Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard GlazierOwens, John Algernon
History
Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard Glazier
Owens, John Algernon
Glazier, Willard W., 1841-1905; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
It happened, however, that the peremptory orders of the sergeant were
overheard by Glazier and Wright, who were hidden not many yards away in
the wood. Instead, therefore, of proceeding on the direct road by way of
Springfield, they retraced their steps in the dark, and by this means
baffled their pursuers. Having reached the Middle Ground Road, over
which they had lately passed, they bounded over it to avoid leaving
their foot-prints, and thus broke the trail. They were now in a large
and densely-wooded swamp, and, effectually concealed by the umbrageous
covering, sat down to a council of war.
We may here state that Lieutenant Lemon, the late faithful companion of
our hero, had been prevented from participating in the plan of escape,
and was eventually taken back to be re-tortured in his old quarters at
Columbia. Wright was also an escaped prisoner from Columbia, whom
Glazier had often met during his imprisonment there. He escaped from
"Camp Sorghum" a few days after Lemon and Glazier, but unfortunately was
recaptured just when he felt that he was about to bid adieu to his
captivity.
Lieutenant Wright possessed one advantage for the dangerous and
desperate enterprise they had now re-entered upon--he knew the country.
By his advice, therefore, it was agreed to remain quietly concealed in
the swamp until night, when he would lead the way to the hut of a negro
who had befriended him during his previous attempt to escape.
About midnight he piloted Glazier to the hut of "Old Richard," a worthy
and kind-hearted negro, who had supplied him with hoe-cake and bacon
just before his recapture. Richard was in ecstasies on beholding his
friend, Massa Wright, again, whom he knew to have been retaken, and with
due formality, our hero was introduced. On being asked for some bacon
and sweet potatoes to put with their corn-bread, he replied: "Pooty hard
case, massa; but dis yer darkey'll do de best he can. Can't get nuffin'
on this plantation, but reckon I can buy some 'tatoes down at Massa
Smith's, three miles from yer, and will go down thar after I finish my
task to-morrer. As to meat," he said, "you know, massa, dat in the Souf
de slave takes what de white folks frows away, and I reckon you all
couldn't eat a tainted ham dat ole massa gib me t'other day; but if you
can, God knows dis chile gibs it to you wid all his heart." Having
become, from long fasting, almost entirely indifferent to the sense of
taste, our friends gave Old Richard to understand that the ham would be
welcome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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