with lee in virginia-第29章

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commencement　of　the　war　chosen　by　their　comrades；　the　elections

at　first　taking　place　once　a　year。　　This；　how…ever；　was　found　to　act

very　badly。　　In　some　cases　the　best　men　in　the　regiment　were

chosen；　but　too　often　men　who　had　the　command　of　money；　and

could　afford　to　stand　treat　and　get　in　supplies　of　food　and　spirits；

were　elected。　The　evils　of　the　system　were　found　so　great；　indeed；

that　it　was　gradually　abandoned；　but　in　cases　of　vacancies

occurring　in　the　field；　and　there　being　a　necessity　for　at　once

filling　them　up；　the　colonels　of　the　regiments　had　power　to　make

appointments；　and　if　the　choice　of　the　men　was　considered　to　be

satisfactory　their　nominee　would　be　generally　chosen。



In　the　case　of　Jackson；　the　colonel　had　hesitated　in　confirming　the

choice　of　the　men。　　He　did　not　for　a　moment　suspect　him　to　be

wanting　in　courage；　but　he　regarded　him　as　one　who　shirked　his

work；　and　who　won　the　votes　of　the　men　rather　by　a　fluent　tongue

and　by　the　violence　of　his　expressions　of　hatred　against　the　North

than　by　any　soldierly　qualities。



Some　of　the　officers　had　been　months　in　prison；　and　they　were

highly　indignant　at　the　delays　that　had　occurred　in　effecting　their

exchange。　　The　South；　indeed；　would　have　been　only　too　glad　to

get　rid　of　some　of　their　numerous　prisoners；　who　were　simply　an

expense　and　trouble　to　them；　and　to　get　their　own　men　back　into

their　ranks。　They　could　ill　spare　the　soldiers　required　to　guard　so

large　a　number　of　prisoners；　and　a　supply　of　food　was　in　itself　a

serious　matter。



Thus　it　was　that　at　Harper's　Ferry　and　upon　a　good　many　other

occasions　they　released　vast　numbers　of　prisoners　on　their　simple

paroles　not　to　serve　again。　　The　North；　however；　were　in　no　hurry

to　make　exchange；　and　moreover；　their　hands　were　so　full　with

their　enormous　preparations　that　they　put　aside　all　matters　which

had　not　the　claim　of　urgency。



CHAPTER　X。　THE　ESCAPE。



THE　DISCIPLINE　in　the　prison　at　Elmira　was　not　rigorous。　　The

prisoners　had　to　clean　up　the　cells；　halls；　and　yard；　but　the　rest　of

their　time　they　could　spend　as　they　liked。　　Some　of　those　whose

friends　had　money　were　able　to　live　in　comparative　luxury；　and　to

assist　those　who　had　no　such　resources；　for　throughout　the　war

there　was　never　any　great　difficulty　in　passing　letters　to　and　from

the　South。　　The　line　of　frontier　was　enormous；　and　it　was　only　at

certain　points　that　hostilities；　were　actively　carried　on；

consequently　letters　and　newspapers　were　freely　passed；　and

money　could　be　sent　in　the　same　way　from　one　part　of　the　country

to　another。



At　certain　hours　of　the　day　hawkers　and　vendors　of　such　articles　as

were　in　most　demand　by　the　prisoners　were　allowed　to　enter　the

yard　and　to　sell　their　wares　to　the　Confederates。　　Spirits　were　not

allowed　to　be　carried　in；　but　tobacco　and　all　kinds　of　food　were

permitted　to　pass。　Vincent　had　at　Alexandria　written　a　letter　to　his

mother；　and　had　given　it　to　a　man　who　represented　that　he　made　it

his　business　to　forward　letters　to　an　agent　at　Richmond；　being　paid

for　each　letter　the　sum　of　a　dollar　on　its　delivery。　Vincent　therefore

felt　confident　that　the　anxiety　that　would　be　felt　at　home　when

they　learned　that　he　was　among　the　missing　at　the　battle　of

Antietam　would　be　relieved。



He　was　fairly　supplied　with　money。　　He　had；　indeed；　had　several

hundred　dollars　with　him　at　the　time　he　was　captured；　but　these

were　entirely　in　Confederate　notes；　for　which　he　got　but　half　their

value　in　Northern　paper　at　Alexandria。　　He　himself　found　the

