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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 18:55:33 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 18:55:33 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/44702-0.txt b/44702-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ba33cea --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1252 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44702 *** + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 44702-h.htm or 44702-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44702/44702-h/44702-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44702/44702-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive. See + https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofp00lang + + + + + +REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR AND HIS ESCAPE + +by + +DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY + +Late Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry + +With Illustrations + + + + + + + +Byron Printing Company +Minneapolis, Minn. +1915 + +Copyright 1915 +by +Daniel Avery Langworthy + + + + +AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED +TO MY ESTEEMED FRIEND AND COMRADE + +ELL TORRANCE + +PAST COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC + + +[Illustration: DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY] + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + FACING PAGE + DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY + Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry _Frontispiece_ + + COMPASS, KNIFE, FORK AND SPOON 18 + Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape + + CAMP OGLETHROPE, MACON, GEORGIA 20 + + SHOES AND HICKORY STICK 26 + Used in Capt. Langworthy's Escape + + JAIL YARD, CHARLESTON, S. C. 28 + + ROPER HOSPITAL, CHARLESTON, S. C. 32 + + FIVE ESCAPED OFFICERS 56 + Who joined Capt. Langworthy's party + + FIVE OFFICERS INCLUDING CAPT. LANGWORTHY 68 + As they appeared after reaching the Union lines + + + + +Preface + + +Soon after my escape from captivity and my arrival at the home of my +father-in-law, at Elmira, New York, where my good wife was, my sister +Sarah, who was older than myself, and her husband, came to see me. She +sat down by my side and said: "Now Daniel, tell me all about it. How you +were captured, how treated while a prisoner of war, how you made your +escape and worked your way from Columbia, South Carolina, to Elmira." +She held me to a strict account until she had the full story. I then +told her that if after that I should be asked about it I would refer +them to her (she would have given a good narrative), but unfortunately +she is not living now. + +I have never been much inclined to talk about my prison life, nor had +thought of writing about it until recently when some of my comrades, who +had been talking with me about it, suggested and +strongly urged+ that I +write it out. The result of which is these reminiscences. Doubtless I +could have told this story better fifty years ago, for, as I did not +keep a diary or any memorandum, it is entirely from memory, yet the +events made a fixed impression on my mind and I believe that what I have +herein narrated is correct. I was born January 3rd, 1832. + +DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY. + +Minneapolis, Minn. +April 3rd, 1915. + + + + +Narrative + + +Before the Civil War I was a young physician in New York city, had been +brought up a strong Whig and fully believed that slavery was entirely +wrong. After the beginning of the war I felt it my duty to go and help +and thought that the privates, the men who carried and used rifles were +what was wanted; hence I went to Elmira, New York, and enlisted on +September 10th, 1861, in the Eighty-fifth New York Regiment, which +regiment was being recruited in Allegany County in the locality where my +father lived, so that I might be with my former associates. Late in the +fall of 1861 the regiment was moved to Washington, D. C., remaining +there during the winter. Early in the following spring we went on the +Peninsula campaign under General McClellan, our regiment being in +General Wessel's brigade. On April 9th, 1862, I was commissioned first +lieutenant. On October 17th, 1862, captain. + +At the close of the campaign as we came off the Peninsula, General +Wessell's brigade was left at Fortress Monroe, where it remained for a +time, and was then ordered to Newburn, North Carolina, and from there to +Plymouth, North Carolina. In July, 1863, two other officers, some +enlisted men and myself were detailed and sent to Elmira, New York, on +conscript duty. While in Elmira I was married. In March, 1864, we were +ordered to return to our command. We did so, arriving at Plymouth, North +Carolina, about April 1st. On April 20th the entire post was captured +after a siege of four days. + +After our capture we were started toward Richmond and marched in that +direction for two days; then laid over for one day. Although nothing had +been said, we inferred that there must be something wrong at Richmond, +indeed we afterward learned that General Grant had started on his +wilderness campaign, and orders had been issued from Richmond not to +bring any more prisoners there. + +The next morning we started south and tramped in that direction until we +came to a railroad, where we were loaded into cattle or box cars (I +being on the first train). We continued our southern journey, passing +through Wilmington and Charleston to Savannah, then going west through +Macon, we arrived at Andersonville, Georgia, in the afternoon. We were +then taken out of the cars and sat down on the ground. + +Andersonville contained only a few scattered houses. We could plainly +see where our men were encamped, some distance away, with nothing to +protect them from the heat of the sun and apparently with only a scant +supply of water. Soon after our arrival a well-mounted and +soldierly-looking officer came riding toward us. He was met by the +officer in command of our guard, who saluted and inquired: "Is this +Captain Wirtz?" "Yes," was the reply. "Captain Wirtz, I have some +prisoners here for you," said the officer in charge of us. "About how +many?" inquired Captain Wirtz, "and what are they?" "About eight +hundred. Seventy-five officers and about seven hundred and twenty-five +men," was the answer. "Well," said Captain Wirtz, "I suppose I must take +the men, but I +cannot+ take the officers." + +The captain of our guard was an imperious man; he straightened himself +up and said: "Captain Wirtz, I am ordered to turn these prisoners over +to you." "I +cannot+ take the officers," repeated Captain Wirtz. "I have +no place for them. God knows my place is bad enough for the men!" +"Captain Wirtz," insisted the captain of our guard, "I shall turn all +these prisoners over to you." "Do what you d----n please," said Wirtz. +"Turn them loose if you want to, but I tell you I will not take the +officers." He then turned his horse and rode away. + +We all realized that we had witnessed an important scene--and it was. It +established a precedent. So far as I know, no officers were confined at +Andersonville. Had they been, the majority of them, like our men, would +have died there. Of my company forty-eight good, healthy, robust young +men went into Andersonville that day and the remains of thirty of them +are there now; while of the officers of our regiment who were captured, +all lived to return North. While that was the only time I ever saw +Captain Wirtz, that event, and what I learned afterward, gave me a +strong impression that the authorities at Richmond, and especially +Winder, were responsible for the treatment of the prisoners at Libby, +Belle Island, Andersonville, etc. Apparently Captain Wirtz was a +well-drilled European soldier, who of course was trained to obey orders; +but in this case he had so much respect for the rank of the officers +that he rebelled and established a precedent which most certainly was a +God-send to the officers. + +Soon after he left we were ordered into line and the officers were +commanded to step out (to the left). We understood well what that meant. +It was a trying time for the officers, for we realized full well where +our men were going. I think we had about the same idea of Andersonville +then that we have now. The men were marched away. + +After the men were gone we were marched across the railroad onto a knoll +with a beautiful grove, in which was a vacant church, and told to make +ourselves comfortable there for the night. Of course there was a guard +around us, but we were allowed to go out into the grove. Going down the +knoll we found a very large and most excellent spring of fine water, +which came bubbling up out of the white sand. We said: "What a lovely +and perfect place for a camp. Why wasn't our boys' camp here instead of +over there on that hill? Here is water, shade and everything." The +answer was: "It is too good a place for the Yankees." + +The next morning we entered the cars and started back east. As Captain +Wirtz would not take us, something must be done with us. The first town +of importance we came to was Macon. We stopped there and were turned +over to the general officer in command at that point. As there had not +been any prisoners kept there, no arrangements for us had been made. We +were taken out into a nice park, furnished with plenty of tents and were +told to make ourselves comfortable; very fair rations were issued to us +each day and plenty of them. We were allowed to go to the guard line and +buy anything we wished if we had the wherewith to pay for it. In fact, +we were treated kindly and had no complaint to make. By talking over the +guard line at this camp, I purchased of a colored woman, a good table +knife, fork and spoon, which I kept and found to be very useful; getting +hold of a three-cornered file, I made a saw of the back of the knife, +thinking it might be of use in an emergency. After a few days, when we +were getting rested, I would hear: "What is it we hear about Libby, +Belle Island and Andersonville? _We_ certainly have no reason to +complain." + +[Illustration: COMPASS THAT GUIDED US BY NIGHT AND DAY AND KNIFE, FORK +AND SPOON PURCHASED FROM COLORED WOMAN AT MACON, GEORGIA] + +During my prison life I met comrades who had been, I think, in most of +the places where our men were confined and they all practically told the +same story; that when they were turned over to the local authorities +they were well treated, but that when they came under the Richmond or +Winder care it was as different as it well could be. + +Apparently it was well understood that no soldier was to be in a +condition, when exchanged or when he got North, to re-enter the service. + +After we had been in Macon for perhaps a couple of weeks, I noticed one +day two officers riding around in another part of the park. I recognized +one of them, and asked our captain of the guard: "Who is that officer +with Colonel So-and-So?" He replied: "That is Colonel So-and-So of +Richmond of President Davis' staff." I asked no more questions, but +thought it significant that he was there. + +Two or three days later a hundred or so of colored men were at work in +that part of the park building a stockade enclosing about three acres. +The stockade was a tight board fence twelve feet high, with a walk on +the outside near the top and a railing outside of it for the guard, +where they could see everything. On the inside, about forty feet from +the stockade, was a picket fence called "the dead line." That is, if +anyone approached it, he was to be shot. + +After the enclosure was completed, one morning we noticed a crowd of men +being marched inside the stockade. They were prisoners from Libby. Soon +after we followed them. With these prisoners came Lieutenant Davis of +Baltimore, who had charge of the prison. He apparently had his orders +from Richmond and obeyed them strictly. It was a very great change for +us. Our rations, treatment and everything else were so radically +different. A small brook ran through one end of the enclosure, +fortunately inside the dead line. We dug a spring there and from it got +all the water we had. + +[Illustration: CAMP OGLETHORPE, MACON, GEORGIA] + +One day one of our comrades was walking down the path to the spring with +his canteen to get some water, when one of the guards who was on the +stockade shot him dead. So far as we knew, there was nothing done about +it except that his remains were taken outside. The guard remained on his +post until time to be relieved. + +There was one of our number who had been a prisoner so long and had +become so reduced in health that he feared he could not endure much +longer. While talking about it with his associates he was asked if he +had anything he could sell to get some money to buy some food. He said +he had nothing but his watch. He was advised to sell that. Lieutenant +Davis came in every morning with a guard to count us. The next morning +when they came in, this prisoner approached the lieutenant and said: +"Lieutenant Davis, can I presume to ask a favor of you?" "What is it?" +was the curt question. "I have been in prison for a long time and have +become so reduced in health that I fear I cannot hold out much longer. +The only thing I have left to dispose of is my watch. Could I ask you to +take it out and sell it for me that I might buy something with the money +to help me?" "All right," said the lieutenant, and put the watch in his +pocket. The comrade further said: "Lieutenant, please remember to sell +that watch for $200. If you cannot get that much or more, bring it back +to me," and he gave his name. "All right," said the lieutenant. + +Each morning after that when they came in this prisoner would stand +around near the lieutenant, but nothing was said until one morning he +said: "Lieutenant, were you able to sell my watch?" "No, I was not," +replied the lieutenant. "Then, will you kindly bring it in to me when +you come in tomorrow morning?" he requested. "What's your name?" asked +Lieutenant Davis. The prisoner gave his name. "Oh, yes, I have done sold +your watch already for $5," said the lieutenant. "You must be mistaken, +lieutenant," exclaimed the prisoner, "for you must remember that I told +you if you could not sell it for $200 or more, to kindly bring it back +to me." "You tell me I lie, do you?" exclaimed the lieutenant--and +turning to his guard, said: "Bring him along; I will show him." The +prisoner was taken just outside the gate, where we could see him, and +bucked and gagged and sat there on the ground in the hot Georgia sun +the most of that summer day. + +After we were in the stockade the main topic of conversation was: "Was +it possible to get out of there?" The first thing tried was tunnelling, +which required great effort and caution. We had nothing to dig with +except our hands and pocket knives. Then, the fresh dirt must not be +seen, nor the openings of the tunnels. While we worked entirely in the +night, our work must not be discovered by the guards, and several +tunnels were under way. One or two of them were nearly to the stockade +when, one morning, they came in as usual to count us. We were lined up +at one end with the guard around us, and were ready to march through +between two guards and be counted, when Lieutenant Davis pulled the +ramrod out of the rifle of one of the guards and went around and pushed +it into all of the tunnels, showing us that he knew of them. He then +gave us a strong talk, saying we would hereafter be watched carefully, +and if there was any further attempt made toward tunnelling it would be +met with severe punishment. That was the end of the tunnelling. But the +question was: "How did he get onto it?" After a little we learned that +the day before when the guard went out they took with them one of our +prisoners who had enlisted from Kentucky or Tennessee--I have forgotten +which. Fortunately for him he did not come back. + +Then the question was: "What next?" In talking things over with those +who had been in prison the longest and had the most varied experiences, +they all said it was not so difficult to get out of prison or away from +those who had charge of you, as it was to care for yourself after you +were at liberty; that the entire South was thoroughly organized, not +only to prevent the escape of Yankee prisoners, but also to arrest +deserters from their own service, and all others, both white and +colored, who wished to evade the service or to get to the North. An +officer was detailed for each locality who must have a pack of good dogs +and a posse of men always ready and every person was under strict orders +to report to said officer any strangers, stragglers, suspicious persons +or any unusual circumstances they might know of. Fresh tracks were +looked after and these officers and men were returned to the front if +their work was not satisfactory. They were wide-awake. + +Several of our number had been recaptured. They all said the dogs were +the worst part of the outfit, that you might possibly evade the others, +but that when the dogs got on your trail they were sure to find you. + +The next question was: "What to do with the dogs?" The only remedy +suggested was to have something to put on our feet which would be so +offensive to their sensitive noses that it would upset them. After +thinking it over I decided that if the opportunity presented itself, I +would try turpentine. There was an officer there at Macon whose duties +frequently called him inside our prison. I was pretty well acquainted +with him, and sold him my watch. One day I asked him if I could presume +to ask a favor of him. "What is it?" he said. "Would you kindly get me a +half pint of good spirits of turpentine?" I asked. "What do you want of +turpentine?" he asked. "You know the Libby prisoners are here," I +replied, "and you may know they brought many bugs with them; turpentine +is said to be good to fight those bugs with." "I will see," he said. + +The next time I saw him he handed me a bottle of turpentine. I thanked +him and paid him for it. He then said: "Captain, I want to say +something which may be entirely unnecessary, but I feel that I must." +"What is it?" I asked. "It is that what I have done shall be known to no +one but you and me, for if it should be known that I had brought +something in to you it would mean----" and he drew his hand across his +throat. I replied: "You may be assured no one shall know anything about +it. Some of my comrades may know that I have the turpentine, but where +or how or through whom I got it they will have no idea." He then said: +"Captain, I do not wish to be inquisitive or to ask any questions about +your affairs, but if at any time you have an idea you can get out of +this place, if you will tell me what night, I will tell you where on the +river you can find a boat with oars, blankets and food." I thanked him +most heartily and told him I was fully confirmed in my previous +impression that he was a noble, generous, first-class gentleman. He then +said: "Captain, you do not have much to read do you?" "Nothing," I said. +"Perhaps you would enjoy looking this over." He handed me a pamphlet and +left. On opening it I saw it was about Macon, its location and maps +showing the river and roads and where they went, etc. + +[Illustration: SHOES WORN AND HICKORY STICK USED BY CAPT. LANGWORTHY ON +HIS TRIP NORTH AND STILL IN HIS POSSESSION] + +I kept the turpentine very carefully hoping that some time I might be +able to escape and might possibly need it. + +While in Macon my boots gave out and I purchased a pair of plain rough +darkey shoes, paying $60 in Confederate money for them, and kept them in +reserve for use in case I should be so fortunate as to get outside. One +of our number, who was a major in the regular army, started a secret +society, which I joined, and which soon grew to hundreds. The object of +the organization was for mutual help. It was organized as a regiment, +with companies, etc. The major was the colonel. + +One day in July a detail was ordered to be ready to move at a certain +hour the next morning. They were ready, but waited for an hour or more. +The major and many of our new order were in the detail, including +myself. While waiting, several of our organization exchanged places and +thereby got in so that when we marched out our society was well +represented. We were put on board a train of box cars and started east, +arriving at Savannah about nightfall. We were unloaded and were there in +the yards an hour or two. While waiting, the major said to us: "I have +learned that we are going North, I think to Charleston. When we get +about so far from here we will be only about twelve miles from our men +at such a place on the coast. I will be sure to get in the front car and +will detail officers to be in command of each of the other cars. They +will detail men to look after the guard in their cars. At the proper +time I will swing a lantern out of the side door of the front car and +swing it around as a signal for you to overcome the guards in your cars. +Take their guns and care for them and when the train stops jump out and +overcome the guards on the top of the cars, and we will then go back and +overcome those in the rear car and then march for the little station on +the coast." + +[Illustration: JAIL YARD, CHARLESTON, S. C.] + +There were four or five guards in each car and about the same number on +the top and one group commanding the rear car. We all sat on the floor, +including the guards. I was in command of one of the cars and watched +very sharply for the light, but it did not show up. The major had +learned that there was suspicion of something being done and did not +think it best to take the risk. We all knew apparently when we +approached where we should see the light, and as it did not show up the +men soon began to tumble out of the side doors. Upwards of one hundred +of them got out of the cars in a comparatively short time. The guards on +top fired at them. I do not know whether any of our boys were hit or +not, but within a few days after our arrival at Charleston all of them, +except four or five, were with us, showing the efficiency of the +organization for the recapture of escaped prisoners. + +After the men began to tumble off, we stopped at the first telegraph +station and a message was sent. The officers in that locality turned out +promptly with their men and dogs, came up the railroad until they found +a fresh trail, which one crew took, the rest going on until they were +after them all. + +We arrived at Charleston the next morning, being the first prisoners who +had been brought there. We were brought there in the hope that we might +help to protect the city from the continuous cannonading of our troops +on Morris Island, which had driven the people from the lower part of the +city. We, of course, were put in that part, first in the jail yard and +from there to the workhouse, a large building in the same block used as +a jail for the colored people. From there we went to Roper's Hospital in +the same block, where we were given comfortable quarters. Those three +buildings and the medical college occupied the block. The back yard of +the hospital joined the back yard of the jail. + +We put in our time evenings watching the shells from Morris Island; +would see a bright light as they started at the horizon and as they went +up and up until apparently nearly over our heads and would then come +seemingly straight down and usually explode before they struck. +Apparently the men on the island knew when we came and where we were, +for while the cannonading was regular each night, never a shell or a +piece of one came to our quarters, but plenty of harm was done in the +city all the time. + +After we had been there for quite a while, one day one of our comrades +coming in, said to me: "I have a letter for you. I was in the back yard +sitting on the ground when something dropped down by my side, apparently +coming from the jail yard. I looked and there was a small stone with +this tied to it." It was a small scrap of paper addressed to me, from +one of my sergeants, saying that he, his brother and others of Company +"E" were in the jail yard. That aroused me some. I went to the gate and +asked the officer in charge of the guard if he would kindly send me, +under guard, to go around to the jail yard. He said: "Why do you wish to +go to the jail yard?" I told him some men of my company who had been in +Andersonville since last April were there and that I wished very much to +see them. After a little he told me to come again in a half hour. I did +so, and accompanied by the guard, was sent to the jail yard, and of the +first prisoners I met I inquired where the Eighty-fifth New York boys +were and was told they had been removed that morning to the race course +outside of the city. "Had they all gone?" I inquired. They thought they +had. I told them I was very sorry as men of my company were with them. +While we were talking, one of them said: "Why, there are two of the +Eighty-fifth boys over there sitting on the ground." I went to them. +Each had a raw Irish potato in his hand scraping it and eating it raw +for the scurvy. I looked them over carefully, but could not recognize +them. I said: "Boys, are you from the Eighty-fifth New York?" They +looked up and said: "How are you, captain?" and jumped up, embraced me +and said: "Captain, didn't you know us?" "I am sorry to say I did not," +I replied. "Why, we are So-and-So of Company 'F,'" they said, which was +by the side of my company. They were men whom I had known for nearly +three years, yet were so changed that I could not recognize them. + +I left much disappointed at not finding my men, and thought about it +continually. The general in command of the Confederate forces at +Charleston was a Roman Catholic, hence his church people, and especially +the Sisters of Charity, had free access to the hospitals, prisons, etc., +and did much good work. + +[Illustration: ROPER HOSPITAL, CHARLESTON, S. C.] + +A few days later I noticed some sisters in our building. I went to one +of them and said: "Sister, have you been out to the race course?" "Yes," +she said, "We have just come from there." "How are they?" I asked. +"Very, very bad," she replied. "Sister, can't you tell me something more +about them?" I continued. "That is about all," she said. "You poor men +have suffered enough, but not what they have; they are very bad." +"Sister," I continued, "there are some of my men there whom I have not +seen since they went to Andersonville prison last April. I would like to +learn all I can about them." "They are very bad," she said, "that is +about all. We tried to minister to one poor fellow this morning. In +giving him a bath we scraped quantities of maggots from under his arms +and other parts of his body. They are very, very bad." "Sister," I +persisted, "if they had some money would it be of any help to them?" +"Yes, it would. They could not get with it what you would think they +should, but they could get something and that would be a help to them." +"Will you be going there again soon?" I asked. "Yes, we will go there +every few days," she replied. "Could I ask you to take some money to one +of my men?" "I would be pleased to do so," she said. "Is he a +non-commissioned officer?" "Yes, a sergeant," I replied. "I will be here +awhile longer," she said. "Write him a letter, tell him how much you +send and what he is to do with it, put the money in the letter and seal +it. On the envelope write his name in full, rank, company, regiment, +brigade, corps, etc., your name, your lieutenant's name, your colonel's +name and the commander of the brigade and corps--in fact write the +envelope all over and I will try to find him." I did not ask any more +questions, but thought her directions strange. I went and did as she +told me to do and gave her the letter. A few days later I saw some +sisters in the building, and going to them saw her to whom I had given +my letter a few days before, and spoke to her. "Yes, captain," she said, +"I was going to look you up. We just came from the race course. I feel +quite sure I found your man and gave him your letter. While you did as I +told you, wrote the envelope all over, you did not put too much on it." +"How was that, sister?" I asked. "Well, when we got there inside the +race course, they all came around us, hoping we would do something for +them," she said. "I asked for Mr. Jones. Nearly all the men there were +named Jones. I did not tell them any more, but began asking questions. A +few less were George Jones, a few less George Washington Jones, a few +less were sergeants and in Company 'E,' and in the Eighty-fifth New +York, etc., until I got down to one man and am quite sure he was the +right one." I thanked her and told her how greatly I was obliged to her, +and said: "Sister, I certainly have no reason to doubt what you say, but +cannot understand it." "How so?" she asked. "I know those men +thoroughly," I said, "and know them not only to be good soldiers, but +truly honest, truthful, upright, manly men." "That's all right, +captain," she said, "but as I told you before, you have not suffered and +passed through what they have. I believe that if you or I had been +through with what they have we would not be one whit different from what +they are and in my heart I cannot blame them." I said: "All right, +sister, I am fully assured that you are a noble, genuine, upright +Christian lady." + +She found the right man. While the sergeant did not live to get to his +home, his brother and some of the others did, and told me that he got +the letter and the money and that it was a great help. + +We remained in Charleston until the yellow fever was so bad that it was +difficult to keep a guard to guard us, as they were on duty most of the +time and were more exposed to the hot sunshine and yellow fever than we +were. In the latter part of September we were moved to Columbia, South +Carolina, to higher ground and supposed to be exempt from the fever. +Arriving there in the afternoon we remained one night in the city near +the station. The next day we were moved across the Saluda river and +camped on an open field. The second day we were there we noticed the +assembling of quite a force of colored men at a house not far away and +we suspected that it might mean the building of a stockade around us. +Some one said: "If we are going to try to get away from here it would be +well to do so before we are fenced in." I said: "We have a large moon +now, which makes it very light at night. This morning it set at about +2:30, tomorrow morning it will be an hour later, hence we must plan to +get away tomorrow morning after the moon has gone down." + +After talking it over, two of my friends, Captain Aldrich and Lieutenant +Tewilliger, both of the Eighty-fifth, and myself, decided we would make +an effort to escape. We each got a blanket and a little food and waited. +In the afternoon one of my lieutenants said to me: "Are you going to +make a break tonight?" "I am thinking of trying," I replied. "Don't you +think you are taking a great risk?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, "but is +it not a greater one to remain here?" "That may be true," he answered. I +concluded that he thought so too, for later he made his escape but was +recaptured. + +We, of course, looked the ground over carefully. Three sides of our camp +were clear fields, the other was near the woods, but at the edge of the +woods was a high tree fence, which we could not get through without +making a noise which would attract the attention of the guards. Near one +corner was a vacant schoolhouse, which was used by the reserve guard. A +little distance from this schoolhouse and near the guard line was quite +a knoll. We decided that would do, that if we could get over the knoll +we would be out of sight. In the latter part of the night we went in +that direction and as near the guard line as we thought it prudent and +sat down under a small tree. While there two other comrades, Captain +Starr and Lieutenant Hastings, both from New York state, came along, +looked us over and inquired what we were waiting for. They also sat +down. + +It was much cooler than at Charleston, so much so that the guards built +fires on the guard line. The guards were changed at 3 o'clock. The man +whose place was on the beat which we wished to cross did his duty +faithfully. There had been a fire at one end of his beat, but it did not +entice him. He was walking his beat steadily. + +As the moon was nearing the horizon, one of the comrades said: "If you +start when that man is near this end of the beat as you are crossing the +guard line he will be at the other end of his beat, he will have turned +around and will see you for there is a fire on both sides." We said: +"Yes, but we think we will try it. We will go abreast so if he shoots he +must fire through one before he hits the next." When the moon was well +down and the guard neared our end of his beat, we started, going +carefully. We were crossing his beat when he arrived at the other end, +he did what he had not done before, he stopped with his back towards us, +took his gun from his shoulder, stooped over and began to look after the +fire. We thought then, as we did several other times, that we were +favored by our Heavenly Father. + +We went over the knoll and stopped to get our bearings. Soon I saw two +men coming over the knoll, and said: "Boys, they are coming for us; we +will not run." But as they got near us we saw that it was Captain Starr +and Lieutenant Hastings. When they saw the guard stop with his back +toward us they of course came, so we were five instead of three. We +worked our way through to the woods, got a quiet place and stayed there +through the day where we could hear the calls at the camp. That morning +I cut a hickory walking stick, which I used on the trip, and have it +yet. + +It was fortunate for us that Lieutenant Hastings joined us. He had +escaped once and had been captured by a posse with dogs, had changed his +clothing and now wore a Confederate uniform, which we thought would +permit him to pass for a Confederate. He was a bright young attorney and +after the close of the war was attorney general for the state of New +York. + +After dark we started. We took a northwesterly course, being guided by +the north star, and kept in the woods. About 10 o'clock we heard dogs, +and said: "Hastings, what is that?" He replied: "A pack of hounds, and +they are on our trail." I said: "Turn up your soles," took out the +bottle of turpentine which I had kept so carefully for months, put some +on the bottoms of all of our shoes, turned a square corner and we all +ran as fast as we could in another direction. After a little we saw we +were coming to the edge of the woods, where there was a road and beyond +an open field. Just then Hastings said: "The dogs have struck the +turpentine--hear them--they are not barking, but whining; they are +whipping them to make them follow the trail, hear them howl, but they +won't do it--the turpentine is too strong for them." + +We rushed ahead and as we were crossing the road we heard a horse coming +down the road on a good gallop. Soon a man on a horse came up. He +evidently was one of the party who came around on a venture to see if he +could head off whoever it was that they were after. He, of course, had +his rifle and could have followed us, and shot or captured us, but there +were five of us and he did not know that we were unarmed, so he began to +call loudly and whistle for the dogs. Had they responded and come with +the other men while we were in sight with the bright moonlight, they +certainly would have caught us. We ran as fast as we could. In the +field we came to a fair-sized stream, rushed into it, waded down it for +awhile, then crossed over, sat down on the bank and rubbed garlic, a +strong wild onion, on our feet to change the scent, changed our course +again and pushed on. We were now out of sight and got away this time, it +being our first night out. + +We had many exciting and varied experiences. We traveled only in the +night and if possible kept in the woods, and went in a northwesterly +course, guided by the north star. If we could not see that star and were +uncertain as to our course I had a pocket compass which I carried +through the war; we would form a ring that the light might not be seen, +strike a light, look at the compass, get our bearings and proceed. + +We kept aloof, if possible, from all human beings, preferring to suffer +material privations to taking chances. Our food was what we might pick +up in the woods, which was very little. We could easily approach a corn +field every night. The corn was ripe, hence hard to eat raw, but much +better than nothing. Before daylight in the morning we would look for a +quiet place in the woods and lie down, but seemingly nearly every +morning before we had slept long something would occur to seriously +disturb us. Some one out shooting or chopping wood, or doing various +other things. One night about midnight we came to the edge of the woods, +and as the woods did not run in the right direction, and there were no +houses in sight and a road which ran in the direction we were going we +decided that we would follow it, being careful to keep on the sides and +not leave any tracks, until we could reach another stretch of woods. We +did so and as we were going quietly along we noticed a light in a house +which, like all the houses in the South, stood well back from the road. +On looking around we found one or two other lights and discovered that +we were in a small town, but apparently half way or more through it, so +went on and got to the woods once more. + +Several days after our escape, early in the morning, as usual, we got a +place in the woods, lay down and after a short sleep were eating our +corn, when one said: "This is pretty tough grub for all the time. We are +in the woods apparently out of sight of every one, we have matches, why +can't we make a hole in the ground, start a little fire, put our corn +around it, over it, all about it, let it toast, roast or burn? It will +be much better than it is now." We did so, and were watching the fire +when we saw a woman with a plain gray cotton dress, hanging from the +shoulders like a night dress, coming toward us. Presuming that she was a +colored woman, we said: "Hastings, go and make friends with that Auntie +or we will be in trouble." He started. As he approached her, he said: +"Good morning, Auntie," then saw that she was white. "I know who you uns +is. They cotched two of you uns here yesterday and took them back to +Columbia," she said. "Yes, my good lady, I am an escaped prisoner of +war," said Hastings. He then went on talking with her to the best of his +ability. They were soon joined by her three daughters, who were about +twelve, fourteen and sixteen years old, and dressed like their mother. +He learned that she was a widow, owned a large plantation, which we were +on, that she and her daughters were out looking about the place and saw +the smoke and were coming to see what it was. We, of course, put out the +fire. She had two sons, young men, who had been in the army since the +beginning of the war. Before the war she was in good financial +condition, had plenty of slaves, but they had run away long before, so +that she and her daughters were left alone, and were obliged to work the +plantation enough to give them something to live on. Hastings asked if +her sons were both living. "Yes, fortunately they are and neither of +them has been wounded," she