ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE DISCOVERED--A BOLD PLOT--LACK OF SAND IN THE REB
DESERTERS--A BRAVE NEGRO--THE FLOGGING.
Being satisfied that I could remove the flooring at any time within a few
minutes, I told my fellow prisoners what I had said, and what I had seen
done, and that when everything had become quiet, I would guarantee to get
them out with ten minutes work. Some of the rebs were not satisfied, and
insisted upon loosening the floor again at once, and despite all I could
do, they persisted in doing so. The third night after was settled upon as
the one to leave, as it promised to be dark and rainy, but just before
night, the Sergeant took it into his head to try the floor, and procuring
a long pole he went into the room below and punched at the loose boards,
which immediately yielded, and then he brought in another carpenter, and
personally superintended stopping up the aperture, which was done by
spiking pieces of joist, against the floor joists, completely closing it
up.
As I said, we had cut a hole through the partition, so that we could
communicate with our neighbors in the next room. We made up a plot with
them to seize the Sergeant when he came in at night to empty their slop
pail, lock him in the room, take the keys and unlock our door, and we
would all leave at once. We had bribed one of the guard to let us disarm
him, and then we would be free to go out. When we got outside we would
encounter another guard, but with one gun we could easily overpower and
disarm him, and then trust to the two guns and our agility to gain the
woods, which were close by.
It was all arranged that the large, powerful negro should seize the
Sergeant from behind and hold him, while his companions secured his pistol
and the keys. That night when the Sergeant came up, he brought one armed
guard to the head of the stairs, and proceeded to unlock the door. As he
entered, the negro, who stood behind the door, caught him from behind,
securely pinioning his arms, and the keys and revolver were taken from him
and all passed out except the negro, who was holding the Sergeant as
securely as though he was in a vice.
When they had all got out the Sergeant was pushed into the cell and the
door locked. The guard at the head of the stairs shouted, loud enough for
the Sergeant to hear him: "Go back, or I'll shoot! go back!" all the time
expecting they would rush up and disarm him; but the cowards, fearing he
was in earnest, fell back and unlocked the door, released the Sergeant,
and gave him back his pistol without unlocking the door to our room.
Not knowing that the prisoners in our room were in the plot, the Sergeant
paid no attention to us, but calling the officer of the guard, told him
what had occurred.
They took the negro out into the hall, and bringing up a plank, proceeded
to lash him securely to it, with his face down, after having stripped him.
They then took a strap something like a tug to a single harness, and gave
him one hundred lashes with it upon his bare back, the blood flowing at
every blow.
We had cut slits in the door, and through them watched this brutal
transaction. I watched the operation of binding him with some curiosity
and a good deal of indignation, and was astonished to find such brutality
among those who professed civilization. Unaccustomed to such scenes, I
must say it was the most sickening transaction I ever witnessed.
The shrieks and groans of this poor fellow, was enough to send a chill of
horror through the most hardened. He begged for mercy in the most piteous
terms, and as the cruel strap laid open the quivering flesh, and the blood
trickled down his body, I shouted indignantly to his inhuman persecutors,
that the poor fellow was not to blame, half as much as the white men; that
he was only carrying out the instructions of the cowardly whites, who had
basely deserted him after promising to stand by him. I told them that the
poor ignorant black's only fault had been, his confidence in the courage
of his white associates, to as faithfully carry out their part of the
programme, as he had carried out his.
That if any one should be punished it should be those whose lack of _sand_
had got this poor fellow into a scrape and then like cowards basely
deserted him. Finding that the infuriated monsters were bound to vent
their spite upon this poor fellow, I turned away, and by holding my hands
to my ears tried to shut out the sound of his pitiful cries for mercy.
While reason remains to me I can never forget the scenes of that terrible
night.
And to those inhuman monsters it seemed a pleasant pastime--such is the
brutalizing effect of the system of human slavery. Once in a life-time is
enough to witness such a revolting scene as this; I have witnessed one
such, and I trust in God it may never be my misfortune to be obliged to
witness another.
After this exhibition of fiendish cruelty, I am ready to believe that the
system of human slavery was capable of developing total depravity into the
hearts of slave holders. What man in the North could look on complacently
and see such a cruel punishment inflicted? And yet the Southern whites
seemed to look upon this brutality as a matter of course, and even before
the preparations were made for the flogging, knew what would be the
punishment inflicted upon the poor black, for his unsuccessful attempt to
liberate his white skinned, and white livered comrades; and while they
seemed to feel a sort of sympathy for their black skinned, but brave
hearted comrade, they offered no remonstrance to his cruel tormentors, nor
made a plea for mercy in his behalf.
When they seemed to become exhausted with their violent exercise, in
swinging that cruel strap, they began to question the poor, fainting negro
thus:
"What did you do it for, anyhow?"
"Oh, massa, dem white men dey told me to," moaned the poor fellow.
"Will you ever mind them fellows again?"
"No, massa; if you only let me go this time I'll never pay mo' 'tention to
dem white trash dan I would to a fly," he said in a pleading voice.
He was not put back into the jail again, and what became of him we never
learned. Our plan for escape had been well matured, and had it succeeded,
as it would have done but for the weakening of the rebel deserters, there
is scarcely a doubt but that we would have safely reached our lines, as
these deserters were thoroughly acquainted with the country around
Ashville and knew every turpentine path through the pine forests, and all
of the mountain passes, as well as an old resident of Oswego knows the
streets of the city.
Our plan was, to disarm the guard at the door, and then rush for the stack
of arms belonging to the relief, who were not then on duty, and then fight
our way through to Tennessee, where the loyal inhabitants of that state
would join us in resisting recapture by the Confederates.
It was well understood by all, that once in Tennessee we were safe from
molestation. This had been our objective point upon our escape from
Columbia; and when we were unfortunately recaptured by Dick Hancock and
Tom Hubbard, we were just intending, after getting something to eat at Mr.
Harshaw's, to at once go into the woods, and not leave them again until we
had gained the river, which was only about two miles ahead.
Once at the river we were to search for a boat of some kind with which to
cross it, and failing to find one, to build a raft that would float us
over to the Tennessee shore. But it was destined otherwise. We learned
after our recapture, that the officer we had seen sitting upon the stoop
of a store at Fort Emory, was a paroled prisoner of war who was suffering
from a wound, and by having been a prisoner at the North, recognized us as
Yankees, and informed Dick Hancock and Tom Hubbard, who thereupon mounted
and followed us up.
They had about given up overhauling us when they arrived at Mr. Harshaw's,
and said that if they had not found us there or learned by him that we
were near by, that they would not have followed us any further, as it was
then almost dark and they had already followed us ten miles. They said
that until they found that authorization paper upon me they did not
believe that we were Yankees, but supposed we were deserters from the
Confederate army, who were trying to make our escape into the Tennessee
border.