For the stars and stripes

Front matter

li ii i ; ;rl 9 ai i,

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I

Contents

CHAPTEB PAGE

I. Excitement in Camp . . .. . . . 11

II. Tunnels 24

Chapter I

‘^Look! What^s the excitement? Come on ! We must join the crowd ! ’ ^

Erwin Smith qnickly sat erect at the sharp call of his friend, Taylor Cooper, and gazed at a dozen or more men who, shouting and calling, were running across the field of the prison pen. The sun had risen only an hour before and the camp was covered with its glow. The warmth of its beams had been so tempting that the two young prisoners, neither of whom was twenty years of age, had stretched themselves upon the ground to obtain a little sleep. The night air had been so chilly that both boys had not attempted to obtain any rest and through the hours of the dreary night they had been pacing back and forth, keeping well within the dead line, 11 striving in this manner to keep themselves warm. Even in South Carolina the November nights were cold, at least for those whose clothing was worn and scant, and for whom there was no shelter from the biting winds.

Not many weeks before the time when our story opens, the two young soldiers had been brought to Camp Sorghum to share the experiences of hundreds of their unfortunate comrades who had been captured by the Confederate army. Taylor for many weeks had been a prisoner in Eichmond in Libby Prison, as the dilapidated old building which before the war was known as a storehouse of Libby & Son, was termed. Of his sufferings there he had told Erwin so many tales that they seemed almost to be a part of the latter’s own experiences. From Libby, Taylor had been taken by train with many of his fellow prisoners to Danville, which also is in Virginia, and then from that place had been sent on to Columbia, South Carolina, where in the prison pen he had met his friend and schoolmate, Erwin Smith, who already had been confined in Camp Sorghum for several weeks.

The meeting of the boys under such circumstances had at once revived the friendship of their school days, and day and night had found them drawn more closely together. Indeed, among their friends they were commonly referred to as the twins — so inseperable had they become.

Boused by the sharp call of Taylor, Erwin stood for a moment watching the band that was speeding across the field on which the camp was located. A moment only he delayed and then he hastily followed his friend, who now was running swiftly in the direction of the noisy group that had halted for a brief time not far away.

Before Erwin could join the assembly it had started on once more and the noisy shouts were redoubled. The guard by this time had been aroused. Men in uniforms of gray, holding in their hands rifles which were ready for use, were also speeding in the direction of the shouting band of prisoners, although as yet the cause of the excitement could not be seen.

When Erwin at last forced his way into the midst of the men he saw there a terrified little brown pig. The little animal was squealing loudly and darting here and there in its frantic etforts to escape through the lines of its pursuers.

Every man will have the part of the pig he can grab!’^ shouted one of the prisoners.

<<IVe got a ham!’’ loudly cried one, as his hand was placed on a leg of the frightened little animal. The pig, emitting another squeal of terror, eluded his captor and then redoubled its efforts to escape.

‘‘You’ll have to be satisfied with the squeal, Tom, ’ ’ laughed one of the band as he noticed the expression of dismay on his friend’s face at the loss of the prize.

Most of the men, however, were terribly in earnest and in no mood for light retorts. Hunger, weakness, homesickness, hope deferred — all the awful elements of the life of a prisoner in war time were to be seen in the faces of the struggling men. They were in deadly earnest now and the prospect of such food as the pig could provide had brought out all the selfish traits of human nature. The chase had become no laughing matter on their part, although the guard, now aware of the cause of the commotion, were shouting their bantering words of approval, ^‘Go it, Yank! Catch him. Blue Belly ! Fresh pork 1 ^ ^ and other similar cries greeted the ears of the pursuers, although few gave any heed even if they heard the mocking words.

At last, when the helpless victim had been seized, Erwin was holding fast to a leg, Taylor was grasping the pig^s tail, while another held an ear or foot, and some even were clinging to the long bristles on the hack or sides. The pig was lying helpless and breathless on the ground beneath the bodies of those who had flung themselves upon it.