replied. "Have they ever been made +prisoners?" Hastings inquired. "Yes, they were both captured last +spring," she said. "Where in the North were they confined?" he asked. +She told him. "How were they treated?" "Finely," they said. "Have they +been exchanged?" he questioned. "Yes," was the reply. "I suppose," +continued Hastings, "that after their exchange they were allowed to come +home." "Yes," said the woman, "and I was glad that they were captured +for it was the first time I have seen them since the beginning of the +war. They looked fine and said they were well-treated while prisoners +and had no reason to complain." "My good lady," said Hastings, "I am +very glad to know that they were well-treated and that you had a good +visit with them. We have been prisoners of war from six months to one +and a half years each. We have nothing to say about how your government +has treated us, perhaps it did as well by us as it could. A few days ago +we made our escape when the guards did not see us and they probably do +not know it now. We are making every effort to get home to our mothers, +wives, sisters and daughters. If you will recall how you felt about your +sons you will understand how they feel. I know that you are required to +report to the officer in charge in this locality that you have seen +strangers here, but if you have, as I believe you have, a true mother's +heart and any regard for us, for God's sake don't do it until tomorrow, +for as you can readily see, we must stay here until after dark tonight. +To do otherwise would be the greatest folly; so we are in your hands. If +you wish to send us back to Columbia all that is necessary is to report +us today. We shall be here all day," and so he continued to the best of +his ability, and he was a good pleader. After a little, the youngest +daughter began to rub her eyes and shed tears, and said: "Mister, we +won't tell on you uns, will we mar?" and soon was joined by the other +two, all weeping and saying: "Mister, we won't tell on you uns, will we +mar?" but the good lady said nothing, and the plea continued, helped by +the appeal of the daughters, until the woman said: "Mister, we will not +tell on you uns today." He replied: "My good lady, I am very glad that +you took time to deliberate before you decided what to do, for I feel +assured that you mean and will do just what you say, but if you have no +objections will you and your daughters hold up your right hands." They +did so and he administered to them, I presume, as strong an oath as he +ever did that they would not in any way let it be known that they had +seen us until the next day. He then said: "Am I the first Yankee you +have met?" "Yes, the first," she said. "I am the poorest looking of our +number," said Hastings. "Come and let me introduce you to the others." +He brought them and we were formally introduced and they soon left. We +soon heard some dogs barking. We said: "Hastings, how about that?" He +said: "There are several of them, but I do not think they are on a +trail." But the barking continued until one of our number went up a +tree. After he got well up in the tree he saw in an open field adjoining +the woods, over toward the river, a man with a bunch of dogs. +Apparently he was out to give them exercise, and as they did not get +scent of us or cross our trail they did not trouble us; but the two +incidents gave us plenty of anxiety for that day. After dark we were +moving. + +One night as we were traveling in the woods, Captain Aldrich said to me: +"I have kept a correct diary since we started, giving our names, telling +when and how we got out and each day since, but I have lost it tonight." +I replied: "I am sorry for your loss, but we will not go back to look +for it. It may be found, but if it is we will hope we will be far enough +away so that they will not find us." The diary probably was found and +returned to Columbia, for one morning when they came in to count the +prisoners, the officer in charge said: "Men, I suppose you all know that +five of your number"--giving our names--"got out from here on the +morning of October 3rd. They did nicely for a while, got to such a +place, were discovered and a posse sent after them. They were ordered to +surrender, but did not and all were shot dead." That, of course, was a +warning to all the others not to take similar risks. + +Not long after I reached my home in New York City, one of the +lieutenants of the Eighty-fifth was exchanged. As he was passing through +the city, he thought he would come to the house and see if he could +learn anything about me. He did so, and was much surprised to find me +there, and told me what had been told them about our escape and +execution. + +In the latter part of one night, when we were well up on the Blue Ridge +mountains, we had trouble in making our way in the direction which we +wished to keep, and came to a mountain road which led the right way. We +decided to try it for a while and, as we always did when on or near a +highway, one of us went ahead. This time I was ahead. As I came to a +small gully and was about to step onto the bridge which was across it, I +heard a call from the other side: "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 3," +which gave me a shock. I threw up my hands and hurried back, and +reported what I had heard. We went up into the mountains and looked for +a suitable place to hide. After a reasonable time in the morning, we +said: "Hastings, we are in a tight place. You must go and investigate +for we cannot move from here without some knowledge of our +surroundings." He started, but did not go far before he saw a small +clearing and a shack. He watched it, and saw a colored woman and some +colored children. He watched until he felt sure there was no one else +there, then went toward the house. As he came up the woman, speaking +first, said: "Mister, this a very bad place for you uns; there is a +company of guerrillas here. I am expecting one of them up here for his +washing." Turning to a boy she said: "Tom, you go to that knoll and keep +a sharp watch. If you see anyone coming you tell me quick." Then she +turned to Hastings and was ready to talk with him. He told her who he +was and about us. She gave him something to eat and other food she had +for him to bring to us, and said we were in a tight place, that she was +not well posted, but that her husband was a free man, hence could go +about the country and was pretty well posted, that he would be home by +and by, and she would have him see what he could do for us. She said for +us all to come to the house after dark when her husband would be there +and she would have something more for us to eat. Hastings returned and +reported. We waited until after dark, then went to the house. The +husband was there--quite a bright-looking man. We were fed. He said we +were in a tight place, but that he would take us past the guerrillas and +start us on beyond. We started out, he and I going ahead. Soon we came +to a few houses, went around and past them, went through a gate into a +back yard. Passing through that we went near the back of a large log +stable in which were lights. We could see between the logs. It was full +of horses and men caring for them. Captain Aldrich came up, took hold of +my right arm and said: "Are not those the guerrillas?" I said: "Be +quiet." As he held onto my arm I could feel his heart beat. But our +guide took us through all right to the other side and away from the +guerrillas. We came to a road leading up into the mountains. Our guide +said: "You want to go the way this road runs. You had better stay in the +woods until morning, then go up the mountain the way this road goes. +When you come to four corners, a signboard and a schoolhouse there is +the line between North and South Carolina. Keep straight ahead, but +about two miles beyond the schoolhouse are some soldiers beside the +road. Do not let them see you, but go well around them. They stop +everybody that comes along. Get back to the road and go ahead until you +come to a house and a blacksmith shop. Stop and see that man. He will +take care of you." "Who is he?" we asked. "He is a first-class Union +man," he replied. "I was over there this summer. He is all right." We +thanked him most heartily and he left us and we went into the woods for +the night. The next day we worked our way up the mountain, arriving at +the schoolhouse about dark. It was raining. We decided to go a piece by +the road, so started on. I went ahead. None of us thought about the +guards who were by the side of the road. As I was nearing a narrow pass +I saw a light shining across the road. Like a flash it came to me. I +threw up my hands and hurried back. We went well around them, which was +quite a job in the dark and the rain and the thick brush; but we got +back to the road, kept on until we came to the blacksmith shop. It was +about 10 o'clock and there was no light in the house. We had a talk and +decided that we were in a tight place and that Hastings might go to the +house as a Confederate soldier and see what he could learn. He went and +rapped on the door. A man came to the door. Hastings told him he was a +soldier with a leave of absence who had lost his way and asked if he +could come in for a short time. While talking he asked the man how he +was getting on. He said not at all well. "Why not?" asked Hastings, "you +have a nice place here." "Yes," was the answer, "but they do not treat +me well." "How is that?" Hastings inquired. "Colonel So-and-So was here +the other day," said the man, "and took all of my horses, cattle and +grain he could find." "Did he do the same by your neighbors?" asked +Hastings. "No one else," said the man. "How so?" asked Hastings. "He +said I was too much of a Union man," was the reply. Hastings then said: +"We have talked long enough. I am not a Confederate soldier, but a Union +officer, an escaped prisoner of war." "Why didn't you tell me that +before?" asked the man. "Come, wife, get up and give this poor fellow +something to eat." There was a bed in the room, an open fireplace with a +fire in it. "I am not alone," said Hastings. "I have four comrades +outside." "Outside in this hard rain? Go bring them in, quick," said +the man. When we came in he was pulling a jug out from under the bed. +Pouring something out of it, he said: "You are all wet, cold and hungry; +here is some good apple jack which I made. Drink some of it, it will do +you good. Have any of you got a bottle?" I had a small one which I had +carried through the service, usually having it filled with brandy to use +when some of my men gave out. He filled it. We were fed and he told us +what to do; to go down the road and avoid all the houses which we would +have to pass, some we must go well around, not leaving a track, others +to go right past. At the last house near the bridge there would be a +light, but to go right ahead. A poor man was dying there. When we +crossed the river he told us to turn to the left, go about two miles, +take the first road to the right, go to the first house, which was a +blacksmith shop, and wait until morning. He said we need not be afraid, +as there were no white people there; they had all left. "In the +morning," he said, "when you see the first darkey, whistle and he will +come to you. Tell him who you are and to take care of you through the +day, and at night to take you to the high sheriff." "What do we want of +the sheriff?" we asked. "He is just the man you want," was the reply. +"He will take care of you, and if necessary will ride all day to find +out something for you. He is allowed to be at home because he is a +sheriff, but there isn't a better Union man." We went on, got through to +the other shop all right, were cared for, put into the woods for the +day. At night we started on with two colored men, who would take us to +the sheriff. Neither of the men had been there, but the older one, who +acted as our guide, thought he could find the way. We had not gone far +when he stopped at a servant's house back of a plantation house, saying +he wanted to go in there. He soon returned, saying they wanted us to +come in. We hesitated, and he said it was all right; all were colored +people except one minister and he was all right. We finally went in. The +minister was a young-looking man who was allowed to remain at home +because he was a clergyman. We endeavored to be respectful to him. He +asked us: "What is the news?" Captain Starr replied: "We can't tell you. +I have been a prisoner for a year and a half and we are not allowed to +see the papers. You tell us the news." "I don't read the papers," was +the reply. "I suppose you confine yourself to clerical reading," said +Starr. "No, I never look at it," replied the man. "What do you read?" +asked Starr. "Books," said the minister. The good man evidently did not +know what "clerical" meant; but so far as we knew he was true to us and +did not give us away. + +After our guide had procured some information as to his route, we left. +When outside he said to his comrade: "You go ahead and carefully look +around a certain place two miles ahead; it is a bad place." He did so, +met us and reported. We came to some woods and the guide said: "There is +a path going through these woods leading to the road which goes to the +sheriff. If we can find it, it will save us several miles." They hunted +up and down the edge of the woods until they found the path. We then +went through the woods, struck the road and went on until we came in +sight of the sheriff's house, rather late in the evening. The dogs +around the house were barking. The guide said: "You stop here while I go +call him out and have the dogs taken in." He went forward and called +out. A man appeared on the front porch and asked who was there. "A +friend," was the reply. "Will you take the dogs in so that I can come +in?" The dogs were called in. He went to the porch and soon came for us. + +[Illustration: THE OTHER FIVE ESCAPED OFFICERS] + +We were received most kindly. The sheriff asked many questions and said: +"I will be very glad to care for you as well as I can until I can find a +way for you to go on," but added that it would not be safe for us to +remain at the house; that we should eat then and he would take us to a +place in the woods for the night; that we should come in before daylight +in the morning, eat and return and the same at night. He said: "There is +a terrible state of affairs here so near the border, so much worse than +it is in the North. My neighbors, some of them, are Confederates and +others good Union men. They do not mind going out and shooting each +other. Some of the Union men who do not wish to abandon everything and +go north, but will not enter the Southern army, stay in the woods in the +mountains. Some of them have been there for two years. You see my boy +there," pointing to a boy six or eight years old. "We have endeavored +to bring him up to be a good religious, strictly honest and truthful +boy, yet if anyone should come here tomorrow and ask him if there had +been any strangers here, no matter what they did to him they could not +get a word out of him. Isn't that a terrible way to bring up children?" +We were taken to the woods. After two or three days one afternoon we saw +some men coming toward us through the woods. We supposed they were after +us, but as they came nearer we saw that one of them was the sheriff. He +had five other prisoners who had escaped from Columbia. All officers, of +course. Three of them were from the 101st and 103rd Pennsylvania +regiments, which were in our brigade. So our force was doubled. + +After three or four days the sheriff told us: "I have arranged for you +to go ahead in the morning. A good guide, who has been several times to +the Union lines, will go with you and a few who wish to go north. Which +of you officers is in command?" he asked. "No one," we answered. "Is +that the way you do? What is your military rule when you meet in this +way? Who is in command?" "The ranking officer," we told him. "Who is +your ranking officer?" he inquired. "Captain Langworthy," they replied. +"Then Captain Langworthy is in command," he said, "and all of you, of +course, will obey orders. I sincerely hope you will not have any +trouble, but you all know there is no telling what you may run into and +you cannot be too well prepared. You leave here in the morning, go to +such a place in the mountains, which you will reach about night, where +some other parties will join you." + +We left in the morning. There was the guide and three or four other men +and one colored man. The guide had a rifle, one of the others a +revolver, which was all the arms we had. I went ahead with the guide. We +got on nicely most of the day. Near night, while in the woods walking by +the side of a small stream a volley of rifle shots from the other side +of the stream startled us. We rushed up the mountainside. When a little +way up we looked ourselves over and found we were all there except one +of the refugees. We never knew whether he was shot or went in some other +direction. I looked across the little valley and saw a small village on +the other side and a company of Confederate soldiers marching down the +street with their rifles on their shoulders. By and by the guide said +to me: "You all get behind that large rock. I think there are but two +men near us. Joe and I will get behind this and see if we cannot bluff +them." They got behind the rock, showing their arms, and as the two men +came in sight, halted them. "What do you want?" they asked. "Who are +you?" was the reply. Our guide told them they could never find out, for +if they came any nearer they would be shot dead; that being only two men +it would be worse than foolish to follow us. + +After a little more parleying we started on. It was getting dark and +began to rain hard. We went over a ridge of the mountains, down the +other side and across a small stream, when the guide said to me: "There +is no use in our trying to go ahead now; we cannot see anything to tell +in what direction we are going and are just as apt to go into trouble as +away from it. They will not attempt to follow us tonight; dogs could not +follow our trail through this rain. We had better stay here until we can +see where we go. What do you want me to do?" "Get us out of this muss +and to the Union lines," I replied. "We must have been given away." +"Yes," he said, "we have been given away, but how shall we get out of +this muss?" "By a way they would not expect us to," I said. "They +doubtless know that we have started for the Union lines, hence will have +every pass over the mountains guarded. We want to go where no one would +be expected to go, over the highest, roughest and worst peak of the +Allegheny Mountains." "That is easy," he replied. "That is Mount Pisga. +We can see that when we can see anything." "All right for Pisga then," I +said. + +We remained where we were until it began to grow light, then started for +Pisga, climbing up its side, much of the time over and around rocks, +arriving at the peak a little before night. We went down the other side +a short distance and stopped for the night. Down the mountain we could +see a valley, with houses and clearings, etc. It was still raining as it +had been doing all the day. We ten prisoners were bunched by ourselves +and the others in another group, a little way from us. Before lying down +I went over where the others were. They had gotten some dry pieces of +wood and were whittling as if about to start a fire. "What are you +going to do?" I asked. "We are very wet and cold," they said; "it would +be so nice to have a little fire." "Yes," I said, "but what would it do +to you? You can see those lights down there; they can see one here +better than we can see those in the valley. They know no one lives here. +A light here would bring them to investigate, perhaps before morning, +and they would be sure to get us. Would it pay? Now, you must understand +fully that there shall not be any light made here. The first one who +even strikes a match is a dead man." The guide said: "That's all right, +Captain. You may be sure we will not do anything of the kind. We should +have known better." + +In the morning we went on and got along fairly well up and down the +ridges of the mountains until one afternoon the guide said: "Now we are +all right; while we are not at the Union lines, we are near enough to be +safe. The people here are all right. Down below here are some friends of +mine, a man and his wife, who will help us." We all felt gay and skipped +along much like school boys, arriving at the friend's house about +nightfall. "You wait out here," said the guide, "and I will go in and +tell them who we are." He soon returned and said there was something +wrong, as there was no one in the house, that they had just left, as +supper was on the table and partially eaten. Near the house was a +slashing. We told him to go there and look for his friends, announcing +who he was. He did so and returned with the wife. She said there was a +bad company of guerrillas there who were making much trouble and had +killed several people. We suggested that the guide and the wife try +again to find the husband, which they did and brought him in. He said we +were in a bad fix, but he would try to help us on the next morning. We +were fed and decided to stay outside. We established a guard and lay +down in the yard. In the morning we started out with this gentleman as a +guide, going carefully through the woods. We had not gone very far +before our guide was called by name by someone in the woods who said: +"Where are you going?" "A piece with some friends," he replied. "You are +taking a very great risk," he was told. At one place the guide said: +"See that large plantation over there and those men digging a grave--the +man who lived there was shot by the guerrillas yesterday." + +We kept on till, late in the afternoon, we came to a road. The guide +said: "I will leave you here. You go up this road a little ways and you +will come to a cross road and a store. That is about forty-five miles +from my home. Go straight past the store until you come to the river, +then cross in a row boat. If there is not one there, swing your +handkerchiefs or something and they will come." + +The road was lined on both sides with trees and plenty of brush. The +guide and I went ahead. Someone spoke to us. Looking toward the side of +the road we saw two soldiers sitting on the ground holding their horses. +We supposed they belonged to the guerrillas. Our comrades came up, we +talked a little and went on to the river, where we got a boat. I asked +one of the oarsmen where their ferry boat was. He said: "This is it." "I +mean one that will take a team or horses or cattle," I said. "The only +way they can take horses across is to go in the boat themselves, lead +their horses and let them swim. We used to have such a ferry, but they +took it way," he said. "How far up or down the river is there such a +ferry?" I inquired. "I do not think there is one within twenty-five +miles." That information of course relieved our anxiety somewhat. It was +about the middle of November. I inquired if they had heard from the +election in the North. They said they had and I asked who was elected +president. "Abraham Lincoln," was the reply. We hurrahed, although we +were yet in the Confederacy. + +When we got across it was dark and we were all very tired. Most of our +company stopped at the first houses. I started up the road with my four +comrades. They said: "How far are you going?" "I don't know," I replied. +"We are all very tired, yet I think we do not want to take any chances +which we can avoid. If the two guerrillas with some of their associates +come over to look after us, either with or without their horses, they +will look in the houses. I do not care to be in the first house they +search." "All right," they said, "go ahead." + +After going about a mile we came to a good looking house and decided to +see if we could get something to eat. We rapped at the door and inquired +if we could get something to eat if we would pay for it and were told to +come in. While at the table I asked how far it was to the Union lines. +"Fifteen miles straight up the road which comes from the river," was +the reply. "How will we know when we get there?" I inquired. "Go ahead +until you come to a flour mill with a large water wheel," was the reply. +"That is practically there. The guards are beyond, but so near that no +one will go to the mill who is afraid of the guard. The man who owns the +mill is a bachelor and sleeps there, a good Union man. Call him up, he +will care for you and in the morning will show you the guards." + +We started on. The moon was shining brightly. Soon one or two who were +ahead were rolling a small animal around which was lying in the road and +apparently dead. Captain Aldrich came up and said, "He is not dead. If +you think he is feel of him, it is a possum. We came to him suddenly and +he is playing possum. Go on a little ways and then look at him." We did +so and he soon raised his head, looked around and scooted out of sight. + +As we went on Aldrich lagged behind. We waited for him and I said, +"Aldrich, you are very tired. I know that you are a strict teetotaler, +take a little medicine, some of this apple jack to brace you up." He +said, "No, go ahead, I will keep in sight." We went on slowly, he well +behind. By and by I heard a call, "Cap-t-a-i-n, Capt-a-i-n." We stopped. +He came up and said, "Captain, where is that bottle?" I took it out, +unscrewed the cover and said, "Now drink enough to brace you up. It will +not hurt you if you drink it all." He took some and it helped him and we +got to the flour mill. We were kindly received and in the morning were +shown where the pickets were. + +We went to the pickets and when they were relieved went with them to +their camp at Strawberry Plains in East Tennessee. This was on Sunday. +In the afternoon the rest of our crew came in. After dress parade we ten +were furnished horses and escort and taken to a railroad station, the +Quarter Master giving us transportation. While waiting for the train and +talking with the officers there, we were asked if we had any money. Some +had a little, others none. Those of us who had none were at once given +$50 or $60 each and were told that when we drew our pay we could send +the amounts to the men who had supplied us. + +As we were changing cars one day, passing by a station, I saw a man who +looked familiar. I went to him and asked when he came down from God's +country. He said he had been there some time. "What is your business?" I +asked. "An express agent," he told me. "Oh, yes," I said, "you used to +be in Elmira, New York. That is where I used to see you. Who else is +there down here from Elmira?" I inquired. "I do not know of anyone," he +said, "except Major Diven; he is a paymaster at Louisville." "Where does +he stop?" I asked. "At the Galt House," the man told me. "He has been +recently married and he and his bride are at the Galt House." + +We went on and were told we would arrive at Louisville at one o'clock +the next morning, where we had planned to take a steamer to Cincinnati. +Major Diven was a son of General Diven, who lived in Elmira, New York, +near where my father-in-law lived. The two families were intimate and +when I was married, the Divens, including the Major, were present. + +My comrades asked me where I was going to stop when we got to +Louisville. I said the Galt House. "Aren't you very tony? Do you suppose +they will take us?" they asked. "That is where I am going," I said. + +We arrived on time and went to the hotel, where we registered and were +told they were very sorry but there had not been a vacant room in the +house since eight o'clock the night before; the best they could do would +be to give us cots in the parlor where several others were assigned. We +took the cots and were soon asleep. In the morning, after breakfast, I +went to the office and inquired if Major Diven was around yet and was +told the major and his family had left about a week before and had taken +a house. "Where is his office?" I inquired. They told me and I asked at +what time in the morning he would be in his office. They thought at nine +o'clock. I went to look for my comrades and found them in the waiting +room. "Our boat does not leave until four o'clock this afternoon," I +said. "We have the day to put in here. Come and take a little walk with +me." "Where are you going?" they inquired. "To draw my pay," I told +them. "To draw your pay!" they laughed. "There is a United States +paymaster here," I said. "Why should we not draw our pay?" But, while +they had nothing to do, I could not persuade one to go with me. So I +went away alone and found a colored man sweeping out the office. I +inquired if Major Diven was in and was told that he was not, but would +be soon and would I come in. I picked up the morning paper from the +steps and went in. Soon the Major came. I said, "Major, I am an officer +in the United States service, an escaped prisoner of war; I came to draw +some pay." "What is your name, rank, regiment and where and when were +you captured?" he asked. I told him. He said, "I suppose you know there +is an order forbidding us to pay officers or men if they are away from +their command?" "Yes," I said, "but how about prisoners of war and +especially those who have made their escape? What provision is there for +them?" "There certainly should be some," he replied, "but I must first +talk it over with Colonel ----, my superior. Did you tell me your name +was D. A. Langworthy, Captain of Company 'E', 85th New York?" he asked. +"Yes," I replied. "Did you marry Belle Cooke last year?" he continued. +"Yes," I said. "Why, I was at your wedding!" he exclaimed. "I will +certainly pay you if I have to furnish the money myself, but let me go +first and talk with the Colonel." "One minute first, Major," I said. +"There are nine others with me, we are all alike, two of them are in the +85th and three others in our brigade." He left and soon returned saying +he was told he could give us all one month's pay. I told him that would +do nicely and I would go for the others. "Wait a minute," he said, "so +that I can have your papers ready for you to sign. When were you paid +last?" he inquired. "You will please say nothing about it, for I will +take the liberty of paying you for six months." So my check was for +something over $900.00. + +[Illustration: AS THEY APPEARED AFTER REACHING THE UNION LINES + +(From left to right) + +LIEUT. J. E. TERWILLIGER, 85TH N. Y. CAPT. C. S. ALDRICH, 85TH N. Y. +CAPT. D. A. LANGWORTHY, 85TH N. Y. LIEUT. G. S. HASTINGS, 24TH N. Y. +BATT. CAPT. GEORGE H. STARR, 104TH N. Y.] + +I went for the others, they all got some pay and of course all felt +better. We arrived at Cincinnati at about five o'clock in the morning. I +was somewhat at home there, for in previous years I had been there for +some time each year looking after my father's lumber interests. My chums +were inquiring for the Quarter Master to get their transportation. I +told them I should not trouble about the Quarter Master. "Why not?" they +asked. "His office probably will not be open before nine o'clock," I +said. "If I can get the six o'clock express at the little Miami station +it will make about one day's difference in my getting home and I am +getting in a hurry." "How about your railroad fare?" they inquired. "I +will pay it and take the chance of getting it back," I said. + +I got the train and went the rest of the way alone. When, in the latter +part of March, 1864, I was returned to the front from detail duty in the +North, I left my wife at my home in New York City. While in prison I +learned that she had returned to her father in Elmira, New York. So of +course I made for Elmira. Arrived there in the latter part of the night. +I started to walk to father Cooke's. While I was in prison my wife had +an illness which troubled her head and started her hair coming out. +Hoping to save it, she had it cut short and the night before had put it +up in curl papers. It chanced that she and one of her sisters were +sleeping in a front chamber with the front window open and she was awake +and heard someone coming. She recognized my step and shook her sister, +saying, "Nell, Nell, get out of here quick, the Doctor is coming!" +"There is no Doctor coming for you," said Nell. "I tell you he is. I +know his step. Can't you hear it. There--he has opened the gate!" and +she pushed her sister out of bed and told her to go. + +I rapped on the door, was admitted and embraced by Father Cooke, who +opened the stair door and said, "Belle." "Yes, father, I know who it +is," she replied. "Send him up." When I entered the room she was sitting +up in bed taking the curl papers out of her hair. That was the 20th of +November. I had been six weeks on the trip. + +That day or the next I noticed several wagons going past loaded with +fresh meat, bread, vegetables and other articles of food. I inquired +where all that food was going and was told, "To your old camp." "Have +they got recruits there now?" I asked. "No," was the reply, "Confederate +prisoners." It looked to me as though they were well cared for. + +I certainly was well done up. For the first two weeks I did not do much +but eat and sleep. It seemed as though I would never get filled up and +rested. I would eat breakfast and, before I knew it, be asleep. After I +had been there a week or more, one evening my wife's two sisters, young +ladies, said, "Father, are you going to the hall this evening to hear +the lecture?" "No," he said, "I had not intended to and do not know as I +care to." "It will be a fine lecture," they told him, "Doctor so-and-so +of New York City. We would like to go but have no one to escort us." I +said, "Girls, why don't you invite me?" "We would be delighted to have +you go, but fear you would go to sleep," they said. I promised to try to +keep awake and we went. + +While waiting for the lecture to begin I felt weary, leaned forward, put +my forehead on the back of the seat in front and the next thing I knew +they shook me up and said it was time to go home. + +When I arrived in Elmira I of course reported to Washington that I had +escaped, giving my whereabouts. After two or three weeks I received an +order to proceed to Annapolis, Maryland, where the exchanged prisoners +were received and cared for. After being there a few days I received an +order to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Will W. Clark of the 85th New +York, at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, who was there with a few of the +85th who were not at Plymouth at the time of the capture. + +On arriving there on December 23rd, I found awaiting me Special Order +Number 439 by which I was mustered out and discharged by reason of the +expiration of my time of service; but which I suppose meant that I did +not have any command. I then returned to my home in New York City and +the war fortunately was soon over. + +So far as I know Captain George H. Starr of Yonkers, New York, and +myself are the only persons living of the ten who reached home together. + +After arriving at our homes, and after the war had ended we all +contributed to a financial remembrance to the "high sheriff" and +endeavored to express to him our very great obligation for his +remarkable kindness and efficient help to us when we were all in such a +critical plight, near the boundary which divided the north from the +south during our flight for freedom. + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44702 *** diff --git a/44702-h/44702-h.htm b/44702-h/44702-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c977e23 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/44702-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1380 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Reminiscences of a Prisoner of War and His Escape, by Daniel Avery Langworthy</title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + + p.bold {text-align: center; font-weight: bold;} + p.bold2 {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + h1 span, h2 span { display: block; text-align: center; } + #id1 { font-size: smaller } + + hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; + } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; border-collapse: collapse; border: none; text-align: right;} + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + text-indent: 0px; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .space-above {margin-top: 3em;} + .right {text-align: right;} + .left {text-align: left;} + + hr.full { 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> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44702 ***</div> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Reminiscences of a Prisoner of War and His +Escape, by Daniel Avery Langworthy</h1> +<p> </p> +<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/reminiscencesofp00lang"> + https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofp00lang</a> + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> + +<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i002.jpg" id="i002.jpg"></a><img src="images/i002.jpg" alt="Daniel Avery Langworthy" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Daniel Avery Langworthy</span></p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<h1>Reminiscences<br /> +of<br /> +A Prisoner of War<br /> +and<br /> +His Escape</h1> + +<p class="bold space-above">By</p> + +<p class="bold2">Daniel Avery Langworthy</p> + +<p class="bold">Late Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry</p> + +<p class="bold space-above">With Illustrations</p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="bold space-above">Byron Printing Company<br />Minneapolis, Minn.<br />1915</p> + +<hr /> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center">Copyright 1915<br />by<br />Daniel Avery Langworthy</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center">AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED<br /> +TO MY ESTEEMED FRIEND AND COMRADE<br /><br />ELL TORRANCE<br /><br /> +PAST COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<table summary="ILLUSTRATIONS"> + <tr> + <td></td> + <td class="center"><small>FACING<br />PAGE</small></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Daniel Avery Langworthy</span></td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry</td> + <td><a href="#i002.jpg"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Compass, Knife, Fork and Spoon</span></td> + <td><a href="#i017.jpg">18</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Camp Oglethrope, Macon, Georgia</span></td> + <td><a href="#i021.jpg">20</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Shoes and Hickory Stick</span></td> + <td><a href="#i029.jpg">26</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C.</span></td> + <td><a href="#i033.jpg">28</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C.</span></td> + <td><a href="#i039.jpg">32</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Five Escaped Officers</span></td> + <td><a href="#i065.jpg">56</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Who joined Capt. Langworthy's party</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Five Officers including Capt. Langworthy</span></td> + <td><a href="#i079.jpg">68</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> As they appeared after reaching the Union lines</td> + <td></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<h2>Preface</h2> + +<p>Soon after my escape from captivity and my arrival at the home of my +father-in-law, at Elmira, New York, where my good wife was, my sister +Sarah, who was older than myself, and her husband, came to see me. She +sat down by my side and said: "Now Daniel, tell me all about it. How you +were captured, how treated while a prisoner of war, how you made your +escape and worked your way from Columbia, South Carolina, to Elmira." +She held me to a strict account until she had the full story. I then +told her that if after that I should be asked about it I would refer +them to her (she would have given a good narrative), but unfortunately +she is not living now.