saluted again and passed quickly out.

Captain Welford asked the Superintendent to call his prisoners together.

"I have something to say to them."

A thousand silent men in blue were gathered in the assembly room of the
old warehouse.

Captain Welford boldly entered the place carrying a box in his hand. He
placed it on the floor, sprang on it and lifted his hand over the crowd:

"I've an announcement to make, gentlemen," he began quietly amid a
silence that was death like. "The Department which I represent has
learned that you are planning to batter down the walls and join a force
of raiders who are on the way to capture Richmond--"

He paused and a murmur of smothered despair, inarticulate, bitter, crept
through the crowd.

"To forestall this little scheme, I have planted a thousand pounds of
powder under this building. I have mined every other prison. The first
one of you that lifts his finger to escape gives the signal that will
blow you into Eternity--"

Dick stepped from the box and made his way out without another word. He
could feel the wild heart beat of baffled hope as they followed him to
the door with despairing eyes.

A murmur of sickening rage swept the prison. An ominous silence fell
where hope had beat high.

The same strategic announcement was made in every prison in Richmond. No
mines had been laid. But the story served its purpose. Fifteen thousand
men were bound hand and foot by fear. Three hundred soldiers guarded
them successfully. Not a finger was lifted to help their bold rescuers
who were already dashing toward the city.

Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was crossing the James above Richmond to strike
from the south side, while General Kilpatrick led the attack direct from
the north, Dahlgren crossed the river at Ely's Ford, passed in the rear
of Lee's army, captured a Confederate court martial in session, but
missed a park of sixty-eight pieces of artillery which had been left
unguarded.

When they again reached the James at Davis' Mill, where a ford was
supposed to be, none could be found. Stanton had sent from Washington a
negro guide. They accused the negro of treachery and hung him from the
nearest limb without the formality of a drumhead court martial.

At dawn on March first, Bradley Johnson's cavalry, guarding Lee's flank,
struck one of Kilpatrick's parties and drove them in on the main body.
They pursued Kilpatrick's men through Ashland and down to the outer
defenses of Richmond.