USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 2 > Part 42
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641
PRISON LIFE AND ESCAPE OF R. H. FERGUSON.
PETERSBURG, VA., August 4, 1864.
To all whom it may concern : Know ye, that private Henry Richards, of com- pany E, Ninth Louisiana Volunteers, who has been rendered unfit for active field service, by reason of wounds received while in discharge of his duty, has my per- mission to be absent from his command for the period of sixty (60) days, for the purpose of visiting his friends at or near Georgetown, S. C.
P. T. BEAUREGARD, General.
Lieutenant-Colonel A. D. OTTO, Assistant Adjutant-General.
I remained with my friend Carter until Thursday evening, the 22d September, 1864, when I again started on my way, Carter and Butler accompanying me some four miles, they on horseback. Before going, Carter's wife baked a huge loaf of rice bread, boiled some beef, and gave me about twenty baked sweet potatoes, so that when I started I must have had at least twenty pounds of provisions. But I concluded I could get along with much better than I could without them. After going some four miles my old friend stopped and said :
" Dis yere road yo' keep for nearly a mile, an' den yo' will come to de forks ; take de road to de right, an' follow it; an' don' turn to your right or leff, till yo' come out on de main Santee Riber road, and dat will take you direc' to Gour- - din's Ferry ; but dat is so far-twenty-five miles-you won't git dar to-night."
" Yes, I will, if possible ; I shall walk all night long."
" Well, you'll fin' a cabin up de road, 'fore yo' get to de forks, and yo' jes' ask de man dar to show yo' to de forks, and he will." We then bade each other good- by, I looking into his face, as I felt, for the last time on earth. I clasped his hand-heart too full of gratitude to speak the words my tongue could not utter. I was choked and could not articulate a sound. He saw what I could not express. I felt as if I was leaving home and friends, and going forth into the hands of the Philistines. But go I must, and, nerving myself for the task, I started. I soon found the cabin, as directed, and, leaving my bundle by the fence, I went up to it, where a man was pounding rice. I said to him, " Please give me a drink of water." He ordered a girl to bring some. Then I asked him to come out to the road, as I wanted to talk to him. I then asked him to show me the way to the forks, which he readily consented to do.
Yank .- " What kind of a road is it that leads over to the Santee road ?"
Darky .- " I dun no."
Yank .- " Are there any soldiers up there ?"
Darky .- " Dun no."
Yank .- " Now look here, old man, I know better than that. You know all about it, and I want you to tell me"; then suddenly remembering that I had a rebel suit on. I put my mouth close to his ear and whispered, " I am a Yankee."
Darky .- (With sudden amazement). " Oh ! Yo' is a Yankee, is yo'? 'So, so !" Then stepping up close to me and whispering, he said : "I to't yo' was one of ou' men. If yo' is a Yankee, I tell yo' all 'bout de road."
And he proceeded to give me the desired information, going to and beyond the forks, explaining to me how I would know when I struck the Santee road, and what landmarks I might observe, so I would know when I was right-ending by wishing me a safe and prosperous journey to my friends. I went on, through mud and water, over logs and through bogs, for the road ran through a swampy
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
region. I found the landmarks as described ; and in the course of three hours found myself on what I supposed was the old Santee road. This I traveled until I was tired out, and, coming to a place where a tree had fallen across the road. I lay down on it to rest. Taking out a sweet potato, I began eating it, thinking all the time of that old Revolutionary hero, the Swamp Fox (Marion) and the British officer, dining likewise, many years before, and possibly near the same place ; a good enough subject to inspire me to renewed exertions. After pursuing the weary journey for some two hours, I decided to stop at the first house I came to, and get a drink, and some information about the road. I soon came to a house, and as I approached the gate I knew by appearances that a white man lived there, but, trusting to my gray coat and cap to make a reb of me, I went through the gate. The hounds came at me, but I flourished my stick, and finally suc- ceeded in reaching the porch. Knocking at the door, I asked for a drink. A white lady, judging from the voice, ordered some one to go out, and in a moment a small boy appeared at the door with a gourd full of water, which I drank. Now the question with me was, how to find out the distance to Gourdin's Ferry, If I asked her how far it was, she would naturally infer that I was traveling that way, and, if at all suspicious, would know just what direction to put some one on - my track. So I finally said to her :
Yank .- " Can you tell me how far it is to Strawberry Ferry, on the Cooper River?" (This, it will be remembered, was in the opposite direction.)
Woman .- "I believe they call it eighteen miles."
