An Account of the Escape of Six Federal Soldiers from Prison at Danville, Va.Newlin, W. H. (William Henry)
History
An Account of the Escape of Six Federal Soldiers from Prison at Danville, Va.
Newlin, W. H. (William Henry)
Danville Prison; Prisoner-of-war escapes; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
"No doubt of that," said Smith, "I have heard Jack tell how he was
stunned by a ball grazing his forehead, cutting the skin, and leaving a
small scar after healing."
"The captain said Jack's forehead was bleeding when he saw him fall,"
remarked Gasper.
Gasper concluded Smith's former fellow-prisoner and messmate was the
son of John Phillips, of Cincinnati, to whom he was just writing, and
said he would finish his letter by giving the old man the information
Smith had furnished concerning his son. Gasper then left us, but
returned in the course of an hour, saying he had not yet mailed his
letter. He wished us to promise to call on Mr. Phillips if we passed
through Cincinnati. We told him we did not know that Cincinnati would
lie in our route, but should we get there, in our travels, we would
call on Mr. Phillips if he would give us some clew as to where we
might find him. Gasper did not know the street on which Mr. Phillips
did business, but thought it was somewhere near the Public Landing. He
had also forgotten the street on which Mr. Phillips's residence was
situated. We, however, promised Gasper to inquire for Mr. Phillips
if we visited Cincinnati, and if we happened to learn either his
residence or place of business, to call on him and corroborate the
statements made in the letter to him. On leaving us Gasper said he
would put in a postscript, telling Mr. Phillips of us, and of our
promise to inquire for him if we visited Cincinnati. Gasper was seen
no more by us, and we gave but little thought to the errand with which
he had charged us, as we had no idea what route we should take in
rejoining our commands.
It was the 30th of March, after we had dressed ourselves anew,
when Smith came to me in Lytle Barracks, saying, "Where's Wood and
Sutherland?"
"Gone to the city," I answered.
Smith then said, "Suppose we go into the city, look around, and make a
few inquiries for the old man Phillips."
"Agreed," said I; "there is one chance in a thousand that we may find
him."
We then went into the city, passing up one street and down another.
Wherever sight or curiosity led us we went. We had wandered over the
city, or a great portion of it, going into many shops and stores, with
scarcely a thought of Phillips; but at length we came to a corner from
which the river and many steam-boats lying at the wharves could be
seen. Smith stood still until I came up, when he said, "Here is the
Public Landing."
"It looks much like it," I replied.
Smith then asked, "Didn't that man at Camp Reynolds say that Phillips
did business near the Public Landing?"
"I believe he did," said I, after reflecting. "Suppose we go in here
and inquire for him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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