have had in uniform. Up to this time, in the
excitement of flight, I had scarcely known that
I had been struck by the shot when I rolled
over, but I now saw that my shoe was torn and
bloody. The wound did not yet give me
inconvenience, and I paid no further attention to it,
but walking rapidly on, kept as well as I could
in the same direction. I was soon clear of the
wood, and taking the road that I believed to be
the way to the New York Ferry, rapidly marched
on, hoping to reach it in time for the last boat,
when it would be dark, and therefore less difficult
to escape without recognition. I walked for
some two hours, and on coming to a small
village, asked the distance to the Ferry, when, to
my utter consternation, I found that I had
been walking directly from it, and that I was
within a mile of the Jersey Ferry at Port Richmond.
I knew it was impossible for me to
get across, for at that point the captain of my
own company was on duty, and would of course
know me directly. Nevertheless, I kept on
towards the village, when suddenly a man, in the
United States uniform, sprang from the shadow
of a hedge and laid his hand on my shoulder. I
thought it must be an officer on patrol duty,
and seized him by the throat. When he with
some difficulty managed to make me believe him,
I found that he was one of the soldiers on guard
at the time of my escape, who, during the
confusion, had managed to make his escape too.
But he had come away without any preparation,
was entirely without money, and was in uniform;
his chance, therefore, was desperate, and he was
then thinking of giving himself up.

This meeting was awkward for me. I was as
ill off with my comrade in full uniform as if I
had remained in uniform myself. I dared not
refuse to throw in my chance with his, for he,
being reckless, might have given himself up to
the nearest guard, and screened himself by
informing against me. We therefore marched on
together, I feeling my hope of escape much
diminished. So we passed through the village
of Port Richmond. In the outskirts I made
inquiries as to the prospect there might be of
hiring a small boat, but some mischievous boys
raised the cry of " Deserters!" and we ran at once.

By this time it had become dark, and we kept
along the sea-shore until we reached a lonely
spot, with only an occasional fisherman's hut;
I not being in uniform knocked at several of
the doors, and tried to bargain for a boat to
put us across the water (which was there about
half a mile wide), but all moodily refused to
discuss the matter; all evidently suspected
me, and knew there must be something wrong,
when a ragamuffin like myself offered a large
sum for so small a service. Even two darkies,
whom we found busily engaged in splitting
wood, refused the fifty dollars which I
desperately offered them. They, too, had heard of
Fort Lafayette. After walking many weary
miles, trying all the boats we met with, and
invariably finding them locked and without their
oars, we discovered a helper whom I will not say a
word to identify, and were speedily placed on the
shore of the opposite state of New Jersey. I
offered our friend twenty-five dollars for his good
services, but he refused to take more than his
proper fare, one dollar. He even walked a mile with
us to put us on the road for a railway station.

By this time my foot began to pain me
excessively, and as we had still to walk several miles
to the station, I began to fear that I should be
unable to reach it. Had I been alone I should
have lain down where I was, but I began now to
feel the benefit of having a companion. My
comrade made me lean on his shoulder, and half
lifted me along. When he found that, almost
unclothed, I was shivering from the cold night
air, he at once took off his over-coat and threw
it across my shoulders. Slowly and painfully I
dragged myself (or rather he dragged me) forward.
We reached a station on the Pennsylvanian Railway
about midnight, and found people then waiting
for a train to New York. Our worst danger was
now to be faced. Night-time, however, favoured
us, and a slight circumstance in itself secured
our safe passage without suspicion. We entered
the station; my companion in uniform, and I with
his great-coat thrown loosely over my shoulders,
leaning heavily and painfully upon him, having,
as was obvious to all at a glance, been wounded in
my foot, for tracks of blood were left where I
walked along. This station being in a direct line
from the seat of war to New York, it was at once
inferred that I, a poor wounded soldier, was
being forwarded to New York under my
companion's care. Every one pitied me, and I
heard the words, "Poor fellow!" from many
lips. One officer present, even went so far as to
direct my companion to the place to which he
supposed I was to be taken. We reached the
Hudson River and crossed the ferry unquestioned
and unsuspected; for this, being the ferry from
New Jersey, and not from Staten Island, was
not very strictly guarded. Soon, therefore, we
found ourselves in comfortable quarters, where
the landlord insisted upon treating us, and
greedily swallowed the tales by which we
sustained our new characters. A soft feather-
bed in place of hard boards soon gave us the
sleep we much needed. We rose early in the
morning, breakfasted, and left the hotel. As no
soldier dares to show himself in New York without
a pass, and as I could be of no further
assistance to my companion, while he, by
remaining with me, would infallibly lead me into
danger, I gave up to him his great-coat, and
pressing on him a sum of money, left him to his
own devices. I now had the full advantage of
not being in uniform; out of it, dressed in rags
though I was, I had no difficulty in buying the
dress of a respectable civilian. So, with hair and
whiskers trimmed by a fashionable hairdresser,
and in a bran new suit of clothes, I began to feel
safe. But at the same time I knew that every
hour of delay in New York added largely to the
chance of my detection, as descriptive lists would