ff^^ (lass ^ _^^/A_ Book d t\ 6/ {'()\mM X'.' (OI'YUK.III Dlil-OSIT. I90B A LITTLE lilD. Kalharim- Klizalieth (Jainble, Graiiddaujililer of the Author. THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE A HISTORV ('^ THE PRISON AND ITS CEMETERY, T /ITH OTHER CEMETERIES WHERE CONFEDERATE PRISON- ERS ARE BURIED, ETC. BY WlLiLIAM H. KNAUSS Nashville, Tenn., and Dallas, Tex. Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Smith & Lamar, Agents 1906 LIBRARY of CONGRFSS Two Coofe? Received JUN 27 1906 . Oopyngfii Entry . CLAfes a! ]dt. No, ' ~OPY fe. ' *^ Copyright, 1906, BY Margaret M. Knauss. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Decorating the Graves — 1896. p.^gj. After Long Years Strangers Pay Tribute to the Valor of the South- ern Dead — The First Programme at Cainp -Chase — What Was Said That Day and Who Said It— ^A Stranger from the South Had Something to Say — An Afternoon Where Tenderness Reigned — More Than Two Thousand Flags Fluttering over Low Green Mounds — The Setting Sun Stoops to Kiss the Little Banners as It Sinks to Rest — Left Alone in Their Slumbers i "CHAPTER II. Caring for the Graves — 1897. A Larger Crowd — A Southern Orator, Col. Bennett H. Young, Addresses the People Assembled — Address of Judge David F. Pugh, a Northern Veteran — The Chairman Reviews the History of the Cemetery — The Mayor of the City Speaks Briefly — Some Letters from the South ; Also Cash^The Second Memorial Service over the Confederate Dead a Success 9 CHAPTER III. The Interest Growing — 1898. Again Orators of the North and the South Pay Tribute to the Silent Dead — Patriotic Lessons Taught — The Confederate Glee Club from Louisville Is Present — Colonel Young, Captain Leathers, and Mr. Osborne the Southern Speakers, Capt. G. H, Bargar Represent- ing the North — Letter from a Texas Veteran — A Lady from Atlanta Writes Encouragingly — "You Will Be Gratefully Remembered by Us ; Yours for America on Land or Sea" 19 CHAPTER IV. The Services of 1899. The Children of Avondale School Sing — Orations by Judge David E. Johnson, of Bluetields, W. Va., and by Gen. W. D. Hamilton — Tableau of Blue and Gray with Hands Clasped — An Impromptu Service Some Days before the Regular Decoration Exercises — The Southern Members of Waterworks Convention Pleased and Im- pressed — They Stood with Uncovered Heads — The Mystery of the Broken Tombstone 41 b vi THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. CHAPTER V. Camp Chase in 1900. ,.^^,^ Ohio's Governor Prescnl at the Services at Camp Chase — He Makes a Wise and Patriotic Address — The Ex-Confederates Pleased with His Kindly Expressed Sentiments Concerning the Dust of the Lonely Dead — General Arnold, of Kentucky, Delivered an Eloquent and Touching Speech — Mrs. T. W. Rose, President of the Ladies' So- ciety of the Union Veteran Legion, Spoke with Much Tenderness — Dr. Thomas P. Shields, an Ex-Confederate of Ohio, One of the Speakers — What Southern Governors Said 49 CHAPTER VL The Memorial of 1901. Arm in Arm the Men of the South and North Marched into the Cemetery Where Sleep the Dead of Camp Chase Prison — Com- mander Shields, of the Confederate Camp, and Commander Grim, of McCoy Post, G. A. R., Lead the Way — Children of Avondale School Sing — Rev. John Hewitt Delivers an Address — Hon. Emmet Tompkins, Then Republican Member of Congress, Delivers an Oration — Remarks by Rev. Howard Henderson, Ex-Confederate — Captain Rogers, an Ex-Confederate, Places Southern Flowers on Graves of the Union and Confederate Soldiers 56 CHAPTER VH. The Monument Unveiled — 1902. What Southern Writers Who Were Present Said about the Occasion —The Chairman Tells Who Helped So Liberally with the Arch— The Oration of Governor Nash — The Reply of Judge D. E. John- ston, of West Virginia— The Speech of Judge D. F. Pugh— Cap- tain Dinkins, of New Orleans, Delivers an Eloquent Speech — The Story of the Colored Men — Letter from Mrs. Randolph — Invitation to Go to Nashville — The Monument Turned Over to the Ex-Con- federates — Happy Ending of the Author's Work at Camp Chase.. 62 CHAPTER VHI. Odds and Ends. Planting Trees at Camp Chase Cemetery— An Incident of Concord, N. C— Confederate Dead at Gallipolis— Official Correspondence Concerning the Cemetery— A Few of the Many Friendly Let'.ers —The Return of a Confederate Flag— A Speech That Caused Com- ment—Insinuating Postal Cards— The Visit of Editor Cunningham — Visiting Camp Chase Cemetery in Winter 84 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER IX. Visiting the South. ,.^0^^ A Trip to New Orleans Mardi Gras Time — An Unlooked-For Re- ception — What the Crescent City Papers Said — Great Bouquets of Roses by the Ladies — The Confederates Present the Stranger with a Fine Gold Badge — Eloquent Speech of Captain Dinkins — An Edi- torial — Going to Nashville — A Fourth of July Event — Meeting Friends Both Blue and Gray — Guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Toney — A Remarkable Camp Fire — Well Repaid 100 CHAPTER X. Camp Ch.^se in 1861. Once a Military Camp and Prison ; Now a Fine Farm — The First Prisoners — A Confederate Pictures the Daily Grind of Prison Life — What a Texan Remembers of Camp Chase Prison — The Plot to Escape — The Spies' Report — Brutalizing Effects of Prison Life — The Man with the Poor Memory — The Deserter and the Prisoner — Strother's Story — Work on Camp Chase Begun in May, 1861 Ill CHAPTER XL Increasing Numbers. The Indifference of Columbus toward the Soldiers — Southern Pris- oners Were Not the Only Men Neglected — A Wife Accompanies Her Husband to Prison — Arrival of a Number of Officers — A Ken- tuckian Expresses Himself — What the Raw Recruit Said— The Long Roll Beaten — Almost a Riot 122 CHAPTER XII. The Year.^ Crept Slowly On. From 1863 to 1865 — Gen. John Morgan and His Men — A Brief Review of His Famous Raid through Ohio — On the Road to Camp Chase — A Tennessee Judge Once a Boy Prisoner — The Boy and the Bowlder — A Conspiracy 129 CHAPTER XIII. After Forty-Two Years. The Intercepted Letters Found in the Ohio State House by State Librarian Galbreath — Some of the Letters Photographed — Some Letters from Down South — List of Letters Not Used in This Vol- ume — History of Mrs. Clark, by Her Son, Rev. Frank P. Clark. .. . 140 viii THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. C H A P T E R XIV. Johnson's Island. ,,,,^ A Prison Comfortable in Simimcr, hut Cold in Winter — The First Prisoners to Arrive at Sandusky — The Town Turns Out to See Them — A Sad-Faced Lad — Making a Rope of the Flag — The Chap- lain's Consoling Words — Letters from Johnson's Island — The Num- ber of Prisoners upon the Island Each Month in 1862, 1863, 1864. . 184 CHAPTER XV. Stories of thk Prison in Sandusky Bay. Prison Rules at Johnson's Island — The Grapevine Telegraph — The Opinion of Whitelaw Reid — The Execution of Corbin and Mc- Graw — A Pathetic Letter — A Deserter Shot — Campbell, the Spy — Wanted Back in Prison — Adventure of Captain Gubbins — How Lieutenant Bowles Was Killed — A Brave Kentuckian -Calmly Meets His Fate 194 CHAPTl'R XVI. The Great Conspiracy. Plan to Liberate the Prisoners on Johnson's Island — Beall Captures the Philo Parsons and the Island Queen — Captain Cole Fails to Capture the Gunboat Michigan, Guarding Sandusky Bay — The Con- spirators to Spike the Guns of the Land Batteries — In Face of Dan- ger They Weakened — Capture of Cole — How Beall Got Away with the Philo Parsons — The Effort to Get Canada Involved in War with the United States — Great Excitement at Sandusky — Warn- ing of the Toronto (Canada) Globe — The Trials of Beall and Bur- leigh — Southern Version oi the Plot 207 CHAPTER XVII. A Thrilling Escape. Prisoners Plan to Escape — Major Winston, of North Carolina, Major Stokes, of Virginia, Captain McConnell. of Kentucky, and Captains Robinson, Davis, and Stokes, of Virginia, Scale the Wall — The Thermometer Thirty-Three Degrees below Zero and the Wind Blowing a Gale — Captain Stokes Recaptured — Making a Raid on a Farmer's Stable — A Troubled Dutchman — No Sleep for Sixty Hours— Going through Toledo, Ohio — Breaking through the Ice — Safe under the British Flag J25 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XVIII. Plain Living at Johnson's Island. p^^j. The Story of LieutLiiant Cunningham — Eighteen Months a Prisoner at Johnson's Island — An Interesting Story Cleverly Told — The Lights and Shades of Prison Life — Pierson's Ten Commandments — Nothing in the Lord's Prayer to Cover the Emergency — Getting Home at Last — A Hugging Match 22,7 CHAPTER XIX. Personal Stories of Camp Chase. Diary of Capt. A. S. McNeil— Nine Months a Prisoner at Camp Chase — An Unbiased Story of Prison Life — Going Home at Last — Story of R. H. Strother in Prison at the Same Time as Captain McNeil — Shooting at Prisoners — The Narrative of Lieutenant Mitchell — He Tells of Lieutenant Grasty's Escape — How^ Captain Herbert Came to Camp Chase— A Pleasant Deputy Sheriff — The Effects of Overeating 254 CHAPTER XX. Johnson's Island Stories, New and Old. Incidents of the Island Prison First Told in the Confederate J\'t- cran — Pen Pictures of the Place in 1864 270 CHAPTER XXI. A Confederate Spy in Ohio. Promoted from First Duty Sergeant to Major— Scouting in the Moun- tains—A Narrow Escape— Recruiting for the Confederate Army in Ohio— Meeting the Knights of the Golden Circle— Makes Colum- bus His Headquarters for a Time— Visits Camp Chase— A Peep • into the Prison — Getting Confederate Recruits through the Lines —The Story of Major Marlowe 274 CHAPTER XXII. Getting Together. Some True Stories That Illustrate What Friends Americans Can Be. though Enemies Once — The Man Who Shot Me — Telling the Story of the Battle — The Captured Silverware — Drinking from the Little Cup in After Years — Plowing with the Yankees' Horses — A Little Rebel Bootblack — Hunting a New Home — A Northern Office Hold- er — Governor Campbell's Last Pardon 294 X THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. C HATTER XX 11 I. The End at Last. p^q^ A Hero or a Dunce — The Story of a Spy — He Was Captured at Newark. Ohio — Sentenced to Be Hanged — How It Ended — One Hundred Dollars Reward Offered for a Prisoner — Dangers of the Ice Bridge — The Death of Lincoln — Colonel Hill Announced It — His Letter to the Sandusky Sentinel — The Money of the Prisoners in Bank — A Pathetic Poem — Going Home at Last — A Visit to John- son's Island in 1904 — The End 302 INTRODUCTION. In this volume the author seeks to give to the survivors of the Southern army such data as may be of interest to them and their friends, and it is his earnest prayer that this story, however imperfect, may be kept somewhere in Southern homes. Southern societies, and by patriotic associations, to keep green the memory of their heroes, when they and he shall have passed into the si- lence. More than forty years ago the story began, and it is not yet ended, nor can it end while there are human hearts to thrill at deeds heroic. When there is left in this fair land not one person to remember or care for the mighty deeds of the sixties, or for the men who went down to death, will the story be concluded. The cemetery at Camp Chase has received regular care since 1894. Those who went to sleep so far away from home were, in the main, plain, simple folk, and the world knew little about them. Here and there in the South a heart ached because a man in gray marched away from home and never returned. The names of most of these men were marked on boards at the heads of the graves, but have been destroyed by storms and by time. For thirty years God only has known just where they are. Time, the great healer, had almost ceased to dress the festering wounds that war had left, when He who doeth all things well caused Henry Briggs to place in the hands of the author a little paper-covered book containing the names of the Confederate dead in Ohio. It was not to be that their names should perish from ofif the earth, for the annual report of Adjt. Gen. B. R. Cowen, submitted to Governor Cox. of Ohio, in 1868, contained the list of the dead in Camp Chase. Prisoners of war did not die amid the roar and crash of battle, where soldiers go to death with heart aflame and blood on fire ; but, heart-sick and weary, they sank to rest far from home, far from shrill of fife or beat of drum. It is not the purpose of this volume to compare the prisons North and South. Prison and paradise are not synonymous terms. There was xii THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. suffering, there was death, where the Southern sun hlistered and burned in the shadeless prisons ; there were months when the cold blasts of the North chilled to death, and stilled the heart throbs of the soldiers of the South. A chivalrous man prefers to for^^et the things that rankle, and remember instead the deeds that thrill. With this idea ever in view, a soldier of the Union, wounded in its defense, seeks to tell in a simple and unharrowing manner the story of Ohio's military prisons, and the incidents pertaining to the care of the same since 1894. This story might come from some one else with better grace : but as the author's work is a part of its history, he will tell it plainly and with sincere regard for the conditions to all concerned. In 1868 business called the author to North Carolina and \'ir- ginia, at which time a friendship was formed between himself and an ex-Confederate who was acting as a guide. By compar- ing notes, the fact developed that both were wounded in the same battle — Fredericksburg. The Confederate lost a leg. Through a bond of the friendship then formed, we mutually agreed to as- sist the comrades of the other, as best we could, whenever op- portunity occurred. A few months later, while visiting the battlefields of Antietam and South Mountain, the writer found a graveyard where a number of Confederates had been buried. It was upon the side of a hill, and uninclosed. Having in mind the agreement with his Confederate friend, he hired a farmer living near by to build a log fence around the graves of those soldiers who had fallen in battle. Thus he became impressed with the belief that some good might be done, and, perchance, some persons be made happy should they learn that a stranger respected the resting place of their loved and lost. Upon coming from New Jersey to Columbus in 1893. ^^^ learned of the Confederate cemetery west of the city, where there are buried more than two thousand ex-Confederates who had died while i)risoners of war in Camp Chase, and that the burial place was in a very bad condition. The gate and gateposts of the stone wall inclosing the cemetery were down, the ground over- run with briers, bramble bushes, and weeds, and it had become a resort for animals. INTRODUCTION. xiii Shortly afterwards he arranged with Mr. Henry Briggs, who owns a farm opposite the cemetery, to have it cleaned up : and in the spring a few friends distributed some flowers about the place. GEN. GEORGE MOORMAN. During the following year (1895) efforts were made to find some ex-Confederates in Columbus. A meeting of some gentle- men was called at his ofifice, and it was agreed that we inaugurate a memorial service and contribute pro rata to the expense. A programme was arranged, and steps were taken to have the place grubbed and thoroughly cleaned, have the trees trimmed, the gate and gateposts reset, and other necessary work done. xiv THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. W'itliin tlirce days of the time arranged for the services the speak- ers all backed out, concluding that it would be unpopular and injure them as professional men. This action was a source of deep regret, but he determined to have the service and pay the expenses himself. All of the newspapers were visited and re- quested to say nothing about the matter except that services were to be held there, and to have their reporters present to report in a fitting manner what occurred. As tile street cars at that time ran only within a mile of the cemetcr\-. wagons were hired to convey the people from the terminus of the street railway to the cemetery. Lumber was sent out to build seats, and arrangements were made for com- fort. The result was a nice service with about fifty people pres- ent. The proceedings of that day are given in Chapter I. During the year he ascertained that Capt. W. B. Allbright, a Confederate, had been a resident of Columbus for several years, but had not let himself be known as such. He consented to join in the service the coming year, for which quite extensive prepara- tions were made, with the result that probably a hundred people were present. About this time five or six friends in sympathy with tlic cau.^e paid for some shrubbery and young trees, wliich were placed in the cemetery. While riding in a carriage with Ceu. J. 15. Gordon during one of his visits to Columbus the writer asked if, in his opinion, the Southern people would appreciate the service and care of the ground enough to send some flowers for the following spring ceremony, when with a comrade's demonstration he said: "My dear friend, my people in the South would be happy to have the pleasure of sending their choicest flowers for the purpose of decorating those graves. Through my .Adjutant (icneral Moor- man I will see that the peoj^le of the South are made acquainted with your desires, and you will have the flowers and the prayers of them all." At the proper time a request was made of Gen- eral Moorman, and the flowers came in large quantities for the service in 1897. On this occasion there were present i.ooo to 1.500 persons. The principal addresses were made by Judge David F. Pugh, an ex-Union soldier, and Col. Bennett II. Young, an ex-Confederate. Both addresses were highly appreciated, and published in the newspapers here and throughout the South. INTRODUCTION. xv The writer emphasizes the fact that the newspapers of Co- lumbus not only treated that first meeting with great consid- eration, but the same attention has been given to each succeed- ing year on the Memorial Day at Camp Chase as to the annual decoration exercises over the graves of the Union dead. The author was subjected to much unkind criticism by his Northern comrades, so that this public indorsement by the press was very gratifying. Time, which softens the heart's bitterness by the harsh deeds of war, has failed to remove all the enmities born of that first service at Camp Chase. The author does not seek sympathy from his friends in the South because of this, for he undertook the work keenly alert to the fact that there would be opposition. On one occasion — the presentation of a floral piece — a commit- tee, self-constituted perhaps, sent for him to appear at the State- house, where meetings of the committee were being held. He did not go, but a member of the committee came to his office and proceeded to lecture him on the error of his ways, demand- ing to know who paid for the design in question, and that he desist from conducting these memorials for the Southern soldiers. In reply he made a few remarks expressive of his indignation, and then promptly left. Following the service of 1897 some eight or ten ex-Confederates in the county were found, who, with the exception of one or two, united with us. These thought it would injure their business to be known. That the graves might be shaded by trees from their native land, application was made to the different States in the South for a donation, and each State contributed ten trees, but unfortunately very few of them lived. The G. A. R. Drill Corps, the Uniform Company of \>terans, which had assisted year after year at Camp Chase, as at the Union Cemetery, firing salutes, were at last requested by the Adjutant General of the Department of Ohio, G. A. R. — prompted by certain G. A. R. men of Columbus — not to attend the Confeder- ate services. Colonel Coit, commanding the Fourth Regiment Ohio National Guard, hearing of the action, tendered a company of his and a regimental band for the occasion, the services of which were gratefully accepted. xvi THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Notwithstanding" the opposition, the work went on each year. The interest grew, the crowds came, and the people of the Soutli sent flowers to place upon the graves of their dead heroes. In 1898 the presence of the Confederate Glee Club from Louis- ville, Ky., added greatly to the interest of the services. Col. Bennett Young, of the same city, was again one of the orators of the occasion, and so well was he gratified that he planned to have presented to the G. A. R. upon the following year the floral design symbolic of the peace and harmony existing between the sections. The design, a most beautiful and expensive one, was ready for ]\lay 30. The writer attended a meeting of a joint committee in charge of the Memorial Day exercises at Post Hall for the purpose of having the design accepted and placed on the lot known as the "Circle." where the ritualistic services of the G. A. R. are con- ducted. The joint committee was in session when he arrived, and had drawn up resolutions condemning the acceptance of such an emblem. After listening to the reading of the resolu- tions, he asked the chairman if the sentiments expressed \vere those of the committee, and all answered in the affirmative. He then expressed disgust at their unsoldierlike action. Arrange- ments were then made to have the design placed in a wagon and follow the parade, with printed banners, telling the people of Columbus what it was and what it meant. This plan did not carr\', however, because the Ex-Soldiers and Sailors" Association, hearing of the action of those G. A. R. men, said: "Put that floral piece on the Ex-Soldiers and Sailors" lot ; we will be pleased to accept it."' Leaning against the splendid monument erected by the county u])on their lot the beautiful floral j^icture was placed. Prom out of a bed of immortelles came an arm with a sleeve of blue holding a flag of Our Country, and from the other side was an arm with a sleeve of gray extended to receive the flag. The emblem was one of the most elaborate floral pieces ever seen in this city, and was the sensation of the day. At the proper time it was presented to the ex-soldiers and sailors of Eranklin Count\. Ohio, in the following words: "You see, my comrades, this beauti- ful design which is the gift of Southern friends who wore the gray, to be placed over the graves of men who wore the blue. It is IXTRODVCriOK. xvu fit that it should be here, for the sons of the North and South are marching under one flag. I feel, my comrades, that the men who knew the least of war's hardships are the bitterest to-day. There are exceptions, I admit. We do not envy that man who, in the face of this expression of unity, seeing the grand uprising of the North and South for the glory and honor of America, can coldly turn his back upon the outstretched hand of his brother. In the name of the donor, my friend in the South. I present to you this emblem of a reunited people, wishing that it may be received in the spirit in which it is ofifered." The Ex-Soldiers' Society has selected Col. S. N. Cook to form- ally accept the design, who said: "We receive this most beautiful tokeii of a new^ and splendid era in the history of our country when on Northern graves lie fragrant blossoms of the South, and on graves of Southern soldiers rest Northern blossoms. With pride and thankfulness the oldest veteran organization in the city of Columbus, born before the Grand Army was, accepts this beautiful gift from brave men. If there was no other reason for accepting this gift than the mere fact that Fitzhugh Lee, the Vir- ginian, is wearing to-day a uniform of blue, and soldiers from North and South vie with each other in doing honor to him, we should accept it. We should place it where it is. and treasure it afterwards as a gift beyond price. The gift reminds us also that Gen. Joe Wheeler is in the saddle again. When I see the men of the South marching with steady tread under the folds of our glorious banner, then it is indeed a pleasure and an honor to ac- cept such a token of esteem from the South." The newspapers spoke enthusiastically of this event, and the only criticism came from the few who seemed to forget that they had fought no man in gray for over forty years. We turn with pleasure from this unpleasant side of the sub- ject to the erection and unveiling of the monumental arch, an event of great pleasure to the author. Elsewhere this event is narrated in detail. In that part of the history devoted to the year 1902, Mr. W. P. Harrison is given credit for his generous dona- tion toward the arch and monument, which came unsolicited and unexpectedly, and for which the author will ever feel grateful. The monument w'ould have been erected had no generous friend been found, and not a dollar would have been asked or accepted from the South. The writer felt it a dutv that he owed his friends. xvili THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. as well as a testimony to the dead, for he has found in the last eight years that no matter where he has met a Southerner he met a friend. The unutterable loneliness and shameful disorder of Camp Chase Cemetery as it was when first seen by the writer moved his heart to pity, and he felt impelled to do what has been done, and the result has been that the monumenal arch was built to the perfect satisfaction and gratitude of the delegations from West \'irginia. Kentucky, and other portions of the South, and of all who have seen it. The events just related lead to a time after the ex-Confederates in the county had formed a Confederate Camp, and the Southern ladies a Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy here in Columbus, and this having been done, he concluded, when the monument was unveiled and presented to the Confederates, that his work was completed. The presentation of the monument was made by a G. A. R. comrade, Judge David F. Pugh. and received by an ex-Confed- erate Congressman. David E. Johnston, of Bluefield. W. \'a.. Gen. J. B. Gordon, who was to receive it. being unable to be present. With the presentation of the monumental arch the care and charge of the cemetery was turned over to the Daughters of the Confederacy. The monument was unveiled by the writer's daughter, Eliz- abeth May (John T.) Gamble, and IHorence Tucker (John H.) Winder, assisted by Mrs. David Lindsey (T. M.) Worcester. From the beginning his wife and children, together with Miss Sadie Stimmel, I\Ir. Charles Roth, and Mr. Thomas J. Davies. gave him constant assistance in the work. There was opposition to the erection of the monument, not- withstanding the greatly improved sentiment, and threats were made that if done it would be blown up. Two men were em- ployed to stay at the grounds during its erection, and to guard it at night for some ten days after the unveiling, but no one at- tempted to molest it. It may have been because the Governor of the State of Ohio, Hon. George K. Nash, had been present, and had made a speech full of sympathy for the occasion, or it may have been because of fear of the Northern soldiers guarding it. When the storm was most bitter; the gentle-hearted Mc- Kinley, at Atlanta, spoke words that well might silence the crit- INTRODUCTION. xix icism that followed my every attempt to honor the last resting place of the Confederate dead, and it is fitting that in this per- sonal chapter this splendid sentiment be repeated : "Every sol- dier's grave made during the unfortunate Civil War is a tribute to American valor; and while when these graves were made we differed widely about the future of the government, those differ- ences were long ago settled by the arbitrament of arms — and the time has now come in the evolution of sentiment and feeling, tmder the providence of God, when, in the spirit of fraternity, we should share with you in the care of the graves of the Confed- erate dead." . The President had uttered these words in 1898. Some of the seeds of kindness fell upon stony places. There were some even in 1902 who hated the sight of that arch. At this point, even though good taste offending, the writer quotes from Circular Letter No. 86, United Confederate Veterans, May 20, 1898, the words of Adjutant General Moorman, pub- lished in the Confederate W^tcran: To All Commanders and Confederate Veteran Camps. At Camp Chase, Ohio, where 2,260 Confederate soldiers are buried, that noble "American," Col. William H. Knauss, a brave Union soldier, and his grand coworkers have designated June 4 next as the date for Decoration Day, when ceremonies will be observed and flowers will be strewn over these 2.260 long-neg- lected graves, where rest the heroes, sleeping far away from homes, kindred, and loved ones. It is well known that the cemetery which contains the re- mains of these Southern soldiers was rescued from decay and neglect, repaired, a stone wall built around the place, trees and shrubbery planted, the grounds cleaned up, and an annual Decora- tion Day observed, through the humanity and patriotism of Govs. R. B. Hayes and J. B. Foraker, the golden-hearted William H. Knauss. Mr. Henry Briggs. a farmer living near. Capt. W. B. Allbright, an ex-Confederate soldier, and a few other friends. By order of John B. Gordon, General Comnia)ider. The Heaven-gifted orator, the knightly soldier, the splendid gentleman has gone from us. but the perfume of his good deeds remains to make the world sweeter. In life his hand clasped the writer's and somewhere and sometime our hands will clasp again. In telling the story of Camp Chase and Johnson's Island much information was secured through the courtesy of others. The XX THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. author has drawn Hberally upon the Confederate Veteran, Nash- ville, upon all of the Columbus i^apers, the Sandusky Register, and (itluT ( )\uo newspapers. He desires to express his gratitude also to Captains McXeil, Dinkins, Herbert, Lieutenant Mitchell, D. H. Strother. and Majors Wilson and Marlowe for intcrestins;: reminiscences, and Mr. C. 1>. (jalbraith, Ohio State Librarian, for the long^-lost letters given. The author is impressed with the idea that such a history as this should be given before all those who had a part in it were dead, and man\' Southern friends have urged it. It is a simple story of men who endured much, who fought bravely, and they who survived went back to their commands and fought again, and when it was all over went home — gen- erally speaking to desolate homes — but one rich in love and af- fection, if there was a Southern woman in that home. Those who died here went to their final rest as became brave men. The history of these prisons of Ohio has been gathered from various sources — from survivors who remember well the time of their captivity, from diaries kept by prisoners, and from his- tories of regiments, etc. With no thought but that of pride and admiration for the great American people, regarding no North or no South, but a land rich in memories of its brave dead, this volume is offered. THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. CHAPTER I. Decorating the Graves — 1896. After Long Years Strangers Pa}- Tribute to the Valor of the Southern Dead — The First Programme at Camp Chase — What Was Said That Day and Who Said It — A Stranger from the South Had Something to Say — An Afternoon Where Tenderness Reigned — More Than Two Thousand Flags Fluttering over Low Green Mounds — The Setting Sun Stoops to Kiss the Little Banners as It Sinks to Rest — Left Alone in Their Slumbers. In the Introdttction the reader was enabled to see the begin- ning- of an annual event, uncommon in the North. When those A^ho began this work shall have gone to their rest, the service will continue. Because of the uniqueness of its beginning, opposition to it from unlooked-for sources, and because of the warm hand-clasps and tender words of commendation from the South, the history of these events is given. The press, both North and South, have published columns, making the telling less difificult than if one told the story of this simple work from memory. Necessarily the author draws upon these detailed facts, and thus the friends of those whO' sleep at Camp Chase, Ohio, may see how the strangers, at last, after long years, came to pay reverence to their memory as American soldiers, whether or not in sympathy with the cause in which they were engaged. The first complete prograinme of exercises at Camp Chase Cemetery was held upon the afternoon of June 5, 1896. A small service was held there in 1895. The day was beautiful, and the little cemetery was decorated with two thousand two hundred and sixty American flags waving over the dust of mortals who nearly forty years before had fought bravely, during the battle storm, under the "Stars and Bars." 2 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Quiet, orderly, and reverential were the fifty or more persons who gathered to take part in or listen to the services. Hushed were the voices, as though the sleeping ones might be awakened from their rest. Speaking of this occasion, the Press-Post, of Columbus, said: The little Confederate Cemetery at Camp Chase, with its green, waving elm trees, its long grass rank with the richness of the graveyard, its birds the only creatures that until yesterday ever sang a hymn over the last resting place of over two thousand brave men, its deathlike peace — the little cemetery, with its long ranks of the dead, was the scene of one of the most remarkable events ever witnessed in this country. It was a sight that proved that the bitterness of war time can die away even with those who experienced all the heat and passion of the battle, who went through the long, weary marches, who lay in the mud of the trenches under the fire of the enemies' guns, and who froze or famished in dreary camps. Veterans of the Union army were assisted by veterans of the Southern Confederacy in the beautiful work of laying flowers upon the graves of two thousand two hundred and sixty Confederate dead who lie under the grass and in the shade of the trees in the stone-girdled cemetery. No scene could have been more impressive, especially to those who knew from experience the sadness of the fate of those who had given up their lives and had died in a strange country for that which they believed to be right. For many years the graves were overrun with weeds and brambles, and the cattle of the country w^andered over the heads of the men whose valor was greater than that of Spartan. With the exception of the towering elms, w'hich were bushes when the sleepers went to their final rest, only noxious plants grew there. To-day there are flowers and flags and women's tears. Grizzled warriors of the Union stood with bared heads, reverent at the graves of men once foes. Men who had stood guard with loaded muskets over these long-departed enemies paused to drop a tear and lay a flower full of meaning upon their graves. A few scarred ex- Confederates, silent, solemn, and wondering, looked on at the strange sight. The speakers' stand was a cart brought there by some farmer in the neighborhood; and when the hour for the begin- ning was reached, the Chairman. W. H. Knauss. mounted the cart and. after a song, delivered the following address: My friends and American citizens, about us and within this inclosure are buried American citizens, i^or many years this burial ground was open commons, overgrown by briers and DECORATING THE GRAVES— 1896. 3 brush, until about ten years ago, when Governor Foraker in his message referred to it as a disgrace and unworthy of a Christian people. F"rom his interest in the matter the government built this wall and the place was cleared of brambles ; but from that time until last year no attention had been given to it other than occasionally by individuals, when Governor Hayes secured an appropriation of twenty-five dollars a year from the contingent fund to cut away the briers, bushes, etc. We will commence these humble exercises without apolo- gies, other than to say that we wish to pay respect to some rmknown dead who were American citizens and who died in a cause which they believed was right : and I ask each of you present not to judge or criticise our motives or actions until we are through. If we have done that which is unbecoming Amer- ican citizens, we are willing to be censured for the act of decora- ting these men's graves. This movement is not gotten up by any association or society. I take all the responsibility as a citizen and a soldier. As our Heavenly Father set for us in the sky a rainbow in remembrance of the storm, so our forefathers left us this beautiful flag, whose colors were taken from the heavens in remembrance of the stormy battles where they shed their blood for liberty and freedom — for free schools, free speech, and free ballot. I have been to this place a number of times, and each time I have said to myself: "They were American citizens, they were men, they had mothers and sisters, some had wives and children, all praying to one God and Father; and O how many a prayer went up that these unfortunate dead might be returned to their homes!" Alas ! the fate of war decreed otherwise, and where their bodies lie is in many instances unknown to their loved ones. There has been a patriotic revival during the past few years among American citizens. Societies have been formed to ex- pound American principles, to impress upon the young what it has cost to perpetuate these principles. Being a descendant of soldiers from Revolutionary times, my great-grandfather having been in that war, my two grand- fathers in the War of 1812, my father in the Mexican War, and my only brother and myself in the War between the States, I cannot help having respect for conscientious soldiers. I fully believe we should never be timid in a matter of honor or where an expression of our patriotism is needed. Therefore my conclusion is that it is not unpatriotic or un- American to do what we are doing here to-day. If I were in the South and saw an ex-Confederate do honor to an unknown soldier's grave, I would say with all my soul: "God bless you and yours forever!" One hundred and twenty years ago three or four thousand 00 DECORATING THE GRAVES— 1896. 5 half-clad, shoeless, depressed, and dispirited patriots, made up of the then thirteen colonies, marching under the scowling De- cember sky, pelted by the pitiless storm of sleet and rain, crossed the Delaware and before daybreak drove in the British sentinels. The enemy had spent the night in drunkenness and revelry, but Washington led his tattered legions on. The commanding officer of the enemy and many of his men were killed and wounded, and a thousand were captured. The surviving British galloped away, leaving their allies to the mercy of their foe. If Washing- ton and his army had been destroyed, there would have been an end to the war. Victory crowned his efforts; and the battle O'f Trenton, measured by its results, was the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War. Who composed this army of men from the colonies? Who FOUR-MILE HOUSE, OPPOSITE CAMP CHASE. were these patriotic soldiers? Men from the North and South. Who was this man Washington, upon his knees in the snow at \^alley Forge praying to God for guidance and for victory? He was a Virginian and a patriot. Who were his soldiers in that war? Men from the North and South who fought for liberty. Who said: "My life you can have, but never my loyalty and my principles for freedom and my country?" They were American ■citizens from the North and' the South. These dead soldiers lymg here should not have tried to overthrow this grand republic that cost such sacrifice. Though we do not seek to justify their cause, to place flowers on their graves is Christianlike. "Charity is the true spirit of Christianity." and charity prompts our acts to-day. These symbols of purity we offer at these lowly graves; these American flags are given that future generations may 6 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. emulate the unselfish devotion of even the lowliest of these dead soldiers. At the conclusion of this address the Chairman introduced Gen. E. J. Pocock, who said : With malice toward none, with charity for all. we come here to-day to decorate the graves of those known only as deceased prisoners of war. Under the sod of this field, once a military prison, are buried twt) thousand and more Confederate captives. Sickness and disease carried them to a grave in this inclosure, known in history as Camp Chase. The soldiers here buried have gone to where no man returns. In meeting here these men are not enemies, but brothers of a common country blood. They took up arms against this grand government. The government conquered, the South is reconciled; we are a common country and common fellow-men. For a moment let us forget the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Nashville, Gettysburg. Antietam, the Wilderness, the sieges of Vicksburg and Petersburg. Let us forget the cry of "'< )n to Richmond!" the march to the sea, and the thought of Andersonville and Libby. Let us think of the unknown dead lying here, of the mothers, wives, and children who mourn their loss, and of the homes made desolate by the cruel fate of war. These men died for a cause that we thought was wrong, but they gave up their lives believing they were right in their cause. To-day we are to think of them as the brave men who fought on many blood}- battlefields, as the men in Pickett's charge at Gettysburg and in Cleburne's and Cheatham's charges at Franklin. This hour we arc to forget the past and think of the sad hearts who in the many years since the war have mourned for their dear ones who lie here in unknown graves. Rev. Dr. T. G. Dickson, pastor of tlie King Avenue Meth- odist Episcopal Church, was called from the audience. The Doctor had not been in either army, being a mere boy during the war. After making some appropriate remarks, he closed by saying: "May the roots of the tree of Liberty entwine the bowels of the earth and its branches tower among the clouds." Gen. Thomas E. Powell, who enlisted as a boy si.xteen years old, v/as present and was called unexpectedly to say some- thing. He said that he was glad to join in this tribute to his old foes. He was glad to see the spirit exhibited on l)oth sides. Peace had brought its blessings, and the men of the South were as loyal after the war as the men of the North. Hie General spoke of the Cuban struggle for independence, and said that if it became necessary Ohio and \'irginia would combine and send DECORATING THE GRAVES— 1896. 