'^^ '^^ i<^-^. ^t. , ;:5^- ^^0^ :^? -:• / "^^ • ^°-^. »:^-; .^-^"^ --^^p; ^^°^t '"<^,v c'^ * Z-Ullik^ • "-^ «<-'^ <^. 'o, , * ,0^ ('*'/n/.ssft/t/ y^-MOn- i.vM^^f.i/r,3. Expl.iiialions 5 inCIIi=!C3[=lCIi[3 S RAbel Ccanf) 1 fi t::; i_i LJ LJ !_) i_i (_i 1 Ig. '-^ c^ m r-i m n r-. Comissaiy ' Dr,,c^ Bsi :zj C3 cr; en c] CD CD ^^^-f^f-pot ^ ^U-/? S/frAr/zf/rs ri't- f/e'/f ji rf . X. a. Xoit/i Onff c/'Pnsrii. X ^« .Sr'//M />«/<- r^/'ri.tf/, . S.flf'. Si'M- frn'/ftic////■{ /frrs. H.S. Hifn\I/(i. 0s: • • S/Jil^lZ/.-i. S Sr/tf/1/ f/' Pri sfi/t Sff/rAriri^. .Y I^tm^^r/ ettiry>ifr?rA\'i. i::^ xn !n en ^n Show\n^ plan of Fortifications sooiiafter (ien. Sloiieinaii's Cavaliy raid upon Maron, ~^ Au4iisl,1804'. FDT JTiT K KN MONT ITS rv SOUTHERN PRISONS NAKRATIVK OK TlfK TKKATMKNT OK FKDKRAL I'KIHO.VKKH OF WAR I.V TJfi; UKJJKIi MlhlTARV IMIIHONH OF RIOMMOXD, DANVILLK. ANDKRHONVILLK, BAVANNAIf, AND MILLKN; DKHCRIBIXO Tin-; aijthor'h khcapk wirir two comradkh, from ANDKRSONVlI-fiK AM) TlfK 151.001) UOCNDH; HIS ADVKNTiniKH DVAllSQ A FOCRTEKX NIGHTS' MA RCH IN THK HWA MI'S OF WKSTKRN UKOR- (;fA, AND HIS HURSKQUKNT RK-CAI'- TURK; TO WHICH IS ADDKD A LAROK I/IST OF THOSK WHO HAVIO DIKD IN VARIOUS PRISONS IN THF<: CONFKDERACY, / P>^ IT. IVI. T)A.V^TI3ROTs[, Member Battery A., 1st O. V. L. A. M I L W A U K E K : DAILY WlHCtJN'HIN I'UINTING HOUaE. 18f55. R.t\-A. ^ ^^,' INDKX. CHAPTER I. PAGE. Chickamauga liaUlc, 9 Hospital, 15 In tlie Enemy's hands, 17 Tlie Wounded, IS Want^f Water, 20 J'aroling Hospital Attendants, 21 The Field, seven days after Battle, 24 Arrival of United States Ambulances, with supplies for the wounded 27 I'arollng the wounded, previous to passing through Federal lines, 2S CHAPTER II. March to Oliickamauga Station, ol 'I'unnel Hill, 32 I)alto)i, oo llesacca and Fortifications, -^-l Tics and Cakes, 84 .Marietta, 35 Arrival at Atlanta, 30 Tri p to Augusta, 39 Ijranchvillo, 42 Ualeigh, 4^ Ifidmiond, '• • ■ 44 CHAPTER III. Smith Prison, 47 I'cmberton 48 Scott, . . .43 Libhy, 49 Prison Fare, •'>^ Incidents, ^7 Newspaper Gossip, 6'J Removal to Danville, CI CHAPTER IV. Danville, CG Prisons Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and C, C6 Writing lettertj home, .^ 74 IV INDEX. * PACK. Occupation of time ''^'^ Small Pox, "0 Uoceipt of Uations anil Clothing, by flag of truce, "T How appropriated and issued, T9 Hospital, SI Kxprcss boxes, S3 Tunneling S > Handicraft, »l Incidents, '^-^ Newspaper reports f^S Kxchange, ^"^'l Hemoval to G corgia. 1'-'- C H A P T E K Y . Andcrsonville Trison. 109 Api)earance of the Trisoners juid the Pen, Ill The First Night. US The Morning; 120 Koll-Call, I'-'l Rations, 123 Cooking Utensils, l'-4 Wood and Axes l'-5 Belle Islanders, l"iS Prisoners from CahaAvba and Plymouth 131 CHAPTER VI. Enlargement of the Stockade, 137 The Camp at Daylight, 141 Shelters, 142 Cooking, 14S Appearance of the Prisoners 150 Koll-Call, l.>3 Sick-Call, 155 Market, 157 The Sutler IW Smugglers, 101 Manufacturers, 102 Gamblers, 103 Water, 104 Fortifying, 105 Raiders, 108 Six men hung. 170 Police, 170 Petitions, 170 Writing letters, 178 lleceiving Express boxes, 1 78 Incidents, ISO INDEX. V CHAPTER VII. . PAGE. ItatioriH, 1S5 Cook-lIou8C'8, 1S6 I^HcapcH, 10" I'uniHhmentS; 19T ll'Miioval of IloHpitals, 200 Hick-Call, 201 IIoKpitala, 21S TIic Dead, 22S The IJuriul, 283 Ooncral Winder, 23;') Capt. AVifz, 2^37 (JlIAPTEIi VIII. Allartta taken by Shcnnan, 241 Order of Gen. Winder that 20,000 prisoners are to be exchanged, 242 Tlio Author e.scape8 with two comrades, 244 Avoiding the IJogH, , 241) Kiicounter Hood's Scouto, 291 ilair-brcadth Escapes; 292 In the midst of Hood's Army, 297 Hurroundfd and re-captui-ed, 301 ClIAPTEll IX. Ucbel HcadfiuarterK 807 Opeliki, 311 ("olumbus, 314 rian of Escape detected, 316 AnilerHonvillc n;,'ain, 319 Havaimali, 821 h^ljccial Exchange of 10,000 sick, 325 llemoval to Millen, 327 The Prison Ten, 32S llecruiting among the Prisoners, 334 I''re<' , 337 CHAPTER X. I'aroleil, y41 Rebel Truce Boats 348 On IJoard Ship, 344 Homeward Bound, 345 iXorthcrn Soil, 846 J''urIoughcd, 347 Vi'iws of the Prisoners, 34S Tables, 357 Conclusion, GCS Ai)i)endi\, 363 PREFACE. During my captivity in tlie South, it was a settled conviction among tlie prisoners, tliat if tlie Nortliern people w^ere apprised of the condition in whicli wc were placed, they would not cease to employ the most strenuous efforts to induce the Gov- ernment to adopt measures whereby our terrible sufferings might be alleviated ; and wc pledged ourselves to each other, if any of our number should ever make his way to the North, to d(T all in his power to spread abroad a knowledge of our treatment, and arouse the sympathies of our friends to action in our behalf. Upon my arrival at my home, by special exchange, in De- cember, 1804, the following narrative was begun, in fulfillment of this pledge, with a view to its publication early in March following. Illustrations were to be furnished by a comrade who returned with me, and who, being an excellent artist, had sketched many scenes of prison life, and the work was to be printed by another comrade, who was a practical printer. Be- fore the work was ready, wc were separated, — the artist con- fined to his bed in New York, the printer at home in Michigan, and myself ordered to duty at the front, and consequently unable to attend to the passage of my book through the press ; while the sudden close of the war, by releasing the prisoners has made it no longer of value for the purpose for which it was originally designed. A picture of the cruelties which the rebel leaders practiced, to gratify their private vengeance, when they felt themselves baffled in their attempt to cut loose from legiti- mate authority, and set at defiance the laws they had sworn to obey, may not be entirely devoid of usefulness ; and the hope that a perusal of this book will awalien, in the mind of the reader, a deeper abhorrence of a rebellion, whose origin was in selfish ambition, and whose pretext was a stupendous lie, — is my apology for presenting it to the public at this time. The work contains but one illustration — a ground plan of Andersonville, which is correct) except, it may be, In some o Vlll niEFACE. the greater distances. I n,m not insensible to the fact, that cor- rect drawings add much to the interest of a narrative of this character ; but, as I could procure no other than fancy sketch- es. I abandoned the item of cuts altogether. It has been my design, in this work, to show that the treat- ment of Federal prisoners was the result of a deep laid plan to murder them by starvation, or at least to reduce them to such a point ol weakness anddisease as to prevent their ever again performing active service in the field. How far this may appear to be the case, I leave for the candid reader to judge. In the five difi'erent prisons in which I was incarcerated, the treatment was on the same general scheme, and difl\3red only in the de- tails — these beiug left to the several commanders of prison interiors. I have endeavored to tell my tale as it appeared to us in prison, to add nothing for the sake of embellishment — to keep back nothing that would operate in favor ot the men in charge of us. All the statements arc the result of personal observation, except a few, which have been referred to their proper author- ities. For their truth I pledge my veracity. The Chapter devo- ted to my escape was inserted, because the difficulties and dangers I encountered do not differ materially from those which beset others who made similar attempts. / To paint the terrible sutferings of the starving, writhiug, dying mass of human beings, confined in those narrow prisons, is be- 3'ond the power of language ; a shadow only can be given in place of the dreadful reality. But if my pen shall have awak" ened one feeling of abhorrence against, or shall have quickened one pulse to a deeper hatred of a Rebellion that could sanction such barbarities against helpless prisoners ; if I have added one leaf to the laurel wreath, woven for the brave and martyred men, whose sublime fortitude and steadfast love of country and right, enabled them to endure these inhuman tortures without a murmur or complaint, and whose only regret was that they could die but once in the holy cause, my task will not have been in vain. H. M. DxWIDSON, Battery A., 1st Reg. O. V. L. A. Gallatin, Tenx., June, 1805. FOURTEEN MONTHS JX SOUTHERN PRISONS. CHAPTER I. Chickamauga Battle— Hospital— In the Eaemy's Hands— The Woun- ded—Paroling Hospital Attendants— Want of Water, Bandages and Medicines— The Field Seven Days after the Battle— Arrival of United States Ambulances with Supplies for the Wounded— Pa- roling the Wounded previous to their passing through the Federal Lines. . The marches and countermarches of the 20th army corps, Army of the Cumberland, under Gen. McCook, over Lookout Mountain, previous to the great battle of Chickamauga, will long be remembered by the sur- vivors 6f the old " Second Division," commanded by Gen. Johnson. Three times was this division march- ed over this steep and rocky range, and the united strength of twelve horses was necessary to move one of our field pieces over the mountains. At a very late 2 10 FOFETEEN MONTHS hour oil Thursday evenmg, September 17th, 1863, after having made a forced march from early m.orning, with the exhausted horses dropping down in harness, we were formed in line of battle near Chickamauga Creek* When daylight appeared on the following morn- ing, the roads and fields showed evidences of a large body of troops in motion. ISTews of the evacuation of the stronghold of Chattanooga, by the rebels, had just reached us ; and up to that time the belief pre- vailed that there would be no general battle at this point. The batteries, however, were picketed on the chief roads, to guard against surprise, as well as to prevent any advantage to the enemy, in case of sud- den attack. But the day wore away so quietly that our previous impressions that there would be no gen- eral fight, seemed confirmed. Before sunrise on Saturday, the 19th, orders were received Vvdiich gave us notice to be ready to niove in fifteen minutes. The division was immediately in motion, and swinging around to the left, found itself on a good road, en route for Chattanooga. Crawfish Springs were soon reached, and it was while halting liere for rest and water, that the roaring of cannon in the distance announced to the soldier that he had not been summoned there for nought. Thus far the glorious success of the Army of the IN SOUTHERN PlilHONS. 