‘^Let the lieutenant decide,’^ called one of the men as all clung tenaciously to the part of the pig’s body each had secured.

^ Lieutenant Brown advanced and good-naturedly agreed to the proposal, calling out each name and the part that belonged to him as he proceeded in his investigation. ‘‘Private Smith, a ham!” “Private Cooper, one pig’s tail,” he shouted. Those who were among the fortunate ones laughed as Taylor’s portion was announced, but those who had not succeeded in laying hands upon the pig listened glumly and made no response. To them it was not a laughing matter to fail in their attempt to secure a bit of the only fresh meat that had been seen in the camp.

Within a half hour after Lieutenant Brown had declared his awards a fire had been made and the little pig, cut into many portions, was boiling in one of the iron kettles that belonged to the camp. Few words were spoken by the men who gathered about the fire and waited — afraid to leave the place before the final distribution had been made. The odors from the kettle served to deepen the gloom of the luckless ones who lingered with the others about the fire. The only eager ones were those who had been named by the lieutenant when he had acted as arbiter in the dispute.

Before the meal had been thoroughly cooked the distribution was made and Erwin with his ham and Taylor with the tail, which, with due solemnity, had been given him, departed. The wistful eyes of some of his friends were more than Erwin could endure, and his invitations to join him in his repast were many— so many, in fact, that there was but a bit of boiled ham for any one.

Just as the repast was begun by the hungry men, Samuel Carson, better known as Uncle Sam — a tall, thin, sour-visaged young man, whom Erwin had known in the village in New York from which he himself had come, approached the group.

Where is my share, Erwin U’ demanded Samuel.

^ ^You’re too late, I^m afraid,’^ said Erwin, as he held forth to view the small piece which he was holding in his hand.

<< There’s never anything for me when you have the say!”

Erwin’s face flushed slightly and he hesitated. The men about him were ravenously devouring the bits which had been given them. His own portion was pitifully small and he was intensely hungry.

^‘Why didn’t you get your hand on the pig?” demanded Taylor sharply.

tried hard, and I did, for that matter. I had hold of the foot before Erwin did. He pushed me off,” retorted Samuel gruffly.

‘ ‘ I didn ’t know it, ’ ’ laughed Erwin. ‘ ‘ Perhaps I did. It was such a scramble I didn’t know just what I was doing. I’ll give you a part of mine anyway,” he added as he divided the tiny strip he was holding.

“Hold on a minute!” exclaimed Taylor as he arose from his seat on the ground and faced the newcomer. “Uncle Sam, haven’t you had any of the pig? I saw you coming from the lieutenant’s mess.”

‘ ^ Only a mouthful. ’ ’

“If you had all your mouth could hold you had more than any of us had. Keep your meat and swallow it now before some one else tries to get it away from you,” he added sharply as he turned to his friend.

Hungry and weak, Erwin hastily did as he was bidden. Samuel watched him, his anger apparent in the malignant expression of his face, and then turning abruptly on his heel he said as he departed — ‘ ‘ That pig meat will cost you more than any you ever had or are ever likely to have ! I shan’t forget your generosity.”

“Don’t!” retorted Taylor as Erwin made no response. “And don’t forget either how you had some of the pork at the lieutenant’s mess and then came over here and tried to get some of ours too. Don’t forget that, please, and the next time a stray pig runs into camp we’ll try to cook that and not you, though there’s mighty little difference between you.”

The derisive shout of laughter that rose from the men followed the departing Samuel, « who looked behind, plainly showing his anger.

‘‘I wish I’d divided with him,” said Erwin.

<<I’m glad you didn’t. Sometimes I think Uncle Sam is not worth feeding at all. I’ve heard — ”

‘‘What have you heard!” inquired Erwin as Taylor stopped abruptly.

