Page:The woman in battle .djvu/487

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THE JOHNSON'S ISLAND PRISON CAMP.
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glances with me, which intimated that they understood that I had a purpose in view in cultivating the acquaintance of the lieutenant so assiduously, and was disposed to befriend them by any means in my power.

As to the lieutenant, he took such a decided fancy to me, and was so excessively gallant, that he insisted upon paying all my incidental expenses along the road. To this I could not, under the circumstances, permit myself to make any objections, but I was unable to avoid wondering whether it was his own cash or that of Uncle Sam's he was so very free with. That, however, was no concern of mine, and it would have been even more impolite for me to have asked him the question than to have declined to permit him to pay my bills.

It was midnight when we reached Sandusky. The lieutenant, attentive to the last, put me in the hotel coach, and requesting me to keep an eye on his satchel, he excused himself for a few minutes until he could dispose of his prisoners. I do not know what he did with them ; but while I was waiting for him, I was also wishing heartily that they would manage to give him the slip and escape. Before a great while, how ever, he made his appearance again, and jumped in the coach. We then drove to the hotel, where he registered my name and procured "me a room. After seeing me safely installed in my quarters he said good-night, and expressed a hope that he would have the pleasure of escorting me to breakfast in the morning.

First Sight of Johnson's Island.

When I awoke the next morning I went to the window, and, drawing the blinds, looked out upon the lake, seeing in the distance what I supposed to be Johnson's Island. This little piece of ground, rising off there so serenely and beautifully from the bosom of the lake, was to be the scene of my next great effort in behalf of the Confederacy, an effort that, if crowned with success, would bring me more credit and renown, and would do more to promote the success of the cause, than all the fighting and campaigning I had done. On it were thousands of brave Confederates, who were sighing for their homes in the sunny South, sighing to be once more on the battle-field fighting for Southern independence, and, all unconscious that the moment was approaching when one good blow rightly struck would not only put an end to their irksome captivity, but would go far to secure all that they had taken