11 Cumberland, under " Rosey," all the way IVom Xasli- ville to this point, had won the admiration of every man in the ranks. lie had led them into the very lieart of rebeldom ; had confronted, attacked, and routed Bragg on his chosen ground at Murfreesboro ; had driven the rebel army three hundred miles in their own country, and had maintained his communi- cations over this long distance, intact. We had made one grand, triumphal march through the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, building bridges, and re- pairing railroads, so that the iron horse, with liis long train of supplies, might keep pace with us as we ad- vanced. Every true soldier, therefore, felt that the Army of the Cumberland, under its gallant leader was capable of marching any where it might please, in the Confederacy, and of routing any force which might be sent against it. Inspired by such confidence in its leader, and Avith such reliance upon itself, the booming of the distant guns, approaching nearer and nearer, brought no terror to our ranks ; and as the sun approached its meridian, the near sound of can- non and the sharjD rattle of musketry, told us that the tide of blood was rolling rapidly toward us. From a gentle knoll upon which we stood, the smoke and dust of the conflict might be distinctly seen, rising in billowy volumes, as if to shut out the fearful spectacle fvonx the eye of Heaven. 12 t'OtTHTEEN M0:N^THS Gen. Rosecrans and his staff hurried past us on their fleet chargers, straight forward to the scene of action, where, as it proved, his presence was most needed. It was just at this tinie, near ten o'clock in the morning, that the column filed off to the right of the road and hurried on to the rescue. The scream- ing shells passed over our heads, madly slashing through the tree toj)s, severing the largest limbs from their trunks, with the apparent ease of a thunderbolt ; or taking a lower flight, dashed through the ranks, mowing down whole columns of men in then* deadly career. In all directions men were lying with their limbs crushed and scattered, their bodies still warm and quiA^ering. The scene was too horrible for de- scription. Our position was soon taken. Goodspeed's Bat- tery, (Bat. A, 1st Ohio Light Artillery,) of which I am a member, held the center of the artillery of the Division. We had been transferred to the left of the whole line of battle, away from our usual position, which was on the extreme right. The afternoon was spent in firing leisurely at the enemy massed in our front, concealed by heavy timber, behind which they were apparently maneuvering around us in three fourths of a circle ; and though they seemed mad- dened with desperation, and resolved to crush our line, by rolling in great waves upon one point at a IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 13 time, yet with equal valor and determination, our forces met them, and with the point of the bayonet, pushed them back, inch by inch, over their chosen ground, during the whole of that dreadful afternoon. Among the trophies of our own Brigade, were five pieces of artillery and four caissons, which the Bat- tery had the satisfaction of drawing off the field, un- der a terrific shower of bullets. At about eight o'clock in the evening, the enemy charged our line in front, advancing with their tremendous whoop, and deliv- ering such a terrible and deadly fire, that for a mo- ment the Avhole line trembled and reeled, and seemed about to be thrown into complete disorder, when Goodspeed's and Simonson's batteries swept the field with well aimed shell and cannister, causing the foe to fall back hastily and in total route. Early in the evening the division was relieved and passed back to the rear of the reserve line, where, with fence rails for our pillows, and the ground for our beds, we passed the remainder of the night, as best we could ; and there was not a man of the com- mand that did not realise fully the fearful res23onsi- bilities of the next terrible day, aS we lay in our posi- tion waiting the appearance of dawn. The reflection that if upon the morrow the enemy were successful, we should be driven back, broken and demoralized, to wander over three hundred miles of a hostile coun- 14 FOUKTEEX MO:S'THS ti-v, and subjected to :dl the tortures of sturvation, cold and thirst, oi- be captured, to pass the weary months in rebel prisons, did more to nerve us for the C'jming crasli of arms, than tJie presence of our officers or the glory of a lioped-for victory. At early dawn on Sunday, the 20tli of September, the whole line was astir. Entire trees were carried on the shoulders of the men to construct a line of teni]x»r;iry breast works, in anticij)ation of an attack at that point. These anticipations were soon realized, for before the works had reached completion, a rebel force, outnmnbering ours two to one, massed in their front, prepared to carry them at the point of the bay- onet. Successive charges made by them were re- pulsed with great slaughter. Our artillery, which had been placed about six hundred yards in the rea- of the works, had not yet opened its fire. At last, after due preparation, the rebels advanced for a final charge. The signal ^\'as given and the thunder of cannon rolled along the whole line from one end to the other, in one terrible billow of sound. Hardly liad the rising column of thick, sulphurous smoke lifted from the scene, before another wave of sound ]"ushed along the line. The charge was repulsed on our front ; but the enemy were suddenly descried, massed on our left, advancing with deadly resolve to crush our li;ud<: and titrn our position. At the same IN SOUTHERN PKISONS. 15 time it was whisj^ered that the hospitals in our rear were captured ; that our center had been pierced, and that no communication coukT. be had between the two wings of the army. N'othing daunted by this dis- heartening intelligence, we trained our guns to bear upon the nearer peril, and sent forth a volley of cannister to meet the advancing foe. On — on they pushed, heedless of their falling comrades, whom our gallant gunners at every shot were sweeping down by hundreds. Braver men never fought in any cause ; but despite their iron courage, the carnage was too fearful for endurance. They waver, they halt, they turn, — a shout of victory and a volley of grape follow the retiring foe. The field is ours, but at a fearful sacrifice. Sixteen of our company fell • two killed and fourteen wounded. But the victory Avas won ; and satisfied with the futility of any further attempt at storming our stronghold, the enemy re- tired and " let us alone," at that point, at least. Our fallen heroes were now assisted ofi* the field. My ser- vices, among others, were offered in removing the Avounded, and accepted. We carried our patients a mile or so to the rear, before we could find a hospital? owing to our entire ignorance of the direction in which it lay. Yf e finally succeeded in reaching a log . hut called Snodgrass Hospital, where we deposited our comrades. Meantime, the line of battle had 16 FOUKTEEN MONTHS changed so entirely, that the rebel skh-mishers were stretching through the woods, across the track we had just passed over, and the battery Avas apparently ctit off. Under the circumstances, it was thought by the Major of the battalion too hazardous to attempt reaching our comrades upon the field, at that time, and he ordei-ed us to remain at the hospital until mat- ters should assume a more favorable aspect. Acting under this order, we remained assisting the wounded and relieving their necessities to the utmost of our ability. From this point it was impossible to judge Avhich of the contending parties w^ould hold the line of hills, which seemed to be the great stake fought for. The lighting continued with unabated severity during the entire afternoon. General Granger's corps came up late in the day, and their presence insj^ired those en- gaged, with new courage and vigor. As they moved to their j^osition, solid shot and shells went crashing through- the timber from the rebel guns. That corps in a short time Avas engaged and scattered in every direction. The firing Avas terrific. For the last few hours it Avas apparent that the enemy were stretching every nerA^e to get betAveen us and Chattanooga; but at sundoAvn, they iiad fallen back, and our forces took possession of their ground. It Avas now dark, and Avith the advice of the Major, we remained at the hos- IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 17 pital during the night, hoping in the morning light to find our way back to our comrades. Five or six ambulances now arrived, which were immediately filled and driven oflf for Chattanooga, expecting soon to return and remove the three hun- dred remaining, who were, Avith few exceptions, mor- tally wounded. But they never returned, for during the stillness of the night, broken only by the moans of tlie wounded, the enemy suddenly and stealthily