Surrounded by rebel forces--Undiscovered--Skirmishing for
food--Sambo--Sambo's schemes--Sambo brings succor--At
headquarters--Sambo's reward.
The seventeenth came and found us alone and hungry. The brush piles
were secure and we spent another quiet day. When night came we could
see the city of Columbia burning and we felt that our forces had been
victorious. But we were hungry and something had to be done. It was
finally decided that Lieutenant Morgan should cross the main road
and the railroad, go to the house on the plantation where we had
previously been, and seek aid of the negroes there; at the same time
Captain Underdown should take a westerly course to a place where we had
heard dogs barking and roosters crowing. They both started on their
missions. When Morgan got to the road the first thing that caught his
eye was the vanguard of the rebel army standing still, but fortunately
he escaped discovery and hid where he could hear some rebel officers
talking. He gathered from their conversation that they expected to
have a big battle at Winsboro, about fifteen miles north of us, but
the orders were to camp where they were for the night. Morgan then
hustled himself back with the report of his discovery. The rebel army
then began to move around on the little flat that lay between us and
the road, not over a hundred and twenty-five yards from us, and prepare
for camp. In a very short time the little flat along the sides of that
little creek was ablaze with fires of an army cooking their hoecakes,
while the mules brayed and the drums sounded the tattoo of the
drummers. We were in close quarters, but as long as they did not come
any closer we were safe.
Now we will follow Captain Underdown: He was an East Tennessean, the
oldest of our party, dressed in butternut and thoroughly at home with
the Southern dialect. On arriving at the plantation (Gwyn's) he found
a man standing by the roadside holding some saddled horses. After
watching him for a few moments and being convinced that he was a negro,
he approached him. He told him who he was and what he wanted, which was
something for five men to eat. The negro at once fell in with the idea,
and told him as soon as he could dispose of the horses he would see to
obeying the order and request.
In a few moments a man came out of the house with a lantern, which he
gave to the negro and ordered him to put the horses, which belonged
to some rebel officers, in the barn. The horses were taken care of as
ordered, after which the negro took the lantern back to the main house,
then went to his own hut, where he stated the case to his "old woman."
He then returned to Underdown with the information that there were five
rebel soldiers at his house and three rebel officers at the master's.
The wife would bake us something as soon as she could, but would have
to supply the rebel soldiers first, for as soon as she got a hoecake
baked a soldier would take it and put it in his haversack. The rebel
soldiers were finally satisfied and took their departure.
The old lady then baked some hoecake and yams and fried some bacon for
us. Sambo fetched it out, gave it to Underdown and told him to come
back the next night, when he would get something better, as they would
cook some chickens for us during the day. Captain Underdown returned
to us with the warm "snack," which relieved us very materially from
our two days' fasting. We remained outside, watching, the remainder of
the night, while the rebel army slept. As soon as daylight appeared we
crawled into our hiding places, leaving the field to the enemy, who
soon packed up and started off. All day the road was full of marching
soldiers, and when night came the banks of the little stream were again
occupied with the camp fires of the rebel army.
As soon as it grew dark both Underdown and Morgan went after the
promised chicken from Sambo, but there was no Sambo there. His wife
came out, however, filled the baskets and delivered them over, saying
that if God spared her another day she would cook more and for them to
come again; but her heart was full of grief for she said they had taken
her Sambo and all the rest of the boys up to Winsboro to work on the
fortifications, and that she never expected to see her Sambo again.
Underdown and Morgan returned safely to us after passing a number of
rebs in the old road; their baskets were full, so after eating a
good hearty meal of chicken and other delicacies prepared by the good
old darky woman, we promoted Captain Underdown to brevet colonel and
quartermaster.
The next morning the rebel army continued to pass along the road and
kept it up during the day. We could plainly hear the tramp and talk of
the passing column, but kept ourselves carefully concealed. When night
came the campers were few in number, and we started our foraging party
out again. When they arrived at Master Gwyn's they found that old Sambo
had returned. He said that they took him with the rest to Winsboro to
work on the fortifications, and, while they were detained in an old
warehouse over night, he managed to crawl up through the chimney, out
on the roof, then down to another roof, and finally to the ground,
after which he took the long walk home and "was mighty tired." Master
Gwyn told him he was very glad to see him back, as he needed him, that
he had always been a faithful servant and he wanted to keep him as long
as he lived.
I will try to give the rest of Sambo's story in his own language. He
said:
"Massa telled me dat de Yankee awmy would soon be heah and dat I must
take de boys dat am left down in de field and dig some holes in de
groun', and dat we mus' bury all de hams and de bacon and de flowah and
de groceries and covah dem ovah wid de dirt fust, den wid old dirty
straw, den when dey got heah I mus' take de mules and de boys down in
de old sage field, wheah de brush is mighty thick down dare. Now, I
tells ye, gemmen, when Captain Sherman gets here dese yer niggahs and
his boys and dem mules will come out of dem brush; and next dem hams
and dat bacon and dat flowah will come out of dat groun' and I tell ye,
gemmen, dere will be a great resurwection heah on dat day, ho! ho! ho!
ho! haw! haw! haw! haw!" and the poor old slave laughed until the tears
streamed down his black cheeks at the thought of this wonderful scheme
to outwit his master.