Yank .- " About how far have I come from Gourdin's Ferry, on the Santee ?"
Woman .- " They call it seven miles from here."
Yank .- " I thought I must have traveled as far as that, at least. This road is the Santee road, is it not ?"
Woman .- " Yes, sir."
Yank .- " Thank you. Good-evening."
I went to the road, and, turning round, walked backward for half a mile in the dust that lay thick in the road. This gave my footprints the appear- ance of going toward Strawberry Ferry. I then. jumped over into the bushes, and, turning round, walked in the grass for the next one or two miles. As I journeyed, every now and then a moccasin snake in the grass near by would startle me, and send such a pulsation through my wounded leg as to almost make me drop to the ground. But the most startling, thrilling, and blood-curdling noise that I ever heard was while I would be hurrying along in the quiet stillness of the midnight solitude, with no sound save that made by my own steps, when sud- denly from the branches of a tree within a few feet of my head, a yell -equal to a thousand Comache Indians-" Who o-o who-0-0-0-0-0 !"-from one of those great swamp owls. I believe it no exaggeration to say that one could hear them . two miles away. Now, reader, can you imagine a person in my position, with every nerve and muscle wrought up to its highest tension, weak and tired from hours of just such a continual strain, and then, to cap it with such a hideous noise right over one's head ? I felt my hair straightened right up on end, like the negro minstrel who sees a ghost. Of course, it was not fear, but it was such a surprise, it was enough to make one's hair turn gray. I began to think my seven miles must be ended. Then I would think, "Oh, you are so anxious to reach the ferry that it seems longer than it is." So I kept up the march. Finally,
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643
PRISON LIFE AND ESCAPE OF R. H. FERGUSON.
I came to a barn, which stood out in the woods near the roadside. Creeping up to it, behind the trees, I heard voices in conversation. The chewing of hay by the horses indicated that they had just been fed. The principal spokesman was a negro, but who he was talking to I could not discover, for he did not answer. I did not dare go on, so I concluded to go to the house and get a drink. I tried to open the gate, but it made so great a noise that I put my bundle down and climbed over the fence. Going up to the first negro cabin, I was about to knock at the door when I saw it was hooked on the outside. I then went to the next door, which stood ajar, and, when I knocked at it the door swung open. As it did so, I fancied I heard a noise very familiar to me ; just then a voice spoke up and asked, " Who's there?" I knew it was a white man. I asked, "Can I get a drink of water?" He replied : "I don't know; I am a traveler here. Who are you?" I never stopped to answer, but, getting down off the steps as quietly as possible, I left as fast as I could go. He was a rebel officer, going to Charleston, and it was his saddle and accoutrements that I had heard rattling; his horse that had been fed in the barn. I picked up my bundle and went away, thinking I had some two or three miles to go yet. I walked on as rapidly as my wounded leg would permit. Finally, I became satisfied I must be on the wrong road. Seeing three or four army wagons parked in the road, I began to go very cautiously. Near daybreak, seeing a cabin out in the field, I went to it and asked a colored man, who had just got up, if this was the road to Gourdin's Ferry. He said it was. I asked how far it was to the ferry. He said it was five miles. I looked at him in astonishment for a moment, when I asked, " Which direction is the ferry?" He pointed back, the direction I had come. Great heavens! how did I miss it? By this time the sun was up, and I felt that I must get out of sight, so I said :
"I must hide here, somewhere."
He replied, " Come wid me, an' I'll show yo' a place."
" Who is in that house ? Any white man ?"
" Yes, sah !"
"Why ain't he in the army ?"
" Well, dey is comin' after 'im, in a day or two, to take 'im off to Richmon'."
" Won't he be apt to see me in here ?"
" Oh, no, sah; he neber comes in de cullud folks' cabin; but yo' mus' keep quiet."
I lay down on some corn-stalks and was soon fast asleep. I was greatly ex- hausted by my night's journey-had traveled fully thirty miles-and I slept the greater part of the day. The colored man came in during the day and said he would make me a hoe-cake to take along. I could see out through the cracks, and there, within fifteen feet of me, sat a white woman on her door-step. I could see the rebels going up and down, both ways. As soon as it was dark, I started back for the ferry. Walking rapidly, I overtook three colored men going in the same direction. Walking along for some ways, I singled out the brightest one, and, falling behind the others, I told him who I was, and asked if he could tell me the way to the ferry. He said he was going right past it, and would show me just where to turn. Continuing, he said :
" If I had yo' over to Mcclellansville, I could put you right by all de pickets. Why, de Yankee gunboats run up de riber de oder night, an' took away twenty-
644
HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
five han's off'n one place, and scared all de guards so dey dun gone clean out."