</p> + +<p>I have never been much inclined to talk about my prison life, nor had +thought of writing about it until recently when some of my comrades, who +had been talking with me about it, suggested and <b>strongly urged</b> that I +write it out. The result of which is these reminiscences. Doubtless I +could have told this story better<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> fifty years ago, for, as I did not +keep a diary or any memorandum, it is entirely from memory, yet the +events made a fixed impression on my mind and I believe that what I have +herein narrated is correct. I was born January 3rd, 1832.</p> + +<p class="right">DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY.</p> + +<p>Minneapolis, Minn.<br />April 3rd, 1915.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<h2>Narrative</h2> + +<p>Before the Civil War I was a young physician in New York city, had been +brought up a strong Whig and fully believed that slavery was entirely +wrong. After the beginning of the war I felt it my duty to go and help +and thought that the privates, the men who carried and used rifles were +what was wanted; hence I went to Elmira, New York, and enlisted on +September 10th, 1861, in the Eighty-fifth New York Regiment, which +regiment was being recruited in Allegany County in the locality where my +father lived, so that I might be with my former associates. Late in the +fall of 1861 the regiment was moved to Washington, D. C., remaining +there during the winter. Early in the following spring we went on the +Peninsula campaign under General McClellan, our regiment being in +General Wessel's brigade. On April 9th, 1862, I was commissioned first +lieutenant. On October 17th, 1862, captain.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p><p>At the close of the campaign as we came off the Peninsula, General +Wessell's brigade was left at Fortress Monroe, where it remained for a +time, and was then ordered to Newburn, North Carolina, and from there to +Plymouth, North Carolina. In July, 1863, two other officers, some +enlisted men and myself were detailed and sent to Elmira, New York, on +conscript duty. While in Elmira I was married. In March, 1864, we were +ordered to return to our command. We did so, arriving at Plymouth, North +Carolina, about April 1st. On April 20th the entire post was captured +after a siege of four days.</p> + +<p>After our capture we were started toward Richmond and marched in that +direction for two days; then laid over for one day. Although nothing had +been said, we inferred that there must be something wrong at Richmond, +indeed we afterward learned that General Grant had started on his +wilderness campaign, and orders had been issued from Richmond not to +bring any more prisoners there.</p> + +<p>The next morning we started south and tramped in that direction until we +came to a railroad, where we were loaded into cattle or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> box cars (I +being on the first train). We continued our southern journey, passing +through Wilmington and Charleston to Savannah, then going west through +Macon, we arrived at Andersonville, Georgia, in the afternoon. We were +then taken out of the cars and sat down on the ground.</p> + +<p>Andersonville contained only a few scattered houses. We could plainly +see where our men were encamped, some distance away, with nothing to +protect them from the heat of the sun and apparently with only a scant +supply of water. Soon after our arrival a well-mounted and +soldierly-looking officer came riding toward us. He was met by the +officer in command of our guard, who saluted and inquired: "Is this +Captain Wirtz?" "Yes," was the reply. "Captain Wirtz, I have some +prisoners here for you," said the officer in charge of us. "About how +many?" inquired Captain Wirtz, "and what are they?" "About eight +hundred. Seventy-five officers and about seven hundred and twenty-five +men," was the answer. "Well," said Captain Wirtz, "I suppose I must take +the men, but I <b>cannot</b> take the officers."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p><p>The captain of our guard was an imperious man; he straightened himself +up and said: "Captain Wirtz, I am ordered to turn these prisoners over +to you." "I <b>cannot</b> take the officers," repeated Captain Wirtz. "I have +no place for them. God knows my place is bad enough for the men!" +"Captain Wirtz," insisted the captain of our guard, "I shall turn all +these prisoners over to you." "Do what you d——n please," said Wirtz. +"Turn them loose if you want to, but I tell you I will not take the +officers." He then turned his horse and rode away.</p> + +<p>We all realized that we had witnessed an important scene—and it was. It +established a precedent. So far as I know, no officers were confined at +Andersonville. Had they been, the majority of them, like our men, would +have died there. Of my company forty-eight good, healthy, robust young +men went into Andersonville that day and the remains of thirty of them +are there now; while of the officers of our regiment who were captured, +all lived to return North. While that was the only time I ever saw +Captain Wirtz, that event, and what I learned afterward, gave me a +strong impression that the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>authorities at Richmond, and especially +Winder, were responsible for the treatment of the prisoners at Libby, +Belle Island, Andersonville, etc. Apparently Captain Wirtz was a +well-drilled European soldier, who of course was trained to obey orders; +but in this case he had so much respect for the rank of the officers +that he rebelled and established a precedent which most certainly was a +God-send to the officers.</p> + +<p>Soon after he left we were ordered into line and the officers were +commanded to step out (to the left). We understood well what that meant. +It was a trying time for the officers, for we realized full well where +our men were going. I think we had about the same idea of Andersonville +then that we have now. The men were marched away.</p> + +<p>After the men were gone we were marched across the railroad onto a knoll +with a beautiful grove, in which was a vacant church, and told to make +ourselves comfortable there for the night. Of course there was a guard +around us, but we were allowed to go out into the grove. Going down the +knoll we found a very large and most excellent spring of fine water, +which came bubbling up out of the white sand. We said:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> "What a lovely +and perfect place for a camp. Why wasn't our boys' camp here instead of +over there on that hill? Here is water, shade and everything." The +answer was: "It is too good a place for the Yankees."</p> + +<p>The next morning we entered the cars and started back east. As Captain +Wirtz would not take us, something must be done with us. The first town +of importance we came to was Macon. We stopped there and were turned +over to the general officer in command at that point. As there had not +been any prisoners kept there, no arrangements for us had been made. We +were taken out into a nice park, furnished with plenty of tents and were +told to make ourselves comfortable; very fair rations were issued to us +each day and plenty of them. We were allowed to go to the guard line and +buy anything we wished if we had the wherewith to pay for it. In fact, +we were treated kindly and had no complaint to make. By talking over the +guard line at this camp, I purchased of a colored woman, a good table +knife, fork and spoon, which I kept and found to be very useful; getting +hold of a three-cornered file, I made a saw of the back of the knife, +thinking it might be of use in an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> emergency. After a few days, when we +were getting rested, I would hear: "What is it we hear about Libby, +Belle Island and Andersonville? <i>We</i> certainly have no reason to +complain."</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i017.jpg" id="i017.jpg"></a><img src="images/i017.jpg" alt="Compass that Guided Us by Night and Day" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Compass that Guided Us by Night and Day<br />and Knife, Fork +and Spoon Purchased from<br />Colored Woman at Macon, Georgia</span></p> + +<p>During my prison life I met comrades who had been, I think, in most of +the places where our men were confined and they all practically told the +same story; that when they were turned over to the local authorities +they were well treated, but that when they came under the Richmond or +Winder care it was as different as it well could be.</p> + +<p>Apparently it was well understood that no soldier was to be in a +condition, when exchanged or when he got North, to re-enter the service.</p> + +<p>After we had been in Macon for perhaps a couple of weeks, I noticed one +day two officers riding around in another part of the park. I recognized +one of them, and asked our captain of the guard: "Who is that officer +with Colonel So-and-So?" He replied: "That is Colonel So-and-So of +Richmond of President Davis' staff." I asked no more questions, but +thought it significant that he was there.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p><p>Two or three days later a hundred or so of colored men were at work in +that part of the park building a stockade enclosing about three acres. +The stockade was a tight board fence twelve feet high, with a walk on +the outside near the top and a railing outside of it for the guard, +where they could see everything. On the inside, about forty feet from +the stockade, was a picket fence called "the dead line." That is, if +anyone approached it, he was to be shot.</p> + +<p>After the enclosure was completed, one morning we noticed a crowd of men +being marched inside the stockade. They were prisoners from Libby. Soon +after we followed them. With these prisoners came Lieutenant Davis of +Baltimore, who had charge of the prison. He apparently had his orders +from Richmond and obeyed them strictly. It was a very great change for +us. Our rations, treatment and everything else were so radically +different. A small brook ran through one end of the enclosure, +fortunately inside the dead line. We dug a spring there and from it got +all the water we had.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i021.jpg" id="i021.jpg"></a><img src="images/i021.jpg" alt="Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Georgia" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Georgia</span></p> + +<p>One day one of our comrades was walking down the path to the spring with +his canteen to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> get some water, when one of the guards who was on the +stockade shot him dead. So far as we knew, there was nothing done about +it except that his remains were taken outside. The guard remained on his +post until time to be relieved.</p> + +<p>There was one of our number who had been a prisoner so long and had +become so reduced in health that he feared he could not endure much +longer. While talking about it with his associates he was asked if he +had anything he could sell to get some money to buy some food. He said +he had nothing but his watch. He was advised to sell that. Lieutenant +Davis came in every morning with a guard to count us. The next morning +when they came in, this prisoner approached the lieutenant and said: +"Lieutenant Davis, can I presume to ask a favor of you?" "What is it?" +was the curt question. "I have been in prison for a long time and have +become so reduced in health that I fear I cannot hold out much longer. +The only thing I have left to dispose of is my watch. Could I ask you to +take it out and sell it for me that I might buy something with the money +to help me?" "All right," said the lieutenant, and put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> the watch in his +pocket. The comrade further said: "Lieutenant, please remember to sell +that watch for $200. If you cannot get that much or more, bring it back +to me," and he gave his name. "All right," said the lieutenant.</p> + +<p>Each morning after that when they came in this prisoner would stand +around near the lieutenant, but nothing was said until one morning he +said: "Lieutenant, were you able to sell my watch?" "No, I was not," +replied the lieutenant. "Then, will you kindly bring it in to me when +you come in tomorrow morning?" he requested. "What's your name?" asked +Lieutenant Davis. The prisoner gave his name. "Oh, yes, I have done sold +your watch already for $5," said the lieutenant. "You must be mistaken, +lieutenant," exclaimed the prisoner, "for you must remember that I told +you if you could not sell it for $200 or more, to kindly bring it back +to me." "You tell me I lie, do you?" exclaimed the lieutenant—and +turning to his guard, said: "Bring him along; I will show him." The +prisoner was taken just outside the gate, where we could see him, and +bucked and gagged and sat there on the ground<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> in the hot Georgia sun +the most of that summer day.</p> + +<p>After we were in the stockade the main topic of conversation was: "Was +it possible to get out of there?" The first thing tried was tunnelling, +which required great effort and caution. We had nothing to dig with +except our hands and pocket knives. Then, the fresh dirt must not be +seen, nor the openings of the tunnels. While we worked entirely in the +night, our work must not be discovered by the guards, and several +tunnels were under way. One or two of them were nearly to the stockade +when, one morning, they came in as usual to count us. We were lined up +at one end with the guard around us, and were ready to march through +between two guards and be counted, when Lieutenant Davis pulled the +ramrod out of the rifle of one of the guards and went around and pushed +it into all of the tunnels, showing us that he knew of them. He then +gave us a strong talk, saying we would hereafter be watched carefully, +and if there was any further attempt made toward tunnelling it would be +met with severe punishment. That was the end of the tunnelling. But the +question was: "How did he get onto it?" After a little we learned that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +the day before when the guard went out they took with them one of our +prisoners who had enlisted from Kentucky or Tennessee—I have forgotten +which. Fortunately for him he did not come back.</p> + +<p>Then the question was: "What next?" In talking things over with those +who had been in prison the longest and had the most varied experiences, +they all said it was not so difficult to get out of prison or away from +those who had charge of you, as it was to care for yourself after you +were at liberty; that the entire South was thoroughly organized, not +only to prevent the escape of Yankee prisoners, but also to arrest +deserters from their own service, and all others, both white and +colored, who wished to evade the service or to get to the North. An +officer was detailed for each locality who must have a pack of good dogs +and a posse of men always ready and every person was under strict orders +to report to said officer any strangers, stragglers, suspicious persons +or any unusual circumstances they might know of. Fresh tracks were +looked after and these officers and men were returned to the front if +their work was not satisfactory. They were wide-awake.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p><p>Several of our number had been recaptured. They all said the dogs were +the worst part of the outfit, that you might possibly evade the others, +but that when the dogs got on your trail they were sure to find you.</p> + +<p>The next question was: "What to do with the dogs?" The only remedy +suggested was to have something to put on our feet which would be so +offensive to their sensitive noses that it would upset them. After +thinking it over I decided that if the opportunity presented itself, I +would try turpentine. There was an officer there at Macon whose duties +frequently called him inside our prison. I was pretty well acquainted +with him, and sold him my watch. One day I asked him if I could presume +to ask a favor of him. "What is it?" he said. "Would you kindly get me a +half pint of good spirits of turpentine?" I asked. "What do you want of +turpentine?" he asked. "You know the Libby prisoners are here," I +replied, "and you may know they brought many bugs with them; turpentine +is said to be good to fight those bugs with." "I will see," he said.</p> + +<p>The next time I saw him he handed me a bottle of turpentine. I thanked +him and paid him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> for it. He then said: "Captain, I want to say +something which may be entirely unnecessary, but I feel that I must." +"What is it?" I asked. "It is that what I have done shall be known to no +one but you and me, for if it should be known that I had brought +something in to you it would mean——" and he drew his hand across his +throat. I replied: "You may be assured no one shall know anything about +it. Some of my comrades may know that I have the turpentine, but where +or how or through whom I got it they will have no idea." He then said: +"Captain, I do not wish to be inquisitive or to ask any questions about +your affairs, but if at any time you have an idea you can get out of +this place, if you will tell me what night, I will tell you where on the +river you can find a boat with oars, blankets and food." I thanked him +most heartily and told him I was fully confirmed in my previous +impression that he was a noble, generous, first-class gentleman. He then +said: "Captain, you do not have much to read do you?" "Nothing," I said. +"Perhaps you would enjoy looking this over." He handed me a pamphlet and +left. On opening it I saw it was about Macon, its location and maps +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>showing the river and roads and where they went, etc.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i029.jpg" id="i029.jpg"></a><img src="images/i029.jpg" alt="Shoes Worn and Hickory Stick Used by Capt. Langworthy" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Shoes Worn and Hickory Stick Used by Capt. Langworthy<br />on +His Trip North and Still In His Possession</span></p> + +<p>I kept the turpentine very carefully hoping that some time I might be +able to escape and might possibly need it.</p> + +<p>While in Macon my boots gave out and I purchased a pair of plain rough +darkey shoes, paying $60 in Confederate money for them, and kept them in +reserve for use in case I should be so fortunate as to get outside. One +of our number, who was a major in the regular army, started a secret +society, which I joined, and which soon grew to hundreds. The object of +the organization was for mutual help. It was organized as a regiment, +with companies, etc. The major was the colonel.</p> + +<p>One day in July a detail was ordered to be ready to move at a certain +hour the next morning. They were ready, but waited for an hour or more. +The major and many of our new order were in the detail, including +myself. While waiting, several of our organization exchanged places and +thereby got in so that when we marched out our society was well +represented. We were put on board a train of box cars and started east, +arriving at Savannah about nightfall. We were unloaded and were there in +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> yards an hour or two. While waiting, the major said to us: "I have +learned that we are going North, I think to Charleston. When we get +about so far from here we will be only about twelve miles from our men +at such a place on the coast. I will be sure to get in the front car and +will detail officers to be in command of each of the other cars. They +will detail men to look after the guard in their cars. At the proper +time I will swing a lantern out of the side door of the front car and +swing it around as a signal for you to overcome the guards in your cars. +Take their guns and care for them and when the train stops jump out and +overcome the guards on the top of the cars, and we will then go back and +overcome those in the rear car and then march for the little station on +the coast."</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i033.jpg" id="i033.jpg"></a><img src="images/i033.jpg" alt="Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C." /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C.</span></p> + +<p>There were four or five guards in each car and about the same number on +the top and one group commanding the rear car. We all sat on the floor, +including the guards. I was in command of one of the cars and watched +very sharply for the light, but it did not show up. The major had +learned that there was suspicion of something being done and did not +think it best<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> to take the risk. We all knew apparently when we +approached where we should see the light, and as it did not show up the +men soon began to tumble out of the side doors. Upwards of one hundred +of them got out of the cars in a comparatively short time. The guards on +top fired at them. I do not know whether any of our boys were hit or +not, but within a few days after our arrival at Charleston all of them, +except four or five, were with us, showing the efficiency of the +organization for the recapture of escaped prisoners.</p> + +<p>After the men began to tumble off, we stopped at the first telegraph +station and a message was sent. The officers in that locality turned out +promptly with their men and dogs, came up the railroad until they found +a fresh trail, which one crew took, the rest going on until they were +after them all.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Charleston the next morning, being the first prisoners who +had been brought there. We were brought there in the hope that we might +help to protect the city from the continuous cannonading of our troops +on Morris Island, which had driven the people from the lower part of the +city. We, of course, were put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> in that part, first in the jail yard and +from there to the workhouse, a large building in the same block used as +a jail for the colored people. From there we went to Roper's Hospital in +the same block, where we were given comfortable quarters. Those three +buildings and the medical college occupied the block. The back yard of +the hospital joined the back yard of the jail.</p> + +<p>We put in our time evenings watching the shells from Morris Island; +would see a bright light as they started at the horizon and as they went +up and up until apparently nearly over our heads and would then come +seemingly straight down and usually explode before they struck. +Apparently the men on the island knew when we came and where we were, +for while the cannonading was regular each night, never a shell or a +piece of one came to our quarters, but plenty of harm was done in the +city all the time.</p> + +<p>After we had been there for quite a while, one day one of our comrades +coming in, said to me: "I have a letter for you. I was in the back yard +sitting on the ground when something dropped down by my side, apparently +coming from the jail yard. I looked and there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> was a small stone with +this tied to it." It was a small scrap of paper addressed to me, from +one of my sergeants, saying that he, his brother and others of Company +"E" were in the jail yard. That aroused me some. I went to the gate and +asked the officer in charge of the guard if he would kindly send me, +under guard, to go around to the jail yard. He said: "Why do you wish to +go to the jail yard?" I told him some men of my company who had been in +Andersonville since last April were there and that I wished very much to +see them. After a little he told me to come again in a half hour. I did +so, and accompanied by the guard, was sent to the jail yard, and of the +first prisoners I met I inquired where the Eighty-fifth New York boys +were and was told they had been removed that morning to the race course +outside of the city. "Had they all gone?" I inquired. They thought they +had. I told them I was very sorry as men of my company were with them. +While we were talking, one of them said: "Why, there are two of the +Eighty-fifth boys over there sitting on the ground." I went to them. +Each had a raw Irish potato in his hand scraping it and eating it raw +for the scurvy. I looked them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> over carefully, but could not recognize +them. I said: "Boys, are you from the Eighty-fifth New York?" They +looked up and said: "How are you, captain?" and jumped up, embraced me +and said: "Captain, didn't you know us?" "I am sorry to say I did not," +I replied. "Why, we are So-and-So of Company 'F,'" they said, which was +by the side of my company. They were men whom I had known for nearly +three years, yet were so changed that I could not recognize them.</p> + +<p>I left much disappointed at not finding my men, and thought about it +continually. The general in command of the Confederate forces at +Charleston was a Roman Catholic, hence his church people, and especially +the Sisters of Charity, had free access to the hospitals, prisons, etc., +and did much good work.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i039.jpg" id="i039.jpg"></a><img src="images/i039.jpg" alt="Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C." /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C.</span></p> + +<p>A few days later I noticed some sisters in our building. I went to one +of them and said: "Sister, have you been out to the race course?" "Yes," +she said, "We have just come from there." "How are they?" I asked. +"Very, very bad," she replied. "Sister, can't you tell me something more +about them?" I continued. "That is about all," she said. "You poor men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +have suffered enough, but not what they have; they are very bad." +"Sister," I continued, "there are some of my men there whom I have not +seen since they went to Andersonville prison last April. I would like to +learn all I can about them." "They are very bad," she said, "that is +about all. We tried to minister to one poor fellow this morning. In +giving him a bath we scraped quantities of maggots from under his arms +and other parts of his body. They are very, very bad." "Sister," I +persisted, "if they had some money would it be of any help to them?" +"Yes, it would. They could not get with it what you would think they +should, but they could get something and that would be a help to them." +"Will you be going there again soon?" I asked. "Yes, we will go there +every few days," she replied. "Could I ask you to take some money to one +of my men?" "I would be pleased to do so," she said. "Is he a +non-commissioned officer?" "Yes, a sergeant," I replied. "I will be here +awhile longer," she said. "Write him a letter, tell him how much you +send and what he is to do with it, put the money in the letter and seal +it. On the envelope write his name in full, rank, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>company, regiment, +brigade, corps, etc., your name, your lieutenant's name, your colonel's +name and the commander of the brigade and corps—in fact write the +envelope all over and I will try to find him." I did not ask any more +questions, but thought her directions strange. I went and did as she +told me to do and gave her the letter. A few days later I saw some +sisters in the building, and going to them saw her to whom I had given +my letter a few days before, and spoke to her. "Yes, captain," she said, +"I was going to look you up. We just came from the race course. I feel +quite sure I found your man and gave him your letter. While you did as I +told you, wrote the envelope all over, you did not put too much on it." +"How was that, sister?" I asked. "Well, when we got there inside the +race course, they all came around us, hoping we would do something for +them," she said. "I asked for Mr. Jones. Nearly all the men there were +named Jones. I did not tell them any more, but began asking questions. A +few less were George Jones, a few less George Washington Jones, a few +less were sergeants and in Company 'E,' and in the Eighty-fifth New +York, etc., until I got down to one man<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> and am quite sure he was the +right one." I thanked her and told her how greatly I was obliged to her, +and said: "Sister, I certainly have no reason to doubt what you say, but +cannot understand it." "How so?" she asked. "I know those men +thoroughly," I said, "and know them not only to be good soldiers, but +truly honest, truthful, upright, manly men." "That's all right, +captain," she said, "but as I told you before, you have not suffered and +passed through what they have. I believe that if you or I had been +through with what they have we would not be one whit different from what +they are and in my heart I cannot blame them." I said: "All right, +sister, I am fully assured that you are a noble, genuine, upright +Christian lady."</p> + +<p>She found the right man. While the sergeant did not live to get to his +home, his brother and some of the others did, and told me that he got +the letter and the money and that it was a great help.</p> + +<p>We remained in Charleston until the yellow fever was so bad that it was +difficult to keep a guard to guard us, as they were on duty most of the +time and were more exposed to the hot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> sunshine and yellow fever than we +were. In the latter part of September we were moved to Columbia, South +Carolina, to higher ground and supposed to be exempt from the fever. +Arriving there in the afternoon we remained one night in the city near +the station. The next day we were moved across the Saluda river and +camped on an open field. The second day we were there we noticed the +assembling of quite a force of colored men at a house not far away and +we suspected that it might mean the building of a stockade around us. +Some one said: "If we are going to try to get away from here it would be +well to do so before we are fenced in." I said: "We have a large moon +now, which makes it very light at night. This morning it set at about +2:30, tomorrow morning it will be an hour later, hence we must plan to +get away tomorrow morning after the moon has gone down."</p> + +<p>After talking it over, two of my friends, Captain Aldrich and Lieutenant +Tewilliger, both of the Eighty-fifth, and myself, decided we would make +an effort to escape. We each got a blanket and a little food and waited. +In the afternoon one of my lieutenants said to me:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> "Are you going to +make a break tonight?" "I am thinking of trying," I replied. "Don't you +think you are taking a great risk?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, "but is +it not a greater one to remain here?" "That may be true," he answered. I +concluded that he thought so too, for later he made his escape but was +recaptured.</p> + +<p>We, of course, looked the ground over carefully. Three sides of our camp +were clear fields, the other was near the woods, but at the edge of the +woods was a high tree fence, which we could not get through without +making a noise which would attract the attention of the guards. Near one +corner was a vacant schoolhouse, which was used by the reserve guard. A +little distance from this schoolhouse and near the guard line was quite +a knoll. We decided that would do, that if we could get over the knoll +we would be out of sight. In the latter part of the night we went in +that direction and as near the guard line as we thought it prudent and +sat down under a small tree. While there two other comrades, Captain +Starr and Lieutenant Hastings, both from New York state, came along, +looked us over and inquired what we were waiting for. They also sat +down.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p><p>It was much cooler than at Charleston, so much so that the guards built +fires on the guard line. The guards were changed at 3 o'clock. The man +whose place was on the beat which we wished to cross did his duty +faithfully. There had been a fire at one end of his beat, but it did not +entice him. He was walking his beat steadily.</p> + +<p>As the moon was nearing the horizon, one of the comrades said: "If you +start when that man is near this end of the beat as you are crossing the +guard line he will be at the other end of his beat, he will have turned +around and will see you for there is a fire on both sides." We said: +"Yes, but we think we will try it. We will go abreast so if he shoots he +must fire through one before he hits the next." When the moon was well +down and the guard neared our end of his beat, we started, going +carefully. We were crossing his beat when he arrived at the other end, +he did what he had not done before, he stopped with his back towards us, +took his gun from his shoulder, stooped over and began to look after the +fire. We thought then, as we did several other times, that we were +favored by our Heavenly Father.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p><p>We went over the knoll and stopped to get our bearings. Soon I saw two +men coming over the knoll, and said: "Boys, they are coming for us; we +will not run." But as they got near us we saw that it was Captain Starr +and Lieutenant Hastings. When they saw the guard stop with his back +toward us they of course came, so we were five instead of three. We +worked our way through to the woods, got a quiet place and stayed there +through the day where we could hear the calls at the camp. That morning +I cut a hickory walking stick, which I used on the trip, and have it yet.</p> + +<p>It was fortunate for us that Lieutenant Hastings joined us. He had +escaped once and had been captured by a posse with dogs, had changed his +clothing and now wore a Confederate uniform, which we thought would +permit him to pass for a Confederate. He was a bright young attorney and +after the close of the war was attorney general for the state of New York.</p> + +<p>After dark we started. We took a northwesterly course, being guided by +the north star, and kept in the woods. About 10 o'clock we heard dogs, +and said: "Hastings, what is that?" He replied: "A pack of hounds, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +they are on our trail." I said: "Turn up your soles," took out the +bottle of turpentine which I had kept so carefully for months, put some +on the bottoms of all of our shoes, turned a square corner and we all +ran as fast as we could in another direction. After a little we saw we +were coming to the edge of the woods, where there was a road and beyond +an open field. Just then Hastings said: "The dogs have struck the +turpentine—hear them—they are not barking, but whining; they are +whipping them to make them follow the trail, hear them howl, but they +won't do it—the turpentine is too strong for them."</p> + +<p>We rushed ahead and as we were crossing the road we heard a horse coming +down the road on a good gallop. Soon a man on a horse came up. He +evidently was one of the party who came around on a venture to see if he +could head off whoever it was that they were after. He, of course, had +his rifle and could have followed us, and shot or captured us, but there +were five of us and he did not know that we were unarmed, so he began to +call loudly and whistle for the dogs. Had they responded and come with +the other men while we were in sight with the bright moonlight, they +certainly would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> have caught us. We ran as fast as we could. In the +field we came to a fair-sized stream, rushed into it, waded down it for +awhile, then crossed over, sat down on the bank and rubbed garlic, a +strong wild onion, on our feet to change the scent, changed our course +again and pushed on. We were now out of sight and got away this time, it +being our first night out.</p> + +<p>We had many exciting and varied experiences. We traveled only in the +night and if possible kept in the woods, and went in a northwesterly +course, guided by the north star. If we could not see that star and were +uncertain as to our course I had a pocket compass which I carried +through the war; we would form a ring that the light might not be seen, +strike a light, look at the compass, get our bearings and proceed.</p> + +<p>We kept aloof, if possible, from all human beings, preferring to suffer +material privations to taking chances. Our food was what we might pick +up in the woods, which was very little. We could easily approach a corn +field every night. The corn was ripe, hence hard to eat raw, but much +better than nothing. Before daylight in the morning we would look for a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +quiet place in the woods and lie down, but seemingly nearly every +morning before we had slept long something would occur to seriously +disturb us. Some one out shooting or chopping wood, or doing various +other things. One night about midnight we came to the edge of the woods, +and as the woods did not run in the right direction, and there were no +houses in sight and a road which ran in the direction we were going we +decided that we would follow it, being careful to keep on the sides and +not leave any tracks, until we could reach another stretch of woods. We +did so and as we were going quietly along we noticed a light in a house +which, like all the houses in the South, stood well back from the road. +On looking around we found one or two other lights and discovered that +we were in a small town, but apparently half way or more through it, so +went on and got to the woods once more.