<div class="verse">Hear him, ye Senates, hear this truth sublime,—</div> -<div class="verse">He who allows oppression shares the crime.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>That night our prayer-meeting—which was -no longer secret—was one of the happiest we -ever enjoyed. I found that, like myself, all -had heard of the proclamation, and we all reverently -thanked God for it. Next to me was an -old negro who had been taken prisoner in East -Tennessee. He had originally been freed by -his master, a wealthy Georgian planter. When -this son of Africa prayed, he let himself out in -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> -all the power and exuberance of his strong but -uneducated mind.</p> - -<p>“O, good Lord!” cried he, “don’t let off de -steam, but put on more steam, O, good Lord! -and don’t put on de brakes; but run her right -up to de fust of January! And den O, good, -blessed Lord, my wife’ll be free! Tank God! -glory! Amen! God send down de power! -Amen, and amen!”</p> - -<p>As this earnest freedman ceased prayer, I -thought of my own white countrymen who -were fighting to keep the slave enchained:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“And we are free—but is there not</div> -<div class="verse indent1">One blot upon our name?</div> -<div class="verse">Is our proud record written fair</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Upon the scroll of fame?</div> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“Our banner floateth by the shore,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Our flag upon the sea;</div> -<div class="verse">But when the fettered slave is loosed,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">We shall be truly free.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>That night I shall never forget, for we took -our prayer-meeting up to the second floor. We -had gained in strength, and God had shed his -blessing on our efforts, so that even the most -profane man in our midst, Captain Crawford, -was affected. Said he to me one day:</p> - -<p>“After such demonstrations as I have witnessed -in your prayer-meetings, all the devils -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> -in hell could not make me believe there was no -reality in religion.”</p> - -<p>As the rebel authorities were now arresting -and imprisoning every man who refused to -bear arms for the Confederacy, we had additions -made to our numbers every morning. On one -occasion, among a crowd that were brought in, -was a very large man. He was five feet eight -inches high, and weighed <i>three hundred and -eighty pounds</i>. He was a man of wealth and -influence, and after having had innumerable -servants to wait upon him, it came rather hard -on him to be obliged to get his own place ready -to sleep in. I say <i>place</i>, for our quarters were -entirely innocent of a bed, and if we took -turns sleeping on a blanket, we considered ourselves -lucky. In the morning he spent some -time in rising, for it needed his utmost efforts -to get his vast body to an upright position. -His exertions ruffled his temper exceedingly, -and as the perspiration poured down his face, -he muttered to himself over and over again:</p> - -<p>“Now, old Henry, you’ve got yourself in a -h—l of a fix, ain’t you, you d——d old fool!” -Notwithstanding, this old man was very -gentlemanly in his deportment.</p> - -<p>Among a batch that had lately arrived, was a -man whom the rebels were endeavoring to force -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> -to take the oath of allegiance to the Southern -Confederacy. But his wife, who had been confined -just after his arrest, fearing that his regard -for her condition might induce him to -submit to what was demanded, sent her son, -who was only eight years old, to tell his father -not to take the oath.</p> - -<p>This brave little fellow came nearly one -hundred miles on his mission, and, when he arrived, -the guards refused to admit him. Undaunted, -however, by the rebuff, the young hero -got close to the picket-fence, and shouted with -all his might:</p> - -<p>“Pa! pa! don’t you swear! Oh, pa, don’t -you swear! We can get along; I got the lot -ploughed to put in the wheat!”</p> - -<p>I wished at the time that this scene could be -witnessed by the whole North. I feel convinced -that in that case no one would raise a cry of -indignation at the arrest of traitors who cry for -peace, and who thus aid the South in oppressing -the really true Union men in that region.</p> - -<p>A gentleman by the name of Shaw, was the -object of Confederate malice, and on no rational -grounds whatever. Hoping to secure a place of -refuge for his wife and helpless children, he -had, some ten months previous, sought to leave -his native State, Virginia, as he knew that the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> -most terrible battles of the war must take place -there. On the road he was met and seized by -a band of ruffians, who, without the slightest -explanation, tore him from the presence of his -family, and hurried him away to jail, for disloyalty -to the South. The last he had seen of his -wife and four little ones was when they stood -weeping and wringing their hands on the road-side, -as his ruthless captors carried him from -their sight. He had never heard tale nor tidings -of them since, and what their fate had been he -knew not. His case was only one of a thousand -others.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“See the dire victim, torn from social life,</div> -<div class="verse">The shrieking babe, the agonizing wife.</div> -<div class="verse">See! wretch forlorn is dragged by hostile hands</div> -<div class="verse">To distant tyrants, sold on distant lands;</div> -<div class="verse">Transmitted miseries and successive chains,</div> -<div class="verse">The soul-sad heritage, her child obtains.</div> -<div class="verse">E’en this last wretched boon their foes deny,</div> -<div class="verse">To live together, or together die!</div> -<div class="verse">By felon hands, by one relentless stroke,</div> -<div class="verse">See the fond links of feeling Nature broke!</div> -<div class="verse">The fibres twisting round a parent’s heart,</div> -<div class="verse">Torn from their grasp, and bleeding as they part!”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>This unfortunate man gave me instances of -where he had seen his neighbors hung, some -until not quite dead, and then taken down to -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> -take the oath of allegiance. In case they refused, -they were instantly strung up again.</p> - -<p>We were so much encouraged in holding our -prayer-meetings, that we finally were bold -enough to request the privilege of having -divine service every Sabbath. This was granted, -much to our surprise, and we had the most -happy times imaginable. Oh, it was glorious -for the soul to bask in that heavenly sunlight -which God thus shed upon us in our dreary -prison.