Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 227, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1911 — CAMP FIRE STORIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CAMP FIRE STORIES

HOW PRISON RELEASE FAILED s■'- ■■■•■'.«■■" | * i " Linneua Q. Jeffries TeHe of Attempted Escape at Cahaba. Ala.—Hi fl h Water Caused Trouble. ** ■: -W "" .. . An attempt to escape from the confederate prison at Cahaba, Ala., Is told by Linneua Q. Jeffries, of Chicago, who was taken prisoner at the surrender of Fort Dodge, near Athens. Abu, late in September, 1864. The prisOn In which he was held with about 1.006 other nnion soldiers was an old cotton warehouse with the root partially removed for ventilation. ' . “We got tired of our cotton coop” said Ur. Jeffries, “and planned to escape in a body. It was a dangerous undertaking that we soon secretly engaged In. As well as I now remember, Mai. Carlin of Ohio was the principal leader. The time for action was net for 10 o'clock one night in March, IMS. bat the hour -was changed to 3 o'clock that same night. “The order to tall In' was secretly passed. The guards had been doubled on a report of (probable trouble, but the change of the hour had made them careless, and without warning they were all simultaneously attacked bj selected men. The struggle with the two at the double doors of the entrance to the building was the fiercest, and one of these men finally escaped and gave the alarm. “Then the drums were beaten and the-bugles blared. Inside the leaders were appealing for the promised help. 'Hall in! Fall in, a hundred brave meal* 'Where are the hundred brave men who promised to tall In? Fall in, lor God's sake, fall In!* Thirty formed a line. Where are the others? Fall in! Fall in! Fall In. for God’s sake!’ “Union prisoners were now playing guard on the dead line beats and singbig. Three o'clock and all Is we-W! Corporal of the guard, more pine!’ (the pine knots were burning out) Ihll In! Fall in. a hundred brave men!’ Rise up!' 'Lie down! ‘Keep still!’ 'Get up!’ Then everything broke forth Into nolsea Some men barked and howled like all kinds of dogs, crowed like roosters, meowed and hissed like cats, brayed like donkeys, bellowed like balls, squealed, yelled and screeched, all at oaoe. At tike same time the alarm drums and cannon firing and musket shots end vetoes of men and women on the outside added to the pandemonium. “The prisoners guarding the entrance doors left their poets suddenly aa hearing the noise as of troops entering with cannon through the yard gate This news extended at once to all those, acting as guards. The noises ceased and reasonable quiet reigned within the prison. The confederate guards stopped calling for help. Instead of the enemy coming, however, it was the returning of some of the prisoners, who had gone outside and Spiked some cannon and dumped them

Into the river, whose waters were nearly bank high and rtsin*. These men reported that we co*ld not get away on account of the high water overflowing all the country, and that the prison and town would be overflowed If the water kept on rising for another day or two. So the Insurrection was a failure. “But the enemy’s cannon did come —other cannon, two guns—but not before daylight These were pointed at aa from the opened entrance doors with the threat that they were going to blow us all to eternity. We were auoeed In front Of the doors, a solid crowd of daring, defiant and (Marmined union soldiers. Capt Jones or dersd the guns away, but he entered with s file of soldiers when be saw what s quiet tot of lamb# we were, branded *u. S.' Tan of the supposed placed !n close confinement, and one »«»«d Reggy or Regnas was tied In Jrcmt of . cannon with the threat that SSSSSSSS

Spiked Some Cannon and Dumped Them Into River.