The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

PRISON LIFE AND ESCAPE. 325
time to see if there wasn't a rebel picket guard near it, and one
time I thought I saw a stack of muskets, but creeping nearer I
found there was no one near and that it was a pitch pine stump
burning out. Then I went up to it and sat down on the ground
and began to get warm. The ground was quite hot around it.
I thought I would eat what I had and then sleep and rest and
then I should have as much strength as I could hope to muster
for a march of as far as I could possibly get from rebels or
prisons. I curled around that fire and slept very comfortably
and woke up just as day was breaking. I started, as my com-
pass said, westward, and in about twenty rods came to a turn-
pike and followed it a mile, I guess; came to a swamp with a
causeway across and over it. I went around a bend and came
to a big plantation with cornfields on each side of the road. I
went over the high " zigzag " or " Virginia " fence and found a
few ears of corn that had been overlooked in harvesting. This
was just what I wanted, and I gathered them greedily.
While in the cornfield I heard a sound that startled me, a
horse galloping. I instantly dropped down and tried to hide
but it was too late. I saw approaching at a good gallop a
nigger on a big yellow mule and he was looking right at me. I
went up to the fence and motioned him to stop, which he did,
jumped off his mule and respectfully pulled off his hat and
raised his hand to his head, saluted, bowed and dragged one big
foot backwards as obsequiously as if I had been his master.
Then a short talk something like this: " Hello, where are you
going?" Another bow and salute with a rolling up of his eyes,
" I's gwine to Albany to get some dram, dis Christmas morning,
sah, and we has a holiday, sah, 'n' I hopes to see oT Mis' and
she'll gib me drink of whiskey, sah." " Do you know who I
am? " I asked him, looking shar[jly at him. " Yes, sah, tinks I
does, sah ; I s'pose you is a Yankee," said he, dropping his voice
almost to a whisper. " Who will you tell first that you have
seen a Yankee?" "Won't tell noboddy sah, never, sah."
" Why? " " Cos," said he, " Bruh Benjerman, he been work on
de forts fur de gubment up to Ansonville and he say wen you'ns