" How soon are you going back?"
" Not till Monday."
" Well, can't I hide around here till that time, and then go down with you ?"
" No, for dey search my wagon, to see if no one is in it."
" Don't you know of some place the other side of the river where I could go ?"
" I dun no none, 'less it be South Island ; de Yankees got dat place."
" How can I get there ?"
" Well, dare is an old road on de oder side dat'll take yo' down."
" Are there no guards on this road ?"
"No; I dun think so, kase dey all 'long the riber."
" How far is it from the ferry down to South Island ?"
"'Bout fifteen miles."
" Why are there no guards down near there ?"
" Kase dey all gone off to Richmon'. Dey been dar, but dey took 'em off to help Mr. Lee."
"So you think I wouldn't find any guards there, do you ? Who shall I see, or where shall I go, when I get across the river, to find out which road to take ?"
" You jess 'quire fer Boston ; he's de nigger what used to be cap'n ob de ferry, and he knows all 'bout de roads, an' would be most apt to tell you."
" How will I find him ?"
" He is watchman ; yo' will find him around the co'n-fiel' on de top o' de hill. He 'most allus has a black dog wid 'im, and yo' can tell him by dat. Now, heh's de road dat runs down to de ferry ; but yo' won't find de ferryman dar, 'kasc he's up to Dr. Palmer's plantation ; dat's two miles from de ferry. But if you want to see him fust, you kin foller dis yer path an' dat'll take yo' to de house whar he lives."
We separated, he expressing the usual good wishes for my success. I fol- lowed the path, and soon found myself in quite a street of negro cabins. Going up to one, I inquired for the ferryman, and he pointed to his cabin. I knocked at the door, which was opened by an old man.
" Are you the ferryman ?"
" Yes, sah."
" Please come out here, I want to see you."
Taking him around out of hearing of the others, I told him who I was. He said :
" Four mo' you'n men been down yere to de ferry all day. Dey lay hid in de co'n-field."
" Which way did they go?"
" Dey went to'rds Mcclellansville."
"Can you ferry me over to-night ?"
" No, I can't ; but I'll sen' some o' de boys down early in de mo'n'n, befo' any one gets dar, an' dey'll take yo' over."
" But where will I stay to-night ?"
" Jess go down to de ferry ; dar is an ole ferry-house dar, and you kin go in an' sleep on de co'n-stalks."
I went and found all as he had described. To make sure, I went down to the
645
PRISON LIFE AND ESCAPE OF R. H. FERGUSON.
river's bank and cast a wistful glance to the other shore; then returned to the old house and tried to sleep. The anxiety about my future and the ever-biting mosquito prevented me from getting asleep. Then there were some of the field hands of the adjoining plantation, who kept me awake hunting 'possums. Day- light came at last, and with it I began pacing up and down the road, all impatient at the delay, fearing each moment that some one would appear at the ferry to prevent my crossing. To pass the time, I went to the river and took a swim and bath. While dressing myself on the river's bank, I looked up and over the hill 1 saw two black men coming, with paddles over their shoulders. They came to where I was, when one of them said :
" I didn't know yo' was yere."
" I did," said his companion ; " I knowed he yere las' night."
" Well, I want one of you to ferry me over about as quick as you know how," I said. One of them replied, " I will-soon as I light my pipe." Then, taking a piece of flint and a steel out of his pocket, together with a piece of cow's horn filled with cotton, he tried to light his pipe. To me it seemed an age, but I suppose it was not more than five minutes, before he got it lighted. Jumping into the boat, we were soon on our way crossing the Santee. We had to paddle up stream in order to reach the landing-place on the other side. This made the distance nearly half a mile.
" We charge fifty cents to ferry folks over," said my guide.
" Never mind that; you paddle on. I made that all right with the Captain."
" Oh, you did ?"
" Certainly," said I, " just you hurry along. Whereabouts does Captain Boston live ?"
" Yo' fin' him in de co'n-field, on de leff side de road."
