sy job to capture and get away
with one of the boats and its load. He said that he had contemplated the
capture of one boat for the purpose of taking it to New Orleans and
selling the cotton, but had given up the idea of trying it as originally
intended, fearing that the cotton and boat would be confiscated at New
Orleans, because he was a rebel, even if he succeeded in getting there.

The suggested scheme struck me as being a good one, and in several trips
made outside for wood with this man as my guard we perfected our plans
for making the attempt.

I was to select a pilot and crew from the prisoners, and he agreed to
arrange for our exit from the stockade. We kept up daily communication
with each other until all was in readiness.

I had found a pilot and crew to man the boat. The capture seemed an easy
job, as we would most likely find the guards asleep. We had accumulated
some rations for the trip, and it was settled as to what night the
start would be made.

The stockade was made with two-inch planks, twelve feet long, placed on
end on the ground and strongly braced. The soil was sandy.

When the appointed time came our party quietly went to the place which
had been selected for the work, and we were busily digging our way out,
under the fence, when someone _inside_ of the stockade reported us to
the sergeant at the gate, who yelled out:

"Sergeant of the guard! Prisoners escaping!"

The sentinel on whose beat we were to escape could do no less than fire
his gun, which he promptly did, and the bullet came through the fence at
about the proper distance above the ground to perforate the body of
anyone not lying down. It seemed almost a miracle that no one in our
party of eight was hit.

All was confusion in short order, and it is needless to say that our
party left for a better neighborhood. When a file of soldiers ultimately
appeared on the scene they found almost everyone up and asking
questions; but the parties who had drawn the fire of the sentry were
among those sleeping peacefully in their quarters and dreaming of a home
without rebel guards.

Added to the keen disappointment which we experienced over the
frustrated effort to escape, we had the usual regrets incident to the
failure of a business operation, for that boat and cargo in New Orleans
would have meant a snug little pile to divide, and in this respect my
own regrets were above the average felt by the crowd, for it had been
agreed upon by the