About eight or nine o’clock in the evening of Jan. 22, 1864, our light
was extinguished, and Herrick and I each put on a haversack, well
filled, and bade farewell to Hudson, who was yet sick. Now came the
critical moment, as the guard line must be passed without being
detected. Near our tent was a depression in the ground, crossing the
guard line. We selected this place through which to make our escape.
The forward movement was now about to begin. We left the tent, and
crawled down through the depression across the line without being
discovered by the guards. It seems that good luck favored us, as the
guards were passed without being disturbed. We walked quietly down the
gully which farther on merged into quite a ravine. This was followed
on down by us as hastily as we could, a distance of eighty or one
hundred rods in a southerly direction, where a high rail fence was
reached. Here a brief rest was enjoyed, as we were nearly exhausted.
Our being weakened by sickness, and the excitement of passing the
guards had some effect upon us, and we were in a very poor condition
for the perilous journey. I put my arms over the top rail of the fence
and hung on it, to support myself and rest. This attempt of making our
escape was, as we discussed later on, a foolish undertaking when in
such a debilitated condition, as we were to start out through an
enemy’s country in the winter season. But the love of liberty was
strong within us, and we thought it better to perish in trying to
escape than to die in the filthy prison pens.
The evening of Jan. 22, 1864, I shall never forget. To our best
knowledge in regard to the location of things we were now over one
hundred miles from any Union troops. This distance was through an
enemy’s country, full of rivers and small streams which we were
obliged to cross, as well as hills, mountains and many other obstacles
which must be encountered and overcome. This had to be accomplished
mostly at night, for fear of being seen and recaptured by the
Confederates. After being rested somewhat, we left the fence and
started in a westerly direction, finally turning to the northwest, in
which direction the Union lines were located.
We journeyed on slowly during a part of the first night, through the
woods and brush, over rocks and ravines, crossing small streams of
water by placing sticks across to walk upon, making slow progress
until two or three o’clock in the morning. We then began looking about
for a place to conceal ourselves during the following day, and also to
rest and sleep. While passing through a grove we came upon a large
white oak tree, which had been cut down during the summer or fall
while the leaves were on its branches, and on that account the leaves
were still remaining. This made a good comfortable hiding place for us
during the following day, as the leaves were very dense. We concluded
this would be as good a place as could probably be found, to conceal
ourselves. By crawling under the tree and gathering some leaves a bed
was prepared, placing them under us, and Herrick spread his blanket
out upon the leaves. We took off our haversacks, which contained our
supply of provisions for several days, and lay down upon our bed,
using my blanket for a covering. After lying down we found ourselves
extremely tired from our night’s journey of eight or ten miles. I
remember being very uncomfortable after retiring, as it was a cold
night and we were chilly. After becoming a little more comfortable we
fell into a sound slumber. On awakening the next day hunger appeared,
and we began partaking of the contents of our haversacks. After eating
our breakfast we felt much revived from our fatigue, and contented
ourselves during the day by talking over the prospects ahead of us and
also the dangers that were awaiting us by being overtaken by the
prison guards, as we were now only about eight or ten miles from
prison.
As near as could be ascertained we were now in the vicinity of the
line between North Carolina and Virginia, probably in North Carolina,
as Danville prison was about on the line. I knew that we were at least
as far south. Another fear now came over us, that the Confederates
would put some of their bloodhounds on our trail; so we remained in
the tree top the greater part of the day, and about sunset rolled up
our blankets and prepared to move.
We ate our suppers and began to look about to see what was ahead of
us, and as soon as it was thought safe resumed our journey for the
night; this being the evening of Jan. 23. As soon as the stars could
be distinguished we looked them over and by them were guided. Our aim
was to go in a northwesterly direction, but when the Dan River was
reached were obliged to go directly west, and in this direction we
journeyed until sometime during the night when a cedar thicket was
passed on the south bank of the river. The Dan River was found to be
quite a wide stream, and the problem now was how to cross it. We
followed along the bank of the stream during the night until we were
very tired, failing to find a way to cross it, and then looked about
for a hiding place in which to conceal ourselves the following day.