advanced, took possession of the hosj)ital, and in- formed us that Ave might consider ourselves prison- ers of war. This is j)roperly the beginning of my story. Our army, for the safety of Chattanooga, had fallen back, under the cover of the darkness ; a movement of Avhich the hospital had not been notified until they Avere in the enemy's hands. A rebel guard was im- mediately placed around the hospital, and a picket line in front. To escape and return to our command Avas now entirely out of the question, for, to the un- certainty of running the enemy's pickets, Avas added a total ignorance of the position of our own army, and if we should succeed in escaping the vigilance of the former, we were by no means certain of reaching the latter. We were forced to accept the only chance that Avas left for us, and remain where we were. But had we knoAvn Avhat was in store for us, or realized 18 FOURTEEN MONTHS the terrible suirerings'we were to undergo, there was not a man of us but would rather have periled all in an effort to escape from that hospital. Morning came and showed us a sufficient iield of labor. Three hundred men were lying in and around the old log house, with limbs shattered and broken? faint from loss of blood, and stiff from the cold dews of night. Yv'hat could we do ? we had no bandages, no medicines ; no food of any sort y,^as to be found; water could be had at no less distance than three fourths of a mile, and there were only a dozen can- teens in which to bring it. With such utensils and such means little could be done to relieve the wants of the suffering. Soon after sunrise a strong line of battle was formed behind a rail fence in front of the hospital, and between us and Chattanooga, in the direction of which at intervals, cannonadin'7; could be distinctly heard. Roving bands of cavalry, commis- sioned officers of all grades, from General to Lieu- tenant, came to the hospital to inspect the spoils. A Colonel of a Tennessee Regiment rode up, and dis- mounting, called for the surgeon in charge of the hospital, with whom he held a long conversation on the state of the wounded, and their necessities, c%c. When he had mounted his horse to depart, he said : "Boys, I am from Tennessee, and my residence and plantation are a few miles south of Ils'ashville, on the IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 19 Franklin pike. I suppose you had a good time when you camped there feasting upon my chickens and turkeys. I hope you did, and I hope they did you good. But in less than three weeks, hoys, my regi^ ment shall camp there, and my house shall be my headquarters." We gave the Colonel, who was really a good natured fellow, our congratulations on the "good time" he would have before he reached there, in clunbing over the mountains and the Federal bay- onets. Generals Longstreet, Bragg, Hood, Lee and Preston, rode up to the hospital on very poor horsesj and without escort. General Preston was the only one who had much to say to us. He is a very pleas- ant man to talk with, has a fine form, compactly built, and a heavy moustache. He wanted to know what battery that was, pointing in the direction of one which stood near. " I would like to know," said he, "for it did terrible mischief with one of my batteries that I ordered to silence it. I could count on that battery as number one, every time ; it did splendid shooting." The other Generals said but little ; but that little Avould have been a good deal, if it had hap- pened to be true, for they told us that Gen. Bragg's army had captured ninety pieces of artillery, taken nearly one half of our army prisoners, killed and wounded the half of what remained, while the rest, dispirited and demoralized, were trying to cross the 20 FOURTEEN MONTHS Tennessee and retreat to Nashville ; they also said they had no chance of reaching ISTashville, for Forrest's cavalry were between Bridgej^ort and Murfreesboro, and had torn up and destroyed the Railroad for miles, &c., &G. Their fine stories did not alarm ns, how- ever, for the booming of the cannon told ns that the conflict Avas still going on at no great distance. The few canteens we had, were kept constantly in use, bringing water for the wounded ; but with all our efforts we could not furnish enough to allay the thirst of the j^oor fellows, to say nothing of any to dress their wounds with. That terrible cry, " water ! water ! " coming from a hundred voices at once, haunt- ed me for days after I had left the scene. Poor fel- lows ! we did all we could for them with the limited means at our command, but while doing our best, we knew that we could not assuao-e that a^'onipiiiir thirst which the gun shot wound excites. On the evening of the 22d, a Captain Reid of Bragg's staff, rode up, and ordered all that could walk to fall in, as he was going to send them all to Richmond. Some sixteen of us tied a red string around our arms and claimed to be regular hospital attendants, that we might stay and see the battle- field. One of our Surgeons protested against leaving so few men to take care of the wounded, but his ar- o-uments were of no avail, the circumstances of the IN" SOUTHERN PRISONS. 21 situation having no influence witli tlie inexorable asrent. Each of the well men that remained was fur- nished with a separate parole,* requiring him to report to the post commandant at Atlanta, as soon as his services should no longer be required at the hospital. Thus we remained. For three days and nights we were without food of any kind, and the only bandages we could procure were pieces torn from old shelter tents. The tasks of these volunteer nurses for the three days and nights, with no food, amid the dead and dying, inhaling the stench of gangrened wounds, and hearing the groans and complaints of the suffer- ers, who were asking us for aid, when we knew we could do nothing for them, were by no means light or agreeable. On the evening of the 24th of Sep- tember, a rebel surgeon was sent us, who, possessing some humanity, upon seeing our situation, ordered a * Paeole— "I, H. M. Davidson, private of Company A, 1st Ohio Light Artillery Regiment of the United States army, captured at the battle of Chicltamauga, Georgia, solemnly swear that I will not bear arms against the Confederate States Government, nor help, aid, or assist, either directly or indirectly, by assisting in any ser- vice of the United States Government, until regularly exchanged a prisoner of war. And that I will report to the commandant of the post at Atlanta, Georgia, as soon as the sick and wounded of the United States prisoners of war, whom I am only paroled to attend, shall no longer require my services. HENRY M. DAVIDSON. Subscribed and sworn to before me at the ) Chickmauga, September, 22d, 1863. j Wm. Keid, Capt. and Ass't Pro, Marshal Gen." 22 FOURTEE]^ MONTHS bushel of corn meal to be sent to us tbe next morn ing. This supply, insufficient as it was, for three Imndred men, who had tasted nothing for seventy- two hours, was all that was given us for the next two days. We were thankful, however, for so small a fa- vor, and ate our meal with a great relish. Tlie fol- lowing morning he came again with a set of surgical instruments. Although kind enough about the corn meal, he proved to be a haughty, over-bearing man, whose high opinion of himself would have j^ut the sceptre of empire into his own hands, if unfortunately he had not lacked the power to do so. His great weakness Avas his denying human emotions to any who were beneath him in rank; in consequence of which he exacted the utmost humility from all below him — a weakness unfortunately common to a large majority of officers in both the Federal and Rebel armies. He laid down this proposition, in his treat- ment of the wounded Federals; — that if they had all staid at home and let the Confederates alone, none of them would have been lying then and there, demand- ing his services ; with which highly satisfactory theory he consoled the fortunate man who obtained those services in the amputation of a gangrened limb. He was not always in the amputating mood, and when the freak set in, no amount of solicitation could in- duce him to examine a woimd; and many a poor fel- IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 23 low died from gangrene, whose life might have been saved by a timely application of the knife. My after experience taught me that it was no part of the de sign of the rebel government to save the life of a Fed- eral prisoner, and that if they could not succeed in killing him, in open, manly warfare, they would at least capture and render him unlit for further service, by cruelties and neglect practiced upon him while helpless in their hands. I remember one instance of this cruelty of neglect. A man was taken to the table to have his leg amputated. His right leg was wound- ed ; under the hot sun the w^ound had gangrened, be- come putrid — and his body near the wound was filled with maggots. The surgeon cast a hasty glance at 1dm and ordered him removed. The sufferer had pos- session of all his senses and begged that the amputa- tion might take place, but the surgeon was deaf to his entreaties, and the poor fellow was removed. He bore his sufferings like a hero and lived several days after this, although he knew that death could not be long delayed. The boys sang and prayed with him; he arrano;ed his little affairs so that his wife and chil- dren might know that he died gloriously for his coun- try, and that in death he remembered them. And so he died, the victim of neglect on the part of those whom every sentiment of humanity called upon to assist and care for him. 24 I^FOUETEEN MONTHS Seven days after tjie battle, in the company of a comrade, I made a torn* over the field. I had long desii'ed to inspect a battle ground, and, although I had taken part in several general engagements, be- ing constantly with my command, I had never had the opportunity. So that from what I already knew of the matter from slight observation, I had an eager curiosity to examine this field. A mile's walk brought us to the scene of the hardest fighting on Sunday. Every tree in front of our line of works, taking the smallest as the average, contained sixty bullets, ranging all the way from a foot in hight to twenty. Trees from twelve to twenty inches in diameter, were twisted off and shivered as if a tor- nado had passed over them. The earth was furrowed in all directions with the solid shot and shell that were still lying about. Back of this line, and off to the right, in a strip of timber, our dead were Ipng unbm-ied where they fell. Many of them had been divested of all their clothing, except a pair of drawers too much tattered and worn to be worth stealing. Everything that could be of service had been taken away by the men of Bragg's army. The appearance of these bodies, having lain upon the ground, exposed to the hot sun, for seven days, was too horrible for description. At intervals could be seen scores of artillery horses, piled up in heaps, by the bursting of IN SOUTHERN PllISONS. 