</p> - -<p>About this time, I became acquainted with -Simeon B. Eckels. He was very sick, and requested -me often to pray for him. Our friendship -was as cordial as it was short, for his sickness -was unto death. The God who sent his -angel to free his apostle Peter, took our sick -brother by the hand, and led him from out the -noisome prison to the mansions above, where -care comes not, and where sickness is not -known. He died at half past ten o’clock, P. M., -on August 22, 1862. For several days prior to -his death, I was constantly by him, and was -much gratified with the manifestations he gave -of preparation for the future. Brother Eckels -gave me the name of the church in Iowa to -which he belonged, also the names of his mother -and sister, who lived in Ohio. He requested -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> -me to visit the latter. His thoughts were centred -solely upon heaven and his mother, and in -his moments of revival he would often repeat -the lines:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“My mother, at thy holy name,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Within my bosom is a gush</div> -<div class="verse">Of feeling, which no time can tame,</div> -<div class="verse">And which, for worlds of fame,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">I would not, could not crush.”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Brother Eckels’s end was indeed one of peace -and bright serenity. At his request I preached -his funeral sermon the day succeeding his death, -from the text, “They that sleep in Jesus will -God bring with him.”</p> - -<p>At the hour appointed for the funeral of the -deceased, a negro drove up with a dirty dray, -on which we supposed they intended to throw -the corpse, and cart it away like some animal’s -carcass. At this, the Colonel of his regiment, -Colonel Shaw, earnestly requested that we -might be allowed to bear the body, and thus -prevent the insult offered to the dead. This -request had the effect of causing the officers to -send for a light wagon, and in this was our -sleeping brother and comrade soldier carried to -his long home, followed by myself and a companion -or two. Gentle be his slumbers beneath -the sods of Georgia’s soil!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span></p> - -<p>Unfortunately, among some other papers, I -lost that on which I had taken the address of -Mr. Eckels’ mother, and have, therefore, as yet, -been unable to fulfil my promise to visit her. -Nothing would give me more pleasure than to -see this dear old lady, and tell her what a glorious -death-bed was that of her son. Since my -return home, I have frequently heard a sweet -song, the words of which picture before me the -last hours of Mr. Eckels. How touchingly appropriate -to the dying breath of this Christian -hero, were the lines:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Soon with angels I’ll be marching,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">With bright laurels on my brow—</div> -<div class="verse">For my country I have fallen,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Who will care for mother now?”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>Hitherto our spirits had been borne up by -the hopes of a speedy exchange; but as day -followed day, this fond hope faded, and we -began seriously to think of making our escape. -A general rise of the prisoners was proposed, -which would no doubt have been successful, -with perhaps the loss of five or ten of our -number. This I did not personally approve of, -as I was unable to travel; but still I stated to -my fellow captives, that I would put no hindrance -in their way if they should decide upon -such a course. A sufficient number not being -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> -obtained to give this plan any chance of success, -it was finally abandoned for some others that -promised more success.</p> - -<p>I had ascertained the distance to the river, -and also, that if we could reach the latter, we -could run down it in a skiff. I immediately -selected a comrade, broke the intelligence to -him, and obtained his consent to make a dash -for liberty. We made known our intention to -a third one, and he, too, consented to join in -the perilous undertaking. The plan of operations -was this:</p> - -<p>On the first rainy night, we were to go to -some Murfreesboro’ prisoners, who had blankets, -and obtain some of the latter under -the pretense of washing them. We then intended -to make our way to the fence, and with -our knives, cut around the heads of the nails, -so that the boards could be easily pulled off. -Then filling the places we had cut with sand, -we intended to hang the blankets over the fence -so as to hide our work. At some subsequent -time, when the guards drove us up to our -room, we were going to the fence under pretense -of getting our blankets, and intended to -remain there till all was quiet. Then, tearing -off several boards, we were to make an effort -to gain our freedom.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span></p> - -<p>All worked well until the night of our final -attempt, and then, unfortunately, one of our -companions was taken ill. This was the first -disappointment. The next wet night that came, -we were all well, and started; but, just as we -were about to accomplish our purpose, General -Prentiss, with several others, made a like attempt, -unknown however, to us. Of course, an -alarm was immediately raised, and the guards -were on the <i>qui vive</i>. The General’s party, -headed by him, dashed back, and hid themselves -in the cellar where we used to hold our prayer-meetings, -while we reached our own room in -safety. A Tennesseean tore up a plank from our -floor and succeeded in getting one, Lieutenant -Ward, up out of the cellar beneath; but, ere -another could be assisted thus, the guards had -captured the fugitives, and marched them out -into the yard. A short time afterward, they -were brought back into the room in which we -were, amid the jokes and laughs of the rest of -the prisoners at their non-success.</p> - -<p>A few hours after daylight, a guard of fifteen -or twenty men marched in and took General -Prentiss, Captain Gaddus, Major Ward, and -several others into custody. Where they took -them we did not know; but, a few days subsequently, -I heard through Dolph, the black -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> -boy, that they were put into a common jail, and -chained to the floor. From the description he -gave of it, their condition must indeed have -been horrible.</p> - -<p>Think of that, all you who sympathize with -traitors, and equivocate, if you can, or dare, -upon such acts as these! You may say you do -not believe such things were done. Let me -then refer you to a case, sworn to by one of the -sufferers, upon his return home, now Lieutenant -William Pittenger, as noble a young man as -ever breathed, and formerly associate of Rev. -Alexander Clark, in the publication of “<i>Clark’s -School Visitor</i>.” It is from an official report, -given before Judge Holt, by order of the Secretary -of War:</p> - -<p>“An order came for the execution of our -seven comrades who had been tried. It was at -that time entirely unexpected to us, although at -first it would not have been. Sentence of death -was read to them, and they were immediately -tied, without any time for preparation being allowed -them. They were told to bid us farewell, -and be quick about it. They were then taken -out of the prison, and we could see them from a -window, seated in a wagon, and escorted by -cavalry. In the course of an hour or so, the -cavalry returned without them. That evening, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> -Captain Farackers, the provost marshal, called -upon us. We asked him how our companions -had met their fate. He told us, “like brave -men.” The next day, we conversed with the -guards who were guarding us, with one in particular, -who described the scenes of the execution. -He told us of a speech of one of these -men, named Wilson, from my regiment, on the -scaffold. He told us, also, that two of the -heaviest men had broken the ropes by which -they were suspended, and fell to the ground. -They afterwards revived, and asked for a drink -of water; which being given to them, they requested -an hour to prepare for death, and pray -before they were again hung up. Their request -was refused, and, as soon as the ropes -could be re-adjusted, they were compelled to -re-ascend the scaffold. The guard told me that -Mr. Wilson had spoken very calmly; had told -them they were all in the wrong; that they -would yet see the time when the old Union -would be restored, and the flag of our country -would wave over all that region.”