As we passed along we found the bank of the river to be mostly covered
with cedar thickets, in which we made our hiding and sleeping place
for the latter part of the night and during the next day. We crawled
into a large bunch of cedar brush, and prepared our sleeping place
similar to the night previous, went to bed and slept until sometime
the following day. On awaking we found the sun shining brightly. This
was Sunday morning, Jan. 24, and I must confess that I felt homesick.
After eating breakfast we made preparations to find a place for
crossing the river. We were unable during the night to find a
crossing. There being no houses in this immediate vicinity that could
be discovered, and the country being heavily timbered, we considered
it safe to some extent to travel during the day, which we did, in
order to enable us to find some means of crossing the river. We
continued walking westward along the south bank of the stream for some
distance, when open woods were entered and we discovered a man riding
along in a buggy. I remember we made a number of remarks about him.
Herrick made some which were rather comical, but we were very
uncomfortable all this time, for fear we had been seen by the man in
the buggy, and would be reported. We soon struck another cedar
thicket, and also the river, passing along the bank still searching
for some means by which to cross. So far we were unsuccessful, and by
this time had become nearly discouraged on account of not finding a
crossing.
It was now nearly the middle of the day, and we were still passing
along the river, when suddenly we met a colored boy about ten or
twelve years of age, and as they were generally our friends and we
could trust them, we made known to him our wants. I asked him whether
he could tell us where we could cross the river. He answered by
saying: “Just a little ways down thar is a black man, with a canoe,
playing with it in the river; maybe he will take you across.” I
thanked him, and we passed along in the direction indicated by the
boy, and to our great joy saw the man in the canoe near the shore, and
also saw a house not far away. On arriving at the spot I motioned to
him to come to shore, which he did. I then asked him if he would take
us across the river in his boat. He answered in the affirmative. I
said to him, “I will pay you if you will hurry and take us across.”All
this time we felt very uneasy because we feared that we might be seen
by some one who would report us to the Confederates and cause our
capture. All the money that I possessed was a Confederate dollar bill,
which was worth about ten cents in U. S. money; having used my two
dollar greenback to purchase bread. I drew it from my pocket, opened
it out and presented it to the man, saying: “I will give you this if
you will hurry and take us across the river.” He took the money and
said, “All right, jump in.”
We got in the boat and he soon landed us on the north bank of the
river in safety. Dan River where we crossed is about forty or fifty
rods wide. As we were getting out of the boat and looking back across
the river to the place where the boat was entered, we saw six or eight
persons standing on the bank of the river, looking in our direction.
This caused quite an excitement in our camp, and we immediately issued
marching orders and started for the woods, which were a short distance
away. After reaching the cover of the woods a council of war was held
to decide what was best to do under the circumstances as things
appeared to us rather perilous.
[Illustration: Crossing Dan River.]
It was decided that we must have been seen by the group of people, who
we thought might report us to the Confederate authorities. It was
uncertain whether the persons we saw were black or white. Now that the
woods had been reached we started on the run, in order that we might
get as far away as possible in a short time and find a safe place to
secrete ourselves until night. We arrived at a deep ravine, where a
small stream of water was discovered, which appeared to come from a
spring, and we thought this a good hiding place. We sat down to rest,
which was badly needed, as we were weak and exhausted, and proceeded
to eat some of the luxuries from our haversacks. After eating we
talked of the prospects before us, which were not very encouraging. We
sat there on the cold, damp ground, not in a cheerful mood but the
opposite, tired, unnerved, and in a deplorable condition. Late in the
afternoon we began to look about us in order to ascertain the
condition of the surrounding country before dark. About sunset we
started out on our night’s journey, in a northwesterly direction as
near as we could tell, being guided by the stars when they were
visible. We journeyed on over hills and dales, rocks, swamps and small
streams, keeping as quiet as possible, speaking only in whispers,
sometimes traveling in the road a short distance when it was thought
safe to do so. Then again over fields, hills and the usual
difficulties, being careful to avoid going near houses, which would
arouse the dogs, which were quite numerous in that rough country.