</p> + +<p>Several days after our escape, early in the morning, as usual, we got a +place in the woods, lay down and after a short sleep were eating our +corn, when one said: "This is pretty tough grub for all the time. We are +in the woods apparently out of sight of every one, we have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> matches, why +can't we make a hole in the ground, start a little fire, put our corn +around it, over it, all about it, let it toast, roast or burn? It will +be much better than it is now." We did so, and were watching the fire +when we saw a woman with a plain gray cotton dress, hanging from the +shoulders like a night dress, coming toward us. Presuming that she was a +colored woman, we said: "Hastings, go and make friends with that Auntie +or we will be in trouble." He started. As he approached her, he said: +"Good morning, Auntie," then saw that she was white. "I know who you uns +is. They cotched two of you uns here yesterday and took them back to +Columbia," she said. "Yes, my good lady, I am an escaped prisoner of +war," said Hastings. He then went on talking with her to the best of his +ability. They were soon joined by her three daughters, who were about +twelve, fourteen and sixteen years old, and dressed like their mother. +He learned that she was a widow, owned a large plantation, which we were +on, that she and her daughters were out looking about the place and saw +the smoke and were coming to see what it was. We, of course, put out the +fire. She had two sons, young men, who had been in the army since the +beginning of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> the war. Before the war she was in good financial +condition, had plenty of slaves, but they had run away long before, so +that she and her daughters were left alone, and were obliged to work the +plantation enough to give them something to live on. Hastings asked if +her sons were both living. "Yes, fortunately they are and neither of +them has been wounded," she replied. "Have they ever been made +prisoners?" Hastings inquired. "Yes, they were both captured last +spring," she said. "Where in the North were they confined?" he asked. +She told him. "How were they treated?" "Finely," they said. "Have they +been exchanged?" he questioned. "Yes," was the reply. "I suppose," +continued Hastings, "that after their exchange they were allowed to come +home." "Yes," said the woman, "and I was glad that they were captured +for it was the first time I have seen them since the beginning of the +war. They looked fine and said they were well-treated while prisoners +and had no reason to complain." "My good lady," said Hastings, "I am +very glad to know that they were well-treated and that you had a good +visit with them. We have been prisoners of war from six<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> months to one +and a half years each. We have nothing to say about how your government +has treated us, perhaps it did as well by us as it could. A few days ago +we made our escape when the guards did not see us and they probably do +not know it now. We are making every effort to get home to our mothers, +wives, sisters and daughters. If you will recall how you felt about your +sons you will understand how they feel. I know that you are required to +report to the officer in charge in this locality that you have seen +strangers here, but if you have, as I believe you have, a true mother's +heart and any regard for us, for God's sake don't do it until tomorrow, +for as you can readily see, we must stay here until after dark tonight. +To do otherwise would be the greatest folly; so we are in your hands. If +you wish to send us back to Columbia all that is necessary is to report +us today. We shall be here all day," and so he continued to the best of +his ability, and he was a good pleader. After a little, the youngest +daughter began to rub her eyes and shed tears, and said: "Mister, we +won't tell on you uns, will we mar?" and soon was joined by the other +two, all weeping and saying: "Mister, we won't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> tell on you uns, will we +mar?" but the good lady said nothing, and the plea continued, helped by +the appeal of the daughters, until the woman said: "Mister, we will not +tell on you uns today." He replied: "My good lady, I am very glad that +you took time to deliberate before you decided what to do, for I feel +assured that you mean and will do just what you say, but if you have no +objections will you and your daughters hold up your right hands." They +did so and he administered to them, I presume, as strong an oath as he +ever did that they would not in any way let it be known that they had +seen us until the next day. He then said: "Am I the first Yankee you +have met?" "Yes, the first," she said. "I am the poorest looking of our +number," said Hastings. "Come and let me introduce you to the others." +He brought them and we were formally introduced and they soon left. We +soon heard some dogs barking. We said: "Hastings, how about that?" He +said: "There are several of them, but I do not think they are on a +trail." But the barking continued until one of our number went up a +tree. After he got well up in the tree he saw in an open field adjoining +the woods, over toward<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> the river, a man with a bunch of dogs. +Apparently he was out to give them exercise, and as they did not get +scent of us or cross our trail they did not trouble us; but the two +incidents gave us plenty of anxiety for that day. After dark we were moving.</p> + +<p>One night as we were traveling in the woods, Captain Aldrich said to me: +"I have kept a correct diary since we started, giving our names, telling +when and how we got out and each day since, but I have lost it tonight." +I replied: "I am sorry for your loss, but we will not go back to look +for it. It may be found, but if it is we will hope we will be far enough +away so that they will not find us." The diary probably was found and +returned to Columbia, for one morning when they came in to count the +prisoners, the officer in charge said: "Men, I suppose you all know that +five of your number"—giving our names—"got out from here on the +morning of October 3rd. They did nicely for a while, got to such a +place, were discovered and a posse sent after them. They were ordered to +surrender, but did not and all were shot dead." That, of course, was a +warning to all the others not to take similar risks.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p><p>Not long after I reached my home in New York City, one of the +lieutenants of the Eighty-fifth was exchanged. As he was passing through +the city, he thought he would come to the house and see if he could +learn anything about me. He did so, and was much surprised to find me +there, and told me what had been told them about our escape and execution.</p> + +<p>In the latter part of one night, when we were well up on the Blue Ridge +mountains, we had trouble in making our way in the direction which we +wished to keep, and came to a mountain road which led the right way. We +decided to try it for a while and, as we always did when on or near a +highway, one of us went ahead. This time I was ahead. As I came to a +small gully and was about to step onto the bridge which was across it, I +heard a call from the other side: "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 3," +which gave me a shock. I threw up my hands and hurried back, and +reported what I had heard. We went up into the mountains and looked for +a suitable place to hide. After a reasonable time in the morning, we +said: "Hastings, we are in a tight place. You must go and investigate +for we cannot move from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> here without some knowledge of our +surroundings." He started, but did not go far before he saw a small +clearing and a shack. He watched it, and saw a colored woman and some +colored children. He watched until he felt sure there was no one else +there, then went toward the house. As he came up the woman, speaking +first, said: "Mister, this a very bad place for you uns; there is a +company of guerrillas here. I am expecting one of them up here for his +washing." Turning to a boy she said: "Tom, you go to that knoll and keep +a sharp watch. If you see anyone coming you tell me quick." Then she +turned to Hastings and was ready to talk with him. He told her who he +was and about us. She gave him something to eat and other food she had +for him to bring to us, and said we were in a tight place, that she was +not well posted, but that her husband was a free man, hence could go +about the country and was pretty well posted, that he would be home by +and by, and she would have him see what he could do for us. She said for +us all to come to the house after dark when her husband would be there +and she would have something more for us to eat. Hastings returned and +reported.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> We waited until after dark, then went to the house. The +husband was there—quite a bright-looking man. We were fed. He said we +were in a tight place, but that he would take us past the guerrillas and +start us on beyond. We started out, he and I going ahead. Soon we came +to a few houses, went around and past them, went through a gate into a +back yard. Passing through that we went near the back of a large log +stable in which were lights. We could see between the logs. It was full +of horses and men caring for them. Captain Aldrich came up, took hold of +my right arm and said: "Are not those the guerrillas?" I said: "Be +quiet." As he held onto my arm I could feel his heart beat. But our +guide took us through all right to the other side and away from the +guerrillas. We came to a road leading up into the mountains. Our guide +said: "You want to go the way this road runs. You had better stay in the +woods until morning, then go up the mountain the way this road goes. +When you come to four corners, a signboard and a schoolhouse there is +the line between North and South Carolina. Keep straight ahead, but +about two miles beyond the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>schoolhouse are some soldiers beside the +road. Do not let them see you, but go well around them. They stop +everybody that comes along. Get back to the road and go ahead until you +come to a house and a blacksmith shop. Stop and see that man. He will +take care of you." "Who is he?" we asked. "He is a first-class Union +man," he replied. "I was over there this summer. He is all right." We +thanked him most heartily and he left us and we went into the woods for +the night. The next day we worked our way up the mountain, arriving at +the schoolhouse about dark. It was raining. We decided to go a piece by +the road, so started on. I went ahead. None of us thought about the +guards who were by the side of the road. As I was nearing a narrow pass +I saw a light shining across the road. Like a flash it came to me. I +threw up my hands and hurried back. We went well around them, which was +quite a job in the dark and the rain and the thick brush; but we got +back to the road, kept on until we came to the blacksmith shop. It was +about 10 o'clock and there was no light in the house. We had a talk and +decided that we were in a tight place and that Hastings might go to the +house as a Confederate soldier and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> see what he could learn. He went and +rapped on the door. A man came to the door. Hastings told him he was a +soldier with a leave of absence who had lost his way and asked if he +could come in for a short time. While talking he asked the man how he +was getting on. He said not at all well. "Why not?" asked Hastings, "you +have a nice place here." "Yes," was the answer, "but they do not treat +me well." "How is that?" Hastings inquired. "Colonel So-and-So was here +the other day," said the man, "and took all of my horses, cattle and +grain he could find." "Did he do the same by your neighbors?" asked +Hastings. "No one else," said the man. "How so?" asked Hastings. "He +said I was too much of a Union man," was the reply. Hastings then said: +"We have talked long enough. I am not a Confederate soldier, but a Union +officer, an escaped prisoner of war." "Why didn't you tell me that +before?" asked the man. "Come, wife, get up and give this poor fellow +something to eat." There was a bed in the room, an open fireplace with a +fire in it. "I am not alone," said Hastings. "I have four comrades +outside." "Outside in this hard rain? Go bring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> them in, quick," said +the man. When we came in he was pulling a jug out from under the bed. +Pouring something out of it, he said: "You are all wet, cold and hungry; +here is some good apple jack which I made. Drink some of it, it will do +you good. Have any of you got a bottle?" I had a small one which I had +carried through the service, usually having it filled with brandy to use +when some of my men gave out. He filled it. We were fed and he told us +what to do; to go down the road and avoid all the houses which we would +have to pass, some we must go well around, not leaving a track, others +to go right past. At the last house near the bridge there would be a +light, but to go right ahead. A poor man was dying there. When we +crossed the river he told us to turn to the left, go about two miles, +take the first road to the right, go to the first house, which was a +blacksmith shop, and wait until morning. He said we need not be afraid, +as there were no white people there; they had all left. "In the +morning," he said, "when you see the first darkey, whistle and he will +come to you. Tell him who you are and to take care of you through the +day, and at night to take you to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> the high sheriff." "What do we want of +the sheriff?" we asked. "He is just the man you want," was the reply. +"He will take care of you, and if necessary will ride all day to find +out something for you. He is allowed to be at home because he is a +sheriff, but there isn't a better Union man." We went on, got through to +the other shop all right, were cared for, put into the woods for the +day. At night we started on with two colored men, who would take us to +the sheriff. Neither of the men had been there, but the older one, who +acted as our guide, thought he could find the way. We had not gone far +when he stopped at a servant's house back of a plantation house, saying +he wanted to go in there. He soon returned, saying they wanted us to +come in. We hesitated, and he said it was all right; all were colored +people except one minister and he was all right. We finally went in. The +minister was a young-looking man who was allowed to remain at home +because he was a clergyman. We endeavored to be respectful to him. He +asked us: "What is the news?" Captain Starr replied: "We can't tell you. +I have been a prisoner for a year and a half and we are not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>allowed to +see the papers. You tell us the news." "I don't read the papers," was +the reply. "I suppose you confine yourself to clerical reading," said +Starr. "No, I never look at it," replied the man. "What do you read?" +asked Starr. "Books," said the minister. The good man evidently did not +know what "clerical" meant; but so far as we knew he was true to us and +did not give us away.</p> + +<p>After our guide had procured some information as to his route, we left. +When outside he said to his comrade: "You go ahead and carefully look +around a certain place two miles ahead; it is a bad place." He did so, +met us and reported. We came to some woods and the guide said: "There is +a path going through these woods leading to the road which goes to the +sheriff. If we can find it, it will save us several miles." They hunted +up and down the edge of the woods until they found the path. We then +went through the woods, struck the road and went on until we came in +sight of the sheriff's house, rather late in the evening. The dogs +around the house were barking. The guide said: "You stop here while I go +call him out and have the dogs taken in." He went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> forward and called +out. A man appeared on the front porch and asked who was there. "A +friend," was the reply. "Will you take the dogs in so that I can come +in?" The dogs were called in. He went to the porch and soon came for us.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i065.jpg" id="i065.jpg"></a><img src="images/i065.jpg" alt="The Other Five Escaped Officers" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">The Other Five Escaped Officers</span></p> + +<p>We were received most kindly. The sheriff asked many questions and said: +"I will be very glad to care for you as well as I can until I can find a +way for you to go on," but added that it would not be safe for us to +remain at the house; that we should eat then and he would take us to a +place in the woods for the night; that we should come in before daylight +in the morning, eat and return and the same at night. He said: "There is +a terrible state of affairs here so near the border, so much worse than +it is in the North. My neighbors, some of them, are Confederates and +others good Union men. They do not mind going out and shooting each +other. Some of the Union men who do not wish to abandon everything and +go north, but will not enter the Southern army, stay in the woods in the +mountains. Some of them have been there for two years. You see my boy +there," pointing to a boy six or eight years old. "We have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> endeavored +to bring him up to be a good religious, strictly honest and truthful +boy, yet if anyone should come here tomorrow and ask him if there had +been any strangers here, no matter what they did to him they could not +get a word out of him. Isn't that a terrible way to bring up children?" +We were taken to the woods. After two or three days one afternoon we saw +some men coming toward us through the woods. We supposed they were after +us, but as they came nearer we saw that one of them was the sheriff. He +had five other prisoners who had escaped from Columbia. All officers, of +course. Three of them were from the 101st and 103rd Pennsylvania +regiments, which were in our brigade. So our force was doubled.</p> + +<p>After three or four days the sheriff told us: "I have arranged for you +to go ahead in the morning. A good guide, who has been several times to +the Union lines, will go with you and a few who wish to go north. Which +of you officers is in command?" he asked. "No one," we answered. "Is +that the way you do? What is your military rule when you meet in this +way? Who is in command?" "The ranking officer," we told him. "Who is +your ranking officer?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> he inquired. "Captain Langworthy," they replied. +"Then Captain Langworthy is in command," he said, "and all of you, of +course, will obey orders. I sincerely hope you will not have any +trouble, but you all know there is no telling what you may run into and +you cannot be too well prepared. You leave here in the morning, go to +such a place in the mountains, which you will reach about night, where +some other parties will join you."</p> + +<p>We left in the morning. There was the guide and three or four other men +and one colored man. The guide had a rifle, one of the others a +revolver, which was all the arms we had. I went ahead with the guide. We +got on nicely most of the day. Near night, while in the woods walking by +the side of a small stream a volley of rifle shots from the other side +of the stream startled us. We rushed up the mountainside. When a little +way up we looked ourselves over and found we were all there except one +of the refugees. We never knew whether he was shot or went in some other +direction. I looked across the little valley and saw a small village on +the other side and a company of Confederate soldiers marching down the +street<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> with their rifles on their shoulders. By and by the guide said +to me: "You all get behind that large rock. I think there are but two +men near us. Joe and I will get behind this and see if we cannot bluff +them." They got behind the rock, showing their arms, and as the two men +came in sight, halted them. "What do you want?" they asked. "Who are +you?" was the reply. Our guide told them they could never find out, for +if they came any nearer they would be shot dead; that being only two men +it would be worse than foolish to follow us.</p> + +<p>After a little more parleying we started on. It was getting dark and +began to rain hard. We went over a ridge of the mountains, down the +other side and across a small stream, when the guide said to me: "There +is no use in our trying to go ahead now; we cannot see anything to tell +in what direction we are going and are just as apt to go into trouble as +away from it. They will not attempt to follow us tonight; dogs could not +follow our trail through this rain. We had better stay here until we can +see where we go. What do you want me to do?" "Get us out of this muss +and to the Union lines," I replied. "We must have been given<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> away." +"Yes," he said, "we have been given away, but how shall we get out of +this muss?" "By a way they would not expect us to," I said. "They +doubtless know that we have started for the Union lines, hence will have +every pass over the mountains guarded. We want to go where no one would +be expected to go, over the highest, roughest and worst peak of the +Allegheny Mountains." "That is easy," he replied. "That is Mount Pisga. +We can see that when we can see anything." "All right for Pisga then," I said.</p> + +<p>We remained where we were until it began to grow light, then started for +Pisga, climbing up its side, much of the time over and around rocks, +arriving at the peak a little before night. We went down the other side +a short distance and stopped for the night. Down the mountain we could +see a valley, with houses and clearings, etc. It was still raining as it +had been doing all the day. We ten prisoners were bunched by ourselves +and the others in another group, a little way from us. Before lying down +I went over where the others were. They had gotten some dry pieces of +wood and were whittling as if about to start a fire. "What are you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +going to do?" I asked. "We are very wet and cold," they said; "it would +be so nice to have a little fire." "Yes," I said, "but what would it do +to you? You can see those lights down there; they can see one here +better than we can see those in the valley. They know no one lives here. +A light here would bring them to investigate, perhaps before morning, +and they would be sure to get us. Would it pay? Now, you must understand +fully that there shall not be any light made here. The first one who +even strikes a match is a dead man." The guide said: "That's all right, +Captain. You may be sure we will not do anything of the kind. We should +have known better."</p> + +<p>In the morning we went on and got along fairly well up and down the +ridges of the mountains until one afternoon the guide said: "Now we are +all right; while we are not at the Union lines, we are near enough to be +safe. The people here are all right. Down below here are some friends of +mine, a man and his wife, who will help us." We all felt gay and skipped +along much like school boys, arriving at the friend's house about +nightfall. "You wait out here," said the guide, "and I will go in and +tell them who we are." He soon returned and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> said there was something +wrong, as there was no one in the house, that they had just left, as +supper was on the table and partially eaten. Near the house was a +slashing. We told him to go there and look for his friends, announcing +who he was. He did so and returned with the wife. She said there was a +bad company of guerrillas there who were making much trouble and had +killed several people. We suggested that the guide and the wife try +again to find the husband, which they did and brought him in. He said we +were in a bad fix, but he would try to help us on the next morning. We +were fed and decided to stay outside. We established a guard and lay +down in the yard. In the morning we started out with this gentleman as a +guide, going carefully through the woods. We had not gone very far +before our guide was called by name by someone in the woods who said: +"Where are you going?" "A piece with some friends," he replied. "You are +taking a very great risk," he was told. At one place the guide said: +"See that large plantation over there and those men digging a grave—the +man who lived there was shot by the guerrillas yesterday."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p><p>We kept on till, late in the afternoon, we came to a road. The guide +said: "I will leave you here. You go up this road a little ways and you +will come to a cross road and a store. That is about forty-five miles +from my home. Go straight past the store until you come to the river, +then cross in a row boat. If there is not one there, swing your +handkerchiefs or something and they will come."</p> + +<p>The road was lined on both sides with trees and plenty of brush. The +guide and I went ahead. Someone spoke to us. Looking toward the side of +the road we saw two soldiers sitting on the ground holding their horses. +We supposed they belonged to the guerrillas. Our comrades came up, we +talked a little and went on to the river, where we got a boat. I asked +one of the oarsmen where their ferry boat was. He said: "This is it." "I +mean one that will take a team or horses or cattle," I said. "The only +way they can take horses across is to go in the boat themselves, lead +their horses and let them swim. We used to have such a ferry, but they +took it way," he said. "How far up or down the river is there such a +ferry?" I inquired. "I do not think there is one within twenty-five<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +miles." That information of course relieved our anxiety somewhat. It was +about the middle of November. I inquired if they had heard from the +election in the North. They said they had and I asked who was elected +president. "Abraham Lincoln," was the reply. We hurrahed, although we +were yet in the Confederacy.</p> + +<p>When we got across it was dark and we were all very tired. Most of our +company stopped at the first houses. I started up the road with my four +comrades. They said: "How far are you going?" "I don't know," I replied. +"We are all very tired, yet I think we do not want to take any chances +which we can avoid. If the two guerrillas with some of their associates +come over to look after us, either with or without their horses, they +will look in the houses. I do not care to be in the first house they +search." "All right," they said, "go ahead."</p> + +<p>After going about a mile we came to a good looking house and decided to +see if we could get something to eat. We rapped at the door and inquired +if we could get something to eat if we would pay for it and were told to +come in. While at the table I asked how far it was to the Union lines. +"Fifteen miles straight up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> the road which comes from the river," was +the reply. "How will we know when we get there?" I inquired. "Go ahead +until you come to a flour mill with a large water wheel," was the reply. +"That is practically there. The guards are beyond, but so near that no +one will go to the mill who is afraid of the guard. The man who owns the +mill is a bachelor and sleeps there, a good Union man. Call him up, he +will care for you and in the morning will show you the guards."</p> + +<p>We started on. The moon was shining brightly. Soon one or two who were +ahead were rolling a small animal around which was lying in the road and +apparently dead. Captain Aldrich came up and said, "He is not dead. If +you think he is feel of him, it is a possum. We came to him suddenly and +he is playing possum. Go on a little ways and then look at him." We did +so and he soon raised his head, looked around and scooted out of sight.</p> + +<p>As we went on Aldrich lagged behind. We waited for him and I said, +"Aldrich, you are very tired. I know that you are a strict teetotaler, +take a little medicine, some of this apple jack to brace you up." He +said, "No, go ahead,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> I will keep in sight." We went on slowly, he well +behind. By and by I heard a call, "Cap-t-a-i-n, Capt-a-i-n." We stopped. +He came up and said, "Captain, where is that bottle?" I took it out, +unscrewed the cover and said, "Now drink enough to brace you up. It will +not hurt you if you drink it all." He took some and it helped him and we +got to the flour mill. We were kindly received and in the morning were +shown where the pickets were.</p> + +<p>We went to the pickets and when they were relieved went with them to +their camp at Strawberry Plains in East Tennessee. This was on Sunday. +In the afternoon the rest of our crew came in. After dress parade we ten +were furnished horses and escort and taken to a railroad station, the +Quarter Master giving us transportation. While waiting for the train and +talking with the officers there, we were asked if we had any money. Some +had a little, others none. Those of us who had none were at once given +$50 or $60 each and were told that when we drew our pay we could send +the amounts to the men who had supplied us.</p> + +<p>As we were changing cars one day, passing by a station, I saw a man who +looked familiar.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> I went to him and asked when he came down from God's +country. He said he had been there some time. "What is your business?" I +asked. "An express agent," he told me. "Oh, yes," I said, "you used to +be in Elmira, New York. That is where I used to see you. Who else is +there down here from Elmira?" I inquired. "I do not know of anyone," he +said, "except Major Diven; he is a paymaster at Louisville." "Where does +he stop?" I asked. "At the Galt House," the man told me. "He has been +recently married and he and his bride are at the Galt House."</p> + +<p>We went on and were told we would arrive at Louisville at one o'clock +the next morning, where we had planned to take a steamer to Cincinnati. +Major Diven was a son of General Diven, who lived in Elmira, New York, +near where my father-in-law lived. The two families were intimate and +when I was married, the Divens, including the Major, were present.</p> + +<p>My comrades asked me where I was going to stop when we got to +Louisville. I said the Galt House. "Aren't you very tony? Do you suppose +they will take us?" they asked. "That is where I am going," I said.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p><p>We arrived on time and went to the hotel, where we registered and were +told they were very sorry but there had not been a vacant room in the +house since eight o'clock the night before; the best they could do would +be to give us cots in the parlor where several others were assigned. We +took the cots and were soon asleep. In the morning, after breakfast, I +went to the office and inquired if Major Diven was around yet and was +told the major and his family had left about a week before and had taken +a house. "Where is his office?" I inquired. They told me and I asked at +what time in the morning he would be in his office. They thought at nine +o'clock. I went to look for my comrades and found them in the waiting +room. "Our boat does not leave until four o'clock this afternoon," I +said. "We have the day to put in here. Come and take a little walk with +me." "Where are you going?" they inquired. "To draw my pay," I told +them. "To draw your pay!" they laughed. "There is a United States +paymaster here," I said. "Why should we not draw our pay?" But, while +they had nothing to do, I could not persuade one to go with me. So I +went away alone and found a colored<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> man sweeping out the office. I +inquired if Major Diven was in and was told that he was not, but would +be soon and would I come in. I picked up the morning paper from the +steps and went in. Soon the Major came. I said, "Major, I am an officer +in the United States service, an escaped prisoner of war; I came to draw +some pay." "What is your name, rank, regiment and where and when were +you captured?" he asked. I told him. He said, "I suppose you know there +is an order forbidding us to pay officers or men if they are away from +their command?" "Yes," I said, "but how about prisoners of war and +especially those who have made their escape? What provision is there for +them?" "There certainly should be some," he replied, "but I must first +talk it over with Colonel ——, my superior. Did you tell me your name +was D. A. Langworthy, Captain of Company 'E', 85th New York?" he asked. +"Yes," I replied. "Did you marry Belle Cooke last year?" he continued. +"Yes," I said. "Why, I was at your wedding!" he exclaimed. "I will +certainly pay you if I have to furnish the money myself, but let me go +first and talk with the Colonel." "One minute first,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> Major," I said. +"There are nine others with me, we are all alike, two of them are in the +85th and three others in our brigade." He left and soon returned saying +he was told he could give us all one month's pay. I told him that would +do nicely and I would go for the others. "Wait a minute," he said, "so +that I can have your papers ready for you to sign. When were you paid +last?" he inquired. "You will please say nothing about it, for I will +take the liberty of paying you for six months." So my check was for +something over $900.00.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i079.jpg" id="i079.jpg"></a><img src="images/i079.jpg" alt="As They Appeared After Reaching the Union Lines" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">As They Appeared After Reaching the Union Lines</span></p> + +<p class="bold">(From left to right)</p> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Lieut. J. E. Terwilliger, 85th N. Y.<br />Capt. C. S. Aldrich, 85th N. Y.<br /> +Capt. D. A. Langworthy, 85th N. Y.<br />Lieut. G. S. Hastings, 24th N. Y. +Batt.<br />Capt. George H. Starr, 104th N. Y.</span></p> + +<p>I went for the others, they all got some pay and of course all felt +better. We arrived at Cincinnati at about five o'clock in the morning. I +was somewhat at home there, for in previous years I had been there for +some time each year looking after my father's lumber interests. My chums +were inquiring for the Quarter Master to get their transportation. I +told them I should not trouble about the Quarter Master. "Why not?" they +asked. "His office probably will not be open before nine o'clock," I +said. "If I can get the six o'clock express at the little Miami station +it will make about one day's difference in my getting home and I am +getting in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> a hurry." "How about your railroad fare?" they inquired. "I +will pay it and take the chance of getting it back," I said.</p> + +<p>I got the train and went the rest of the way alone. When, in the latter +part of March, 1864, I was returned to the front from detail duty in the +North, I left my wife at my home in New York City. While in prison I +learned that she had returned to her father in Elmira, New York. So of +course I made for Elmira. Arrived there in the latter part of the night. +I started to walk to father Cooke's. While I was in prison my wife had +an illness which troubled her head and started her hair coming out. +Hoping to save it, she had it cut short and the night before had put it +up in curl papers. It chanced that she and one of her sisters were +sleeping in a front chamber with the front window open and she was awake +and heard someone coming. She recognized my step and shook her sister, +saying, "Nell, Nell, get out of here quick, the Doctor is coming!" +"There is no Doctor coming for you," said Nell. "I tell you he is. I +know his step. Can't you hear it. There—he has opened the gate!" and +she pushed her sister out of bed and told her to go.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p><p>I rapped on the door, was admitted and embraced by Father Cooke, who +opened the stair door and said, "Belle." "Yes, father, I know who it +is," she replied. "Send him up." When I entered the room she was sitting +up in bed taking the curl papers out of her hair. That was the 20th of +November. I had been six weeks on the trip.</p> + +<p>That day or the next I noticed several wagons going past loaded with +fresh meat, bread, vegetables and other articles of food. I inquired +where all that food was going and was told, "To your old camp." "Have +they got recruits there now?" I asked. "No," was the reply, "Confederate +prisoners." It looked to me as though they were well cared for.</p> + +<p>I certainly was well done up. For the first two weeks I did not do much +but eat and sleep. It seemed as though I would never get filled up and +rested. I would eat breakfast and, before I knew it, be asleep. After I +had been there a week or more, one evening my wife's two sisters, young +ladies, said, "Father, are you going to the hall this evening to hear +the lecture?" "No," he said, "I had not intended to and do not know as I +care to." "It will be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> a fine lecture," they told him, "Doctor so-and-so +of New York City. We would like to go but have no one to escort us." I +said, "Girls, why don't you invite me?" "We would be delighted to have +you go, but fear you would go to sleep," they said. I promised to try to +keep awake and we went.</p> + +<p>While waiting for the lecture to begin I felt weary, leaned forward, put +my forehead on the back of the seat in front and the next thing I knew +they shook me up and said it was time to go home.</p> + +<p>When I arrived in Elmira I of course reported to Washington that I had +escaped, giving my whereabouts. After two or three weeks I received an +order to proceed to Annapolis, Maryland, where the exchanged prisoners +were received and cared for. After being there a few days I received an +order to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Will W. Clark of the 85th New +York, at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, who was there with a few of the +85th who were not at Plymouth at the time of the capture.</p> + +<p>On arriving there on December 23rd, I found awaiting me Special Order +Number 439 by which I was mustered out and discharged by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> reason of the +expiration of my time of service; but which I suppose meant that I did +not have any command. I then returned to my home in New York City and +the war fortunately was soon over.</p> + +<p>So far as I know Captain George H. Starr of Yonkers, New York, and +myself are the only persons living of the ten who reached home together.</p> + +<p>After arriving at our homes, and after the war had ended we all +contributed to a financial remembrance to the "high sheriff" and +endeavored to express to him our very great obligation for his +remarkable kindness and efficient help to us when we were all in such a +critical plight, near the boundary which divided the north from the +south during our flight for freedom.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44702 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/44702-h/images/cover.jpg b/44702-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dbcd547 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i002.jpg b/44702-h/images/i002.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..01c8e3e --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i002.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i017.jpg b/44702-h/images/i017.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa08858 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i017.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i021.jpg b/44702-h/images/i021.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..eebfb33 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i021.