7 enough men to the field to estabhsh the independence of the brave Httle island. He considered this occasion second in im- portance as an indication of the good feeling between the North and the South only to the mingling of the blue and the gray at the Gettysburg meeting. "America" was sung by all present, led by Mr. Nolan. Then Col. S. N. Cook was called out. He told of his expe- rience as a guard at Camp Chase, of his suffering in Southern prisons, and of acts of kindness done him by Confederate soldiers. He told of his boyish captor and the boy's wish that the war would end, that he might see his home once more. He said: "I am only fifteen, and I am so tired of this fighting and marching all the time. My mother would shut the door in my face if I went home before the war is over — unless I am wounded." "This was in 1862, at Harper's Ferry, Va.," the speaker continued, "and I wonder if he is lying asleep here now, or did he at last get home? It was a long- road from Harper's Ferry to Appomattox." The services were about to be concluded, when a fine- looking, elderly gentleman, with a snow-white mustache, an imperial of the Southerner, stepped forward and said with marked accents of the South: "I beg your pardon, sir, but may I say something?" He was asked his name, but at first declined to give it, until a prominent railroad man and a friend of his intro- duced him as a Mr. W. H. Gardner, a business man of Union City, Tenn. Mr. Gardner said he came to the service as a Southern man. He had fought for more than four years in the Southern army, and he wanted to thank these men of the Northern army for this demonstration. Politicians had tried to make the South believe that there was bit-terness in the North against that section, but he knew better and so did the other Southern people. He wished that the mothers of the brave boys who slept in that cemetery could look down and witness the magnificent tribute paid them by men who fought against them and won. The war was over, and all were proud to know that Ulysses S. Grant was an American citizen. So were all proudi of the glory of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. He was glad to be among such people as he had met there. He would' carry back with him most pleasant recollections of his short 8 ■ THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. sojourn in the capital of Ohio, and he would devote himself to telling his neighbors of the touching tribute paid to the Southern dead. Mr. Gardner said that it was the first speech that he had ever made in his life, but he felt impelled to express his r.ppreciation of this beautiful action. At the close of his remarks he was trembling like a little girl. The veterans of the armies of Grant and Lee crowded around to shake his hand, and he received an ovation. Everybody joined in singing the doxology, and Dr. Dickson pronounced the benediction. Some of the incidents of that day and the reminiscences that occasion revived are worth telling. Some of the veterans present remembered the story of one marked grave. Just within the shadow of the inclosure stood a simple stone on which was a plain inscription telling that the body that had moldered in the earth beneath was that of George Rane}', who was born in Livermore, K}-. There was never a better exemplification of the honors of the war in which brothers fought against brothers. George Raney was a Southern sympathizer, a believer in the greatness of the State over the Nation. His brother loved the Hag of the Union and enlisted to defend it. George was wounded and made a prisoner of war. He was brought to Camp Chase. His brother was there as a Union soldier and had to stand guard over him. But blood was thicker than water. All that brother could do Jor brother was done, but the boy in gray was dying. The struggle was over — only peace now. The simple shaft standing to-day was the tribute of love — the Blue and the Gray. !Many lingered in the grounds until the sun was far down the western sky — lingered and talked in subdued tones. The birds ceased wondering at the thousand little ilags which grew so suddenly on the low mounds, and began their evening songs of praise. The cattle in the fields were going home as the last par- ticipant in the services turned away. The leaves upon the elms were whispering as though something unseen was asking what these flags and flowers meant. It meant much to one man who is yet thankful. So closed the first public ceremony for the Confederate dead at Camp Chase. Nature smiled upon it all, the day had been perfect, and the sun as it sank behind a slow-rising cloud kissed tenderly the waving flags. CHAPTER II. Caring for the Graves — 1897. A Larger Crowd — A Southern Orator, Colonel Bennett H. Young, Ad- dresses the People Assembled — Address of Judge David F. Pugh, a Northern Veteran — The Chairman Reviews the History of the Ceme- tery^The Mayor of the City Speaks Briefly — Some Letters from the South; Also Cash — The Second Memorial Service over ihe Confeder- ate Dead a Success. There is of necessity some similarity in such services as these iTiemorial events, but it will interest those for whom this volume is written. The preceding chapter relates at length the details of that Iirst decoration. Through the newspapers the South learned that there were Union soldiers who were pleased to show a gentle courtesy to the dead. In the introductory chapter mention was made of the fact that there was an unpleasant side to these events — the criticism of friends and comrades. But when one has done as conscience dictates, prompted by the charity taught bv the lowly Nazarene, the criticisms fall harmless. One can easily forget the unpleasant side wdien he reads the letters from warm-hearted friends that he has iiOt and possibly will never see on earth. Many of these letters will be reproduced here, that the writers may know that the wastebasket did not receive them. To-day Confederate comrades are performing the work begun b\ the Union soldier who tells this story. When the time came to prepare for the next decoration services there were many to assist. Those who took part in the services of 1896 were men unknown to the people of the North or South, or, for that matter, to the public at large of Columbus. At the 1897 memorial, however, a brilliant Southern orator was present, and thrilled the assembled multitude with his impas- sioned eloquence; also a distinguished jurist, a Past Post Coin- mander and Past Department Commander of the G. A. R., de- livered an address at once interesting and able. The Southern CARING FOR THE GRAVES— 1897. ir soldier was Co!. Bennett H. Young, of Kentucky, and the North- ern soldier was Judge David F. Pugh, of Columbus. The exer- cises were held at Camp Chase Cemetery June 6; and again, as on the year before, nature was benign and the day was as fair as the occasion was pleasing. At the first service the flowers were from the lawn and gardens of Columbus and from the dooryards of the farmers living near by, but in 1897 there came loads of flowers from the South. The people of the South as well as our home citizens became interested in the almost forgotten graves — graves of the dead so long asleep here. So many were the questions asked, and so few seemed to remember anything about Camp Chase Cemetery, that the following facts were gath- ered, some of which have been incidentally mentioned, but being a part of the exercises of that day, they are here presented. The land was leased by the government during the war and continued to April 23, 1879, when it was bought by the govern- ment and described as the Confederate cemetery formerly occu- pied by the Camp Chase rebel prison. At the close of the war the barracks were torn down and the old lumber used to build a fence around the cemetery. There was a wooden headboard with name and number of company. State, and date of burial inscribed, placed at each grave. Subsequently the government replaced this with a substantial plank, with the same inscription, but in a few years all decayed. Eventually, because of neglect, the ground became a bramble patch. When Ex-President Hayes was Governor, Mr. Henry Briggs, a farmer in the neighborhood, was employed to clean up and take care of the cemetery and to be paid $25 per }ear out of the contingent fund. This was continued until Mr. Bishop was elected Governor, when he ordered it stopped. The place became a wild waste again until Hon. J. B. Foraker became Governor. He then caused Adjt. Gen. x\xline to correspond with the general government and explain the condition it was in and the disgrace it was to the State, urging that it be given attention. The action resulted in an appropriation sufficient to build a substantial stone wall around Camp Chase Cemetery and an iron fence around the Confederate burial ground at Johnson's Island. A large bowlder was procured and bears the inscription : "2,260 Confederate soldiers of the war 1861-65 buried in this inclosure."" THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. There were from Virginia, 337; Kentucky, 158; Tennessee, 239 Alabama, 431; Texas, 22; Georgia, 265; South CaroHna, 85 North Carolina, 85; Arkansas, 25; Mississippi, 202; Florida, 62 Maryland, 9; Missouri, 8; Louisiana, 52; and unknown, about HON. J. L. JUKAKEK. 280. Of these, 135 were buried in the City Cemetery, southeast of Columbus, and afterwards removed to this inclosure. At Camp Dcnnison, near Cincinnati, there are buried 116 Con- federate soldiers — from Alabama, 7; Arkansas, 2; Mississippi, 4; Texas, 5; Louisiana, 11 ; Tennessee, i ; and unknown. 36. Many of these were taken home by their people, and the others were brought to Camp Chase. At Johnson's Island (licrc are burii'd jof) Confederate soldiers — CARING FOR THE GRAVES— 1897- 13 from Alabama, 19; Arkansas, 16; Virginia, 20; Georgia, 12; North Carolina. 17; Louisiana, 3; Mississippi, 16; Tennessee, 20; Missouri, 5 ; Kentucky, 7; South Carolina, 4; Florida. 5 ; Choctaw Cavalry, 3 ; John Dow, from Pulaski, Ohio, a citizen ; and un- known, 57 — making a grand total in Ohio of two thousand five hundred and eighty-two. With the work last year you are all familiar ; the newspapers gave us credit as Americans doing honor to our great country. I would like for you to read some of the many letters received from the friends and relatives of those buried here. I will give a few extracts from a letter received from Gen. George Moorman, of New Orleans, La., Adjutant General of the Confederate or- ganization : It will be a revelation to many, and will come in the nature of a surprise and benediction, that, while kindred and loved ones are scattering flowers over the graves of their dead on Southern soils, strangers — aye, our former foes — are decorating with spring's choicest flowers the graves of our known and unknown dead who sleep upon Northern soil, so far from home and kin- dred., but who, as yoii justly say, will always live in history as patriots. God bless you and Gov. J. B. Foraker and Mr. Henry Briggs, and all honor to the memory of Ex-President Hayes, for the noble Christian spirit you have displayed in the preserva- tion of these neglected graves of the dead from everv Southern State ! All that was said that day cannot be reproduced, but the story of the occasion would not be complete if passages from the ad- dresses of Colonel Young and Judge Pugh were omitted. Colonel Young said : We are gathered this afternoon to contemplate one of the sequences to the happenings of that crucial period in human history. I should be wanting in a conception of the proprieties of this occasion if any reference were made to the cause of that great struggle upon which the people of the North and South entered at that hour. These braves over which you are here to scatter these beautiful flowers — heaven's sweet messengers — are peaceful but eloquent witnesses of the awful sacrifice the war entailed. The struggle lasted fifteen hundred, days, the deaths from all causes averaged three hundred every twenty-four hours. In the South, whence these dead warriors came, there were no exempted communities and but few unstricken households, and the tidings from the front came freighted with woe and sadness. Every breeze that sighed in the trees was a requiem for some M Tim STORY OP CAMP CUASE. one's dead, and every rnstle of the wind among the pines was a mourning song for that Southern land. If we had some quantity by which we could measure grief, or figures by which we could ■calculate the worth of sobs or the value of woman's tears, what COL. BENNETT H. YOUNG. ■countless treasures the people of America could lay aside as the possession of those who bore the trial of the war of the sixties! The scene which we witness here to-day in the great State of Ohio, which also made tremendous sacrifice in the war and gave much of its best and noblest blood to maintain the Federal cause, has but few parallels in the history of the world. It is CARING FOR THE GRAVES— 1897. 15 -nearly thirty-four years since, as a prisoner of war, I was con- fined in Camp Chase, and at the moment I recall with vivid recollection the surroundings where several hundred Confed- erates were summoned from the inclosure for transportation to Camp Douglas, at Chicago. We had come in a few months to realize some of the most dis- tressing phases of war. The excitement, commotion, and the din of a great war then encompassed the city on every side, and the uppermost thought in every mind was the prosecution of hostili- ties and the enforcement of Southern submission. That great contest, the most stupendous the world ever saw, is ended. There are none but freemen in this great land. The shackles of the slaves have been broken, and the principles for which the Federal army fought have prevailed. But though Federal armies triumphed and the doctrines maintained by the North have become the accepted law of the land, yet the mag- nanimity and the humanity of a few people remain untouched and undimmed, and I defy human history to produce a record of an event similar to this. Surely there can be no higher testimonial to republican insti- tutions or to the breadth and nobleness of American manhood and womanhood than that I, as- one who fought those you loved and sent to do battle for your cause, should on this beauti- ful afternoon find yO'U decorating the graves of those who op- posed you and listening to the kindly words which I speak at the sepulchers of departed comrades. It would be untrue to the great Confederate host whom I represent if there were expressions of sorrow or regret for the loyalty and faithfulness of the Southern people to their section in that conflict; but it would be equally untrue to the highest sentiments of a brave and chivalrous people if I did not with the most grateful words and with the highest admiration and profoundest gratitude ofifer sincerest praise and unmeasured thankfulness for such magnanimity to the Southern dead. . . . They made the costliest sacrifice man can make for any cause, and the mournful fact that few who loved them have come to w^eep at their sepulchers or place fresh flow'ers on their graves pleads with irresistible eloquence the generosity of those with- in whose gates they died and so sadly found a place of burial. Somewhere in the stricken land whence they came loving hearts mourn their loss. There are vacant chairs that will never be filled, there are firesides which will never be the same, because these warriors never will return, and there are those who will love on in silence and in tears until the end. The mothers who mourn these sons here buried in your midst, the sisters who weep for the return of brothers who here went •down to the oblivion of unknown sepulcher, and all who long for the sieht of vanished forms and the sounds of silenced i6 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. voices, which found the end in these Confederate graves, will rise up and call you blessed, and somewhere in the register of heaven there will be a place to record the gracioiisness and mercifulness of these unselfish and benignant acts. At the conclusion of his oration Colonel Young unfolded a faded gray jacket and recited two verses of the touching poem. JUDGE DAVID F. PUGH. "The Jacket of Gray," and when he had finished the entire audi- ence broke forth in one great shout. Space forbids and the reader would doubtless weary if all the speeches of all the years were reproduced in this volume, so it is that only portions of even such excellent addresses as those of Colonel Young and Judge Pugh are given. Judge Pugh on this occasion said : The poverty of human language is such that the heroism of CARING FOR THE GRAVES— 1897. 17 both Union and Confederate soldiers cannot be described. They fought honorably and died honorably. These men whose graves are being decorated were not victors: their cause failed, but their failure was a priceless blessing to both South and North. Both Blue and Gray can clasp hands and rejoice over that common victory. The whole land was made to blush with blood and was drenched with tears ; peace, happiness, and joy fled from thou- sands of firesides ; the land was filled with cripples ; the wail of the orphans crying to heaven and the moans of the widows saddening the earth were over all the land. These were the immediate results of the war. But. in obedi- ence to the great law of compensation, labor was emancipated, our prosperous activities quickened and deepened, the energy and skill which had been used in destructive war were turned into peaceful and constructive industries, making a splendor of national progress which was unparalleled. It is doubtful if the four years of blood and unspeakable anguish were not, after all, more noble and glorious than have been the thirty succeeding years of peace. It is honorable to co-me here and decorate the graves of these men. It is convincing evidence that the Union in its sublimest significance is established when such events as this occur. Carrying two wounds made by Confederate bullets, I am perfectly willing that their graves may be decorated, and even to participate in it when their survivors are not numerous enough to do it. I am willing to admit that their heroism is a part of our national heritage. I am willing that their survivors or ad- mirers may erect monuments to perpetuate their memories. I am willing that their surviving comrades may be elected to as high an office as Vice President of the United States. I am will- ing on proper occasions to meet with them and celebrate the valor of both the Blue and the Gray. I am willing to join in prayer to our Heavenly Father that he will watch over and bless the veterans of both armies. This sort of fraternal forbearance and generosity is, in my humble judgment, one of the surest guarantees of stability for the future of our common country. Mayor Black spoke briefly and recited the poem entitled "The Blue and the Gray." Chaplain DeBruin pronounced the benediction, and the second memorial service or Confederate Decoration Day at Camp Chase was near the end and but little else was said. The voice of an officer dressed in blue was heard to say : "Ready ! Aim ! Fire !" Captain Bidwell's company of the Fourteenth Infantry, Ohio National Guard, firing the salute. 2 1 8 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. (Later, when the war with Spain came, tliis company went with its regiment to the front, and there and since has been known as the Fourth Ohio.) Then, when the sun was low, there came peaHng forth that most plaintive call on bugle: "Lights out!" Long ere this the South knew what had been done the year before; and as the crowd left, the odor of Southern flowers fol- lowed them as blessings follow righteous deeds. That the letters received in response to notices sent to Confed- erate camps by direction of General Gordon may be fully under- stood I will state that I believed that the veterans of the Confed- eracy, with hearts as liberal as they were brave, might wish to aid in this work, and through Adjutant General Moorman the matter was explained to the various Camps, and the responses showed the unanimity of sentiment which prevailed throughout the South. From the letters received each year it will be seen that the ex- Confederate has not ceased to remember that his Northern friends wished to pay loving tribute to his comrades so long asleep. The statement of receipts and expenditures for 1897 shows thirty-two Camps and individuals responding, and the list of ex- penses shows that they responded to some purpose. Amount re- ceived, $142.50; amount expended, $145.30. In a great scrapbook all the letters received are filed, and when this story has been told they will be there — there to remain until the work is done and the laborer has gone to his rest. All item- ized receipts and expenses were sent to George Moorman, Adju- tant General of the United Confederate Veterans, and The Con- federate Veteran, published at Nashville. Tonn. CHAPTER III. The Interest Growing — 1898. Again Orators of the North and the South Pay Tribute to the Silent Dead — Patriotic Lessons Taught — The Confederate Glee Club from Louisville Is Present — Colonel Young, Captain Leathers, and Mr. Os- borne the Southern Speakers, Captain G. H. Bargar Representing the North— Letter from a Texas Veteran — A Lady from Atlanta Writes Encouragingly — "You Will Be Gratefully Remembered by Us; Yours for America on Land or Sea." JV el come. Here's to the Veterans of the South. They fought, it is true, in gray ; But the heart goes out in the word of mouth To greet them in love to-day. The strife is ended, and now we stand, United in love's sweet thrall ; And we look aloft, as the hand clasps hand, To the one flag over us all. — Cohimhiis Disf^afch. On Saturday, June 4, 1898, there was held the annual decora- tion service at Camp Chase Cemetery. Col. Bennett H. Young came again and was inost heartily welcomed by both Blue and Gray. Those who had heard his eloquent and patriotic address the year before wished to hear the music of his voice again. Ex-Gov. Robert Taylor, of Tennessee, came also and delivered a most feeling address. With Colonel Young came the Confed- erate Glee Club of Louisville, Ky., which organization attracted a great deal of attention both from the public and the press. Capt. John H. Leathers, of Louisville, was also present, and spoke with great earnestness and feeling. The chief addresses were by Colonel Young, of Louisville, and Capt. Gilbert H. Bargar, of Coluinbus. Each of these gentleinen fought in the war of 1861-65, Colonel Young with the South and Captain Barger on the side of the North. 2 2 THE STORY OT CAMP CHASE. (Inly one sentiment prevailed tlirouj^h the entire oceasion — the dead were honored as men who fouf^ht hravelw and by Americans was their bravery recotj^nized. In recor(lin.c^ the events of that occasion it is fittin"' to quote from the Press-Post of June 5 the sentiments uttered so happily in keepini^ with the day : There may be found within the pai^^es of fiction a more thrillinp^ scene than that witnessed at Camp Chase yesterday afternoon when the veterans who wore the blue stood side by side with the veterans who wore the gray, and strewed flowers upon the graves of the unknown dead buried at Camp Chase, yet in reality such another beautiful picture will hardly ever be wit- nessed. To those who stood by the graves of the known and unknown Southern dead, and saw the battle-scarred soldier of the Xorth slowly and reverentially advance to the little green-covered mounds and tenderly lay upon them garlands of roses or fresh and fragrant cut flowers, there was a lesson engraved upon their minds that the ravages of time can never erase. It was the act of a hero to the memory of a fallen and defeated foe ; an acknowl- edgment to his Southern brother, whom he respected for his con- victions and honored for the bravery he displayed in oft'ering his life for what he considered was right. From the sunny Southland came the men who had fought while wearing the gray and against the glorious old flag to lay upon the silent sepulcher of their fallen brother and comrade a token of remembrance in the shape of a floral offering and live over in memory the terrible scenes of war and conflict through which they had passed side by side with those who fell on Xorthern soil, and w'hose ashes repose in Xorthern dust far from the land they loved. Soldiers, your brothers in arms and kindred by birth, it is true, rest far from home ; but their graves are not neglected, nor are they permitted to go unwatched and unattended. The men of the Xorth were your foemen during the dark days of war. when brother was arrayed against brother and father did battle against son ; but all feeling of animosity and revenge has long since been buried, and to-day they are your brothers in all that sacred name implies, and as years roll by and seasons come and go the little green mounds in Camp Chase, where your de*id are sleeping their last long and eternal sleep, will each year be dec- orated by the hands of the children of the men who fought your dead in honorable warfare. The graves of your loved ones are in the keeping of men and women of the Xorth whose pleasure it will be to each year visit their lonely and narrow habitations and, as the song birds sing their carols from the treetops, deposit on those graves flowers pure and sweet, and tenderly care for them. THE INTEREST GROWING— 1898. 23 To those who journeyed from the South to be present at the beautiful ceremonies held at Camp Chase no words are necessary to remind them of the lesson taught by the single act of strewing the graves with flowers. They are silent witnesses to the act declaring that in the Northern breast there remains no sectional hatred ; that all grievances of the past were buried in the graves of the heroes whose little cells were covered with flowers, and that no more shall there be heard, North or South, that this is a divided country. It was a symbol that there is no North or South, but that we are all a united and solid country now and forever. With what feelings of pride and gratification must those people of the South have turned from the graves of the Southern dead, realizing that their loved ones were in the tender care of friends and that hands which at one time were hostile to them will each year cover these lowly mounds with nature's offerings and moisten the gift with a tear. Such scenes as that witnessed yes- terday are the little oases in the desert of life, and serve to make all happier and more content. The Cohinihus Dispatch on that occasion said: The taking part in the exercises, not alone in Columbus, but in all places where there are buried Confederate soldiers, by the boys in blue is not considered by either the Blue or the Gray as the sacrificing of thought or conviction as to the issues of the war. By recognizing in this manner the bravery of the dead, they gladden the heart of many a Southern man or woman who knew and loved these men in life. Such deeds knit closer the bonds of unity between the North and the South. Particularly at this time is the act of to-day significant, when the boys of the North- land and the Southland are standing shoulder to shoulder under one flag fighting for a common cause. Think of it a moment — Michigan and Georgia in the same brigade; Illinois and Florida in another; a Confederate General commanding a corps and the boys from the North envious of those so fortunate as to be in his command. The whirligig of time works wonders which are hard to understand, but in this day and age the fights are all toward harmony and peace ; the soldiers of the two sections long ago learned that the war is over, and the exhibition of to-day was only a manifestation of that return of peace at which all the world wonders. Thus it will be seen that papers differing politically were pleased to express upon one subject the same sentiments. In no other land could this happen — and if we linger long over these scenes, who but a soured pessimist can complain, so full of peace and 24 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. joy wore they — and to-day these scenes and memories, to an Amer- ican who loves his country, are inexpressibly beautiful. Without hindrance of nature or fault of man the profj^ramme was carried out as planned, and, as was the case the year 1)efore, the entire event was interesting. At two o'clock the Chairman called the assembly to order and in concluding his remarks said: "We may shout, 'Blow, bugler, blow !' but the shrillest note can never, no never, again call the matchless armies of Lee and Grant to carnivals of death." The programme proceeded as follows : Song, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," by the Confederate Glee Club of Louisville, Ky. ; prayer by Rev. John Hewett, an ex-Confederate, pastor of ?t. P'aul's Episcopal Church, Columbus, Ohio. This praver. rich in its tenderness, was as follows : O God. who art everywhere and over all. the same yesterday and to-day and forever ; the Creator of all nations, the Father of all families, and the Friend of all enemies ; as we stand by the graves of soldier brothers we lift up our souls to Thee and invoke Thy spirit of love to direct and rule our hearts. Remembering Thy great goodness to us as a nation, we repent of the sins of former days which brought us in fratricidal strife. We forget the heat of anger which raged in the hearts of men of a common blood in a common country and threatened our na- tional ruin, and here in the presence of the living and the dead we lift our minds in united prayer and thanksgiving to our com- mon Father and God. Beneath the shadow of years that are past we behold to bless the outstretched hand of a power divine bestowing love for the healing of our nation's wounds, causing the Blue and the Gray to blend in harmony with a will divine in loyalty to a common O God. we thank Thee for this revelation of national unity and human fraternity which Thou hast made, and we pray Thee to give it the quality of permanence ; and in token of the sin- cerity of our gratitude we here clasp hands over the graves of our American brothers and dedicate ourselves anew to the service of Thee, our common Father, and of this, our common country. Let this occasion be, indeed, a true Mohanism — a place of the meeting of two hosts ; not merely of two hosts — the living and the dead — but of two hosts that once were enemies, but now are friends, whose spirit now as one beholds the face of our Father which is in heaven. Having come here as a representative of the Blue and the Gray to strew flowers upon these graves in lov- ing memory of those who counted not their lives dear unto them- THii /\ii:h'iiST i;kc)irixa—i89S. 25 selves In the defense of disputed rights, may the varied and min- gled fragrance which these flowers shed abroad ascend to heaven as the incense of the fraternal feeling which fills our breasts and claim a blessing for our united country ! In the. far- away homes from which our brothers came to find their graves here lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance, and let the peace of God which passeth all understanding settle and gladden the souls whose longing eyes look for the day when there shall be a restitution of all things and a union of hearts and of lives which neither war nor death can ever dissolve. O Thou who maketh men to be of one mind in a house, put far away from us all pride and prejudice and all causes of dissen- sion and discord, that our land may bring forth that increase of truth and justice whereby all nations of men shall be made to live. To all who sigh for freedom grant that we may be the instrument in Thy hands for the fulfillment of their desires now on this earth and hereafter in the new and permanent glory of heaven. Hear our united prayers also in behalf of our soldier brothers, North and South, who in the service of our country and in the cause of humanity and freedom go forth against the enemies of both. Give them faith, courage, and endurance, patience, gentle- ness, and obedience. Preserve them in the midst of the tempta- tions of the camp and of the field, from the perils of the ocean and of the land, from the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the sickness that destroyeth in the noonday. Keep them under the shadow of Thy wing and restore them to their homes in safety. And so such as may fall in battle or by sickness do Thou, O Lord, graciously grant the preparation of repentance unto eternal life, where the fiowers of love are forever strewn and never fade or change ; through the infinite love and merits of the Saviour of all men, and unto Tlfee shall be the praise forever and ever. Amen. Song, "Rest, Comrade, Rest," by Confederate Glee Club. Colonel Young was then introduced, and spoke as follows : Friends and fellow-countrymen, we have come from the South- land to spend this day with our dead ; and narrow must be the heart which would limit our love, our praise, our honor for these, our comrades, who sleep so far away from their homes in unmarked and unknown graves. More than a third of a century has elapsed since the last grave was opened for the sepulcher of a Confederate soldier at Camp Chase ; and during this period, with one exception, none have come from the homes of these dead to lay a flower on the sod that covers their ashes, to ofifer prayer for those who were bereft, or to speak generous words of those who, isolate and separate, found their last resting place here. 28 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. We Confederates at this hour would be unworthy of our man- hood if we did not recognize with j:^rateful tribute the kindness and nobleness of those who. thoug'h opposed to us in contiict, unite with us in this day in these simple and beautiful ceremonies which bespeak in wonderful eloquence the victories of peace. It hath been said that peace hath her victories no less re- nowned than those of war; and this victory of human kindness, human sympathy, and human generosity, which has been manifest- ed on this day and at this hour by the people of Columbus, sur- passes in grandeur and glory the victories of the war. The passions and prejudices of the great struggle in which on one side a nation's integrity and the freedom of more than three millions of people were involved, and on the other side the defense of homes and firesides and a nation's life, are all blotted out and rememberec;! no more ; and you come as citizens of a great nation, forgetting the past and looking only to the future, and in this magnanimous and splendid way to show true chivalry and true humanity. There is no heart in all the Southland to-day that does not go out in affection, in admiration, and in thankfulness to you. people of Columbus, who have thus again remembered our Con- federate dead ; and I repeat : Of all the messages that were ever sent from one people or section to another, this which you this day send to those who have died here — that you are keeping watch over these sepulchers and keeping green these graves — is the sweetest and most grateful. In this narrow inclosure sleep heroes. There are no cowards here. They were men who were worthy not only of the countr}-. but of the age in which they lived, and with unselfish patience, unfaltering fortitude, and magnificent courage laid their all upon what they believed to be the altar of right. The world looks with wonder and admiration upon the soldiers, both North and South, who made (Gettysburg famous as one of the most momentous of the world's battles. No man who has the heart of a soldier or the impulse of a freeman could fail to feel admiration for those Confederates who on that July day charged up the heights of Gettysburg, and who, amid shot and shell, never faltered in the discharge of duty. There were heroes meeting heroes on the crest of that hill, and the men who gave the shock and the men who received the shock command alike reverence and plaudits. Some of those who fought there rest here. There are men slee])ing death's sleep in this inclosure who made splendid the glories of Cold Harbor, and who, like some grand and mighty fortress, withstood the shock of the legions of Grant as again and again they rushed against its ramparts, only to be laid low by the terrible storm of shot and shell that came from those in gray who manned the Confederate works. There are men. too. sleeping here who in the mighty rush of THE INTEREST GROWING— 189S. 29 Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's army at Shiloh swept before them the Federal hosts, and who in return on the morrow were com- pelled to retire before the onslaught of Grant and Buell. There are some buried here who charged the works at Franklin, and whose chivalry and bravery, as again and again, even amid the darkness of the night, assailed the Federal breastworks, only to fall in the trenches or on the crest, elicited applause from their enemies who were waiting to stay them. These were not unworthy of honor ; they are part and parcel of that superb host which in the Civil War created American manhood — a manhood which commands the world's highest ad- miration, and which stamps this people as the most patriotic, most enlightened, and most powerful nation the world has ever seen. It was the lessons at Chickamauga, at Chancellorsvile, at Cold Harbor, at (lettysburg, at Franklin, at Resaca, at Shiloh which contributed to make American manhood and patriotism what it is, and which give power and stability to our country and its people and quiet those disturbing fears which sometimes arise in the hearts of people when they would doubt the perpetuity of Amer- ican institutions. The people of Ohio, in honoring these dead as Americans, only add luster to their own renown and to their splendid history ; for as you magnify and glorify Confederate courage and chivalry, \ ou only make more resplendent the courage and chivalry of those armies who overcame the magnificent hosts who once rallied be- neath the Confederate ensign. In the name of all that is good and kind and true, and with hearts full of the profoundest gratitude, we come to thank you for this offering to our fallen friends and comrades ; and we shall carry back with us sweet assurance of your splendid generosity and your superb humanity. The lessons of this hour are teaching us the splendor and the grandeur of republican institutions. You do not love the flag of this country because it won in the great contests which were waged in 1812 and 1813 for the redemption of Ohio and the States in the Northwest, or because of its superb triumphs on the plain of Buena Vista, or in the battles in which your own people were engaged in the great Civil War. It is not the victories that the armies which followed this flag have achieved, but it is what this flag represents that makes it the object of love and admiration of all the people of the world, and that makes all this American nation ready to lay down their lives and sacrifice their fortunes in defense of its honor and glory. That flag represents the best principles of government and noblest teachings of liberty. If, by some divine power, I could bring to life the dead who lie beneath this sod. they would spring forth into a patriotism as true as any the nation has ever seen. 30 THR STORY Of' C.I MP CHASE. Tlie sons and f^Tatidsons of the men who sleep here are to-day part and parcel of the defenders of the glory of the American people. General Lee, General Wheeler, and General Butler, Con- federates though they be, can be trusted to lead your sons to battle and to maintain on any field the illustrious courage and heroic manhood of the American nation. There is something peculiarly touching in the conditions which surround these Confederate dead at Camp Chase. They died far away from their homes, amid the privations, the sufferings, of prison life. War always has its barbarous features. Within the walls of Camp Chase I lay by night and heard the groans and sobs of my comrades without power to help. I saw their pale, emaciated forms carried forth to sepulture in this cemetery. I saw them die without that care, tenderness, and watchfulness to which I thouglit, as men, they were entitled ; but this was only the war's results, and war is always organized barbarism. Your sons and brothers and friends have had the same experi- ence in Southern prisons. We are not now here to argue as to who was right or wrong ; we are here simply to say that we mourn our dead, that we love their memories, that we venerate their courage, their heroism. They died for what they believed was right ; they made the costliest sacrifice or offering man can make — they laid down their lives to testify their devotion and sincerity for the cause for which they fought; and the man who thus dies honestly and courageously never dies in vain. Our friends who went down to death here have no monuments. It were better so. The green grass grows above them. All who knew them will in a few years be dead. It is enough to know that their dust rests here, where they died for the cause to which they consecrated themselves. It was a custom among the Greeks to bring back the bones of their dead from their battlefield and inter them in a common stpulcher in their capital cities; but in one great battle (that of }k!arathon) the Grecian soldiers were buried where they fell. Their fidelity had been such that it was deemed fitting to sepul- clier them where they died. And so, if we could, we would not disturb this dust that sleeps here. The Great Teacher said that one who should give a cup of cold water in his name should have an everlasting reward. You, friends and fellow-countrymen, have done far more than give a cup of cold water in your splendid and magnanimous generosity to these Confederate soldiers who rest in your midst. Vou have spoken kindly of their courage; you have spoken generously of their gallantry ; you have spoken justly of their sac- rifices; you have scattered flowers over their resting places; you have remembered them after long years have passed since they were placed in these humble and unmarked tombs ; and I tell THE INTEREST GROWING— 1898. 31 you that, in the eyes of God and of the angels who stand around his throne, such kindness, such sweet remembrances, shall not be forgotten, but somewhere in God's book there is a place to record this superb and splendid work. I thank God we do not ofifend you when we come into your midst and, looking up to heaven, ask him to bless our dead and those they represent ; and we should be ungrateful if we did not ask our God to bless you and to reward you for this kindness which you have shown to those we love. In a little while those of us who participated in that greatest of all wars will have passed away. We imagine we can commune with the spirits of our dead as we stand here about their graves to-day. "\Ve are not ashamed of them nor of the cause for which they died. We loved them, and we love their dust. We shall join them in a little while. We shall not come long to pay this tribute to those we love. "They hear a voice we cannot hear. Which says we must not stay ; They see a hand we cannot see, Which beckons us away." We will follow them in a little while ; but while we do live we come in reverence and tenderness to bless this spot, which con- tains for us "war's richest spoils, the ashes of the brave." And again, in the name of our people, in the name of all these generous, manly, magnanimous acts, we thank you for your kind- ness to our departed comrades. To them there is no longer clash of arms ; the conflict is over. The living speak for them, and we speak gratefully for these renewed evidences of your nobleness. Death sheds a solemn halo over these mounds. Peace and good will only abide here. "The foeman need not dread This gathering of the brave. Without sword or flag and with soundless tread. We muster once more our deathless dead Out of each lonely grave. The foeman need not frown, These all are powerless now. They gathered them here and laid them down ; Love, tears, and praise are the only crown We bring to wreathe them now." Colonel Young's address was followed by another song by the Glee Club, entitled "Blessed Be the Ground." Remarks were made by local members of the G. A. R. ; and the school children, 32 THE STORY Ol- LAMP CHASE under Miss Maud E. Fleming, of Avondale School, rendered in a most beautiful manner the song "Cover Them Over." Capt. John H. Leathers, President of the Confederate Associa- tion of Kentucky, was introduced, and said : MUIN 11. i,K.\IHKkS. I'ellow -citizens, ladies and gentlemen, and comrades (I think I can use the word "comrades" on this occasion), I rejoice to see this day. I rejoice that the day has at last come when we can in truth and sincerity say no F.ast. no West, no North, no South, but one country and one flag, and that Hag the Hag of a fully restored and glorious I'nion. For years the burden of my song has been the words of the THE INTEREST GROWING— 1898. 