25 shells, while dismounted guns and fragments of lim- bers and caissons, showed the fearful part played by the batteries in the terrible carnage of Sunday. In various parts of the field, little boys and old grey- haii'ed men were seeking and gathering together loose cartridges and cartridge boxes, and anything else that came in their way, that could possibly be of service to their own army. Rich old planters with their wives and daughters, were roaming over the field, still red with gore, and rejoicing that there were so many " dead Yankees" bleaching upon the fields of the " sunny south." Where the dead were lying thickest, we met an intelligent citizen, and it being a very appropriate place to ask questions, he expressed a desire to talk with us in regard to the strength of Rosecrans' army and the war feeling at the North, Without any hesitation, he said he had the means of knowing the exact strength of Bragg's army. He told us that Bragg's old command numbered 40,000 men ; that it had been reinforced by Johnston with 20,000, and by Longstreet with 20,000, swelling the list to 80,000 men, exclusive of the cavalry com- mands of Forrest and Wheeler ; and that with such a force they Would march triumphantly to the Ohio I'iver. We i*eplied that Rosecrans had sufficient force to hold Chattanooga against the whole Southern Con- federacy. He said he thought the battle of Chicka^ 3 26 FOURTEEiq- MONTHS manga would teach the Northern people that the South could never be subjugated, and that a few more such lessons as we had had during the past two weeks, would convince us that we had better " let them alone," for they would all die before they would ac- knowledge themselves conquered, or give up the insti- tution of slavery. We told him that the majority of the Northern people had never wavered in the prose- cution of the war ; that we did not wish to subjugate the South ; that our mission would be ended, and hostilities would cease, when the rebels laid down their arms, surrendered back the United States property which they had stolen^ and consented to live peaceably under the laws of our common country. We gave him to understand that the battle of Chickamauga was but an insignificant item in the grand total of carnage, unless the terms of unconditional surren- der were accepted, and that if subjugation were the issue they made, we must accept it and subjugate them; for in that case there was no other way left of settling the matter. Satisfied that we were not loyal to Ms cause he left us, and we returned to the hospital. On the 28th of September, the wounded were all moved to a general hospital a mile further up towards Chattanooga. It was located near a large spring of clear water, which furnished us with an abundance IN SOUTHEEN PBISONS. 27 of that now invaluable article. The worst cases were moved upon stretchers, while those with compara- tively slight wounds were transferred in army wagons. An arrangement was here made to parole and ex- change all the wounded. One hundred and ninety- six ambulances arrived from our lines to receive them; which contained supplies enough to last till all were through the lines. The ambulances on reaching the lines had exchanged drivers, and in consequence nearly every box of hard bread had been broken open and a part of its contents abstracted. I knew this to be the fact because I saw the rebel drivers filling their haversacks from the boxes that had come to us under " flag of truce." What was left was put into a commissary tent, and a guard placed over it ; but every guard embraced the opportunity to fill his haversack with sugar, coffee, dried fruit and hard bread. We complained to the chief surgeon in charge of the hospital, but he made no effort to have the matter corrected, though he had entire control of the medicines and supplies. He freely offered to the Confederate officers the hospital whisky and dainties that were designed for the exclusive use of the wounded. It is presumed that he thought by so doing to gain favor with the enemy, and anticipated a little more gentle treatment in return at their hands on hia arrival in Richmond, whither he was soon to be sent 28 POtTRTEEN MONTHS as a prisoner. Such men deserve the condemnation of the whole world, and should receive a dishonor- able dismissal from the United States service. As soon as the ambulances arrived, the Confederate Surgeons commenced paroling the prisoners, and continued the work until its completion. Two trips were made before all could be taken away. The last train was loaded during a heavy thunder shower, the rain j^ouring down as it can pour only in the South. The men were completely drenched, but were too happy to escaj)e from the hands of the rebels to mind it much. One of the boys who had two blankets gave them to me, as I had none, and would probably need them, while he was going where he could procure new ones. The ambulances were loaded, and as we saw our comrades start for home we envied the poor fel- lows their wounds which had proved to them a pass- port to better things. As soon as they were gone, we who remained were informed that the next day we were to start for Atlanta. Seeing the rebels makmg a general raid upon the supplies sent for our hospital, w^emade bold to appropriate a portion for our own use, and by this means laid in a quantity for our jom*ney. It was well for us that we did this, for, as it proved, it was all we had furnished us till we reached Atlanta. Great promises were made us of excellent fare at that place, and our anticipations were raised high at the IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 29 glowing accounts of the plenty and luxury those en- joyed who were so fortunate as to fall into the hands of the rebel government. Experience, it is unneces- sary to a;dd, soon taught us that the " plenty " they had so finely represented, existed, if at all, only in the imaginations of those who told about it. Certainly it was not our lot to partake of "j^lenty" at Atlanta, or at any other place in the Confederacy. CHAPTER II. March to Chickamauga Station— Tunnel Hill— Dalton— Kingston— Resaca and Fortifications— Pies and Cakes— Marietta — Scenery— Arrival at Atlanta— Trip to Augusta— Savannah River— Branch- ville, Kingsville, Columbia and Charlotte, N. C, Raleigh, via Salisbury and Greensboro— Goldsboro, Weldon and Petersburg— At rest in Richmond. A little past noon on the 2d day of October, twelve days after the battle of Chickamauga, we were order- ed to form in line for a march to Chickamauga Station, seven miles distant, and ten from Chattanooga. A guard, composed of citizens principally, armed with shot guns and old muskets, and various utensils for shooting, and facetiously denominated "cavalry," ac- companied us. As regular soldiers, we felt humiliated in being obliged to submit to be guarded by these sneaking citizens, whose courage increased after the battle as rapidly as it had decreased before, and the most of whom no doubt possessed j^apers showing that they had already taken the oath of allegiance. We passed through a woody country, near Bragg's headquarters, where the reserve forces were drawn up in line of battle. Beyond this at a little distance 32 FOURTEEN MONTHS Chickamauga Creek confronted us. lieacliing the ford, at which a large guard was stationed, we halted for ferriage. A small dug-out was after a time pro- cured, and we were taken across in parties of eight at a time. While waiting our turn, the rebels flocked around us by hundreds to talk and trade with us ; their old clothing formed the chief article of barter, and a liberal quantity of Confederate scrip was oifered to make up balances. As our " personal prop- erty" consisted princijjally of our apparel, we were not inclined to " trade," and it was only by a persist- ent and vigorous defense of our personal rights that we succeeded in " holding our own." We did it, how- ever, in spite of repeated orders to exchange, and threats of violence if we did not comply. Being across the creek we started for the Station, where we arrived in due time. A train of box cars was in wait- ing for us, and we proceeded to load ourselves therein. This being effected after some delay, owing to the crowded state of the cars, and the dislike manifested by the boys to lying more than two deep upon the bottom, we finally got under way about dark, and proceeded as far as Tunnel Hill, where we lay to> till morning. A few houses were to be seen at this