“Never mind, now. Perhaps I’ll tell you later. ’ ’

The two friends by this time had returned to the place where the one blanket which they shared in turn had been left. For several days they had been sleeping in the daytime as the nights were so cold that rest was well-nigh impossible. The clothing of the boys was in tatters, and even the shoes on their feet were in shreds. Only the preceding day

Erwin had secured an old felt hat which some one had cast away as useless, and from it had fashioned soles for his shoes, sewing the cloth to the worn leather by strings which one of the guard had generously given him. His ‘^new shoes were a source of envy to many of his comrades, who had not thought of his plan of repairing, but felt hats no longer were to be found and other means were not to be had.

Eice and salt pork had been the chief staples of food, and as these were cooked by the prisoners themselves the diet was not one upon which the men were likely to thrive. Not a word could be heard as to the actions of the army to which the boys belonged, and the uncertainty that resulted had intensified the feeling of homesickness, which more than any other one cause, was doing much to make the long confinement in the prison pen unbearable.

Erwin had keenly suffered from this cause, and, had it not been for his friend Taylor, would have been even worse than he now was. The spirits of the latter apparently never failed, and, though Erwin was not aware of the fact, many of his efforts were directed toward the one purpose of preventing his friend from becoming entirely hopeless.

‘^This night makes me think of home,’’ said Erwin thoughtfully, as the boys seated themselves. ^‘You know our farm is only a half mile out from the village and this time of the year the boys used to come there. There were bushels of apples and barrels of cider, and sparerib and — ”

‘‘That’s all right,” broke in Taylor cheerily. “You’ll be there again pretty soon. This war isn’t going to last forever. ‘When Johnny comes marching home again,’ why, all the boys and girls will turn out to see the brave soldier boy! There’ll be music and all the sparerib you can eat and twice as many barrels of cider as the old orchard ever saw, and more apples, too. You’ll be glad to see all the family and — ”

“If I ever do see them,” interrupted Erwin.

“See them? Of course we’ll see them! We’ll be exchanged or — ”

“Or what?” said Erwin as his friend paused.

we’ll get away from this pen.”

‘^Doesn’t look much like it now,” murmured Erwin, as he glanced at the guards patroling the camp.

‘‘Of course it doesn’t just now. You don’t suppose we’ll walk out and find no one ready to stop us, do you? That isn’t' the way it’s done. ’ ’

“How is it done?”

“Oh, there are a hundred ways.”

“Mention one.”

“Well, there was Tom Woods who was in Libby when I was there. He didn ’t feel very well one day and the next day he was worse and he was taken to the hospital. He kept getting worse and worse and finally he was taken to the dead room — ”

“Was he dead? That isn’t the way I mean. ’ ’

“I’ve had my doubts about Tom’s being so very dead. You see he’d told me his plans and just how he was going to go through what it was said he did go through. I’ve a notion that the darkies, when they took out the dead that day when Tom ‘died,’ got a scare that made their wool straighten out.”

“You don’t really think Tom was dead?”

“No, I don’t. At least I have my doubts. It won’t scare me any when I take his hand when I get home. I know that much anyway. ’ ’

“You always find something to cheer you up,” said Erwin, with more interest than as yet he had shown.

“Of course I do. That’s the only way. Listen, Erwin, I’ve got something to tell you, ’ ’ Taylor added, as he cautiously glanced about him to make certain no one was within hearing.

CHAPTEE II

The two friends were not near any of their comrades at the time and satisfied that his words could not be overheard, Taylor said abruptly, ‘^We must try to get out of this camp.’’

For a moment Erwin’s face brightened as he stared at his companion. The thought of escaping had often been in his own mind, but thus far an opportunity had not been found. Indeed, so well was the place guarded, that the possibility of a break for freedom had seemed hopeless. The recollection of his own experiences caused the young prisoner’s face to darken once more, and he said in a low voice: ‘Must’ is a good word, Tay-

lor. It is easy to say what ought to be done, but it isn’t so easy to tell how to do it. Have you any plan?”

“Not one.”