33 immortal Webster: "Liberty and Union, now and ever, one and inseparable." Whatever difference of opinion there might have been in the minds of many of us concerning the necessity for our present war with Spain, one thing is certain : it has demonstrated to the world that sectionalism is dead in this country, and that we are now one people, with one common name and one common destinv. The war between the North and South was a most remarkable war, as well as the greatest war recorded, in history, of either ancient or modern times. It was remarkable in that it was not a war between two different countries or people speaking different languages, waged for conquest, but was among people of the same country, who spoke the same language, and who were bound together by the strongest ties of blood and kindred. Both fol- lowed their convictions of what thev believed to be right. Both fought with a valor unparalleled in the annals of warfare, and the bones of both lie mingled on every battlefield, from Bull Run to Appomattox, as the bones of their common ancestry lie mingled on every battlefield of the American Revolution, from Lexington to Yorktown. It was a remarkable war in that when the war ceased the van- quished immediately accepted the results of the war and renewed their allegiance to the Union, while the victorious extended the right hand of peace and good fellowship, and they both imme- diately commenced repairing the waste places made desolate by war. Passion and prejudice have long since gone with the flight of years, and each of us is now doing what we can to unify and develop this great country. The name and fame of the heroes ol the war on both sides are now the common heritage of our children and children's children. As one who for four years wore the gray, I stand here to-day on this happy occasion tO' avow my love and my allegiance to the fiag of my country. "Long may it wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave !" The Glee Club sang "Tread Lightly, Ye Comrades," and Miss Annie Williams recited that glorious poem, "Blue and Gray." The Glee Club sang "Tell the Boys I'm Coming Soon," and Thomas D. Osborne, Secretary of the Kentucky Confederate Association, spoke as follows : To-day I feel like an Ohio man — the man from Columbus who went South during the war, and who, meeting with a warm reception, was so pleased that when peace came he moved down South to make it his home. Ohio men go everywhere and get everything. This man chose to live in Arkansas. He had often heard the Rebel yell, and could 3 34 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. imitate it admirably ; so much so that it was his boast that he could shout longer and louder than any man in Arkansas. One day, when the White River was higher than ever known, a steamboat came there and tied up under a bluff near the Ohio man's town. He didn't know the boat was there. The captain came to town and heard the boaster brag that he could shout longer and louder than any man in Arkansas. After a talk, a bet of ten dollars was made. The captain, being allowed to select the time and place of contest, had chosen a dis- tant stump and had instructed his mate to watch his hand — when he lifted it to his moudi, to pull the steam whistle and let it go till his hand fell. The captain's turn came first, and when his hand went to his mouth there came a shouting noise that almost split the leaves of the trees. After the deafening sound had got well under way, the Ohio man raised his hand to his vest pocket, took out his money, walked to the steamboat captain, and said : "Hold on. I could yell louder than that, but here's your money ; I don't want to strain myself." So to-day, like the Ohio man, I could make a longer and louder speech, but I don't want to strain myself. Recently, when Ex-Confederate General Joseph Wheeler, through the magnificent kindness of that great Ohio man, Pres- ident McKinley, put on the blue uniform of the United States of America, he was asked how he felt. He replied : "I feel like I have been off on a furlough and am now back in the ranks again." Back in the ranks again — that's it. That's where we all are under one flag— the most famous flag ever floated by any govern- ment. We always had a claim on Old Glory. At the beginning of the war many in the South wanted to fight under it. Our forefathers had followed it when it floated on the breeze of battle. My grandfather. Lieut. Bennett Osborn, marched with Wash- ington under it. My father's brother went through the ^Mexican War with it. My son followed it three years in the Louisville Legion. Like General Wheeler, we can all gladly say : "Back in the ranks." On this happiest occasion, when through your mag- nificent kindness our heroes sleep in flower-garmented graves, we tender you unspeakable thanks. Lx-( Governor Taylor, of Tennessee, spoke briefly but eloquent- ly, and was listened to with deep attention by all present. Capt. Gilbert IL Barger, of Columbus, made an interesting address, alluding to the unity of sentiment between the sections in all things pertaining to the honor and glory of our common country. THE INTEREST GROWING— 1898. 35 Chaplain Winget, a member of the G. A. R., offered prayer, and a gun squad from the McCoy G. A. R. Drill Corps fired a military salute over the graves, and the flowers were strewn by the loving hands of Union and Confederate veterans. Before closing the exercises the Chairman, in making some acknowledgments he thought proper, stated that during the last three years Mr. T. J. Davies had helped with his horse and wagon and many days of labor, free of charge ; Mr. Charles A. Roth, a Columbus (Ohio) florist, had been of great assistance, without cost. Thanks were extended to W. H. Grub for use of organ, to G. A. R. comrades of the McCoy Post Drill Corps for tlieir presence and participation, to the Fourth Ward Columbus (Ohio) Republican Club for the use of their chairs, and to the dear little girls of Avondale School for the music of their sweet voices ; also to many that had helped on decoration days and to others that had stood ready to assist. Continuing, the Chairman said that until 1898 no contributions had been accepted from any person in Ohio, but that Comrade R. M. Rownd had expressed his sympathy and tendered financial aid, being told that under no circumstances could any money be accepted. Afterwards, however, payment for planting shade trees and shrubbery was accepted from Mr. W. D. Brickell, Comrade Thomas E. Knauss (G. A. R.), Comrade Rownd (G. A. R.), and Confederate Comrades J. Y. Bassell and Rev. John Hewitt, all of Columbus, Ohio. Other contributions were received from Dr. Thomas P. Shields, J. B. Darling, and J. W. Carroll. Ko money had been asked for at any time from any person in the city of Columbus or State of Ohio. An itemized report was rendered to Gen. George Moorman and the Confederate Veteran of all donations received. So ended the service for 1898. The conveyances running from the terminal of the street car line carried free of charge all who wished to go to the cemetery. Four to five thousand people were present to participate, standing throughout the exercises in the shade of the trees, made cool by the gentle June breeze, which seemed to whisper, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." ]\Iany of the choicest Southern flowers were received for the 36 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. occasion, and their frap^rance that evcninir seemed to linger with ahnost human sympatliy over the graves of the Southern dead. The feeHng in the South regarding the care of the graves of the Confederate dead in the North cannot be better expressed than to quote extracts from some of the letters received by me. CAMP CHASE SERVICES, If AN EMBLEM FROM THE SOUTH. Dear Sir : I notice in The Veteran the interest you have taken in caring for the Confederate dead at Camp Chase. I was in Camp Chase prison from August, 1864, to March, 1865; therefore it is my privilege to acknowledg-e the obligations that all. espe- cially those who w^ere prisoners of war at that place, arc under to }()U and your associates in the work. You will pardon me if I say that it is humiliating to acknowl- edge the fact that it remained for a Federal soldier thirty years THE INTEREST GROWING— 37 after to have the manhood to step to the front and do what the Confederates should have done long ago. But this manhood is not born of sections ; no arbitrary lines, DERORATION DAY, CAMP CHASE, 1898. EMBLEM ON THE LEFT PRESENTED BY EX-SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' ASSOCIATION, FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO. no uniform, no cause, no line of battle, no flag mark the higher type of man. Much of the bitterness of life in Camp Chase will be blotted out by works such as this. I hope you will receive such assistance 38 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. as will enable you to pcniiancntly mark the resting place of the bodies of those who. summoned to the other great army mustered under "The Ronnie White Flag," peacefully wait the comrades yet in ranks. By the way. "The Bonnie White Flag" was written 1)\' Colonel Hawkins, of our mess in Camp Chase. That was a typical mess — colonels, captains, border men. and way-down-South fellows. Organized to escape, we worked day and night under many disappointments ; but all the same that old mess went to work again, determined to get away. But only through the gates and by parole did we turn our backs on the horrors of Camp Chase, and thirty-two years after the first bright spot in that dark memory appears. May it spread until all the nightmare of the past is forgotten in the brightness and rest of the present ! A letter from Mrs. J. S. Raine, Secretary of Atlanta Chapter,. Daughters of the Confederacy, is reproduced to show the spirit of the time, and the kindly help we received at the hands of that chivalric gentleman and friend, S. A. Cunningham, of Nashville : Col. W. H. Knauss. Dear Sir: At a recent meeting of Atlanta Chapter we had the pleasure of an address from Mr. .S. .\. Cunningham, proprietor of The Confederate J'eteraii, in which he spoke of his complimentary and most delightful reception tendered by a number of citizens of Columbus, Ohio, at your suggestion. He spoke very feelingly of your noble and successful efiforts that proper care should be taken of the graves of our un forgotten dead buried at Camp Chase Cemeter}-. I have before me a picture of the ceremony of decoration which occurred in 1897. I trust it may be my pleasure to see the sacred inclosure. The Atlanta Chapter of Daughters of the Confederacy desire to express their sincere thanks and appreciation for vour generous and loving attentions to our dead. On this occasion of your decoration we will be happy to assist with our floral offer- ings. A letter from William II. Herbert, of Sandusky, Ohio, 1898. gives an insight to matters relating to decoration services in that city, and it shows that another Ohio city is not forgetful of courtesies to dead foes. The letter states that the cemeterv in which are buried the Confederates who died in prison is in a good state of preservation and has been well taken care of since about eight years ago, when an association of Georgia editors was in the vicinity and made a pilgrimage to Johnson's Island and ceme- THE INTEREST GROWING— 1898. 39 tcry. At that time the graves were marked with wooden head- pieces, giving the name, regiment, etc. Some of the boards were very much decayed and the names scarcely legible ; so the editors, when they returned home, made a request through their papers for contributions to replace the boards with marble, also to build a fence around the cemetery. The result was that they collected enough in a short time to do the work nicely. In Sandusky, Ohio, it has been the custom for eighteen years to send a delegation from the G. A. R. Post on the morning of decoration day to the Confederate cemetery at Johnson's Island and hold a short service. They are always joined by a large number of men, women, and children. Mr. Herbert was a prisoner at Camp Chase (Prison 2, Mess 12) in the fall of 1862, and left there the latter part of November, 1862, in company with some 200 Confederate prisoners, who were taken by rail to Cairo, 111., and thence by boat to Vicksburg. Miss., thence to Jackson, Miss., where they were exchanged and furnished transportation to the Army of Northern A'irginia. A letter from a Mr. McClellan, of Athens, Ala., glowing in patriotic sentiment and beautiful Christian charity, will be treas- ured by the one who received it until blotted out by the final call : What a privilege to be an American! J\I. Lester says: "God has given us a grand mission." The war with Spain was on and the Southern boys were marching away under the Stars and Stripes. Sons of heroic men v/ho fought to tear its stars from the azure field were bearing it proudly against a foreign foe who could not know the mag- nificent strength of a united North and South. . . . You can understand how busy are our women with their needles these bright days, ministering to our absent soldier boys. The sewing machine, instead of the parlor instruments, makes the nuisic of the hour. You will not know until the struggle is over the strong ties between the North and South born of this comradeship — whose sons, the descendants of patriots, could mingle their blood and tears for principles dear to them, under opposing standards, and blend their dust under a common banner against a merciless foe on alien shore. Let us keep their graves green. We will send flowers for the Southern Memorial Day, and may God bless the hands that place them over our silent heroes ! As the promoter of this fraternal observance, you will be grate- fully remembered by us. Yours for America on land and sea. CHAPTER IV. The Services of 1899. The Children of Avondale School Sing — Orations by Judge David E. Johnson, of Bluefields. W. Va., and by General W. D. Hamilton — Tableau of Blue and Gray with Hands Clasped — An Impromptu Serv- ice Some Days before the Regular Decoration Exercises — ^The South- ern Members of Waterworks Convention Pleased and Impressed — They Stood with Uncovered Heads — The Mystery of the Broken Tombstone. True to the Sotith, they offered free from stain Courage and faith ; vain faith and courage vain. For her they threw lands, honors, wealth away ; And one more hope that was more prized than they. For her they languished in a foreign clime. Gray-haired with sorrow in their manhood's prime ; Beheld each night their homes in fevered sleep, Each morning started from their dreams to weep ; Till God, who saw them tried too sorely, gave The resting place they asked — an early grave. O, then, Forget all feuds, and shed one manly tear O'er Southern dust — for broken hearts lie here. — Columbus {Ohio) Press-Post. Again there were flags and flowers at Camp Chase Cemetery. Again the Blue and the Gray walked side by side through grass- grown paths and scattered flowers upon pathetic heaps of earth. There were not so many ex-Confederates present as the } ear "before, but all who came were made welcome by their Ohio friends. If at first the friends seemed few, that time was past, and a multitude was present for the exercises in 1899. Among the number again taking melodious part were the pupils of the Avondale School of Columbus; and if the souls dwelling; in God's eternal somewhere revisit earth, two thousand spectral forms stood reverent as the sweet, fresh, young voices of the children sang. The exercises began by bugle call. Then the long roll was sounded by the G. A. R. Veteran Drum Corps. The audience joined with the school children in singing "America," after which 42 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. there was presented, on behalf of the Ex-Soldiers' and Sailors" Association, by Comrade D. M. Brelsford, for many years its secretary, a lar,Q^e and handsome floral piece, received by that courtly representative of the South, Rev. John Hewitt, in a grace- ful speech of thanks, voicing the gratitude of the Southerners toward the ex-soldiers and people of Columbus. The "Blue and the Gray" was then sung by the Misses Maud and Sophia Fleming in a sweet and charming manner, after which prayer was offered up to the Divine Being for his blessing" upon so auspicious and important event in the advance of his kingdom and love. The invocation was followed by the pupils of the Avondale School singing "To-Day This Hallowed Place We Seek," in^ which the sweet young voices, rising amid a hushed and sacred silence, moved many to tears. The opening address, by Judge D. F. Pugh, was listened to with deep attention and interest. At its conclusion the school children sang "Cover Them Over with Beautiful Flowers." Col. David F. Johnson, of Bluefield, W. Va., spoke briefly in- response to the address of Judge Pugh. He thanked the soldiers'' organization which presented the floral piece, also the ladies' societies auxiliary to the Union \'eteran Legion, and the F.x-Sol- diers' and Sailors' Society. He expressed the thanks of the South for the thoughtful regard v.'hich inspired these services and the men and women who took part in them, concluding in a most touching manner by picturing scenes in Southern homes where women were thinking tenderly of those flower-strewn mounds bencatli which the dust of their loved ones lay. The concluding address was delivered by Gen. W. D. Hamilton, of Zanesville, Ohio, whose speech the Louisville Courier- Journal published in full and said of the speaker: "He was during the Civil War one of the noted cavalry leaders on the Federal side, and the sentiments that he expressed were so manly, brave, and patriotic that they reflect great credit on his head and heart ; and the people of the South will pleasantly remember General Ham- ilton for his generous and noble address." My friends, it is easy to hate our enemies. It is natural to re- tain a spirit of enmity against those who have injured us. It is a mission of Christianity to give us lessons of forgiveness. THE SERVICES OF 1899. 4S and the Son of God came from heaven to teach us not only to for- give our enemies, but to love them. In this there is an inference that we ourselves may have given some cause to make enemies, and that there is something good and lovable even in those who dififer from us. It is not our province to discuss the cause of our Civil War. It is enough for us to know that these men buried here were inno- cent. It cannot be traced to the men who took to the field on GEN. \V. D. HAMILTON. either side. Its origin was embodied in the Constitution and grew out of the unfortunate existence of slavery when it was formed, and came down to us through nearly a century of bitter legislative contention, and was finally disposed of in that bloody court of which we formed a part. During all this time the social relation between the sections became less and less cordial, and the business interests more and more strained. We cultivated the habit of belittling all that was good and magnifying all that was bad in each other. 44 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. War brought destruction and untold sorrow, but it cleared away the obstacles to a better knowledge of the people toward each other. Our former impressions were entirely upset by the won- derful courage and nobleness of character displayed on both sides. Never were armies composed of men more earnest in their efforts, intensified, if possible, during the last two years as the forces of the South were driven back to become the defenders of their homes against the increasing strength of a powerful invading army. It is little wonder that the women of the South, whose homes were ruined, and the women of the North, whose sons lie scattered in unknown graves, should retain a feeling of bitterness. Heart wounds were given which saddened the life of a generation and have magnified the task of conciliation which the best men and women of both sides have undertaken and which these floral tributes to the Confederate dead to-day are designed to promote. On occasions like this we feel that there is a holiness in flowers. They are the mute companions of our purest thoughts and give expression to our tenderest sympathies. They are angels from the realm of nature employed to bear our message of affection to the dead. The fraternal spirit which prompts our presence here to-day is the harbinger of a time when the people of the United States will gather annually, bringing the roses of the North and the magnolia blossoms of the South as a tribute to American valor to trim the graves of every soldier who fell in battle or died in prison for a cause he had been taught from pulpit and from family altar to believe was right. . . . In the better light of a third of a century both sections are learning to look upon the Civil War as thoughtful students of its results. We can now see that God was preparing the nation through a sacrifice of blood to become his consistent agent in the difficult task of advancing civilization in the dark places of earth and in extending Christian liberty among the islands of the sea. It was the training of the Civil War that made recent unpar- alleled achievements possible. The sons of the Blue and the Gray fulfilled the promise of their fathers when they fell into line side by side to test the power of Spain. And they have divided the honors of a most brilliant campaign on land and sea. The daring spirit of Lieutenant Hobson, of Alabama, is the pride of the North as well as the South. The dashing courage of Colonel Roosevelt, of New York, with his Rough Riders from both sections, has won the admiration of us all, and we old soldiers of the cavalry recognize a gallant brother in Gen. Joe Wheeler, that ubiquitous trooper of Alabama, who used to bother us so much when we wore the blue and he ^ c 46 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. the gray ; and a startled world joins us with uncovered heads in paying homage to that phenomenal hero of the Asiatic seas, George Dewey, of \"ermont. It is time that we bury the bitterness of the past when we re- flect that in the scales with which anxious nations are weighing us to-day not only will these names be placed, but the character and ability of Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, and Stonewall Jackson will be estimated side by side with that of Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, and the soldierly qualities of both armies will be equally considered in determining the nation's place among the powers of the earth. My fellow-citizens of the gray and the blue, as we distribute these flowers on the graves of more than two thousand of the nation's Confederate dead I feel that we should thank God that we and they were permitted to belong to that generation of sol- diers who were selected to work out his plans, however myste- rious, for the republic. In closing I quote the language of General Gordon at a Confed- erate reunion in Charleston, S. C, when he said : "I feel the power of your confidence to pledge in the name of every Confederate and son and daughter of Confederates the South's eternal loyalty to every cause for the upholding of Amer- ican manhood, the perpetuity of American freedom, the unity of the American people, and by all these agencies we may accel- erate the onward march of the American republic in its benign progress." Men and women of the North, we should be encouraged to pay some regard to the graves of their comrades, which the fortunes of war have placed in our keeping, to hear such sentiments expressed by the foremost living Confederate and indorsed by that great as- sembly of his comrades. "The Soldier's Farewell" was sung by the school children, fol- lowed by a tableau in which Blue and Gray clasped hands. At the conclusion of the exercises J. C. McCoy Post Drill Corps fired a soldier's salute, and the graves were decorated by the representa- tives of th.e two armies present, assisted by the ladies of the U. \'. L. and ladies, and Society of the Ex-Soldiers' and Sailors' Asso- ciation. In addition to the flowers sent from the South, several wagon loads of flowers were sent by local friends. Not a grave of the two thousand two hundred and sixty was slighted ; on each were flowers from the old home and from the North. So ended the services of 1899. Some twcnt}- days prior to the events just narrated an im- THE SERVICES OF 1899. 47 pressive and impromptu little service was held at Camp Chase Cemetery, and it came about in this way : A national convention of waterworks superintendents was be- ing held in the city of Columbus, and among the number were many Southern men. Some of these gentlemen bore a part in the memorable struggle of the sixties, and naturally desired to see the cemetery that was attracting so much attention North and South. These gentlemen, together with the ex-Confederate soldiers and ladies of the South then residing in Columbus, by invitation of the writer visited the cemetery for the purpose of seeing how well and with what tender devotion the mounds covering the last resting place of the Confederate dead were cared for by the people of the North in whose keeping the destinies of war had placed them. The party was made up of Rev. John Hewitt, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church ; Hon. H. C. Erwin, Atlanta, Ga. ; Mr. W. J Milne, Birmingham, Ala.; Mr. Charles A. Boiling, Richmond Va. ; Judge J. A. Anderson, Atlanta, Ga. ; Col. L. H. Goodman New Orleans; Gen. Waller S. Payne, Fostoria, Ohio; Mr. H. C Campbell, Charlotte. N. C. ; Mr. W. H. Rapp and Col. J. B Travis, of Atlanta ; and others. The trip to Camp Chase was made in carriages, kindly furnished by Chief Lauer, of the Columbus Fire Department, Judge D. F. Pugh, A. W. Shields, W. B. Potts, H. N. P. Doyle, and myself. Arriving at the burial grounds, Rev. Dr. Hewitt ofifered an invocation in which he eloquently and beautifully referred to the noble cause promoting the gathering, and invoked the blessing of the Supreme Ruler of all in the exercises to be performed. The members of the party were provided with potted flowers by Mrs. Knauss to be planted upon graves of the heroic dead. The ladies who had assembled at the grounds before the arrival of the visitors requested the honor of planting the flowers, and that pleasant task was submitted to their willing hands. The «cene presented after the graves had been decorated was beautiful and impressive. Around and above the silent mounds of earth stood with uncovered heads the persons mentioned. The fresh, green grass waved gently to and fro, swayed by the gentle spring breeze, while the wind breathed a solemn requiem through the irees overhead. As each one of the party spoke tenderly of the 4S THE SrORV OF CAMP CHASE. silent heroes buried there, and uttered words of commendation- and praise for the men and women of the North, the eyes of the visitors from the South filled with tears of emotion as they beheld the graves of their dead. For years there stood in the cemetery a broken tombstone, and its loneliness made it conspicuous. The top of the stone, through some unknown cause, had been broken off and in the lapse of years had been lost. On the remaining portion of the stone re- mained the inscription: "Third Miss. Batt. Resident Osyka^ Miss. Died Jan. i6, 1865. Aged 37 yrs. Erected by his wife."^ The lost portion evidently contained the husband's name. The stone was broken long before the decoration services caused the briers to be torn away and flowers placed thereon. - The story of these exercises reached the Southland, and a Union soldier placed there a box of flowers which came with the request that they be strewn over this unknown grave. W. Y. Smith, who had been a bugler in the Second Ohio Vol- unteer Cavalry, was present at the exercises in 1898, and when, he learned the story of the broken stone said he would replace it if the name of the Confederate buried there could be ascertained.. Eventually word reached a far-away home in Mississippi, and irt due time a letter came containing a strip of muslin yellow with age, on which was an impression of the face of the broken stone as it was when originally put up. The impression showed the words and their alignment, as follows : IN MEMORY OF I. L. CAUSEY, ORDNANCE SERGT. The stone was broken through the line "Ordnance Scrgt." Smith made good his promise, and when the graves were dec- orated in 1899, there stood a marble slab and the name of the dead soldier was a mystery no longer. CHAPTER \'. Camp Chase in 1900. Ohio's Governor Present at the Services at Camp Chase — He Makes a Wise and Patriotic Address — The Ex-Confederates Pleased with His Kindly Expressed Sentiments Concerning the Dust of the Lonely Dead — General Arnold, of Kentucky, Delivered an Eloquent and Touching- Speech — Mrs. T. W. Rose, President of the Ladies' Society of the Union Veteran Legion, Spoke with Much Tenderness — Dr. Thomas P. Shields, an Ex-Confederate of Ohio. One of the Speakers — What South- ern Governors Said. The slanting- rays of the setting- sitn were tinting the flowered graves as, leaving the cemetery, the people turned to catch a last look at the peaceful scene and breathe once rnore the floral South- ern fragrance. It had been a successful da}-, and for the first time in the his- tory of the exercises there was an Ohio Governor present. Year after year the chief officer of the State Government had been invited to be present, and year after year the invitation was de- clined. One Governor said frankly he was not in sympathy with the work and did not think it right. The kind-hearted ]\IcKinley was in doubt as to the propriety- of decorating these graves and declined attending with the gentleness and dignity that character- ized his dealings with his fellow-men. Afterwards, when he be- came President of the United States, his feelings underwent a change, as was evidenced by his Atlanta speech, mentioned in the introductory chapter of this volume. When the invitation was extended to Governor Nash he at once accepted, saying with decided emphasis: "1 am in sympathy with this work and will join you willingly in paying tribute to the memory of these men." Not only the ex-Confederates, but all who took part in the ex- ercises, were pleased because of his views upon this and kindred subjects. The address delivered by Governor Nash was as follows : This is a strange scene. We are assembled about the graves 4 50 THli STORY 01' LAMP CHASE. of more than two thousand soldiers who perished from 1861 to 1865. At that time the men buried here were a part of that great army engaged in civil strife. More than thirty-five years have passed since that great conflict ended, and we are here to do honor to them by bestowing loving tributes upon their graves. They were once our enemies, but we now look upon their brave deeds as a part of our history. GOV. (iEUKGE K. NASH. As I said in the beginning, this is a ]ieculiar situation, and yet it is no more so than the conflict in which these men fell. In his second inaugural President Lincoln said : "Neither party ex- pected for. the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Xeither anticipated that the cause of the con- flict might cease with it, or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph and a result less fun- damental and astounding, lloth read the same liible and prayed to the same God, and each invoked his aid against the otiier." It was strange, indeed, that two parties through whose veins CAMP CHASE IN 1900. 51 flowed the same blood should inaugurate and carry on for four years a conflict the most destructive conflict in life and property which is recorded in modern history. It was most fortunate that both parties read the same Bible and prayed to the same God, because such peoples could not remain hostile to each other. With the lapse of time all the peoples of this country have again become loyal to the government founded "by a common country. All have again learned to love the same flag, and have been, and will be, its ardent supporters when dan- ger threatens. When engaged in a foreign war the sons of the South and the sons of the North again became loyal soldiers of the republic and demonstrated that we are a reunited people — in heart, in soul, and in every aspiration of patriotism. The ceremony in which we have engaged to-day is not a use- less nor a meaningless one. It shows that we of the North have no hatred for the brave men who were once our foes. On the other hand, it demonstrates that for those who fell in an unavoid- able conflict we have respect and honor and love, and that with those who still live we join hands in loyal support of the match- less government whose foundations were laid by their fathers and ours, and cemented by their blood in the days of the Revolu- tion. It is hoped that as the years go by our children and our chil- dren's children may unite in showing honor to the soldiers of the Confederacy as well as to the soldiers of the Union. All fought most honorably in a conflict which, it seems, could not have been avoided. To their names no dishonor should be attached. By thus honoring all, love for a great republic will be strengthened and her flag will be followed as the guiding star for all the people for all time to come. Again I quote from the local daily papers : Over the graves of the fallen Southerners floated a tiny red, white, and blue banner of the United States, while the memorial shaft and the speakers' stand were decorated in the same colors. The remarks of Governor Nash were so well received by the Confederate veterans that Rev. Dr. Hewitt moved a vote of thanks be tendered. This was carried by — as Col. Knauss put it — -a vote of two hundred thousand to one, the Governor voting "no." "The Governor has expressed," continued Dr. Hewitt, "a sentiment that is as broad and liberal as it is possible for any one who had fought either for or against the South to express. Any one who could stand there and express the sentiments the Gov- ernor has done would be worthy the recognition and thanks of those against whom he had fought." Mrs. Alice M. Rambo and Miss Edna Smith sang the duet, "Forget Not the Day," after which General Arnold, an ex-Con- 52 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. federate, whose son was in one of the Kentucky regiments in the Spanish-American War. made a beautiful and touching- speech. He told of the gratitude of the Southern wives and mothers toward the noble Northern men and women who had reclaimed the burial grounds and strewed flowers over the mounds of the sleeping veterans of the South, adding: When ni}- countrNinen and my countrywomen read of your acts, the fragrance of your good deeds is like the dew on the blossom, and the rain of their blessing is upon you. The General told of the bloody day at Perry ville. i\y., when the home of his widowed mother was turned into a hospital and she administered alike to those who wore the blue and those who wore the gray. God created the world, the flowers, and the birds; then he created man after his own image; and then, best of all, he created woman. General Arnold, continuing, said : For four years 1 was a Confederate soldier, and as such i have no regret. With the memory of those days upon me, 1 desire to thank Governor Nash for his patriotic address. L)Oth sides built monuments of bronze and stone, but those crumble. The names, however, will be handed down as a heritage as long as language is a vehicle of thought between man and man. The Chairman, at the conclusion, of Gen. Arnold's address, in- troduced Mrs. T. W. Rose, National President of the Union \'et- eran Legion, a ladies' society, who said : i have been asked to represent the Woman's Soldiers' Aid So- ciety and the ladies of the Union Veteran Legion, which duty i feel myself incompetent to perform adequately. 1 feel it ni) sacred duty, however, to come and assist in strewing flowers over these brave men who lie here, so far from home and kindred. I'hese were men who fought bravely for their convictions. They left their loved ones as did our own brave boys. W'c come re- n.embering the mothers, wives, and sisters who sent them and l^repared them for war with their own hands, and wc know they would gladly strew with their own hands these flowers. Sisters of the South and sisters of the dead in our keeping, as long as we are permitted to come here we will cover these green graves with your flowers; and with our own loved ones we hope fo meet after the last bugle calls to the other shore. God bless the r.lue and the Grav! Dr. Thomas P. Shields, of ITnJon Countv. an ex-Confederate. § >■ o x y S » 5 o 54 THE STORY OF CAM I' CHASE. was introduced ; and though at first he was overcome b\- emotion, he made an eloc|ucnt speech. Among other things, he said that he always marched wiih the boys in bhie on their memorial day and helped to strew the tiowers. The Daily Press-Post, of Columbus, which has always treated the Confederate Memorial Day with great consideration, asked the Governors of many Southern States, particularly those whO' had been in the Southern army, to express their views upon the memorial services conducted at Camp Chase each year, outlining the interest taken by Col. W. II. Knauss and the Columbus people in this Confederate burying ground and how in recent years veterans of both armies have gathered around the graves and obliterated the old hostilities forever in the ceremonies of fraternal forgetfulness. The responses, some of which are quoted, tell eloquently of national rejuvenation, for which the people of Columbus are profoundly grateful, since they have so earnestly promoted the new era of fellowship between the sections. Gov. Joseph D. Sayres, of Texas, wrote : The intelligence conveyed in your telegram of this date is in- deed gratifying. Such action cannot fail to receive the sincere and hearty approbation of every true American. I wish that I could be present to j^articipate. Gov. J. Hoge Tyler, of Virginia : The occasion mentioned in your telegram is of special interest to me, because of loved ones resting beneath the sod at Camp Chase. May the fragrance and sweetness of flowers from Union and Confederate hands be a token of that love and friendship which, now unites our country ! ("lOv. A. D. Candler, of Georgia: It is to me a beautiful sentiment which prompts the action' of those who wore the blue and those who wore the gray in the work of doing honor to their dead comrades who fought on both sides in the fratricidal conflict from 1861 to 1865. I have said — and I have been criticised for saying — that, next to my brother Confederate soldier who fought for his convictions, I have the greatest admiration for the good Federal soldier who fought for liis convictions; and it speaks well for our civilization and well for our glorious Union that those arrayed in deadly conflict a generation ago can now unite as a band of brothers in doing CAMP CHASE IN 1900. 55 honor to the memory of their dead comrades, without regard to the flag under which they fought. As an American citizen, proud of the country in which he lives, I am thankful that 1 have lived long enough to see the asperities of that sanguinary conflict largely disappear, and I feel confident that in less than another generation they will have entirely disappeared from the minds and hearts of all unbiased and intelligent men. Each side had convictions and each side was brave enough to fight for its convictions. That is the whole case in a sentence. With love for my old comrades who wore the gray, and the highest admiration and esteem for the men who wore the blue. Gov. J. F. Johnston, of Alabama : Every flower laid on the graves of our dead soldiers, sleeping so far from their homes and loved ones, by the gallant comrades of the Grand Army and by the Confederate Veterans, fellow-citizens of the North, will be fragrant in our memories for years to come. Such acts show that the American soldiers are the bravest and gentlest in all the world. Gov. Daniel W. Jones, of Arkansas : I congratulate the veterans of the Civil War, and the nation, upon the state of feeling which makes it possible to witness the decoration of Confederate graves by veterans of both sides, as I am informed is to be done in your city to-morrow. Gov. Daniel L. Russell, of North Carolina: Your communication, conveying to me the pleasant intelligence that the Federal and Confederate veterans of your city will unite this year to adorn the graves of the Confederate dead who sleep at Camp Chase, is gratifying to me. It indicates that the unpleasant sentiments which so long and so disastrously divided our country are passing away, and that we are to have not only a union under our Constitution and laws, but also a reunited people, exhibiting a willingness to forget the past and determined to unite in securing the future good gov- ernment and glory of our common country. Please convey to the veterans. Confederate and Federal, my ap- preciation of their generous and patriotic behavior, and allow me to express the hope that the time may not be distant when the last vestige of passion that accompanied and followed the struggle which threatened the destruction of the republic shall have passed away and have been entirely forgotten. The sentiments expressed by these distinguished gentlemen are treasured in the hearts of those who took part in the service' ar Camp Chase, not only that year, but the preceding years when there were few to do honor to these sons of the South at rest upon Ohio soil. CHAPTER VI. The Memorial of 1901. Arm in Arm the Men of the South and North Marched into the Cemetery Where Sleep the Dead of Camp Chase Prison — Commander Shields, of the Confederate Camp, and Commander Grim, of McCoy Post, G. A R., Leading the Way — Children of Avondale School Sing — Rev. John Hewitt Delivers an Address — Hon. Emmet Tompkins, Then Repub- lican Member of Congress, Delivers an Oration — Remarks by Rev. How- ard Henderson, Ex-Confederate — Captain Rogers, an Ex-Confederatc, Places Southern Flowers on Graves of the Union and Confederate Sol- diers. The services of 1901 were sticcessfuUy carried otit, noth with- standing the fact that at a late hotir changes in the matter of transportation from Cokimbus were made that required prompt action. The arrangements made with the Cokimbus, London, and Springfield Interurban Line to use a locomotive to haul the peo- ple who proposed to attend had to be canceled at the moment, owing to the possibility that it might endanger the company's franchise to use a locomotive. The nearest approach bv rail at that time was the Camp Chase terminus of the West Broad Street Line, and from that point to the cemetery was about three- quarters of a mile. As hurriedly as possible cars were secured and great crowds filled them as fast as they came. Carriages and omnibuses were ordered posthaste for the school children and invited guests. The people of Columbus and near-by towns w^alked from the end of the street car line to the cemetery, and the crowd was the largest that had thus far attended the exercises. The veterans of McCoy Post, G. A. R., and the ex-Confederates in attendance, together with the school children, formed outside the grounds, and arm in arm the Southern and Northern men marched to the platform, wdiere, side by side, sat T. P. Shields, Commander of Confederate Camp No. 1181, of Columbus, and John Grim, Commander of J. C. McCoy Post No. i, G. A. R. Again the children of Avondale School, under the direction of their teacher, Miss Osgood, daughter of a Union soldier, sang "The Star-Spanglcd P)anncr," while Commantlers Grim and THE MEMORIAL OF 1901. 