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i029.jpg b/44702-h/images/i029.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a1ba5f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i029.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i033.jpg b/44702-h/images/i033.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..39666ed --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i033.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i039.jpg b/44702-h/images/i039.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..15e5d0b --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i039.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i065.jpg b/44702-h/images/i065.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..48b2831 --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i065.jpg diff --git a/44702-h/images/i079.jpg b/44702-h/images/i079.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fc9156e --- /dev/null +++ b/44702-h/images/i079.jpg 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. 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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></p> +<p>Title: Reminiscences of a Prisoner of War and His Escape</p> +<p>Author: Daniel Avery Langworthy</p> +<p>Release Date: January 18, 2014 [eBook #44702]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR AND HIS ESCAPE***</p> +<p> </p> +<h4>E-text prepared by Martin Pettit<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/reminiscencesofp00lang"> + https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofp00lang</a> + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> + +<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i002.jpg" id="i002.jpg"></a><img src="images/i002.jpg" alt="Daniel Avery Langworthy" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Daniel Avery Langworthy</span></p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<h1>Reminiscences<br /> +of<br /> +A Prisoner of War<br /> +and<br /> +His Escape</h1> + +<p class="bold space-above">By</p> + +<p class="bold2">Daniel Avery Langworthy</p> + +<p class="bold">Late Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry</p> + +<p class="bold space-above">With Illustrations</p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p class="bold space-above">Byron Printing Company<br />Minneapolis, Minn.<br />1915</p> + +<hr /> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center">Copyright 1915<br />by<br />Daniel Avery Langworthy</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center">AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED<br /> +TO MY ESTEEMED FRIEND AND COMRADE<br /><br />ELL TORRANCE<br /><br /> +PAST COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<table summary="ILLUSTRATIONS"> + <tr> + <td></td> + <td class="center"><small>FACING<br />PAGE</small></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Daniel Avery Langworthy</span></td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry</td> + <td><a href="#i002.jpg"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Compass, Knife, Fork and Spoon</span></td> + <td><a href="#i017.jpg">18</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Camp Oglethrope, Macon, Georgia</span></td> + <td><a href="#i021.jpg">20</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Shoes and Hickory Stick</span></td> + <td><a href="#i029.jpg">26</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C.</span></td> + <td><a href="#i033.jpg">28</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C.</span></td> + <td><a href="#i039.jpg">32</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Five Escaped Officers</span></td> + <td><a href="#i065.jpg">56</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> Who joined Capt. Langworthy's party</td> + <td></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Five Officers including Capt. Langworthy</span></td> + <td><a href="#i079.jpg">68</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="left"> As they appeared after reaching the Union lines</td> + <td></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<h2>Preface</h2> + +<p>Soon after my escape from captivity and my arrival at the home of my +father-in-law, at Elmira, New York, where my good wife was, my sister +Sarah, who was older than myself, and her husband, came to see me. She +sat down by my side and said: "Now Daniel, tell me all about it. How you +were captured, how treated while a prisoner of war, how you made your +escape and worked your way from Columbia, South Carolina, to Elmira." +She held me to a strict account until she had the full story. I then +told her that if after that I should be asked about it I would refer +them to her (she would have given a good narrative), but unfortunately +she is not living now.</p> + +<p>I have never been much inclined to talk about my prison life, nor had +thought of writing about it until recently when some of my comrades, who +had been talking with me about it, suggested and <b>strongly urged</b> that I +write it out. The result of which is these reminiscences. Doubtless I +could have told this story better<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> fifty years ago, for, as I did not +keep a diary or any memorandum, it is entirely from memory, yet the +events made a fixed impression on my mind and I believe that what I have +herein narrated is correct. I was born January 3rd, 1832.</p> + +<p class="right">DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY.</p> + +<p>Minneapolis, Minn.<br />April 3rd, 1915.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<h2>Narrative</h2> + +<p>Before the Civil War I was a young physician in New York city, had been +brought up a strong Whig and fully believed that slavery was entirely +wrong. After the beginning of the war I felt it my duty to go and help +and thought that the privates, the men who carried and used rifles were +what was wanted; hence I went to Elmira, New York, and enlisted on +September 10th, 1861, in the Eighty-fifth New York Regiment, which +regiment was being recruited in Allegany County in the locality where my +father lived, so that I might be with my former associates. Late in the +fall of 1861 the regiment was moved to Washington, D. C., remaining +there during the winter. Early in the following spring we went on the +Peninsula campaign under General McClellan, our regiment being in +General Wessel's brigade. On April 9th, 1862, I was commissioned first +lieutenant. On October 17th, 1862, captain.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p><p>At the close of the campaign as we came off the Peninsula, General +Wessell's brigade was left at Fortress Monroe, where it remained for a +time, and was then ordered to Newburn, North Carolina, and from there to +Plymouth, North Carolina. In July, 1863, two other officers, some +enlisted men and myself were detailed and sent to Elmira, New York, on +conscript duty. While in Elmira I was married. In March, 1864, we were +ordered to return to our command. We did so, arriving at Plymouth, North +Carolina, about April 1st. On April 20th the entire post was captured +after a siege of four days.</p> + +<p>After our capture we were started toward Richmond and marched in that +direction for two days; then laid over for one day. Although nothing had +been said, we inferred that there must be something wrong at Richmond, +indeed we afterward learned that General Grant had started on his +wilderness campaign, and orders had been issued from Richmond not to +bring any more prisoners there.</p> + +<p>The next morning we started south and tramped in that direction until we +came to a railroad, where we were loaded into cattle or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> box cars (I +being on the first train). We continued our southern journey, passing +through Wilmington and Charleston to Savannah, then going west through +Macon, we arrived at Andersonville, Georgia, in the afternoon. We were +then taken out of the cars and sat down on the ground.</p> + +<p>Andersonville contained only a few scattered houses. We could plainly +see where our men were encamped, some distance away, with nothing to +protect them from the heat of the sun and apparently with only a scant +supply of water. Soon after our arrival a well-mounted and +soldierly-looking officer came riding toward us. He was met by the +officer in command of our guard, who saluted and inquired: "Is this +Captain Wirtz?" "Yes," was the reply. "Captain Wirtz, I have some +prisoners here for you," said the officer in charge of us. "About how +many?" inquired Captain Wirtz, "and what are they?" "About eight +hundred. Seventy-five officers and about seven hundred and twenty-five +men," was the answer. "Well," said Captain Wirtz, "I suppose I must take +the men, but I <b>cannot</b> take the officers."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p><p>The captain of our guard was an imperious man; he straightened himself +up and said: "Captain Wirtz, I am ordered to turn these prisoners over +to you." "I <b>cannot</b> take the officers," repeated Captain Wirtz. "I have +no place for them. God knows my place is bad enough for the men!" +"Captain Wirtz," insisted the captain of our guard, "I shall turn all +these prisoners over to you." "Do what you d——n please," said Wirtz. +"Turn them loose if you want to, but I tell you I will not take the +officers." He then turned his horse and rode away.</p> + +<p>We all realized that we had witnessed an important scene—and it was. It +established a precedent. So far as I know, no officers were confined at +Andersonville. Had they been, the majority of them, like our men, would +have died there. Of my company forty-eight good, healthy, robust young +men went into Andersonville that day and the remains of thirty of them +are there now; while of the officers of our regiment who were captured, +all lived to return North. While that was the only time I ever saw +Captain Wirtz, that event, and what I learned afterward, gave me a +strong impression that the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>authorities at Richmond, and especially +Winder, were responsible for the treatment of the prisoners at Libby, +Belle Island, Andersonville, etc. Apparently Captain Wirtz was a +well-drilled European soldier, who of course was trained to obey orders; +but in this case he had so much respect for the rank of the officers +that he rebelled and established a precedent which most certainly was a +God-send to the officers.</p> + +<p>Soon after he left we were ordered into line and the officers were +commanded to step out (to the left). We understood well what that meant. +It was a trying time for the officers, for we realized full well where +our men were going. I think we had about the same idea of Andersonville +then that we have now. The men were marched away.</p> + +<p>After the men were gone we were marched across the railroad onto a knoll +with a beautiful grove, in which was a vacant church, and told to make +ourselves comfortable there for the night. Of course there was a guard +around us, but we were allowed to go out into the grove. Going down the +knoll we found a very large and most excellent spring of fine water, +which came bubbling up out of the white sand. We said:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> "What a lovely +and perfect place for a camp. Why wasn't our boys' camp here instead of +over there on that hill? Here is water, shade and everything." The +answer was: "It is too good a place for the Yankees."</p> + +<p>The next morning we entered the cars and started back east. As Captain +Wirtz would not take us, something must be done with us. The first town +of importance we came to was Macon. We stopped there and were turned +over to the general officer in command at that point. As there had not +been any prisoners kept there, no arrangements for us had been made. We +were taken out into a nice park, furnished with plenty of tents and were +told to make ourselves comfortable; very fair rations were issued to us +each day and plenty of them. We were allowed to go to the guard line and +buy anything we wished if we had the wherewith to pay for it. In fact, +we were treated kindly and had no complaint to make. By talking over the +guard line at this camp, I purchased of a colored woman, a good table +knife, fork and spoon, which I kept and found to be very useful; getting +hold of a three-cornered file, I made a saw of the back of the knife, +thinking it might be of use in an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> emergency. After a few days, when we +were getting rested, I would hear: "What is it we hear about Libby, +Belle Island and Andersonville? <i>We</i> certainly have no reason to +complain."</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i017.jpg" id="i017.jpg"></a><img src="images/i017.jpg" alt="Compass that Guided Us by Night and Day" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Compass that Guided Us by Night and Day<br />and Knife, Fork +and Spoon Purchased from<br />Colored Woman at Macon, Georgia</span></p> + +<p>During my prison life I met comrades who had been, I think, in most of +the places where our men were confined and they all practically told the +same story; that when they were turned over to the local authorities +they were well treated, but that when they came under the Richmond or +Winder care it was as different as it well could be.</p> + +<p>Apparently it was well understood that no soldier was to be in a +condition, when exchanged or when he got North, to re-enter the service.</p> + +<p>After we had been in Macon for perhaps a couple of weeks, I noticed one +day two officers riding around in another part of the park. I recognized +one of them, and asked our captain of the guard: "Who is that officer +with Colonel So-and-So?" He replied: "That is Colonel So-and-So of +Richmond of President Davis' staff." I asked no more questions, but +thought it significant that he was there.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p><p>Two or three days later a hundred or so of colored men were at work in +that part of the park building a stockade enclosing about three acres. +The stockade was a tight board fence twelve feet high, with a walk on +the outside near the top and a railing outside of it for the guard, +where they could see everything. On the inside, about forty feet from +the stockade, was a picket fence called "the dead line." That is, if +anyone approached it, he was to be shot.</p> + +<p>After the enclosure was completed, one morning we noticed a crowd of men +being marched inside the stockade. They were prisoners from Libby. Soon +after we followed them. With these prisoners came Lieutenant Davis of +Baltimore, who had charge of the prison. He apparently had his orders +from Richmond and obeyed them strictly. It was a very great change for +us. Our rations, treatment and everything else were so radically +different. A small brook ran through one end of the enclosure, +fortunately inside the dead line. We dug a spring there and from it got +all the water we had.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i021.jpg" id="i021.jpg"></a><img src="images/i021.jpg" alt="Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Georgia" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Georgia</span></p> + +<p>One day one of our comrades was walking down the path to the spring with +his canteen to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> get some water, when one of the guards who was on the +stockade shot him dead. So far as we knew, there was nothing done about +it except that his remains were taken outside. The guard remained on his +post until time to be relieved.</p> + +<p>There was one of our number who had been a prisoner so long and had +become so reduced in health that he feared he could not endure much +longer. While talking about it with his associates he was asked if he +had anything he could sell to get some money to buy some food. He said +he had nothing but his watch. He was advised to sell that. Lieutenant +Davis came in every morning with a guard to count us. The next morning +when they came in, this prisoner approached the lieutenant and said: +"Lieutenant Davis, can I presume to ask a favor of you?" "What is it?" +was the curt question. "I have been in prison for a long time and have +become so reduced in health that I fear I cannot hold out much longer. +The only thing I have left to dispose of is my watch. Could I ask you to +take it out and sell it for me that I might buy something with the money +to help me?" "All right," said the lieutenant, and put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> the watch in his +pocket. The comrade further said: "Lieutenant, please remember to sell +that watch for $200. If you cannot get that much or more, bring it back +to me," and he gave his name. "All right," said the lieutenant.</p> + +<p>Each morning after that when they came in this prisoner would stand +around near the lieutenant, but nothing was said until one morning he +said: "Lieutenant, were you able to sell my watch?" "No, I was not," +replied the lieutenant. "Then, will you kindly bring it in to me when +you come in tomorrow morning?" he requested. "What's your name?" asked +Lieutenant Davis. The prisoner gave his name. "Oh, yes, I have done sold +your watch already for $5," said the lieutenant. "You must be mistaken, +lieutenant," exclaimed the prisoner, "for you must remember that I told +you if you could not sell it for $200 or more, to kindly bring it back +to me." "You tell me I lie, do you?" exclaimed the lieutenant—and +turning to his guard, said: "Bring him along; I will show him." The +prisoner was taken just outside the gate, where we could see him, and +bucked and gagged and sat there on the ground<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> in the hot Georgia sun +the most of that summer day.</p> + +<p>After we were in the stockade the main topic of conversation was: "Was +it possible to get out of there?" The first thing tried was tunnelling, +which required great effort and caution. We had nothing to dig with +except our hands and pocket knives. Then, the fresh dirt must not be +seen, nor the openings of the tunnels. While we worked entirely in the +night, our work must not be discovered by the guards, and several +tunnels were under way. One or two of them were nearly to the stockade +when, one morning, they came in as usual to count us. We were lined up +at one end with the guard around us, and were ready to march through +between two guards and be counted, when Lieutenant Davis pulled the +ramrod out of the rifle of one of the guards and went around and pushed +it into all of the tunnels, showing us that he knew of them. He then +gave us a strong talk, saying we would hereafter be watched carefully, +and if there was any further attempt made toward tunnelling it would be +met with severe punishment. That was the end of the tunnelling. But the +question was: "How did he get onto it?" After a little we learned that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +the day before when the guard went out they took with them one of our +prisoners who had enlisted from Kentucky or Tennessee—I have forgotten +which. Fortunately for him he did not come back.</p> + +<p>Then the question was: "What next?" In talking things over with those +who had been in prison the longest and had the most varied experiences, +they all said it was not so difficult to get out of prison or away from +those who had charge of you, as it was to care for yourself after you +were at liberty; that the entire South was thoroughly organized, not +only to prevent the escape of Yankee prisoners, but also to arrest +deserters from their own service, and all others, both white and +colored, who wished to evade the service or to get to the North. An +officer was detailed for each locality who must have a pack of good dogs +and a posse of men always ready and every person was under strict orders +to report to said officer any strangers, stragglers, suspicious persons +or any unusual circumstances they might know of. Fresh tracks were +looked after and these officers and men were returned to the front if +their work was not satisfactory. They were wide-awake.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p><p>Several of our number had been recaptured. They all said the dogs were +the worst part of the outfit, that you might possibly evade the others, +but that when the dogs got on your trail they were sure to find you.</p> + +<p>The next question was: "What to do with the dogs?" The only remedy +suggested was to have something to put on our feet which would be so +offensive to their sensitive noses that it would upset them. After +thinking it over I decided that if the opportunity presented itself, I +would try turpentine. There was an officer there at Macon whose duties +frequently called him inside our prison. I was pretty well acquainted +with him, and sold him my watch. One day I asked him if I could presume +to ask a favor of him. "What is it?" he said. "Would you kindly get me a +half pint of good spirits of turpentine?" I asked. "What do you want of +turpentine?" he asked. "You know the Libby prisoners are here," I +replied, "and you may know they brought many bugs with them; turpentine +is said to be good to fight those bugs with." "I will see," he said.</p> + +<p>The next time I saw him he handed me a bottle of turpentine. I thanked +him and paid him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> for it. He then said: "Captain, I want to say +something which may be entirely unnecessary, but I feel that I must." +"What is it?" I asked. "It is that what I have done shall be known to no +one but you and me, for if it should be known that I had brought +something in to you it would mean——" and he drew his hand across his +throat. I replied: "You may be assured no one shall know anything about +it. Some of my comrades may know that I have the turpentine, but where +or how or through whom I got it they will have no idea." He then said: +"Captain, I do not wish to be inquisitive or to ask any questions about +your affairs, but if at any time you have an idea you can get out of +this place, if you will tell me what night, I will tell you where on the +river you can find a boat with oars, blankets and food." I thanked him +most heartily and told him I was fully confirmed in my previous +impression that he was a noble, generous, first-class gentleman. He then +said: "Captain, you do not have much to read do you?" "Nothing," I said. +"Perhaps you would enjoy looking this over." He handed me a pamphlet and +left. On opening it I saw it was about Macon, its location and maps +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>showing the river and roads and where they went, etc.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i029.jpg" id="i029.jpg"></a><img src="images/i029.jpg" alt="Shoes Worn and Hickory Stick Used by Capt. Langworthy" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Shoes Worn and Hickory Stick Used by Capt. Langworthy<br />on +His Trip North and Still In His Possession</span></p> + +<p>I kept the turpentine very carefully hoping that some time I might be +able to escape and might possibly need it.</p> + +<p>While in Macon my boots gave out and I purchased a pair of plain rough +darkey shoes, paying $60 in Confederate money for them, and kept them in +reserve for use in case I should be so fortunate as to get outside. One +of our number, who was a major in the regular army, started a secret +society, which I joined, and which soon grew to hundreds. The object of +the organization was for mutual help. It was organized as a regiment, +with companies, etc. The major was the colonel.</p> + +<p>One day in July a detail was ordered to be ready to move at a certain +hour the next morning. They were ready, but waited for an hour or more. +The major and many of our new order were in the detail, including +myself. While waiting, several of our organization exchanged places and +thereby got in so that when we marched out our society was well +represented. We were put on board a train of box cars and started east, +arriving at Savannah about nightfall. We were unloaded and were there in +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> yards an hour or two. While waiting, the major said to us: "I have +learned that we are going North, I think to Charleston. When we get +about so far from here we will be only about twelve miles from our men +at such a place on the coast. I will be sure to get in the front car and +will detail officers to be in command of each of the other cars. They +will detail men to look after the guard in their cars. At the proper +time I will swing a lantern out of the side door of the front car and +swing it around as a signal for you to overcome the guards in your cars. +Take their guns and care for them and when the train stops jump out and +overcome the guards on the top of the cars, and we will then go back and +overcome those in the rear car and then march for the little station on +the coast."</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i033.jpg" id="i033.jpg"></a><img src="images/i033.jpg" alt="Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C." /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Jail Yard, Charleston, S. C.</span></p> + +<p>There were four or five guards in each car and about the same number on +the top and one group commanding the rear car. We all sat on the floor, +including the guards. I was in command of one of the cars and watched +very sharply for the light, but it did not show up. The major had +learned that there was suspicion of something being done and did not +think it best<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> to take the risk. We all knew apparently when we +approached where we should see the light, and as it did not show up the +men soon began to tumble out of the side doors. Upwards of one hundred +of them got out of the cars in a comparatively short time. The guards on +top fired at them. I do not know whether any of our boys were hit or +not, but within a few days after our arrival at Charleston all of them, +except four or five, were with us, showing the efficiency of the +organization for the recapture of escaped prisoners.</p> + +<p>After the men began to tumble off, we stopped at the first telegraph +station and a message was sent. The officers in that locality turned out +promptly with their men and dogs, came up the railroad until they found +a fresh trail, which one crew took, the rest going on until they were +after them all.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Charleston the next morning, being the first prisoners who +had been brought there. We were brought there in the hope that we might +help to protect the city from the continuous cannonading of our troops +on Morris Island, which had driven the people from the lower part of the +city. We, of course, were put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> in that part, first in the jail yard and +from there to the workhouse, a large building in the same block used as +a jail for the colored people. From there we went to Roper's Hospital in +the same block, where we were given comfortable quarters. Those three +buildings and the medical college occupied the block. The back yard of +the hospital joined the back yard of the jail.</p> + +<p>We put in our time evenings watching the shells from Morris Island; +would see a bright light as they started at the horizon and as they went +up and up until apparently nearly over our heads and would then come +seemingly straight down and usually explode before they struck. +Apparently the men on the island knew when we came and where we were, +for while the cannonading was regular each night, never a shell or a +piece of one came to our quarters, but plenty of harm was done in the +city all the time.</p> + +<p>After we had been there for quite a while, one day one of our comrades +coming in, said to me: "I have a letter for you. I was in the back yard +sitting on the ground when something dropped down by my side, apparently +coming from the jail yard. I looked and there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> was a small stone with +this tied to it." It was a small scrap of paper addressed to me, from +one of my sergeants, saying that he, his brother and others of Company +"E" were in the jail yard. That aroused me some. I went to the gate and +asked the officer in charge of the guard if he would kindly send me, +under guard, to go around to the jail yard. He said: "Why do you wish to +go to the jail yard?" I told him some men of my company who had been in +Andersonville since last April were there and that I wished very much to +see them. After a little he told me to come again in a half hour. I did +so, and accompanied by the guard, was sent to the jail yard, and of the +first prisoners I met I inquired where the Eighty-fifth New York boys +were and was told they had been removed that morning to the race course +outside of the city. "Had they all gone?" I inquired. They thought they +had. I told them I was very sorry as men of my company were with them. +While we were talking, one of them said: "Why, there are two of the +Eighty-fifth boys over there sitting on the ground." I went to them. +Each had a raw Irish potato in his hand scraping it and eating it raw +for the scurvy. I looked them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> over carefully, but could not recognize +them. I said: "Boys, are you from the Eighty-fifth New York?" They +looked up and said: "How are you, captain?" and jumped up, embraced me +and said: "Captain, didn't you know us?" "I am sorry to say I did not," +I replied. "Why, we are So-and-So of Company 'F,'" they said, which was +by the side of my company. They were men whom I had known for nearly +three years, yet were so changed that I could not recognize them.</p> + +<p>I left much disappointed at not finding my men, and thought about it +continually. The general in command of the Confederate forces at +Charleston was a Roman Catholic, hence his church people, and especially +the Sisters of Charity, had free access to the hospitals, prisons, etc., +and did much good work.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i039.jpg" id="i039.jpg"></a><img src="images/i039.jpg" alt="Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C." /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Roper Hospital, Charleston, S. C.</span></p> + +<p>A few days later I noticed some sisters in our building. I went to one +of them and said: "Sister, have you been out to the race course?" "Yes," +she said, "We have just come from there." "How are they?" I asked. +"Very, very bad," she replied. "Sister, can't you tell me something more +about them?" I continued. "That is about all," she said. "You poor men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +have suffered enough, but not what they have; they are very bad." +"Sister," I continued, "there are some of my men there whom I have not +seen since they went to Andersonville prison last April. I would like to +learn all I can about them." "They are very bad," she said, "that is +about all. We tried to minister to one poor fellow this morning. In +giving him a bath we scraped quantities of maggots from under his arms +and other parts of his body. They are very, very bad." "Sister," I +persisted, "if they had some money would it be of any help to them?" +"Yes, it would. They could not get with it what you would think they +should, but they could get something and that would be a help to them." +"Will you be going there again soon?" I asked. "Yes, we will go there +every few days," she replied. "Could I ask you to take some money to one +of my men?" "I would be pleased to do so," she said. "Is he a +non-commissioned officer?" "Yes, a sergeant," I replied. "I will be here +awhile longer," she said. "Write him a letter, tell him how much you +send and what he is to do with it, put the money in the letter and seal +it. On the envelope write his name in full, rank, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>company, regiment, +brigade, corps, etc., your name, your lieutenant's name, your colonel's +name and the commander of the brigade and corps—in fact write the +envelope all over and I will try to find him." I did not ask any more +questions, but thought her directions strange. I went and did as she +told me to do and gave her the letter. A few days later I saw some +sisters in the building, and going to them saw her to whom I had given +my letter a few days before, and spoke to her. "Yes, captain," she said, +"I was going to look you up. We just came from the race course. I feel +quite sure I found your man and gave him your letter. While you did as I +told you, wrote the envelope all over, you did not put too much on it." +"How was that, sister?" I asked. "Well, when we got there inside the +race course, they all came around us, hoping we would do something for +them," she said. "I asked for Mr. Jones. Nearly all the men there were +named Jones. I did not tell them any more, but began asking questions. A +few less were George Jones, a few less George Washington Jones, a few +less were sergeants and in Company 'E,' and in the Eighty-fifth New +York, etc., until I got down to one man<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> and am quite sure he was the +right one." I thanked her and told her how greatly I was obliged to her, +and said: "Sister, I certainly have no reason to doubt what you say, but +cannot understand it." "How so?" she asked. "I know those men +thoroughly," I said, "and know them not only to be good soldiers, but +truly honest, truthful, upright, manly men." "That's all right, +captain," she said, "but as I told you before, you have not suffered and +passed through what they have. I believe that if you or I had been +through with what they have we would not be one whit different from what +they are and in my heart I cannot blame them." I said: "All right, +sister, I am fully assured that you are a noble, genuine, upright +Christian lady."</p> + +<p>She found the right man. While the sergeant did not live to get to his +home, his brother and some of the others did, and told me that he got +the letter and the money and that it was a great help.</p> + +<p>We remained in Charleston until the yellow fever was so bad that it was +difficult to keep a guard to guard us, as they were on duty most of the +time and were more exposed to the hot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> sunshine and yellow fever than we +were. In the latter part of September we were moved to Columbia, South +Carolina, to higher ground and supposed to be exempt from the fever. +Arriving there in the afternoon we remained one night in the city near +the station. The next day we were moved across the Saluda river and +camped on an open field. The second day we were there we noticed the +assembling of quite a force of colored men at a house not far away and +we suspected that it might mean the building of a stockade around us. +Some one said: "If we are going to try to get away from here it would be +well to do so before we are fenced in." I said: "We have a large moon +now, which makes it very light at night. This morning it set at about +2:30, tomorrow morning it will be an hour later, hence we must plan to +get away tomorrow morning after the moon has gone down."</p> + +<p>After talking it over, two of my friends, Captain Aldrich and Lieutenant +Tewilliger, both of the Eighty-fifth, and myself, decided we would make +an effort to escape. We each got a blanket and a little food and waited. +In the afternoon one of my lieutenants said to me:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> "Are you going to +make a break tonight?" "I am thinking of trying," I replied. "Don't you +think you are taking a great risk?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, "but is +it not a greater one to remain here?" "That may be true," he answered. I +concluded that he thought so too, for later he made his escape but was +recaptured.</p> + +<p>We, of course, looked the ground over carefully. Three sides of our camp +were clear fields, the other was near the woods, but at the edge of the +woods was a high tree fence, which we could not get through without +making a noise which would attract the attention of the guards. Near one +corner was a vacant schoolhouse, which was used by the reserve guard. A +little distance from this schoolhouse and near the guard line was quite +a knoll. We decided that would do, that if we could get over the knoll +we would be out of sight. In the latter part of the night we went in +that direction and as near the guard line as we thought it prudent and +sat down under a small tree. While there two other comrades, Captain +Starr and Lieutenant Hastings, both from New York state, came along, +looked us over and inquired what we were waiting for. They also sat +down.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p><p>It was much cooler than at Charleston, so much so that the guards built +fires on the guard line. The guards were changed at 3 o'clock. The man +whose place was on the beat which we wished to cross did his duty +faithfully. There had been a fire at one end of his beat, but it did not +entice him. He was walking his beat steadily.</p> + +<p>As the moon was nearing the horizon, one of the comrades said: "If you +start when that man is near this end of the beat as you are crossing the +guard line he will be at the other end of his beat, he will have turned +around and will see you for there is a fire on both sides." We said: +"Yes, but we think we will try it. We will go abreast so if he shoots he +must fire through one before he hits the next." When the moon was well +down and the guard neared our end of his beat, we started, going +carefully. We were crossing his beat when he arrived at the other end, +he did what he had not done before, he stopped with his back towards us, +took his gun from his shoulder, stooped over and began to look after the +fire. We thought then, as we did several other times, that we were +favored by our Heavenly Father.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p><p>We went over the knoll and stopped to get our bearings. Soon I saw two +men coming over the knoll, and said: "Boys, they are coming for us; we +will not run." But as they got near us we saw that it was Captain Starr +and Lieutenant Hastings. When they saw the guard stop with his back +toward us they of course came, so we were five instead of three. We +worked our way through to the woods, got a quiet place and stayed there +through the day where we could hear the calls at the camp. That morning +I cut a hickory walking stick, which I used on the trip, and have it yet.</p> + +<p>It was fortunate for us that Lieutenant Hastings joined us. He had +escaped once and had been captured by a posse with dogs, had changed his +clothing and now wore a Confederate uniform, which we thought would +permit him to pass for a Confederate. He was a bright young attorney and +after the close of the war was attorney general for the state of New York.</p> + +<p>After dark we started. We took a northwesterly course, being guided by +the north star, and kept in the woods. About 10 o'clock we heard dogs, +and said: "Hastings, what is that?" He replied: "A pack of hounds, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +they are on our trail." I said: "Turn up your soles," took out the +bottle of turpentine which I had kept so carefully for months, put some +on the bottoms of all of our shoes, turned a square corner and we all +ran as fast as we could in another direction. After a little we saw we +were coming to the edge of the woods, where there was a road and beyond +an open field. Just then Hastings said: "The dogs have struck the +turpentine—hear them—they are not barking, but whining; they are +whipping them to make them follow the trail, hear them howl, but they +won't do it—the turpentine is too strong for them."