“How are you going to get away then?”

‘‘Find a way. We must set our heads to working. If we can^t find a way we must make one. I don’t mean to stay here much longer. ’ ’

“I’m sure I don’t want to, either; hut what can be done?”

“That’s something we must find out.”

“A good many have tried it,” suggested Erwin dubiously.

“And some have made it.”

“Some haven’t.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that some did.”

“You always find something good to see or say. Only yesterday when we found our salt pork spoiled and the little rice we had was not good you laughed and said, ‘If we’re hungry we sha’n’t have to suffer from eating too much.’ ”

“What’s the matter with that?”

“Nothing. Only I don’t seem to be able to make the plan work in my case. When I’m hungry — then I’m hungry, and that’s all there is to it. Ifimy tooth aches I don’t find much comfort in thinking that I haven’t ever had to have my foot cut oif.”

Yes, and that’s where you make your mistake. You’d feel better if you did.”

^^It works all right with you.”

^‘It will with you, too. I knew an old Scotchman who was a very devout man. He used to thank the Lord when rheumatism came that it wasn’t gout, and when he had the gout, he was just as glad it wasn’t rheumatism.”

‘‘What did he do when he had both!”

“Thanked the Lord he wasn’t blind.”

Erwin laughed as he said, “You’ve learned the lesson all right, but I’m afraid I haven’t. I can’t get away from what I see here,” he added, as he glanced about the prison pen. Hundreds of men as unfortunate as themselves were to be seen, some walking disconsolately about the field, some seated, and others lying upon the ground. All about the place the guard of Confederate soldiers were to be seen and the “dead line” was plainly marked. If any man dared to cross it, his fate was sealed.

“You’ll learn,” said Taylor. “You’re bound to learn. Now have -you any scheme

TU^fJLS 27

to suggest? You must have an idea or two about you/’

^‘IVe thought of it, of course, but what good does thinking do? You can’t even try to tunnel when you’re in the open all the time. ’ ’

^ ^ Tunneling is hard work. Let us be glad and rejoice that we haven’t that to do. We’ll save our strength for what comes after we get away. ’ ’

‘^Sometimes I’ve had an idea that we might run for it some morning when we go for water. The guard that goes with us to the spring is made up of good shots, however, and I’m afraid we wouldn’t go far.”

‘‘You’re doing better. Breaking away from the guard is better than digging a tunnel. What else ? ’ ’

“I haven’t thought of anything more,” replied Erwin gloomily.

“When I was in Libby,” began Taylor, as if he had not heard his friend’s reply, “Colonel Eose of the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania got up a plan for tunneling out of the old trap. Just twenty-seven men were taken into the plan and every one was to be a worker. You see, the colonel knew what he was about, for he’d been in the Mexican war, and when he was taken prisoner there he dug a tunnel out beyond the guard and got away from the ^greasers.’ All the men in his plan at Libby knew of this and they were all ready to do anything he told them. The colonel had found in the basement a little room which wasn’t used for anything, and after he’d been watching for a few days he found that no one went near it.

‘^One day the colonel went in there himself and discovered that one of the chimneys came down into that room. This chimney ran up through our cookroom and the first thing to be done was to make an opening in that. The slop barrels hid this opening, so there was little danger of its being discovered.

‘‘One day the rebels were arranging for a flag raising at the prison and when they’d finished their work they left a short ladder behind them in our room. This ladder was taken and lowered in the chimney. Then at the bottom where the ladder rested work was begun at once in digging a hole through the chimney wall.’’

‘‘Didn’t any one ask for the ladder? Was there any search for it?”

“Yes, but it didn’t amount to much for it was believed it had been broken up for kindling wood. An old broken trowel and half a tin canteen were the only tools our men had in their digging until one day some masons came to do some repairing and while they were busy somehow one of their trowels mysteriously disappeared. We all tried to^ help find it but naturally we didn’t succeed, because it was down in the tunnel where we had two men at work all the time. One man would dig and the other would scoop up the dirt with an old blanket and carry it to a corner of the room where the tunnel started.