57 Shields drew the starry banner to its place upon the tall flagstaff that I erected in the cemetery. A burst of cheers greeted our national flag as it floated in the breeze, waving joyously as though instinctive with knowledge that old-time foes were united in making it the emblem of one country and for one people. Rev. John Hewitt delivered an address that was listened to REV. JOHN HEWITT. with deep appreciation. The name of this gentleman and South- ern soldier appears quite frequently in this story, and it is unneces- sary to repeat to the reader again who he is. When the Fourth Ohio Infantry returned from Porto Rico at the close of hostili- ties, he was made Chaplain ; so much for the peace and harmony demonstrated since the men of Camp Chase prison went to their sad and lonely rest. Dr. Hewitt concluded his address by saying : They are no longer prisoners of war. If they could know all that has happened since they died, and see what we see to-day, I 38 THE STORY Of CAMP CHASE. venture to believe that they would think and feel about what we are doing to-day as we ourselves do — would think and feel about the flag as we do. And hence it cannot be as some have hinted — that it was an ofifense to their memory to raise that flag where they now sleep. It seems fitting, therefore, that such who recall the conflict that proved them the bravest of brave soldiers and learned to respect them for valorous deeds when living should gather about their graves when dead and join in ceremonies such as these in testimony of the fact that they won this respect — worth the winning, worth remembering, and worth being kept alive. You Ohio comrades of the Blue will not deny that when we laid down our arms and again raised the Stars and Stripes over the Capitols of our Confederate States, by those acts the nation began to grow stronger and the flag to take on greater glory. The Hon. Emmet Tompkins, Republican Member of Congress, from the Columbus district at the time, delivered an oration, in which he said : Friends and fellow-citizens, we are assembled to-day for the purpose of laying flowers on the graves of dead Americans. The children have come with their beaming faces and clothed in bright summer garments to sing with sweet and innocent voices songs of praise and patriotism. Among you I behold men crowned with the frost of time and even bent with the weight of years. It seems to me that all the stages and all the walks of active life have here their representatives, mingled as they are into a har- monious whole, while over all, stretched by a friendly breeze, floats the flag of our nation — the Star-Spangled Banner. The scene is novel and affecting to me because these dead Americans gave up their lives for their convictions, and one might well won- der that at the capital of the great State of Ohio there would ever assemble such a body as this to perform the simple and tender acts of to-day. But during the long stretch of years since the Confederac} dissolved wondrous changes have been wrought and many wounds have been healed by the touch of time. I am not here for the purpose of paying tribute to or manifesting concurrence in that war which dug these graves. But I am here for the purpose of indicating my willingness to adopt the admonition of General Grant when he said, "Let us have peace !" and to bury in these graves along with the bones of soldiers the animosities which for four dreadful years held the North and the South in their deadly grasp. To the Confederates who accept the results of that war and now join in devotion to the Union I give the right hand of fel- lowship; to those of them who still linger amid the ashes and ^ THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. nourish in their bosoms the bitterness of the past I can only ex- press the hope that they will ere long realize how vain all such thoughts are and how far better it is to dwell together in peace and harmony. To the words of General Grant, already quoted, "Let us have peace !" we add the sentiment of President McKinley when he expressed the wish that the government would take charge of and care for the final resting places of Gonfederate soldiers. Both these are the manifestations of the spirit of forgetfulness, and they lead to the high plane of universal brotherhood among all Americans. If we imbibe this spirit, then will this nation reach the full orb of its possible greatness. The late war with Spain has done much to close the breach between the North and the South. Upon the land and upon the seas the sons of the North mingled their blood with that of the sons of the South, and the two made a common and a glorious sacrifice. It was an inspiring spectacle to behold the heroic youth of the land of flowers marching by the side of the youth of the land of the snow — each wearing the blue, each keeping step to the "Star- Spangled Banner," and each lifting his cap to the emblem of lib- erty and equality. Earnest and patriotic men find much hope in that spectacle. To-day we are in the presence of the dead. The edge of the grave is no place for bitterness. Let us be just and concede that these dead while in life believed they were engaged in a righteous cause. Let us acknowledge that they were courageous adversaries. The uncounted heaps of earth dotting this fair land bear witness to these facts. Let us hope that from these graves the settled conviction may be drawn that it is all in vain to attempt the dissolution of this Union, and that the God of bat- tles directs the armies of the nation. From these ceremonies may we catch increased inspiration to. move forward in the great mis- sion allotted to the American people, and may the century just dawning to be filled w-ith j'jeace and happiness and the uplifting of mankind everywhere throughout the universal earth ! Rev. Howard A. M. Henderson, an officer in the Confederate service and special commissioner of exchange, delivered an ad- dress, in which he said, in alluding to the Union soldier who began these services, that "his acts, even more than the lapse of years, did that which went to wii)e out the bitterness between sections." Gen. J. A. Arnold, of Kentucky, was again present and spoke briefly in renewed appreciation. After the services were over several incidents occurred worthy to be related. A battle-scarred veteran of the North, approaching General Henderson, recalled that the General had exchanged him THE MEMORIAL OF igoi. 6i out of Libby Prison. The General, of course, did not remember the man personally. An old lady, three of whose sons had given their lives for the Confederacy and one of whom slept in the shade of the inclosure, sat on the platform and witnessed the tributes to his memory. Dr. T. P. Shields, who met at a reunion in Memphis, Tenn., his old comrade, Col. D. B. Baldwin, of Virginia, prevailed upon him to attend these exercises, and he introduced him, stating that they met as strangers in Memphis and the fact developed that the Colonel was from the Doctor's old home in Virginia. The ac- quaintance was brought about in this way : The Doctor asked the Colonel : "Do you know D. B. Baldwin there ?" "That's my name," was the answer. The Doctor then recognized him, and demanded : "Don't you know me?" But the old comrade could not see through the veil that the years had hung, and Dr. Shields had to reveal his identity. ' The Columbus Dispatch relates how Mr. W. T. Rogers, of Chattanooga, accompanied by his beautiful daughter, came to Co- lumbus with flowers sent by the N. B. Forrest Camp No. 4, U. C. v., and arrived too late for the decoration services. However,, the following day the flowers were divided and some of them were placed by Miss Rogers on the graves in the Confederate Cemetery and the rest were taken by Captain Rogers to Green Lawn Cemetery and laid at the base of the monument raised to the memory of the brave men in blue who have obeyed the last signal. ~ CHAPTER VII. The Monument Unveiled — 1902. What SoLilhern Writers Who Were Present Said about the Occasion — The Chairman Tells Who Helped so Liberally with the Arch — The Oration of Governor Nash — The Reply of Judge D. E. Johnston, of West Virginia — The Speech of Judge D. F. Pugh — Captain Dinkins, of New Orleans, Delivers an Eloquent Speech — The Story of the Colored Men — Letter from Mrs. Randolph — Invitation to Go to Nashville — The Monument Turned Over to the Ex-Con federates — Happy Ending of the Author's Work at Camp Chase. The memorial arch, an enduring- monument to the memory of these Southern Americans, had been completed and the day for its unveiling was at hand. The Columbus Dispatch of April 13, 1902, said of it: The arch which. will be unveiled June 7 will be the first to be constructed by Northern people to mark the final resting places of Confederates who fought bravely for their convictions. Colonel Knauss's idea is to have an arch that will be an ever- lasting monument to designate the location of the graves. It will be situated seventy-five feet from the entrance to the grounds, which fronts on Sullivan Avenue. As shown in the cut, the me- morial will arch the large bowlder which for many years was famous as the only headstone for the two thousand two bunded and sixty bodies buried within the inclosurc. Several vears ago Colonel Knauss had a wooden arch placed over the bowlder, and on it was painted "Americans." The bowlder referred to above is seven feet in diameter and weighs approximately sixteen tons. It extends seven and one- half feet above the ground and several feet below the surface. From the top of the bowlder to the bottom of the keystone it is over eight feet. On top of the keystone of the arch is the statue of a Confederate private soldier in gray bronze. On each side of the arch there are large flower urns which set off the masonry in a very pleasing manner. There was great disappointment by the citizens of Columbus that Gen. J. B. Gordon could not be present to receive the monu- ment, but his place was ably filled by that eloquent Southern gen- tleman, Hon. David E. Johnston, Member of Congress from West THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 63 Mrginia, and the ceremonies of the day were a source of pleasure to many people throughout the broad land. If we dwell upon the incidents of that day, if the orations are considered at greater length, the reader will realize that the work of years was near the end ; and one cannot refrain from dwelling in the happiness of realized hopes. To those of us who bore a part in the war of the sixties the afternoon of life is well on. It will not be long until "taps" sound, and it is natural, therefore, that when memory leads us out where we see the panorama of the past we look first at the morning view, where are charging squadrons and smoking can- non and dying men. Then we turn away to a scene far different — a graveyard, low-lying mounds, bands playing softly, men who had charged upon each other with bayonets red-stained standing side by side with uncovered heads, placing flowers on the graves of the lonely dead. This last is the picture of our afternoon, and we love to linger over this event of 1902. If the first simple, unheralded service was creditable, then in this event modesty gave way to pride, and he who tells it gloried in the day. There is a Camp of Confederate Veterans in Columbus named for the immortal Lee, and no one protests ; there is a Chapter of United Daughters of Confederacy who wear tri-colored rib- bons, and no one shudders. These organizations are ready to take up the work and care for the graves of their dead. It is well that others tell the story of that day, and it is not necessary to draw exclusively upon home join-nals for the details. From Southern periodicals and papers we can learn all that is necessary to prove that the Southerner, who loves his friend as few people love and hates his enemies with unconcealed intensity, has overpraised the work done at Camp Chase. At the same time, the recipient of this praise cannot help but appreciate the kindly words and own that deep in his heart he is prouder of them than he can tell. A Huntington (W. Va.) paper says: The exercise incident to the unveiling of the arch erected at Camp Chase to the memory of Confederate soldiers buried there were simple, but beautifully impressive. Within the graveyard, which is surrounded by a stone wall, more than twenty-two hundred Confederates are buried, and this inclosure is all that visibly remains of the once terrifying prison camp. For a number of years Col. W. H. Knauss, a Union vet- eran residing at Columbus, has taken care of the ground and an- nually decorated the graves. He was almost mortally wounded at the battle of Fredericksburg and carries in his face a conspicu- ous scar of battle. 64 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. The war has long- been over to the gentleman whom General Gordon was pleased to designate as the "golden-hearted Knauss," who honors the Confederate dead as his countrymen. The memorial is a stone arch surmounted by the bronze figure of a Confederate soldier looking toward the South, and is a hand- some tribute. In the smooth surface of the keystone appears the MRS. J. H. WINUEK, of llic I'. D. C, who, with Mrs. John T. Giimble, assisted in iinveiliniJ tlie arch and statuo. word "Americans." A profusion of llowers from difterent sec- tions of the South were distributed on the graves, which were also ornamented by small flags. The ceremonies were conducted by Col. Knauss and consisted of songs, martial music, and addresses. The vocal music was delightfully rendered by a chorus of }Oung ladies from the Columbus schools. Among the speakers were Judge Pugh. Governor Nash, and Col. Kilbourne. Nothing oc- curred to mar the harmony and sympathetic good feeling man- THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 65 ifested by the assembled thousands. Gen. John B. Gordon was on the programme to accept the monument on behalf of the South, but in his absence Judge David E. Johnston, of West Virginia, made a short impromptu address of acceptance. His words were from the heart, however, and thrilled the audience with their earnest and felicitous simplicity. MRS. jcHx T. G.^^:^.: v.. Grasping the hand of Colonel Knauss at its conclusion, he led that fine old soldier to the front of the stage and in loving and impassioned words told how now and forever hereafter the peo- ple of the South would cherish and revere his memory. This was the most charming and affecting incident of the day,. and was immediately followed by the hymn, "Asleep in Jesus,"' led by Mrs. Winder. The services were marked by a feeling' as spontaneous as though the dead of yesterday were being- buried. The whole affair was a unique expression of a reunited 5 66 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. country from which the last vestige of sectionaHsm is swiftly- passing. Mr. J. A. Allen of the Cynthiana (Ky.) Democrat, wrote of the event : If Col. W. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, had not already established a strong hold on the hearts and aft'ections of the Southern people, the unveiling of the statue and arch at the Camp Chase Cemetery would have settled the matter. For years past we have been reading of Colonel Knauss and his patriotic and unselfish care of the graves of the Confederate dead near the site of the old prison, and the services Saturday furnished an op- portunity for the Democrat's representative to be on the ground and see for himself. The crowd at Camp Chase, viewed from its proper standpoint in the conferring of honor upon alien dead in a territory whose people ^yere hostile to the principles for which men fought and fell, was most impressive. Thousands of persons gathered with- in the gray stone walls inclosing the dust of the "Flowers of the South." It presaged that not impossible day when the Blue and the Gray will be honored alike. North and South; and, as a Co- lumbus paper put it, there will be mingled "love and tears for the Blue, tears and love for the Gray." The ceremonies were simple. Colonel Knauss, the father of the movement, acted as master of ceremonies, and from the stand which had been erected to the east of the arch explained briefly his connection with the work and introduced the different people on the programme, which follows : Assembly bugler, D. McCandlish, ex-Federal; "Star-Spangled Banner," Normal School; prayer. Rev. John Hewitt, ex-Confed- erate; music by Fourth Regiment Band; unveiling address, Hon. D. F. Hugh, ex-Federal ; "America," Fourth Regiment Band ; address of presentation, Gov. George K. Nash, ex-Federal ; ad- dress of acceptance, Judge D. E. Johnston, ex-Confederate ; song, "Lead, Kindly Light," Normal School ; address. Dr. Darlington Snyder; song, "Asleep in Jesus;" address, Capt. James Dinkins, ex-Confederate; poem, ■Mrs. Thomas \\'orcester, U. D. C. of Cincinnati; music, "Dixie," Fourth Regiment Band; address, Marcus B. Toney, ex-Confederate; music, "Nearer, My God, to Thee," Normal School ; firing salute, details from three compa- nies. Fourth Regiment, O. N. G., Capt. A. C. Reynolds; strew- ing flowers by the Daughters of the Confederacy and ladies of the U. V. L. and G. A. R. ; taps by D. McCandlish, ex- Federal ; Visitors' Escort, Ex-Federal Soldiers' Drum Corps, Gus Johns. Of the decoration attractions, it is noted that in the arch hung four baskets of living vines and a large floral piece sent by the Robert E. Lee Chapter. United Daughters of the Confederacy, in Columbus. A circular bed of geraniums in bloom was planted in THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 67 front of the arch, and on each side were almost numberless boxes and baskets of flowers sent from the South. The speakers' stand was also lavishly ornamented with wreaths and other de- signs. From all of the trees and shrubs within the cemetery inclosure depended strings of the famous gray moss that is pecul- iar to the Southland. No tribute is too splendid to pay this noble ex- Federal soldier for the work he has done at Camp Chase for the people of the South. One who has not been on the ground and talked with Colonel Knauss can have no idea of the obstacles which have confronted him and the obstructions that have been thrown in his way. But with a stout heart and a courage that marked his career at the front till "shot out of service at Fredericksburg," he has bravely, dauntlessly marched on and on until this latest splendid achievement is placed to his eternal credit in the hearts of the South and of every man everywhere who has a spark of patriotic pride and tenderness in his soul. Col. Knauss's work has required a strong moral courage united with an enduring physical strength. In the Jackson (Miss.) Evening Nezvs Clay Sharkley writes: I set out to tell you of the unveiling of a monument at Colum- bus, Ohio, to the Confederate dead of old Camp Chase. Well, I found the North fully reconstructed. I had my doubts, from the legislation that has burdened the statutes of the United States in discriminating against the South, whether they were genuinely reconstructed, but they are. Among the many friends who have aided in every manner pos- sible the work at Camp Chase, no one has been more untiring than Mr. S. A. Cunningham, proprietor of the Confederate Vet- eran. In the July number for 1902 there appeared an article cov- ering several pages giving a complete description of the affair. Although no doubt it has been widely read in the South, and by friends of the South elsewhere, the story of that day cannot be told without quoting from that issue. . . , Governor Nash, of Ohio, who presented the monument, said: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, and fellow-Americans, this is truly a happy day with me, when I can address you upon this sacred ground as fellow-Americans. Forty years ago we were divided into two hostile camps. To-day the scene is changed. We are not here as Federals, we are not here as Con- federates ; we are all here as Americans to do honor to our heroic dead and to do something, if possible, to make our country greater and better in the years to come. [Applause.] It is indeed a pleasure to be here. The ground, upon which we now stand is sacred. In it He the remains of two thousand who 68 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. were of the bravest and best of the sons of the South, and here they have peacefully slept during all these years. It is a sacred duty which we perform when we come here to honor their memories and to do homage to their brave deeds. It is not only a sacred duty, but it seems to me that in doing this we are doing a splendid work for this reunited country. When the people of the North show their esteem for the brave men of the South who sleep in their midst, they are teaching a splendid lesson in patriotism. The days of strife are over, they are gone forever, and nevermore will they disturb our peace and harmony. I believe that it will be your aim [addressing the Confederates present] in all the days to come to aid in all ways possible the glory of the beautiful flag which we all love to-day. [Applause.] I know it will ever be your pleasure to uphold law and order in this country, and thus make greater and stronger the splendid insti- tutions founded by our fathers. Whenever we unite in meetings like this, we come together not as men who were once hostile but as men and women who love and honor this great republic and who will forever uphold its beautiful banner. [Applause.] This is no idle prediction. Less than four years ago our country was called upon to engage in war with a foreign foe. The sons of the Confederate soldiers rallied to the defense of our threat- ened flag and upheld her honor and glory just as bravely and just as readily as did the sons of the North. The sons of the North were rejoiced to have the sons of the old Confederates at their sides doing valiant service for their country. Some people at times despair of the future of this republic, but I have no such misgivings. I know that for the last thirty years the old Confed- erate soldiers of the South have faithfully taught the story of patriotism to their children. I know that the old Union soldiers of the North have been just as patriotic in their teachings to their children, and from these sources has grown throughout this nation a wonderful patriotism, a wonderful love for our country. This spirit will forever guard the honor of my country and my flag. I am rejoiced that we have among us to-day many ex-Confed- erate soldiers and their friends. To them I bid a most hearty welcome. I am glad that you are here, because you can see from this splendid assemblage that the people of the North honor with you the meniory of your old soldiers who sleep in this cemetery. ] Applause.] I hope that you will take the story of it back to \our Southern homes, and inform your friends that the remains of the ex-Confederate soldiers in the State of Ohio are honored by the people of this State. [Applause.] In this sacred con- nection it gives me pleasure to present, on behalf of the State of Ohio, this splendid monument to the memory of your soldiers. This monument, builded of stone and bronze, will last for many years, but it will not outlive the memory of the brave deeds and the heroic men whose sacred ashes repose in this cemetery. THE MONUMENT UNI' EI LED— 190.^. 69 Judge David F. Pugh, Past Department Commander of the G. A. R. of Ohio, said in the unveiUng address : The beautiful and impressive custom of decorating the graves of the soldier dead originated after the Civil War and was inau- gurated in several Southern States, I believe, in the year 1866 or 1867, by Southern ladies; and the fact that they decorated graves of unknown Union soldiers, as well as their own Confederate soldiers, gives it an additional historical and sentimental interest. They went out into the cemeteries and scattered flowers impar- tially over the unmarked graves of the Union dead and upon the graves of their own soldiers. The hearts of Northern people were touched and thrilled by this kindly act. We of the North are to-day merely following the unselfish and noble example of those women. Five or six years ago a fair was held in the city of Wheeling, W. Va., to raise money for the erection of a home for dependent Confederate soldiers of West Virginia. A Captain Johnson, an ex-Union soldier and officer, contributed a Chinese sword of curious workmanship, to be sold for the benefit of the home. In sending it to the managers he said it was all he was able to do for the home, and expressed the hope that God would bless the surviving veterans, both Blue and Gray. We here to- day, in our participation in this solemn and decorous ceremony, are moved by the same spirit which inspired and actuated Captain Johnson. The ablest, most skilled of the Union generals, General Grant, occupied a portion of his last days on this earth urging and impressing his countrymen to restore fraternity and love between the North and South ; and this advice was illustrated and illuminated by the unspeakable pathos of his death chamber. When he was serving his first term as President, Gen. Robert E. Lee visited the White House. He honored his old antagonist by giving him audience in preference to the Senators and Repre- sentatives in Congress who were in waiting and had preceded Lee under the inspiration of his motto. "Let us have peace !" When Lee surrendered, he refused to imitate the example of the Roman and Grecian generals by making a triumphal entry into Richmond. He would not permit any celebration of the victory by the Union army in- the presence of the Confederates. He spared the latter every humiliation. He knew that it was necessary to the consummation of the victory that the sur- rendered Confederate soldiers should become loyal citizens. He knew that the republic could not hold vassal provinces by the bayonet and survive. We simply honor his memory and observe his dying precept to-day by participating in the decoration of these graves and the dedication of this statue. One of the wisest acts — certainly the most magnanimous act — of President McKinley was his advocacy of a plan for the 70 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. National Government to maintain the Confederate cemeteries and at its expense. It was only a reiteration of what he had said twenty years before at Oberlin, Ohio. In a memorial address there, speaking of the duty of the people of Ohio with respect to the graves of the dead Confederates in Camp Chase, he said : "On us, too, rests the responsibility of caring for their graves. If it was worth while to bury each man in a separate grave, or give him an honorable interment, is it not worth while to preserve the grave as a sacred trust, as it is, and as it is to us alone?" The line of action for us is, fortunately, simple. In the office of the Adjutant General of the State is a record of all these dead, with a diagram of the grounds, each grave being numbered. From this it is possible to find the grave of each man and to arrange the grounds in proper manner. Let this be done by the State. Let the Legislature provide for the oversight and care of these graves. President McKinlcy made two extended tours through the Southern States. The ex-Confederates by the thousands attend- ed his meetings and receptions, and cheered and applauded him. Nowhere in the South was he threatened by anarchists. His life was safer than in the North. When it became necessary to make additional major and brigadier generals for the Spanish War. this broad-minded President did not hesitate to put the stars upon the slioulders of those old graybacks, Generals Wheeler. Lee, But- ler, Oates, and Rossiter. When McKinley died, not the North alone, but the North and South — the whole nation, reborn, re- united — mourned his death and shed tears over his grave. The "kindly light" of his magnanimous example and teaching encour- ages and cheers us on to-day in paying tribute to the heroic Con- federate dead, who sleep in this Confederate cemetery. Just fresh from the battlefield of Shiloh, where I witnessed and heard two ex-Confederates, one representing the State of Ten- nessee, participate in the dedication of the Ohio monuments to the heroic Union dead who sleep there, and where I was thrilled by the royal eloquence of one of them, in which he honored our dead comrades, I have no doubt either of the propriety or the duty of an ex-Union soldier participating in the ceremonies of this occasion. We decorate these graves to-day, and we dedicate this statue, because the men who sleep here were brave men. because they nobly illustrated American skill and valor on the battlefields of the Civil War. Although one side was thought to be right and the other considered wrong, yet both sides were inspired by similar impulses and actuated by the same sincerity of conviction. The Civil War is without its twin in history. For the grandeur of its impost, the vastness of its resources, and the tenacitv of the combatants it has no parallel in the annals of war. Fought by men of the same blood, it demonstrated the endurance, the prodigious power, and the vast resources of the republic. It was: THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 71 not a war by either side against Chilians or Itahans, Spaniards or FiHpinos. It was only Americans who could hope to successfully overthrow the Union, and it was only Americans who were qual- ified to successfully defend it. The Civil War showed what kind of people inhabit this continent — all brave men and women. It demonstrated that the Anglo-Saxons on this continent, whatever might betide them on the other side of the ocean, had not degen- erated. Bunker Hill was easier to climb than Cemetery Ridge^ Missionary Ridge, or Lookout Mountain. During those four years Washington, sleeping on the banks of the Potomac, often heard martial footsteps like those of its own soldiers. On both sides there was unparalleled endurance, with fortitude and unselfish- ness, through a long and exhausting conflict. Such armies as were raised and maintained on both sides were wonderful ins their exhibition of soldierly attributes. That the Confederate sol- diers were gallant, that they were hard fighters, can be proved by every Union soldier who struggled against them in the fiery- front of battle. After the battle of Missionary Ridge I was attracted by the ex- treme youthful appearance of a dead Tennessee Confederate sol- dier who belonged to a regiment of Cheatham's Division, against which we had fought the day before. He was not over fifteen ' years of age and very slender. He was clothed in a cotton suit and was barefooted — barefooted on that cold and wet twenty- fourth day of November, 1863. I examined his haversack. For a day's rations there were a handful of black beans, a few slices of sorghum, and a half dozen roasted acorns. That was an infinitely poor outfit for marching and fighting, but that Tennessee soldier had made it answer his purpose. The Confederates who, half fed, looked bravely into our faces for many long, agonizing weeks over the ramparts of Vicksburg; the remnants of Lee's magnifi- cent army, which, fed on raw corn and persimmons, fluttered tlieir heroic rags and interposed their bodies for a year between Grant's army and Richmond, only a few miles away — all these men were great soldiers. I pity the American who cannot be proud of their valor and endurance. All the bitterness has gone out of my heart, and, in spite of a: Confederate bullet in my body, I do not hesitate to acknowledge that their valor is part of the common heritage of the whole coun- try. We can never challenge the fame of those men whose skilf and valor made them the idols of the Confederate army. The- fame of Lee, Jackson, the Johnstons, Gordon, Longstreet, the Hills, Hood, and Stuart, and many thousands of noncommis- sioned officers and private soldiers of the Confederate armies whose names are not mentioned on historic pages, can never be tarnished by the carping criticisms of the narrow and shallow- minded. On both sides the Civil War was prolific in that heroic excellence of human character which some people had supposed 72 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. was the monopoly of ancient history, tradition, and poetry. Here- after it will not be necessary for any American, whether he be Blue or Gray, to read the stories and Icc^cnds of Grecian and Roman glory to inflame his imagination about heroes and hero- ism. There are other trophies than those of Miltiades. as some W. p. HARklSUN. one has said, to keep him awake at night. He can set his imag- ination on fire and keep himself awake by reading stories of equal interest and of equal valor about a hundred crimson battlctields of the Civil War. More than thirty-seven years have passed away since Lee and Grant met at Appomattox. Thirty-six seedtimes and harvests Jiave distributed their benedictions to the Blue and Gray alike. After going through ordeals which we were spared and through THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 73 privations ol which the North has no conception, the Southern people rebuilt, rehabilitated, their part of the country in a most phenomenal way. The waste places have been made to blossom like the rose, and old battle grounds are covered with verdure. Northern capital and vigor have married Southern energy and capital, their sons and daughters have intermarried, and the South is sharing in the universal prosperity. Much has been dcjne for the burial of ancient grievances and old grudges and for the cultivation of thoughtful love of coun- try. We are in the midst of an epoch of fraternal love and peace. The final victory at Appomattox was not a victory of the North over the South, but of the North and South over the South, it was as much their victory as ours. They were, equally with us, beneficiaries of that victory; and its blessings are just as precious to them as to us. The North and South have been welded into a more homogeneous nation by a common grief. ( )ur nation has been made richer by the blood and tears mingled together from both sides. What we tlKnight and said of cacli other in the war times is ncjw forgotten. Our flag, with not one star drop])cd from it, waves over both Rluc and Gray. On Decoration Day the flowers of the earth, so Ijlue and golden, make no distinction between the Blue and the Gray, but freely give their fragrance to both. No mother weeps the less fervently because her boy wore blue or gray. To-day in this cemetery the flowers will be scattered on the graves of Americans. Thirty- eight years have stilled the bitterness of the conflict. To-day we stand immeasurably a])Ove all resentment or revenge. ^ I have just returned from a visit to two of the great battlefields, Cliickamauga and Shiloh, and it is no extravagance to say that no Union soldier who sleeps in the cemeteries on those battlefields speaks to-day from his grave of wrath or hatred toward the South, but their voices would mingle with ours for peace, frater- nity, and a reunited country. To-day, standing upon the serene heights of love and forgive- ness, and with an implicit faith in the Divine Forr^iver of all, we can see in this joint participation, and we can see iii this coopera- tion of Blue and Gray in paying tribute to the heroic Confed- erates sleeping here, a symbol' of the true American— the Union for which we have been hoping and praying for many years. In this final resting place of over two thousand Confederate dead Mr. W. P. Harrison has assi.sted Col. William 1 1. Knauss to erect this memorial arch and statue of a Confederate soldier. Both Mr. Harrison and Colonel Knauss should be honored for this appropriate monument. Tt is iheir votive offering to that brotherly kindness, peace, and love, and forgiveness for which there has been pleading and praying for years all over this coun- try. Only a few of us know how Colonel Knauss has toiled, struggled, and endured to make this monument and these condi- 74 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. tions a success. He has braved the criticism and censure of a few but bitter opponents of reconciliation. He has resisted the advice of those who have told him that it was not expedient and good policy for him to manage and superintend the decoration of these graves from year to year ; and I repeat that he should be honored for what lie has done. Let the statue be unveiled ! HON. D. E. JOHNSON. Judge D. E. Johnson, of Bluetield, W. Va., on behalf of his Southern comrades, made a worthy speech of acceptance : Mr. Chairman, unexpectedly and without preparation, I am called upon to respond to the patriotic and eloquent speech of the distinguished Governor of the Commonwealth of Ohio, present- ing, on behalf of his people, to our Southern people this splendid monument erected to the memory of more than two thousand brave men who wore the gray and whose ashes repose in this area. THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1901 75- These men who sleep here were Confederate soldiers (Amer- icans), who dared to "do the right as God gave them to see the right;" and so seeing and believing, they consecrated their lives, their all. Thev suffered and died for their convictions rather ROWLDER AND MEMORIAL ARCH. than prove false to the cause which they had espoused. Right or wrong, they suffered the horrors of prison life, eked out a mis- erable existence, and died in the belief of the justice and right- eousness of principles which they had been taught to hold as sacred and dear to them as life itself. I accord to those who wore the blue 76 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. the same right I here to-day claim for those who wore the gray — that is, that we beheved we were right ; and, whether right or wrong, the fierce and bloody struggle of four years, the terrible sufferings and sacrifices which we made, the memories of our honored dead, their splendid deeds of valor and heroism, we would not forget if we could, and we could not forget if we would. In calling to mind our own sutiferings and the great sacrifices we made to maintain our cause it is evident that those who opposed us were no less in earnest than we. They expended millions of treasure and poured out rivers of blood to uphold and maintain the principles for which they battled and contended. And, above all things else, we must not forget that in that great contest w^e were, and are still, all Americans, and that the splendid courage and gallantry, heroism and valor displayed by the men who sleep here are the common heritage of our American people. In accepting, on behalf of our people, this monument erected to the memory of these men, after listening to the patriotic and ten- der speech of Governor Nash, I am happy to say that I rejoice to find that, in a great measure at least, if not altogether, the bit- terness and prejudice engendered by the strife between the sec- tions have passed away, and we are again one and the same people, with one common flag, hope, and destiny, and that this monument is one among many tokens of that evident good feeling of patriotism and fratcrnalism that will, forever bind us together in one common bond of affectionate brotherhood. I cannot close without saying that he who above and beyond all others is more absolutely entitled to the lasting gratitude of our people, on account of his great love for our common human- ity, and who by his earnestness and activity in procuring the erection of this monument has endeared himself to our people by "ties stronger than hoops of steel," is a grand old veteran who wore the blue, and who for the cause he espoused spilt his blood and suffered all things, endured all things, even unto death — his coffin ready — and when the war closed devoted his- life not only to peaceful pursuits, but out of the love of his great soul and a heart filled with good red blood has worked earnestly and faith full v to bridge the chasm that so long had separated the North and South, and has labored unceasingly for the restoration of harmony, peace, and fraternal relations between our country- men. He to whom I refer now stands by my side. I grasp his hand as an indication of what I have said, and as a token of my love and esteem ; and now, on behalf of my people, who owe him a debt of gratitude perhaps greater than to any other man living north of Mason and Di.xon's line, I. from the depths of my heart [turning to Col. \\. II. Knauss] thank you; and now here with clasped hands we declare to this large assemblage, composed in part of those who wore the blue as well as those who wore the gray, that the war is over and that lasting peace is here to stay. THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 190s. 77 Colonel Knauss, allow me to say in conclusion — and I say it be- lieving that I bespeak the honest, sincere sentiments of our people — that they will not only to their latest day honor you and hold you and your kindly deeds in grateful remembrance, but that our children's children and generations yet unborn wnll bless your memory. Following the hymn. "Asleep in Jesus." Capt. James Dinkins, CAPT. TAMES DINKINS. of New Orleans, delivered an address which in eloquence is worthy to live after him : Although the people of the South did not bid me come, I know that I represent them to-day when I extend the hand of kinship and express my pleasure in meeting the people of the great State of Ohio — valiant in war and progressive in peace. The na- tion knows you well and has called your sons to high places on field and in council. The South shares the pride in your achievements and testifies 7^ THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. to the quality of your manhood — tirst to pay the tribute of cour- age to those who once opposed, first to hail tlu grander brother- hood of the stronger Union, first to raise the rainbow arch above the sacrifice of strife. Our comrades dead are the living fire upon the altars of mem- ory, and your tender solicitude has taught all Americans that immortality's light perpetually hallows every grave where heroes lie, and that every death for duty was a hero's death. The beautiful custom of keeping green and glorious the sacred spots where soldiers sleep stirs patriotism wherever practiced. No section monopolizes it ; no sectional lines divide the reverence paid. In our own fair Louisiana are two national cemeteries : one at Baton Rouge, where rises the Capitol ; the other at New Orleans, close to Chalmette field, where Jackson gave undying force to the American doctrine to which Monroe afterwards gave undying fame. Our flag is still here. Under its folds sleep Union sol- diers from many fields ; under its folds for twenty years and more have women — our Southern women — strewn the flowers of Icve. Mothers and sisters there are in Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Wis- consin, and other States whose hearts lie buried there — too far away for them to place their tokens upon the biers of their be- loved. Mothers and sisters there are in Louisiana who say : "These are our own ; their graves shall not be neglected." Their magnolias transplant the message of your lilies ; their roses clasp yours in the wreath of a nation's mourning, dewed perennially by a nation's tears. Confederates have gathered annually upon this spot, marching beside the other Grand Army, proud that the women of New Orleans have set the example to which more men bow their heads each year in the sight of the God whose blessings our banner begs. Only a few days ago we said "Amen" over your prayers there ; to-day you share our sorrow above the buried Gray. The people of the North and South have often held different views and opinions in the past, and will continue to do so in the future ; but the only serious disagreement between them was for- ever settled by war thirty-seven years ago. I am not one of those who tell you there is no East, no West, no North, no South ; but, on the other hand, I am proud of the distinctiveness of our separate sections, whose friendly rivalry is the corner stone upon which the nation's greatness rests. De- prive the Puritan in the East of his reverence for his ancient laws, and you destroy his happiness and his usefulness. Take away from the South her traditions, ideals, and legends, and you rob her of much of her glory. I would not change the well-defined accent of the Northern people, nor lose the soft, musical sound of the Southerner's voice. Each section represents a member of the family, but each has its THE MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 79 individuality. They argue and quarrel, and have been known to fight ; but when one of our ships sank in a treacherous harbor, an electric spark flashed over all the land — one message, one signal, and that was "Union." The speed, the strength, the soul of that response blazed upon the world warning for all the future and settled forever any doubt that the scattered sons have come together. Forty years ago the Southern States, by common impulse, with- drew unto themselves apart. They believed that right and honor compelled them "to do so. They upheld that opinion as long as their means and resources permitted; but when the Confederate soldiers laid down their arms and returned home to begin life anew, they did so with the firm resolve to support the standard they had fought and which was their own again. They were not understood, however, and were compelled to bear and suffer in silence for many years ; but, thank God ! we stand to-day with our brothers of the other section, on equal grounds for a common cause in freedom's name. I believe I speak for the whole South when I say : "My head and my heart for my country — one people, one language, one flag." All nations may well envy the patriotic spirit, boundless as the air and resistless as the bounding oceans, which fills every home in the South. And every Southern home takes pride in the fact that this spirit is the spirit of the land. In an emergency never prophesied nor anticipated the United States was called on to lend a hand for humanity. We undertook to relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressor, and the South was not backward in rallying to the call. Her sons sup- ported the starry ensign with all their might, bravely and glo- riously, and the stars shone together as they ever will, lending liberty new beauty, giving brotherhood a new name and govern- ment a new lesson. Martyrdom was the crown the angels placed upon McKinley's brow, a sign high in the heavens that bids our manhood break the iDonds of self and hasten the radiance of a world redeemed. It is beside his grave as well as the burial place of these, my breth- ren, that I stand to-day and repeat again the lesson of our poet, Father Ryan, gathered from the war-bruised flowers of faith : Give me the land of the wreck and the tomb ; There is grandeur in graves, there is glory in gloom. For out of the gloom future brightness is born, As, after the night, comes the sunrise of morn. And the graves of the dead, with the grass overgrown. May yet form the footstool of Liberty's throne ; And each single wreck in the warpath of night Shall yet be a rock in the temple of Right. '. 