Sometimes we were very much discouraged, being in an enemy’s country,
in the dead of night, in the winter season, weakened by sickness and
nearly exhausted, stumbling over stones, rough ground and through
brush and briers, not knowing what the next moment would bring forth.
We might be attacked by a pack of dogs, and our whereabouts made known
to the enemy, to be found in all parts of this country.
It was now nearing the time of night to begin to look about us for a
place to secrete ourselves, for sleep and rest. This time, was as
stated before, in the latter part of the night. We found a good place
in a thicket in the woods, where we made our bed, retired as usual,
and slept until sometime the following day, Jan. 25. After finding
some water we made our toilets and proceeded to eat some breakfast,
which was rather thin, as our commissary stores were getting low. We
had just about enough in our haversacks for breakfast. This was the
last of our provisions which I had received from my brother. After
eating breakfast the remainder of the day was spent in resting,
talking and planning for the following night. It was now necessary to
contrive some plan to replenish our stock of provisions. Sometime
before dark we started to spy out the country, cautiously moving along
the edge of the woods, looking for slave cabins, as we were afraid to
approach white people for fear of being captured. Just as darkness
began to appear we saw in the edge of a small field a one-story log
cabin, which afterward proved to be a slave cabin. We stopped at the
edge of the woods to investigate, after which Herrick said to me:
“Eby, if you will go to the cabin I will stay here and hold the fort
until you return.” I started, feeling a little timid as it was not
quite dark, and I feared discovery by some one who might be the cause
of our being taken in.
When arriving at the cabin I was met at the door by an aged colored
man. I told him who we were and that we would like to get something to
eat; would like to procure enough to supply us for several days if
convenient. He informed me that they had but very little cooked or
baked as their family was small (only himself and wife) but if we
would wait long enough they would bake a corn pone for us. I said, “All
right, you will find us at the gate posts,” and returned to my comrade
at the edge of the woods where the gate posts mentioned were in
position. But we did not remain there as I said we would, but hid in
the brush a number of rods away for the purpose of deceiving him in
case it would have been made known to the enemy that we were hid at
the posts. We could easily have been found, but being hid in the brush
we would have had a chance to escape. We waited several hours for the
return of our colored man and finally heard the footsteps of one
person walking in the direction of the gate posts. The noise he made
in walking over the dry leaves enabled us to tell whether there was
one or more persons. When near the posts he stopped. We were then
satisfied that it was our colored friend, bringing us something to
eat. We made our whereabouts known to him and he soon came to us,
bringing a good supply of food, consisting of one of the largest corn
pones that I ever saw and a quantity of cooked meat. The nice large
pone was yet warm and its odor was delicious to a hungry man. It
appeared to me as large as a full moon. The pone and meat supplied us
with food for several days. We were very grateful to our colored
friend and thanked him over and over. He then returned to his cabin
and we proceeded to refresh ourselves with some food. We broke our
fine large corn pone, and ate our suppers from it, after which we felt
much revived.
The next thing in order was to prepare for our night’s march. We were
obliged to break our corn pone in several pieces in order to get it in
our haversacks. After packing up the remains of our victuals we
started on our fourth night’s trip, which was quite exciting. As usual
we walked on in the darkness, feeling our way cautiously and quietly
along, not speaking above a whisper for fear of being heard by people
or dogs who might get on our trail. As I stated before, we were guided
by the stars when they were visible. Our aim was to travel in a
northwest direction from the prison because we knew that the outpost
pickets of the Union lines were located in that direction. We were now
walking upon what appeared to be a wagon road and in a westerly
direction.