“At last the work was all done and the end of the tunnel was in a vacant lot sixtyfive feet from the walls of old Libby. It was just big enough for one man at a time to crawl through it. The funny part of it all was that the sentinels saw every man that came out and didn’t hail one,”

“Why not?”

‘ ^ Took them for some of the ‘ J ohnnies ^ going through the boxes that had been sent us from home. You see these boxes were all stacked right over the end of the tunnel.’’

‘‘How many of our men got away!”

“A hundred and fifteen.”

“You don’t mean it! Did the rebels catch any of them!”

“Yes. They got twelve the first day, sixteen the second and twenty the third. All the others — let me see, that left sixty-seven, — were never heard of. I’ve no doubt they reached our lines all right.”

“How did the men leave the prison — I mean how did they go out through the tunnel!”

“That’s where the break was made that almost spoiled the whole thing. Only the twenty-seven were supposed to know anything about the tunnel, but some of them of course told their friends and the first thing we knew there was a fighting mob — every man trying to be the first to get out. It was .a fierce fight, too, for our men were like wild beasts. Two or three shrewd little chaps put up a game that let them get out ahead.

When the mob was wildest these young fellows went where the pots and pans were kept and began to rattle them at a great rate and in a minute the clatter made our men think the guard was coming. When the fellows ran from the tunnel these young fellows made a break for it and got out before the others got their eyes open. Then the wild rush began again.”

‘‘How was it that only a few got away?”

“It was slow work crawling through that long tunnel one at a time. Then Lieutenant Kandolph, who is a big fellow, got caught in the middle of it and couldnT go ahead or back out. The man in front pulled on him and the man behind pushed and at last they got the lieutenant through, but he was almost dead and of course it made a long delay. When daylight came and the work had to stop we counted up and found that one hundred and fifteen had crawled out.”

“How did the rebels find out?”

“The morning roll call showed who were missing. At first the guard couldnT understand what had become of the prisoners and the men were poking fun at one another for the ^mistake. ’ Pretty soon the guard became a little more serious and then they made us all go into one room and come out by twos while they checked off every name. They tried the same thing twice, but got the same result — the roll call was one hundred and fifteen short. Then they began to look, and of course in a little while they found the tunnel and everything was plain.’’

^‘What did they do to you?”

^ ‘ Shortened up our rations for awhile, but they laughed and joked with us about it. They called the tunnel ‘The Great Yankee Wonder.’ For awhile there was a guard at each end of it and hundreds of people came to see the sight.”

“Why didn’t you get away, Taylor?”

“Somebody had to be left.”

“Didn’t you have a chance? Weren’t you near enough to crowd into it?”

“Yes, I believe I was once.”

“Why didn’t you go on?”

“Well, I don’t just remember unless it was that there was a young chap next to me who had a wife and two babies at home. He seemed to be a bit more anxious than I was and I think he got my place away from me. ^ ’

^‘You mean you let him have your place!’’

‘^Do I?” laughed Taylor.

‘‘Yes, you do. It’s a good story, all right, but how can it help us here? We can’t dig a tunnel.”

“No more we can’t. But it has one or two good lessons for us.”

“What?”

“Well, one is that twenty-seven is too large a number to make a plan at one time. Two are all we want. You and I.”

“What are we going to try?”

“The rebels sent a lot of us on to Danville pretty soon,” began Taylor again as if he had not heard his friend’s question. “They sent us in box cars. The old train was pretty well guarded and bumped along so slowly that one time when we were going through a stretch of woods two of our boys jumped off the car and made for the trees.”

“Did they get away?” demanded Erwin eagerly.