8o THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. We have tau.^ht it to our chiUlrcn. Vour children, strewing their wreaths alxjve the heroes to-day. are planting- the same seed of everlasting loyalty to principle. It was for principle, not for dissension nor for conquest, that these men gave their lives. It was this complete renunciation for country's sake that McKin- ley is pointed to as worthy our veneration and as insuring the nation's indissolubility. Capt. Marcus B. Toney. of Nashville, Tenn.. delivered an ad- dress replete with patriotic sentiment and abounding fraternity. The speech is not in print or obtainable, or it should appear with the other notable addresses of that occasion. The same is true of the speech of General Arnold, of Kentucky, who spoke tender- ly and beautifully, as befitted the occasion. A detail from the Fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, fired the soldiers' salute ; the Ladies of the Union \'eteran Legion and the G. A. R. accompanied the Daughters of the Confederacy and assisted in the pleasing and merciful duty of strewing the flowers. Presently Bugler McCandlish sounded taps, and the drum rolled. The drum corps was of old soldiers under the direction of Gus Johns, of the One Hundredth Pennsylvania. So ended that day, the memory of which lives and is as though it were yester- day. One can well believe it will not be forg-otten even in that endless to-morrow that lies beyond life's sundown. An interesting letter and newspaper clipping were received from Clarksville. Tex., from M. L. Sims, First Lieutenant of Company D, Forrest's Original Battalion of Cavalry, in which he expresses the highest appreciation of what has been achieved for the Camp Chase Confederate dead. He had arranged with Miss Mary Logan, of Louisville, Ky.. to procure the flowers in that city and jcxpress them in time for the dedicatory ceremonies. The flowers were sent as a tribute to all Confederate soldiers buried there, but especially to be placed at the graves of two faithful and unfortunate colored men — Haywood and Walters — if their graves could be identified. The following clipping from the Dallas Nri^'s will be interest- ing reading to all Confederates : The only comjjany from Texas in Forrest's Original Battalion was captured at the battle of Fort Donelson in February, 1862. The noncommissioned officers and men were sent to Camp Doug- las, near Chicago, and the commissioned officers were sent to- Camp Chase. These officers were L. L. Bailey, R. G. Lane, and Tim MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 81 M. L. Sims. With them were two negroes — -Ilayvvcjod Goodloe and Walter . Haywood was the servant of John J. Goodloe, and Walter the servant of Sergt. John L. Jamison. Lieutenant Sims states: "After the surrender I advised these negroes and Ben, my servant, that we were prisoners ; that we no longer had the right to control them and could not protect them, and that they might make their escape either then or in the near future. Ben took my advice and succeeded in reaching his home. Haywood and Walter seemed terrorized by the situa- tion and remained with us. At St. Louis I again tried to get them to work their way home. They refused to do so and went with us to Camp Chase and were treated as other prisoners. In a few days they both died with pneumonia and were buried in the same cemetery in which the Confederate officers were buried. I went to the graves with the funeral party and chaplain and made a statement as to who they were and how they came to be there, a record of which was made, I think, by the Federal chaplain. Burial services were held and a headboard with the name placed by a Federal officer at each grave. When these men took sick they were placed in the prison hospital ; were given clean clothing, good beds, and received the same medical attention and nursing that the Confederate officers received. Lieut. (Dr.) R. G. Lane gave each of them his special attention, and Lieutenant Bailey and myself assisted in nursing them until they died. r)n June 25 a letter was received from Miss Mary Logan, of Louisville, explaining that she had sent the flowers. Among the many noble Southern women who have labored unceasingly for the Confederates the name of Mrs. N. V. Ran- dolph, President Richmond Chapter, U. D. C, is prominent. To this daughter of Virginia the author is indebted for many encour- aging and helpful words. Mrs. Randolph was invited to attend the unveiling service, but could not be present. She wrote from \'irginia Beach, saying: I am sure every Southerner, especially the women who have struggled so long to keep green the graves of their dead, will bless you for your beautiful tribute to our prison dead. The Chapter will take official action as soon as I return. You must feel proud that you have trampled prejudice under your feet; and no one knows better than I what you have had to contend with, and how bravely you have stood up for the Confederate prison dead. After Capt. Marcus B. Toney returned to Nashville he wrote: Dear Colonel: I want to express to you and to the G. A. R. boys my appreciation of the hearty reception given me. To say I enjoyed my visit would be putting it mildly. I was delighted. 6 82 run STOKY Ol' CAMI' CHASE. While General Gortloii was deeply interested in the work at Camp Chase, all correspondence upon the suhject was conducted by Adjutant General and Chief of Staff Gen. George jNIoorman. The letter received from him just after the ceremonies, and per- haps one of the last written to the author before he died, is repro- duced, with tender recollections of the friendly associations through the years of work in earing- for the t^^raves at Camp Chase. He wrote : I received a letter from General Gordon saying he was disap- pohited about perfecting some matters at the last moment so that he could go to Columbus, and very much regretted, that he was unable to attend. I was very sorry I could not be present, as 1 was myself one of the Camp Chase prisoners, and was paroled awhile in the city of Columbus, and afterwards sent to Johnson's Island. I knew Governor Todd well, and reported to him every day while I was on parole in Columbus. During that time I boarded at Mr. Harper's, just back of the Governor's mansion. He had two daughters, whom I remember well — Misses Hattie and JNIary. I was paroled by order of Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War, for having given water to a wounded Federal soldier on the battlefield at Fort Donelson. I could have given you some reminiscences of Columbus at that time which would have been good reading for the present gen- eration, and particularly so, as I was one of the leaders in dec- orating the Federal graves at Chalmctte sixteen or seventeen years ago. The matter of decorating the graves of the opposing army is not new to me. The decoration of the graves of Northern soldiers was first done by our Confederate Veterans in New Orleans. With every good wish, your friend and comrade. Not only is the illustrious soldier, so long the Commander in Chief of the Confederate Veterans, gone to the bivouac eternal, but his chief of staff also. On account of our relations, his en- thusiastic helpfulness, his great ability, and splendid patriotism, the writer unites with the soldiers of the South in paying tribute to Gen. John B. Gordon, and withholds not his hand from writing of General Moorman. As one of you, men of the South, this friend who signed himself comrade shall not soon be forgotten. General Moorman's letter was answered by the writer as fol- ic ws : The exercises were perfectly satisfactory. All regret the ab- sence of General Gordon and yourself. All pronounce the arch '////■ MONUMENT UNVEILED— 1902. 83 very fine and the statue as perfect as they ever saw. Two gentle- men from Mississippi, members of a committee looking- for a statue for their home country, declared it to be nearly perfect. I think I have done my work, and will now turn the matter over to the Confederate Camp and the U. D. C. Chapter. The cem- etery is in good condition, and there is an appropriation, recently made by the government, to rebuild the stone wall. The cem- etery will be in such condition, when repaired, that it will be an honor to the present generation; and I think now is the proper time for me to withdraw and leave it in the hands of the local Camp and Chapter. The Southern poet, Kobert Loveman, has written: "Wrath is a wrinkled hag, hell-born; Her heart is hate, her soul is scorn. Blinded with blood, she cannot see To do a (\qq(\ of charity. Love is a maiden, )oung and fair; She kissed the brow of dumb despair. Till comfort came. O, Love is she Whose other name is Charity !" In that stormy long ago we were "blinded with blood," but to- day we can see once more "to do a deed of charity." As we linger at the graves of those we love, loath to leave them in their loneliness, so we leave this portion of our subject with regret. It has been a labor of love, but it has been misunderstood, even in the South, in some instances. At home and abroad men have wondered at the purpose back of it all. It was unforeseen that the impulsive and warm-hearted people of the South would feel so deeply upon the subject. If criticised at home, the words of appreciation from unknown friends have more than repairl. The prayers of one widow, sorrowing yet in her Southern home, are more than recompense for the time and money spent. When alone oftentimes in the little cemetery to see if all is well, there is a feeling of comfort and content which forces the thought that unseen sentinels are whispering, "All is well ; all is well !" "We put fresh flowers on forgotten graves, Wc, who once wore the Union blue ; O'er their low tents the old flag waves — O'er these men of the .South, so true. Oft were our blooms bedewed with tears ; Unnoted they slept through all the years, Until at last the lone, dank banks Were garlanded by old-time "Yanks." CHAPTER MIL Odds and Ends. Planting Trees at Camp Chase Cemetery — An Incident of Concord, N. C. — Confederate Dead at Gallipolis — Official Correspondence Concern- ing the Cemetery — A Few of the Many Friendly Letters — The Return of a Confederate Flag — A Speech That Caused Comment — Insinuating Postal Cards — The Visit of Editor Cunningham — Visiting Camp Chase Cemetery in Winter. jVIention is made in the Introduction relative to the idea of planting trees in the cemetery at Camp Chase, and that these trees should come from the Southern States. This suggestion was made to Gen. George Moorman, General Gordon's chief of staff, who issued a circular letter which was sent to each Camp of Confederate Veterans. The trees came ; some were in good con- dition, while others were doubtless improperly removed from the native earth, so that they died soon after being replanted. Even if many of the trees died, however, the idea of having Southern trees to shade the graves of the men who died for the South was well worth trying. There being a Camp of Confederate Veterans in Columbus at this time, the work of planting them in the cemetery was turned over to them. Many beautiful and tender letters were received ir this connec- tion, worthy of a place in this book. That the reader may enjoy the sentiments expressed, some of them are here quoted. Supt. C. S. Douglas, of the Gallatin (Tenn.) Public Schools, wrote : In the Nashville American of February 27 ]\Iaj. G. B. Guild, U. S. A., who is now located in Columbus, graphically describes his visit to the Confederate Cemetery near Columbus. To you he ascribes all praise and much honor for the care and protection of the graves of the Confederate soldiers who lie slumbering in your midst. This letter was read at our last meeting of Cheatham Bivouac, and so magical was its effect, so grateful did the old comrades feel toward you, and so ready were they to assure you of their appreciation of your magnanimity that your humble servant was commissioned to write vou our sincerest thanks. ODDS AXD EXDS. ^5 Your name is writtei^. on the reo^ister ot our l)ivouac, your nobleness of heart will be embalmed in our souls, and of your character we would write in living letters, "How true, how beau- tiful !" Gen. J. J. Dickison, Florida Division, U. C. V., Ocaln, Arites of flowers sent, and adds : May God bless you and yours! is not only the beautiful prayer in our division, but every one's heart in the Southland rings oui a benediction for you. R. B. Coleman, Major General Indian Territory Division, U. C. X., wrote from McAlester, Ind. T. : Your name shall be a household w^ord for all Southerners as a token of the service you have rendered the North as well as the South in caring for the Confederate graves at Camp Chase. Nothing could please me more than to shake the hand of one who is free from malice toward the men who fought for the right as their consciences understood it. From Greenville, S. C, James A. Hoyt wrote: The ten trees which we send you for Camp Chase have been taken from the grounds here by an ex-Confederate private, who with his own hands wished to render homage to the memory of his fallen comrades. With kindly regards and appreciation of your fraternal solicitude for our dead soldiers' graves, etc. A letter from Asheville, N. C, says about the trees : \\ith a hope that ma}' live and grow to be an honor to the Tar Heel State, from which they are sent, and to the generous project- ors of the plan of maintaining the hallowed ground into which they are to be planted, I am, yours most sincerely, James M. Ray, Brig. Gen. Comdg. Fourth Brigade, N. C. Div.. V . C. \. From Richmond, Va. : I deeply appreciate the sentiments expressed by you in your re- quest for trees from this State. R. E. Lee Camp No. i of the Confederate Veterans of Richmond, Va., has received from the city of Richmond fifteen trees, which have been shipped to your address. Thomas A. Brander, For R. E. Lee Camp No. i. From Booneville, Mo. : Let me assure you, my dear sir, that you have the sincere thanks of every ex-Confederate Missourian for your noble work in caring for the graves of the ex-Confederates buried at Camp Chase. Robert McCulloch, Major General Missouri Division. V' . C. \'. 86 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. From Dallas, Tex. : The trees went forward yesterday. The express company for- warded them free of charge. Ben M. Melton, For Camp Stirling Price of the U. C. V. From Bluefield, W. Va. : I sent you by express twenty white pine trees for the Confed- erate Cemetery at Camp Chase. Best wishes for your success and long life. David E. Johnston. Some sending trees did not describe them, but as they grow many who visit Camp Chase can do so. On another occasion trees and shrubbery from the nursery were purchased by business friends in Columbus. On all occa- sions, when permitted, Mr. R. M. Rownd, postmaster at Columbus, and who was a member of the Ninth Ohio Cavalry, gave money to assist in paying the expenses of the memorial services, and others offered to help ; but in most cases financial aid, except that received from the South, was declined. From Washington, D. C. : Thank you for your noble and generous interest and zeal in the care of the graves of the Southern dead at Camp Chase. Very truly, Thos. W. Hungerford, Chairman Ex. Com. Camp 171 of the U. C. Y. From Lexington, Ky. : Your generous care of our dead heroes will give you a warm place in the hearts of all of our Confederate Veterans. Frater- nally, John H. Carter, Adjutant General Kentucky Division, U. C. Y. A little story that is known to but a few at present is considered of sufficient interest to be told here. It gives an insight into the character of one mentioned here and demonstrates the good work done long ago. In 1865, during the time that Lee and Johnston's heroic but defeated legions were going home as best they could, a young cavalryman sought credit in the village store at Concord, N. C. The proprietor looked at the young man sharply, saying: "I have many requests from your people for credit." "I'm honest, sir. and I'll pay you," said the young man. "They all say so." answered the storekeeper. It looked as if the incident was closed, but the cavalrvman. ODDS AXD ENDS. 87 after a pause, said: "You may not believe it. but I'll pay you every cent if you let me have the things I want. I have no money nearer than Ohio, and unless you trust me I must do without." "How much do you want?" "I do not know how long we will stay here ; it may amount to $20." "What is your name ?" "Robert M. Rownd, of the Ninth Ohio Cavalry, sir." "I'll trust you." The regiment left Concord before being paid off, going to Lex- ington, some thirty miles distant. Pay day came at last, and Rownd went to Concord with the money to pay his debt. A friendship was born that day that meant something to the store- keeper in after years. The North Carolinian and the Ohio soldier corresponded with each other at long intervals. Finally the Concord merchant moved to Richmond, Va., and engaged in a manufacturing busi- ness. During the dark financial days in 1893 the manufacturer found himself in great need of money to tide through a crisis. He found that if he could weather the gale at that particular time he would be in easy circumstances ; and if not. he would be a bankrupt. With gentlemanly delicacy he spoke of the past and of Ills present situation. "I need very much more than twenty dollars," he wrote; "but if you could see your way clear to lend me the amount, I can say as you did, I am honest and will pay you every cent." It does not matter about the amount — it is told in four figures anyway — but a New York draft went to Richmond by return mail. Learning from one who had been in the Gallipolis (Ohio) Cem- etery that there were some of General Morgan's men buried there, a letter was written to a gentleman, J. M. Alexander, of that city, about the matter, to which he replied : . . . I have spent a good part of the day investigating the matter. I have known for years that three Confederates lie in the Pine Street Cemetery, but the old record before me fails to make any mention regarding them. I find that one hundred and fifty-eight Union soldiers have been buried in this cemetery, ac- cording to this record, yet one-half of those are marked "Un- V 88 THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE. known" and only three of them have the year in which they were buried; so it is no wonder the Confederate graves have been neg- lected. Yet it is understood that three Confederates were buried in the southwest corner of the cemetery. Two of them, I find, died from wounds in the general hospital at this place, and it must have been in 1861. I am sorry there are no means of further identifica- tion. When we consider that so very many of the Union dead are marked "Unknown," we cannot wonder that, as the Confeder- ates were strangers, no record was made. At the last decoration, on May 30, I was in charge. After all the Union graves had been strewn with flowers, I marched the column to the place desigated as Confederate graves and had them covered with flowers, and, standing in the drizzling rain, made a talk of several minutes — not because they had been Con- federate soldiers, but because they were patriots and brave men. None but brave Americans could have fought and held out against such odds as did the Confederate army. I believe the feeling of the old soldiers of the Union army is of the kindest toward the Con- federates. Should you want to send markers for these three graves at any time, I will see them put in place. We find by reference to some old files that it was in 1886 that an effort was made to have Camp Chase Cemetery receive .some care and attention. The correspondence was as follows: Adjutant General's Office, State of Ohio, Columbus, June 2, 1886. To His Excellency, J. B. Foraker, Governor. Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report concern- ing the condition of the Confederate Cemetery at Camp Chase, near Columbus. As requested by you, I have made a careful examination of all the records accessible pertaining to this burial place. The cemetery contains the remains of the Confederate soldiers who died while prisoners of war at Camp Chase, during the years of 1863, 1864. and 1865. About twenty-one hundred interments were made during that period. A few bodies were removed im- mediately after the war by friends to Southern burial grounds. A complete list of the names of the dead, with the numbers of the graves to correspond to the plat of the cemetery, together with said plat, are found among the records in this ofifice. The ground which comprises the cemetery was deeded to the United States Government by the executors of John G. Holloway, April 23. 1879, and the deed for the same is recorded in \'olume ODDS AXD ENDS. 89 141, page 528, Records of Deeds of Franklin County, Ohio, and contains two and one-half acres. On May 15, 1886, I wrote the Quartermaster General, United States Army, concerning the condition of the cemetery, and sub- mit herewith copy of my letter and his reply : ■'Adjutant General's Office, State of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, May 15, 1886. "To the Quartermaster General, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. "Sir: There is located near Columbus an old Confederate burial ground, in which were buried those who died while in prison at Camp Chase. These grounds have been neglected for years. The fences are all down ; the headboards have been dis- placed. "The ground is owned and controlled by the United States Gov- ernment. I write this communication to inquire if there is not some provision by which the ground can be restored to proper condition. "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "H. A. AxLiNE, xA.djutant General." "War Departme5^t, Quartermaster General's Office, "Washington, D. C, May 20, 1886. "Gen. H. A. Axline, Adjutant General, Columbus, Ohio. "General : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant, calling attention to the condition of the Confederate Cemetery at Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio, and asking if provision cannot be made for the improvement or res- toration of these grounds, etc. "In reply, I beg to say that there is no appropriation that can legally be applied to the care and maintenance of this cemetery, and the Department has, therefore, no means with which to make the improvements suggested. "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "S. B. HOLABIRD. "Quartermaster General, U. S. A." With an acknowledgment, I replied : 'T quite agree with Your Excellency that the present condition of the cemetery is a disgrace to civilization, and that humanity requires that even the burial places of our enemies in war should not be thrown into the commons and left for briers and brambles. "\^ery respectfuly, your obedient servant, "H. A. Axline. Adjutant General." It will be observed that the government had, no money to repair the place where rests the dust of those who died at Camp Chase Prison. But the then Governor and his Adjutant General did not 90 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. let the matter rest until a bill was prepared, introduced in Con- gress, and finally passed authorizing a stone wall to be built around the cemetery. As sometimes happens with government work, the wall was a poor job and soon began to crumble. There was no one to look- after it, and many administrations came into power in Ohio and passed away, none seeming to think of the lonely cemetery where lay the Southern dead. As already stated, it was in 1895 that the writer became inter- ested in the place, and, among other things, called the attention of Mr. Foraker, after he became Senator, to the condition of the wall, with the result that an approj^riation at first of two thousand dollars was secured to rebuild it. At a subsequent session of Con- gress, this sum being too little, it was increased to three thou- sand six hundred dollars. A contract was made for the w^ork. un- der direction of Colonel Yeatman, Commander of the Columbus Barracks, and was comi)lete(l by the middle of Xovember, 1904. The wall, which is four feet high in front and five feet above the two and one-half feet of concrete foundation on the north, is built of Ohio limestone and cement, surmounted bv a broad coping of sandstone. It presents a strong, fine appearance, giving the impression of stability that will stand well the storms of time. Mr. Grant, the government insj^ector. says there need be no new wall built around the cemetery for three hundred years. In the fall of 1900 there occurred a pleasing event in which the writer participated: and while not germane to the text, it was one of those incidents that matlc friends of old-time enemies, and thus fits in here. Judge D. F. Pugh i)repared a bill, and procured its passage, authorizing the Governor to return the Confederate Hags and banners. The act is as follows: Whereas, The animosities of the Civil War are forgotten by the people of this nation, sectionalism is dead, and fraternity and good will prevail everywhere; therefore, Be it resolved. That the Governor of Ohio be, and is hereby, authorized and empowered to withdraw from the relic room of the Capitol building, from time to time, the Confederate flags and banners there stored, and return the same, or cause them to be returned to the survivors of the military organizations of the late Confederate army from whom they were respectively taken and captured. ODDS AND ESDS. 91 The reunion of the Forty-Sixth Ohio was held in the town hall of Worthington, near Columbus, at which time the tattered battle- flag of the Thirtieth Louisiana was put into the keeping of those who had fought for it. The story is told by the New Orleans Picayune as follows : With other battle-marred and bullet-pierced relics of the Con- federacy reposing in Memorial Hall, there was deposited last evening the battle flag of the Thirtieth Louisiana Regiment. This sacred memento of the fighting days of 1861-65 was for thirty- six years in the possession of its captors, the Forty-Sixth Ohio Volunteers, who recently sent a gracious invitation to the "Boys in Gray" of the Thirtieth Louisiana to send a delegation to Co- lumbus, Ohio, for the purpose of being guests of the Forty-Sixth and at the same time receiving their old flag, as a token of the esteem, unity, and harmony which now prevail over all parts of the United States. The Louisiana veterans sent their delegates to Columbus, and the flag was returned to them and brought back to this city. The cherished colors were formally presented to the Army of Tennes- see for deposition in Memorial Hall. Secretary Brown read the minutes of the meeting of the Thir- tieth Louisiana survivors held September 14. At that meeting the invitation of the Forty-Sixth Ohio was read and accepted, and a committee was appointed to act in all matters pertaining to the proposed trip to Ohio. J. H. Brown. Judge J. U. Landry, and Harrison were ap- pointed to receive the flag. Mr. Brown then read the report of the flag committee, giving the particulars of the trip and of the reception, paying special trib- ute to such gallant Ohioans as Judge D. F. Pugh, Col. Wm. H. Knauss, Governor Nash, and Dr. Thos. P. Shields. The com- mittee was enthusiastic about Ohio and her generous, hospitable people. The meeting adjourned to Memorial Hall, where the Army of Tennessee was in session. Business was suspended as the sur- vivors of the brave old Thirtieth Louisiana entered the hall with martial tread and erect bearing, headed by Major Trepagnier and Private John M. Coos, bearing the flag. In giving a lengthy account of the engagement wherein the flag was lost by the Louisianians, Major Trepagnier says: . . . This position of the enemy's line was occupied by the Forty-Sixth Ohio Regiment, one of the best veteran commands in the Federal army, all being armed with murderous Spencer six- shooting rifles. They wisely reserved their fire until we w^ere close to their line, when they poured such a terrific and destruc- 92 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. tive lire at short range into our line that our men were actualb, mowed down without being able to do much injury to them, they being concealed from view by the thick underbrush in front of their works. In a short time the Thirtieth Louisiana was fear- fully cut up by this hailstorm of lead. Our gallant field ofificers, Lieut. Col. Thomas Shields and Maj. Charles J. Bell, had fallen, both shot dead ; fourteen line officers out of twenty present had also fallen, either killed or wounded. The color bearer and all the color guards were shot down ; only six members of the color company and only three members of the company on the left of the colors were uninjured. All of the officers of these two companies were either killed or wounded ; and when the brigade was ordered to retire from the field, the Thirtieth Louisiana could nuister only six officers and about sixty men. This flag, whose staff had been shattered by bullets, had changed hands as often as its defenders had fallen, until there was no one left around to protect it, and it remained on the bloody ground, close to the enemy's works, surrounded by the bodies of its defenders, and thus became a prize in the hands of the Forty-Sixth Ohio Regiment. We feel keenly the loss of our colors, and our only consolation lies in the fact that they fell without dishonor. We also derive great satisfaction from the spontaneous action of the members of the Forty-Sixth Ohio in their anxiety to return us our flag as a testimonial to the soldierly conduct of its defenders. These brave and chivalrous soldiers of the Forty-Sixth Ohio Regiment many years ago desired to return this flag, and were prevented from doing so only because they could not legally obtain posses- sion of it. It was the fixed intention upon the part of the writer to cease active work regarding the care of Camp Chase Cemetery at the conclusion of the unveiling of the arch and statue in 1902; for, as has been said, the care of the cemetery and the arrangements for memorial services were placed in the hands of the Daughters of the Confederacy and the local Camp of Confederate Veterans. In 1903 and also in 1904 the ladies in charge of the exercises called upon me for an address, to which I responded. There had been mischievous endeavors to prevent my further service in these Confederate memorial exercises. It is amusing to recall efforts by narrow-minded and prejudiced Federal comrades to prevent my being present on that occasion. For instance, one wrote: "Don't forget the 30th of May in your anxiety to decorate and care for the Confederate dead." Rude cartoons of me were sent by anonymous persons, but none of this interfered with my ODDS AND ENDS. 93 even tenor. I considered the sources and took fresh courage with an approving conscience. It is most gratifying to have the ■approval, years afterwards, of distinguished and noble men, of which the following is an illustration : President McKinley, in an address at Atlanta, Ga., about the close of the Spanish War, said : Every soldier's grave made during the unfortunate war is a tribute to American valor. And while, when those graves were made, we differed widely about the future of the government, those differences were long ago settled by our arbitrament «'^f arms ; and the time has now come, in the evolution of sentiments and feeling under the providence of God, when, in the spirit of fraternity, we should share in the care of the graves of the Con- federate soldiers. Those men and their true followers who fought the battles of the war on both sides were glad the war was over. But those of both armies who managed in various ways to get on detail duty in the rear or around headquarters, so that when the army moved they could remain behind, were the ones to disapprove. It is good to be alive to-day; good to be able to look into the eyes and to grasp the hands of each other — the Blue and the Gray — when we recall how, a generation ago, we strove with each other under the lightning and the dim clouds of battle. To- gether the two armies — the Federate and Confederate — embrace the choicest of American men, and together they built high the standard of American courage. I think that we can claim that there are no better warriors in the wide world than in America, and no emblem of grander principles ever designed by man or God than our flag — the flag of our fathers. In several Southern places the Confederate Camps have joined with the G. A. R. organizations on May 30, our Memorial Day, and assisted in doing honor to c ur dead heroes. Allow me to announce that on May 29 I received from Mrs. E. K. Fritzlin, of Denton, Tex., a box of Southern Cape jasmine buds, to be given to the women of the Unin Veteran Legion, who have in the past assisted with the Confederate memorial services in this city, for them to wear while on their blessed work of strewing flowers over the graves of our Union dead on our Memorial Day. She said: "As a token of my respect for their noble and Christian work." 94 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. I received also a box of white carnations from Mrs. Florence Tucker Winder, President of R. E. Lee Chapter, U. D. C, for our services at Greenlawn Cemetery in doing- lionor to our dead. Would to God there were luorc of this feeling, and that we, as Americans, could go arm in arm to these sacred places! We hope that when we join that brotherhood beyond, and meet the •Commander of the great majority, we will see more clearly. Just now an instance of the battlefield occurs to me : The dead and wounded were lying tog-ether. One boy thought he was dying. His thoughts going back to his home in the North, he saw his mother on her knees praying for him. He asked the one by his side to pray for him. The reply was: "I have never prayed in my life — don't know how." The dying fellow turned to the other side and saw that the one lying there was shot through the head and was speechless, but he said to him : "Can you pray for me?" The dying man slowly laid his hand on his heart, and then as he raised it slowly he pointed up, up to heaven, implying: "God is there. Give your heart to him!" Then both died. The one wdio never prayed lived and became a Christian man, and said he there gave his heart to God. May that same God who has spared us to this time bless you all ! Another event that I cannot refrain from mentioning was the large informal banquet, at the Great Southern Hotel in Columbus, to Mr. S. A. Cunningham, of Nashville, Tenn., editor of the Con- federate Veteran. Besides the guest of honor, Mr. Cunningham, there were present: Dan Emmett, of Mt. Vernon, author of "Dixie;" John Y. Bassell, Judge D. F. Pugh, Gen. H. A. Axline, Col. R. M. Rownd, Mayor Sam Black, Judge Todd Galloway, Thomas E. Knauss. W. H. Holliday (County Auditor), S. N. Cook, D. B. Ulrey, J. L. Porter, C. L Roth, Rev. T. G. Dickson, Henry Briggs, Capt. \W . B. Albright, Dr. Thos. P. Shields, John H. Levy, John Grim, S. A. Humphries, Thos. J. Davies, W. J. Snyder, J. H. Crampton, and representatives of the city papers. Several of the foregoing were prominent Union veterans, while several others were much-esteemed Confederates. The inner man having been satisfied, the toastmaster said: The Camp Chase Association was formed by a few men, some of whom fought in the Union army and some in the Confederate army, and some of them are here to-night to break bread with our friend and guest from the South. S. A. CUNXIXGHAM, EDITOR COXFEDERATE VETERAX. (Sliowing tlif Saiii Davis overcoat.) 96 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. The object of our association is to take care of the neglected graves of Americans who fought for what they thought was right and, as American heroes, sacrificed their Hves for their principles. They prayed to the same God that we did, and in the judgment day must answer to the same God. It is a token of our good will toward and respect for our South- ern friend that we come together to spend a social hour in getting better acquainted. Our guest, the editor and publisher of the Confederate Vet- eran, is not here to increase his subscription list, but to visit the burial place where many of his comrades rest. I am sure he will tell his people at home that we are civilized and live in the Lord's land, and show respect to the living and the dead. Among those who spoke that evening were Mayor Samuel Black, Gen. Axline, J. Y. Bassell, Dr. Dickson, and Judge Pugh. In response, Mr. Cunningham graciously thanked those present for the honors conferred, and said that it had impressed him more than any other incident in his life. His work for the last five years had been in the line of this meeting. He was grateful for the spirit manifested by the Union soldiers. He said no section could have regretted the death of Lincoln more than the South, and he knew that many Southern men and women shed tears at the death of Garfield. He was profoundly impressed with the attention given the graves of the soldiers at Camp Chase, and expressed the gratitude of his people for it, knowing that the South would thoroughly appreciate it. He appreciated the fact that the Federal Government had built the wall around the cemetery, and said that it must be repaired. While the Southern people revered the Confederate flag, yet it should be draped in crape, as he had it in his publication — the Confederate J^cteran. He was glad that the war was ended, and said that all the South would be grateful to the Northern people just as long as they realized that the war ended in 1865. In the Confederate Veteran for December, 1897, there is a complete and perhaps flattering account of the event, which was well appreciated by every Northerner who read it. We will con- clude the story of that evening b}- quoting from the Confederate I'eferan. When the guests had dined in the superb hotel, the Great Southern, Col. Knauss, the master of ceremonies, startled nearly everybody by stating that there was present a gentleman who was a soldier in the United States Armv before anv one at the table ODDS AND ENDS. 97 was born — Daniel Decatur Emmett, the author of "Dixie." The applause was so general that Mr. Emmett rose to. his feet when called upon for a speech, but he said he must be excused. The Vvriter, knowing how exquisitely he could sing "Dixie," urged that he sing a stanza of it. He said he could not unless all joined DAN EMMETT, AUTHOR OF 'DIXIE. in the chorus. There was a quick, hearty assent, and the Grand Army veterans joined with the Confederates in the spirit of the great tune. General Axline showed his appreciation of "Dixie" by saying: "We should never have let you Southerners have 'Dixie.' It added fifty thousand soldiers to your army." Mr. Cunningham went to Camp Chase Cemetery, but the chill of our winter lay over it. The stately elms waved their bare limbs helplessly in the blast from the northwest. One could wish that it had been summer when he first looked upon the spot where 7 98 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. these men of the South had slept so long. Nature smiles even in the graveyard in summer, and it would not have seemed so lone- some. The birds would have kept the dead company. "We care not whence they came, Dear in their lifeless clay ! Whether unknown or known to fame, Their cause and country still the same; They died — and wore the gray." • — Father Ryan. Many letters have been received by the writer from friends throughout the South, dating back to 1897, and each year growing in number. The later letters are not less interesting than those received in the beginning. The earlier friends wrote again, and new friends added strength and cheer by their expressions of ap- preciation. Many and cordial have been the invitations for the writer to visit the South, and he regrets having been unable to show his appreciation. He quotes testimonials from Tennessee : From L. T. Dickinson, Adjutant N. B. Forrest Camp No. 4, U. C. v., Chattanooga, Tenn. : Col. W. H. Knaiiss. Columbus, Ohio. Dear Comrade : Your name has been a household word in our company for several years. As the years roll by we appreciate more keenly the noble and patriotic work done by you for our sacred dead. In recognition of your generosity, we have made you an honorary member of our company. I take pleasure in in- closing your certificate of membership. The papers you sent, giving an account of" the dedication of your arch, were duly received and presented before the Camp last night ; also the picture of the arch and a portrait of your- self, for which I am instructed by the Camp to thank you. Your picture will be framed and hung upon the wall. From Nashville, Tenn. : 1 At a regular meeting of Frank Cheatham Bivouac, Association of Confederate Soldiers, a circular from the headquarters of the United Confederate Veterans was read, calling attention to the fact that on Saturday, June 14, 1902, Col. Wm. