pact SOON ACEO BLOT

 

736 Nortu Carotina Troops, 1861-’65,

only a little over seven inches wide. One day, while bath-
ing, the thought struck me that I could get through this
hole—and I immediately tried it. I found that by turning
my head so as to look over my shoulder, I could get through,
but with my clothes on I could not get my body through.
Stripping off my clothes, I tried again, and found I could
squeeze through, though it was hard to do it. This discov-
ery was made known to the other three, and each one found
he could get through quite easily, as I was the largest one of
the party. No time was lost after this in getting ready for
our escape.

Waiting for a dark night, we one by one squeezed through
the loophole, and lowered ourselves down into the dry ditch
between the main and water batteries. We made our way
cautiously over the water battery and then through the grass

towards the sea-wall, where we found, as we expected and

feared, that sentinels were posted. These would walk back-
wards and forwards on the wall, and when they met they
would turn and walk off in the opposite directions. . Keeping
close to the ground we would approach the walls when they
were walking from each other, and remain quiet after they
turned and were coming together. Finally we succeeded in
passing between them while their backs were towards us and
got into the water close to the wall, lying down with our
heads against the wall, and our feet in the water. Finding
the sea very rough and the wind high, after a considerable
time we concluded it would be very dangerous to try to swim
off at that time; so we watched our chance and succeeded in
regaining our quarters, as our friends inside, by our direc-
tion, had left the rope hanging down from the loophole so
that we could go back if for any reason we could not succeed
in getting off the island. Only a few of the prisoners knew
we had been out. Most of them ridiculed the idea that any
one could get through so small a hole. A smart little mid-
shipman, seeing our wet clothes, tasted, and, ‘finding them
salt, was convinced.

The failure of our first attempt did not discourage us.
Lieutenant Reed suggested that two of his men, good swim-
mers and very reliable, be allowed to go with us. He talked

 

An Escape From Fort WARREN. 13%

to them, and they readily agreed to accompany us. The plan
was for these two men to swim over to the adjoining island,
procure a boat and return to within a short distance of the
shore, and we would then swim out to them.

We made the second attempt the night following the first.
At the time agreed on we lowered ourselves down into the
ditch, and were here joined by the two sailors.

Proceeding as before, we stooped in the grass, between the
water battery and wall, while the sailors, crawling on, passed
between the sentries, and getting into the water swam off,
and we never saw them again. I heard that they finally
made their way back to the Confederacy, but I am not cer-
tain that this is true. Waiting, as it seemed to us, for hours,
and the sailors not returning, Thurston and I determined that
we would swim over to the island on which the lighthouse
stood, get a boat and return for Reed and Sanders, neither of
whom, being poor swimmers, were willing to run the risk.
Close to the shore where we passed to the water was a target,
made of white pine and very light. The garrison used this
target to practice on, and after consulting together we, Thurs-
ton and I, determined to use it to float our clothes over on,
shoving it ahead of us as we swam. Watching our chance,
we pulled it down and got it into the water while the senti-
nels were on their outward trip; and it came very near being
the means of defeating our plan; for before we could get away
they came together again, right over our heads, on the sea-
wall, and began to talk on indifferent subjects, and continued
for some time. ‘Finally one said to the other, “Where is the
target? Wasn’t it here when we came on post?” “Yes,”
was the reply. ‘Where can it be?’ They came to the edge
of the wall and looked over. It was very dark in the shadow
and we lay close together, barely breathing.

“I believe I see something down here in the water,” said
one. “Stick your bayonet into it and see what it is,” said
the other. The sentinel lowered the muzzle of his musket,
and shoved it slowly towards Reed’s breast, directly under
him. The point finally rested on his chest! He never
moved a muscle, but remained perfectly quiet. That was the
bravest thing I saw during the four years of the war.

47