This part of the country seemed to be a small valley, and was quite
level. About eight or nine o’clock in the evening we saw a house ahead
of us at some distance, on the left-hand side of the road. The night
was not very dark so that we were able to see quite a distance. Before
reaching it a small building was discovered, made of logs, on the
right-hand side of the road, perhaps ten or fifteen rods from the
house, and even with the road fence, having a door which opened into
the road. As we afterward discovered, this proved to be a one-story,
log horse-stable. When arriving within a short distance of it we saw a
man enter the door with a lighted lantern in his hand. After he passed
to the inner part of the stable we could see the light shining between
the logs. I was of the opinion that the man with the lantern was a
colored man, as he appeared so to me. I said, “Herrick, I am going to
get some information from that darkey.” We walked on, and arriving at
the stable I stepped up into the doorway and was suddenly surprised by
seeing a white man, dressed in a Confederate uniform, going in between
some horses to feed them, as it appeared to me. It immediately flashed
through my mind that this was a quartet of Confederate cavalry, in
search of escaping prisoners, who had put up there for the night. I
asked no questions but quietly stepped out of the door, motioned to
Herrick to come on, and we lit out for other parts as lively as we
could. After going a safe distance from the stable we stopped and
congratulated ourselves upon our narrow escape from being captured. It
was supposed that we had not been seen by the man in the stable but we
were not certain.
After quieting down to a normal condition, and deciding what course to
pursue, our journey for freedom was resumed, going in the usual
direction. We left the road again, as it was feared that we might be
overtaken if remaining on it. Therefore we struck out for the woods
and hills where we considered it more safe. Our progress was slow as I
have stated before. The greater part of our journey was over a rough
country, and we found it discouraging to travel.
We pressed forward through the woods and brush as rapidly as possible,
which I guarantee was not at a high speed, until nearly tired out,
when we were obliged to rest in order to be able to go on again. After
being rested sufficiently to be able to move on, we took fresh
courage, thinking that we might as well perish in trying to make our
way to the Union lines as to be recaptured and taken back to the
prisons to die. We were hungry to see the good old Stars and Stripes
once more, knowing that if the protection of “Old Glory”could be
reached we would be all right. Therefore we risked much to gain its
friendly cover. Wherever “Old Glory” floats in air people look for
righteous protection, and therefore every citizen should assist in
keeping it waving.
During the night we became partially lost in the dense woods, being
bewildered in regard to the compass so we could not tell north from
south. It seemed that Fate was against us. Herrick was not very well,
and complained bitterly, which had a tendency to discourage me, but I
tried to keep up my spirits, and trusted in a Higher Power. The woods
were dense and dismal. Nothing could be heard but the barking of dogs
in the distance and the whoo-whoo of some of those large hoot owls up
in the tops of the tall trees, which made the night seem yet more
hideous. As to the dogs we feared them, because they were liable to
get on our trail.
When I heard the owls I was reminded of a story which I had heard
about an old maid who went out into the woods to pray to the Lord to
send her a husband, and while praying one of those large owls in a
tree near by began his whoo-whoo. She, thinking this an answer,
replied, “Anybody, good Lord.”
We could not tell which way to go on account of having lost the right
course, but did not give up in despair, and concluding to camp for the
night, made our bed in the leaves and were soon asleep, as we were
very sleepy and tired. Jan. 26 we awoke, and to our surprise found
that about an inch of snow had fallen while we were asleep. We were
covered over with a blanket, face and all, and therefore the snow did
not interfere with our sleep. As usual we looked about for the purpose
of ascertaining in regard to our safety. Finding ourselves fairly well
hid, we prepared for breakfast, which did not require a large amount
of labor. We could not make very elaborate toilets, as we had no
water, and did not think it safe to venture far away in search of it
in the daytime. On opening our cupboard, or as I should say,
haversacks, we found quite a large supply of the provisions which had
been furnished us by the old colored man a day or so previous, and for
which we were extremely thankful.
Our breakfast was soon prepared and eaten, and then came a lonesome
day for us. We dare not move about for fear of being seen, and
therefore were obliged to sit on the wet ground and shiver with cold
until near night, when we began to look about us in order to procure
information in regard to the surrounding country. We heard some one
chopping in the woods a short distance from us, and we concluded to
crawl near enough to him to ascertain whether he was white or black.
We found him to be a slave, and very friendly toward us, and he gave
us some information in regard to the surrounding country. After
talking with him for some time, we returned to our hiding place.