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, would have unveiled and dedicated a monument over our Confederate soldiers who are buried at Camp Chase; moreover, that he had for years had these graves annually strewn with flowers. Thereupon the president appointed a committee, which sub- ODDS AND ENDS. 99 rnitted the following preamble and resolutions, which were unani- mously adopted : "Whereas Col. Wm. H. Knauss, by his acts, has proven himself to be a true Christian gentleman and patriot, and has cared for th- graves of our comrades when no one else dared do so; there- fore, "Be it resolved, by Frank Cheatham Bivouac, That the thanks of this association be, and are hereby, extended to Colonel Knauss for his noble and self-sacrificing acts in honoring our Confederate dead. "In testimony whereof the Bivouac has caused these ^resents to be signed by its president and secretary, and attested with the seal of the State Association. Gideon H. Baskette, President; I QfjrgL John P. Hickman, Secretary; M. B. Toney. Recording Secretary." CHAPTER IX. Visiting the South. A Trip to New Orleans Mardi Gras Time — An Unlooked-For Reception —What the Crescent City Papers Said— Great Bouquets of Roses by the Ladies— The Confederates Present the Stranger with a Fine Gold Badge— Eloquent Speech of Captain Dinkins— An Editorial— Going to Nashville— A Fourth of July Event— Meeting Friends Both Blue and Gray— Guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Toney— A Remarkable Camp Fire — Well Repaid. I WOULD be ungrateful and unworthy of the high honor paid nie by my Southern friends at various times and places did, I not make pubHc recognition of their cordial greetings and unstinted hospitality. I regret exceedingly that I could not accept many invitations to visit the homes of friends whom I have never met. I shall mention an invitation that I accepted for myself and wife — to spend the 4th of July, 1902, in Nashville, Tenn. I had made a visit to New Orleans, the quaint old metropolis of Louisiana, in February, 1902. I did not anticipate the reception I met ; it was overwhelming. There is a foolish song that most of us have heard that runs : "There are moments when we wish to be alone." There were moments at New Orleans on the evening of February 13 when I wished to be alone — alone until I could find voice, which somehow had left me; alone until I could see without blind- ing tears. Not until I leave earth will I forget that night, and not then if I am permitted to think of things terrestrial. How could I be expected to forget such a night as that, at Memorial Hall, when eloquent words laden with affection, when armfuls of magnificent roses and other fragrant flowers, were showered upon me, a stranger within their gates ? Registered at the St. Charles, I met General Moorman just as lie was leaving the city ; but he had evidently posted a number of his comrades, for it was not long until inquiries were being made at the hotel for "the man from Columbus, Ohio." At dinner a gentleman informed me that a crowd of both ladies and gentle- men were waiting to meet me. I explained that I was • weary, but that I would be pleased to meet them the next day. VISITING THE SOUTH. loi I hesitate to tell of that next evening at Memorial Hall. To the plain business man, plodding on in the usual prosaic way, ovations are rare. I may be forgiven, then, for the seeming vanity of telling the story. It is also due the splendid men and glorious women of New Orleans, and I desire that those who live after me shall know of that eventful evening which is as indelible with me as is the event of the bloody battle of Fredericksburg (where I was shot down) . And this is the part of it so beautiful- ly strange : it was men of the South who put a bullet through my face that marked me for life, and it was Southern men and women who forty years after wove garlands for me and made a night of hand-clasps, of flowers, and of welcoming words. Such is the character of this nation of ours ; such is this land of ours. It was Mardi Gras week, and the city was full of joyous people watching the ever-shifting but ever-brilliant pageant. In every city there is a trust, a close corporation, known as society, and in New Orleans this unincorporated corporation was busy about Mardi Gras time. In that proud old city there were none nearer the throne of that mystical monarch, the ruler of society, than the majority of those in Memorial Hall. They had turned aside, however, from courtly gayeties to visit for an hour with a plani old "Yank." What is written is written ; if to my confusion, it is for their glory. Even in the midst of that' crowded, joyous time the New Orleans Daily Picayune gave, on the morning of the J4th, nearly one entire page to the event at Memorial Hall. With the egotism of love — love for these warm-hearted stran- gers — I copy the headline of the Picayune that morning : CONFEDERATES HONOR A HERO WHO FOUGHT THEM But Who Recognized His Foes as Americans Who Became His Brethren Again, and Made the Care of the Graves of Southern Soldiers in Neglected Places His Special Care Until Others Rallied to the Cause of Proper Protection. Colonel Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, Given a Reception at Memo- rial Hall and Presented with a Medal. 102 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Mrs. W. J. Behan, President of the Ladies' Confederated Me- morial Association, called the meeting to order. The hall was filled with ladies and ex-Confederate soldiers when one of the ladies asked Capt. J. C. Dinkins to escort me to the platform. As we walked up the aisle the audience applauded heartily. The Captain presented me to Mrs. Behan, Mrs. Aldin McLellan, and Mrs. J. Pinckney Smith. On the platform with the ladies were Gen. W. L. Cabell, of Texas, and others. MRS. W. J. BEHAN. Mrs. Behan delivered a brief and most generous address. She concluded by saying: "He did this work, and now we feel that he is one of us." Taking me by the hand and turning to the audience, she continued : "I now take pleasure in introducing to you William H. Knauss, of Ohio." I was about to reply when she placed in my hand a magnificent bunch of flowers, at the same time alluding to the flowers placed on the graves of the dead at Camp Chase. MRS. J. PINCKNEY SMITH. I04 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. The proceedings had reached that point where I began to feel that there was something the matter with my throat when, hap- pily, Mrs. J. Pinckney Smith arose and claimed the right to ad- dress me, as she was the first woman in New Orleans to send fiowers from that city to me for the Camp Chase Cemetery. Then she presented me with a large bunch of American beauties. Captain Dinkins came forward then and said : During the four years of desperate struggle between the North and the South there died in the Federal prison at Camp Chase, Ohio, 2,260 Confederate soldiers, who were buried within the prison limits. Those devoted men, separated from comrades and friends, could have regained their liberty, and doubtless many of them would be living to-day, had they taken the oath of alle- giance to the Federal government; but, rather than yield the opinions which they believed were guaranteed by the Constitution, they gave up their lives as a sacrifice to principle. Their bodies lie in Northern soil, and for thirty years we had no record of their resting place. Far removed from those whose love' and teachings made them what they were, their graves remained unmarked un- til finally one of that mighty host which opposed them (ah, I may say, the greatest of that mighty host), regardless of the jealousies and prejudices of his neighbors, determined to perpet- uate their deeds and their glory ; and to-day, thanks to his cour- age, his munificence, and his patriotism, it is his pleasure to have sweet flowers tenderly placed on them every year. They were Americans, who, believing they were right, did not hesitate between sacrifice and personal safety. Having that sense of appreciation which only a patriot can feel, that great soul pres- ent here to-night began the work which he has so successfully pursued. We are assembled to do him honor, and to acknowledge the obligations we feel for his unselfish deeds, and his noble ex- ample of an American which we are proud to recognize and to follow. It has been truthfully said that the greatest happiness is derived from contributing to the pleasure of other people ; therefore Colonel Knauss mtist enjoy much satisfaction, because the people of the South will ever hold him in grateful remembrance. And T can assure you, my dear Colonel, that these people, representatives of the best social condition, whose guest you are to-night, convey the sentiments of all the Southern people in tendering to you the warm and sincere expressions of admiration and love. It may be justly said that the Southern people are generous in their love. No section is superior to them in devotion to duty ; and as patriotic American citizens, whose record in war and in peace will forever be maintained, whose conduct on the battlefield VISITING THE SOUTH. 105 can never be excelled, whose love for the traditions of the South will continue to descend from parents to children, and whose loy- alty to the flag is unsurpassed, they are deeply sensible of the ob- ligations they owe Colonel Knauss. Then addressing him directly, Captain Dinkins continued : These obligations they have no desire to cancel; but, moved by a common impulse, the Confederate soldiers of New Orleans, their wives and daughters, created this beautiful memento which they now present to you, sir, with the hope that your life may be spared for many years, and with prayers that finally the great Captain may crown you with a wreath immortal. A New Orleans daily paper, in describing the event and the badge, said : All of the Confederate Veteran Camps participated in the re- ception and presentation of the medal, which is a very handsome and costly one. It is made of i6-carat gold, about the size of a silver dollar, and suspended from a crescent, to which is attached the coat of arms of Louisiana, and on the face of the medal is the Confederate flag, stars and bars beautifully enameled, with "W.. H. Knauss" on the bar between the crescent and the medal. On the reverse side is the inscription : "In appreciation of the notable care of our comrades' graves at Camp Chase, Ohio, the Confed- erate soldiers of New Orleans present this memento to Col. W. H. Knauss, February 13, 1902." Finally the time came when I had an opportunity to thank them for their graciousness and their great kindness. It matters not what I said. I recall that I reviewed what had been done at Camp Chase, and that they were pleased when I told how Miss Osgood, a teacher in the public schools, had trained one hundred and fifty children to sing on one memorial occasion, and how the Httle girls took flowers from the platform and strewed them upon the graves of men who had died far away from home, far from those they loved. From the audience came bouquets until they were piled around me. There were many kind and beautiful things said and many gracious attentions shown me. I mentally see the picture of that scene over and over, with its soldierly men and beautiful women, and I catch the perfume of the flowers, and with its glamour I wonder how and why it all came about. The New Orleans daily papers commented upon the event edi- torially. Without comment on my part, or apology for doing so, I reproduced the sentiments expressed by the Picayune and Times-Democrat. io6 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. In the introduction to a five-colunm article descriptive of the meeting at Memorial Hall, the Picayune says : The reception given Col. W. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio,, last night by the ladies of the various Confederate associations of the city, which was participated in by the Confederate veterans of the various Camps, was a notable affair. Though the attendance was confined almost, if not quite, to the members of the Confed- erate organizations, there was a large gathering, and it represent- ed the best social and. intellectual elements of the city. Colonel Knauss has been so long honored and admired for his care of the graves of Confederate dead at Camp Chase and John- son's Island, in Ohio, that many have desired to show their appre- ciation of his service to the South, and he has been known as a friend, even though never seen. He came to New Orleans to the carnival, but has been so quiet that not many people knew of his presence ; but after the veterans and the ladies found it out, he was "captured by the ladies," as he expressed it. One of the chief incidents of the evening was. the presentation of a beautiful gold medal by the veterans of all the Confederate associations. Colonel Knauss did not know about that part of the programme, and it was hard to decide whether he was most delighted with that or the magnificent bouquet of white roses presented by the Daughters of the Confederacy. The Tillies-Democrat editorial of February 15 said of "An American Patriot:" We had occasion a day or two ago to emphasize the point made recently by Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, that there are va- rious, though in no sense conflicting, ways in which men who love their country may manifest their patriotism. "Some men show their love for the flag of their country by protecting it from violence," said Senator Hoar ; and it is a noble thing to do. Other men show their love for the flag of their country by keeping it pure and preventing it from becoming a symbol of tyranny and injustice. The Senior Senator from 5lassachusetts was inclined to think that the latter phase of patriotism was quite as honorable as the former. It is certain that all temperate, thinking American citizens will sustain him in the admirable point he makes. It may be said, indeed, that patriotism in its highest and best form is that intelligent love of one's country which supplements the willing- ness to die that the nation may live with the determination that the nation's life shall be animated by the philosophy that "He who ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city." It is only when the positive force is supplemented by what might be called the negative force that love of country becomes a passion the noblest known to the human heart. There are millions of men in this country of ours who, aroused VISITING THE SOUTH. . 107 by the ardor of conrtict,- would step with jubilant feet the n'.ouicnt the war drum might throb ; and there are millions of other citizens who, in the quiet of peaceful industry, each day illustrate the vir- tues of courage and constancy, which only and which alone make a people great. The citizen of finest fashioning, however, is he who may pass from the calm of peace into the storm of war and from the storm of war return once more to quieter days, and withal keep his conscience unseared, his mind unprejudiced, and his spirit sweet and unspoiled. The kind of patriot we have in mind it has been the pleasure of the people of New Orleans to welcome here within the last few days and, out of the abundance of their kindly hospitality and fraternal feeling, to honor with a tribute of their respect and their affection. It is hardly necessary to add that the gentleman to whom we refer is Col. William H. Knauss, who while in the Federal army almost lost his life on the battlefield of Fredericksburg, and wha after the close of war devoted his time and his attention to an unsolicited labor of love in caring for the graves of Confederate soldiers who during the conflict died at Camp Chase and were buried in a cemetery near Columbus, Ohio. The simple story told by Colonel Knauss in his talk of Thursday evening at the Memorial Hall was one which, so long as man is man, can never fail to move the human heart. It was eloquent of the one touch of nature that makes the whole w^orld kin. It illustrated the larger significance of Appomattox. It taught that the surrender of the Confederate soldier meant more than the emancipation of a race, more than the political welding together of separate and individual States. It meant that with the echo of the last gun should die every ignoble prejudice and memory; that beneath the repelling features of war should be discerned the redeeming nobleness of both Federal and Confederate ; that a reciprocal con- fidence should solidify and purify our political life: and, finally, that as one nation we should become one people. This is the message fresh brought to us from Ohio by this gal- lant Union soldier ; and in contemplating not only the words spoken by Colonel Knauss, but also the man who spoke, the peo- ple of New Orleans pause for a moment to listen and to applaud — "to do him honor," as Captain Dinkins said, to acknowledge the obligation we feel for his unselfish deeds and for his noble exam- ple of an American which we are proud to recognize and to fol- low." We are quite sure that among the men who wore the gray or among their children may be found not one whose heart does not echo another sentiment perfectly expressed bv Captain Dinkins in presenting Colonel Knauss with a gold medal. When I visited my good Southern friends at Nashville in July of that same year, in the beautiful capital of Tennessee, every courtesy that generous hearts could conceive or willing hands io8 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. execute awaited me at all times. Mrs. Knauss and myself were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Toney, at Vauxhall Place, and enjoyed the hospitality of these good friends during our stay. Our friend and comrade, Mr. S. A. Cunningham, of the Confed- erate Veteran, Mr. Toney, and others met us at Bowling Green, Ky., escorting us to Nashville. MARCUS B. TONEY. When these gentlemen explained what had been planned for our entertainment, I was deeply moved. Not only did the cx- Confederates seek to make this one of the most beautiful visits of my life, but my comrades of the G. A. R. also joined heartily in making the occasion pleasant. A Nashville paper of June 29 said : It will be a pleasure to old Confederates generally, and especial- ly to the committee of Frank Cheatham Bivouac appointed to in- VISITING THE SOUTH. 109 vite the Union soldier, William H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, to their Fourth of ]\\\y celebration at Cumberland Park, to knoAV that he has decided to come. He wired his acceptance yesterday. Colonel Knauss is now looked upon as guardian of the graves of all Confederate dead buried at Camp Chase. He comes to join the camp fire to be held at Cumberland Park, and will be the guest of the Confederate Bivouac. The Nashville G. A. R. Posts are, however, claiming the right to show their esteem and affection for Colonel Knauss, and with this end in view the Commander of George H. Thomas Post, N. D. Higley, has appointed a committee to join the Bivouac and meet him at the depot on arrival. The following programme will be carried out at the camp fire : The Blues — "The Confederate Dead at Camp Chase," Col. W. H. Knauss; "The Army of Tennessee," Dr. N. D. Higley; "Gen. George H. Thomas," Gen. G. P. Thruston ; "Nashville During the War." A. W. Wills; "Nashville After the War," John Ruhm. The Grays — "The Confederate Private," G. H. Baskette ; "Prison Life in the North," B. M.- Hord ; "Reminiscences — Generals Lee and Jackson," M. B. Tonev ; "The Twentieth Tennessee In- fantry," Dr. W. J. McMurray; "The Tactics of 1861," Theo. Cooley ; "The Confederate Veteran," S. A. Cunningham. The Nashville Banner of July 4 said : Col. W. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, the Federal veteran who is to-day the guest of Frank Cheatham Bivouac, U. C. V., and George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., arrived last night, accom- panied by Mrs. Knauss. He was driven to Mr. Toney's home, in Vauxhall Place, where he was accorded a Southern welcome. Colonel Knauss has endeared himself to every Southerner by his generosity and magnanimity in caring for the graves of the Confederate dead at Camp Chase, Ohio; and by his splendid war record on the Federal side he is a hero in the North. He will be the principal orator at the camp fire of the Confederate and Fed- eral veterans to be held at Cumberland Park, and will respond to the toast, "The Confederate Dead at Camp Chase." He was indeed accorded a "Southern welcome." As in Ne\v Orleans, so it was in Nashville — kindness and friendship every- where. There was the satisfactory knowledge that these atten- tions proved the nobility of character of the Southerner and his quick appreciation of a friendly act. The Banner oi that date told the story (already alluded to) of the battle at Fredericksburg, Va., in which a piece of shell came near finishing my life work. The Fourth of July celebration was gotten up by the Frank Cheatham Bivouac at Cumberland Park for the purpose of rais- no THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. ing money to erect a monument to the private Confederate sol- dier. The Post of the G. A. R. at Nashville gave them cordial assistance, and a feeling of good will seemed to pervade the atmosphere. All in all, it was a day of genuine enjoyment. There was a sham battle that made the light of battle come again in the eyes of the veterans. In this case the defenses were rows of mown weeds. At a distance they looked impregna- ble, but when set on fire, accidentally, they disappeared faster than earthworks under masked batteries. The vohmies of smoke, the roar of the artillery, and the spiteful crack of the rifles seemed like old times, particularly when a command in the old-time gray and with the old-time yell moved to the attack. That night the camp fire was an interesting occasion. It is ever interesting when men once foes meet together as though comrades always and talk of the battle days. Before the great battles of the sixties it would have been con- sidered an event worthy of world-wide note, could there have occurred a camp fire of Wellington's grenadiers and Napoleon's Old Guard. The world heard of Gettysburg as well as Waterloo. Meade's legions of blue were as terrible as Wellington's grena- diers, and Lee's old guards in gray under Pickett charged where Napoleon's men could not have gone. It was such soldiers who sat together and ate and drank together that night in Nashville. In concluding this portion of the history of Camp Chase and its dead, I assert that, if I had hoped for any reward, I have had it abundantl}' ; but I had no thought when I began the work that any such scenes as I have described would occur. At most I felt that if I could let it be known in the South that there was sleeping here some one who had left standing at the gate as \vt marched away a woman who could not see him through her tears — a woman who had left her farewell kiss upon his lips, a woman who knew not where he sleeps — I should be repaid. I was permitted to give this information, and they thanked me, and that was enough. But they have written that they prayed God to bless me, and that is enough, quite enough. CHAPTER X Camp Chase in i86i. Once a Military Camp and Prison ; Now a Fine Farm — The First Prison- ers — A Confederate Pictures the Daily Grind of Prison Life— What a Texan Remembers of Camp Chase Prison — The Plot to Escape — The Spies' Report — Brutalizing Effects of Prison Life — The Man with the Poor Memory — The Deserter and the Prisoner — Strother's Story — Work on Camp Chase Begun in May, 1861. . To-day fruitful fields and comfortable homes take the place of ihe old parade grounds at Camp Chase, once worn bare by the tramp of men who had grown weary waiting for exchange. In the long stretch of years from '6i-'65 to 1904 time has easily re- moved the traces of a prison from Camp Chase. Time softens memories, as "distance lends enchantment." The first prisoners of war received at Camp Chase were a party of the Twenty-Third Virginia Regiment who had been captured in the Kanawha \^alley. They were taken there July 5. 1861, and for a time were held as hostages for the Union soldiers cap- tured by Confederates. They were not held long, but were re- turned to their homes. The names of these Virginians, as given by the local papers of that date and from official records, were as follows : R. B. Hackney. A. B. Dorst, A. Roseberry, H. J. Fisher, R. Knupp, J. A. Kline. Frank Ransom, J. W. McMollen. J- W. Echard, David Dong, G. B. Slaughter, A. E. Eastham, J. VV. Diltz, Robert Mitchell, S. Harfiss, E. J. Romson, F. B. Kline, Sly McCausland, O. H. Selnll, James Johnson, W. A. Roseberry, B. Franklin, and James Carr. The high tide of prison population was reached in 1863, when there were confined at Camp Chase stock- ades about 8,000 Confederate soldiers. The majority of these were privates and noncommissioned officers. There were at times officers of the rank of colonel at this prison, but they were moved to Johnson's Island, if not exchanged. The first military camp for the Union soldiers was Camp Jackson. It is a park now, called Goodale Park. A story extant is that a regiment stationed at Camp Jackson upon the occasion 112 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. of an anticipated outbreak of prisoners at Camp Chase was '"double-quicked" all the way from Camp Jackson to Camp Chasf^, a distance of five miles. It was a severe test of endurance, for not every man could run for five miles without resting. When the call for 300,000 more men was made in 1862, Camp Chase was made the place of rendezvous for ten of the interior counties. There were large camps near Cincinnati and Cleveland — Camp Denison, near Cincinnati. Regiment after regiment was equipped and sent to the front from Camp Chase, and Confed- erate prisoners were received in great numbers. The prisons neither North nor South were intended for "pleas- ure resorts," and the death rate at Andersonville, Millen, Camp Chase, and Johnson's Island is proof that none of them were desirable places. One feature of Camp Chase, unchanged through all these years, is the old "Four-Mile" house. It appears now as it was then. (See page 5.) Some who were in prison at Camp Chase will re- member the Confederate sutler store, where the prisoners secured rubber buttons and made rings, for which there was quite a de- mand from visitors, who were desirous of getting these souvenirs from the prisons. Many of these rings are still retained as me- mentos of this Federal prison. A pen picture of a prison mess at Camp Chase or Johnson's Island is from Col. Barbiere's "Scraps from the Prison Table at Camp Chase and Johnson's Island," written soon after the war. A prison mess contained from sixty to one hundred persons. They slept in two long rooms, in single bunks, but two were forced into each bunk. They were three tiers high. In the upper tier the occupants could barely turn over without brushing the ceiling. A cynical comrade who was at Millen Prison, Geor- gia, in October and November, 1864, remarked that he had not room to turn over without brushing the roof or ceiling, while I had all the room that was between the stars and that patch of sand — nothing above me but the clouds, not even a blanket. Colonel Barbiere also adds : One dining room, one side of which was arranged with bunks,, rendered eating at all times disagreeable to a man of sensitive Olfactories. In our room were ten plank tables, each adorned with ten plates, an equal number of tin cups, two pronged, forks, a dull knife and an iron spoon, and a chunk of bread about the size of a man's fist to each plate, which allowance was all the CAMP CHASE IN iS6i. 113 bread one received at that meal. In the center of the tables there was meat or bacon. Coffee was poured into the cups pre- vious to meals to cool. One stood to eat, and did not waste time at the table. Breakfast was served at six, dinner at half past eleven, and supper at half past five. Every one returned to his quarters at "retreat" and lights were extinguished at "taps," the former being at sundown and the latter at ten. Then every- thing was quiet until the treadmill of daily movements began with the next day's sun. . . . Camp Chase is situated in a flat four miles from Columbus, with a high board fence around the cabins. There is an elevated plank walk within the yard, to keep us from falling in the mud while making a circuit of the prison. It is one of the filthiest of the many pens assigned for the confinement of the Confederate prisoners. Col. W. H. Richardson, of Austin, Tex., in 1898 wrote the au- thor of Camp Chase Prison : It is but natural that you should like to know something of the life in Camp Chase and of those who fill the graves you have so kindly cared for. The story as it was written in hunger and suf- fering might bring to the surface bitter memories and be consid- ered unseemly and out of place. I will therefore deal only in a general way. Arriving in Camp Chase early in August, 1864, we found an order curtailing rations to the lowest minimum possible to sus- tain life. Therefore a constant want of necessary, healthy food to sustain life fast filled those graves. The weak went first, and the inifortunate ones who contracted diseases next; while strong men, inured to hardship and short rations, wore on. All this time the sutler was not allowed to sell anything in the shape of food, not even pepper. It is little wondiCr, then, that any scheme to escape was readily entered into. Our mess, com- posed of officers only (mostly border men), organized for the purpose of escape. We occupied a room twenty-four by twenty- four feet, with twenty-four men in the room, in one end of a barracks shanty built on posts two and a half to three feet off the ground. With one blanket and one suit of clothes, cold and hungry, we dug and worked for eight long months, only to be disappointed again and again. Secret tunnels and charging com- binations all failed. I will give you one instance: After many failures through spies, and often by the failure of weak-kneed brothers, nine of us or- ganized, pledged to one another by all we held sacred, our sole purpose being to get away. The wall of No. i on the side next to Columbus was moved farther out, making more room. A new sink was dug eight by sixteen feet and eight feet deep, and we 114 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. conceived the idea of getting into it as soon as opened for use and tunneling out, as we had only about twenty feet to go. I vol- unteered to take up the planks and let down a detail to dig. Mine was the post of honor. Immediately in front was a street lamp, and on the wall a sentinel twenty-five feet away. I worked long and hard, for planks were double-nailed and tools were scarce. The faintest shadow hid the form of the prisoners from the aim of the sentinel, only too willing to lire, but the boldness of the thing was what counted. No one suspected us ; not even the spy saw the dark outlines of that desperate soldier working for life and liberty. The planks were raised ; the work pro- gressed rapidly; two or three shifts were worked desperately. The ground was not frozen solidly enough where the new sewer led off, and when the tunnel reached the sewer it caved in, and the morning revealed the plot. Then a howl went up under the very feet of the sentinel, and in the light of a street lamp a daring attempt to escape was made. The excitement in the Federal camp was great. It was ration day (rations were issued every two days), but instead of rations an order was posted which read : "Until the men concerned in the attempt to escape are brought forward, no more rations will be issued." Some of the prisoners were ready to sell us for a mess of pottage. But little we cared ; we, the picked nine, were not making a circus of ourselves. That we would be betrayed and probably shot bothered us but little, for a hungry man cares not a great deal for life. Colonel Hawkins, a preacher and sol- dier, volunteered to go before the commander. He did this, and, eloquently presenting the case, showed how hundreds of men were being punished for the act of others. Then the rations were issued and the job ended. . . . Thirty odd years is a long time. Colonel, and you and r;are through fighting and can look back on the scenes of long ago with- out bitterness. That there was unnecessary hardship in all prisons. North and South, goes without saying. Men in those days were ofttimes cruel to their comrades. An instance of this was related recently by a man who had been a prisoner of war for a time at Macon and Millen, Ga. This was a case of ingratitude by a comrad,e, and is told simply to show the brutalizing effects of a prison life. These men belonged to an Ohio regiment. They were captured near Atlanta and taken first to Macon. The friend who tells the story had been a prisoner some time before the other men of his company were captured. It was a common thing that men were two days in the inclosure before they were marked for ra- tions. There were not many prisoners from the North at Macon, *-» r»f Ir r > feM i* ' t' ii6 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. there being quite as many Confederate soldiers confined there as Union. The Confederates were charged with one ofifense or an- otlier, and were awaiting court-martial. Both Northern and Southern men drew the same amount of rations. During the time the two men were waiting to be named for rations they were fed by the comrade who arrived first. He not only shared his ra- tions, but his bunk, for shelter or bunks at Macon were scarce. When they were shifted from Macon to Millen, they became separated. One of the two, who shall be called John B. (as he is yet alive and doubtless regrets his heartlessness ) , had traded a fine pair of boots for a large piece of rag carpet and a sum of Confederate money. With the money he had built a sod hut or cave. It was large enough for three, but he failed to remember the comrade that had befriended him. The latter was too proud to ask any favors, and managed to get an excavation in the sand, which protected him to some extent from the wind. His captors had taken his blankets, and the prison authorities furnished none. The bit of a boy slept in this alone. One raw November night, after the rain had fallen steadily all day and into the night, he went- to the dry quarters of this man, John B. He was not wel- comed, but he said: "T have come to say to you, John B., that v/hen you had nothing to eat I fed you. I fed both you and Dave, and you shared my bunk ; and now to-night it is cold and wet, and I am sick, and I want you to give me a place to sleep." John growled about it, and finally gave grudging permission that the boy who had befriended him might sit up all night by the door of the hut, but there would be no room to lie down. There was room, however; but the boy sat all night in a sort of kneeling position, while his comrades slept comfortably. This story illus- trates that there were brutes in both armies. In the South, as in the North, prisoners captured in battle were kindly treated by the men who stood upon the battle line. W. C. Dodson, of Atlanta, Ga., relates in the Veteran an incident whicli illustrates this admirably. When he was captured there was placed with him a deserter, or one who claimed he had deserted because he had been conscripted, and Dodson refused to share a bed with him. There being for several days only the two of us, we were thrown together, but I persistently refused to associate with the deserter. The commissary respected my feelings, and issued my CAMP CHASE IN 1861. 117 rations separately, remarking each time: "Now, Johnny, when you eat that up come back and get more." I had no blankets,' having left mine under my saddle, and the first night I determined to sit up by the fire. A good-natured teamster asked me why I did not go to bed. I told him I had no blanket, and could not afford to sleep with a deserter. "Well, Johnny," said the teamster, "durn him, you needn't sleep with him. Come to my wagon, and 1 will lend you a blanket." There is not a living Confederate comrade whom I had rather meet than that big-hearted teamster. There are many other pleasant incidents connected with my stay v/ith these brave men at the front, and I truly wish there was no other side to the picture, but there is. Soon other prisoners came in, and we were sent back to Ste- venson and turned over to some home guards, who made life almost a hell to us. At Louisville I got into an argument with one of this kind of sentry, and for saying nothing more oft'ensive tlian that I had been fighting men in the front I found a bayonet at my breast. I still have the man's name, and it may be best for us both if we never meet again. I remained six months at Camp Chase, but the policy of starva- tion did not commence until afterwards, though many kinds of petty tyranny were practiced. For some flagrant abuse ( I forget now the circumstances) several of my mess addressed a note of protest to the commander. It was written and signed by gentle- men of intelligence and refinement, and was respectful. The response received was a squad of soldiers with handcuffs and balls and chains for the entire party. The younger men made light of the punishment, but among the victims was a gentleman (Capt. S. F. Nunelle, of Center, Ala.) much older than the rest, and who was disabled by a wound in the hip. The shackles of course rendered him practically helpless, and we younger ones had to wait on him. To those of us nearest naked were issued inferior Federal uniforms. In the April Veteran for 1898 appears the following: W. H. Lastinger writes from Waco, Tex., that among the dead Confederate prisoners buried at Camp Chase, as published in the January Feteraii, is W. H. Leatinger, Twenty-Ninth Georgia Regiment, of which he was a member. Knowing nothing of this name "Leatinger," Mr. Lastinger supposes it was himself. He is glad to report that he is still on the top side of terra tirma and en- joying good health. Mr. Lastinger wrote : "Until I read the magazine, I knew not where lay G. W. Bond, William Hodge, R. McKinney, John T. Simons, Elihu H. Tygart, and William .A.nderson — all my comrades of Company G." The list of names published in the Veteran were from the Adju- tant General's report for the year 1867. In that report are the iiS THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. names of Alex J. Smith, Company E, Twenty-Ninth Georgia In- fantry, Grave No. 563, who died December 6, 1864, and S. S. or S. P. Smith, Company G, Twenty-Ninth Georgia Infantry, Grave No. 1800, who died March 31, 1865. So much for the printed record. Mr. Lastinger was doubtless correct, as he knew the names of his company by heart. From the same source comes the story of W. O. Connor, of Cave Springs, Ga., who was for a short time a prisoner at Camp Chase. He was captured at Sahsbury, N. C. One of the bat- talions defending Salisbury was composed of "galvanized" Yan- kees, as they were called in the South — men who, as prisoners of war, had taken the oath to support the Confederacy after they had enlisted in the Union army. The writer has tried to show in various ways his respect for the living and dead of the Confed- erate Army, but only one sentiment can be entertained for these creeping things. But to Mr. Connor's narrative: Having no fortitications, of course this force offered but little resistance to the impetuous onslaught of General Stoneman's dis- ciplined cavalry. Those "galvanized" Yankees threw down their arms and refused to fight as soon as the Yankees made the charge on our lines, and they, with nearly all the rest of the command, were captured. We were then marched across the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains to Johnson's Station, on the old East Tennessee and Virginia railroad, the first stretch being forty-eight miles before a. stop was made, with the exception of two hours at Statesville. On the way we were told that General Lee had surrendered, but of course we did not believe it until we saw numbers of his soldiers on the way home. We were taken to Camp Chase, where we ar- rived May 3, 1865. En route we were kept a day and a night at Nashville, being quartered in the Tennessee penitentiary. The "galvanized" Yan- kees who were held as prisoners with us had been very abusive in their treatment of the Confederates on this long and arduous march. When we were marched into the penitentiary they were placed in an upper story of the building, and boasted of their superior treatment ; but when we were marched out the next day to take the train they were left locked up in the prison, and then it was our time to crow. We were told that every one of them would be shot for desertion. Arriving at Camp Chase, we were marched into Prison No. 3. There were about one thousand of us, and as we marched in the roll was called, with instructions to answer either "Oath" or "Ex- change:" This meant that our names would be entered as being CAMP CHASE IN 1861. 