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troops　had　in　the　battle　been　hurled　back　shattered　and　broken

across　the　river；　two　days　afterward　Lee　had　retired。



One　of　the　prisoners；　who　was　also　dressed　in　cavalry　uniform；

hung　back　from　the　rest；　and　going　to　the　window　looked　out　while

Vincent　was　chatting　with　the　others。　Presently　he　turned　round；

and　Vincent　recognized　with　surprise　his　old　opponent　Jackson。　

After　a　moment's　hesitation　he　walked　across　the　room　to　him。



〃Jackson；〃　he　said；　〃we　have　not　been　friends　lately；　but　I　don't　see

why　we　should　keep　up　our　quarrel　any　longer；　we　got　on　all　right

at　school　together；　and　now　we　are　prisoners　together　here　it

would　be　foolish　to　continue　our　quarrel。　　Perhaps　we　were　both

somewhat　to　blame　in　that　affair。　　I　am　quite　willing　to　allow　I

was；　for　one；　but　I　think　we　might　well　put　it　all　aside　now。〃



Jackson　hesitated；　and　then　took　the　hand　Vincent　held　out　to　him。



〃That's　right；　young　fellows；〃　one　of　the　other　officers　said。　　〃Now

that　every　Southern　gentleman　is　fighting　and　giving　his　life；　if

need　be；　for　his　country；　no　one　has　a　right　to　have　private　quarrels

of　his　own。　　Life　is　short　enough　as　it　is；　certainly　too　short　to

indulge　in　private　animosities。　　A　few　weeks　ago　we　were　fighting

side　by　side；　and　facing　death　together；　to…day　we　are　prisoners；　a

week　hence　we　may　he　exchanged；　and　soon　take　our　places　in　the

ranks　again。　　It's　the　duty　of　all　Southerners　to　stand　shoulder　to

shoulder；　and　there　ought　to　be　no　such　thing　as　ill…feeling　among

ourselves。〃



Vincent　was　not　previously　aware　that　Jackson　had　obtained　a

commission。　　He　now　learned　that　he　had　been　chosen　by　his

comrades　to　fill　a　vacancy　caused　by　the　death　of　an　officer　in　a

skirmish　just　before　Pope　fell　back　from　the　Rappahannock；　and

that　he　had　been　made　prisoner　a　few　days　afterward　in　a　charge

against　a　greatly　superior　body　of　Federal　cava＇ry。



The　great　majority　of　the　officers　on　both　sides　were　at　the

commencement　of　the　war　chosen　by　their　comrades；　the　elections

at　first　taking　place　once　a　year。　　This；　how…ever；　was　found　to　act

very　badly。　　In　some　cases　the　best　men　in　the　regiment　were

chosen；　but　too　often　men　who　had　the　command　of　money；　and

could　afford　to　stand　treat　and　get　in　supplies　of　food　and　spirits；

were　elected。　The　evils　of　the　system　were　found　so　great；　indeed；

that　it　was　gradually　abandoned；　but　in　cases　of　vacancies

occurring　in　the　field；　and　there　being　a　necessity　for　at　once

filling　them　up；　the　colonels　of　the　regiments　had　power　to　make

appointments；　and　if　the　choice　of　the　men　was　considered　to　be

satisfactory　their　nominee　would　be　generally　chosen。



In　the　case　of　Jackson；　the　colonel　had　hesitated　in　confirming　the

choice　of　the　men。　　He　did　not　for　a　moment　suspect　him　to　be

wanting　in　courage；　but　he　regarded　him　as　one　who　shirked　his

work；　and　who　won　the　votes　of　the　men　rather　by　a　fluent　tongue

and　by　the　violence　of　his　expressions　of　hatred　against　the　North

than　by　any　soldierly　qualities。



Some　of　the　officers　had　been　months　in　prison；　and　they　were

highly　indignant　at　the　delays　that　had　occurred　in　effecting　their

exchange。　　The　South；　indeed；　would　have　been　only　too　glad　to

get　rid　of　some　of　their　numerous　prisoners；　who　were　simply　an

expense　and　trouble　to　them；　and　to　get　their　own　men　back　into

their　ranks。　They　could　ill　spare　the　soldiers　required　to　guard　so

large　a　number　of　prisoners；　and　a　supply　of　food　was　in　itself　a

serious　matter。



Thus　it　was　that　at　Harper's　Ferry　and　upon　a　good　many　other

occasions　they　released　vast　numbers　of　prisoners　on　their　simple

paroles　not　to　serve　again。　　The　North；　however；　were　in　no　hurry

to　make　exchange；　and　moreover；　their　hands　were　so　full　with

their　enormous　preparations　that　they　put　aside　all　matters　which

had　not　the　claim　of　urgency。



CHAPTER　X。　THE　ESCAPE。



THE　DISCIPLINE　in　the　prison　at　Elmira　was　not　rigorous。　　The

prisoners　had　to　clean　up　the　cells；　halls；　and　yard；　but　the　rest　of

their　time　they　could　spend　as　they　liked。　　Some　of　those　whose

friends　had　money　were　able　to　live　in　comparative　luxury；　and　to

assist　those　who　had　no　such　resources；　for　throughout　the　war

there　was　never　any　great　difficulty　in　passing　letters　to　and　from

the　South。　　The　line　of　frontier　was　enormous；　and　it　was　only　at

certain　points　that　hostilities；　were　actively　carried　on；