</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><a id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a></h2> -</div> - -<p class="chapsum">Just Judgment—General Prentiss in Close -Confinement—Northern Peace Men—Bear Story—In the -Hospital—Old Aunt Susie—Sold Children—Without Bread, -and Satisfied—What our Fathers thought—An Untrammeled -Pulpit—Clay-eaters—Commissioners to -Washington—Homeward Bound—An Irate Southron—My Yellow -Angel—Our Journey—An Accident—Jeff. Davis’ -Coffin—Don’t Know Myself—Safe at Home—Conclusion.</p> - -<p class="noindent">Is it not passing strange that enlightened -Americans can be thus so barbarous? It is -related of a certain English judge, that a criminal -was brought before him, whom, for certain -offences, he sentenced to seven years transportation. -The prisoner’s friends immediately sent -a petition to the judge, stating that he was a -well-informed man, and if he had an opportunity, -might yet be a useful member of society. -The judge forthwith, sent for the criminal, and -thus addressed him:</p> - -<p>“I understand, sir, that you are a man of -knowledge, and well-informed, and might be a -useful member to society. But see what you -have done in the face of all your knowledge. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> -Now, sir, I had intended to give you only seven -years; but because you know better, I shall -double your term and give you <i>fourteen years -transportation, with hard labor</i>.” That was a just -judge, and before him should the South be tried -for the deeds she has committed during this -war.</p> - -<p>What renders the offence against the noble -General Prentiss so much more aggravating, is -the fact, that he was thus treated after he had -been regularly exchanged. The man for whom -he was exchanged, General Price, had been set -at liberty, and returned to his family.</p> - -<p>What apology the Southerners could offer in -this case I know not; but I suppose they might -treat the matter in the same light as they do -the wrongs inflicted upon the four millions of -human beings whom they hold in bondage. -Their reply is, when spoken to of their cruelties -to their slaves:</p> - -<p>“Oh, they’re only niggers!”</p> - -<p>So, in regard to General Prentiss, they might -say:</p> - -<p>“Oh, he’s only a Yankee abolitionist!”</p> - -<p>And shame mantles my brow as I say that -there is a class of men in the North, whom this -answer would not only satisfy, but actually -delight. Thank God that this class is a harmless -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> -minority! What a sorry figure they will -cut after the war is over, and the rebels thrashed -back into the Union! They remind me of an -anecdote I once heard, of a man named John -Williams. John was a poor, lazy coward himself, -while his wife was just the reverse. Moving -to a mountainous region in Virginia, they got a -little cabin and lot of ground. One day Lucy, -his wife, was working in the garden, while John -was nursing the baby. Suddenly an old, hungry -bear was seen coming down the mountain -side, directly toward them. John instantly -dropped the child, ran to the cabin, climbed up -the ladder into the loft, and pulled the ladder -up after him, thus leaving the mother and baby -to do the best they could. Lucy, seeing her -chance of escape thus cut off, did not wait to -scold her cowardly husband, but seizing an ax, -went out to meet the bear. As soon as old -Bruin came within reach, the courageous mother -struck him on the head again and again.</p> - -<p>John, as he witnessed this from the loft-window, -cried out:</p> - -<p>“Quit that, you Lucy; you’ll make him -madder and madder!”</p> - -<p>Lucy paid no attention to John, but continued -chopping away at the bear until she killed him. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> -As the beast fell dead, John breathed somewhat -more freely, and called out:</p> - -<p>“Lucy, is he dead?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure he’s dead, Lucy?”</p> - -<p>“Yes! of course he is.”</p> - -<p>John came down, and going to where the -dead bear lay, he looked first at it, and then at -his wife, ready, however, to start off on a run -should the brute give any signs of life. After -thus contemplating matters, he gave his collar -a jerk, and exclaimed, proudly:</p> - -<p>“Hurrah, Lucy, <i>we’ve</i> killed a big bear! -blamed if we ain’t!”</p> - -<p>So it is with the peace-men of to-day. They -cry now loudly for peace, and whine about the -unconstitutional arrest of a few tories. And -when it is over, and freedom triumphs, <i>their</i> -coward lips will boast of victories won over the -legions of secession. Such are the Vallandigham -traitors.</p> - -<p>General Prentiss remained in close confinement -until October 6th, and during the time he had -been absent from our party. I had been taken -with a severe illness, which obtained for me admission -to a rear room of the prison, which was -dignified by the name of a hospital. Here I -enjoyed the privilege of drawing my allowance -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> -of corn-meal from the commissary, and taking -it, or sending it, under guard, out to some one -in the town, to have it cooked. I got a slave, -called Aunt Susie, belonging to a widow, to -attend to mine, and she did it well. I was -forbidden to speak to her, however.</p> - -<p>One day, Lieutenant Welsh came in with the -report that Aunt Susie was having great trouble. -I suspected the reason, but kept silent. The -next day, feeling well enough, I obtained permission -to take my own meal out to get it -cooked. As it happened, two black boys were -on guard, and one of these only accompanied me. -He knew all about Aunt Susie’s sorrow, and, as -he walked along, he said:</p> - -<p>“Don’t b’lieve Aunt Susie ’ill be able to do -your cookin’, sah.”</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked I.</p> - -<p>“Kase she’s in heaps o’ trouble, sah. You -see, de sheriff sold her little boy an’ gal t’oder -day, an’ she’s bin cryin’ eber since, as though -her heart ’ud break.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think that sale was right?” said I.</p> - -<p>“Well, now, I guess I doesn’t, sah!” was the -quick reply.</p> - -<p>“Well, then, why are you in the army that -supports such doings?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, sah, dey makes me shoulder my gun, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> -an’ dey makes me fire, sah; but dey can’t make -me shoot low, so as to hit anybody. When I -fire, sah, I shoots ober, d’ye understand, sah? -I fires, but nobody gits hurt wid my ball, sah!”</p> - -<p>“Well, why is it,” continued I, “that your -masters mix you up with white soldiers? Why -don’t they put all you blacks into regiments -by yourselves?”</p> - -<p>“Yah! yah! sah,” said the slave, “dey knows -’nuff better dan dat. Dey knows we’d fight -t’odder way, if we got togedder. Yes, sah!”</p> - -<p>By this time we reached Aunt Susie’s cabin, -where I found the poor creature sitting an a -stool, weeping bitterly. On her lap lay a little -boy two years old, while by her knee stood -another of four years.