This was continued till the public mind was in a perfect
ferment. The next step was to take some slaves, and whip them until
the torture made them confess their own guilt, and also implicate the
leading opponents of secession. This was enough. The slaves and
Unionists were hung together on the nearest tree, and all opposition
to the nefarious schemes brutally crushed. Thus has slavery furnished
the means of paving the way to treason!

Miller himself was taken, and after narrowly escaping the fate of his
friends, was sent eastward to be tried as a traitor. He twice made his
escape, once traveling over two hundred miles, and each time, when
captured, telling a different story. Finally, he represented himself
as a citizen from New York. When brought before Judge Baxter, the
magistrate of Castle Thunder, for examination, he merely said:

"I told you all about my case before."

The judge, who was considerably intoxicated, thought that he had
actually been examined before, and dismissed him without further
questioning. He was brought up several times after that, but always
gave them the same answer, thus keeping them completely deceived, and
was at length exchanged.

I here became acquainted with a young man of the Potomac army, whom I
shall call Charlie. He was employed to go near Richmond to fire a
bridge, and collect important information. While executing his
perilous mission, he was captured, with papers in his possession fully
proving his character as a spy, and was despatched with a sergeant as
escort, toward Richmond. While on the way, the sergeant, who was fond
of liquor, got a chance to indulge, and became very careless. Charlie,
watching his opportunity, slipped from the breast pocket of his guard
the packet of papers containing his charges, with the directions for
his disposal, and threw them into a pond by the wayside.

When he arrived at Richmond, the authorities did not know his
character, and put him into the large room with the other prisoners,
instead of confining him separately. When the evidence against him
arrived, the commanding officer entered with a guard, and inquired for
him. Now was his last chance for life, and well was it improved! It so
happened that a man had died in the prison the night before, and
Charlie at once responded:

"O! that fellow died last night," and pointed to the corpse.

"Died, has he! the rascal! We'd 'a hung him this week, and saved him
the trouble if he'd only held on