They then gave Sambo a few instructions which were to the effect that,
as soon as our army arrived and he could see the Stars and Stripes, he
must fetch some of the Union soldiers over to where we were; that he
would find us secreted near the middle of the slashing, under the big
piles of brush. They then bade Sambo good-night and returned to us. It
was now the evening of the twentieth. We could see Sherman's campfires
and hear the beat of the drums for retreat, as well as the taps.
The rebs were few in number, but on the alert. Morning came and found
us still under the brush piles, but everything outside was amazingly
quiet; after an hour or so we could hear a heavy rumbling noise in the
air, which became more and more distinguishable, until finally we could
hear the talking of a moving army. Morgan crawled close to me, put his
mouth to my ear and said:
"Prutsman, we are inside of the Union lines, you can't fool me on that
dialect." After listening another moment he said: "I am going out there
to see."
My reply was:
"I object; if you cross that flat and it is not our army we will all be
sold within two miles of the Stars and Stripes."
He left me to consult with Captain Underdown, saying that if he agreed,
he should go. He came back, however, admitting that Underdown had
protested, saying he must keep quiet and wait for Sambo to come and
deliver us to our friends. In a few minutes more we heard mounted
men near us, urging their horses over limb and bush and finally came
to a halt. Then a voice could be heard in a sort of a prolonged:
"O-o-o-o-o-o-o! O-ho-o-o-o-o-o!"
Then one of the mounted men said:
"Halloo again, they will hear you next time."
Then the voice again resounded, this time as follows:
"O-ho-o-o-o! you five men dat am hid in dat ar brush dare. Why don't
you come out? Here am friends; dey have come to protect you."
That voice was familiar, and with a great sigh of relief we came out.
There was Sambo with a broad grin on his phiz, and, with him were
four of our own men, all mounted on mules. Well, no words of mine can
describe the emotion that was exhibited at this sight. We were too
overjoyed to express our feelings in words just then. Near by was a
squad of Sherman's bummers in command of a lieutenant, whose name I
cannot now recall. We gave him our names, rank and regiments, then all
went back to Master Gwyn's plantation, where we found a span of mules
hitched to a light carry-all. Sambo did not forget the "resurrection,"
so, after dividing the groceries, hams and flour with Master Gwyn,
he packed a good share in the wagon with his family and drove off. We
all went to the railroad, where the bluecoats were engaged in tearing
up the track, heating the rails and twisting them into knots. We went
directly to the headquarters of the Thirty-second Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry, in command of Colonel De Grotte, with whom both Lieutenant
Morgan and Captain Ewen were acquainted, and, under the grand old flag
of that regiment, we were again breathing the free air of heaven, on
soil protected by the Stars and Stripes, and after an imprisonment of
sixteen months in the bastiles of a traitorous and revengeful enemy.
What a change! We could scarcely realize it. I looked at Old Glory,
as she swung to the breeze, and I remembered our feeble attempt to
celebrate the Fourth of July on that fateful day when we were charged
by the rebel guard and told that we would all be blown to kingdom come
if we did not desist at once. How grand that little flag looked then!
Now, I could gaze upon the banner of the free, as she waved in the
breeze, knowing that this time its full meaning was a reality. Tears
ran down my emaciated cheeks, my tongue was paralyzed and my poor weak
limbs could scarcely support my body. My mind, so long inured to the
hardships of confinement, seemed to be giving away and to be scarcely
strong enough to endure the realization of such a sudden and happy
change. But, God be praised! we were no longer under the surveillance
of those who were trying to destroy the significance of Old Glory, and
we felt that time and good food would soon restore us to our normal
condition.
While we were still at Colonel De Grotte's headquarters an orderly
rode up, presented the colonel with an invitation to Colonel Tilton,
commanding First Brigade, First Division, of the 17th Army Corps,
inviting himself, his staff, and the escaped prisoners to visit his
headquarters. The invitation was at once accepted and we went over,
followed by many soldiers and contrabands. After being presented to
Colonel Tilton, who received us with great cordiality, and giving our
experience very briefly we were again invited to visit the division
headquarters, in command of Brigadier General Morrow. Here we were
presented to the general and his staff and here we related our
experience in the brush piles, and how we were fed by the negroes
there and afterwards relieved by Sambo. General Morrow then wanted to
know what had become of Sambo and his family. On being informed that
they were at Colonel De Grotte's headquarters he at once dispatched an
orderly for them (Sambo and family) to come to him. In a few moments
Sambo drove up, when the following dialogue took place:
Gen. Morrow--"What is your name?"
Sambo--"Sambo-Sambo Gwyn, sah."
Gen. Morrow--"Did you feed and care for these escaped prisoners?"
Sambo--"Yes, sah, I did, sah, de best I could, sah."
Gen. Morrow--"Where are you going now?"
Sambo--"I am going to follow dat ar flag (pointing to the Stars and
Stripes) till I get out ob dis rebel country, sah."
Gen. Morrow--"How are you and your family going to live?"
Sambo--"I have got something in dat ar wagon what we raised ourselves,
sah."
General Morrow then sent for his quartermaster and told him to give
Sambo a position in his headquarters' train; he then turned to Sambo,
instructed him to follow that train and, if he needed any assistance,
to at once report to the quartermaster. Sambo raised his hat, thanked
him very politely and departed on his mission, a proud and happy man.