</p> - -<p>When I entered the cabin, she sprang to her -feet in an excited manner; but when she saw -myself and guard, she became calmer.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter, Aunt Susie?” I asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sah,” she replied, amidst tears and sobs, -“I darsen’t tell you, sah, for it’ll break my poor -old heart.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, come now, Susie, tell me. If I -cannot help you, I can at least feel sorry for -you.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, sah, but you are kind to feel sorry for -a poor old slave like me. Dey’re sold my two -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> -dear little children, and dey’ll take ’em away -to-morrow, and I knows I’ll neber see ’em no -more ’till I sees ’em up dar, sah—up dar, sah, -whar none of us’ll be sold any more.”</p> - -<p>As Aunt Susie made this reply, she turned -her face heavenward, and pointed up with her -finger. In her agonized countenance, wet as it -was with her sorrowful tears, I read an appeal for -the freedom of the slave, stronger and more -touching than all the volumes and speeches -that have ever been written or made upon the -subject.</p> - -<p>I could not stand it any longer, and bidding -the poor old slave good-bye, I turned away -without my bread, for my heart was full. I no -longer wondered at the strength of the language -used by Ireland’s great orator, Daniel -O’Connell, when he said:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“The Americans, in their conduct towards -the slaves, are traitors to the cause of human -liberty, foul detractors of the democratic principles -which I have cherished throughout my -political life. They are blasphemers of that -great and sacred name which they pretend to -honor. For in their solemn league and covenant, -the Declaration of Independence, they -declare that all men have certain ‘inalienable -rights.’ These they defined to be life, liberty, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> -and the pursuit of happiness. To maintain -these, they pledged themselves with all the -solemnity of an oath in the presence of Almighty -God. The aid which they invoked -from heaven was awarded to them; but they -have violated their awfully solemn compact -with the Deity, and set at naught every principle -which they profess to hold sacred, by keeping -two and a half millions of their fellow-men -in bondage. In reprobation of that disgraceful -conduct, my humble voice is heard across the -waves of the wide Atlantic. Like the thunderstorm -in its strength, it careers against the breeze -armed with the lightning of Christian truth. -And let them seek to repress it as they may; -let them murder and assassinate in the true -spirit of Lynch law; the storm will rave louder -and louder around them till the claims of justice -become too strong to be withstood, and the -black man will stand up too big for his chains. -I hope what I am about to say is not a profanation, -but it seems as if the curse of the Almighty -has already overtaken them. For the -first time in their political history, disgraceful -tumults and anarchy have been witnessed in -their cities. Blood has been shed without the -sanction of the law, and even Sir Robert Peel -has been enabled to taunt Americans with gross -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> -inconsistency and lawless proceedings. I differ -with Sir Robert Peel on many points. On one -point, however, I fully agree with him. Let -the proud Americans learn that all parties in -this country unite in condemnation of their present -conduct, and let them also learn that the -worst of all aristocracies is that which prevails -in America, an aristocracy which has been aptly -denominated that of the human skin. The most -insufferable pride is that shown by such an aristocracy. -I will continue to hurl these taunts -across the Atlantic. They will ascend the Mississippi, -they will descend the Missouri, and be -heard along the banks of the Ohio and Monongahela, -till the black man leaps delightedly to -express his gratitude to those who have effected -his emancipation. And oh! but perhaps it is my -pride that dictates this hope, that some black -O’Connell may rise among his fellow-slaves, who -will cry ‘agitate! agitate! agitate!’ till the two -millions and a half of his fellow-sufferers learn -their strength, learn that they <i>are</i> two millions -and a half! If there is one thing more than -another which can excite my hatred, it is the -laws which the Americans have framed to prevent -the instruction of their slaves. To teach -a slave to read is made a capital offence! -Shame! To be seen in the company of a slave -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> -who can write, is visited with imprisonment! -Shame! And to teach the slave the principles -of freedom is punishable with death! It -may be asked, Are these human laws? Are they -not made by the wolves of the forest? No, but -they are made by a congregation of two-legged -wolves, American wolves, monsters in human -shape, who boast of their liberty and of their -humanity, while they carry the hearts of tigers -within them. With regard to the attacks that -have been made upon my countrymen by such -men, I rejoice at them. They prove to me that -the sufferings to which they have been subjected -in the land of their birth have not been lost -upon them; but that their kindly affections -have been nurtured into strength, and that they -have ranged themselves on the side of the oppressed -slave.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Would to heaven that ministers of religion, -as well as statesmen would shake off their lip-fetters, -and throughout the whole nation proclaim, -as with one voice, the liberty of Gospel -love! As long as the heralds of salvation are -time-servers and caste-courters, there will be -Pharisaical hatred to God’s poor. The reader -will peruse an extract here from a sermon on -<i>Christian Courage</i> by Rev. Alexander Clark, -delivered in the mid-summer of 1862, some -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> -weeks before the announcement of the Emancipation -Proclamation. The words are timely -and truthful now as then:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“To the Christian citizen, who, in this nation, -is greater than a ruler in any other, I would -say a word to-day. These are times of sorrow. -Our nation is terribly lacerated, and bleeding at -every pore. Horrid civil war hangs her black -pall over our summer skies. The clouds have -hovered long, and still they gather. All the -light we have are the vivid lightnings that -flash across our battle-fields, though every flash -reveals a flying foe, records the victory, and -thrills it in electric velocity throughout our -loyal land. Then an impenetrable darkness prevails. -We cannot yet see the ‘cloud with the -silver lining.’ We cannot hail the day of -universal peace. The thick shadows obscure -our vision. The groans we hear, and the tears -we see, hinder our exulting. Oh, the tears of -this war—what a river of them, enough, with -the added tears of the suffering slaves for lo! -these many years, to float the cruel ship that -first brought bondmen to our shores! The -graves already filled, and others filling every -day, and every where, almost crush our very -hopes. In the midst of this darkness and storm, -this carnage and blood, we would fear for the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> -result, were it not for the assurance that we feel -to nerve us right from the God of nations. -<i>Be not afraid, only believe.