</p> + +<p>We rushed ahead and as we were crossing the road we heard a horse coming +down the road on a good gallop. Soon a man on a horse came up. He +evidently was one of the party who came around on a venture to see if he +could head off whoever it was that they were after. He, of course, had +his rifle and could have followed us, and shot or captured us, but there +were five of us and he did not know that we were unarmed, so he began to +call loudly and whistle for the dogs. Had they responded and come with +the other men while we were in sight with the bright moonlight, they +certainly would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> have caught us. We ran as fast as we could. In the +field we came to a fair-sized stream, rushed into it, waded down it for +awhile, then crossed over, sat down on the bank and rubbed garlic, a +strong wild onion, on our feet to change the scent, changed our course +again and pushed on. We were now out of sight and got away this time, it +being our first night out.</p> + +<p>We had many exciting and varied experiences. We traveled only in the +night and if possible kept in the woods, and went in a northwesterly +course, guided by the north star. If we could not see that star and were +uncertain as to our course I had a pocket compass which I carried +through the war; we would form a ring that the light might not be seen, +strike a light, look at the compass, get our bearings and proceed.</p> + +<p>We kept aloof, if possible, from all human beings, preferring to suffer +material privations to taking chances. Our food was what we might pick +up in the woods, which was very little. We could easily approach a corn +field every night. The corn was ripe, hence hard to eat raw, but much +better than nothing. Before daylight in the morning we would look for a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +quiet place in the woods and lie down, but seemingly nearly every +morning before we had slept long something would occur to seriously +disturb us. Some one out shooting or chopping wood, or doing various +other things. One night about midnight we came to the edge of the woods, +and as the woods did not run in the right direction, and there were no +houses in sight and a road which ran in the direction we were going we +decided that we would follow it, being careful to keep on the sides and +not leave any tracks, until we could reach another stretch of woods. We +did so and as we were going quietly along we noticed a light in a house +which, like all the houses in the South, stood well back from the road. +On looking around we found one or two other lights and discovered that +we were in a small town, but apparently half way or more through it, so +went on and got to the woods once more.</p> + +<p>Several days after our escape, early in the morning, as usual, we got a +place in the woods, lay down and after a short sleep were eating our +corn, when one said: "This is pretty tough grub for all the time. We are +in the woods apparently out of sight of every one, we have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> matches, why +can't we make a hole in the ground, start a little fire, put our corn +around it, over it, all about it, let it toast, roast or burn? It will +be much better than it is now." We did so, and were watching the fire +when we saw a woman with a plain gray cotton dress, hanging from the +shoulders like a night dress, coming toward us. Presuming that she was a +colored woman, we said: "Hastings, go and make friends with that Auntie +or we will be in trouble." He started. As he approached her, he said: +"Good morning, Auntie," then saw that she was white. "I know who you uns +is. They cotched two of you uns here yesterday and took them back to +Columbia," she said. "Yes, my good lady, I am an escaped prisoner of +war," said Hastings. He then went on talking with her to the best of his +ability. They were soon joined by her three daughters, who were about +twelve, fourteen and sixteen years old, and dressed like their mother. +He learned that she was a widow, owned a large plantation, which we were +on, that she and her daughters were out looking about the place and saw +the smoke and were coming to see what it was. We, of course, put out the +fire. She had two sons, young men, who had been in the army since the +beginning of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> the war. Before the war she was in good financial +condition, had plenty of slaves, but they had run away long before, so +that she and her daughters were left alone, and were obliged to work the +plantation enough to give them something to live on. Hastings asked if +her sons were both living. "Yes, fortunately they are and neither of +them has been wounded," she replied. "Have they ever been made +prisoners?" Hastings inquired. "Yes, they were both captured last +spring," she said. "Where in the North were they confined?" he asked. +She told him. "How were they treated?" "Finely," they said. "Have they +been exchanged?" he questioned. "Yes," was the reply. "I suppose," +continued Hastings, "that after their exchange they were allowed to come +home." "Yes," said the woman, "and I was glad that they were captured +for it was the first time I have seen them since the beginning of the +war. They looked fine and said they were well-treated while prisoners +and had no reason to complain." "My good lady," said Hastings, "I am +very glad to know that they were well-treated and that you had a good +visit with them. We have been prisoners of war from six<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> months to one +and a half years each. We have nothing to say about how your government +has treated us, perhaps it did as well by us as it could. A few days ago +we made our escape when the guards did not see us and they probably do +not know it now. We are making every effort to get home to our mothers, +wives, sisters and daughters. If you will recall how you felt about your +sons you will understand how they feel. I know that you are required to +report to the officer in charge in this locality that you have seen +strangers here, but if you have, as I believe you have, a true mother's +heart and any regard for us, for God's sake don't do it until tomorrow, +for as you can readily see, we must stay here until after dark tonight. +To do otherwise would be the greatest folly; so we are in your hands. If +you wish to send us back to Columbia all that is necessary is to report +us today. We shall be here all day," and so he continued to the best of +his ability, and he was a good pleader. After a little, the youngest +daughter began to rub her eyes and shed tears, and said: "Mister, we +won't tell on you uns, will we mar?" and soon was joined by the other +two, all weeping and saying: "Mister, we won't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> tell on you uns, will we +mar?" but the good lady said nothing, and the plea continued, helped by +the appeal of the daughters, until the woman said: "Mister, we will not +tell on you uns today." He replied: "My good lady, I am very glad that +you took time to deliberate before you decided what to do, for I feel +assured that you mean and will do just what you say, but if you have no +objections will you and your daughters hold up your right hands." They +did so and he administered to them, I presume, as strong an oath as he +ever did that they would not in any way let it be known that they had +seen us until the next day. He then said: "Am I the first Yankee you +have met?" "Yes, the first," she said. "I am the poorest looking of our +number," said Hastings. "Come and let me introduce you to the others." +He brought them and we were formally introduced and they soon left. We +soon heard some dogs barking. We said: "Hastings, how about that?" He +said: "There are several of them, but I do not think they are on a +trail." But the barking continued until one of our number went up a +tree. After he got well up in the tree he saw in an open field adjoining +the woods, over toward<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> the river, a man with a bunch of dogs. +Apparently he was out to give them exercise, and as they did not get +scent of us or cross our trail they did not trouble us; but the two +incidents gave us plenty of anxiety for that day. After dark we were moving.</p> + +<p>One night as we were traveling in the woods, Captain Aldrich said to me: +"I have kept a correct diary since we started, giving our names, telling +when and how we got out and each day since, but I have lost it tonight." +I replied: "I am sorry for your loss, but we will not go back to look +for it. It may be found, but if it is we will hope we will be far enough +away so that they will not find us." The diary probably was found and +returned to Columbia, for one morning when they came in to count the +prisoners, the officer in charge said: "Men, I suppose you all know that +five of your number"—giving our names—"got out from here on the +morning of October 3rd. They did nicely for a while, got to such a +place, were discovered and a posse sent after them. They were ordered to +surrender, but did not and all were shot dead." That, of course, was a +warning to all the others not to take similar risks.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p><p>Not long after I reached my home in New York City, one of the +lieutenants of the Eighty-fifth was exchanged. As he was passing through +the city, he thought he would come to the house and see if he could +learn anything about me. He did so, and was much surprised to find me +there, and told me what had been told them about our escape and execution.</p> + +<p>In the latter part of one night, when we were well up on the Blue Ridge +mountains, we had trouble in making our way in the direction which we +wished to keep, and came to a mountain road which led the right way. We +decided to try it for a while and, as we always did when on or near a +highway, one of us went ahead. This time I was ahead. As I came to a +small gully and was about to step onto the bridge which was across it, I +heard a call from the other side: "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 3," +which gave me a shock. I threw up my hands and hurried back, and +reported what I had heard. We went up into the mountains and looked for +a suitable place to hide. After a reasonable time in the morning, we +said: "Hastings, we are in a tight place. You must go and investigate +for we cannot move from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> here without some knowledge of our +surroundings." He started, but did not go far before he saw a small +clearing and a shack. He watched it, and saw a colored woman and some +colored children. He watched until he felt sure there was no one else +there, then went toward the house. As he came up the woman, speaking +first, said: "Mister, this a very bad place for you uns; there is a +company of guerrillas here. I am expecting one of them up here for his +washing." Turning to a boy she said: "Tom, you go to that knoll and keep +a sharp watch. If you see anyone coming you tell me quick." Then she +turned to Hastings and was ready to talk with him. He told her who he +was and about us. She gave him something to eat and other food she had +for him to bring to us, and said we were in a tight place, that she was +not well posted, but that her husband was a free man, hence could go +about the country and was pretty well posted, that he would be home by +and by, and she would have him see what he could do for us. She said for +us all to come to the house after dark when her husband would be there +and she would have something more for us to eat. Hastings returned and +reported.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> We waited until after dark, then went to the house. The +husband was there—quite a bright-looking man. We were fed. He said we +were in a tight place, but that he would take us past the guerrillas and +start us on beyond. We started out, he and I going ahead. Soon we came +to a few houses, went around and past them, went through a gate into a +back yard. Passing through that we went near the back of a large log +stable in which were lights. We could see between the logs. It was full +of horses and men caring for them. Captain Aldrich came up, took hold of +my right arm and said: "Are not those the guerrillas?" I said: "Be +quiet." As he held onto my arm I could feel his heart beat. But our +guide took us through all right to the other side and away from the +guerrillas. We came to a road leading up into the mountains. Our guide +said: "You want to go the way this road runs. You had better stay in the +woods until morning, then go up the mountain the way this road goes. +When you come to four corners, a signboard and a schoolhouse there is +the line between North and South Carolina. Keep straight ahead, but +about two miles beyond the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>schoolhouse are some soldiers beside the +road. Do not let them see you, but go well around them. They stop +everybody that comes along. Get back to the road and go ahead until you +come to a house and a blacksmith shop. Stop and see that man. He will +take care of you." "Who is he?" we asked. "He is a first-class Union +man," he replied. "I was over there this summer. He is all right." We +thanked him most heartily and he left us and we went into the woods for +the night. The next day we worked our way up the mountain, arriving at +the schoolhouse about dark. It was raining. We decided to go a piece by +the road, so started on. I went ahead. None of us thought about the +guards who were by the side of the road. As I was nearing a narrow pass +I saw a light shining across the road. Like a flash it came to me. I +threw up my hands and hurried back. We went well around them, which was +quite a job in the dark and the rain and the thick brush; but we got +back to the road, kept on until we came to the blacksmith shop. It was +about 10 o'clock and there was no light in the house. We had a talk and +decided that we were in a tight place and that Hastings might go to the +house as a Confederate soldier and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> see what he could learn. He went and +rapped on the door. A man came to the door. Hastings told him he was a +soldier with a leave of absence who had lost his way and asked if he +could come in for a short time. While talking he asked the man how he +was getting on. He said not at all well. "Why not?" asked Hastings, "you +have a nice place here." "Yes," was the answer, "but they do not treat +me well." "How is that?" Hastings inquired. "Colonel So-and-So was here +the other day," said the man, "and took all of my horses, cattle and +grain he could find." "Did he do the same by your neighbors?" asked +Hastings. "No one else," said the man. "How so?" asked Hastings. "He +said I was too much of a Union man," was the reply. Hastings then said: +"We have talked long enough. I am not a Confederate soldier, but a Union +officer, an escaped prisoner of war." "Why didn't you tell me that +before?" asked the man. "Come, wife, get up and give this poor fellow +something to eat." There was a bed in the room, an open fireplace with a +fire in it. "I am not alone," said Hastings. "I have four comrades +outside." "Outside in this hard rain? Go bring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> them in, quick," said +the man. When we came in he was pulling a jug out from under the bed. +Pouring something out of it, he said: "You are all wet, cold and hungry; +here is some good apple jack which I made. Drink some of it, it will do +you good. Have any of you got a bottle?" I had a small one which I had +carried through the service, usually having it filled with brandy to use +when some of my men gave out. He filled it. We were fed and he told us +what to do; to go down the road and avoid all the houses which we would +have to pass, some we must go well around, not leaving a track, others +to go right past. At the last house near the bridge there would be a +light, but to go right ahead. A poor man was dying there. When we +crossed the river he told us to turn to the left, go about two miles, +take the first road to the right, go to the first house, which was a +blacksmith shop, and wait until morning. He said we need not be afraid, +as there were no white people there; they had all left. "In the +morning," he said, "when you see the first darkey, whistle and he will +come to you. Tell him who you are and to take care of you through the +day, and at night to take you to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> the high sheriff." "What do we want of +the sheriff?" we asked. "He is just the man you want," was the reply. +"He will take care of you, and if necessary will ride all day to find +out something for you. He is allowed to be at home because he is a +sheriff, but there isn't a better Union man." We went on, got through to +the other shop all right, were cared for, put into the woods for the +day. At night we started on with two colored men, who would take us to +the sheriff. Neither of the men had been there, but the older one, who +acted as our guide, thought he could find the way. We had not gone far +when he stopped at a servant's house back of a plantation house, saying +he wanted to go in there. He soon returned, saying they wanted us to +come in. We hesitated, and he said it was all right; all were colored +people except one minister and he was all right. We finally went in. The +minister was a young-looking man who was allowed to remain at home +because he was a clergyman. We endeavored to be respectful to him. He +asked us: "What is the news?" Captain Starr replied: "We can't tell you. +I have been a prisoner for a year and a half and we are not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>allowed to +see the papers. You tell us the news." "I don't read the papers," was +the reply. "I suppose you confine yourself to clerical reading," said +Starr. "No, I never look at it," replied the man. "What do you read?" +asked Starr. "Books," said the minister. The good man evidently did not +know what "clerical" meant; but so far as we knew he was true to us and +did not give us away.</p> + +<p>After our guide had procured some information as to his route, we left. +When outside he said to his comrade: "You go ahead and carefully look +around a certain place two miles ahead; it is a bad place." He did so, +met us and reported. We came to some woods and the guide said: "There is +a path going through these woods leading to the road which goes to the +sheriff. If we can find it, it will save us several miles." They hunted +up and down the edge of the woods until they found the path. We then +went through the woods, struck the road and went on until we came in +sight of the sheriff's house, rather late in the evening. The dogs +around the house were barking. The guide said: "You stop here while I go +call him out and have the dogs taken in." He went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> forward and called +out. A man appeared on the front porch and asked who was there. "A +friend," was the reply. "Will you take the dogs in so that I can come +in?" The dogs were called in. He went to the porch and soon came for us.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i065.jpg" id="i065.jpg"></a><img src="images/i065.jpg" alt="The Other Five Escaped Officers" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">The Other Five Escaped Officers</span></p> + +<p>We were received most kindly. The sheriff asked many questions and said: +"I will be very glad to care for you as well as I can until I can find a +way for you to go on," but added that it would not be safe for us to +remain at the house; that we should eat then and he would take us to a +place in the woods for the night; that we should come in before daylight +in the morning, eat and return and the same at night. He said: "There is +a terrible state of affairs here so near the border, so much worse than +it is in the North. My neighbors, some of them, are Confederates and +others good Union men. They do not mind going out and shooting each +other. Some of the Union men who do not wish to abandon everything and +go north, but will not enter the Southern army, stay in the woods in the +mountains. Some of them have been there for two years. You see my boy +there," pointing to a boy six or eight years old. "We have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> endeavored +to bring him up to be a good religious, strictly honest and truthful +boy, yet if anyone should come here tomorrow and ask him if there had +been any strangers here, no matter what they did to him they could not +get a word out of him. Isn't that a terrible way to bring up children?" +We were taken to the woods. After two or three days one afternoon we saw +some men coming toward us through the woods. We supposed they were after +us, but as they came nearer we saw that one of them was the sheriff. He +had five other prisoners who had escaped from Columbia. All officers, of +course. Three of them were from the 101st and 103rd Pennsylvania +regiments, which were in our brigade. So our force was doubled.</p> + +<p>After three or four days the sheriff told us: "I have arranged for you +to go ahead in the morning. A good guide, who has been several times to +the Union lines, will go with you and a few who wish to go north. Which +of you officers is in command?" he asked. "No one," we answered. "Is +that the way you do? What is your military rule when you meet in this +way? Who is in command?" "The ranking officer," we told him. "Who is +your ranking officer?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> he inquired. "Captain Langworthy," they replied. +"Then Captain Langworthy is in command," he said, "and all of you, of +course, will obey orders. I sincerely hope you will not have any +trouble, but you all know there is no telling what you may run into and +you cannot be too well prepared. You leave here in the morning, go to +such a place in the mountains, which you will reach about night, where +some other parties will join you."</p> + +<p>We left in the morning. There was the guide and three or four other men +and one colored man. The guide had a rifle, one of the others a +revolver, which was all the arms we had. I went ahead with the guide. We +got on nicely most of the day. Near night, while in the woods walking by +the side of a small stream a volley of rifle shots from the other side +of the stream startled us. We rushed up the mountainside. When a little +way up we looked ourselves over and found we were all there except one +of the refugees. We never knew whether he was shot or went in some other +direction. I looked across the little valley and saw a small village on +the other side and a company of Confederate soldiers marching down the +street<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> with their rifles on their shoulders. By and by the guide said +to me: "You all get behind that large rock. I think there are but two +men near us. Joe and I will get behind this and see if we cannot bluff +them." They got behind the rock, showing their arms, and as the two men +came in sight, halted them. "What do you want?" they asked. "Who are +you?" was the reply. Our guide told them they could never find out, for +if they came any nearer they would be shot dead; that being only two men +it would be worse than foolish to follow us.</p> + +<p>After a little more parleying we started on. It was getting dark and +began to rain hard. We went over a ridge of the mountains, down the +other side and across a small stream, when the guide said to me: "There +is no use in our trying to go ahead now; we cannot see anything to tell +in what direction we are going and are just as apt to go into trouble as +away from it. They will not attempt to follow us tonight; dogs could not +follow our trail through this rain. We had better stay here until we can +see where we go. What do you want me to do?" "Get us out of this muss +and to the Union lines," I replied. "We must have been given<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> away." +"Yes," he said, "we have been given away, but how shall we get out of +this muss?" "By a way they would not expect us to," I said. "They +doubtless know that we have started for the Union lines, hence will have +every pass over the mountains guarded. We want to go where no one would +be expected to go, over the highest, roughest and worst peak of the +Allegheny Mountains." "That is easy," he replied. "That is Mount Pisga. +We can see that when we can see anything." "All right for Pisga then," I said.</p> + +<p>We remained where we were until it began to grow light, then started for +Pisga, climbing up its side, much of the time over and around rocks, +arriving at the peak a little before night. We went down the other side +a short distance and stopped for the night. Down the mountain we could +see a valley, with houses and clearings, etc. It was still raining as it +had been doing all the day. We ten prisoners were bunched by ourselves +and the others in another group, a little way from us. Before lying down +I went over where the others were. They had gotten some dry pieces of +wood and were whittling as if about to start a fire. "What are you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +going to do?" I asked. "We are very wet and cold," they said; "it would +be so nice to have a little fire." "Yes," I said, "but what would it do +to you? You can see those lights down there; they can see one here +better than we can see those in the valley. They know no one lives here. +A light here would bring them to investigate, perhaps before morning, +and they would be sure to get us. Would it pay? Now, you must understand +fully that there shall not be any light made here. The first one who +even strikes a match is a dead man." The guide said: "That's all right, +Captain. You may be sure we will not do anything of the kind. We should +have known better."</p> + +<p>In the morning we went on and got along fairly well up and down the +ridges of the mountains until one afternoon the guide said: "Now we are +all right; while we are not at the Union lines, we are near enough to be +safe. The people here are all right. Down below here are some friends of +mine, a man and his wife, who will help us." We all felt gay and skipped +along much like school boys, arriving at the friend's house about +nightfall. "You wait out here," said the guide, "and I will go in and +tell them who we are." He soon returned and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> said there was something +wrong, as there was no one in the house, that they had just left, as +supper was on the table and partially eaten. Near the house was a +slashing. We told him to go there and look for his friends, announcing +who he was. He did so and returned with the wife. She said there was a +bad company of guerrillas there who were making much trouble and had +killed several people. We suggested that the guide and the wife try +again to find the husband, which they did and brought him in. He said we +were in a bad fix, but he would try to help us on the next morning. We +were fed and decided to stay outside. We established a guard and lay +down in the yard. In the morning we started out with this gentleman as a +guide, going carefully through the woods. We had not gone very far +before our guide was called by name by someone in the woods who said: +"Where are you going?" "A piece with some friends," he replied. "You are +taking a very great risk," he was told. At one place the guide said: +"See that large plantation over there and those men digging a grave—the +man who lived there was shot by the guerrillas yesterday."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p><p>We kept on till, late in the afternoon, we came to a road. The guide +said: "I will leave you here. You go up this road a little ways and you +will come to a cross road and a store. That is about forty-five miles +from my home. Go straight past the store until you come to the river, +then cross in a row boat. If there is not one there, swing your +handkerchiefs or something and they will come."</p> + +<p>The road was lined on both sides with trees and plenty of brush. The +guide and I went ahead. Someone spoke to us. Looking toward the side of +the road we saw two soldiers sitting on the ground holding their horses. +We supposed they belonged to the guerrillas. Our comrades came up, we +talked a little and went on to the river, where we got a boat. I asked +one of the oarsmen where their ferry boat was. He said: "This is it." "I +mean one that will take a team or horses or cattle," I said. "The only +way they can take horses across is to go in the boat themselves, lead +their horses and let them swim. We used to have such a ferry, but they +took it way," he said. "How far up or down the river is there such a +ferry?" I inquired. "I do not think there is one within twenty-five<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +miles." That information of course relieved our anxiety somewhat. It was +about the middle of November. I inquired if they had heard from the +election in the North. They said they had and I asked who was elected +president. "Abraham Lincoln," was the reply. We hurrahed, although we +were yet in the Confederacy.</p> + +<p>When we got across it was dark and we were all very tired. Most of our +company stopped at the first houses. I started up the road with my four +comrades. They said: "How far are you going?" "I don't know," I replied. +"We are all very tired, yet I think we do not want to take any chances +which we can avoid. If the two guerrillas with some of their associates +come over to look after us, either with or without their horses, they +will look in the houses. I do not care to be in the first house they +search." "All right," they said, "go ahead."</p> + +<p>After going about a mile we came to a good looking house and decided to +see if we could get something to eat. We rapped at the door and inquired +if we could get something to eat if we would pay for it and were told to +come in. While at the table I asked how far it was to the Union lines. +"Fifteen miles straight up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> the road which comes from the river," was +the reply. "How will we know when we get there?" I inquired. "Go ahead +until you come to a flour mill with a large water wheel," was the reply. +"That is practically there. The guards are beyond, but so near that no +one will go to the mill who is afraid of the guard. The man who owns the +mill is a bachelor and sleeps there, a good Union man. Call him up, he +will care for you and in the morning will show you the guards."</p> + +<p>We started on. The moon was shining brightly. Soon one or two who were +ahead were rolling a small animal around which was lying in the road and +apparently dead. Captain Aldrich came up and said, "He is not dead. If +you think he is feel of him, it is a possum. We came to him suddenly and +he is playing possum. Go on a little ways and then look at him." We did +so and he soon raised his head, looked around and scooted out of sight.</p> + +<p>As we went on Aldrich lagged behind. We waited for him and I said, +"Aldrich, you are very tired. I know that you are a strict teetotaler, +take a little medicine, some of this apple jack to brace you up." He +said, "No, go ahead,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> I will keep in sight." We went on slowly, he well +behind. By and by I heard a call, "Cap-t-a-i-n, Capt-a-i-n." We stopped. +He came up and said, "Captain, where is that bottle?" I took it out, +unscrewed the cover and said, "Now drink enough to brace you up. It will +not hurt you if you drink it all." He took some and it helped him and we +got to the flour mill. We were kindly received and in the morning were +shown where the pickets were.</p> + +<p>We went to the pickets and when they were relieved went with them to +their camp at Strawberry Plains in East Tennessee. This was on Sunday. +In the afternoon the rest of our crew came in. After dress parade we ten +were furnished horses and escort and taken to a railroad station, the +Quarter Master giving us transportation. While waiting for the train and +talking with the officers there, we were asked if we had any money. Some +had a little, others none. Those of us who had none were at once given +$50 or $60 each and were told that when we drew our pay we could send +the amounts to the men who had supplied us.</p> + +<p>As we were changing cars one day, passing by a station, I saw a man who +looked familiar.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> I went to him and asked when he came down from God's +country. He said he had been there some time. "What is your business?" I +asked. "An express agent," he told me. "Oh, yes," I said, "you used to +be in Elmira, New York. That is where I used to see you. Who else is +there down here from Elmira?" I inquired. "I do not know of anyone," he +said, "except Major Diven; he is a paymaster at Louisville." "Where does +he stop?" I asked. "At the Galt House," the man told me. "He has been +recently married and he and his bride are at the Galt House."</p> + +<p>We went on and were told we would arrive at Louisville at one o'clock +the next morning, where we had planned to take a steamer to Cincinnati. +Major Diven was a son of General Diven, who lived in Elmira, New York, +near where my father-in-law lived. The two families were intimate and +when I was married, the Divens, including the Major, were present.</p> + +<p>My comrades asked me where I was going to stop when we got to +Louisville. I said the Galt House. "Aren't you very tony? Do you suppose +they will take us?" they asked. "That is where I am going," I said.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p><p>We arrived on time and went to the hotel, where we registered and were +told they were very sorry but there had not been a vacant room in the +house since eight o'clock the night before; the best they could do would +be to give us cots in the parlor where several others were assigned. We +took the cots and were soon asleep. In the morning, after breakfast, I +went to the office and inquired if Major Diven was around yet and was +told the major and his family had left about a week before and had taken +a house. "Where is his office?" I inquired. They told me and I asked at +what time in the morning he would be in his office. They thought at nine +o'clock. I went to look for my comrades and found them in the waiting +room. "Our boat does not leave until four o'clock this afternoon," I +said. "We have the day to put in here. Come and take a little walk with +me." "Where are you going?" they inquired. "To draw my pay," I told +them. "To draw your pay!" they laughed. "There is a United States +paymaster here," I said. "Why should we not draw our pay?" But, while +they had nothing to do, I could not persuade one to go with me. So I +went away alone and found a colored<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> man sweeping out the office. I +inquired if Major Diven was in and was told that he was not, but would +be soon and would I come in. I picked up the morning paper from the +steps and went in. Soon the Major came. I said, "Major, I am an officer +in the United States service, an escaped prisoner of war; I came to draw +some pay." "What is your name, rank, regiment and where and when were +you captured?" he asked. I told him. He said, "I suppose you know there +is an order forbidding us to pay officers or men if they are away from +their command?" "Yes," I said, "but how about prisoners of war and +especially those who have made their escape? What provision is there for +them?" "There certainly should be some," he replied, "but I must first +talk it over with Colonel ——, my superior. Did you tell me your name +was D. A. Langworthy, Captain of Company 'E', 85th New York?" he asked. +"Yes," I replied. "Did you marry Belle Cooke last year?" he continued. +"Yes," I said. "Why, I was at your wedding!" he exclaimed. "I will +certainly pay you if I have to furnish the money myself, but let me go +first and talk with the Colonel." "One minute first,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> Major," I said. +"There are nine others with me, we are all alike, two of them are in the +85th and three others in our brigade." He left and soon returned saying +he was told he could give us all one month's pay. I told him that would +do nicely and I would go for the others. "Wait a minute," he said, "so +that I can have your papers ready for you to sign. When were you paid +last?" he inquired. "You will please say nothing about it, for I will +take the liberty of paying you for six months." So my check was for +something over $900.00.</p> + +<div class="center"><a name="i079.jpg" id="i079.jpg"></a><img src="images/i079.jpg" alt="As They Appeared After Reaching the Union Lines" /></div> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">As They Appeared After Reaching the Union Lines</span></p> + +<p class="bold">(From left to right)</p> + +<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Lieut. J. E. Terwilliger, 85th N. Y.<br />Capt. C. S. Aldrich, 85th N. Y.<br /> +Capt. D. A. Langworthy, 85th N. Y.<br />Lieut. G. S. Hastings, 24th N. Y. +Batt.<br />Capt. George H. Starr, 104th N. Y.</span></p> + +<p>I went for the others, they all got some pay and of course all felt +better. We arrived at Cincinnati at about five o'clock in the morning. I +was somewhat at home there, for in previous years I had been there for +some time each year looking after my father's lumber interests. My chums +were inquiring for the Quarter Master to get their transportation. I +told them I should not trouble about the Quarter Master. "Why not?" they +asked. "His office probably will not be open before nine o'clock," I +said. "If I can get the six o'clock express at the little Miami station +it will make about one day's difference in my getting home and I am +getting in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> a hurry." "How about your railroad fare?" they inquired. "I +will pay it and take the chance of getting it back," I said.</p> + +<p>I got the train and went the rest of the way alone. When, in the latter +part of March, 1864, I was returned to the front from detail duty in the +North, I left my wife at my home in New York City. While in prison I +learned that she had returned to her father in Elmira, New York. So of +course I made for Elmira. Arrived there in the latter part of the night. +I started to walk to father Cooke's. While I was in prison my wife had +an illness which troubled her head and started her hair coming out. +Hoping to save it, she had it cut short and the night before had put it +up in curl papers. It chanced that she and one of her sisters were +sleeping in a front chamber with the front window open and she was awake +and heard someone coming. She recognized my step and shook her sister, +saying, "Nell, Nell, get out of here quick, the Doctor is coming!" +"There is no Doctor coming for you," said Nell. "I tell you he is. I +know his step. Can't you hear it. There—he has opened the gate!" and +she pushed her sister out of bed and told her to go.