place, scattered here and there along the line of the Railroad, all presenting the same dilapidated appear- ance so characteristic of Southern villages. It is a IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 33 place of no particular consequence, and except for the passage of the railroad through the mountain at that point, would be nameless. At sunrise the train passed through the tunnel on its way to Atlanta. Permission being given to ride upon the outside, I took up my position on the toj) of the car, both to escape the press and close air within, and to note the character of the country. When I entered the army it wa» with a determination to learn all I could, in whatever situation I might be placed. I knew that this part of Georgia would soon be the theatre of active military operations, and if it should happen to me to be exchanged and return over the same ground with our army, all the information I might be pos- sessed of, might be turned to good account. For this purpose I took notes of the principal points of interest as far as I was able to do so, and from, these notes the following narrative is compiled. By eight o'clock the train reached Dalton, a con- necting point of railroads leading to East and Middle Tennessee, a situation, which, if once in our posses- sion and held, would prove of great damage to the Confederacy. We made but a brief call at this point, and passing on through a pleasant country reached Kingston, another railroad junction. Several hun- dred soldiers and officers and citizens were gathered at this point, apparently for no particular purpose. 34 FOURTEEN MONTHS A train of cars wliicli had preceded us from Chicka- mauga, loaded with the debris of the battle field, halted here to let us pass. By ten o'clock we reach- ed Resaca, afterwards the scene of a bloody fight between Sherman and Bragg's army. A large «amp of State militia had been established here, and upon one of the adjacent eminences an earthwork Avas in process of erection. Small works had been thrown up near the raih-oad bridge, mounting some five pieces of artillery, and a line of breastworks con- structed of sand, had been built on the south bank of the river. It was evident that Bragg's main reliance was upon the natural defences of the country about Chattanooga, and that he even doubted his ability to hold those. It occurred to us that these industrious "lads" had commenced their defences too far North, and would be obliged to vacate them and fall further back whenever Uncle Sam saw fit to advance again. Making a short call at this place for wood and water, the train moved on again toward Atlanta, crossing the Etowah, near large ii'on works, situated at the right of the raih-oad. The country was very rough, and the train wound and coiled itself among the hills in graceful curves. At every station and water tank the women, girls and boys flocked around the train with " leather " pies and cakes for sal^.. IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 35 The pies were made apparently of sweet potatoes, (chickens were rare,) baked in a crust without any previous preparation, and formed a remarkably dura- ble article of food. From the samples sold us on our route to Richmond, we concluded that a reformation was imperatively demanded in the cuisine of the " Southern Confederacy." At Marietta we met a train load of Georgia militia on their way to join Bragg. They looked brave and heroic, (the battle had been fought,) and if words had been available for such an event, would have annihilated the whole of "Lincoln's horde" then and and there. Fortunately for us, words were not bul- lets and we were unscathed. A corpulent lieuten- ant, something of the Falstaff order of heroes, was particularly noticeable. He said that when his State was invaded by the foe, he could no longer remain peaceably at home, but felt it incumbent upon him to buckle on his sword and hurl back the invaders from the soil or bury them beneath it. "Boys," said he, protruding his Falstaffian proportions full toward us, "you started for the great city of Atlanta, and will probably arrive there sooner than you expected, and if you ever return to your friends at the North, tell them that when Georgia is invaded, one patriot on the soil can whip five of the puny Northmen, and bid them remember that the * stag at bay is a dan- 36 FOURTEEN MONTHS gerous foe.' " We consoled him somewhat by telling him that we were only the advance upon Atlanta, and that our friends were quietly coming that way, when he would have an opportunity of finishing any five of them he chose to select for that purpose. We intimated also that we did not doubt his courage in the least, at that distance from danger, after the bat- tle had been fought, and sincerely hoped there might be no casualties so far from the scene of the action. The only friends we had here, as well as at most places through which we passed, were the negroes, and they, under the eye of their masters, were unable to lend us much assistance. From this we moved directly toward Atlanta, through a country, which in times of peace, and in the hands of any but the indo- lent Southern master, would be fruitful and beautiful beyond descrijDtion. Coming gradually upon the town, we had opportunity briefly to notice something of its envu'ons. The city is built upon a table land, and surrounded with j)arks, shaded walks and costly residences. Wealth, luxury and idleness abounded on all sides. Ladies, gaily dressed, prom- enaded the streets, and fine equipages, and gay "turn- outs" met the eye in every direction. Many of these had gathered about the depot expecting a train load of wounded from the Chickamauga battle, but finding the " contemptible Yanks" instead, their expected IN SOUTHEEN PRISONS. 37 pleasure changed suddenly into scorn and derision. I had heard much of the modesty and high breeding of Southern females and was prepared to see ladies of high accomplishments. After making all due allowances for patriotic devotion to their country, it would hardly seem consonant with refined female character to treat even enemies with so much con- tempt, as these high blooded women manifested for us. A true" women never loses the character of a lady under any circumstances^ much less will she descend to vile epithets or words of derision. On the whole, I prefer our !N"orthern notions of refine- ment to anything I saw in the South. It may be an error in my early education, but " on general princi- ples," one does not like to be spit upon even by rosy lips, and a Northern man is inclined to construe pro- miscuous salivation upon his own person into an afii'ont. We were not allowed to leave the cars until order- ed to do so by the Provost Marshal— a young man of great proportions, no doubt, in Atlanta, and his own estimation. He formed us in two ranks and marched us through the principal streets of the city, the little boys throwing stones at us, meanwhile, and calling upon us by opprobrious epithets. The women in carriages waved flags, spit, and hurrahed for Gen. Bragg and his victory at Chickamauga. Under the 38 FOUETEEJT MONTHS circumstances we felt called upon to cheer for Rosey, and tlie streets of the rebel town rang with the loud hurrahs for our gallant commander and the Stars and Stripes. Previous to this we had borne their jeers and insults in silence, but we answered with louder cheers than they did and drowned them with our good Union noise. The pen into which we were marched was an enclosure of about half an acre in area, surrounded by a board fence twelve feet high, upon which was a parapet for the guard. Before entering the place, the column was halted, and our names taken, when the gates were thrown open and we entered. As the first man passed in he was halt- ed by a commissioned officer and robbed of all his clothing, except what was necessary to cover hun, together with his blanket. We knew that prisoners were robbed and sometimes stripped of their clothing by privates in the rebel army, those whose desu'e for pillage was superior to every sense of honor, but we did not anticipate robbery by order of the rebel au- thorities. We foolishly supposed them governed by the plainest rules of civilized warfare, which respect property of prisoners of war. No shelter or fii*e was provided for us, although the night air in Atlanta is very chilling even at this season of the year. At ten o'clock a dray load of bacon and hard bread was is- sued in the dark, for which every man scrambled ; IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 90 and with this little episode to cheer us, we passed the night shivering with cold. At an early hour we were all (some 500 in number) ordered to the Augusta depot. Our march was through a busy street, lined with ware-houses, stores and banks, and the scene was lively and bustling as in our Northern cities. Evidences of wealth and importance were on all hands. The devastating in- fluence of war had not yet reached this fair city, and it reveled in its security. Fancy young men, gentle* men in Southern parlance, (snobs and dandies we call them at the ISTorth) perambulated the streets in broadcloth and jewels, superciliously looking uj)on us through costly eye glasses, which they had pro* cured in New York and forgotton to pay for. From what we saw of these nice young men, we concluded that chivaky consisted mainly in ruffled shirts, fancy kids, jewelry and billingsgate ; although we may not have seen the best of the South, and our eyes may have been prejudiced. The train of box cars being ready, we stepped on board, the whistle sounded and we were off for Au- gusta. We passed slowly out of the city, by ware- houses and stores, past the trains of cars loaded with iron and machinery, which had been