Bidding him good-day, I hurried up the hill. Peering through the bushes and trees in advance of me, I discovered an army wagon coming, and concluded there was a white man inside of it. I therefore stepped behind a large cypress-tree, and began to play hide and seek. As the wagon passed along, I kept stepping around until I passed clear around the tree, and escaped observation. Soon I reached the top of the hill, and, seeing some women at work, I made my way up to them and asked if Captain Boston was watchman there. They said he was, and I waited for his arrival, as he was down in the woods. They were boiling sweet potatoes, of which they gave me four or five. I did not require any urging to eat them. Boston soon made his appearance. We went down to the woods, and under the shade of a pine-tree I made myself known. He said he thought I could get through to South Island very well. I said I could if the guards were not too thick, and asked him if he knew about them. He said they had been removed, but he could not tell whether they had been brought back or not, but as there were so many Yankees trying to get away he was afraid they had been put back.
" Well, do you think I will be apt to meet any down the old road ?"
" No, not befo' yo' get to de Sampit bridge. When yo' get beyond dat, dare is not much danger. Dar is a road dat turns off jess dis side ob Sam Pit bridge, an' if yo' go down dat road 'bout a mile you'll come to a mulatto man's house ; dis inan's name is Philip; he's a blacksmith and preacher ; if yo' fin' his place, he can tell yo' mo' 'bout de guards den I kin. 'Bout six miles from yere an
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
old white man an' his family lives; an' if yo' go and stop dar to-night, yo' can go on in de mornin', an' git to Phillip's 'fore dark. I don't b'leve yo' meet any one, 'kase de road is lonesome, an' 'folks don't trabble on it much."
" Who is this white man you speak of, and why is he not in the army ?"
" He's mos' blind, and I don' know why dey nebber put 'im in de army ; I s'pose kase he can't see well."
"Is he very shrewd ? Do you think I could pass myself for a rebel with him ?"
"Oh! yes; yo' ken fool 'im easy 'nuff ; he ain't berry bright."
Boston then gave me the proper directions to go in order to reach the place, and I left him just at dark. It soon grew so dark I could not see the road, and when I came to the turning-point I was compelled to go right up to a tree and feel for the sign-board which I knew was there. I found it, and then knew I was right. In due time I found the house, and knocking at the door was told to " come in." I paused on the threshold, and addressing myself to the old lady, asked her if she could keep a tired and weary soldier there that night? The old lady, looking toward the old gentleman, said :
" W-a-l, I- d-o-n-' k-n-o-w."
Then the old gentleman, looking over to his wife, said :
" Wal, how is it, wife ?"
Old Lady .- " I never likes to turn away the soldiers what's been fitin' fer us, an' I reckon you may stay."
Then I stepped in, and seated myself by the fireplace. The old lady asked me if I had been to supper, and I replied in the negative; "but," I continued, " don't trouble yourself ; I can go without ; it won't be the first time."
"No, I suppose you poor soldiers fare pretty hard; have to sleep on the ground, without eny bed. Law sakes, it mus' be drefful."
" Yes, it's rather hard fare, but we soldiers are used to it."
Old Lady .- " Where have you been fighting ?"
" Well, I've been in most every State in the Confederacy, but most of the time in Virginia."
Old Lady .- "Then you must know my son; he was in a company up there; Mr. Beauregard took him up there with him."
"No, I did not know him; I never got acquainted with any of Mr. Beaure- gard's company."
By this time the old lady had supper ready, consisting of hoe-cake and stewed veal, from which I made a very enjoyable meal. After supper I lay down on the floor, with a blanket around me, and passed quite a comfortable night. The next day was Sunday, the 25th of September. After joining the old couple and their three daughters in a breakfast, consisting of baked sweet potatoes, stewed veal, coffee (made from grits), and milk, I bade them good-morning and proceeded on my journey. I was glad that I could travel on that lonely road by daylight, in place of groping my way through inky darkness. I had scarcely gone three miles, traveling in a burning sun, when looking ahead I saw the upper part of a beaver hat bobbing along over a hill-top in front of me, apparently coming toward me. Quickly jumping into a thicket of bushes near by, I tried to hide myself, but they were scarcely thick enough to conceal my person. The possessor of the beaver hat rode up to within six yards of me and stopped his horse. A
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647
PRISON LIFE AND ESCAPE OF R. H. FERGUSON.