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p><p>I rapped on the door, was admitted and embraced by Father Cooke, who +opened the stair door and said, "Belle." "Yes, father, I know who it +is," she replied. "Send him up." When I entered the room she was sitting +up in bed taking the curl papers out of her hair. That was the 20th of +November. I had been six weeks on the trip.</p> + +<p>That day or the next I noticed several wagons going past loaded with +fresh meat, bread, vegetables and other articles of food. I inquired +where all that food was going and was told, "To your old camp." "Have +they got recruits there now?" I asked. "No," was the reply, "Confederate +prisoners." It looked to me as though they were well cared for.</p> + +<p>I certainly was well done up. For the first two weeks I did not do much +but eat and sleep. It seemed as though I would never get filled up and +rested. I would eat breakfast and, before I knew it, be asleep. After I +had been there a week or more, one evening my wife's two sisters, young +ladies, said, "Father, are you going to the hall this evening to hear +the lecture?" "No," he said, "I had not intended to and do not know as I +care to." "It will be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> a fine lecture," they told him, "Doctor so-and-so +of New York City. We would like to go but have no one to escort us." I +said, "Girls, why don't you invite me?" "We would be delighted to have +you go, but fear you would go to sleep," they said. I promised to try to +keep awake and we went.</p> + +<p>While waiting for the lecture to begin I felt weary, leaned forward, put +my forehead on the back of the seat in front and the next thing I knew +they shook me up and said it was time to go home.</p> + +<p>When I arrived in Elmira I of course reported to Washington that I had +escaped, giving my whereabouts. After two or three weeks I received an +order to proceed to Annapolis, Maryland, where the exchanged prisoners +were received and cared for. After being there a few days I received an +order to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Will W. Clark of the 85th New +York, at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, who was there with a few of the +85th who were not at Plymouth at the time of the capture.</p> + +<p>On arriving there on December 23rd, I found awaiting me Special Order +Number 439 by which I was mustered out and discharged by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> reason of the +expiration of my time of service; but which I suppose meant that I did +not have any command. I then returned to my home in New York City and +the war fortunately was soon over.</p> + +<p>So far as I know Captain George H. Starr of Yonkers, New York, and +myself are the only persons living of the ten who reached home together.</p> + +<p>After arriving at our homes, and after the war had ended we all +contributed to a financial remembrance to the "high sheriff" and +endeavored to express to him our very great obligation for his +remarkable kindness and efficient help to us when we were all in such a +critical plight, near the boundary which divided the north from the +south during our flight for freedom.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR AND HIS ESCAPE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 44702-h.txt or 44702-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/7/0/44702">http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/7/0/44702</a></p> +<p> +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p> +Creating the works from public domain print editions 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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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 + + + + + +Title: Reminiscences of a Prisoner of War and His Escape + + +Author: Daniel Avery Langworthy + + + +Release Date: January 18, 2014 [eBook #44702] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR +AND HIS ESCAPE*** + + +E-text prepared by Martin Pettit 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 44702-h.htm or 44702-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44702/44702-h/44702-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44702/44702-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive. See + https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesofp00lang + + + + + +REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR AND HIS ESCAPE + +by + +DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY + +Late Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry + +With Illustrations + + + + + + + +Byron Printing Company +Minneapolis, Minn. +1915 + +Copyright 1915 +by +Daniel Avery Langworthy + + + + +AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED +TO MY ESTEEMED FRIEND AND COMRADE + +ELL TORRANCE + +PAST COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC + + +[Illustration: DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY] + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + FACING PAGE + DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY + Captain 85th N. Y. Vol. Infantry _Frontispiece_ + + COMPASS, KNIFE, FORK AND SPOON 18 + Used in Capt. Langworthy's escape + + CAMP OGLETHROPE, MACON, GEORGIA 20 + + SHOES AND HICKORY STICK 26 + Used in Capt. Langworthy's Escape + + JAIL YARD, CHARLESTON, S. C. 28 + + ROPER HOSPITAL, CHARLESTON, S. C. 32 + + FIVE ESCAPED OFFICERS 56 + Who joined Capt. Langworthy's party + + FIVE OFFICERS INCLUDING CAPT. LANGWORTHY 68 + As they appeared after reaching the Union lines + + + + +Preface + + +Soon after my escape from captivity and my arrival at the home of my +father-in-law, at Elmira, New York, where my good wife was, my sister +Sarah, who was older than myself, and her husband, came to see me. She +sat down by my side and said: "Now Daniel, tell me all about it. How you +were captured, how treated while a prisoner of war, how you made your +escape and worked your way from Columbia, South Carolina, to Elmira." +She held me to a strict account until she had the full story. I then +told her that if after that I should be asked about it I would refer +them to her (she would have given a good narrative), but unfortunately +she is not living now. + +I have never been much inclined to talk about my prison life, nor had +thought of writing about it until recently when some of my comrades, who +had been talking with me about it, suggested and +strongly urged+ that I +write it out. The result of which is these reminiscences. Doubtless I +could have told this story better fifty years ago, for, as I did not +keep a diary or any memorandum, it is entirely from memory, yet the +events made a fixed impression on my mind and I believe that what I have +herein narrated is correct. I was born January 3rd, 1832. + +DANIEL AVERY LANGWORTHY. + +Minneapolis, Minn. +April 3rd, 1915. + + + + +Narrative + + +Before the Civil War I was a young physician in New York city, had been +brought up a strong Whig and fully believed that slavery was entirely +wrong. After the beginning of the war I felt it my duty to go and help +and thought that the privates, the men who carried and used rifles were +what was wanted; hence I went to Elmira, New York, and enlisted on +September 10th, 1861, in the Eighty-fifth New York Regiment, which +regiment was being recruited in Allegany County in the locality where my +father lived, so that I might be with my former associates. Late in the +fall of 1861 the regiment was moved to Washington, D. C., remaining +there during the winter. Early in the following spring we went on the +Peninsula campaign under General McClellan, our regiment being in +General Wessel's brigade. On April 9th, 1862, I was commissioned first +lieutenant. On October 17th, 1862, captain. + +At the close of the campaign as we came off the Peninsula, General +Wessell's brigade was left at Fortress Monroe, where it remained for a +time, and was then ordered to Newburn, North Carolina, and from there to +Plymouth, North Carolina. In July, 1863, two other officers, some +enlisted men and myself were detailed and sent to Elmira, New York, on +conscript duty. While in Elmira I was married. In March, 1864, we were +ordered to return to our command. We did so, arriving at Plymouth, North +Carolina, about April 1st. On April 20th the entire post was captured +after a siege of four days. + +After our capture we were started toward Richmond and marched in that +direction for two days; then laid over for one day. Although nothing had +been said, we inferred that there must be something wrong at Richmond, +indeed we afterward learned that General Grant had started on his +wilderness campaign, and orders had been issued from Richmond not to +bring any more prisoners there. + +The next morning we started south and tramped in that direction until we +came to a railroad, where we were loaded into cattle or box cars (I +being on the first train). We continued our southern journey, passing +through Wilmington and Charleston to Savannah, then going west through +Macon, we arrived at Andersonville, Georgia, in the afternoon. We were +then taken out of the cars and sat down on the ground. + +Andersonville contained only a few scattered houses. We could plainly +see where our men were encamped, some distance away, with nothing to +protect them from the heat of the sun and apparently with only a scant +supply of water. Soon after our arrival a well-mounted and +soldierly-looking officer came riding toward us. He was met by the +officer in command of our guard, who saluted and inquired: "Is this +Captain Wirtz?" "Yes," was the reply. "Captain Wirtz, I have some +prisoners here for you," said the officer in charge of us. "About how +many?" inquired Captain Wirtz, "and what are they?" "About eight +hundred. Seventy-five officers and about seven hundred and twenty-five +men," was the answer. "Well," said Captain Wirtz, "I suppose I must take +the men, but I +cannot+ take the officers." + +The captain of our guard was an imperious man; he straightened himself +up and said: "Captain Wirtz, I am ordered to turn these prisoners over +to you." "I +cannot+ take the officers," repeated Captain Wirtz. "I have +no place for them. God knows my place is bad enough for the men!" +"Captain Wirtz," insisted the captain of our guard, "I shall turn all +these prisoners over to you." "Do what you d----n please," said Wirtz. +"Turn them loose if you want to, but I tell you I will not take the +officers." He then turned his horse and rode away. + +We all realized that we had witnessed an important scene--and it was. It +established a precedent. So far as I know, no officers were confined at +Andersonville. Had they been, the majority of them, like our men, would +have died there. Of my company forty-eight good, healthy, robust young +men went into Andersonville that day and the remains of thirty of them +are there now; while of the officers of our regiment who were captured, +all lived to return North. While that was the only time I ever saw +Captain Wirtz, that event, and what I learned afterward, gave me a +strong impression that the authorities at Richmond, and especially +Winder, were responsible for the treatment of the prisoners at Libby, +Belle Island, Andersonville, etc. Apparently Captain Wirtz was a +well-drilled European soldier, who of course was trained to obey orders; +but in this case he had so much respect for the rank of the officers +that he rebelled and established a precedent which most certainly was a +God-send to the officers. + +Soon after he left we were ordered into line and the officers were +commanded to step out (to the left). We understood well what that meant. +It was a trying time for the officers, for we realized full well where +our men were going. I think we had about the same idea of Andersonville +then that we have now. The men were marched away. + +After the men were gone we were marched across the railroad onto a knoll +with a beautiful grove, in which was a vacant church, and told to make +ourselves comfortable there for the night. Of course there was a guard +around us, but we were allowed to go out into the grove. Going down the +knoll we found a very large and most excellent spring of fine water, +which came bubbling up out of the white sand. We said: "What a lovely +and perfect place for a camp. Why wasn't our boys' camp here instead of +over there on that hill? Here is water, shade and everything." The +answer was: "It is too good a place for the Yankees." + +The next morning we entered the cars and started back east. As Captain +Wirtz would not take us, something must be done with us. The first town +of importance we came to was Macon. We stopped there and were turned +over to the general officer in command at that point. As there had not +been any prisoners kept there, no arrangements for us had been made. We +were taken out into a nice park, furnished with plenty of tents and were +told to make ourselves comfortable; very fair rations were issued to us +each day and plenty of them. We were allowed to go to the guard line and +buy anything we wished if we had the wherewith to pay for it. In fact, +we were treated kindly and had no complaint to make. By talking over the +guard line at this camp, I purchased of a colored woman, a good table +knife, fork and spoon, which I kept and found to be very useful; getting +hold of a three-cornered file, I made a saw of the back of the knife, +thinking it might be of use in an emergency. After a few days, when we +were getting rested, I would hear: "What is it we hear about Libby, +Belle Island and Andersonville? _We_ certainly have no reason to +complain." + +[Illustration: COMPASS THAT GUIDED US BY NIGHT AND DAY AND KNIFE, FORK +AND SPOON PURCHASED FROM COLORED WOMAN AT MACON, GEORGIA] + +During my prison life I met comrades who had been, I think, in most of +the places where our men were confined and they all practically told the +same story; that when they were turned over to the local authorities +they were well treated, but that when they came under the Richmond or +Winder care it was as different as it well could be. + +Apparently it was well understood that no soldier was to be in a +condition, when exchanged or when he got North, to re-enter the service. + +After we had been in Macon for perhaps a couple of weeks, I noticed one +day two officers riding around in another part of the park. I recognized +one of them, and asked our captain of the guard: "Who is that officer +with Colonel So-and-So?" He replied: "That is Colonel So-and-So of +Richmond of President Davis' staff." I asked no more questions, but +thought it significant that he was there. + +Two or three days later a hundred or so of colored men were at work in +that part of the park building a stockade enclosing about three acres. +The stockade was a tight board fence twelve feet high, with a walk on +the outside near the top and a railing outside of it for the guard, +where they could see everything. On the inside, about forty feet from +the stockade, was a picket fence called "the dead line." That is, if +anyone approached it, he was to be shot. + +After the enclosure was completed, one morning we noticed a crowd of men +being marched inside the stockade. They were prisoners from Libby. Soon +after we followed them. With these prisoners came Lieutenant Davis of +Baltimore, who had charge of the prison. He apparently had his orders +from Richmond and obeyed them strictly. It was a very great change for +us. Our rations, treatment and everything else were so radically +different. A small brook ran through one end of the enclosure, +fortunately inside the dead line. We dug a spring there and from it got +all the water we had. + +[Illustration: CAMP OGLETHORPE, MACON, GEORGIA] + +One day one of our comrades was walking down the path to the spring with +his canteen to get some water, when one of the guards who was on the +stockade shot him dead. So far as we knew, there was nothing done about +it except that his remains were taken outside. The guard remained on his +post until time to be relieved. + +There was one of our number who had been a prisoner so long and had +become so reduced in health that he feared he could not endure much +longer. While talking about it with his associates he was asked if he +had anything he could sell to get some money to buy some food. He said +he had nothing but his watch. He was advised to sell that. Lieutenant +Davis came in every morning with a guard to count us. The next morning +when they came in, this prisoner approached the lieutenant and said: +"Lieutenant Davis, can I presume to ask a favor of you?" "What is it?" +was the curt question. "I have been in prison for a long time and have +become so reduced in health that I fear I cannot hold out much longer. +The only thing I have left to dispose of is my watch. Could I ask you to +take it out and sell it for me that I might buy something with the money +to help me?" "All right," said the lieutenant, and put the watch in his +pocket. The comrade further said: "Lieutenant, please remember to sell +that watch for $200. If you cannot get that much or more, bring it back +to me," and he gave his name. "All right," said the lieutenant. + +Each morning after that when they came in this prisoner would stand +around near the lieutenant, but nothing was said until one morning he +said: "Lieutenant, were you able to sell my watch?" "No, I was not," +replied the lieutenant. "Then, will you kindly bring it in to me when +you come in tomorrow morning?" he requested. "What's your name?" asked +Lieutenant Davis. The prisoner gave his name. "Oh, yes, I have done sold +your watch already for $5," said the lieutenant. "You must be mistaken, +lieutenant," exclaimed the prisoner, "for you must remember that I told +you if you could not sell it for $200 or more, to kindly bring it back +to me." "You tell me I lie, do you?" exclaimed the lieutenant--and +turning to his guard, said: "Bring him along; I will show him." The +prisoner was taken just outside the gate, where we could see him, and +bucked and gagged and sat there on the ground in the hot Georgia sun +the most of that summer day. + +After we were in the stockade the main topic of conversation was: "Was +it possible to get out of there?" The first thing tried was tunnelling, +which required great effort and caution. We had nothing to dig with +except our hands and pocket knives. Then, the fresh dirt must not be +seen, nor the openings of the tunnels. While we worked entirely in the +night, our work must not be discovered by the guards, and several +tunnels were under way. One or two of them were nearly to the stockade +when, one morning, they came in as usual to count us. We were lined up +at one end with the guard around us, and were ready to march through +between two guards and be counted, when Lieutenant Davis pulled the +ramrod out of the rifle of one of the guards and went around and pushed +it into all of the tunnels, showing us that he knew of them. He then +gave us a strong talk, saying we would hereafter be watched carefully, +and if there was any further attempt made toward tunnelling it would be +met with severe punishment. That was the end of the tunnelling. But the +question was: "How did he get onto it?" After a little we learned that +the day before when the guard went out they took with them one of our +prisoners who had enlisted from Kentucky or Tennessee--I have forgotten +which. Fortunately for him he did not come back. + +Then the question was: "What next?" In talking things over with those +who had been in prison the longest and had the most varied experiences, +they all said it was not so difficult to get out of prison or away from +those who had charge of you, as it was to care for yourself after you +were at liberty; that the entire South was thoroughly organized, not +only to prevent the escape of Yankee prisoners, but also to arrest +deserters from their own service, and all others, both white and +colored, who wished to evade the service or to get to the North. An +officer was detailed for each locality who must have a pack of good dogs +and a posse of men always ready and every person was under strict orders +to report to said officer any strangers, stragglers, suspicious persons +or any unusual circumstances they might know of. Fresh tracks were +looked after and these officers and men were returned to the front if +their work was not satisfactory. They were wide-awake. + +Several of our number had been recaptured. They all said the dogs were +the worst part of the outfit, that you might possibly evade the others, +but that when the dogs got on your trail they were sure to find you. + +The next question was: "What to do with the dogs?" The only remedy +suggested was to have something to put on our feet which would be so +offensive to their sensitive noses that it would upset them. After +thinking it over I decided that if the opportunity presented itself, I +would try turpentine. There was an officer there at Macon whose duties +frequently called him inside our prison. I was pretty well acquainted +with him, and sold him my watch. One day I asked him if I could presume +to ask a favor of him. "What is it?" he said. "Would you kindly get me a +half pint of good spirits of turpentine?" I asked. "What do you want of +turpentine?" he asked. "You know the Libby prisoners are here," I +replied, "and you may know they brought many bugs with them; turpentine +is said to be good to fight those bugs with." "I will see," he said. + +The next time I saw him he handed me a bottle of turpentine. I thanked +him and paid him for it. He then said: "Captain, I want to say +something which may be entirely unnecessary, but I feel that I must." +"What is it?" I asked. "It is that what I have done shall be known to no +one but you and me, for if it should be known that I had brought +something in to you it would mean----" and he drew his hand across his +throat. I replied: "You may be assured no one shall know anything about +it. Some of my comrades may know that I have the turpentine, but where +or how or through whom I got it they will have no idea." He then said: +"Captain, I do not wish to be inquisitive or to ask any questions about +your affairs, but if at any time you have an idea you can get out of +this place, if you will tell me what night, I will tell you where on the +river you can find a boat with oars, blankets and food." I thanked him +most heartily and told him I was fully confirmed in my previous +impression that he was a noble, generous, first-class gentleman. He then +said: "Captain, you do not have much to read do you?" "Nothing," I said. +"Perhaps you would enjoy looking this over." He handed me a pamphlet and +left. On opening it I saw it was about Macon, its location and maps +showing the river and roads and where they went, etc. + +[Illustration: SHOES WORN AND HICKORY STICK USED BY CAPT. LANGWORTHY ON +HIS TRIP NORTH AND STILL IN HIS POSSESSION] + +I kept the turpentine very carefully hoping that some time I might be +able to escape and might possibly need it. + +While in Macon my boots gave out and I purchased a pair of plain rough +darkey shoes, paying $60 in Confederate money for them, and kept them in +reserve for use in case I should be so fortunate as to get outside. One +of our number, who was a major in the regular army, started a secret +society, which I joined, and which soon grew to hundreds. The object of +the organization was for mutual help. It was organized as a regiment, +with companies, etc. The major was the colonel. + +One day in July a detail was ordered to be ready to move at a certain +hour the next morning. They were ready, but waited for an hour or more. +The major and many of our new order were in the detail, including +myself. While waiting, several of our organization exchanged places and +thereby got in so that when we marched out our society was well +represented. We were put on board a train of box cars and started east, +arriving at Savannah about nightfall. We were unloaded and were there in +the yards an hour or two. While waiting, the major said to us: "I have +learned that we are going North, I think to Charleston. When we get +about so far from here we will be only about twelve miles from our men +at such a place on the coast. I will be sure to get in the front car and +will detail officers to be in command of each of the other cars. They +will detail men to look after the guard in their cars. At the proper +time I will swing a lantern out of the side door of the front car and +swing it around as a signal for you to overcome the guards in your cars. +Take their guns and care for them and when the train stops jump out and +overcome the guards on the top of the cars, and we will then go back and +overcome those in the rear car and then march for the little station on +the coast." + +[Illustration: JAIL YARD, CHARLESTON, S. C.] + +There were four or five guards in each car and about the same number on +the top and one group commanding the rear car. We all sat on the floor, +including the guards. I was in command of one of the cars and watched +very sharply for the light, but it did not show up. The major had +learned that there was suspicion of something being done and did not +think it best to take the risk. We all knew apparently when we +approached where we should see the light, and as it did not show up the +men soon began to tumble out of the side doors. Upwards of one hundred +of them got out of the cars in a comparatively short time. The guards on +top fired at them. I do not know whether any of our boys were hit or +not, but within a few days after our arrival at Charleston all of them, +except four or five, were with us, showing the efficiency of the +organization for the recapture of escaped prisoners. + +After the men began to tumble off, we stopped at the first telegraph +station and a message was sent. The officers in that locality turned out +promptly with their men and dogs, came up the railroad until they found +a fresh trail, which one crew took, the rest going on until they were +after them all. + +We arrived at Charleston the next morning, being the first prisoners who +had been brought there. We were brought there in the hope that we might +help to protect the city from the continuous cannonading of our troops +on Morris Island, which had driven the people from the lower part of the +city. We, of course, were put in that part, first in the jail yard and +from there to the workhouse, a large building in the same block used as +a jail for the colored people. From there we went to Roper's Hospital in +the same block, where we were given comfortable quarters. Those three +buildings and the medical college occupied the block. The back yard of +the hospital joined the back yard of the jail. + +We put in our time evenings watching the shells from Morris Island; +would see a bright light as they started at the horizon and as they went +up and up until apparently nearly over our heads and would then come +seemingly straight down and usually explode before they struck. +Apparently the men on the island knew when we came and where we were, +for while the cannonading was regular each night, never a shell or a +piece of one came to our quarters, but plenty of harm was done in the +city all the time. + +After we had been there for quite a while, one day one of our comrades +coming in, said to me: "I have a letter for you. I was in the back yard +sitting on the ground when something dropped down by my side, apparently +coming from the jail yard. I looked and there was a small stone with +this tied to it." It was a small scrap of paper addressed to me, from +one of my sergeants, saying that he, his brother and others of Company +"E" were in the jail yard. That aroused me some. I went to the gate and +asked the officer in charge of the guard if he would kindly send me, +under guard, to go around to the jail yard. He said: "Why do you wish to +go to the jail yard?" I told him some men of my company who had been in +Andersonville since last April were there and that I wished very much to +see them. After a little he told me to come again in a half hour. I did +so, and accompanied by the guard, was sent to the jail yard, and of the +first prisoners I met I inquired where the Eighty-fifth New York boys +were and was told they had been removed that morning to the race course +outside of the city. "Had they all gone?" I inquired. They thought they +had. I told them I was very sorry as men of my company were with them. +While we were talking, one of them said: "Why, there are two of the +Eighty-fifth boys over there sitting on the ground." I went to them. +Each had a raw Irish potato in his hand scraping it and eating it raw +for the scurvy. I looked them over carefully, but could not recognize +them. I said: "Boys, are you from the Eighty-fifth New York?" They +looked up and said: "How are you, captain?" and jumped up, embraced me +and said: "Captain, didn't you know us?" "I am sorry to say I did not," +I replied. "Why, we are So-and-So of Company 'F,'" they said, which was +by the side of my company. They were men whom I had known for nearly +three years, yet were so changed that I could not recognize them. + +I left much disappointed at not finding my men, and thought about it +continually. The general in command of the Confederate forces at +Charleston was a Roman Catholic, hence his church people, and especially +the Sisters of Charity, had free access to the hospitals, prisons, etc., +and did much good work. + +[Illustration: ROPER HOSPITAL, CHARLESTON, S. C.] + +A few days later I noticed some sisters in our building. I went to one +of them and said: "Sister, have you been out to the race course?" "Yes," +she said, "We have just come from there." "How are they?" I asked. +"Very, very bad," she replied. "Sister, can't you tell me something more +about them?" I continued. "That is about all," she said. "You poor men +have suffered enough, but not what they have; they are very bad." +"Sister," I continued, "there are some of my men there whom I have not +seen since they went to Andersonville prison last April. I would like to +learn all I can about them." "They are very bad," she said, "that is +about all. We tried to minister to one poor fellow this morning. In +giving him a bath we scraped quantities of maggots from under his arms +and other parts of his body. They are very, very bad." "Sister," I +persisted, "if they had some money would it be of any help to them?" +"Yes, it would. They could not get with it what you would think they +should, but they could get something and that would be a help to them." +"Will you be going there again soon?" I asked. "Yes, we will go there +every few days," she replied. "Could I ask you to take some money to one +of my men?" "I would be pleased to do so," she said. "Is he a +non-commissioned officer?" "Yes, a sergeant," I replied. "I will be here +awhile longer," she said. "Write him a letter, tell him how much you +send and what he is to do with it, put the money in the letter and seal +it. On the envelope write his name in full, rank, company, regiment, +brigade, corps, etc., your name, your lieutenant's name, your colonel's +name and the commander of the brigade and corps--in fact write the +envelope all over and I will try to find him." I did not ask any more +questions, but thought her directions strange. I went and did as she +told me to do and gave her the letter. A few days later I saw some +sisters in the building, and going to them saw her to whom I had given +my letter a few days before, and spoke to her. "Yes, captain," she said, +"I was going to look you up. We just came from the race course. I feel +quite sure I found your man and gave him your letter. While you did as I +told you, wrote the envelope all over, you did not put too much on it." +"How was that, sister?" I asked. "Well, when we got there inside the +race course, they all came around us, hoping we would do something for +them," she said. "I asked for Mr. Jones. Nearly all the men there were +named Jones. I did not tell them any more, but began asking questions. A +few less were George Jones, a few less George Washington Jones, a few +less were sergeants and in Company 'E,' and in the Eighty-fifth New +York, etc., until I got down to one man and am quite sure he was the +right one." I thanked her and told her how greatly I was obliged to her, +and said: "Sister, I certainly have no reason to doubt what you say, but +cannot understand it." "How so?" she asked. "I know those men +thoroughly," I said, "and know them not only to be good soldiers, but +truly honest, truthful, upright, manly men." "That's all right, +captain," she said, "but as I told you before, you have not suffered and +passed through what they have. I believe that if you or I had been +through with what they have we would not be one whit different from what +they are and in my heart I cannot blame them." I said: "All right, +sister, I am fully assured that you are a noble, genuine, upright +Christian lady." + +She found the right man. While the sergeant did not live to get to his +home, his brother and some of the others did, and told me that he got +the letter and the money and that it was a great help. + +We remained in Charleston until the yellow fever was so bad that it was +difficult to keep a guard to guard us, as they were on duty most of the +time and were more exposed to the hot sunshine and yellow fever than we +were. In the latter part of September we were moved to Columbia, South +Carolina, to higher ground and supposed to be exempt from the fever. +Arriving there in the afternoon we remained one night in the city near +the station. The next day we were moved across the Saluda river and +camped on an open field. The second day we were there we noticed the +assembling of quite a force of colored men at a house not far away and +we suspected that it might mean the building of a stockade around us. +Some one said: "If we are going to try to get away from here it would be +well to do so before we are fenced in." I said: "We have a large moon +now, which makes it very light at night. This morning it set at about +2:30, tomorrow morning it will be an hour later, hence we must plan to +get away tomorrow morning after the moon has gone down." + +After talking it over, two of my friends, Captain Aldrich and Lieutenant +Tewilliger, both of the Eighty-fifth, and myself, decided we would make +an effort to escape. We each got a blanket and a little food and waited. +In the afternoon one of my lieutenants said to me: "Are you going to +make a break tonight?" "I am thinking of trying," I replied. "Don't you +think you are taking a great risk?