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Cyrus
Harding
and
Gideon
Spilett
,
who
did
not
know
each
other
except
by
reputation
,
had
both
been
carried
to
Richmond
.
The
engineer
's
wounds
rapidly
healed
,
and
it
was
during
his
convalescence
that
he
made
acquaintance
with
the
reporter
.
The
two
men
then
learned
to
appreciate
each
other
.
Soon
their
common
aim
had
but
one
object
,
that
of
escaping
,
rejoining
Grant
's
army
,
and
fighting
together
in
the
ranks
of
the
Federals
.
The
two
Americans
had
from
the
first
determined
to
seize
every
chance
;
but
although
they
were
allowed
to
wander
at
liberty
in
the
town
,
Richmond
was
so
strictly
guarded
,
that
escape
appeared
impossible
.
In
the
meanwhile
Captain
Harding
was
rejoined
by
a
servant
who
was
devoted
to
him
in
life
and
in
death
.
This
intrepid
fellow
was
a
Negro
born
on
the
engineer
's
estate
,
of
a
slave
father
and
mother
,
but
to
whom
Cyrus
,
who
was
an
Abolitionist
from
conviction
and
heart
,
had
long
since
given
his
freedom
.
The
once
slave
,
though
free
,
would
not
leave
his
master
.
He
would
have
died
for
him
.
He
was
a
man
of
about
thirty
,
vigorous
,
active
,
clever
,
intelligent
,
gentle
,
and
calm
,
sometimes
naive
,
always
merry
,
obliging
,
and
honest
.
His
name
was
Nebuchadnezzar
,
but
he
only
answered
to
the
familiar
abbreviation
of
Neb.
.
When
Neb
heard
that
his
master
had
been
made
prisoner
,
he
left
Massachusetts
without
hesitating
an
instant
,
arrived
before
Richmond
,
and
by
dint
of
stratagem
and
shrewdness
,
after
having
risked
his
life
twenty
times
over
,
managed
to
penetrate
into
the
besieged
town
.
The
pleasure
of
Harding
on
seeing
his
servant
,
and
the
joy
of
Neb
at
finding
his
master
,
can
scarcely
be
described
.
But
though
Neb
had
been
able
to
make
his
way
into
Richmond
,
it
was
quite
another
thing
to
get
out
again
,
for
the
Northern
prisoners
were
very
strictly
watched
.
Some
extraordinary
opportunity
was
needed
to
make
the
attempt
with
any
chance
of
success
,
and
this
opportunity
not
only
did
not
present
itself
,
but
was
very
difficult
to
find
.
Meanwhile
Grant
continued
his
energetic
operations
.
The
victory
of
Petersburg
had
been
very
dearly
bought
.
His
forces
,
united
to
those
of
Butler
,
had
as
yet
been
unsuccessful
before
Richmond
,
and
nothing
gave
the
prisoners
any
hope
of
a
speedy
deliverance
.
The
reporter
,
to
whom
his
tedious
captivity
did
not
offer
a
single
incident
worthy
of
note
,
could
stand
it
no
longer
.
His
usually
active
mind
was
occupied
with
one
sole
thought
--
how
he
might
get
out
of
Richmond
at
any
cost
.
Several
times
had
he
even
made
the
attempt
,
but
was
stopped
by
some
insurmountable
obstacle
.
However
,
the
siege
continued
;
and
if
the
prisoners
were
anxious
to
escape
and
join
Grant
's
army
,
certain
of
the
besieged
were
no
less
anxious
to
join
the
Southern
forces
.
Among
them
was
one
Jonathan
Forster
,
a
determined
Southerner
.
The
truth
was
,
that
if
the
prisoners
of
the
Secessionists
could
not
leave
the
town
,
neither
could
the
Secessionists
themselves
while
the
Northern
army
invested
it
.
The
Governor
of
Richmond
for
a
long
time
had
been
unable
to
communicate
with
General
Lee
,
and
he
very
much
wished
to
make
known
to
him
the
situation
of
the
town
,
so
as
to
hasten
the
march
of
the
army
to
their
relief
.
Thus
Jonathan
Forster
accordingly
conceived
the
idea
of
rising
in
a
balloon
,
so
as
to
pass
over
the
besieging
lines
,
and
in
that
way
reach
the
Secessionist
camp
.
The
Governor
authorized
the
attempt
.
A
balloon
was
manufactured
and
placed
at
the
disposal
of
Forster
,
who
was
to
be
accompanied
by
five
other
persons
.
They
were
furnished
with
arms
in
case
they
might
have
to
defend
themselves
when
they
alighted
,
and
provisions
in
the
event
of
their
aerial
voyage
being
prolonged
.
The
departure
of
the
balloon
was
fixed
for
the
18th
of
March
.
It
should
be
effected
during
the
night
,
with
a
northwest
wind
of
moderate
force
,
and
the
aeronauts
calculated
that
they
would
reach
General
Lee
's
camp
in
a
few
hours
.
But
this
northwest
wind
was
not
a
simple
breeze
.
From
the
18th
it
was
evident
that
it
was
changing
to
a
hurricane
.
The
tempest
soon
became
such
that
Forster
's
departure
was
deferred
,
for
it
was
impossible
to
risk
the
balloon
and
those
whom
it
carried
in
the
midst
of
the
furious
elements
.