large hound came snuffing around my hiding-place, and I was afraid would dis- cover me to the man. I was so near him that I dare not move a muscle, for fear of being seen. Finally, I rolled my eyes around and saw the man had ridden down the road. Keeping my place until he was out of sight. I started out, think- ing that my usual luck had overtaken me to meet every white man in the country. After proceeding again, I looked ahead and saw, coming round a turn, half a mile ahead, a cart containing a darky driver, and two or three more darkies in the road behind the cart. I thought to myself, Those boys are pretty well dressed. They were too far away to distinguish features. After approaching a little nearer the thought flashed through my mind that perhaps they were not darkies, per- haps they were soldiers. Instantly I began limping very badly, and, pulling the peak of my cap away down over my eyes, so I could look out of a hole that had been cut in it, I walked on, with my head down, feigning ignorance of their approach, yet studying every movement they made. Some may ask why I did not take to the woods. The woods were perfectly void of underbrush, only here and there a bush-so that one could see for a mile through the trees. Then, again, the moment I saw them they saw me, and, even if there had been a place to hide, I dare not do it, for they would surely know something was wrong. I there- fore chose the role of an actor, to try and deceive them. But I would rather have gone ten miles out of my way than to face them. As soon as I got close enough to distinguish, I saw they were all rebel soldiers, and, to make matters worse, I saw that they looked on me with suspicion. Their faces said plainly, "We have you, my boy !" Besides, they were three as bright and sharp looking men as I ever saw in the South. One tall fellow, finely dressed in an officer's suit, ap- peared to be in charge. The other two were well dressed and cleanly shaved. When I approached near enough, I said, "Good-morning, boys." They answered very roughly and in a dictatorial manner, and at once commenced to question me.
Rebs .- " What company do you belong to ?"
The very cap I had on belonged to some of the coast-guard regiments, and they were sure they had me, for they were out looking for escaped Yankees, as will be seen later; therefore, when they asked what company I belonged to, I an- swered with an assumed air of dignity and with all the anger I could throw into my voice : " I don't belong 'bout yere at all ; I belong to the Army of Northern Virginia." This answer made them open their eyes, and assume a more respect- ful ınanner.
Rebs .- " Have you any papers to show ?" I again replied in the same tone of injured innocence, and, as short as I could snap it out :
" Yes ! Do you want to see them ?"
They answered, " Yes."
Now came the time that tried all my nerve, composure, and self-control. I did not know whether the Southern army had a printed form of furlough or not, or in fact anything about their style of army papers. Should these men discover the forgery, all was lost. If they did not, I was safe. My furlough was folded up inside of my diary, and both were in the inside pocket of my rebel coat. I did not dare pull out my diary, as that would have given me away. So, mustering all iny sang-froid, I put my hand into my coat-pocket and opened the leaves of my diary until I found the furlough. Then I took it out, opened it, and thrust it at thein in a spiteful manner, as if I was highly insulted to think they would doubt
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HISTORY OF THE TENTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
my word. The officer took it and began to read. While he was reading it, I was reading them, fully determined, if they objected to it, to smash them both over the head with a hickory pick-axe Handle that I had brought with me from Captain George's the first night I started out. It was a heavy club, and I could have killed them both, before they could have got to their guns, which were in the cart. The third one, who was in the cart, I would have been on to before he could have recovered from his surprise.
As the officer read, his features instantly began to brighten up, and I saw my furlough was a complete success before he had got it half finished. Finally, when he came to the signature, 'P. T. Beauregard, General,' the officer said : " Oh ; yes,. yes ; all right." Then I began to breathe more freely.
" Which way are you going ?" said the officer.
" To Mount Pleasant," I replied.
" But there is a nearer way to Mount Pleasant than this."
"Yes," I answered; " on the other side of the Santee; but there is a road that turns off by Sampit bridge, which unites with the old road that runs from the Santee River to Georgetown, isn't there ?
" Yes."
" Well, I am going that way. I have friends 'round there, that I want to see."
" Oh, that is it ?"
" Yes; I am going to stay with my friends two or three days, then go to Mount Pleasant, from there to town, and take the Northern Railroad, and get up to Petersburg by the time my furlough expires. Do you understand ?"
"Oh, yes, I see how it is."
" How far is it from here to Sampit bridge ?" I asked.
" About eight miles," he answered.
" Well, boys, I must bid you good-morning."
"They all joined in repeating "Good-morning." Then, as I went limping away, I overheard one of them say, " He's been wounded."
" Yes," I thought to myself, "if you knew who was under this coat, you would not be letting me go off in this way." They passed on, and I felt that, if my papers would deceive them, they would fool any one in the Confederacy, except the officers whose names were signed to it. This gave me renewed confidence, and if I had met more soldiers I would not have tried to avoid them, so pleased was I with my first success. After going about one mile farther I saw ahead of me another soldier, standing in the road ; but, nothing alarmed, I went right up to him and asked him where I could get a drink of water. He answered that I could get one up at the house.
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