</i></p> - -<p>“And what shall we believe? What shall be -our faith? This—no more, and no less—that -this nation must first be pure, then peaceable. -Amen. Lord, help thou our unbelief! Purify -us from all sin! Take away from us all false -trust, and all man-glorying! The Lord help us -to accept universal liberty for this nation—boldly, -immediately, unconditionally, that the -sunlight of God’s favor may shine upon us once -more and for ever! May our rulers and generals, -and all Christians, accept the life-thought of -freedom to all men as the talisman of triumph -henceforth! And may none in authority, may -none in the churches or closets, be unwilling to -trust in the arm of the Lord. Oh, that the -entire people might cease trembling, and <i>believe</i> -and be bold for the right!</p> - -<p>“The same Power that spoke life to the daughter -of Jairus, is able to restore our lost prosperity—is -able to return to us our national -renown. And He will, if we only believe. -Our Republic is young in years, as a child -among the nations, but it will yet be raised to -its second life, which shall be more glorious -than the first. The noise of party politicians -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> -and mock mourners shall be hushed as insolence, -and the professional fault-finders who -ridicule the workings of Providence, shall be -<i>turned out</i>; and independent of their viperous -hisses over a dead Republic, it even already -pleaseth Almighty God to awake our slumbering -people to the liberty of truth. <i>His</i> name, -and not a paltry, pitiful <i>party’s</i>, shall have the -glory for a nation redeemed, and a weary, toil-worn -race emancipated!</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">‘He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;</div> -<div class="verse">He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;</div> -<div class="verse">Oh, be swift my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!</div> -<div class="verse center">Our God is marching on.’</div> -</div></div> - -<p>“And even to-day, while so many are afraid -to trust God, afraid to hope that all this commotion -shall end gloriously, let us believe that -the same Power which conquered devils among -the Gadarenes, healed most desperate maladies -in the region of His pilgrimage, and raised the -cold dead to life again, will give us the great -victory. Brethren, give to the winds your -fears!</p> - -<p>“A word in view of our national truth. Bless -God! in our prosperous North, that has been -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> -full and free; and it shall be as enduring as the -Plymouth Rock, where it first breasted the New -World’s winter and storm. That Truth is -Christian liberty, unalloyed and untrammeled, -the Pilgrim fathers’ treasure; that is the citizen-children’s -inheritance, and it shall be perpetuated. -The ‘Mayflower’ weathered the storms of -a December Atlantic. The blood she brought -to America courses now in so many veins, and -the spirit life at Plymouth planted, is to-day so -thrilling all true Christian hearts, that this strife -must end in proclamation of a Gospel to the -poor. These we have with us always. Let the -people—the <i>whole</i> people, have the Truth—the -<i>whole</i> Truth—and nothing but the Truth. If -this include body and conscience-liberty, <i>be not -afraid of that</i>, and let the good news go forth to -captive ones. Truth is used to storms. It has -battled and beaten before. Itself bled on Calvary, -grappled with Death, and conquered the -monster on the marble floor of the new sepulchre, -and is to-day a risen Sun of Righteousness, -dawning upon the nations!</p> - -<p>“The Pilgrim fires, kindled so long ago on the -cold New England shores, shall yet dart light -and warmth to earth’s remotest bounds. -America must evangelize the world. But not -yet. Not until all human fetters shall have -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> -been melted, and all tyranny consumed at home. -If it takes fire to purify the people and burn -out oppression, then blow, ye winds of heaven, -and fan the flames! Let our nation be the -land of slaves and sorrow no longer. Give us, -O, thou Ruler of men, a home-land of freedom -and of Gospel light! Then our missionary -efforts will be successful. Then the day of -vain mockery at our own pagan idols and -wicked worship of the world’s trinity, Gold-power-honor, -will be for ever ended. Then the -true God shall be honored, when His human -image is disenthralled, when all hearts and -voices publish the good news throughout the -land; then shall the high hallelujah melody,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea—</div> -<div class="verse">Jehovah hath triumphed—his people are free!’</div> -</div></div> - -<p>ring a joy unspeakable to the benighted sons of -heathendom abroad. And the warbling melody, -sweeter and richer far than the notes of a bugle-band, -shall fill and thrill the very desert airs of -Africa. The wild men of Ethiopia shall catch -the sounding song, and leap as harts on the -mountains. The inhabitants of the far-off sea-islands -shall hear the sweet gospel pæan, and -welcome a religion that sounds liberty to the -captive.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What music! The first measures of the anthem -have been performed in plaintive preludes, -outsighing for years, in tedious time, by the -weary bondmen of the cotton-fields. Now comes -the bold, loud bass, majestic as the march of the -whirlwind, introducing the discord of rattling -muskets, and anon the rumbling thunder-roar of -artillery and the neighing of war-horses. And -hark! for an alto, the striking and flashing of -swords, the cheers of the victors, the screams of -the wounded, and the groans of the dying! But -still the sweet ringing melody sounds on high -in octaves of glory, like the trill of a freed bird, -and as exultant as the angels’ song over the -Bethlehem hills before the day-dawn; soon the -chorus-bar shall be reached and crossed, for the -Omnipotent beats the time in downward and upward -suns; then the mournful minor strains -shall cease, the hoarse bass shall be keyed -anew for very joy, and the heavenly soprano -of peace, sung by angels and sainted choirs -above, shall blend with the glad voices of a freed -and shouting multitude in one rapturous burst -of accord,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea—</div> -<div class="verse indent1"><i>Jehovah hath triumphed</i>—his people are free!’</div> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">Who will be afraid, since God rules? <i>Only -believe</i>, and all will be well.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Rather let us rejoice aloud and praise the -Lord! For now a better day is dawning upon -our own dear native land. These sweet summer -mornings, with their blessed, balmy breezes, -breathe and beam it. The birds warble it. The -rain patters it. The flowers nod it. The leaves -laugh it. The sun is rising that shall flash it in -one blaze of glory the rolling globe around! -‘Be not afraid—only believe.’ ‘Amen; so let -it be.’ The infamous slave trade, and the -scarcely less infamous institution of American -slavery, <i>God is crushing out of this land for ever</i>—thanks -be to His name! Soon our poor shall -have the gospel preached to them. Soon shall -eyes that have looked so long through tears to -a tyrant master’s frown, see their prison-bands -severed in pieces, to fall in tingling music at -their feet. Soon shall the illiterate slave be -taught to read, in silent meditation, or aloud to -his children, the simple story of a Saviour’s -love. Soon shall the hearts that have sickened -at the selling of kindred flesh for gold, bound -and beat to the welcome, ‘<i>Come</i>, come unto <i>me</i>, -all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and <i>I</i> -will give you rest.’