第23章

Hehituponanexcellentone。GoingtotheengineerofafreighttrainmakingreadytostartbacktoMacon,hetoldhimthathisfatherwasworkingintheConfederatemachineshopsatGriswoldville,nearMacon;

thathehimselfwasalsooneofthemachinistsemployedthere,anddesiredtogothitherbutlackedthenecessarymeanstopayhispassage。

Iftheengineerwouldlethimrideupontheenginehewoulddoworkenoughtopaythefare。Franktoldthestoryingeniously,theengineerandfiremenwerewonover,andgavetheirconsent。

NomorezealousassistanteverclimbeduponatenderthanFrankprovedtobe。Heloadedwoodwithanervousindustry,thatstoodhiminplaceofgreatstrength。Hekeptthetenderinperfectorder,andanticipated,asfaraspossible,everywantoftheengineerandhisassistant。Theyweredelightedwithhim,andtreatedhimwiththegreatestkindness,dividingtheirfoodwithhim,andinsistingthatheshouldsharetheirbedwhenthey"laidby"forthenight。Frankwouldhavegladlydeclinedthislatterkindnesswiththanks,ashewasconsciousthatthequantityof"graybacks"hisclothingcontaineddidnotmakehimaverydesirablesleepingcompanionforanyone,buthisfriendsweresopressingthathewascompelledtoaccede。

Hisgreatesttroublewasafearofrecognitionbysomeoneoftheprisonersthatwerecontinuallypassingbythetrainload,ontheirwayfromAndersonvilletootherprisons。HewasoneofthebestknownoftheprisonersinAndersonville;bright,active,alwayscheerful,andforeverinmotionduringwakinghours,——everyoneinthePrisonspeedilybecamefamiliarwithhim,andalladdressedhimas"SergeantFrankie。"Ifanyoneonthepassingtrainshadcaughtaglimpseofhim,thatglimpsewouldhavebeenfollowedalmostinevitablywithashoutof:

"Hello,SergeantFrankie！Whatareyoudoingthere？"

Thenthewholegamewouldhavebeenup。Frankescapedthisbypersistentwatchfulness,andbybusyinghimselfontheoppositesideoftheengine,withhisbackturnedtotheothertrains。

AtlastwhennearingGriswoldville,Frank,pointingtoalargewhitehouseatsomedistanceacrossthefields,said:

"Now,rightoverthereiswheremyunclelives,andIbelieveI\'lljustrunoverandseehim,andthenwalkintoGriswoldville。"

Hethankedhisfriendsferventlyfortheirkindness,promisedtocallandseethemfrequently,badethemgoodby,andjumpedoffthetrain。

Hewalkedtowardsthewhitehouseaslongashethoughthecouldbeseen,andthenenteredalargecornfieldandconcealedhimselfinathicketinthecenterofituntildark,whenhemadehiswaytotheneighboringwoods,andbeganjourneyingnorthwardasfastashislegscouldcarryhim。Whenmorningbrokehehadmadegoodprogress,butwasterriblytired。Itwasnotprudenttotravelbydaylight,sohegatheredhimselfsomeearsofcornandsomeberries,ofwhichhemadehisbreakfast,andfindingasuitablethickethecrawledintoit,fellasleep,anddidnotwakeupuntillateintheafternoon。

Afteranothermealofrawcornandberriesheresumedhisjourney,andthatnightmadestillbetterprogress。

Herepeatedthisforseveraldaysandnights——lyinginthewoodsinthedaytime,travelingbynightthroughwoods,fields,andby—pathsavoidingallthefords,bridgesandmainroads,andlivingonwhathecouldgleanfromthefields,thathemightnottakeevensomuchriskaswasinvolvedingoingtothenegrocabinsforfood。

Buttherearealwaysflawsineveryman\'sarmorofcaution——eveninsoperfectaoneasFrank\'s。Hiscompletesuccesssofarhadthenaturaleffectofinducingagrowingcarelessness,whichwroughthisruin。

Oneeveninghestartedoffbriskly,afterarefreshingrestandsleep。

HeknewthathemustbeverynearSherman\'slines,andhopecheeredhimupwiththebeliefthathisfreedomwouldsoonbewon。

Descendingfromthehill,inwhosedensebrushwoodhehadmadehisbedallday,heenteredalargefieldfullofstandingcorn,andmadehiswaybetweentherowsuntilhereached,ontheotherside,thefencethatseparateditfromthemainroad,acrosswhichwasanothercorn—field,thatFrankintendedentering。

Butheneglectedhisusualprecautionsonapproachingaroad,andinsteadofcomingupcautiouslyandcarefullyreconnoiteringinalldirectionsbeforeheleftcover,hesprangboldlyoverthefenceandstrodeoutfortheotherside。Ashereachedthemiddleoftheroad,hisearswereassailedwiththesharpclickofamusketbeingcocked,andtheharshcommand:

"Halt！halt,dah,Isay！"

Turningwithastarttohislefthesawnottenfeetfromhim,amountedpatrol,thesoundofwhoseapproachhadbeenmaskedbythedeepdustoftheroad,intowhichhishorse\'shoofssanknoiselessly。