run back to this point from Chattanooga, for safety ; and the boys re- galed themselves with the thought, that in the on- 40 rOUETEEN MONTHS ward march of the Union armies, this place woukl feel the crushing heel of war upon its bosom, and repent the foul deeds it had sanctioned against such prisoners as had been unfortunate enough to be cast within its gates. The train passed the base of Stone Moimtain, which is a singulai' freak of nature ; it stands in the midst of a rolling country, the only elevation of any extent with- in the scope of vision. It is half a mile in diameter at its base, and of solid rock. This was ahnost the only noticeable feature of the country through which we passed. Now and then a costly mansion of some ar- istocrat appeared, but in close proximity to it would be seen the hovels of the " poor trash." We rolled on monotonously to Augusta, at which point we arrived at half past five p. m., where we encountered a large crowd of citizens, negroes and soldiers, changing cars for Macon, Savannah, Charleston and Colimibia. Like Atlanta, Augusta had not felt a touch of the war, and its busy streets gave evidence that it was thriv- ing, while many of its sister cities were feeling the bhscht of treason. We stood hi rank for a few min- utes, awaiting orders to march, and were soon sur- rounded by women whose sympathizing looks plain- ly told us that had they dared, they would have lent us aid in our misfortune. From the depot, we marched to a large vacant IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 41 warehouse and yard, where we remained two nights and a day. Those that could, stayed in the build- ing, and when it was full, the remainder were com- pelled to lie in the yard. The nights were very cold, and the boys who lay in the yard were saturated with the heavy dews. Jiations were scarce and our cloth- ing was gone. Afterwards we became accustomed to this kind of treatment, and did not mind it very much, but our initiation was sudden and we felt it the more Keenly. While in Augusta, watermelons wara smuggled among the prisoners by the guards, for which most exorbitant prices were paid. There was no hesita- tion manifested about taking greenbacks, which at that time had the same value as Confederate Scrip. On the morning of the 6th of October, at an early hour, we were aboard a train for Branchville, South Carolina. We crossed the bridge, a structure similar to the Railroad bridge at Nashville, where by some error in connecting trains, we remained until 4 p. m. The train at last got under way, and we flew rapidly on across a long stretch of swampy land, and through forests of birch from whose branches hung long, flow- ing bunches of grey moss. A dismal, weary ride it was, in our pent up boxes. To vary the monotony, the cars midway the train, uncoupled, and the engine with a few cars plunged on and left us. The engineer 4 42 FOURTEEN MONTHS discovered his loss* and backed up for the remainder, when we went on again. We arrived at Branchville some time during the night, the distance from which to Charleston, is sixty miles. The negroes here told us they often heard the heavy guns fired in Charles- ton harbor during the bombardment of that city. We halted only long enough to change cars, and pushed on for Charlotte, ISTorth Carolina, which place we reached in just twenty-four hours after leaving Au- gusta. The total distance between the two places by rail, is 248 miles. Charlotte seemed at that time to be an active, thriving little town. Whether its importance was owing to its natural advantages as a business center, we had no means of determining, but judging from its appearance, it was the most im- portant place in the Confederacy. The streets were lined with teams, hacks, busses and express wagons, and along the sidewalks were huge jDiles of cotton bales, and bales of cotton cloth, awaiting transporta- tion. We passed the dark stormy night following our arrival, in a grove outside the town. The rain poured down in torrents, and our clothes were satur- ated in a short time. We had been accustomed to rain and storm without shelter, but our blankets and overcoats had kept us in a comparatively dry state, and the inner man was fortified with plenty, to resist the elements. Here, however, we had neither food, IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 43 fire, shelter, nor blanket, had ridden 250 miles in close cars, and were nearly famished. We accepted the condition, however, as an incident of war, and made the best we could of it. I^ext morning we shipped for Raleigh, taking a IsTortheasterly direction, and passing through a bar- ren, desolate country. At Salisbury we passed the officers' barracks, where, it was said Union officers were held in solitary confinement as hostages. We reached Raleigh at midnight, changed cars and pro- ceeded through Goldsboro to Weldon, where we ar- rived at 3 p. M., of the same day. Here we halted for a few hours and received a ration consisting of three small crackers to each man — the first we had had to eat since leaving Augusta, on the fifth of the month, and it was now the ninth. The people here seemed possessed of a good deal of Union sentiment, and expressed a strong desire to be under the old flag again, with many curses against Jeff. Davis and his " bogus confederacy." One lad told us that he had secreted a hundred dollars in gold, which Jeff, would never get, though he exj)ected himself soon to be conscripted. The citizens informed us that they v/ere living under a com23lete despotism. The poorer classes were in a state of beggary and want, while the wealthier were obliged to contribute all they could spare, for the support of the Government, and 44 FOUETEEN MONTHS receive in exchange Confederate scrip wMcli was worthless. After changing cars, we proceeded on towards Petersburg, across an extensive bridge which was strongly guarded, in anticipation of a cavalry raid upon it. The rolling stock of the road was in a very dilapidated condition, the cars being so worn that many of them Avere left behind, while the engines were so light that they could not move a full train upon an uj) grade. We arrived at Petersburg at midnight, and remained till the next morning, when we marched through the main street to the Richmond depot. Taking the cars here again we were soon on the last stage of our trij), in length about twenty-four miles. The country is gently rolling and strongly fortified tlu'ough the whole extent. We reached the Confederate capital at sunrise on the morning of the 10th of October, 1863, and crossed the long, high bridge over the James river. The bed of this river seems to be solid rock, the bottom being covered with large loose boulders, against which the water plunges and dashes in its onward rush to the ocean. The bridge itself seems to be about half a mile in length and is a very solid and expensive structure. The cars carried us du-ectly into the city, and the first building that caught our eye at the end of the bridge was the arsenal, at which a negro was unloading a la SOUTHERN PKI60NS. 45 dray load of 64 pound shell. Opposite the arsenal was the " Tredegar Iron Works," the main depend- ence of the rebels for their car and locopotive work, north of Charleston and Columbia. A line of guards was stationed here, extending from the railroad to the notorious Castle Thunder, of "which every one North and South has heard so much since the break- ing out of the war. This prison consists simply of an old J:obacco warehouse two and a half stories high, with all the windows knocked out; — a place where the Richmond authorities put all their deserters, run- away negroes, and men sentenced to death. If a Yankee prisoner escaped and was retaken, he had a choice cell in the filthy tenement. Arrived and unloaded, we were marched to an old warehouse opposite Castle Thunder, a hole in every respect the counterpart of the castle. After being here a couple of hours or more, a Major Turner came into the building and ordered us to fall into four lanks, Avhen he informed us that he wanted our money. If it had been in the street and he had had a pistol instead of a SAvord, we should have suj^posed him to be a highwayman. He informed us that if we came forward and freely gave up our money, it would be refunded to us on our being paroled or exchanged, but if we refused, he would cause our clothing to be searched, and all money found upon us would be 46 FOUETEFN MONTS IN SOUTHEKN PKISONS. confiscated. The men finding themselves in the hands of thieves and seeing no Avay out of their un- fortunate dilemma, determined that it was best to deliver their money upon the rascal's promise of refunding. The whole amount thus collected was not less than $30,000 from the squad of men in our party. This was in sums varying from $1,500 to $50. This was an unexpected manner of effecting a forced loan, and one which none but Jeff. Davis and his friends would ever have invented. Not one dollar of this money was ever returned. After our robbery, we were marched to Smith Prison, a few rods from the famous "Libby," where our officers were con- fined, and inducted into Prison Life in earnest.. CHAPTERIII. Smith Prison— Pemberton — Scott — Libby Prison fare — Incidents — Newspaper Gossip — Exchange — Eemoval to Danville. Smith prison lies Northeast of Libby, on a street running nearly North and South, and meeting the street upon which the Libby stands, at right angles. This building was originally designed, and previous to the war, used as a tobacco warehouse and factory. It is sixty feet long by forty wide, three stories and a half high, and contained four full floors, although the upp er one was very low, being directly beneath the roof. The three upper floors were already