Part 18 (2/2)
The men about me all tried to dissuade me on account of the risk of capture with a horse in my possession, and because Lee had surrendered and the war could not lastthat I was foolish to take any risks at such a ti the rebels, of Kirby S heavily reinforced by the scattered re reasonable, as uainst my proposed scheme; so a day was set for o
When I was sufficiently well supplied with food and really ready to start, ed and pleaded with me so hard not to risk it till ere more certain of continued i the date
This thing went on for several weeks, Ipostponement after postponeo on such a day unless we got some favorable news
Before the fixed time cao to headquarters Knowing that he was after soe, we sent out a er came back, all in a flutter of exciteo
The scene of confusion and excitement which ensued cannot be described
The men simply ild For uards began to leave for home as soon as the news became known
Twenty-four hours after Captain Burchard arrived there were no guards to be seen anywhere, except the higher officers, and we could have broken out any tih to do this, however, as it would have relieved the rebels too much, for they were bound to feed and escort us if we stayed
We were kept three days in the stockade, awaiting the arrival of rations, and during this tiular food, as the rain had broken down just at a time when they seemed to need it ht us food, or we should have gone hungry during this interval They cas which ould leave behind us, and we sold off the pots and kettles belonging to the Confederacy, until the authorities learned the fact and placed a guard at the gate to prevent any further depletion of their stock of cooking utensils As the prisoners now had nothing to cook, they commenced to break up and throw into the cesspools all that was left of the cooking outfit, and before long there was not a pot or skillet to be found
By this time the stockade was broken in several places, and we could pass in and out at will, but it was more the desire to feel that we could do so which proo anywhere, as ere all anxious to get ho so soon
An irrepressible Zouave prisoner got into the headquarters room one day, and, filled with enthusiasm and the conviction that the Confederacy was busted, nearly destroyed the records in the office before he was discovered and kicked out
Finally, the rations not coot an ox-team hich to haul the sick men, and we made a start for Shreveport
It is a matter of record that I was the last man to leave the stockade on this occasion, and consequently the last prisoner confined in it Iwas out of the enclosure before I departed, and to have others know the fact I will not attes as the final exit was made; suffice it to say that it was one of the happiest moments of my life
CHAPTER XXIV
LIBERTY AT LAST
On the second day out fro Marshall, we ca to trade for blankets
Mine was on a horse at the head of the procession, but I had a ten-cent ”shi+nplaster,” hich I bought some biscuits of the man He had two loads of blankets piled up close by, which he had already secured by trading, and he had some wine in bottles for further use
I was very anxious to possess so the prisoners and borrowed a blanket fro to take ht up with the leaders of our band I secured three bottles of wine for the blanket, and we had so the wine until there was no more left
As we hurried on to catch up I saw a pile of blankets near the fence, and I at once returned the boy's blanket to him in the shape of a better one, taken froave e on ahead, which I kept up till we reached Four Mile Springs, where I arrived thirty-six hours ahead of the main body
Here I found a lot of Smith's men who had deserted, and ere red hot for Shero to Mexico for the purpose of clearing out Maxi authority These ainst their opponents in our war, but would have hailed with joy any enterprise in which Federals and Confederates could stand shoulder to shoulder, for, as they expressed it, ”the combination would sweep the earth”