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, "but is +it not a greater one to remain here?" "That may be true," he answered. I +concluded that he thought so too, for later he made his escape but was +recaptured. + +We, of course, looked the ground over carefully. Three sides of our camp +were clear fields, the other was near the woods, but at the edge of the +woods was a high tree fence, which we could not get through without +making a noise which would attract the attention of the guards. Near one +corner was a vacant schoolhouse, which was used by the reserve guard. A +little distance from this schoolhouse and near the guard line was quite +a knoll. We decided that would do, that if we could get over the knoll +we would be out of sight. In the latter part of the night we went in +that direction and as near the guard line as we thought it prudent and +sat down under a small tree. While there two other comrades, Captain +Starr and Lieutenant Hastings, both from New York state, came along, +looked us over and inquired what we were waiting for. They also sat +down. + +It was much cooler than at Charleston, so much so that the guards built +fires on the guard line. The guards were changed at 3 o'clock. The man +whose place was on the beat which we wished to cross did his duty +faithfully. There had been a fire at one end of his beat, but it did not +entice him. He was walking his beat steadily. + +As the moon was nearing the horizon, one of the comrades said: "If you +start when that man is near this end of the beat as you are crossing the +guard line he will be at the other end of his beat, he will have turned +around and will see you for there is a fire on both sides." We said: +"Yes, but we think we will try it. We will go abreast so if he shoots he +must fire through one before he hits the next." When the moon was well +down and the guard neared our end of his beat, we started, going +carefully. We were crossing his beat when he arrived at the other end, +he did what he had not done before, he stopped with his back towards us, +took his gun from his shoulder, stooped over and began to look after the +fire. We thought then, as we did several other times, that we were +favored by our Heavenly Father. + +We went over the knoll and stopped to get our bearings. Soon I saw two +men coming over the knoll, and said: "Boys, they are coming for us; we +will not run." But as they got near us we saw that it was Captain Starr +and Lieutenant Hastings. When they saw the guard stop with his back +toward us they of course came, so we were five instead of three. We +worked our way through to the woods, got a quiet place and stayed there +through the day where we could hear the calls at the camp. That morning +I cut a hickory walking stick, which I used on the trip, and have it +yet. + +It was fortunate for us that Lieutenant Hastings joined us. He had +escaped once and had been captured by a posse with dogs, had changed his +clothing and now wore a Confederate uniform, which we thought would +permit him to pass for a Confederate. He was a bright young attorney and +after the close of the war was attorney general for the state of New +York. + +After dark we started. We took a northwesterly course, being guided by +the north star, and kept in the woods. About 10 o'clock we heard dogs, +and said: "Hastings, what is that?" He replied: "A pack of hounds, and +they are on our trail." I said: "Turn up your soles," took out the +bottle of turpentine which I had kept so carefully for months, put some +on the bottoms of all of our shoes, turned a square corner and we all +ran as fast as we could in another direction. After a little we saw we +were coming to the edge of the woods, where there was a road and beyond +an open field. Just then Hastings said: "The dogs have struck the +turpentine--hear them--they are not barking, but whining; they are +whipping them to make them follow the trail, hear them howl, but they +won't do it--the turpentine is too strong for them." + +We rushed ahead and as we were crossing the road we heard a horse coming +down the road on a good gallop. Soon a man on a horse came up. He +evidently was one of the party who came around on a venture to see if he +could head off whoever it was that they were after. He, of course, had +his rifle and could have followed us, and shot or captured us, but there +were five of us and he did not know that we were unarmed, so he began to +call loudly and whistle for the dogs. Had they responded and come with +the other men while we were in sight with the bright moonlight, they +certainly would have caught us. We ran as fast as we could. In the +field we came to a fair-sized stream, rushed into it, waded down it for +awhile, then crossed over, sat down on the bank and rubbed garlic, a +strong wild onion, on our feet to change the scent, changed our course +again and pushed on. We were now out of sight and got away this time, it +being our first night out. + +We had many exciting and varied experiences. We traveled only in the +night and if possible kept in the woods, and went in a northwesterly +course, guided by the north star. If we could not see that star and were +uncertain as to our course I had a pocket compass which I carried +through the war; we would form a ring that the light might not be seen, +strike a light, look at the compass, get our bearings and proceed. + +We kept aloof, if possible, from all human beings, preferring to suffer +material privations to taking chances. Our food was what we might pick +up in the woods, which was very little. We could easily approach a corn +field every night. The corn was ripe, hence hard to eat raw, but much +better than nothing. Before daylight in the morning we would look for a +quiet place in the woods and lie down, but seemingly nearly every +morning before we had slept long something would occur to seriously +disturb us. Some one out shooting or chopping wood, or doing various +other things. One night about midnight we came to the edge of the woods, +and as the woods did not run in the right direction, and there were no +houses in sight and a road which ran in the direction we were going we +decided that we would follow it, being careful to keep on the sides and +not leave any tracks, until we could reach another stretch of woods. We +did so and as we were going quietly along we noticed a light in a house +which, like all the houses in the South, stood well back from the road. +On looking around we found one or two other lights and discovered that +we were in a small town, but apparently half way or more through it, so +went on and got to the woods once more. + +Several days after our escape, early in the morning, as usual, we got a +place in the woods, lay down and after a short sleep were eating our +corn, when one said: "This is pretty tough grub for all the time. We are +in the woods apparently out of sight of every one, we have matches, why +can't we make a hole in the ground, start a little fire, put our corn +around it, over it, all about it, let it toast, roast or burn? It will +be much better than it is now." We did so, and were watching the fire +when we saw a woman with a plain gray cotton dress, hanging from the +shoulders like a night dress, coming toward us. Presuming that she was a +colored woman, we said: "Hastings, go and make friends with that Auntie +or we will be in trouble." He started. As he approached her, he said: +"Good morning, Auntie," then saw that she was white. "I know who you uns +is. They cotched two of you uns here yesterday and took them back to +Columbia," she said. "Yes, my good lady, I am an escaped prisoner of +war," said Hastings. He then went on talking with her to the best of his +ability. They were soon joined by her three daughters, who were about +twelve, fourteen and sixteen years old, and dressed like their mother. +He learned that she was a widow, owned a large plantation, which we were +on, that she and her daughters were out looking about the place and saw +the smoke and were coming to see what it was. We, of course, put out the +fire. She had two sons, young men, who had been in the army since the +beginning of the war. Before the war she was in good financial +condition, had plenty of slaves, but they had run away long before, so +that she and her daughters were left alone, and were obliged to work the +plantation enough to give them something to live on. Hastings asked if +her sons were both living. "Yes, fortunately they are and neither of +them has been wounded," she replied. "Have they ever been made +prisoners?" Hastings inquired. "Yes, they were both captured last +spring," she said. "Where in the North were they confined?" he asked. +She told him. "How were they treated?" "Finely," they said. "Have they +been exchanged?" he questioned. "Yes," was the reply. "I suppose," +continued Hastings, "that after their exchange they were allowed to come +home." "Yes," said the woman, "and I was glad that they were captured +for it was the first time I have seen them since the beginning of the +war. They looked fine and said they were well-treated while prisoners +and had no reason to complain." "My good lady," said Hastings, "I am +very glad to know that they were well-treated and that you had a good +visit with them. We have been prisoners of war from six months to one +and a half years each. We have nothing to say about how your government +has treated us, perhaps it did as well by us as it could. A few days ago +we made our escape when the guards did not see us and they probably do +not know it now. We are making every effort to get home to our mothers, +wives, sisters and daughters. If you will recall how you felt about your +sons you will understand how they feel. I know that you are required to +report to the officer in charge in this locality that you have seen +strangers here, but if you have, as I believe you have, a true mother's +heart and any regard for us, for God's sake don't do it until tomorrow, +for as you can readily see, we must stay here until after dark tonight. +To do otherwise would be the greatest folly; so we are in your hands. If +you wish to send us back to Columbia all that is necessary is to report +us today. We shall be here all day," and so he continued to the best of +his ability, and he was a good pleader. After a little, the youngest +daughter began to rub her eyes and shed tears, and said: "Mister, we +won't tell on you uns, will we mar?" and soon was joined by the other +two, all weeping and saying: "Mister, we won't tell on you uns, will we +mar?" but the good lady said nothing, and the plea continued, helped by +the appeal of the daughters, until the woman said: "Mister, we will not +tell on you uns today." He replied: "My good lady, I am very glad that +you took time to deliberate before you decided what to do, for I feel +assured that you mean and will do just what you say, but if you have no +objections will you and your daughters hold up your right hands." They +did so and he administered to them, I presume, as strong an oath as he +ever did that they would not in any way let it be known that they had +seen us until the next day. He then said: "Am I the first Yankee you +have met?" "Yes, the first," she said. "I am the poorest looking of our +number," said Hastings. "Come and let me introduce you to the others." +He brought them and we were formally introduced and they soon left. We +soon heard some dogs barking. We said: "Hastings, how about that?" He +said: "There are several of them, but I do not think they are on a +trail." But the barking continued until one of our number went up a +tree. After he got well up in the tree he saw in an open field adjoining +the woods, over toward the river, a man with a bunch of dogs. +Apparently he was out to give them exercise, and as they did not get +scent of us or cross our trail they did not trouble us; but the two +incidents gave us plenty of anxiety for that day. After dark we were +moving. + +One night as we were traveling in the woods, Captain Aldrich said to me: +"I have kept a correct diary since we started, giving our names, telling +when and how we got out and each day since, but I have lost it tonight." +I replied: "I am sorry for your loss, but we will not go back to look +for it. It may be found, but if it is we will hope we will be far enough +away so that they will not find us." The diary probably was found and +returned to Columbia, for one morning when they came in to count the +prisoners, the officer in charge said: "Men, I suppose you all know that +five of your number"--giving our names--"got out from here on the +morning of October 3rd. They did nicely for a while, got to such a +place, were discovered and a posse sent after them. They were ordered to +surrender, but did not and all were shot dead." That, of course, was a +warning to all the others not to take similar risks. + +Not long after I reached my home in New York City, one of the +lieutenants of the Eighty-fifth was exchanged. As he was passing through +the city, he thought he would come to the house and see if he could +learn anything about me. He did so, and was much surprised to find me +there, and told me what had been told them about our escape and +execution. + +In the latter part of one night, when we were well up on the Blue Ridge +mountains, we had trouble in making our way in the direction which we +wished to keep, and came to a mountain road which led the right way. We +decided to try it for a while and, as we always did when on or near a +highway, one of us went ahead. This time I was ahead. As I came to a +small gully and was about to step onto the bridge which was across it, I +heard a call from the other side: "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 3," +which gave me a shock. I threw up my hands and hurried back, and +reported what I had heard. We went up into the mountains and looked for +a suitable place to hide. After a reasonable time in the morning, we +said: "Hastings, we are in a tight place. You must go and investigate +for we cannot move from here without some knowledge of our +surroundings." He started, but did not go far before he saw a small +clearing and a shack. He watched it, and saw a colored woman and some +colored children. He watched until he felt sure there was no one else +there, then went toward the house. As he came up the woman, speaking +first, said: "Mister, this a very bad place for you uns; there is a +company of guerrillas here. I am expecting one of them up here for his +washing." Turning to a boy she said: "Tom, you go to that knoll and keep +a sharp watch. If you see anyone coming you tell me quick." Then she +turned to Hastings and was ready to talk with him. He told her who he +was and about us. She gave him something to eat and other food she had +for him to bring to us, and said we were in a tight place, that she was +not well posted, but that her husband was a free man, hence could go +about the country and was pretty well posted, that he would be home by +and by, and she would have him see what he could do for us. She said for +us all to come to the house after dark when her husband would be there +and she would have something more for us to eat. Hastings returned and +reported. We waited until after dark, then went to the house. The +husband was there--quite a bright-looking man. We were fed. He said we +were in a tight place, but that he would take us past the guerrillas and +start us on beyond. We started out, he and I going ahead. Soon we came +to a few houses, went around and past them, went through a gate into a +back yard. Passing through that we went near the back of a large log +stable in which were lights. We could see between the logs. It was full +of horses and men caring for them. Captain Aldrich came up, took hold of +my right arm and said: "Are not those the guerrillas?" I said: "Be +quiet." As he held onto my arm I could feel his heart beat. But our +guide took us through all right to the other side and away from the +guerrillas. We came to a road leading up into the mountains. Our guide +said: "You want to go the way this road runs. You had better stay in the +woods until morning, then go up the mountain the way this road goes. +When you come to four corners, a signboard and a schoolhouse there is +the line between North and South Carolina. Keep straight ahead, but +about two miles beyond the schoolhouse are some soldiers beside the +road. Do not let them see you, but go well around them. They stop +everybody that comes along. Get back to the road and go ahead until you +come to a house and a blacksmith shop. Stop and see that man. He will +take care of you." "Who is he?" we asked. "He is a first-class Union +man," he replied. "I was over there this summer. He is all right." We +thanked him most heartily and he left us and we went into the woods for +the night. The next day we worked our way up the mountain, arriving at +the schoolhouse about dark. It was raining. We decided to go a piece by +the road, so started on. I went ahead. None of us thought about the +guards who were by the side of the road. As I was nearing a narrow pass +I saw a light shining across the road. Like a flash it came to me. I +threw up my hands and hurried back. We went well around them, which was +quite a job in the dark and the rain and the thick brush; but we got +back to the road, kept on until we came to the blacksmith shop. It was +about 10 o'clock and there was no light in the house. We had a talk and +decided that we were in a tight place and that Hastings might go to the +house as a Confederate soldier and see what he could learn. He went and +rapped on the door. A man came to the door. Hastings told him he was a +soldier with a leave of absence who had lost his way and asked if he +could come in for a short time. While talking he asked the man how he +was getting on. He said not at all well. "Why not?" asked Hastings, "you +have a nice place here." "Yes," was the answer, "but they do not treat +me well." "How is that?" Hastings inquired. "Colonel So-and-So was here +the other day," said the man, "and took all of my horses, cattle and +grain he could find." "Did he do the same by your neighbors?" asked +Hastings. "No one else," said the man. "How so?" asked Hastings. "He +said I was too much of a Union man," was the reply. Hastings then said: +"We have talked long enough. I am not a Confederate soldier, but a Union +officer, an escaped prisoner of war." "Why didn't you tell me that +before?" asked the man. "Come, wife, get up and give this poor fellow +something to eat." There was a bed in the room, an open fireplace with a +fire in it. "I am not alone," said Hastings. "I have four comrades +outside." "Outside in this hard rain? Go bring them in, quick," said +the man. When we came in he was pulling a jug out from under the bed. +Pouring something out of it, he said: "You are all wet, cold and hungry; +here is some good apple jack which I made. Drink some of it, it will do +you good. Have any of you got a bottle?" I had a small one which I had +carried through the service, usually having it filled with brandy to use +when some of my men gave out. He filled it. We were fed and he told us +what to do; to go down the road and avoid all the houses which we would +have to pass, some we must go well around, not leaving a track, others +to go right past. At the last house near the bridge there would be a +light, but to go right ahead. A poor man was dying there. When we +crossed the river he told us to turn to the left, go about two miles, +take the first road to the right, go to the first house, which was a +blacksmith shop, and wait until morning. He said we need not be afraid, +as there were no white people there; they had all left. "In the +morning," he said, "when you see the first darkey, whistle and he will +come to you. Tell him who you are and to take care of you through the +day, and at night to take you to the high sheriff." "What do we want of +the sheriff?" we asked. "He is just the man you want," was the reply. +"He will take care of you, and if necessary will ride all day to find +out something for you. He is allowed to be at home because he is a +sheriff, but there isn't a better Union man." We went on, got through to +the other shop all right, were cared for, put into the woods for the +day. At night we started on with two colored men, who would take us to +the sheriff. Neither of the men had been there, but the older one, who +acted as our guide, thought he could find the way. We had not gone far +when he stopped at a servant's house back of a plantation house, saying +he wanted to go in there. He soon returned, saying they wanted us to +come in. We hesitated, and he said it was all right; all were colored +people except one minister and he was all right. We finally went in. The +minister was a young-looking man who was allowed to remain at home +because he was a clergyman. We endeavored to be respectful to him. He +asked us: "What is the news?" Captain Starr replied: "We can't tell you. +I have been a prisoner for a year and a half and we are not allowed to +see the papers. You tell us the news." "I don't read the papers," was +the reply. "I suppose you confine yourself to clerical reading," said +Starr. "No, I never look at it," replied the man. "What do you read?" +asked Starr. "Books," said the minister. The good man evidently did not +know what "clerical" meant; but so far as we knew he was true to us and +did not give us away. + +After our guide had procured some information as to his route, we left. +When outside he said to his comrade: "You go ahead and carefully look +around a certain place two miles ahead; it is a bad place." He did so, +met us and reported. We came to some woods and the guide said: "There is +a path going through these woods leading to the road which goes to the +sheriff. If we can find it, it will save us several miles." They hunted +up and down the edge of the woods until they found the path. We then +went through the woods, struck the road and went on until we came in +sight of the sheriff's house, rather late in the evening. The dogs +around the house were barking. The guide said: "You stop here while I go +call him out and have the dogs taken in." He went forward and called +out. A man appeared on the front porch and asked who was there. "A +friend," was the reply. "Will you take the dogs in so that I can come +in?" The dogs were called in. He went to the porch and soon came for us. + +[Illustration: THE OTHER FIVE ESCAPED OFFICERS] + +We were received most kindly. The sheriff asked many questions and said: +"I will be very glad to care for you as well as I can until I can find a +way for you to go on," but added that it would not be safe for us to +remain at the house; that we should eat then and he would take us to a +place in the woods for the night; that we should come in before daylight +in the morning, eat and return and the same at night. He said: "There is +a terrible state of affairs here so near the border, so much worse than +it is in the North. My neighbors, some of them, are Confederates and +others good Union men. They do not mind going out and shooting each +other. Some of the Union men who do not wish to abandon everything and +go north, but will not enter the Southern army, stay in the woods in the +mountains. Some of them have been there for two years. You see my boy +there," pointing to a boy six or eight years old. "We have endeavored +to bring him up to be a good religious, strictly honest and truthful +boy, yet if anyone should come here tomorrow and ask him if there had +been any strangers here, no matter what they did to him they could not +get a word out of him. Isn't that a terrible way to bring up children?" +We were taken to the woods. After two or three days one afternoon we saw +some men coming toward us through the woods. We supposed they were after +us, but as they came nearer we saw that one of them was the sheriff. He +had five other prisoners who had escaped from Columbia. All officers, of +course. Three of them were from the 101st and 103rd Pennsylvania +regiments, which were in our brigade. So our force was doubled. + +After three or four days the sheriff told us: "I have arranged for you +to go ahead in the morning. A good guide, who has been several times to +the Union lines, will go with you and a few who wish to go north. Which +of you officers is in command?" he asked. "No one," we answered. "Is +that the way you do? What is your military rule when you meet in this +way? Who is in command?" "The ranking officer," we told him. "Who is +your ranking officer?" he inquired. "Captain Langworthy," they replied. +"Then Captain Langworthy is in command," he said, "and all of you, of +course, will obey orders. I sincerely hope you will not have any +trouble, but you all know there is no telling what you may run into and +you cannot be too well prepared. You leave here in the morning, go to +such a place in the mountains, which you will reach about night, where +some other parties will join you." + +We left in the morning. There was the guide and three or four other men +and one colored man. The guide had a rifle, one of the others a +revolver, which was all the arms we had. I went ahead with the guide. We +got on nicely most of the day. Near night, while in the woods walking by +the side of a small stream a volley of rifle shots from the other side +of the stream startled us. We rushed up the mountainside. When a little +way up we looked ourselves over and found we were all there except one +of the refugees. We never knew whether he was shot or went in some other +direction. I looked across the little valley and saw a small village on +the other side and a company of Confederate soldiers marching down the +street with their rifles on their shoulders. By and by the guide said +to me: "You all get behind that large rock. I think there are but two +men near us. Joe and I will get behind this and see if we cannot bluff +them." They got behind the rock, showing their arms, and as the two men +came in sight, halted them. "What do you want?" they asked. "Who are +you?" was the reply. Our guide told them they could never find out, for +if they came any nearer they would be shot dead; that being only two men +it would be worse than foolish to follow us. + +After a little more parleying we started on. It was getting dark and +began to rain hard. We went over a ridge of the mountains, down the +other side and across a small stream, when the guide said to me: "There +is no use in our trying to go ahead now; we cannot see anything to tell +in what direction we are going and are just as apt to go into trouble as +away from it. They will not attempt to follow us tonight; dogs could not +follow our trail through this rain. We had better stay here until we can +see where we go. What do you want me to do?" "Get us out of this muss +and to the Union lines," I replied. "We must have been given away." +"Yes," he said, "we have been given away, but how shall we get out of +this muss?" "By a way they would not expect us to," I said. "They +doubtless know that we have started for the Union lines, hence will have +every pass over the mountains guarded. We want to go where no one would +be expected to go, over the highest, roughest and worst peak of the +Allegheny Mountains." "That is easy," he replied. "That is Mount Pisga. +We can see that when we can see anything." "All right for Pisga then," I +said. + +We remained where we were until it began to grow light, then started for +Pisga, climbing up its side, much of the time over and around rocks, +arriving at the peak a little before night. We went down the other side +a short distance and stopped for the night. Down the mountain we could +see a valley, with houses and clearings, etc. It was still raining as it +had been doing all the day. We ten prisoners were bunched by ourselves +and the others in another group, a little way from us. Before lying down +I went over where the others were. They had gotten some dry pieces of +wood and were whittling as if about to start a fire. "What are you +going to do?" I asked. "We are very wet and cold," they said; "it would +be so nice to have a little fire." "Yes," I said, "but what would it do +to you? You can see those lights down there; they can see one here +better than we can see those in the valley. They know no one lives here. +A light here would bring them to investigate, perhaps before morning, +and they would be sure to get us. Would it pay? Now, you must understand +fully that there shall not be any light made here. The first one who +even strikes a match is a dead man." The guide said: "That's all right, +Captain. You may be sure we will not do anything of the kind. We should +have known better." + +In the morning we went on and got along fairly well up and down the +ridges of the mountains until one afternoon the guide said: "Now we are +all right; while we are not at the Union lines, we are near enough to be +safe. The people here are all right. Down below here are some friends of +mine, a man and his wife, who will help us." We all felt gay and skipped +along much like school boys, arriving at the friend's house about +nightfall. "You wait out here," said the guide, "and I will go in and +tell them who we are." He soon returned and said there was something +wrong, as there was no one in the house, that they had just left, as +supper was on the table and partially eaten. Near the house was a +slashing. We told him to go there and look for his friends, announcing +who he was. He did so and returned with the wife. She said there was a +bad company of guerrillas there who were making much trouble and had +killed several people. We suggested that the guide and the wife try +again to find the husband, which they did and brought him in. He said we +were in a bad fix, but he would try to help us on the next morning. We +were fed and decided to stay outside. We established a guard and lay +down in the yard. In the morning we started out with this gentleman as a +guide, going carefully through the woods. We had not gone very far +before our guide was called by name by someone in the woods who said: +"Where are you going?" "A piece with some friends," he replied. "You are +taking a very great risk," he was told. At one place the guide said: +"See that large plantation over there and those men digging a grave--the +man who lived there was shot by the guerrillas yesterday." + +We kept on till, late in the afternoon, we came to a road. The guide +said: "I will leave you here. You go up this road a little ways and you +will come to a cross road and a store. That is about forty-five miles +from my home. Go straight past the store until you come to the river, +then cross in a row boat. If there is not one there, swing your +handkerchiefs or something and they will come." + +The road was lined on both sides with trees and plenty of brush. The +guide and I went ahead. Someone spoke to us. Looking toward the side of +the road we saw two soldiers sitting on the ground holding their horses. +We supposed they belonged to the guerrillas. Our comrades came up, we +talked a little and went on to the river, where we got a boat. I asked +one of the oarsmen where their ferry boat was. He said: "This is it." "I +mean one that will take a team or horses or cattle," I said. "The only +way they can take horses across is to go in the boat themselves, lead +their horses and let them swim. We used to have such a ferry, but they +took it way," he said. "How far up or down the river is there such a +ferry?" I inquired. "I do not think there is one within twenty-five +miles." That information of course relieved our anxiety somewhat. It was +about the middle of November. I inquired if they had heard from the +election in the North. They said they had and I asked who was elected +president. "Abraham Lincoln," was the reply. We hurrahed, although we +were yet in the Confederacy. + +When we got across it was dark and we were all very tired. Most of our +company stopped at the first houses. I started up the road with my four +comrades. They said: "How far are you going?" "I don't know," I replied. +"We are all very tired, yet I think we do not want to take any chances +which we can avoid. If the two guerrillas with some of their associates +come over to look after us, either with or without their horses, they +will look in the houses. I do not care to be in the first house they +search." "All right," they said, "go ahead." + +After going about a mile we came to a good looking house and decided to +see if we could get something to eat. We rapped at the door and inquired +if we could get something to eat if we would pay for it and were told to +come in. While at the table I asked how far it was to the Union lines. +"Fifteen miles straight up the road which comes from the river," was +the reply. "How will we know when we get there?" I inquired. "Go ahead +until you come to a flour mill with a large water wheel," was the reply. +"That is practically there. The guards are beyond, but so near that no +one will go to the mill who is afraid of the guard. The man who owns the +mill is a bachelor and sleeps there, a good Union man. Call him up, he +will care for you and in the morning will show you the guards." + +We started on. The moon was shining brightly. Soon one or two who were +ahead were rolling a small animal around which was lying in the road and +apparently dead. Captain Aldrich came up and said, "He is not dead. If +you think he is feel of him, it is a possum. We came to him suddenly and +he is playing possum. Go on a little ways and then look at him." We did +so and he soon raised his head, looked around and scooted out of sight. + +As we went on Aldrich lagged behind. We waited for him and I said, +"Aldrich, you are very tired. I know that you are a strict teetotaler, +take a little medicine, some of this apple jack to brace you up." He +said, "No, go ahead, I will keep in sight." We went on slowly, he well +behind. By and by I heard a call, "Cap-t-a-i-n, Capt-a-i-n." We stopped. +He came up and said, "Captain, where is that bottle?" I took it out, +unscrewed the cover and said, "Now drink enough to brace you up. It will +not hurt you if you drink it all." He took some and it helped him and we +got to the flour mill. We were kindly received and in the morning were +shown where the pickets were. + +We went to the pickets and when they were relieved went with them to +their camp at Strawberry Plains in East Tennessee. This was on Sunday. +In the afternoon the rest of our crew came in. After dress parade we ten +were furnished horses and escort and taken to a railroad station, the +Quarter Master giving us transportation. While waiting for the train and +talking with the officers there, we were asked if we had any money. Some +had a little, others none. Those of us who had none were at once given +$50 or $60 each and were told that when we drew our pay we could send +the amounts to the men who had supplied us. + +As we were changing cars one day, passing by a station, I saw a man who +looked familiar. I went to him and asked when he came down from God's +country. He said he had been there some time. "What is your business?" I +asked. "An express agent," he told me. "Oh, yes," I said, "you used to +be in Elmira, New York. That is where I used to see you. Who else is +there down here from Elmira?" I inquired. "I do not know of anyone," he +said, "except Major Diven; he is a paymaster at Louisville." "Where does +he stop?" I asked. "At the Galt House," the man told me. "He has been +recently married and he and his bride are at the Galt House." + +We went on and were told we would arrive at Louisville at one o'clock +the next morning, where we had planned to take a steamer to Cincinnati. +Major Diven was a son of General Diven, who lived in Elmira, New York, +near where my father-in-law lived. The two families were intimate and +when I was married, the Divens, including the Major, were present. + +My comrades asked me where I was going to stop when we got to +Louisville. I said the Galt House. "Aren't you very tony? Do you suppose +they will take us?" they asked. "That is where I am going," I said. + +We arrived on time and went to the hotel, where we registered and were +told they were very sorry but there had not been a vacant room in the +house since eight o'clock the night before; the best they could do would +be to give us cots in the parlor where several others were assigned. We +took the cots and were soon asleep. In the morning, after breakfast, I +went to the office and inquired if Major Diven was around yet and was +told the major and his family had left about a week before and had taken +a house. "Where is his office?" I inquired. They told me and I asked at +what time in the morning he would be in his office. They thought at nine +o'clock. I went to look for my comrades and found them in the waiting +room. "Our boat does not leave until four o'clock this afternoon," I +said. "We have the day to put in here. Come and take a little walk with +me." "Where are you going?" they inquired. "To draw my pay," I told +them. "To draw your pay!" they laughed. "There is a United States +paymaster here," I said. "Why should we not draw our pay?" But, while +they had nothing to do, I could not persuade one to go with me. So I +went away alone and found a colored man sweeping out the office. I +inquired if Major Diven was in and was told that he was not, but would +be soon and would I come in. I picked up the morning paper from the +steps and went in. Soon the Major came. I said, "Major, I am an officer +in the United States service, an escaped prisoner of war; I came to draw +some pay." "What is your name, rank, regiment and where and when were +you captured?" he asked. I told him. He said, "I suppose you know there +is an order forbidding us to pay officers or men if they are away from +their command?" "Yes," I said, "but how about prisoners of war and +especially those who have made their escape? What provision is there for +them?" "There certainly should be some," he replied, "but I must first +talk it over with Colonel ----, my superior. Did you tell me your name +was D. A. Langworthy, Captain of Company 'E', 85th New York?" he asked. +"Yes," I replied. "Did you marry Belle Cooke last year?" he continued. +"Yes," I said. "Why, I was at your wedding!" he exclaimed. "I will +certainly pay you if I have to furnish the money myself, but let me go +first and talk with the Colonel." "One minute first, Major," I said. +"There are nine others with me, we are all alike, two of them are in the +85th and three others in our brigade." He left and soon returned saying +he was told he could give us all one month's pay. I told him that would +do nicely and I would go for the others. "Wait a minute," he said, "so +that I can have your papers ready for you to sign. When were you paid +last?" he inquired. "You will please say nothing about it, for I will +take the liberty of paying you for six months." So my check was for +something over $900.00. + +[Illustration: AS THEY APPEARED AFTER REACHING THE UNION LINES + +(From left to right) + +LIEUT. J. E. TERWILLIGER, 85TH N. Y. CAPT. C. S. ALDRICH, 85TH N. Y. +CAPT. D. A. LANGWORTHY, 85TH N. Y. LIEUT. G. S. HASTINGS, 24TH N. Y. +BATT. CAPT. GEORGE H. STARR, 104TH N. Y.] + +I went for the others, they all got some pay and of course all felt +better. We arrived at Cincinnati at about five o'clock in the morning. I +was somewhat at home there, for in previous years I had been there for +some time each year looking after my father's lumber interests. My chums +were inquiring for the Quarter Master to get their transportation. I +told them I should not trouble about the Quarter Master. "Why not?" they +asked. "His office probably will not be open before nine o'clock," I +said. "If I can get the six o'clock express at the little Miami station +it will make about one day's difference in my getting home and I am +getting in a hurry." "How about your railroad fare?" they inquired. "I +will pay it and take the chance of getting it back," I said. + +I got the train and went the rest of the way alone. When, in the latter +part of March, 1864, I was returned to the front from detail duty in the +North, I left my wife at my home in New York City. While in prison I +learned that she had returned to her father in Elmira, New York. So of +course I made for Elmira. Arrived there in the latter part of the night. +I started to walk to father Cooke's. While I was in prison my wife had +an illness which troubled her head and started her hair coming out. +Hoping to save it, she had it cut short and the night before had put it +up in curl papers. It chanced that she and one of her sisters were +sleeping in a front chamber with the front window open and she was awake +and heard someone coming. She recognized my step and shook her sister, +saying, "Nell, Nell, get out of here quick, the Doctor is coming!" +"There is no Doctor coming for you," said Nell. "I tell you he is. I +know his step. Can't you hear it. There--he has opened the gate!" and +she pushed her sister out of bed and told her to go. + +I rapped on the door, was admitted and embraced by Father Cooke, who +opened the stair door and said, "Belle." "Yes, father, I know who it +is," she replied. "Send him up." When I entered the room she was sitting +up in bed taking the curl papers out of her hair. That was the 20th of +November. I had been six weeks on the trip. + +That day or the next I noticed several wagons going past loaded with +fresh meat, bread, vegetables and other articles of food. I inquired +where all that food was going and was told, "To your old camp." "Have +they got recruits there now?" I asked. "No," was the reply, "Confederate +prisoners." It looked to me as though they were well cared for. + +I certainly was well done up. For the first two weeks I did not do much +but eat and sleep. It seemed as though I would never get filled up and +rested. I would eat breakfast and, before I knew it, be asleep. After I +had been there a week or more, one evening my wife's two sisters, young +ladies, said, "Father, are you going to the hall this evening to hear +the lecture?" "No," he said, "I had not intended to and do not know as I +care to." "It will be a fine lecture," they told him, "Doctor so-and-so +of New York City. We would like to go but have no one to escort us." I +said, "Girls, why don't you invite me?" "We would be delighted to have +you go, but fear you would go to sleep," they said. I promised to try to +keep awake and we went. + +While waiting for the lecture to begin I felt weary, leaned forward, put +my forehead on the back of the seat in front and the next thing I knew +they shook me up and said it was time to go home. + +When I arrived in Elmira I of course reported to Washington that I had +escaped, giving my whereabouts. After two or three weeks I received an +order to proceed to Annapolis, Maryland, where the exchanged prisoners +were received and cared for. After being there a few days I received an +order to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Will W. Clark of the 85th New +York, at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, who was there with a few of the +85th who were not at Plymouth at the time of the capture. + +On arriving there on December 23rd, I found awaiting me Special Order +Number 439 by which I was mustered out and discharged by reason of the +expiration of my time of service; but which I suppose meant that I did +not have any command. I then returned to my home in New York City and +the war fortunately was soon over. + +So far as I know Captain George H. Starr of Yonkers, New York, and +myself are the only persons living of the ten who reached home together. + +After arriving at our homes, and after the war had ended we all +contributed to a financial remembrance to the "high sheriff" and +endeavored to express to him our very great obligation for his +remarkable kindness and efficient help to us when we were all in such a +critical plight, near the boundary which divided the north from the +south during our flight for freedom. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF A PRISONER OF WAR +AND HIS ESCAPE*** + + +******* This file should be named 44702.txt or 44702.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/7/0/44702 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions 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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