Their Travels by Night THROUGH THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY TO THE UNION PICKETS AT GAULEY BRIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA, IN THE WINTER OF 1863-64. BY W. H. NEWLIN, Lieutenant Seventy-Third Illinois Volunteers . CINCINNATI: WESTERN METHODIST BOOK CONCERN PRINT. 1887. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, BY W. H. NEWLIN, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington....

The account contained in these pages was first written in 1866. Its publication was delayed in the hope that we should learn something of our two comrades who were left behind. After revising and abridging it somewhat, it is presented to the reader in its present form. We were compelled to rely on memory in preserving for publication the incidents here narrated, as while on our trip we had neither pencil nor paper. That reliance, however, was not in vain, as the scenes through which we passed, t

In those "stirring times," during the late war, when powder, and ball, and the bayonet were the orders of the day, an escape from prison and a secret, hidden march through the Confederacy, was accounted an exciting, as well as a very lucky event. Even at this day, accounts of such are not stale, but possess a thrilling interest, especially to those who participated in them and to their friends. Our journey over mountain and valley, over hill and dale, and across rivers, branches, and rivulets al

CAPTURE—PRISON AT RICHMOND—AT DANVILLE—SMALL-POX—HOSPITAL AND CONVALESCENT CAMP—WARD-MASTER AND NURSES—ESCAPE PROM THE GUARDS—TRAIN OF CARS—FOILED AT SEVEN-MILE FERRY—NARROW ESCAPE—HIDING IN CAROLINA—CROSSING DAN RIVER—SINGING AND DANCING—EATING AT MIDNIGHT—SABBATH DAY RETREAT—PROVISION EXHAUSTED—EFFORT TO PROCURE SUPPLIES—ITS FAILURE—HARD MARCHING—HUNGER AT MIDNIGHT—HIDING PLACE—WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY—SLEEP. The writer hereof was among the prisoners captured by the enemy in the battle of Chickam

SLEEP DISTURBED—NOISE IN THE WOODS—ITS CAUSE—NEGROES FURNISH FOOD—WE HIDE NEAR THE TRAIL—HOUNDS AND HORSEMEN—EXCITEMENT OF THE CHASE—WE BUY A QUANTITY OF PROVISIONS—OUR OBLIGATIONS—ON THE HIGHWAY IN DAYLIGHT—UNDER DIFFICULTIES—WOOD CHOPPER—WOMAN AND DOGS—WE PASS ROCKY MOUNT C. H.—INSECURE HIDING-PLACE—CHANGE OF BASE—WE COME ACROSS A CITIZEN—HE TAKES STEPS TO CATCH US, BUT IS TOO SLOW—OUR FLIGHT—OUR ESCAPE—RUN INTO A WAGON TRAIN—HID AWAY—MAKING MUSH—SNOW—SORE FEET AND LAMENESS—TAYLOR FALLS BEHIND

PROVISIONS GONE—CROSS THE BLUE RIDGE—SECURING FOOD—GOING THROUGH BIG LICK—RAIN AND DARKNESS—WE ARE COMPELLED TO SEEK SHELTER—LYING OVER—THE TOBACCO—ITS OWNER—MORE FOOD LAID IN—UP THE VALLEY—STRIKE FOR THE ALLEGHANIES—DIFFICULT TRAVELING—ROUGH COUNTRY—WE REACH A STREAM—TOO WEARY TO FORD—FALL BACK TO HIDE—MAKING OUR BED—FALL ASLEEP. Having parted with Taylor, our travels were resumed through the later hours of the night. Once or twice in traveling the distance of four, or four and a half miles, we

AWAKENED—WATCHING IN AMBUSH—AVERILL'S CAVALRY—WOMAN MAKING SUGAR—WE SEE MEN DRESSED IN BLUE—DECEIVING THE WOMAN—CHANGE OF BASE—MISLEADING PURSUERS—WE EAT LAST OF OUR SUPPLIES—START OUT IN DAY-TIME IN ACCORDANCE WITH AGREEMENT—OUR DISCOVERY—OUR PURSUIT—OUR FLIGHT—TRIPPE FAILS—HE FALLS BY THE WAY—REBELS THREATEN—OUR SPEED OUR SAFETY—TRIPPE'S PROBABLE FATE. Near nine o'clock, A. M., March 4th, we were awakened by the rumbling noise of a wagon running over a rough and stony road not far to the east

"HAD NO HORNS LATELY"—WE REACH HEPLER'S—HE IS ON HIS GUARD—WE KNOW HOW TO TAKE HIM—SUPPER AND LODGING—ADIEU TO HEPLER—WE GO TO LEWIS'S HOUSE—LEWIS NOT AT HOME—TROUBLE AT LEWIS'S HOUSE—ITS OCCUPANTS PROPOSE MAKING US PRISONERS—WE PROPOSE DIFFERENTLY—NEITHER PARTY ACTS—ONE-SIDED MISUNDERSTANDING—AN UNDERSTANDING NOT ATTAINABLE—WE RETURN TO HEPLER—HE DREADS TO SEE US—HE IS SOON ALL RIGHT AGAIN—HE ASCERTAINS LEWIS'S FATE—IS UNABLE TO SECURE US A GUIDE—WE ARE PRONOUNCED "SPURIOUS"—FINAL ADIEU TO HEPL

ARE GUIDED BY NIGHT TO ALDERMAN—ALDERMAN CONDUCTS US TWENTY MILES NEXT DAY—GIVES US PLAIN DIRECTIONS—RETURNS HOME—WE FIND ALDERMAN'S BROTHER-IN-LAW, WHO PUTS US ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GAULEY RIVER—WE FOLLOW DOWN GAULEY RIVER—PASS THROUGH SUMMERVILLE—COME IN CONTACT WITH AN IRISHMAN—RECEIVE ADVICE FROM HIM AND FOLLOW IT—WE REACH THE PICKETS AT GAULEY BRIDGE—WE RECUPERATE AT CAMP REYNOLDS—GO TO CINCINNATI, OHIO—GO HOME ON FURLOUGH. Our volunteer guide mounted his horse and started to the ford, some

CONCLUSION—STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE—WE BRING GLAD TIDINGS—ARE HOSPITABLY TREATED—THE END. As a conclusion to the foregoing imperfect sketches, we will briefly narrate an incident which happened after our arrival within the lines. On March 23d, at Camp Reynolds, while we were writing letters home, a soldier named Gasper came into the quarters where we were. As soon as we were at leisure he asked, "Are you the boys that came in from prison two days ago?" One of our party answered we were. Gasper then