During the day the snow had melted. After eating our suppers we
prepared to move on. It was now after sunset and we started out,
encountering the usual obstacles on the way. We traveled on for an
hour or two and then came in sight of a number of lights twinkling in
the darkness, and only a short distance ahead of us. This we afterward
learned was a small town named Henry. We immediately changed our
course to the right, flanked the town, and passed it without being
discovered. We soon struck a road leading in the direction we wanted
to go, and followed it for some distance, when we found it quite
narrow, and fenced with an old fashioned worm rail fence about eight
or ten rails high.
While walking along in this lane for a short distance we heard a
gunshot, perhaps forty or fifty rods from us. We stopped and listened,
and a few seconds later we heard a horse galloping toward us
apparently as fast as it could come, and in a second all was
excitement with us. Something had to be done immediately or there
would be trouble. Herrick said, “Let us get inside the fence as
quickly as possible.” We scrambled over the fence, and dropped down on
the ground as flat as a pancake, and in a second a horse with a man
upon it galloped past within ten or twelve feet of where we lay. We
did not know what it meant, but supposed the gunshot was a signal
among the Confederate home guards that we had been seen by some one,
who gave the alarm by discharging the gun, and thought he would catch
us in this lane by coming upon us so suddenly that we would be unable
to escape.
After the horseman had gone past us a short distance he stopped, and
we could hear several persons talking, while Herrick and I were
shivering with excitement behind the fence, hugging the earth as we
never did before. If their object was to capture us here they failed,
but if we had remained in the road a few seconds longer our goose
would probably have been cooked. We lingered inside of the fence for a
short time, and kept very quiet, and again heard some persons talking
not very far away. Later in the night, everything being quiet, we
crawled out of our hiding place and prepared to move on, but were very
cautious and struck out for the woods, groping onward through a
strange land, with the usual difficulties. We journeyed on during the
balance of the night without anything of an excitable nature
transpiring except the barking of dogs, which caused us a little
uneasiness at times.
Just a short time before looking up a place in which to hide and
sleep, we passed down into and through a small valley and up a steep
hill or mountain, on the opposite side on which we found a good place
to hide and make our bed and sleep during the morning. We retired and
soon were asleep. This was now Jan. 27, and some time during the
forenoon we were awakened by hearing some one talking near by. We got
up and began an investigation. We found ourselves on the summit of a
small mountain, in a good hiding place, and near a small precipice. I
crawled near the edge of it and looked down into the valley below and
saw a man doing some kind of work with a team. He was only a short
distance away but could not very well see us. Herrick and myself sat
and watched him for a short time, and having now become quite hungry
proceeded to investigate our store of provisions. We found some of the
corn pone and ate our breakfast from it. After completing our meal we
found that our commissary stores were getting low or nearly exhausted,
and before we could eat another meal we would be obliged to do some
foraging. The balance of the day was spent in our hiding place on the
mountain.
Shortly before dark we investigated the surroundings, as usual, and
prepared to start out on our night’s march, but thought we would like
some supper first. On reflecting we remembered that our haversacks
were about empty. We went without supper for the same reason that Jack
did. The problem now was how to procure some more provisions. Herrick
not being very well proposed going to a house to get a warm meal, to
which I strenuously objected, fearing that we would be discovered by
the enemy. We finally started out on our night’s trip without any
supper, thinking that perhaps we might find some slaves who would
supply us with something to eat. This being a mountainous country
there were but few colored people to be found, and this fact compelled
me finally to consent to Herrick’s plan of going to a house to procure
a warm meal.
We were now moving along through the woods on a sort of road, and it
was about seven or eight o’clock in the evening. Hunger began to pinch
us severely, and we had not gone very far when a light was discovered
some distance ahead of us, apparently in a house. We continued to move
on toward the light, and when near enough began to investigate the
surroundings. We found it to be a one-story log house, located close
to the road and nearly surrounded by thick woods. It being well
lighted, we could see that it was occupied by white people. We now
held a council of war for the purpose of determining how to procure
something to eat. Herrick proposed having a warm meal if they could be
persuaded to prepare us one, and to this I finally consented. We then
approached the house, knocked at the door, and the man of the house
came out and our wants were made known to him. He objected at first to
our request, saying he feared it would become known to the Confederate
authorities that he had fed us and they would deal harshly with him.