</p> - -<p>“The Almighty Deliverer is working now -and, as in the days of his incarnation, there are -men now who desire in their hearts that God -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> -would leave the country. They think Him unable -to pay for the loss of the herds. Men will -not believe it; but the Almighty Deliverer -works. Glory to God! Underneath our cause -are the Everlasting Arms; and side by side -with the heroic soldier, as he walks to war, -the Lord is marching on! Again and again let -it ring—let Southern hills the echo sound,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">‘Sound the loud timbrel o’er Egypt’s dark sea—</div> -<div class="verse"><i>Jehovah hath triumphed</i>—<span class="smcap">HIS PEOPLE ARE FREE</span>!’</div> -</div></div> - -<p>“Be not afraid to come out, and speak out for -freedom. Only believe that the Lord will grant -it. Already it comes—the victorious march of -the Almighty! The nation’s capital He has -freed and blessed, and foundationed on consecrated -ground. The very flowers must yield a -richer fragrance there. The feathered choristers -that hop among the elms in the yards and gardens -there, so early in the morning, must strike -higher, gladder notes of praise. <i>Now</i> Washington -<i>is</i> safe. Let the conquest circle the Republic -until the waves of the Gulf and the rippling -Rio Grande shall lave the soil of liberty.”</p> -</div> - -<p>Upon my return to prison I found that Aunt -Susie’s troubles had been heard of there. The -little boy and girl played close by the fence -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> -during two days, and then we lost them. They -were gone to spend the rest of their lives in -chains and slavery, unless the Almighty arm -breaks every bond of every oppressor!</p> - -<p>I am aware that those who would excuse the -slave system, often attempt to give conclusive -weight to their arguments by asserting that our -forefathers were slaveholders. Let me give -some facts to the contrary.</p> - -<p>One day, the wife of Samuel Adams returning -home from a visit, informed her husband that a -dear friend had made her a present of a female -slave.</p> - -<p>“My dear,” replied Mr. Adams, “she may -come; but not as a slave, for a slave cannot live -in my house. If she comes, she must be free.”</p> - -<p>She came, and took up her <i>free</i> abode with the -family of this great champion of American -liberty, and there she continued free until her -death.</p> - -<p>General Kosciusko, by his will, placed in the -hands of Mr. Jefferson a sum exceeding twenty -thousand dollars, to be laid out in the purchase -of young female slaves, who were to be both -educated and emancipated. The laws of Virginia -prevented the will of Kosciusko from being -carried into effect—1820.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span></p> - -<p>A tyrant power had captured nine hundred -and twenty Sardinian slaves, of whom General -William Eaton thus makes mention:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Many have died of grief, and others linger -out a life less tolerable than death. Alas! -remorse seizes my whole soul when I reflect that -this is indeed but a copy of the very barbarity -which my eyes have seen in my own native -country.”</p> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>“Dissipation, as well as power,” -wrote the immortal John Randolph, -“hardens the heart; -but avarice deadens it to every feeling but the -thirst for riches. Avarice alone could have -produced the slave trade. Avarice alone can, -as it does, drive the infernal traffic, and the -wretched victims, like so many post-horses, are -whipped to death in a small coach. Ambition -has its incentives in the pride, pomp, and circumstance -of glorious war; but where are the -trophies of avarice? The handcuffs, the manacles, -and the blood-stained cowhide!”</p> -</div> - -<p>But to return to my narrative. One morning, -as I stood gazing at the guards about our prison, -I was forcibly struck with their appearance. -They were a new set of men, who had relieved -our old guards, the latter having been sent to -Richmond. They were all tall and ungainly, -and, in speaking, always said “har,” “sar,” -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> -“whar,” and “dar.” Their most favorite exclamations -were, “tarnal Jesus,” and “I golly.”</p> - -<p>As I was thus surveying these degraded -creatures, I heard one of them say:</p> - -<p>“Tom, what do you always go to old Sanders’s -mill for? Why don’t you go to Mike -Adams’s mill?”</p> - -<p>“Why, you tarnal fool,” was the reply, -“don’t you know there’s a good deal better clay -up at old Sanders’s than there is at Mike -Adams’s?”</p> - -<p>As we were at this time under the charge of -one Captain Collins, who was more indulgent -than any of our previous keepers, we were allowed -to converse with the guards. I resolved -to settle this matter of clay-eating. So I asked -one of the fellows to whom I have just referred, -what his comrade wanted with the clay that he -got at the mill.</p> - -<p>“Why, tarnal J——s,” retorted the repulsive -brute, “and don’t you know nothin’? He -wanted it to eat, I golly!”</p> - -<p>Reader, it would be impossible to describe -the personal appearance of these wretched clay-eaters, -except by the remark an Ohio lady made -upon seeing them in all their glory, in Georgia. -Said she, “<i>they do not look like fresh dead men, -but men who have been dead some time</i>.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span></p> - -<p>Of all the negro-haters in the world, the clay-eater -is the most bitter, the cause of which is -nothing more than jealousy and a degraded -moral system.</p> - -<p>While in this prison, we were permitted occasionally -to receive our dinners from outside; -but even this privilege was stopped every few -days, so that it was always altogether uncertain.</p> - -<p>Commissioners having been sent to Washington, -in relation to the matter of exchanges by -cartel, they returned, and brought with them to -General Prentiss several hundred dollars, which -the General divided among the officers. Our -mess, consisting of three, received <i>one</i> dollar, -which, of course, with prices as high as they -were in Dixie at that time, was almost useless. -Sometimes we complained of our bad fare, and -asked for wheat-bread. Wheat-bread seemed -to be a standing joke in rebeldom, or rather -one of the institutions that were long since -forgotten.</p> - -<p>“Wheat-bread indeed!” laughed our keepers, -“why poor flour is sixty-nine dollars per -barrel!”</p> - -<p>On the 7th of October, we left Madison, Georgia, -as we hoped, for our homes. Arriving at -Augusta, we remained a short time, not being -allowed to leave the cars. During our stay, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> -however, we managed to learn from the negroes -that there were but few white men in the place.</p> - -<p>The loquacity of the darkies gave the guards -much trouble; that is, those who were not -Unionists themselves, and of the latter class -there were many. Captain Collins, whom I -have mentioned just before, still had us in his -charge, of which we were very glad.