119 willing to take the oath of allegiance or to remain in prison until exchanged. Knowing that Lee had already surrendered, about half of the men signified by their answer that they were willing to take the oath of allegiance. We found in Prison No. 3 from fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred men, and but sixteen of the entire number answered "Exchange." When the roll of the prison was called, J. Courtney P3rown, now a prominent Baptist minister of Aiken, S. C, and the writer were two of the sixteen. Each of the sixteen men who wanted to be exchanged was ordered to report at the gate, with knapsack and one blanket, prepared for marching. During these three weeks all sorts of rumors were circulated as to what would be done with us, one being that we would be put in irons in the Ohio State Prison for life, and another being that we would be shot in retaliation for something the Confederates had done. Every man who has ever been in military prison is familiar with the absurd rumors that will somehow be circulated. Our comrades gathered around us and bade us farewell, many of them with tears streaming down their bronzed cheeks. W^e marched out the bluest-looking men that had ever been gathered together, and not one of us would have been surprised if we had been put in front of a file of soldiers and shot down. Instead of this, however, we were marched along the side of the prison wall a short distance, a gate was thrown open, and we were thrown into Prison No. i. Here we found seventy-five or eighty Con- federate officers and citizens, some of .whom I knew. Instead of a barracks accommodating two hundred men, we were given rooms arranged for twelve men each. In each room was a cook- ing stove with necessary vessels, and our rations were issued di- rectly to us, so that each man could prepare his food to suit him- self. Hence we were much more comfortably situated and fared better than the men we left in Prison No. 3. Wlien the time came for liberating the prisoners, all the sixteen ^^ ere liberated with the others except one little fellow from West Virginia (I never knew his name) who still refused to take the oath, giving as a reason that he had promised, his father that he would never do so without his consent. No explanation was ever given why the change was made from Prison No. 3 to No. r, nor was there a word spoken to us in regard to the matter. An interesting s.tory of an attempt to escape is told in the Veteran by R. H. Strother, of Milton, Ky., who served in the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry : During the summer of 1864 a movement was started to organ- ize the prisoners at Camp Chase into companies, regiments, and brigades. After the organization was effected instructions were secretlv given in regard to how the break for libertv should be I20 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. made. July 4 was the day selected, and the hour ten o'clock, a« the bread wagon was leaving the prison. The prisoners were not allowed to assemble in crowds, so we had to be cautious in our movements. They were to take position in groups of three or four men, as near the gate as possible without causing suspi- cion. The signal agreed upon was to be "Fresh fish," which was to be given by the leader of the charging squad when the bread wagon went out. The leader with his group was to drop in be- hind the wagon just before it reached the gate, and as it was passing out the signal was to be given and the groups of the charging squad were to fall in rapidly, keeping up a continuous charge through the gate. Those nearest the gate were to rush out and fall immediately in the rear of the charging squad, and those of Barracks No. 2 to drop in behind those of No. i, and so on, which would keep up a continuous charge, so that the gate could not be closed. The Confederates were to have their pockets full of rocks, v/hich was the only ammunition available. Everything seemed to be working all right, and there were no indications that the officers in charge of the prison had suspected anything wrong. The morning designated came bright and beautiful. The pris- oners were jubilant over the prospect of escaping, and every man was in his place, waiting for the time. All eyes were watching for the bread wagon to come and to make its exit. Confusion came, however, through the earlier and, as it proved, untimely ar- rival and departure of the wood wagon. This caused the charge to result in failure. The charging squad was so eager that they gave the signal as the wood wagon went out, and the main force were ofif guard, not expecting the signal at that time. Thus it was that the charging squad passed out through the gate, and,, the main column not being in supporting distance, the gate was closed. There was a picnic that day a few miles from the prison, and most of the Federal officers and soldiers not on duty were going to attend. In fact, when the charge was made a large number of them were mounted ready to start, so that all thev had to do was to surround the little squad and march it to prison. In corroboration of the story told by Mr. Strother, the Ohio State Journal, of Columbus, tells the following story : On the morning of the 4th of July about twenty prisoners, taking advantage of the large gate being opened, gave a yell and broke for liberty. They were fired upon by the guard, two of them being severely wounded and the remainder captured. It is learned that as soon as the break was made the Eighty-Eighth Regiment formed and pursued the fugitives at double-quick, firing as they went. The prisoners in the meantime pulled of¥ their hats and held them up in token of surrender. Colonel Richard- son, who was in command, then ordered his men to cease firing. CAMP CHASE IK iS6i. 121 The first public mention of Camp Chase, so far as the history of it can be gathered from the newspapers of that date, was on May 28, 1861, in the Ohio State Journal, the only newspaper in Columbus now that was in existence then, and was as follows: Workmen were engaged yesterday in taking down the barracks at Camp Jackson, for the purpose of removing to a new camp to be organized four miles west of this city. It is to be a regular camp, and will contain one hundred acres. The land has been plowed, harrowed, and rolled smooth, and will make a good place for drilling purposes. The following notices of arrivals of Confederate prisoners are from the same paper and quoted literally : August 9, 1861. — Capt. J. W. Free arrived here at a late hour bst night from Lexington, Perry County, Ohio, with a company of one hundred and fifty men. This company brought with them from Zanesville one hundred and ten Rebel prisoners, which the Seventeenth Ohio Regiment had sent to that place. Among the number were one preacher, one lawyer, and one doctor. Under the date of August 19, same year, appears the following: Twenty-eight prisoners arrived Saturday from West Virginia via Cincinnati ; and of these, twenty-three are on parole. They will be immediately transferred to Richmond, Va. The reporter heard one of them remark that if they took Washington City they would not burn it, for there were too many good buildings there ; and as they wished to make it the capital of the Confederacy sometime, these buildings would be needed. August 20. — Gone. The secessionists who attracted eager crowds at the American Hotel yesterday left for their homes in Mrginia to-day. They were released on parole not to take up arms against the government again. The last lot of prisoners for Camp Chase in the year 1861 ar- rived on December 28 and. consisted of eight captured Confed- erates. CHAPTER XI. Increasing Numbers. The Indifference of Columbus toward the Soldiers — Southern Prisoners Were Not the Only Men Neglected — A Wife Accompanies Her Hus- band to Prison — Arrival of a Number of Officers — A Kentuckian Ex- presses Himself — What the Raw Recruit Said — The Long Roll Beaten — Almost a Riot. It is remarkable that in all the official reports and records of 1861-65 of the Governor of Ohio, his Adjutant General, or his subordinate officers no mention is made of the Confederate prison at Camp Chase except a brief reference made in 186 1 by Gov. William Dennison, who in his annual report said : In accordance with his request, instructions were some time since given to General McClellan to send prisoners to Ohio. Re- garding- the jails of the State as being insecure and improper places for confinement, I caused to be erected at Camp Chase a prison of sufficient size for the accommodation of four hundred and fifty inmates, and upon a plan capable of enlargement. A considerable number have been and are there confined, and others are continually arriving. Columbus was indifferent to the men who had battled and struggled for the cause in which the North was enlisted. For years the men in blue marched in and out of the city. The cit- izens read of war, but felt none of it. They grew weary of the drumbeat and of the glitter and glory of it all. The spirit of commercialism was rampant, and there was a widespread desire on the part of those not in business to organize schemes to get the money of the soldiers. Camp Chase, being central and con- venient, was made the depot for the Union paroled prisoners in the North. Often they came here sick and in tatters and were driven to Camp Chase like so many cattle, and when they got there they were lucky to find an open shed to lie in. In the spring of 1863 there came from a Southern prison a ?quad of Union men who were almost naked. They were turned into an open shed, without officers to see to their wants, and they soon became a menace to the troops near by. Days went by INCREASING NUMBERS. 1^3 before these men drew rations. They were fed by men of an- other command who were fortunate enough to have something to spare. This condition of affairs lasted for some time ; and the paroled prisoners, hungry, half-naked, and disgusted at the treatment accorded them, plundered the tents of their more for- tunate comrades. The story of this situation at Camp Chase was found in the columns of the Ohio State Journal. From January i, 1862, there is no mention of the arrival of Confederate prisoners until on the 24th of February, A few Virginians had been sent back and forth, but nothing of note had occurred. On that date the Journal mentions the arrival of Robert J. Baldwin, who had been captured by General Lander at Bloomery, Ga., together with six captains, nine lieutenants, five first sergeants, six other sergeants, five corporals, and nineteen privates. No names were given except that of Colonel Baldwin. Continuing, the Journal stated : Nine prisoners captured near Fayetteville, Ky., by Colonel Scammon, of the Twenty-Third Ohio, arrived Saturday last and "took lodgings" at Camp Chase. The visitors are to be in- creased soon by a fresh arrival of the Southern chivalry. The secession sympathizers, who hung their jaws on the reception of the Fort Donelson news, ought to turn out cii masse and give their Southern brethren a cordial welcome. Names to-morrow morning. The names did not appear the next morning. Instead, there was a notice of the arrival of another lot of prisoners, alluded to as follows : Another detachment of one hundred and four Southern pris- oners arrived about half past nine last night. They were all officers, including Buckner's staff, captured at Fort Donelson. They were generally fine-looking men ; and, being all officers, are undoubtedly of the upper crust of chivalry of the South. There appeared to be no uniformity of dress ; each seemed to consult his own taste or convenience — perhaps the latter. The sympathies of the crowd were awakened by the appear- ance among the prisoners of a woman, the wife of one of the officers, who had clung to her husband in his reverses and was determined to share his captivity. She was sent in advance of the others in charge of a special guard. There were also several contrabands in the company, brought along as servants. We doubt very much, however, whether the contrabands will be held as prisoners, but rather as contrabands of war. It is rumored that twelve hundred more prisoners will arrive at 12 o'clock to-day. 124 ^^^ STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Of the noble woman whose unselfish love prompted her to to go to prison with her husband, no further record can be found. One can only wish that the love of such a wife, that such unbounded affection, was at last rewarded; that each lived to see the war end and, like the hero and heroine of the fairy tale, "lived happily ever after." The Journal on Saturday, March i, 1862, gave the following names of those who arrived the Thursday preceding. No doubt these men have friends in the North who will scan the list with eagerness : Third Mississippi Kegiiiiciit. — Col. T. J. Davidson, Lieut. Col. J. M. Wiltz, Chaplain J. H. Robinson; Company A, Capt. A. J. Gibson, Lieuts. K. M. Smith, J. \V. Day, and ll. B. Meneden; Company B, Capt. J. R. Hill, Lieuts. M. R. Harbin, V. B. Dixen, and J. B. Pennell; Company C, Capt. G. W. Garrett, Lieuts. N. L. Dazey, B. F. Darrod, and J. G. Moore; Company D, Lieuts. J. C. Turner, W. H. Groyn, and B. H. Estes; Company E, Capt. J. H. Kennedy, Lieuts. A. D. Saddler, and E. Roberts ; Company H, Capt. E. M. Wells, Lieut. J. W. Douglass; Company G, Lieuts. J. H. Keddlesperger,. David Lewis, and J. W. Childs; Company 5, Capt. S. W. McWharter, Lieuts. C. N. Simpson, W. C. Swindale, and W. G. Young. Twentieth Mississippi Regiment.— Ma.j. W. N. Brown; Com- pany A, Capt. H. Canteg, Lieut. R. M. Wilson; Company B, W. A. Rover, Lieut. Thos. B. Sykes, R. S. Murff, and J. A. Roberts ; Company C, Capt. J. Z. George, Lieut. J. M. Liddel, F, W. Keyes, and A. A. Staddord; Company D, Capt. O. K. Massey, Lieuts. J. C. Williams, P. L. Dotson, and R. C. McClel- land ; Company E, Lieut. William S. Champlen ; Company F, Capt. Thomas B. Graham, Lieut. P. R. Sterling; Company G, Lieut. W. R. Nelson ; Company H, Lieut. Thomas H. Harrison ; Company I, Capt. W. M. Chatfield, Lieuts. F. W. Gale and J. V. Williams ; Company K, Lieuts. S. L. Oldham and J. R- Hene- phile. Seventh Texas. — Col. John Green, Maj. R. H. Graham, Adjt. H. Douglas, Asst. H. Beall ; Company A, one lieutenant (name not given) ; Company B, Lieuts. Kemp, Covid, and Ford; Com- pany C, Capt. Houghton, Lieuts. English and Henderson ; Com- pany E, Capt. E. M. Zaut, Lieuts. Donnelly, Martin, Lipscome. and Adams ; Company F, Lieut. Moore ; Company G, Capt. Moody, Lieuts. Callett and Tildwell ; Company H, Lieuts. Foncst and Craig; Company t^, Capt. John Brown, Lieuts. Ballinger, White, and McDavid. Third Battalion Alabama Infantry, Capt. D. T. Ryan; Twenty- Seventh Alabama, Capt. E. G. Wright ; TentH Tennessee, Capt. B. ^T. Cheatham. INCREASING NUMBERS. 125 The Journal of Monday, March 3, states that seven hundred and twenty prisoners arrived Saturday morning-. "They were nearly all officers, many of them men of intelligence, some hav- ing held honorable positions under the government they are now endeavoring to destroy. Some of our citizens showed a disposi- tion to quiz several of them, but their curt replies soon silenced such comment. The prisoners at Camp Chase now numbered some twelve hundred." The following letter from a gentleman who had been a prisoner at Camp Chase for a time shows that there were some humane men in charg'e part of the time, at least : House of Representatives^ Frankfort, Ky., Feb. 10, 1862. Mr. N. A. Gray. Dear Sir : The Cincinnati Gazette of yesterday, in a very un- truthful notice of some remarks made by myself in the House on Saturday last in relation to my late arrest and imprisonment at Camp Chase, conveys the idea that I complained of bad treatment while there. This is not true; and for fear the article may place me wrong with several gentlemen whom I may never see again, but whose respect I wish to preserve, I bear public testimony to their uniform kindness and courtesy to me while a prisoner in their hands. Nothing was said or done by any one to insult me, and I acknowledge the gentlemanly and considerate treatment I received from Lieutenant Colonel Remple. Capt. A. V. Rice. Lieutenants Wright and Knauss. and Sergeant Buice. I remem- ber also with satisfaction the friendly conduct of many members and officers of the Ohio Legislature (which of course includes yourself), and will frankly confess that an utter change of senti- ment with them enabled me to return from Ohio with more hope for the future of our country than I felt before. The Gazette, however, quotes me correctly in that I called Camp Chase prison a "mudhole." Your friend. S. B. Chambers. The Capt. A. V. Rice alluded to in the above letter afterwards became a brigadier general, and when President Cleveland was elected the second time he appointed him pension agent for Ohio, the salary being about $4,000 per year. He lost one leg in battle ; and, while a Democrat, held office under Presidents ]\IcKinley and Roosevelt. He died recently. A little incident occurred early in April, 1862, that caused much excitement in Camp Chase, but did no damage. A sentinel' who had not soldiered long was on guard at one of the prisons, 126 7//i- STOk)- OF CAMP CHASE. and as dawn approached thought he saw a man in gray trying to make his escape. He quickly drew aim and fired at the supposed Rebel. This alarmed other sentinels, and these, being new to the business, also fired, and the camp was alarmed. The long roll was beaten and the orderly sergeants shouted to their men to "fall in." The Journal, in speaking of the occurrence, said: The guards turned out with commendable alacrity, thinking perhaps that the whole Rebel horde were at their heels and Avere about to take possession of the camp. They presented a ridicu- lous appearance as they crawled out in every condition — some without their coats' and, others with one boot or barefooted. When investigation was made, the prisoners were all there and the ma- jority asleep. Only a few were aroused by the excitement. The sentinel shot a cow near by and nearly killed some of our men. The Jour)ial of April 9 said : Yesterday morning Colonel Moody, commandant at Camp Chase, started thirty Confederate officers for Fort Warren. They included most of those on parole in this city. The Knights of the Golden Circle shed buckets of tears at parting with their Southern brethren. The same paper on the morning of July 10 said : The ingenuity of the Confederate prisoners confined at Camp Chase has been tested in a variety of ways in their efforts to see the outer world. Their latest was to dig out. It was discovered recently that two mines had been made, commencing underneath one of their quarters and running to within a few feet of the out- side prison fence. Had they succeeded in reaching the outside, they would there have been met b}' the ground guard, whose at- tention they could scarcely have escaped. The Journal of July 2^ said : Yesterday two squads of prisoners were taken to Camp Chase. The train from the East brought twenty bushwhacking Confed- erates captured in A^irginia. Several of them were wounded and on crutches. The afternoon train from the South brought twenty-eight more, captured recently in Kentucky, among them a Colonel Jones. They marched from the depot to Messrs. Hawkes & Company's stage office, where omnibuses were provided to carry them to the prison. Among the number attracted by them through curiosity were several paroled Union prisoners, who were not very choice in their language in denouncing the authorities for their accom- modating spirit exercised toward these men. The prisoners at Camp Chase are quiet and submissive since their attempt some days ago to dig out. The three prisons con- INCREJSIXG XUMBERS. 127 tain some 1,676 men. No one is permitted to see them without a special permit from the commandant. On August 17 eleven hundred Camp Chase prisoners were sent South. They were to be exchanged at Vicksburg. In 1862 there were many political prisoners at Camp Chase. A Columbus paper of November 22 says : There have been examined up to this time three hundred and twenty-seven political prisoners by special commission, and two hundred and seventy of them discharged by order of the Secretary of War, together with fifty-seven others reported upon by the Wa- .Dcpartment. There are yet about four hundred prisoners con- fined at Camp Chase, anxiously waiting a hearing. The following-named prisoners were released on the above- mentioned date : Wm. M. Butler, Davis County, Ky. ; T. W. Haw- thorn, ^Mercer County, Va. ; George W. Demsey, Fayette County, Va. ; John Oder, Campbell County, Ky. ; W. L. Hontoni, ^Mercer County, A^a. ; E. J. Ranson, Virginia; Walter, Brown County, Ohio; Thomas C. Read, Alleghany County, ; Thomas Brigham, Mercer County, Ky. ; W. H. Robertson, Robertson Coun- ty, Ky. ; James W. Evans, Grant County, Ky. ; Charles Richard, Hampshire County, Tenn. ; John N. Helmick, Calhoun County, \a. ; John W. Campbell, Davis County, Ky. ; A. H. Clement and James Lester, Pike County; J. D. Lillard, Calhoun County; Joseph Hicks, Owen County; John Roland and R. Smith, Swan County; Thomas J. Webster, Grant County; L. Slems, Campbell County; Solonion AIcDade and James Green, Gallatin County; Richard McGeness and John King, Harrison County ; Z. Doly, Bourbon County; M. Jenkines, Pendleton County; John Dough- erty, Bath County ; B. R. Griffin. Henderson County ; James Lafiferty, Harrison County; Samuel Flowers, Champaign County, Ohio. The Ohio State Journal of February 5, 1863, says : The ten o'clock train from the South last night brought three women from Nashville who have elected themselves to a term of repose at Camp Chase. It seems that they were decidedly brisk in forwarding contraband information to Southern leaders and giving money and aid to their soldiers. They are of one family, being mother and daughters. The Columbus Crises. s])eaking of the episode, says : A few days ago a mother and two daughters, one sixteen and the other eighteen years of age, were sent to Camp Chase as po- 128 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. litical prisoners from Tennessee. They are very respectable and intelligent ladies. This act to outsiders seems very ungallant and has excited a good deal of talk, and a resolution was introduced in the Ohio Senate by Mr. Kenny, of Ashland County, himself a gallant soldier, inquiring into the facts. IMany Confederate officers in those days lived in Columbus. They had given their word of honor not to attempt to escape, and they kept their word. They were associates of the officers of the regular army, or such of them as were stationed in Columbus at one time or another. The Eighteenth United States Infantry was in that city for some time, and its officers and the paroled Confederate officers were conspicuous figures in the hotels and cafes. Among those whose intimacy was most marked were Captain Joyce, of General Buckner's stafif, and Captain Dodge, of the Eighteenth Regulars. One day these gentlemen were dining and drinking at Wagner's, the leading cafe of Columbus, when a private soldier a little worse from drink entered and sa- luted Captain Dodge. The Captain paid no attention to the sa- lute. The soldier paused and addressed some remark to him, when Captain Joyce sprang to his feet and struck the soldier in the face. With his mouth bleeding he went out of the place and, meeting a number of his comrades, told the story of the assault. A crowd gathered, as many citizens as soldiers, and a riot was imminent. Threats were made that the Confederate must die, and the crowd assumed a moblike aspect. When a number of soldiers entered the restaurant Wagner managed to get the two officers out, but the crowd surrounded them upon the outside. 'Tvill the d Rebel !" came the cries from every side. "Kill the other ; he is no better!" cried others. As readily would they have killed Captain Dodge as his Confederate friend ; but when they began to crowd upon and jostle the officers about, waiting and wishing that the Confederate would strike again, the police appeared and the officers were "hurried, to the American house. Here the crowd followed, and it was with difficulty they were rescued and taken to a place of safety. The papers pub- lished the story, and both soldiers and civilians were excited; and had Captain Joyce appeared upon the streets again while the ex- citement was high, he would probably have been shot. CHAPTER XII. The Years Crept Slowly On. From 1863 to 1865 — Gen. John Morgan and His Men — A Brief Review of His Famous Raid through Ohio — On the Road to Camp Chase — A Tennessee Judge Once a Boy Prisoner — The Boy and the Bowlder — • A Conspirac}'. The events at Camp Chase Prison were not narrated by the Columbus writers, for there was Httle to consider in the way of news in 1862. There was much transferring to Johnson's Island and to Camp Douglass, and occasionally to the Elmira (N, Y.) prison. The chief event of 1863 was the Morgan raid and its dramatic denouement. It was about the middle of July, 1863, that Gen. John Morgan and his faithful horsemen stirred Ohio from center to circumfer- ence. The first one of Morgan's men to arrive at Camp Chase was one Jacob Hix, a private, who, exhausted by the terrible march, fell asleep on his horse and rode for miles. Finally the horse wandered up a country lane far out of the line of march. When Hix awoke, there were no troops in sight, and he knew not which way to turn. He wandered on, however, and finally brought up in the little village of Richmond, some fifty miles south of Columbus. When the villagers saw a real, live Rebel riding leisurely along the streets, there was intense excitement. There was a hurried search for shotguns and the like, and one or two men more collected ; then the rest demanded that Hix sur- render, which the weary Confederate, knowing nothing of the country, did. After getting their prisoner something to eat, they took him to Chillicothe and delivered him to Deputy Provost Marshal Thomas J. Guin, who took him to Camp Chase. Monday morning, July 27, 1863, the Ohio State Journal placed at the head of its editorial columns with big black headline the following: "John Morgan Captured." The editorial said: The career of the great Rebel raider is ended. He and, his ^vhole force are now in General Shackelford's possession, Mor- gan surrendered unconditionally at three o'clock yesterday (Sun- 9 130 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. day) afternoon. All honor is due the gallant and hardy boys who have finally captured the reckless rider of Rebeldom. Morgan and his command will doubtless be brought to Camp Chase. The Joiinial stated several days later: The noted raider, John Morgan, received a very handsome re- ception yesterday afternoon at the depot — at least so far as num- bers are concerned. The desire to see one who has given the citizens of Ohio as much trouble as this Rebel has could hardly have been greater than to see President Lincoln. The hero came on a special train, accompanied by General Shackelford and staff, and several other Union officers. The excitement ran high, and a rush was made for the train. The crowd in front feasted their eyes and made way for others eager to see him. The Governor, General Mason, and portions of their staffs were introduced to Morgan and shook hands with him, after which they paid their respects to General Shackelford. The cell in which General Morgan was confined is yet marked, and is pointed out to visitors to the Ohio penitentiary. The Richmond Enquirer tells of how they managed to escape: Their bedsteads were small iron stools fastened in the wall with hinges, which could be hooked up or allowed to stand on the floor. To prevent any suspicion, for several days before any work was attempted they made it a habit to let them down and sit at their doors and read. Captain Hines superintended the work, while General Morgan kept watch to divert the attention of the sentinel, whose duty it was to come around during the day and observe conditions. One day the sentinel came in while Hokersmith was down un- der the floor boring away and, missing him, said : "Where is Hokersmith?" The General replied, "He is in my room sick," and immediately pulled a document out of his pocket and said to him, "Here is a memorial I have drawn up to forward to the government at Washington. Wliat do you think of it ?" The sentinel, who perhaps could not read, being highly flattered at the General's condescension, very gravely looked at the document for several minutes before he vouchsafed any reply; then, handing it back, he expressed himself as highly pleased with it. In the meantime Hokersmith had been signaled and came up, professing to feel very unwell. This sentinel was the most difficult and dangerous obstacle in their progress, because there was no telling at what time he might enter in the day, and at night he came regularly every two hours to each cell and inserted a light through the bars of the doors to see that all were quietly sleeping, and frequently after his rounds he would slip back into the dark in India rubber shoes THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY OX. 131 and listen. The General says that he would almost invariably know of his presence by a certain magnetic shudder it would pro- duce; but for fear that his acute sensibility might sometimes fail him, he broke up small particles of coal and sprinkled them before the cell door, which would always announce the sentinel's ap- proach. About the latter part of October they began to bore. All were busy — one making a rope ladder by tearing and twisting up strips of bedticks, another making- Bowie knives, and another twisting towels. They labored perseveringly for several days, and after boring through nine inches of cement and nine thicknesses of brick placed edgewise they began to wonder when they would reach the soft earth. Suddenly a brick fell through. What could this mean? What infernal chamber had they reached? It was immediately entered, and to their great astonishment and joy, it proved to be an air chamber extending the whole length of the row of cells. Here was an unexpected interposition in their fa- vor. Heretofore they had been obliged to conceal their rubbish in bedticks, each day burning a proportionate quantity of straw ; now they had room enough for all they could dig. They at once commenced to tunnel at right angles with this air chamber, to get through the foundation. Day after day they bored, day after day the blocks of granite were removed, and still the work before them seemed interminable. After twenty-three days of unrelenting labor, and getting through a granite wall six feet in thickness, they reached the soil. They tunneled up for some distance, and light began to shine. How glorious was the light ! It announced the fulfillment of their labor ; they would soon be free. This was the morning of the 26th day af November, 1863. The next night at twelve o'clock was determined on as the hour at wdiich they would at- tempt to get away. Each moment was filled with dreadful anxiety and suspense, and each time the guard entered their apprehensions increased. The General says that he prayed for rain, but the morning of the 27th dawned bright and beautiful. The evening came, and the clouds began to gather. How they prayed for them to increase! If rain should only begin, their chances of detection would be greatly lessened. While these thoughts were passing through their mind the keeper entered with a letter for General Morgan. He opened it, and what was his surprise and wonder to find it from a poor Irish woman of his acquaintance in Kentucky, commencing: "My dear Ginral, I feel certain you are going to get out of prison, but for your sake don't try it, dear Gin- ral. You wdll only be taken a prisoner again and made to sufifer more than you do now." The letter then went on to speak of his kindness to the poor when he lived at Lexington, and concluded h} again exhorting him to trust in God and wait his time. 13- THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. What could this mean? No human being on the outside had been informed of his intention to escape ; and yet just as all things v.'ere ready for him to make the attempt, here comes a letter from Kentucky advising him not to try it. This letter had passed through the examining office of General Mason, and then through the hands of the lower officials. What if it should excite their srspicion and cause them to exercise an increased vigilance? The sn nation, however, was desperate. Their fate could not be made worse, and they resolved to go. Nothing remained to be done but for General and Col. Dick Morgan to change cells. The hour approached for them to be locked up. They changed coats, and each stood at the other's cell door with his back exposed, and pretended to be engaged in making up their beds. As the turn- key entered they pulled their doors shut. Six, eight, ten o'clock came. How each pulse throbbed as they quietly awaited the approach of twelve ! It came ; the sentinel passed his rounds. After waitinp' a few moments to see if he intended to slip back, the signal was given and all quietly slipped down to the air chamber, first stuffing their flannel shirts and placing them in the bed as they were accustomed to lie. As they moved quietly along through the dark recess to the terminus where they were to emerge from the earth, the General prepared to light a match. As the lurid glare fell upon their countenance 3 scene was presented which can never be forgotten. There were crouched seven brave men who had resolved to be free. Fortunately — yes, providentially — the night had suddenly grown dark and rainy , the dogs had retired, to their kennels, and the sentinels had taken shelter. The inner wall, by the aid of a rope ladder, was soon scaled, and now the outer one had to be attempted. Captain Taylor, a nephew of the illustrious Zack, be- ing a very active man, by the assistance of his comrades reached the top of the gate and was enabled, to get the rope extending all around, which the General immediately cut, as he suspected that it might lead into the warden's room. This turned c\yt to be correct. Then they entered the sentry box on tlie wall, changed their clothes, and crept down the wall. The General skinned his hand very badly and all were more or less bruised. Once down, they separated, Taylor and Sheldon going one way, Hokersmith, Bennett, and McGee another, and General Morgan rnd Captain Hines proceeding immediately toward the depot. The General had succeeded in obtaining a paper which in- formed him of the schedule time of the dififerent roads. The clock struck one, and he knew that by hurrying he could reach the down train for Cincinnati. He got there just as the train was moving off. He at once ascertained if any soldiers were on board; and espying a Union soldier, he boldly walked up and took the seat beside him. He suggested to his seat companion THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON. 133 that, as the night was damp and chilly, he join him in a drink. Ihe hospitality was accepted, and the two soon became friends. The cars in crossing the Scioto had to pass in a short distance of the penitentiary. As they passed, the officer remarked: "There is the hotel where Morgan and his officers are spending their leisure. I sincerely hope he will make up his mind to board there during the balance of the war, for he is a great nuisance !" When the train reached Xenia, it was detained by some accident for nearly an hour. Imagine the anxiety as soldier after sol- dier would pass through the train, for fear that when the sentinel passed his rounds at two o'clock their absence might be discov- ered ! The train was due in Cincinnati at six o'clock. This was the hour at which they were turned out of their cells, and of course their escape would be discovered. In a few mom.ents afier that it would be known all over the country. The train was running rapidly to make up the lost time. General Morgan said to Cap- tain Hines: "It is after six. If we go to the depot, we are dead men. Now or never." They then went to the rear and put on the brakes. Hines then jumped and fell heels over head in the mud. Another severe turn of the brakes, and General Morgan jumped. ' He was more successful, and lighted on his feet. There were some soldiers near, who remarked : "What do you riean by jumping off the cars here?" The General replied: "What is the use of my going into town when I live near here ? And besides, what business is it of yours?" They went immediately to the river and found a skiff, but no oars. Soon a little boy appeared, and seemed to be waiting. "What are you waiting for?" asked the General. "I am waiting for my load." "What is the price of your load?" "Two dol- lars." "Well, we are tired, and hungry. We will give you two dollars, and you can put us over." So over they went. The house of a friend was reached and a fine breakfast was obtained. IMoney and horses were furnished, a woman's prayers were be- stowed, and off they went, forward through Kentucky. Every- body vied with each other as to who should show them the most attention, even to the negroes. Young ladies of refinement even begged the honor of cooking their meals. General Morgan remained in Kentucky some days, feeling per- fectly safe and sending into Louisville for many little things that he needed,. He went to Bardstown and found that a Federal reg- iment had just arrived there looking for him. His escort, with lieroic self-sacrifice, refused to cross the river until "he was safely over. He then hired a negro to get his horse over. The river was high and the horse came near drowning, but after more than an hour's struggle with the stream he was pulled out so exhausted that he was scarcelv able to stand. 134 T^HE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. The Columbus (Ohio) Crisis had the following pleasant word to say about the raid : We received a letter Monday from Batavia, Ohio, giving some rather laughable accounts of Morgan's passage through that place. The great scare did not last long — nobody hurt : but a good many horses were taken by Morgan's men. Hobson's men, who were following Morgan, got the mail just in from Cincinnati and car- ried it off, but promised the ladies to return any letters for them, which was strictly complied with next day. One lady begged of them not to take her pony. They had the saddle on, but delivered it up. They said they did not come to disturb the ladies. Naturally the excitement was great in Ohio, and particularly in Columbus. All sorts of rumors were in circulation about col- lusion from penitentiary officials or persons from the outside. General Morgan's story is corroborated by Governor Tod, as the following letter will show : The State of Ohio, Executive Department, Columbus, Dec. ii, 1863. A^ Merioji^ Esq., Warden of Penitentiary. Dear Sir : Deeply chagrined and mortified as I was to hear of the escape of General Morgan and six other Confederate prison- ers, I am glad to know from the report of Messrs. Wright and Hoffman, just handed to me, that there is not the slightest evi- dence to be found of fraud and corruption on the part of the officers, either civil or military, in whose custody the prisoners were, nor on the part of any individual or citizen wii-hout or M'ithin the prison ; but that the sole reason for their escape is to be found in the misunderstanding of General Mason and your- self as to which of you should be responsible for, and have the care and inspection of, the prison cells. To avoid, a like occurrence, I have now to request that you take upon yourself the entire charge and responsibility of the safe- keeping of the prisoners. I have furnished Colonel Wallace, Com- niander of the Post, with a copy of this letter of instruction, and directed him to conform his actions thereto. Respectfully yours, (Signed)' David Tod, Governor. The announcement was made in the Columbus papers of De- cember 25, 1863, of the arrival at Camp Chase of Colonel Carter, late commander of the famous Black Horse Cavalry of Mrginia, that made the famous charge on the Union lines at the battle of Bull Run. "That redoubtable body of horsemen," said the Ohio State Journal, "which constituted the flower of Stuart's cavalrv THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON. 135 division, has been entirely used up. The Colonel Carter men- tioned was one who in the \"irginia Convention persistently op- posed secession." There arrived on May 13, 1863. a number of prisoners under charge of Lieutenant Thorpe, of a ^lichigan regiment, and a set of resolutions were presented by the prisoners iliat leave a bit of brightness on the usual somber canvas of the prison scene : On the Road to Camp Chase. Thinking as we do that justice should be done in all cases, we take this occasion to return our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Lieut. D. D. Thorpe for his kindness and gentlemanly treatment toward us. May he and the kind guards who accompanied him with us to Camp Chase continue to exercise their courtesies ! for they will find that humanity is a great comforter in this vale of tears. We hope to live and know that Lieutenant Thorpe shall wear an eagle on his shoulders. With kind regards. J. H. Triplett, J. IL Thomson, T- R- Bette- son, W. C. S. Wetmore, E. P. Smith, J. R. Smith, R. V. Hamilton, V/. T. Drodley, J. Kindall, J. Meneer, S. Everman, H. C. Molen, B. Braidy, T- Giboret, E. Murphv, T. Harrison, H. Rogers, S. Aikins, W. T. Armstrong, E. W.^Lyons, J. W. Aldudge, G. W. Marshall, T- T. Harwood,. J. Borris, W. Jones, D. C. Clark, G. Vessey, M. Mills, W. Kindell, L. Bianitt, C. H. Johnson, J. Henry, and twenty-five others. Mr. J. Edward Sims, a writer on the Press-Post, of Columbus. paid a visit not long since to Chattanooga, Tenn., and while there met Judge Cowart, famous for having been a member of the court of Hamilton County nearly ever since he was old enough. The Judge insists that he was but twelve years of age when he came to Camp Chase. It was on account of his youth, no doubt, that he fared so well. Learning that ]\Ir. Sims was from Colum- bus, Judge Cowart remarked that he knew something about Co- lumbus, or a place near there. He then told of his imprisonment at Camp Chase and of the only act that he was ever sorry for while in prison there. 