He finally consented to our request, and his folks prepared a good
supper for us. When the meal was ready he called us in and said,
“Please get through supper as soon as possible. There is danger of you
being seen here by outside parties who might report you to the
Confederate authorities, and thereby get us and yourselves also into
trouble.” We sat down and ate a very hearty meal, thanked them kindly,
and passed out. The host went out with us, and accompanied us on our
journey quite a distance, giving us information about the surrounding
country. When he left us we again thanked him, and journeyed on in the
usual direction, being satisfied that we had met with a Union man
because he had treated us so kindly. Of course people were afraid to
feed us, because there had been what were called “bogus Yankees”
through that part of the country. A “bogus Yankee” was a Confederate,
dressed in a Federal uniform, pretending to be an escaping Union
prisoner of war, and he would come to these people throughout the
country for the purpose of ascertaining whether they would harbor and
feed escaping prisoners, and if they were found guilty would have them
arrested and confined in prison. We traveled in the road as long as we
deemed it safe to do so, and then struck out through the woods,
encountering the usual difficulties.
We were very much refreshed by the good meal we had eaten in the
evening, and were able to make good progress. Nothing transpired
during the night to cause any special excitement only the occasional
barking of dogs. Some of them had a peculiar bark, which sounded like
those large bloodhounds which were used in the South for the purpose
of catching runaway slaves and escaping prisoners of war, and caused
us some uneasiness. We moved on until our usual hour for retiring, and
then found a place which was deemed secure, where we made our bed and
retired as usual.
We awoke some time during the following day, this being Jan. 28, and
wanted to eat our breakfast, but had none, and dare not venture out in
search of food in daytime for fear of being taken in. We saw some
chestnut trees near by in the woods, and went to them, hoping to find
a few nuts among the leaves to appease our hunger to some extent, but
our search was in vain. A house was discovered at a distance, out in
the open country, but we were afraid to venture to it. We remained the
balance of the day in our hiding place, and as early as we thought it
safe to do so started on our night’s journey. The weather was quite
clear and pleasant, but things were not so pleasant with us, as we had
been without food during the past twenty-four hours, and had no
prospect of procuring any provisions during the evening. Our journey
was through a broken country, where the opportunity of procuring food
was limited, but we still moved forward, thinking that we might come
across some colored people who would supply us. It seemed that luck
was against us. We had spent a good part of the night, walked a long
distance, and were getting very weak from hunger, and walking became
burdensome for us, especially while passing through such a maze of
tangled underbrush.
The night was now nearly spent and we stopped to consider what was
best to do and concluded as we were so nearly worn out it was best to
select a resting place and make our bed. We found a place in the woods
beside a large log, and as we supposed a good hiding place. We
prepared our bed and went to sleep as usual, as we were so extremely
tired from our long journey. We slept very soundly until about
sunrise, when I was awakened by a clattering noise and some one
talking. I carefully raised my head high enough to enable me to look
over the top of the log, and to my horror saw four Confederate
cavalrymen riding past within six or eight rods of us.
I carefully awakened Herrick and told him what I had seen. Then he
also peeped over the log and saw the Confederates as they were
disappearing. We kept quiet, though much excited over our situation,
and remained here for a short time.
[Illustration: Sleeping Behind a Log.]
We had now fasted for about thirty-six or forty hours, and felt as
though we could stand it no longer without food, and would be obliged
to procure some in some manner. We crawled out of our hiding place and
cautiously moved through the woods in search of a house where
something to eat might be secured. After walking a short distance we
saw an open field to the eastward from us, and also a house near the
edge of the woods, which was found to be a two-story dwelling of fair
size. It appeared to us to be occupied by white people. Starvation
will compel a person to risk almost anything for the purpose of
procuring food. We decided to go to the house and ascertain the
prospect of getting something, as we could not fast much longer.