rations　supplied　in　the　prison　ample；　and　was　able　to　aid　any　of　his

fellow…prisoners　in　purchasing　clothes　to　replace　the　rags　they

wore　when　captured。



One　day　Vincent　strolled　down　as　usual　toward　the　gate；　where；

under　the　eye　of　the　guard；　a　row　of　men　and　women；　principally

negroes　and　negresses；　were　sitting　on　the　ground　with　their

baskets　in　front　of　them　containing　tobacco；　pipes；　fruit；　cakes；

needles　and　thread；　buttons；　and　a　variety　of　other　articles　in

demand；　while　a　number　of　prisoners　were　bargaining　and　joking

with　them。　　Presently　his　eye　fell　upon　a　negro　before　whom　was　a

great　pile　of　watermelons。　　He　started　as　he　did　so；　for　he　at　once

recognized　the　well…known　face　of　Dan。　　As　soon　as　the　negro　saw

that　his　master's　eye　had　fallen　upon　him　he　began　loudly　praising

the　quality　of　his　fruit。



〃Here；　massa　officer；　here　berry　fine　melyons；　ripe　and　sweet；　no

green　trash；　dis　un　good　right　through。　　Five　cents　each；　sah。　　Berry

cheap　dese。〃



〃I　expect　they　cost　you　nothing；　Sambo；〃　one　of　the　Confederate

soldiers　said　as　he　bought　a　melon。　　〃Got　a　neighbor's　patch　handy；

eh？〃



Dan　grinned　at　the　joke；　and　then　selecting　another　from　the

bottom　of　his　pile　in　the　basket；　offered　it　to　Vincent。



〃Dis　fine　fruit；　sah。　　Me　sure　you　please　with　him！〃



Vincent　took　the　melon　and　banded　Dan　five　cents。　　A　momentary

glance　was　exchanged；　and　then　he　walked　away　and　sat　down　in　a

quiet　corner　of　the　yard　and　cut　open　the　melon。　　As　he　expected；

he　found　a　note　rolled　up　in　the　center。　　A　small　piece　of　the　rind

had　been　cut　out　and　the　pulp　removed　for　its　reception。　　The　bit　of

rind　had　then　been　carefully　replaced　so　that　the　out　would　not　be

noticed　without　close　inspection。　　It　was　from　one　of　his

fellow…officers；　and　was　dated　the　day　after　his　capture。　　He　read

as　follows：



〃My　DEAR　WINGFIELD。…We　are　all　delighted　this　afternoon　to

hear　that　instead；　as　we　had　believed；　of　your　being　knocked　on　the

head　you　are　a　prisoner　among　the　Yanks。　　Several　of　us　noticed

you　fall　just　as　we　halted　at　the　river；　and　we　all　thought　that　from

the　way　in　which　you　fell　you　had　been　shot　through　the　head　or

heart。　However；　there　was　no　time　to　inquire　in　that　terrific　storm

of　shot　and　shell。　　In　the　morning　when　the　burying　parties　went

down　we　could　find　no　signs　of　you；　although　we　knew　almost　to　a

foot　where　you　had　fallen。



〃We　could　only　conclude　at　last　that　you　had　been　carried　off　in

the　night　by　the　Yanks；　and　as　they　would　hardly　take　the　trouble

of　carrying　off　a　dead　body；　it　occurred　to　us　that　you　might　after

all　be　alive。　　So　the　colonel　went　to　Lee；　who　at　once　sent　a

trumpeter　with　a　flag　down　to　the　river　to　inquire；　and　we　were　all

mightily　pleased；　as　you　may　imagine；　when　he　came　back　with

the　news　that　you　were　not　only　a　prisoner；　but　unwounded；　having

been　only　stunned　in　some　way。　　From　the　way　you　fell　we

suppose　a　round　shot　must　have　grazed　your　head；　at　least　that　is

the　only　way　we　can　account　for　it。



〃Your　horse　came　back　unhurt　to　the　troop；　and　will　be　well　cared

for　until　you　rejoin　us；　which　we　hope　will　not　be　long。　　Your　boy

kept　the　camp　awake　last　night　with　his　howlings；　and　is　at　present

almost　out　of　his　mind　with　delight。　　He　tells　me　he　has　made　up

his　mind　to　slip　across　the　lines　and　make　his　way　as　a　runaway　to

Alexandria；　where　you　will；　of　course；　be　taken　in　the　first　place。　

He　says　he's　got　some　money　of　yours；　but　I　have　insisted　on　his

taking　another　fifty　dollars；　which　you　can　repay　me　when　we　next

meet。　　As　he　will　not　have　to　ask　for　work；　he　may　escape　the

usual　lot　of　runaways；　who　are　generally　pounced　upon　and　set　to