</p> - -<p>The whites, as well as the negroes, crowded -about our cars, and among other questions, we -were asked:</p> - -<p>“Well, whar did they dun get you? What -do you uns tink you uns’ll dun down here? -We uns have dun been waiting for you uns.”</p> - -<p>From this place to Columbia, South Carolina, -we were received much in the same manner by -all the inhabitants. Thence we took the Charleston -railroad to Branchville, from which place, -starting due east, we struck the Wilmington -road at Kingsville. At Columbia, we were -placed for safe-keeping in the State Prison, -while arrangements were being made in regard -to the cartel. As it was supposed that we -would soon be within our own lines, more -liberty than usual was allowed us, of which I -took advantage by requesting to be allowed to -go about the town under guard. My wish was -granted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span></p> - -<p>As I was walking along, I overheard two -men talking of a young lady and two gentlemen -who had just been put into cells. There -was an apple-stand near by, and I stopped, -with the apparent intention of purchasing some -of the shriveled fruit, but really to listen to -the conversation going on between the men.</p> - -<p>“I’ve no doubt,” said one, “that they’re -Yankees.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said the other, “the lady was put in -for hiding and feeding a conscript.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” savagely rejoined the first, “and if -that’s so, she ought to have been hung, and not -put into prison.”</p> - -<p>Upon returning to prison, I, in company -with my tried friend, Captain Studman, went -up stairs, where we both saw the lady and gentlemen -in question. She had no hope whatever -of escaping execution, and her pale, finely-formed -face, though sorrowful, was determined -in its expression. Her companions shared her -imprisonment, because they had defended her, -and to defend such an one was death or imprisonment.</p> - -<p>When the appointed time for our departure -arrived, we were soon ready. While standing -in the street, drawn up in a rank, there was -near us an old man, who, whenever he had an -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> -opportunity, would grossly insult us. The sun -was broiling hot, and my temper, not being -much cooler, I felt inclined to admonish this old -rebel a little. But, not wishing to offend Captain -Collins, who had treated me so well, I -refrained, and listened for some time to the -hoary-headed coward in silence.</p> - -<p>A line of female negroes as long as our own, -stood close to us watching us, and commented -upon our appearance. While thus engaged, -a little dog made his way through them, and -commenced barking at, and playing with one of -our number, a captain from Missouri.</p> - -<p>The captain patted the little animal, and said, -in half-joking tones:</p> - -<p>“Well, puppy, I’ve got one friend in South -Carolina, anyhow.”</p> - -<p>At this, the old man rushed up to the prisoner, -and exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“What are you talking about? Them -things’ll hang you before you leave this -place!”</p> - -<p>“Whom do you think he’s talking to, sir?” I -asked, in stern tones.</p> - -<p>“He’s talking to them niggers, and he shall -hang for it, before he leaves the place.”</p> - -<p>Just then, one of our number said sarcastically:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Ah, now, my dear old gentleman, you are -altogether mistaken. He’s not talking to your -<i>children</i>, but your dog!”</p> - -<p>This enraged him beyond measure, and he -wanted to fight, and demolish the “whole crowd -of d——d Yankees at once, and on the spot.”</p> - -<p>Captain Collins, at length, thinking that he -had amused himself long enough, quietly took -hold of him, and passed him over to the guards, -who, however, were unable to appease him, -until they jagged a sharp bayonet into that -delicate portion of his corporeal organization, -where, doubtless, his feelings and his brains -were <i>seated</i>.</p> - -<p>We were soon after on our way to the capital -of North Carolina. On our journey thither, -we stopped at Salisbury, where many a Yankee -head was thrust out at the car-windows in hopes -of attracting the attention of some of the kind-hearted -negroes. My unshorn beard and straggling -hair, charmed a pretty yellow maiden to -such an extent that she drew near and said:</p> - -<p>“Are you a Yankee, sah?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied I, determined to profit by the -opportunity, “and I’m a very hungry Yankee!”</p> - -<p>“God bless you, sah! I’ll go an’ git you a -possum leg dis minnit.”</p> - -<p>With these words, she flew away, but soon -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> -returned, bringing a good sized limb of “a -possum.” I must admit, even at the risk of -angering a certain lady, that the yellow angel -who thus relieved my hunger, did look very -beautiful in my eyes at the time. And as -though she read my thoughts, she asked coyly:</p> - -<p>“When am you uns coming here for we uns?”</p> - -<p>At this moment, a surly, vigilant guard relieved -me from the embarrassment which this -question produced, and the girl, catching a -glimpse of him, “dispersed,” without even so -much as bidding me farewell.</p> - -<p>From this slave girl’s question, I was more -than ever convinced that the slaves possessed -more knowledge of their own rights, situation, -and strength, than is generally supposed. I -should not be surprised to see them some day -rise in one solid phalanx, sweep their masters -from existence, and cut their way to freedom! -And who could pity the latter? No one. We -should be compelled to say just what Mary did -to her bashful suitor.</p> - -<p>One evening, as the lovers were standing on -the verandah, Willie, after immense mental -effort, asked his betrothed if he might kiss her. -He had never been guilty of the offence before. -Mary, delighted that Willie was at last becoming -sensible, gave immediate approval. Willie -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> -accomplished the kiss, and fainted on the instant. -Mary stepped back, and wishing to -exonerate herself from any charges which -might be brought against her, as to doing him -injury, exclaimed loudly:</p> - -<p>“You did it yourself! you did it yourself!”</p> - -<p>As we traveled to Mason, near the State line, -between Virginia and North Carolina, we came -to a stream across which was a trestle bridge. -Upon reaching the bridge, a rebel soldier who -had been standing on the platform of the car, -and who was intoxicated, lost his balance and -fell through the trestle-work, a distance of full -thirty feet. He was seen to fall only by Captain -Crawford and myself. He was not missed, -however, until we had nearly reached Petersburg, -Virginia, where it was discovered when -they were about to change guards. This was -many miles away from the bridge, and we informed -Captain Collins of the accident the -moment he came in.</p> - -<p>At Petersburg, we fell in with a rebel captain -who was one of those fellows who can suit all -crowds. He was much animated on the result -of the Northern elections, and said that we -would now most likely have peace. I asked -him why.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why,” replied he, “look how you are voting -over there.”</p> - -<p>I did not say much, for nothing that could -have been said would have done the rebel -captain any good, and might perhaps have -brought harm to me.</p> - -<p>We were obliged to cross the city to reach -the Richmond depot, and on our way we passed -by a large factory building, in which were confined -a large number both of blacks and whites, -the negroes for endeavoring to get away, and -the whites for their Union sentiments.