'T was not in prison long," said the Judge, "until I fell into the good graces of a Union lieutenant, who treated me with great kindness. I was permitted many liberties, and was allowed to go across the road to the Four-Mile House to get water. One day a raw recruit who did not know about the freedom accorded me 136 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. was on guard, and, seeing me go out of the camp, began to curse me and threatened to shoot. Fearing that he might fulfill his threats, I hastened back, but swore vengeance. I laid in a good stock of b'^"/lders unperceived by the guards and waited for the raw recruit. In a short time he was on duty again, but this time on the wall, overlooking the prison. Being permitted to go out at will, by the orders of the lieutenant, I found an advantageous point for my stone battery. The* first fire was sufficient to put the guard out of duty. The stone struck him in the face, and he reeled and fell from the parapet. He was unconscious for some time. It is unnecessary to say that I beat a hasty retreat. I was not discovered. For several days quite a hunt was made ; but be- ing an innocent-appearing lad, I was never suspected." Not even to his brother, who was in prison at the same time, did young Cowart tell the story of the assault until they were exchanged and were entering Richmond. The Judge assured Mr. Sims thit his treatment by the lieutenant was all that could be desired. He was not only accorded unusual liberties, but his brother was well treated. In the fall of 1863 there was talk of removing the prison to some locality more healthful. If it was unhealthy for the prison- ers, it was equally so for the soldiers of the North, although their greater liberty was altogether in their favor. The Ohio State Journal of September i, 1863, says: "Whatever credit is due for the idea of removing Camp Chase from its present filthy location attaches to General Mason. At his instance the survey and ex- amination had been made and the estimate of cost sent to Wash- ington." Nothing came of the efifort, as. is well known, for the last Confederate prisoner to leave Columbus for his Southern home went from Camp Chase Prison. A story of conspiracy was published in the Ohio papers of November 2, 1863, that caused much excitement : It appears that for some time past the United States military and civil authorities have been engaged in ferreting out the exist- ence of a secret organization of the most treasonable nature. There have been in circulation various rumors relative to the treasonable design of certain persons who, it seems, were mem- bers of this organization; but nothing' definite was known upon the subject except to a few officials, who have been diligent in pursuit of evidence to fasten the guilt upon the parties concerned ; and this having been secured and other things being in readiness, THE YEARS CREPT SEOWLY OX. 137 tiie blow was struck yesterday morning. State School Commis- sioner C. \V. H. Cathcart, Nathan Cressup, who was a cutter in Child's clothing establishment, a man who gave his name as Slade, and Dr. Lazelle, a Rebel surgeon on parole, were all arrested yes- terday morning, and are now in charge of the proper authorities for safe-keeping. They are all charged with aiding and abetting" the rebellion by furnishing means and information to the enemy, and have been taken on a special train to Cincinnati. Slade is supposed to be a spy in the Rebel service, and has been arrested before on a similar charge ; and when he was taken yesterday- he boasted that he would get away, as he had done on previous occasions. He was in irons and was closely watched. Lazelle's arrest was made by the provost guard on the ground that he had broken his parole in addition to his complicity with the jther par- ties. Three more men have doubtless been arrested ere this, as the officers were in search of them last evening. In addition, sev- enteen men were also taken yesterday in Cincinnati on the same charge, and other arrests were to be made in several places. Another report was as follows : • An extraordinary case of treason has recently come to light, implicating several persons in this city, Columbus, Covington, and Newport in a conspiracy to release the Rebel prisoners at Camp Chase and overthrow the State government. The conspiracy was brought to light by United States de- tectives, who were supposed by the parties to be spies from the Rebel army and w^ere treated with full confidence. The plot as declared to the detectives was that an attack would be made on Camp Chase, the prisoners (three thousand five hundred in num- ber) released, and the arsenal at Columbus seized. It was also planned to take possession of the penitentiary, release John Mor- gan and other officers confined there, and then to commence a Rebel campaign in Ohio. United States IMarshal Sands and Provost Marshal Piany arrest- ed the persons implicated in the plot: Charles W. H. Cathcart, of Columbus, School Commissioner ; Mr. Cressup, of Columbus, and formerly a sutler in the Eighteenth Regulars, who were to lead the attack on Camp Chase; James D. Patton, of Covington, a regular agent of the Rebel government, who frequently fur- nished money to detectives under the impression that they were spies, and, according to agreement, met Carthcart and others at Camp Chase and assisted in maturing the plans for the attack ; Ruth McDonald, of Covington, who acted as mail carrier through the Rebel lines, and whose house was headquarters of the Rebels ; Samuel P. Thomas, a merchant tailor, of Cincinnati, his wife, and Catharine Parmenter, of Cincinnati, from whom information was obtained that an organization exists in Illinois, waiting for the 138 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. outbreak in Ohio to produce similar results in that State. Other particulars are known to the authorities, but not yet made public. The arrested parties were kept in prison a short time and ad- mitted to bail. While the report of the detectives was sensational and caused no little excitement in the State, there was nothing done in the matter and all were finally released. In 1865 there was a commission appointed by Governor Brough, of Ohio, to consider and allow claims for damages to citizens on account of the Morgan raid. The amount allowed came to $576,225. The sum asked for was $678,915. It was claimed that Morgan damaged the people of ( )hio to the amount of $493,372. The other damage came from United States and the militia forces that followed the ^lorgan command. The peace Democrats of Southern Ohio and Indiana welcomed General Morgan gladly in most cases, and did not fail to tell him that they were his true friends. The General, ever polite and gallant, smiled upon them, but did not hesitate to take the.r horses. The most rampant hater of secession did not fare worse than did these men who told their friendship. Some of the Gen- eral's men, more diplomatic than their leader, usually replied that if they were as friendly as they claimed they should willingly fur- nish a few horses. When the commission was appointed to pass upon the claims for damages, these men were promptly on hand with an itemized bill of the damages inflicted by the enemy. There appeared in the Northern papers of July 8, 1864, an item \n which three of General Morgan's men figured. The dispatch stated that a United, States steamer took to New York thirty-one prisoners captured on board the prize steamer Thistle, a vessel captured while attempting to run the blockade at Wilmington, N. C. The prisoners made claim that they were British subjects, and twenty-eight of them were discharged by Marshal Murray under instructions from the War Department relating to foreign subjects violating the blockade. The remaining three, whose names were James Crowders, Charles Drake, and J. D. Allison, were discovered to be Kentuckians, formerly prisoners at Camp Chase, wdio had escaped and made their way to Canada. They proceeded by way of Halifax to Nassau, and from there they sailed for Wilmington, N. C. These facts were elicited by the closest examination, for the prisoners possessed great shrewdness THE YEARS CREPT SLOWLY ON. 139 and ability. They were taken to Fort Lafayette, from where it was considered more difficult to escape than from Camp Chase. On May 18, 1865, the Columbus papers told about the depar- ture of hundreds of Confederate prisoners for their homes. Up to that time 538 were exchang^ed, or rather given transportation, after taking the oath of allegiance. From the ist of May to the 1 8th 1,870 prisoners had been discharged, and there were left about 3400. All of this number were anxiously awaiting their turns to go. with the exception of fourteen who refused to take the oath of allegiance. On June 20 there were less than fifty Confederate prisoners remaining in Camp Chase. All the others had returned to their homes in the South. When the last Southern soldier had left Camp Chase, there arrived forty-five men from Little Rock, Ark., bound for the C)hio penitentiary. The prisoners had been sentenced by court- martial for various offenses, none of which were political. They were charged with larceny, burglary, and assault with intent t^; kill. There were one Confederate captain, forty-two enlisted men, two citizens, and the guerrilla, Cyrus Chappel, who had been sentenced to be hanged, but whose sentence was commuted to ten years' imprisonment in the penitentiary. CHAPTER XIII. After Forty-Two Years. The Intercepted Letters Found in the Ohio State House by State Li- brarian Galbreath — Some of the Letters Photographed — Some Letters from Down South — List of Letters Not Used in This Volume — His- tory of \lrs. Clark, by Her Son, Frank P. Clark. When the work of preparing the history of Camp Chase was ahnost completed, A-Ir. C. B. Galbreath, State Librarian, was kind enough to send the following letter to the author : Columbus, Ohio, August 30, 1904. Dear Colonel Knauss. I am pleased to learn that you are having prepared a history of the Confederate prisons of Ohio. Permit me to invite your at- tention to a collection of manuscript letters in the State Library that may be of service to you. When the material of the library was classified and rearranged, these letters were discovered in a place where they had evidently lain unmolested for years in dust and obscurity. Upon examina- tion, most of them were found to have been written by Confed- erate prisoners at Camp Chase. They were transferred to our manuscript department, where they will be permanently pre- served. I do not know how the letters originally came into the posses- sion of the library. I have read only a few of them. In the hope that among them may be found something of interest to the numerous readers of your forthcoming volume, I take pleasure in offering you for reference use this manuscript collection. Verv trulv vours, State Librarian. That there are those living to-day who wrote some of these letters is presumed. The sons and daughters of many others are AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. H» doubtless living; and surely a letter so long buried in the mystery that surrounds these would be of rare interest. How they came to be put away in a sort of lumber room in the State House at Columbus, no one knows. One thing is certain : they were never kept from the South by orders of Governor Tod, who was a most humane man and who extended every courtesy to the prisoners possible. It is unwritten history in Ohio that he was defeated for nomination for a second term because of his humanity — not simply to the Southern prisoners, but to the boy in the ranks who by bravery earned promotion. Many rich and influential fam- ilies appealed in vain to Governor Tod to give commissions to their sons at the expense of the brave boys who had risked their lives on the battlefields. Interesting as these are, only a portion of them can be used. As will be observed, the letters not published were gone over and addresses given when it was possible to do so. This is done that any survivor of the prison not mentioned by letter, and whose "name appears in the list of unpublished letters, can write for a copy of same by giving the number of the letter. It is fitting, therefore, that the letters found after so many years be herein introduced. The first is from the gallant officer, so kindly alluded to by Colonel Barbier, Thomas J. Carruthers, Lieutenant of Heavy Artillery : Camp Chase, Prison No. 3, Columbus, Ohio, April 20, 1862. Rev. John K. Harrison. My Dear Friend : You may be surprised at hearing from me away up here, but the fortunes of war are varied. I am at least a prisoner of war — was surrendered at Island No. 10, of which surrender you have doubtless heard. I was sick, but am now much better. I was making my escape with seven or eight of our com- pany to a farmhouse. The whole command was surrendered the same night. I do not know what became of brother and the balance of the company. I would like much to hear from him. He may be here, as there are more of the Island No. 10 prisoners in the other prisons — there being three separate prisons, numbered i, 2, and 3. We had a terrible time of it on the island. I know you must have stirring times about Jackson. We get the papers in here every day. We fare very well — are well cared for, have plenty to eat and good houses to stay in. This prison contains three acres, inclosed with a high plank wall, on which the senti- 142 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. rsels walk. There are about eight hundred prisoners here. We are not permitted to go outside ; we can get anything we want, though. The people are kind and accommodating. Tell our friends we are not suffering. I should like to write you a long letter, but the rules forbid. Mrs. Clark, a sister of the Moons, of Memphis, will take this across the lines to Richmond. God bless you, my Christian friend ! Your friend, Thos. J. Carruthers, Lieutenant. In some of the letters severe criticisms upon the course pursued by General Mackall, the commander of Island No. 10, in regard to the surrender were ma^ie, and in others his course was defend- ed. Lieut. J. T. Menefee, of, the First Alabama Infantry, wrote: Camp Ch.\se, April 20, 1862. Dear Father: As you are aware, I am a prisoner of war. We endured much and suffered much, and I have been sick, quite sick ; given up to die with cramp colic ; but am still living, thank God ! I hope to be entirely well in a few days. Captain Rush and Lieutenant Listrunk are here with me. The company was sent to Chicago. We were not allowed to tell them good-by. This was attributable to hurry, and not in- humanity, on the part of our enemies. The separation occurred at New Madrid. We accomplished everything General Beaure- gard expected, and that was to hold in check a large column of the enemy. This we did for eight weeks. We are here without clothing except that upon our backs, and also without money to buy what we need. They feed us well, but sick men want something else besides what we draw. If there is any chance to get us gold, I wish you, B. Rush, and B. Campbell, who is Listrunk's friend, would ar- range with Hon. D. Clopton to do so. I send you herewith au- thority to draw sufficient to buy, say, fifty dollars in gold fpr me. Kiss my little boy and see that he is well trained. God bless the poor little motherless and now almost fatherless fellow ! Your son, J. T. Menefee. Camp Chase, April 21, 1862. Hon. David Clopton, Richmond, Va. I hereby authorize and empower you to make out my pay ac- count from the 31st of December, '61, to the ist of May, '62, and in my name draw the same from the Confederate States of America. AFTER FORrV-TlVO YEARS 143 This I hope you will do, as I need the money. Your kindness in this will add to the obligations I am always under. Respectfully, J. T. Menefee, First Lieutenant First Ala. Regt. Attest: C. C. Knowles, Lieutenant; J. W. Rush, Captain. Capt. Jackson, of the First Alabama, has a few words to say about the battle at Fort Donelson to the Hon. David Clopton, a Senator or Representative at Richmond : r, T-, -J r-i Ai Camp Chase, April 22, 1862. Hon. David Clopton. ' ^ Sir : I was surrendered with ninety-six men, all from Ala- bama, and we are now confined in prison for the want of general- ship upon our part. I am sorry to say that we were badly out- generaled at Fort Donelson. We have comfortable quarters and good rations, and we are very kindly treated. We all are in good health. I want you to write to my father, William Jackson, and tell him that I am well. Write to Erin, Ga., Pike County; also G. W. Jackson, the same address. And I want you to send me some money. When I was taken prisoner I had but little money; and now I have not one dollar; and if you will send me some, call upon William Jackson, Erin, Tallapoosa County, Ala., eighteen miles north of Dadeville, at Newsite ; or you can hold my wages in the army, which is now $500. I am sure we could get the money that way. This lady (Mrs. Clark) is doing all she can for our comfort. I wish you to do all you can to have us exchanged. My home is at Newsite, Tallapoosa. Examine the records at Richmond and you will find my company upon the records. I do not know whether you will ever get this, but I think Mrs. Clark will carry it to Richmond ; but you may be at home. Truly yoursl^ J. P. Jackson, Ccptahi. nr TT-n- t j CamP ChaSE, April 22, 1862. itir. Ivilltain Jackson. ^ ^ , i , My Dear Father: There is a kind lady by the name of Mrs. Clark going to Richmond from here, and I hope you may get my letter. I am sorry to say to you, father, that I am a prisoner of war, but proud that I am well and hearty and weigh more than you ever saw me. The disadvantage that I labor under is my clothes are all too small for me. We have good quarters and good rations and very kind treatment. I would like if you would go to Alabama and look after my family; and if they will go, I want you to move them to Georgid, as I can't tell when I will get home, but when I do get there I will have money to pay for all they consume. I think it best for mv familv to move to Georgia. 144 '^^^^ STORY OF C.nir CHASE. After three days' hard fighting at Donelson, we were compelled to surrender. I had only one man killed in my company. Our loss was great, and I never want to see another battlefield. It was fearful to me to look over the field and see the blood run from my fellow-man. I felt the wind of many a bullet, but fortunately escaped unhurt. We were in the heat of the battle, and my company bore the colors. I would write more, but I do not want to trouble Governor Tod to read so much, as he is kind enough to let us write. He is very much of a gentleman and very kind to us. May God bless you and family ! J. P. Jackson, Captain. Dear Wife : This is th ? first chance I have had to write you, and I don't know whether this will go through. I am well and liearty. so well that my clothes are getting too small for me. I think I shall weigh two hundred by the time I get home. The health of my company is good. W^e have plenty of good rations liere, and are well treated. I want you to attend to my business the best you can until I get home. I can't tell anything about when that may be. Rear our children for God and our country; and if I never see you any more, tell them to think well of their father. I think it would be the best thing to sell all my effects except the land and go to Georgia and live there until I get home. Do just as you think best. Kiss the children for me. J. P. Jackson, Captain. Prisoner of War. Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio. General Curncs. Dear Cousin : Knowing the uncertainty of the country mails in Dixieland, I address you, hoping you may communicate to my father's family the following intelligence: that I am a prisoner of war at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio; surrendered at Fort Don- elson. All the officers of our regiment are with me. The pri- vates were sent to Springfield, 111. All were well at the last account. Basnet Cracey is with them, and well. We enjoy pris- on life better than I expected ; our only uneasiness is in regard to our friends at home. I have written several letters home, but have received no assurance that any of them reached their des- tination. I want for nothing here and am enjoying excellent health. Have a prospect, through the influence of Kentucky friends, of a parole of honor, but I may not succeed. Please transmit the above to my father, and write me. . Yours. John G. Hall. AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 145 The following letter to a prisoner at Camp Chase is of interest, but the name of the prisoner is unknown, as the letter simply uses his Christian name. The envelope by some means was lost. The Dr. Hoge mentioned in the letter was an eminent divine, a man known far and near for his learning as well as his Christian graces. He was at that time pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Columbus. His death occurred in 1864: DoBBS Ferry, N. Y., July 25, 1862. Dear Robert : Some three weeks ago we heard that you had been wounded and taken prisoner at Shiloh. I wrote immediately to Chicago and to Louisville, but could hear nothing from you. This morning, in a letter by Wilson Bruce, I found that you are at Columbus, Ohio. I hope you were not seriously wounded and are now recovering. You should have written to us at once. To-day I write Dr. Hoge, of Columbus, to see you and do what he can to make you com- fortable. Write, if possible, by return mail and let us know par- ticularly how you are and if you are in need of anything we can supply. If you are capable of being moved and could be lib- erated on parole, come here, and we will gladly do all we can to make you well. We heard from Mobile, through Mr. Bargett, about a month ago. He and Mrs. Bargett left Mobile about the 13th of May to run the blockade. They were captured by a United States vessel and brought to New York. They were most kindly treated by the United States officers and were at once liberated. When the Bargetts left Mobile your father and mother were quite well. They do not know much about the children. All the women and children who could get away were sent from the city to th.e country. Your Aunt Sarah will close this note. Yours trulv. A\'. Meikle. Dear Robby : We were so sorry to hear you were w^ounded. C)ur great desire is to get you to our home to nurse you, if you can possibly be moved. We will send you the mone}- to bring you on, if you caa come. I thought of going to see General Scott, if be could do any- thing for you ; you know he was an old friend of your grand- father's, i do hope, Robby, you will keep up a good heart ; your mother's prayers, which are many, will surely be answered, and God will take care of you. I have but a few moments to send this to the post office. Your affectionate Aunt Sarah. 10 146 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Few letters of the many found in the lumber room at the Ohio Statehouse contain more genuine pathos than the one written by Lieut. P. L. Dotson to his wife in April, 1862. There is not a man in the North who may read this letter but will wish that the Lieutenant returned safely to this good wife, Mary, and "Lit- tle Bob." The swiftly flying years have left age marks on little Bob, if he be living, and it would afford no little pleasure to those who made this late reading of his father's letter possible if he should find it in this volume. From Lieut. P. L. Dotson, Company D, Twentieth Regiment, Mississippi Volunteers, Prisoner of War, to Mary W. Dotson, Brooksville, Miss. : Dear Wife: I take this opportunity to write to you. This leaves me well, and I hope it may find you well also. O, I want to see you so much ! I have thought that I wanted to see you be- fore, but I did not know anything about it. I hope I will see you and my sweet little Bob one of these days. Here the days seem as long as months, but if I were with you all would be right. I feel happy sometimes when I think I have done my duty ; but when I look around on my condition, and know that I am so far from you and little Bob my heart sinks. It is not so hard to be a prisoner, after all, for we get plenty to eat and are treated very well. O, I hope it will work out right, whether for our good or not. I think I will end my days with you, whom I prize dearer than my life. O, Mary, it sends a thrill of happiness to my soul to think I will be with you by and by! Be of good cheer; there is a better day coming. Although I am in prison, I have much fun. We play marbles and the boys fiddle and do anything to keep our spirits up, or do anything amusing, and so don't be un- easy. I think I will get home in July, and then I will stay with you for some time. I have been in camp and in a fight that lasted nearly a week, and now I am in Camp Chase ; and when I get out of this, I will return, I hope, to stay with you. I alway.s found in my Mary a kind and good wife ; and O, if I could be with you to-day and go to church with you ! It can't be happi- ness to you, sweet one, to go there and not see your own dear boy sitting in his own easy way close by you and little Bob. I trust this war will soon stop. I hope, Mary, I shall see you again; but it may be possible that I shall never hold my dear one in my arms again. I pray to the Being on high to protect you and little Bob. Mary, I have volumes to tell you, dear one, of the battlefield, but I can't tell it here, and you must be brave and stand it out. AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 147 Tell Bob to be a good little boy and mind his ma, and that his pa is thinking of him and his ma all the time. O, I never think of anything else ! I will close by saying : Teach him to love his pa and ma. Farewell ; may God be with you and protect you ! Kiss Bob for me. P. L. Dotson, In Chapter XI. the Journal mentions the name of Lieutenant Dotson as having arrived March i, 1862, with a number of others. Camp Chase, April 20, 1862. My Dear Merritt : You have doubtless heard of the surrender 01 our forces at Island No. 10, which included the B'irst Alabama. We all regretted this much, but we were surrendered, without knowledge or consent. Our boys stood up to the enemy like men and brave soldiers. We were drawn up in line of battle in sight of the enemy several times, and not one of them, I am glad to say, flinched in the least, but, on the contrary, were perfectly cool and determined. I was very proud of them, indeed, and love each one of them as a dear friend. After our surrender we were separated, the officers being sent here and the men to Chicago or Springfield. It was hard for me to part with them, and they seemed to feel it much ; but such is war. We are very well treated here, but are closely confined. We are anxious to get South. Some of the boys, T believe, made their escape. Lieutenants Hall and Tuttle are here, and are well. Your friend, I. F. Whitefiei.d. To Lieut. M. C. Pratt, Prattsville, Ala. Camp Chase Prison, April 21, 1862. Dear Beloved Wife: It is by the blessing of God that I am permitted to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am in reasonable health at this time, hoping these few lines may find you enjoying the same blessings when they come to hand. I have nothing of interest to write you, but many things to tell you, if we ever meet again, which I hope will be the case, and under betcer circumstances than the present. I can say that I was sadly dis- appointed in my treatment ; it has been far better than I expected. So far it is very good ; and there is but one thing I fear, and that is disease. We have some cases of smallpox in prison at this time. I hope that I may escape it. I hope that we may be permitted to spend some happy day:; together soon. I cannot tell at this time. If you ever see i-iie. you will find me the very same. For the present I close by signing myself your loving husband until death. With love, D. R. Fletcher. hS the story of camp chase. yT/ttyi-ci^i^ /i^^^i^L/if^ tJ^t.i^i^ ^ uM S^^M clZ^ Ccxyi-^ c^LfULc 'M^^^yt- l^^rdtfT^^t-^vco iZ.^^ J-ft^ S^Ot^'i»--y^ duf't^^ i'<^^*-n-<. "Z<^»M~^^ i-i-i, -^-^.-ei '*~t--p-J<»-'»^ ji* corr^,*i.^i^A~ '^irU^^^/:^ Co 'H.ixA^ y^'^^-u '-« <^C«7 {rUyCic^ t^a-y\^ aAZi) ^■Cifi. <^^i> A^.'^ (U^^ *it, -J^-ir-;^ f%^ iyl^-yf'tU. i,,0'^yCe!a ll,^yT,i,^,i/u Ol<: AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 149 (Fc^^y^v^ eZL^i^ yrz.,..^,^ ^3T. A-* ^>.-i.-v,i_ ^r<-d^^c>--C oy>- jLc/--CC'^^'i,xj J^uI^/p-o^ZC^'-r^ V- uth-c^ t:£jy^^e^<^ e.*uj m*a. /x*^ -f-t^-i:. &<^>-6 -t*' /vmX J'Wu ^-<.i^e-«>-t.<>*-'>-t.- «<.ty^'n^i,-t-t^ lyvcn '^/h.t..ayy-i>^ iyirxyyvyy /Lm-.v^ ^6/%^ >3-t,'t-<-c^ »/ 'lO'T-UA^ ■c^«->->-2, -t-Ki- ^i.-vT^ ^-c^vV^ 'Vnj-t^ -oii.^^ U/^u^ w^-^-UAj Jl'i.-->'tytyl^-^^A-' ;fct>-t^-<- j^^^^t_'-L-'»,'l_ i 130 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, April 21, 1862. W. S. Greary. Dear Sir: I write to let you know where and how I am. I am a prisoner of war ; was taken February 14. I was forwarded from Bowling Green to Louisville, but was kept several days with the army, to be exchanged ; and as there was no proposition made, I was sent forward from Louisville and on to this place. I have been treated with the greatest kindness while at Bowling Green. I was on parole and was quite a show to the Federals, for I was the first Rebel some of the officers had ever seen. When I was in my room, there was always a crowd of officers. When our prisoners are sick they are sent to the hospitals and are there well cared for, besides being visited by man's guardian angels- women. Give mv regards to the boys ; also to Hiram. Respectfully. S. W. Gassarvay. To W. S. Greary, Corinth, Miss. Camp Chase, Prison No. 3. Columbus, Ohio. My Dear Wife: I expect you are in a good deal of trouble about me. I want you to give yourself as little bother about me as possible, for we are treated as kindly as prisoners deserve. We have good shanties, furnished with good cook stoves, and have plenty of good, wholesome food to eat. The only thing that is bad is liberty. We can't go home or anywhere else farther than our prison bounds. I want you to do the best you can until I come home; I can't tell when that will be. E. H. Stewart is with me; let his wife know that he is well. J. G. Hall was left at Madrid Bend, and Vve have heard nothing from him since the privates were sent to Chicago. All the officers of the Eleventh Arkansas Regiment are here and a great many from Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. I do not know the number. Write to me. Yours ever until death, J. M. Sanders. To Mrs. J. M. Sanders, Rock fort. Ark. Camp Chase, April 21. My Dear Wife : If you received my letter from Island No. 10, you are not surprised to learn that I am a prisoner of war. We have comfortable quarters, plenty of everything to eat, and are kindly treated. My health is very good. I bear my lot with for- titude, and my only trouble is on your account. Be of good cheer, my dear wife. Write short letters and nothing contraband, or they will not be permitted to come. May God bless and protect you and my dear children ! Your faithful husband, A. J. Evans. To Mrs. Augusta Evans. Okolona. Chickasaw Co., Miss. AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 151 Camp Chase Prison, Mess 3, April 21, 1862. Ho}h Landon C. Haynes, U. S. Senator, Richmond. Dear Sir : I am a prisoner of war in Camp Chase. I am a first lieutenant in the Fiftieth Tennessee Regiment, surrendered at Fort Donelson. I am feeble in health, and am very anxious to be exchanged. By the bearer of this I have written to Colonel Wigfall, United States Senator from Texas, asking his influence in carrying out a plan for my exchange. I imagine the most expeditious way to effect an exchange is to select an officer of my rank, who is a prisoner in the South, and release him on parole to visit Wash- ington and have me released, or, in case he failed in that, to return to his status in prison. Knowing that the Confederate government has such a prisoner, by the name of Lieutenant Riley, of the Forty-Seventh New York, I have selected him as a suitable man to have exchanged for me. I feel the more confidence in asking your influence from the fact that you are well acquainted with my brother-in-law, Frank E. Williams, of Rush, Tex., formerly of East Tennessee ; and also from a fact (which, perhaps, you are not aware of) that I was the first man to suggest through the public prints your name as a suitable man for Confederate Senator. Can I hope that you will cooperate with General Wigfall in procuring my release ? Hoping through your influence to soon be beneath the skies of Dixie, I remain, my dear sir, very respectfully yours, John Ward. Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, May 31, 1862. Mr. Valentine IViss. My Dear Sir : Sometime ago I asked Colonel Gantt where his men were sent. He could not tell me, but presumed Chicago. I wrote you anyway, and directed it there, and, having received no reply, concluded that the letter never reached you. I have made various inquiries, but could never hear a word from Wiss. Why is it that you and Dr. Green could not write to me? H you don't, I will take all the sewing from you I can and do other little underhanded tricks, and of course my influence will seriously damage the bugler's future chances. In view of these threats, I think you will readily see it will be greatly to your in- terest to write. Tell Jerry if he doesn't write I will do all I can when I go home to injure his very flattering prospects on Haley's Creek. From accounts, you have all heard from old Hickman oftener than we did. Be sure to write me on receipt of this. All are well here. Your friend, John F. Gray. 152 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, April 21, 1862. Dear Sister: I was taken prisoner at Island No. 10 the 8th instant. We remamed there one night and left on boat for Cairo; from that place to this by rail. My health is good. We have better quarters and better treatment than a great many in your section of the country would suppose. We live in plank houses, and have the same amount of provisions and clothing that Federal soldiers do. We have free access to about six acres of land. Yours, J. M. Wall. To Mrs. EvaJina Jones, Tickfaw Station, Livingston Parish, La. Camp Chase Prison, April 20, 1862. My Dear Sister: As Mrs. Moon has a permit to visit Virginia, she has kindly offered to take letters along with her. My health has been very good since I have been a prisoner. I have been confined in rather a small prison, but now we have a larger one and I have more fresh air. I am engaged in making rings of but- tons. I set them with pearl sets, which I sell and get money to buy different things with. I can't tell you when I will be home, but trust in God I will see you sometime. Give my regards to all inquiring friends. I remain, your loving brother, W. H. Miller. Miss E. Miller, Luray, Va. Camp Chase, April 22, 1862. My Precious Wife : To reheve your anxiety, if possible, I shall try to give you as accurate an account of my past as the cpace will permit and tell you how I am situated at present. While at Madrid and Lsland No. 10 we suffered severely day and night for eight weeks, or nearly so. Rain, snow, sleet, ditching, marching, watching — in a single word, soldiering — used us up. For ten days we all thought our doom was sealed either to surrender or be slaughtered at any hour. We were surrendered on the 8th. My health had become good, and I was present at the surrender, commanding my men to stack arms with a sad heart. The men were separated from us the same day, and I have not seen them since. They were sent either to Chicago or Springfield. The officers of the line and the staff were all sent here and the field officers to Fort Warren. Now, my dear, I want you to be cheerful, for my health is good, except a cold, which I hope soon to be rid of, and the treatment we all receive is very courteous and kind. Indeed, so clever are they that I am much astonished. To be a prisoner of war is not such a very bad thing, were it not for the absence from AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 153 loved ones and duty. We are in good houses, cook on stoves, and have plenty of wood, water, and wholesome food. When you hear of barbarity, cruelty, and the like, just say it Is all false. I have not seen the least bit of it, and don't believe it is ')racticed anywhere. My roommates are Lieutenants Alenefee and Listrunk, with ten others, officers of the First Alabama Regiment. Captain Lacke, Captain Sullins, of Tuskegee, Lieutenants Andrews and Riley, of Pike County, Lieutenant Gilland and Captain Ramsey, of Wilcox, are among them. I found my old schoolmate, Dick Hall, of Autaugo, who is here, and Lieutenant Knowles, of j\Ia- c<-Mi County. I met here a cousin whom I had never seen before — Captain Mooney, of Arkansas. You see how strange are the fortunes of war. We are like brothers and enjoy ourselves as well as we can, but are restive, of course, when we think of home. Everything I had w as lost except the clothes upon my body at the time, and I have not a cent of current money. If Ben can make arrangements to send me some, I will be very much obliged. Indeed, I will. We are all as poor as church mice. If the friends of all our men should send money, some good men could be selected who would be allowed to bring it to us. From James Dcclcr to Sarah A. C. Dcelcr. Kosciusko, Miss. Camp Chase, Ohio, April 25, 1862. Dear W^ife and Little Daughter : I write to tell you that I am getting along tolerably well since I was captured at Fort Donelson. Sally, I do want to see you and little Mary very much. The time seems long since I last saw you. I do hope and trust this difficulty will soon be settled, for I am weary of it. The offi- cers and the privates are separated, and I have not seen any of the company since the 25th of February. I got a letter from Gus sometime ago. and they were all tolerably well. Some of the boys are dead. A. D. Roberts has been sick, but is getting better. I do hope I will get to see you before long. Your affectionate husband until death. Dear Father, Mother, and Sisters : I inclose my letter to }ou, father, and I want you to take care of what I have, and take good care of Sally and little Mary until I come home. Father, try to get me exchanged, for no man wants to stay in prison. W^e are well cared for here; the confinement is what I object to most. We have not room enough to exercise, but we are very well treated. I am lighter in weight than ever you saw me since I grew up. Your son. James Deeler. From James Deeler to Sarah A. C. Deeler, Kosciusko, Miss. '54 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. ~V>y7^.^ ^^-r-ir~V u^u^ J/ 6?>z..^ '^r-'^-^ /^-^^^ . o^ "t-i-^-^-^-^ '^^^--trx-^^ o—xrcyC^ AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 55 .^ /^ y^J^ c/^^i-T^ ^i-^y-Ly^ ^^^..Ax.— - a^^^^ a^r^^-^ -^W-v^ ^. 156 THE STORY OF CAMP' CHASE. Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, April 20, 1862. Dear Jane : I have written you fully all the particulars in re- gard to our surrender at Island 10 on the 8th instant. Fifty- three of my company were included in the surrender, a list of which I herewith inclose. Have it published in the Herald [The list of names mentioned appears in the back of this history. — x\u- TiioR.]. that all our friends may see it. All the officers- were sep- arated from their companies at New Madrid. My boy was well when I left him. He will be sent to Chicago or Springfield, 111. You must not take this misfortune of mine too much to heart; many others are in the same condition. Besides, I am happy to say that we have nothing to complain of in regard to the treat- ment. We are quartered in houses, with everything furnished us that we could ask for. Were it not for the fact that we are prisoners of war and confined to the camp, we would feel quite easy. \ make myself satisfied, and bear my imprisonment with as much patience as possible under the circumstances. All I fear at all is sickness. I hope and pray that we may be exchanged before the sickly season of the year. My health at present is very good, and all the mess, composed >of Captains Moss and Mather, are well. The greatest inconvenience I find is having no money that I can use. Confederate bonds are not used at all. I think I shall be home soon. Should any one come from Arkansas to bring us money, be sure to send me some gold. My sword, is still at the Washer House, Memphis. My trunk was left on a boat in the hands of Mr. McDonald. I presume he will send Conden to get my sword and trunk. Keep them until I am released. F suggest that you remain at father's until I get back ; but do as you think best. Kiss the children for me and tell them where I am. I will have plenty of money to meet any arrangement you make. Re- member me to all our friends and relations. When you write me, direct your letter to Capt. L. Logan, Prisoner of W'ar, Camp Chase, via Fortress Monroe. I send a stamp to pay postage this side of the line. Yours forever, J. L. Logan. List of Captain Logan's Company surrendered at Island No. 10 April 8, 1863 : J. L. Logan, Captain ; F. T. Scott, E. C. Lockhart, 1. K. Whitfield, G. W. Elleatt, I. T. Webb, W. F. Mack, E. H. AIcLaughtin, J. W. Granger, E. C. Alford, J. E. Basten, J. \\ . Bussell, FI. L. Brazil, Peter Connelly, C. A. Conine, G. W. Ca- they, J. A. Cogan, H. C. Davis, W. H. Water, J. A. Emerson, D. L. Davis, E. S. Greeney, E. A. Wane, E. B. Whitfield, E. C. Haddox, J. B. Halison, I. Wardin, W. Jackson, J. H. Lang. AFTER FORTY-TWO YEARS. 157 J. E Side. L. O. Meyers, W. M. Mitchell, J. M. Malone, A. J. Mims, J. A. Price, A. H. Patton, R. R. Sheltoii, John Jones, Joe Schaeffer, T. I. Snllivant, J. Sloan, R. J. Turner, J. F. Todd, j. I. Todd. G. W. Taylor, A. M. Webb. Camp Chase, April 28, 1862. My Dear Parents: I wrote you the other day; but as Mrs. Moon [Note: The Mrs. Moon mentioned was Mrs. Clark, whose family name was Moon. — Author.] has kindly ofifered to take letters from prisoners to Virginia, I have taken the opportunity, hoping- you may hear from me again. I have written you so often, and not hearing from you, that it is almost enough to dis- courage one from writing; but, according to the old adage, "no news is good news." I will hope for the best. Mrs. Moon is a native of Virginia, and has a permit to visit there ; on what busi- ness, I cannot say. There are some ladies here that are very kind to us. Mrs. ]Moon, wife of a preacher, and Mrs. Thurman have visited the hospital that contains our sick and given comfort to our prisoners. There were sixteen who came when I did, and there are only four now. One of them, poor fello\v, I am afraid, will never be well again ; he has consumption. He was captured with a man named John Bruly, of Arkansas. The little boy that was with us we left at Bearly. Perhaps they will make a pet of him. Of the sixteen, four died and the rest have been sent home. They were all citizens except five, and one of them died. I haven't much to say except for you to remember me in your prayers, and, next to ourselves, to remember our country ; and may God bless you ! Yours forever, J. Hexney. Miss E. H. FusscU. Camp Chase, April 18, 1862. Dear Cousin : I write to let you know that I am still in the land of the living. I am enjoying fine health here. If I could just hear from home! Since the 15th of December I have not heard one word. I have written several letters, but it must be that they never got them. The mail facilities are very bad in tliis country now. Cousin, if you get any chance, please write to me. Tell ma I am in better health than ever I was in my life. Give my best respects to all inquiring friends, and accept for yourself the assur- ance that I am, as ever, your devoted cousin, W. W. Hughes. To Miss E. Fnssell, Columbia, Tenn. 158 THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, April 15, 1862. My Dear Father: The last time I wrote to sister I told her that in a few days we would be slaughtered or captured. My ex- pectations are fully realized. On the 8th we were surrendered and on the 13th placed in Prison No. 3, Camp Chase. I lost everything except the clothing on my body at the time of the surrender. The Feds have treated us very kindly, and I think will supply our wardrobes with at least a change of garments. They have been doing this. My money is worthless here, but I am very healthy and my spirits cheerful, as they should be. We have plenty of good food and comfortable cabins ; nothing to complain of except our con- finement. This is a matter of course. Tell Ollie not to grieve. I know her heart is bowed down with sorrow and she at times is very sad. She cannot come to me, or I would make application for it. Tell her to stay wherever she wishes. I have no idea how long we will remain here or be confined as prisoners. If you can do anything to get me out. I wish you would do so. The ofticer in charge of us is Colonel Moody, a preacher. Per- haps you know him. I wish to form his acquaintance, if he will permit. We will have preaching on Sunday. I will preach my- self, if they cannot be served better. My heart is right, my faith strong. My love to all. Yours, W. Rush. P. S. — April 19. I am suffering with a cold, but not much. ]f you can make any arrangements to have me some money sent, 1 will be a thousand times obliged, for really I have nothing. Only officers are here ; the privates all were sent to Chicago or to Springfield, 111. There are about eighteen hundred of us here. All wxll treated and in pretty good spirits. I wish we could get out and go home. May God bless you and mother and all ! My dear wife and children are in my thoughts all the time. God be merciful tf^ them! I enjoy thinking of you here. Pray for me. Yours. W, Rush. Camp Chase, Ohio, April 23, 1862. Colonel Trigg. Sir: Having learned .the object of your visit to this prison and the terms on which you think we prisoners of war can be released. I desire to say that, as Tennessee is my home, I am willing to return my loyalty to the State of Tennessee, and further I am not willing to do. These are the terms I am willing to abide by. Respectfully, William W. P>rickeen. AFTER FORTY-TIVG YEARS. 159 Camp Chase, April 20, 1862. Dear Brother and Sister : I am well at the present time and just getting over the effects of my wound. I was sent from Clarksville March 20, thence to Cincinnati ; stayed in the hos- pital there until the i8th of April and then hrought to this place. There are about five acres inside the walls of this prison, and we are pretty comfortably fixed here, and yet I do not like it at all. I shall have to put up with it anyhow. I have received a letter from Sandford's folks. They are all well but Irene, and she is poorly. I send my love to you all and ;'ll who may inquire. From your affectionate brother, J. P. Yates. Hope for better days. Kiss the children for me. [The letter did not give the regiment or the rank of the writer. It was addressed to D. A. Yates, Esq., New Orleans, La.] Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, April 21, 1862, Dear Wife: You have heard before this that our regiment, with others, was surrendered on the 8th of April as prisoners of war by General Mackall. The circumstances I can't give you. Suffice it to say, we were completely surrounded by overwhelm- ing numbers and forced, to succumb. The officers were brought here and the privates sent to Chicago and Springfield, 111. I have not seen Jim Niles since I left home. We have an abundance of everything and are kindly treated. I am not nearly so exposed as when in camp. May God Almighty shield and protect you from all harm and aid and comfort you in this dark hour ! I would write more, but I am limited. Kiss my dear boys and train them to love and remember their pa. God bless you and the children ! Yours ever, W. Smith. To Mrs. IV. E. Smith. Oaktuppa, Ala. Camp Chase, Columhus; Ohio, April 22, 1862. Mr. J. C. Durham. Dear Cousin : I drop you a few lines, but I don't know whether they will reach you or not. This leaves me in good health. I will write to my wife to-day, and will direct it to West Point; and if she is not there, I hope you will forward it to her. I am in prison four miles west of Columbus, Ohio. I cannot tell you when I will see you, but I hope I will some- time. I can't write much. Our food is very good, better than I expected. O, but we think this life is a hard one, and wc hope for better days. J. Z. Durham.- Mr. J. C. Durham, West Point, Ga. i6o THE SrORY OF CAMP CHASE. \_y Hie lyt -rr-c ^>-i £ *«-• Ze Cc<^ ^C-^^ ,-*^ /