work　on　the　fortifications　of　Alexandria　and　Washington。



〃He　intends　to　find　out　what　prison　you　are　taken　to；　and　to　follow

you；　with　some　vague　idea　of　being　able　to　aid　you　to　escape。　　As

he　cannot　write；　he　has　asked　me　to　write　this　letter　to　you；　telling

you　what　his　idea　is。　He　will　give　it　to　you　when　he　finds　an

opportunity；　and　he　wishes　you　to　give　him　an　answer；　making　any

suggestion　that　may　occur　to　you　as　to　the　best　way　of　his　setting

about　it。　　He　says　that　he　shall　make　acquaintances　among　the

negroes　North；　and　will　find　some　one　who　will　read　your　note　to

him　and　write　you　an　answer。　　I　have　told　him　that　if　he　is　caught

at　the　game　he　is　likely　to　be　inside　a　prison　a　bit　longer　than　you

are；　even　if　worse　doesn't　befall　him。　　However；　he　makes　light　of

this；　and　is　bent　upon　carrying　out　his　plans；　and　I　can　only　hope

he　will　succeed。



〃I　have　just　heard　that　we　shall　fall　back　across　the　Rappahannock

to…morrow；　and　I　imagine　there　will　not　be　much　hard　fighting

again　until　spring；　long　before　which　I　hope　you　will　be　in　your

place　among　us　again。　　We　lost　twenty…three　men　and　two　officers

（Ketler　and　Sumner）　yesterday。　　Good…by；　old　fellow！　I　need　not

say　keep　up　your　spirits；　for　that　you　are　pretty　sure　to　do。



〃Yours　truly；



〃JAMES　SINCLAIR。〃



After　the　first　start　at　seeing　Dan；　Vincent　was　scarcely　surprised；

for　he　had　often　thought　over　what　the　boy　would　do；　and　had

fancied　that　while；　if　he　supposed　him　dead；　he　would　go　straight

back　to　the　Orangery；　it　was　quite　possible　that；　should　he　hear　that

he　was　a　prisoner；　Dan　might　take　it　into　his　head　to　endeavor　to

join　him。　As　to　his　making　his　escape；　that　did　not　appear　to　be　a

very　difficult　undertaking　now　that　he　had　a　friend　outside。　　The

watch　kept　up　was　not　a　very　vigilant　one；　for　such　numbers　of

prisoners　were　taken　on　both　sides　that　they　were　not　regarded　as

of　very　great　importance；　and；　indeed；　the　difficulty　lay　rather　in

making　across　the　country　to　the　Southern　border　than　in　escaping

from　prison；　for　with　a　friend　outside；　with　a　disguise　in　readiness；

that　matter　was　comparatively　easy。　　All　that　was　required　for　the

adventure　was　a　long　rope；　a　sharp　file；　and　a　dark　night。



The　chief　difficulty　that　occurred　to　Vincent　arose　from　the　fact

that　there　were　some　twenty　other　prisoners　in　the　same　ward。　　He

could　hardly　file　through　the　bars　of　the　window　unnoticed　by

them；　and　they　would　naturally　wish　to　share　in　his　flight；　but

where　one　person　might　succeed　in　evading　the　vigilance　of　the

guard；　it　was　unlikely　in　the　extreme　that　twenty　would　do　so；　and

the　alarm　once　given　all　would　be　recaptured。　　He　was　spared　the

trouble　of　making　up　his　mind　as　to　his　plans；　for　by　the　time　he

had　finished　his　letter　the　hour　that　the　hucksters　were　allowed　to

sell　their　goods　was　passed；　and　the　gates　were　shut　and　all　was

quiet。



After　some　thought　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　only　plan

would　be　to　conceal　himself　somewhere　in　the　prison　just　before

the　hour　at　which　they　were　locked　up　in　their　wards。　　The　alarm

would　be　given；　for　the　list　of　names　was　called　over　before

lock…up；　and　a　search　would　of　course　be　made。　　Still；　if　lie　could

find　a　good　place　for　concealment；　it　might　succeed；　since　the

search　after　dark　would　not　be　so　close　and　minute　as　that　which

would　he　made　next　morning。　　The　only　disadvantage　would　be

that　the　sentries　would　be　especially　on　the　alert；　as；　unless　the

fugitive　had　succeeded　in　some　way　in　passing　out　of　the　gates　in

disguise；　he　must　still　be　within　the　walls；　and　might　attempt　to

scale　them　throug