Part 17 (2/2)

One rebel prisoner complained of a theft Moore hunted around, found a suspect, convened a court-uilty and sentenced to receive ten lashes, which were duly administered

The court-martial and punishment are worthy of note All the preparations for the trial were made in due and ancient forularly-constituted authorities in military life The are-advocate, and the culprit by ”learned counsel”

The offender was placed on the stand, and then witnesses for both sides were thoroughly questioned and cross-questioned Being found guilty in usual forular court The punish the thief to be bent over a stump, with his hands and feet held by Confederate prisoners, while the ten stripes were laid on with a halter strap in the hands of another, who did not spare the victi perfectly legal and just

The feverish desire to escape was constantly present with every man in the stockade, but there seeo out after wood, but there was a guard for each prisoner ent

One rebel guard talked to me, and made a proposal He was a rebel fro, and was now over forty years old What the outcome was to be he did not know, but he did know that he wanted to make some money for himself and family, and had a chance to do so if he had some help

He toldtied up on Red River, not over five miles away, and kept in readiness for a run up so uards protected each vessel, the fires kept in the furnaces et aith one of the boats and its load He said that he had conte it to New Orleans and selling the cotton, but had given up the idea of trying it as originally intended, fearing that the cotton and boat would be confiscated at New Orleans, because he was a rebel, even if he succeeded in getting there

The suggested scheood one, and in several trips uard we perfected our plans forthe attempt

I was to select a pilot and crew froe for our exit from the stockade We kept up daily communication with each other until all was in readiness

I had found a pilot and crew to man the boat The capture seeuards asleep We had accumulated soht the start would be made

The stockade was , placed on end on the ground and strongly braced The soil was sandy

When the appointed time came our party quietly went to the place which had been selected for the work, and ere busily digging our way out, under the fence, when soeant at the gate, who yelled out:

”Sergeant of the guard! Prisoners escaping!”

The sentinel on whose beat ere to escape could do no less than fire his gun, which he proh the fence at about the proper distance above the ground to perforate the body of anyone not lying down It seeht was hit

All was confusion in short order, and it is needless to say that our party left for a better neighborhood When a file of soldiers ultimately appeared on the scene they found al questions; but the parties who had drawn the fire of the sentry were a of a houards

Added to the keen disappointment which we experienced over the frustrated effort to escape, we had the usual regrets incident to the failure of a business operation, for that boat and cargo in New Orleans would havelittle pile to divide, and in this respect e felt by the crowd, for it had been agreed upon by the party that the rebel er and myself should have an extra share of the spoils if the plan should be a success By the law of compensation, or of force, he and I now had the lion's share of the disappointment

With the sentinel a party to our escape and one of us as well, the thing had seeination seen ourselves, with bulging pockets, at hoined than described

It was always one of the mysteries of life to me how any prisoner could deliberately betray his comrades, and almost as much of a mystery how schemes of escape became known to others

CHAPTER XXIII

TO CAMP FORD AND JOY

While ere in Shreveport h on its way hoo with thee, refused to allow it I had quite a roith hi did any good It was decided that I o back to Tyler on account of my two attempts to escape

Shortly after this bitter disappointot too full, and a lot of us were sent to Tyler under a heavy guard, Captain Ruuards had special orders to shoot me if I tried to escape, evidently the result of my roith Captain Burchard This fact was told to uards, but I joked about it and professed not to believe it

One of the guards was a boy, who seeeneral conversation than the rest He walked and talked with ood deal In one of our talks he mentioned that he was from ”Kasseder,” in Davis county As I knew several people in the place, having stopped there onhim, I was mysterious and non-committal He was puzzled considerably, and went off and told his captain