filled upon our arrival, with prisoners captured at Chickamauga, who had been sent forward before us, so that our de- tachment, numbering nearly 500, was crowded together upon a basement floor. The room contained just twenty-four hundred square feet of space, and this including what was occupied by thirty-one large tobacco presses, which were stored in it, divided equally among us, would give to each man less than five feet in which tQ " spread himself," counting out 48 FOUETEEN MONTHS the space occupied by the presses, there were not more than four feet of room to each. If ^ve reckon the hight of the room to be eight feet, there would be a total of 19,200 cubic feet of aii* in the apartment, or about 40 to a man. A healthy man is estimated to consume 500 cubic inches of air in one night. The only ventilation Avas by means of the crevices of the walls, the windows not being allowed to be raised, except as they were occasionally slipped up an inch or two, when the guard was not particularly atten- tive. The privies were constructed in the Northeast corner of each room, without doors, and were entered through an open window. Water was fm'nished through pipes and facets from the James river. The stench from the privies, Avhich came constantly into the room, together with the dampness caused by water drizzling from the wash sink, and from the cups, into which it was drawn to be drank, and our crowded state, filled the aii* with poison, and rendered our physical systems doubly susceptible of diseases and contagion. The Pemberton jjrison was likewise a .tobacco warehouse just south of the Smith, and fronting upon the same street, its end being on the Libby street. There was just room enough between the Smith and Pemberton for the guard to walk. Opposite to the Smith was the Scott prison, also a tobacco ware- IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 49 •house. These buildings were so high and so near each other as totally to exclude the light and heat of the sun, for the greater part of the day, from the prisoners confined upon the first floor. From the southwest windows of the Smith, where our party was confined, the Libby prison, in which our officers were kept, could easily be seen. It is a large building with four floors, including the base- ment^ The two floors on which prisoners were at that time confined, fronted on a street running paral- lel with the canal on the bank of the James, and extended back to the canal itself On the l^orthwest corner was a sign which read "Libby and Son, Ship Chandlers and Grocers." There were forty windows visible to us, in front, some of which were secured with iron bars, while others were tightly boarded up. Across a few old blankets had been stretched, but there were several that were open to the winds and storms. Of the interior economy of this prison we had no opportunity of informing ourselves ; we knew om^ offi- cers to be confined there, from seeing them occasionally at the windows in their uniform; their pale, haggard faces indicated that their fare was none of the most sumptuous, while it was a common report that they were confined in dungeons for the most trifling ofiences. The cooking for the prisoners was all performed in 50 FOUETEEN MONTHS tlie lower rooms of the Libby. From each of the twenty messes, into which the men on our floor were divided, one man was daily detailed to go to the Libby for rations. In going there we passed directly under the end windows of the prison, and our ofiicers fre- quently dropped a Richmond paper among us, en- closing a letter directed to their friends at home, to be carried North by the first one of our number who might chance to be exchanged. In this manner a letter containing particulars, would sometimes be smuggled through the lines, when, if sent by flag of truce, it would have been destroyed. If the guards detected an ofiicer dropping such papers to the men and recognized him, he was at once placed in confine- ment on half the usual rations. Our rations were issued to us at very irregu- ar intervals of time. They consisted of h'llfaloaf of wheat bread and a small piece of yellow bacon, in which the worms were holding high carnival. Though so unfit for eating, our appetites had become sharp- ened by the small suj^ply until we devoured this living food with the greed of wolves. In place of the bacon we sometimes received beef. According to the Richmond Examiner, seventy-five bullocks were daily slaughtered for the use of the prisoners. This seems a large amount of meat to be consumed, but according to the rebel estimate, there, were 14,000 IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 51 prisoners in Richmond at that time, and allowing 250 pounds as the average weight of a bullock, and that the meat was served regularly once in three days, instead of daily, as was actually the case, it would give a daily allowance of less than four ounces per man. But this is an over estimate. The author pre- vious to entering the service was accustomed from boyhood to weigh meat in a retail market, and hence miglib* be considered a competent judge of the weight of a quantity of beef, whether in a large or small piece, and he would solemnly aver that he never re- ceived as a three days' ration, more than two ounces; and his fare was not more stinted than that of his fellow prisoners. The loaves of bread weighed 18 ounces short, half of one of these was the allowance for one day. Our rations, then, were 9 ounces of bread and 2-3 of an ounce of beef daily; this fare, when followed up for weeks and months, certainly had no tendency to excite corpulency among us. Our first exercise in the morning was the roll call which was performed by a fussy, conceited individ- ual from iN'ew York, named Ross. After roll call, we were formed in four ranks and counted to make sure that no one had escaped. If the number was found all right, the exercise was soon over, but if by chance the roll-call man made a mistake in counting, which he was quite likely to do, or if any one h^d es- 52 FOUETEEJT MONTHS caped, we were compelled to stand in line until the whole prison had been searched and all the prison- ers recounted, a j)rocess requiring usually ahout six hours. If after all, the missing man could not be found, our rations were cut off for a day or two, to compel us to divulge the manner of the escape, of which, in most cases, the majority was totally ignor_ ant. It seemed rather hard treatment to be compelled to fast two days for our inability to communicate what we knew nothing about. Of course w^e were all under the necessity of j^rac- tising the closest economy in our food, and in the occupancy of the floor also. In this latter particular, our four square feet of room led us to exercise the greatest regularity in all our movements. We formed five columns lengthwise of the floor, when Ave all, at the word, proceeded to lie down in line, our fcer and legs webbed or woven in with those in the next col- umn, and so closely together that it was impossible to stir without disturbing our neighbor. When one moved, all moved. All in the same file were obliged to lie on the same side, and when they became tired and wished to change, the order was given " to the right, or left, over — turn." It was impossible to lie upon our backs at all ; there was not room enough. Considering that we had no blankets to put under or over us, and that the floor was usually damp from the IN SOUTHEEN PEISONS. 53 ' frequent washings we were compelled by tlie guard to give it, — there being no heat, either natural or artificial to dry it, meantime, it will readily be seen that our sleeping arrangements were none of the most comfort- able. In fact, we slept under the greatest difficulties. A regular daily skirmish was kept up with the ver= min of the place. In less than a week after our arrival, these parasites made such hostile demonstra- tions, that it required the very best of Generalshij) to maintain the mastery of the situation. They rallied by squads, companies and regiments, and charged our lines in whole corps. By dint of perseverance and constant watchfulness we kept their numbers so reduced that no one was captured, though many were severely wounded. If the Confederacy could re-in- force their armies as rapidly as these vermin increased, the Yankees would soon be overwhelmed and the Stars and Stripes go down forever. The ravages of vermin, filth and hunger soon be- gan to appear, and, as if to tantalize us still more, our thoughts coukt run upon nothing but food. The strength of a hungry man's imagination is wonder- ful. The finest dishes which a French cook, par ex- cellence^ could invent, were garbage compared with the fancy cuisine of thbSe famished men. We had beef roast and steak, for substantials, oysters, lob- iter, &c., for side dishes^ and the pastry which we 54 POUETEEK- MONTHS conjured up, was "beyond all comprehension, wonder- ful. After all had retired to our floor board for the night, the houi'S, till midnight, were spent in contem- plation of the luxuries we would have had for supper, if we had been at home, and many and hot were the discussions we held over these imaginary repasts. There is no tortm*e equal in intensity to this fierce longing for food. It consumed our strength; we became dizzy-headed ; there was a hollow ringing in our ears ; our voices became weak and husky ; our motions slow and monotonous ; our eyes glassy, and faces sallow and sharp; while the vulture within gnawed remorsely at our vitals. We could not stand, sit, or lie down with any cessation of this terrible craving, and we were fain to scramble and quarrel over the very crumbs that fell from om* scanty food upon the dirty floor, as ravenous wolves battle over the last morsel of flesh left upon a bone they have picked. Om* only hope was in release. The exact state of the exchange question, we did not fully understand, but previous to our capture, we knew that there was some difficulty growing out of the employment of the negro regiments ; and we had been told that until all Federal prisoners ii'respective of color, could be exchanged upon equal terms, the United States authorities had refused to continue the exchange upon the old cartel. We had faith enough in our govern- m SOtTTHEBK PEISONS. 