‘ ‘ Of course ! All the fellows struck up the Star Spangled Banner when we heard what had occurred, hut the guard shut us in the cars and locked the doors. It was quite warm enough then, thank you, without exerting ourselves any more. At Danville they sent us to a great tobacco warehouse and we hadn ^t been there but a little while before we began another tunnel.’^

‘'Did it work? Did anybody get away?’’ “Probably. Unfortunately, however, I was sent on with some of our boys — ”

‘ ‘ Sent where ? ’ ’

‘ ‘ Macon. ’ ’

“Did you try another tunnel there?” “Not while I was on the spot. Two or three chaps got away by a slick trick. One night two climbed into a big tree and hid in the branches. They had been saving a little water and something to eat, and up in that tree the boys stayed two days. The guard looked everywhere, but not a trace of the missing prisoners could they find. After the search the boys slid down from their roosting place one dark night and departed. ’ ’

‘ ‘ Did the guard find them ? ’ ’

“Not a bit. What did you expect? Then two other fellows dug holes in the ground and stayed in them for a couple of days, and then made for the lines of the boys in blue.’’

don’t see how digging holes in the ground could help. They were still in the prison or prison pen, weren’t they?”

‘^Yes, but the whole camp was to be inoved the next day and our boys were hoping they’d be left behind. After the guard was gone then it would be easy to dig their way out, you see.’*

‘ ‘ Did all get away ? ”

‘‘Pretty nearly. Now, Erwin, if those fellows could think of something, we can try it, too. I know there is some way out. I believe I’ve got it now!” Taylor suddenly exclaimed as he stood quickly erect.

Chapter III

‘‘What is itP’ inquired Erwin showing his first sign of interest in the words of his friend.

“See thatr^ demanded Taylor, as he showed Erwin a needle which he had drawn from the lapel of his tattered coat.

“Yes, I see it. What is itP’

“A needle.’’

“What will you do with it?”

“Find our way out of Camp Sorghum.”

“I don’t see how.” Erwin’s first interest had departed as soon as he saw the tiny little implement in Taylor’s hand. Aware as he was of his friend’s imperturbable good nature, he looked upon the proposal as merely another of Taylor’s many nonsensical projects.

“Some people can’t see the point even when it’s right before them.”

“That’s all right, Taylor. The joke’s lost 36 on me. I^m afraid I’m not in the mood to enjoy it.”

Yon will when yon see what I mean to do with this needle.”

‘‘What is that?”

“Find onr way ont of this prison pen, jnst as I told yon.”

“Bnt yon didn’t tell me.”

“If I didn’t I will now. In what direction is my needle pointing?” inqnired Taylor as he held np the needle which he was grasping between his thnmb and forefinger.

“North.”

‘ ‘ Correct. Erwin, yon always were better than I in answering qnestions when we were in school. I’m glad yon haven’t forgotten the trick. ’ ’

“I don’t see what yon mean.”

“Don’t sailors follow the ‘needle’?”

“Yes, bnt their ‘needle’ isn’t like yonrs.”

“Mine is better. If sailors follow theirs, I don’t see why we soldiers can’t follow onrs.”

Erwin did not reply. The bantering words fonnd no response in his tronbled heart. Taylor might have his fnn if he chose, bnt as for himself, thought Erwin, there was nothing in them to appeal to him.

‘‘I tell you,’’ continued Taylor, ^Hhat I have ‘found the way I long have sought and mourned because I found it not.’ That’s what your grandfather used to be singing all the time — ”

“Don’t!” protested Erwin quickly. The reference of his friend had brought to his mind the recollection of his grandfather — a saintly, sweet-faced old man whose love of singing was well known. How many times in the little village church Sunday afternoons had Erwin as a little lad watched his grandfather singing that very song. The old man’s eyes would be closed, his head thrown slightly back, while in the absence of an organ in the room in which the assembly met, he pitched the tune.

“But I will. I tell you I’m full of my project!” persisted Taylor, aware of the wave of homesickness which had swept over his companion. “It is the greatest discovery since ‘befo’ th’ wa’,’ as the darkies say down here.”