consequently　letters　and　newspapers　were　freely　passed；　and

money　could　be　sent　in　the　same　way　from　one　part　of　the　country

to　another。



At　certain　hours　of　the　day　hawkers　and　vendors　of　such　articles　as

were　in　most　demand　by　the　prisoners　were　allowed　to　enter　the

yard　and　to　sell　their　wares　to　the　Confederates。　　Spirits　were　not

allowed　to　be　carried　in；　but　tobacco　and　all　kinds　of　food　were

permitted　to　pass。　Vincent　had　at　Alexandria　written　a　letter　to　his

mother；　and　had　given　it　to　a　man　who　represented　that　he　made　it

his　business　to　forward　letters　to　an　agent　at　Richmond；　being　paid

for　each　letter　the　sum　of　a　dollar　on　its　delivery。　Vincent　therefore

felt　confident　that　the　anxiety　that　would　be　felt　at　home　when

they　learned　that　he　was　among　the　missing　at　the　battle　of

Antietam　would　be　relieved。



He　was　fairly　supplied　with　money。　　He　had；　indeed；　had　several

hundred　dollars　with　him　at　the　time　he　was　captured；　but　these

were　entirely　in　Confederate　notes；　for　which　he　got　but　half　their

value　in　Northern　paper　at　Alexandria。　　He　himself　found　the

rations　supplied　in　the　prison　ample；　and　was　able　to　aid　any　of　his

fellow…prisoners　in　purchasing　clothes　to　replace　the　rags　they

wore　when　captured。



One　day　Vincent　strolled　down　as　usual　toward　the　gate；　where；

under　the　eye　of　the　guard；　a　row　of　men　and　women；　principally

negroes　and　negresses；　were　sitting　on　the　ground　with　their

baskets　in　front　of　them　containing　tobacco；　pipes；　fruit；　cakes；

needles　and　thread；　buttons；　and　a　variety　of　other　articles　in

demand；　while　a　number　of　prisoners　were　bargaining　and　joking

with　them。　　Presently　his　eye　fell　upon　a　negro　before　whom　was　a

great　pile　of　watermelons。　　He　started　as　he　did　so；　for　he　at　once

recognized　the　well…known　face　of　Dan。　　As　soon　as　the　negro　saw

that　his　master's　eye　had　fallen　upon　him　he　began　loudly　praising

the　quality　of　his　fruit。



〃Here；　massa　officer；　here　berry　fine　melyons；　ripe　and　sweet；　no

green　trash；　dis　un　good　right　through。　　Five　cents　each；　sah。　　Berry

cheap　dese。〃



〃I　expect　they　cost　you　nothing；　Sambo；〃　one　of　the　Confederate

soldiers　said　as　he　bought　a　melon。　　〃Got　a　neighbor's　patch　handy；

eh？〃



Dan　grinned　at　the　joke；　and　then　selecting　another　from　the

bottom　of　his　pile　in　the　basket；　offered　it　to　Vincent。



〃Dis　fine　fruit；　sah。　　Me　sure　you　please　with　him！〃



Vincent　took　the　melon　and　banded　Dan　five　cents。　　A　momentary

glance　was　exchanged；　and　then　he　walked　away　and　sat　down　in　a

quiet　corner　of　the　yard　and　cut　open　the　melon。　　As　he　expected；

he　found　a　note　rolled　up　in　the　center。　　A　small　piece　of　the　rind

had　been　cut　out　and　the　pulp　removed　for　its　reception。　　The　bit　of

rind　had　then　been　carefully　replaced　so　that　the　out　would　not　be

noticed　without　close　inspection。　　It　was　from　one　of　his

fellow…officers；　and　was　dated　the　day　after　his　capture。　　He　read

as　follows：



〃My　DEAR　WINGFIELD。…We　are　all　delighted　this　afternoon　to

hear　that　instead；　as　we　had　believed；　of　your　being　knocked　on　the

head　you　are　a　prisoner　among　the　Yanks。　　Several　of　us　noticed

you　fall　just　as　we　halted　at　the　river；　and　we　all　thought　that　from

the　way　in　which　you　fell　you　had　been　shot　through　the　head　or

heart。　However；　there　was　no　time　to　inquire　in　that　terrific　storm

of　shot　and　shell。　　In　the　morning　when　the　burying　parties　went

down　we　could　find　no　signs　of　you；　although　we　knew　almost　to　a

foot　where　you　had　fallen。



〃We　could　only　conclude　at　last　that　you　had　been　carried　off　in

the　night　by　the　Yanks；　and　as　they　would　hardly　take　the　trouble

of　carrying　off　a　dead　body；　it　occurred　to　us　that　you　might　after

all　be　alive。　　So　the　colonel　went　to　Lee；　who　at　once　sent　a

trumpeter　with　a　flag　down　to　the　river　to　inquire；　and　we　were　all

mightily　pleased；　as　you　may　imagine；　when　he　came　back　with

the　news　that　you　were　not　only　a　prisoner；　but　unwounded；　having

been　only　stunned　in　some　way。　　From　the　way　you　fell　we

suppose　a　round　shot　must　have　grazed　your　head；　at　least　that　is

the　only　way　we　can　account　for　it。



〃Your　horse　came　back　unhurt　to　the　troop；　and　will　be　well　cared

for　until　you　rejoin　us；　which　we　hope　will　not　be　long。　　Your　boy

kept　the　camp　awake　last　night　with　his　howlings；　and　is　at　present

almost　out　of　his　mind　with　delight。　　He　tells　me　he　has　made　up

his　mind　to　slip　across　the　lines　and　make　his　way　as　a　runaway　to

Alexandria；　where　you　will；　of　course