Frank,ofcourse,yieldedwithoutaword,andwhensenttotheofficerincommandhetoldtheoldstoryabouthisbeinganemployeeoftheGriswoldvilleshops,offonaleaveofabsencetomakeavisittosickrelatives。But,unfortunately,hiscaptorsbelongedtothatsectionthemselves,andspeedilycaughthiminamazeofcross—questioningfromwhichhecouldnotextricatehimself。ItalsobecameapparentfromhislanguagethathewasaYankee,anditwasnotfarfromthistotheconclusionthathewasaspy——aconclusiontowhichtheproximityofSherman\'slines,thenlessthantwentymilesdistant—greatlyassisted。

BythenextmorningthisbeliefhadbecomesofirmlyfixedinthemindsoftheRebelsthatFranksawahalterdanglingalarminglynear,andheconcludedthewisestplanwastoconfesswhohereallywas。

Itwasnotthesmallestofhisgriefstorealizebyhowslightachancehehadfailed。Hadhelookeddowntheroadbeforeheclimbedthefence,orhadhebeentenminutesearlierorlater,thepatrolwouldnothavebeenthere,hecouldhavegainedthenextfieldunperceived,andtwomorenightsofsuccessfulprogresswouldhavetakenhimintoSherman\'slinesatSandMountain。Thepatrolwhichcaughthimwasonthelook—outfordesertersandshirkingconscripts,whohadbecomeunusuallynumeroussincethefallofAtlanta。

HewassentbacktousatSavannah。AshecameintotheprisongateLieutenantDaviswasstandingnear。HelookedsternlyatFrankandhisRebelgarments,andmuttering,"ByGod,I\'llstopthis！"caughtthecoatbythetails,toreittothecollar,andtookitandhishatawayfromFrank。

Therewasastrangesequeltothisepisode。Afewweeksafterwardaspecialexchangefortenthousandwasmade,andFranksucceededinbeingincludedinthis。HewasgiventheusualfurloughfromtheparoledcampatAnnapolis,andwenttohishomeinalittletownnearMansfield,O。

Onedaywhileonthecarsgoing——IthinktoNewark,O。,hesawLieutenantDavisonthetrain,incitizens\'clothes。HehadbeensentbytheRebelGovernmenttoCanadawithdispatchesrelatingtosomeoftheraidsthenharassingourNorthernborders。Daviswasthelastmanintheworldtosuccessfullydisguisehimself。Hehadalarge,coarsemouth,thatmadehimrememberedbyallwhohadeverseenhim。Frankrecognizedhiminstantlyandsaid:

"YouareLieutenantDavis？"

Davisreplied:

"Youaretotallymistaken,sah,Iam—————"

Frankinsistedthathewasright。Davisfumedandblustered,butthoughFrankwassmall,hewasasgameasabantamrooster,andhegaveDavistounderstandthattherehadbeenavastchangeintheirrelativepositions;

thattheone,whilestillthesameinsolentswaggerer,hadnotregimentsofinfantryorbatteriesofartillerytoemphasizehisinsolence,andtheotherwasnolongerembarrassedinthediscussionbytheimmenseoddsinfavorofhisjailoropponent。

AfterastormysceneFrankcalledintheassistanceofsomeothersoldiersinthecar,arrestedDavis,andtookhimtoCampChase——nearColumbus,O。,——wherehewasfullyidentifiedbyanumberofparoledprisoners。Hewassearched,anddocumentsshowingthenatureofhismissionbeyondadoubt,werefounduponhisperson。

Acourtmartialwasimmediatelyconvenedforhistrial。

Thisfoundhimguilty,andsentencedhimtobehangedasaspy。

AttheconclusionofthetrialFranksteppeduptotheprisonerandsaid:

"Mr。Davis,Ibelievewe\'reevenonthatcoat,now。"

DaviswassenttoJohnson\'sIslandforexecution,butinfluenceswereimmediatelysetatworktosecureExecutiveclemency。WhattheywereIknownot,butIaminformedbytheRev。RobertMcCune,whowasthenChaplainoftheOneHundredandTwenty—EighthOhioInfantryandthePostofJohnson\'sIslandandwhowasthespiritualadviserappointedtoprepareDavisforexecution,thatthesentencewashardlypronouncedbeforeDaviswasvisitedbyanemissary,whotoldhimtodismisshisfears,thatheshouldnotsufferthepunishment。

ItislikelythatleadingBaltimoreUnionistswereenlistedinhisbehalfthroughfamilyconnections,andastheBorderStateUnionistswerethenpotentatWashington,theyreadilysecuredacommutationofhissentencetoimprisonmentduringthewar。

Itseemsthatthejusticeofthisworldisveryunevenlydispensedwhensomuchsolicitudeisshownforthelifeofsuchaman,andnoneatallforthemuchbettermenwhomheassistedtodestroy。

Theofficialnoticeofthecommutationofthesentencewasnotpublisheduntilthedaysetfortheexecution,butthecertainknowledgethatitwouldbefo

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