</p> - -<p>During our march to the depot, we were surrounded -by a strong guard of cavalry. Oh, how -galling it was to me think that I, a native born -Virginian, was thus driven through the streets -of the principal city of the Old Dominion, without -a shoe on my foot, scarcely rags enough to -satisfy decency, and soaked by a cold, heavy -rain!</p> - -<p>At night, we were shut up in an old building -that had been used for storing tobacco and molasses. -As there were a large number of prisoners -here, awaiting exchange, every one was -obliged to shift for a resting-place as well as he -could. Of course all the best spots were appropriated -before our arrival, and we were forced -to take up our quarters in the back part of the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> -building. A few of the blankets captured by -the rebels at Harper’s Ferry were distributed -among us; but I, unfortunately, did not get one. -So, suffering much from the cold, I laid down in -the dirt and molasses, which formed a sort of -soft cement of an inch or two in depth. Completely -wearied out, however, I soon fell asleep, -and dreamed of the happy home in Ohio to -which I was going.</p> - -<p>The next morning I was roughly aroused by -two men who stood on either side of me with -barrel-staves.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing?” exclaimed I, as the -two men began prying me up from the floor.</p> - -<p>They did not notice my question, but like -sailors weighing anchor, wrenched again at me, -exclaiming:</p> - -<p>“We’ll fetch him clear this poke! heave ho! -yo! ho!”</p> - -<p>I had positively stuck so fast to the floor, -that it was only after the most strenuous exertions -I succeeded in getting loose, even with the -aid of my two rough helpers.</p> - -<p>Our descriptive list did not come until ten -o’clock; but when it did, we were not long in -signing it, after which we were taken to Aiken’s -Landing, some fourteen miles south-east of -Richmond. Though a cold rain was still falling -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> -at intervals, I did not complain, for I was going -home,—thank God! home!</p> - -<p>Oh, how overflowing was my heart with joy -at the prospect! Every drop of rain that pattered -on my shivering form, fell upon me like -the summer shower falls upon the parched and -thirsty grass. I did not complain that I had to -march the whole fourteen miles through the -cold, mud, and snow, in my bare feet, for I -knew that this was my last hardship.</p> - -<p>Our guard were not at all rigorous in our -marching, and therefore, I often had an opportunity -to converse with the teamsters. One of -them remarked to me:</p> - -<p>“Did you know dere wuz a coffin laid on -Massa Jeff Davis’s door step t’odder night?”</p> - -<p>“No,” answered I; “what do you think that -was done for?”</p> - -<p>“I dunno, I ’spect some ob de Union men -done it to let him know dey would kill him if -he didn’t mind. He’s had his house guarded -ebber since wid two hundred men.”</p> - -<p>“Well, uncle, what do you black folks think -about this war?”</p> - -<p>“Why, God bless you, sah! we been looking -for Massa McClellan wid all our eyes. And if -he’d jes come leetle closer, dar’s a darky here -what’ud a leff dis State quick!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span></p> - -<p>At this instant I chanced to raise my eyes, -and there, in the distance, I beheld the glorious -old Stars and Stripes floating proudly and beautifully -upon the breeze.</p> - -<p>“There she is! God bless her stars!” burst -from two hundred and sixty throats in one -breath of relief. The very clouds seemed to -break asunder and let the glorious sun down -upon our enfranchised souls. We wept, and -laughed, and shook hands, and bounded with -delight, until some time after we were taken -aboard the Federal transport, which had been -sent up the James river for us. We were soon -tossing on the ocean, and in due time arrived -without accident at Washington.</p> - -<p>My first act upon landing and reaching Willard’s -Hotel, was to secure the services of a -photographer, who took myself and comrade -with the chain about our necks, and in our -rebel rags, exactly as is represented in the engraving. -The next important operation was to -clean myself, trim my beard and hair, and make -myself fit to go into decent society. This was -by no means a small undertaking; but by dint -of scrub-brushes, soaps of incredible strength, -and exercise of muscle to an indefinite extent, -I at last succeeded in accomplishing my objects. -As I left the bath-room, I noticed at the other -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> -end of the hall, a tall strange gentleman, who, -for all I did not recognize him, seemed familiar -to me. However, I walked toward him, and -he did the same, coming toward me. When I -got sufficiently near to address him, I bowed -and extended my hand. He did exactly the -same. I thought he was behaving very -strangely, and with rather a grim smile I drew -back and raised myself to my full height. He -did exactly the same, and I suddenly discovered -that I had been the victim of a huge mirror, -and that I had, all the while, been mistaking -myself for a clever, gentlemanly-looking old -friend of mine. I merely relate this circumstance -to prove to the reader, that a man who -is unfortunate enough to spend six months in -Dixie, is scarcely able to recognize himself upon -his return home.</p> - -<p>Home! home! that word still sounds with -strange music in my ears. Its mention brings -before my mind the little cottage in Ohio, with -its happy yet anxious faces turned up the road, -along which papa must come after being away -so many months. Home! ah, that is but another -name for the dear being, who, while I lay -wounded and languishing in the loathsome jails -of a merciless enemy, cared for the sweet babes -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> -of the captive, who taught their little lips to -add a prayer for papa to their vesper offerings -at the mercy-seat, and who, weary with many -months of watching, never ceased to treasure -in her heart’s holiest recesses him who pens this -tribute.</p> - -<p> </p> -<hr class="page" /> -<p> </p> - -<div id="fn"> -<p class="fnote"><a id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1">[A]</a> -A coincidence here is worthy of notice. On the 18th of June, seven -United States soldiers were hung by the rebels at Atlanta, Georgia. They -were a part of the celebrated Chattanooga Railroad scouts, sent out on a -military excursion by General Mitchell, but who were captured and -treated as spies. One of the survivors of the party, Lieut. <span -class="smcap">Wm. Pittenger</span>, gives a full and graphic account of -their captivity and imprisonment in a book which every reader of this -work should peruse.</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="transnotes"> -<p class="skip3"> -Transcriber’s Note: -</p> -<ul> -<li class="lspace">A small number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected. -Except for these corrections, the spelling and punctuation of the book -have not been changed.</li> -</ul> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEYOND THE LINES***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 63120-h.htm or 63120-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/3/1/2/63120">http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/1/2/63120</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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