y to elude the
vigilance of the guard; they hardly took their eyes off him during the
ride. Possibly they thought the young fellow was President Lincoln in
disguise, and that the salvation of the Southern Confederacy depended
upon his safe delivery into the hands of the provost-marshal at Richmond.

The roads were very muddy from the recent rains, and it required two
hours to accomplish the distance to the railroad station. On their
arrival, Somers was handed over to another officer in charge of the camp
at the station. Captain de Banyan had already been sent forward to
Petersburg, and another train would not depart till evening. Somers was
carefully guarded during the remainder of the day, and an attempt to get
away would have been equivalent to committing suicide. At dark he was put
into a baggage-car, with two soldiers to guard him; and in a short time
reached the city of Petersburg. With several other unfortunate Union
soldiers, he was placed in a small room in the station-house, to remain
until a train should start for Richmond. Of course, they were carefully
guarded; and Somers began to fear that he should, after all, be compelled
to visit the rebel capital without the army.

The room was on the second floor, with two windows opening into the
street; but the prisoners were charged, on penalty of being shot, not to
look out at them. There was not the ghost of a chance to operate under
such unfavorable circumstances; and Somers gave up all thoughts of doing
anything that night. Stretching himself on the floor, he tried to sleep;
but his spirit was too great to permit him calmly to view the prospect of
a rebel prison. As he lay on the floor, he ransacked his brain for some
expedient which would save him from the horrors of Libby or Belle Isle.

The best scheme that suggested itself was to leap from the cars on the
way to Richmond. It involved the liability to a broken neck or a broken
limb; but he determined to watch for an opportunity to execute this
reckless purpose. His companions in bondage were worn out with long
marches, and all of them slept on the floor around him in a few moments
after they entered the room. They had asked him some questions; but he
kept his own counsel, and endeavored to cheer their desponding spirits
with the hope of being soon exchanged.

At last Somers went to sleep himself, after he had heard a church clock
in the city strike eleven. He had slept none on the preceding night, and
his