55 ment to believe that it would not let us suffer if it could honorably prevent it ; and we also had faith enough in its honor to believe that, once enlisted, under inducements of protection, in our army, the government would insist uj^on the negro prisoner being treated as well as a white man under the same circumstances. There was of course a difference of opinion among the prisoners in regard to the propriety or policy of enlisting the negro in the first instance, but no man caviled at his being protected after he had become a soldier. We should have felt that we could not trust our rulers at all, if they had left the captive colored soldier to the mercies of the enemy, and exj)ended all their care and protection upon us. We usually managed to obtain the Richmond dai- lies, but they were barren of news. Shut up in this den, with nothing to do or to read, we were forming habits the very reverse of the active Yankee charac- ter. The impulse to do something was still strong, and, in the absence of all other means of employing our time, we organized a debating society, with its President, Secretary, &c., and made speeches by Confederate gas-light. The subjects of discussion were as various as numerous. War schemes, j)lans of attack upon Richmond, the origin of the war, its probable duration, the status of the rebellious States when the war should be ended ; foreign and domestic 5Q POXJRTEEK MONTHS policy, abolition, Jeff. Davis, and a thousand and one topics, were considered and gravely decided, upon " merits " and " weight of argument." Many of the predictions by these private prophets have since been verified, though most, alas ! of those who made them, lie beneath the turf at Andersonville. Occasionally the debates were omitted, and lectures and extem- poraneous sjDeeches substituted in their place. Mr. John Smith of the 1st O. V. I., gave us a fine off-hand lecture on moral culture, and I had the honor one evening *' to define my position " upon the best meth- ods of cultivating bees. Others chose political topics, while others still, lectured upon matters connected with science or art. But like all things in Southern Prisons, except misery, our intellectual growth was stopped, the guard having orders to prohibit further discussion, and we abandoned these " feasts of rea- son " as we had already abandoned those of a grosser kind. This forced us back upon the exchange ques- tion again, and wherever there was a group, there the words " exchange *' and "parole " Were the most used. The 1st of November was arglled by the san- guine, as the limit of our imprisonment, and the guard confii'med the prophecy. The Richmond papers, however, announced that 10,000of the prisoners were soon to be sent to Lynchburg and Danville, where provisions were more easily to be obtained. We IlSr SOUTHEElSr PEISONS. 57 hesitated to believe this, as it looked suspiciously towards a long winters campaign, and that we did not wish to "believe in." One day we had an episode to relieve the tedium and monotony of our hungry existence. Some of the " boys " in prying into one of the tobacco presses, discovered a box of choice pressed tobacco, which had evidently been forgotten by the owners in the hurry of evacuating the premises. By loosening a screw in the press, the treasure lay revealed. The news soon spread through the apartment, and the boys "went for it." They surrounded the box in swarms, each man clutching the precious waif, if he could reach it, or snatching it from the hand of a more successful competitor. Light men climbed upon the shoulders of stronger ones and plunged fiercely forward toward the box; but the tobacco was so tightly pressed that all their efforts were unsuccess- ful. The scramble continued for an hour or more with none but the most barren results, when a com- promise was agreed upon, and an orderly sergeant was selected to divide the treasure equally among the men. The matter was thus amicably settled and the division accordingly made. On one occasion, we ojDened a door that had been nailed up, for the purpose of getting a little fresh air, when a Richmond stripling in broadcloth and with 5 58 FOFETEEN MONTHS an air of simpering Importance, came in and ordered tlie door fastened again, at the same time threatening US witli rations of bread and water for two weeks, if we ever dared re-open it. We gravely informed him that his threat was useless, for we had become so accustomed to that diet, that an addition of a little more of the same sort would be thankfully received. He evidently had not sufficient brains to appreciate the jest, though at the same time he could see evi- dences of bread and water diet all around him. The door was not again disturbed, and we saw his face no more. Two men in our prison, managed to trade with the guard for suits of gray clothing, which they put on after dark, one evening, and assuming an air of great importance, went to the door and announced them- selves as members of the police, claiming a right to pass out. The guard allowed them to go out, and they departed on their way rejoicing. Whether they succeeded in making their escape we never knew. In the early part of IsTovember, the prisoners con- fined in the Pemberton building, cut a hole through the walls and floor of the prison and opened commu- nication with a cellar, in which a large quantity of commissary stores, consisting of sugar and salt, had been placed. After dark a regular detail was made, each man of the detail taking a bag or haversack and IX SOUTHERN PRISONS. 59 packing it full before returning. The utmost caution was observed lest by making a noise, the attention of the guard might be called to the fact. For a number of nights these foraging expeditions were carried on successfully, and so much had accumulated upon the hands of the prisoners, that they opened a contra- band trade with the guard, receiving tobacco and bread in exchange lor sugar and salt. The guards knew^very well, from the first, where the sugar and salt came from, but so long as they could drive a good bargain, they did not divulge the secret. The " business " was, however, accidentally discovered by an outsider, but not until some |35,000 worth had been abstracted. All kinds of reports were then put in circulation relative to the punishment to be inflicted upon the perpetrators of this " outrage ; " among others that all the money taken from us on our arri- val in Richmond would be confiscated ; that enough would be deducted from our rations to make pay- ment ; that we would be the very last to be exchanged, &c., &c. Kothing, however, came of it, as far as I knew. The small pox broke out among us a few days after our arrival in Richmond. It made its first appearance upon the person of one of our men who had been infect- ed with it, by a Confederate soldier, passing through Atlanta, and it soon spread with great rapidity. 60 i'OtJBTEEK MOKTHS Kot being acquainted, with the symptoms of this dis- ease, none of ns knew at the time what it was. In a few days a dozen or more were taken to the hospital. They never retm*ned, and we knew not whether they recovered or died. It was currently reported among us, that the Rebels took care that those who were confined in the hospital should never recover ; but this, like many other stories afloat, was undoubtedly false. It served, however, to excite a dread of hos- pitals, and nerved the men to suffer in silence rather than exj^ose themselves to the danger of removal, in consequence of which they were not taken away from prison, until too far gone with the disease to recover from it. A few pills were occasionally left with the " sergeant of the floor" to be distributed among those who desii-ed to take medicine. They were seldom called for by the men, and of course were in no way beneficial. Being debarred from all open communication with the world, Ave of course knew nothing of what was transpiring outside of our prison-walls, except when we could fall secretly upon a Richmond paper. These gave us, on our arrival, glowing accounts of the wonderful and brilliant victory at Chickamauga, and some time afterwards, mentioned the nice " little af- fair at Missionary Ridge," in which they conceded superior generalship on the part of the "Yankee com- IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 61 mander." Nearly every paj^er had some remarks to make upon the treatment of the prisoners, and par- ticularly recommended that all the meat allowed them, be withdrawn, in order that the citizens might obtain it, at lower figures in the market. In one of the papers was quite a lengthy article ujDon the gen- eral appearance, &c., of the prisoners. It seemed that some Baltimorean of riotous memory, had been payiifg us a visit, and airing his opinions of us. Frora his knowledge of the groveling nature of the Yankee, he was prepared to find the Federals dirty, filthy and lazy, too lazy to keep their persons clean, or to clean their rooms. He did not mention yrhether in his ex- perience of Yankee character^ they became hungry on three ounces of bread a. day, or were of that pecu- liarly filthy nature, th-^c can keep itself clean without soaj). Undoubtecliy the nice Baltimorean would have been the saine exquisitely nice man in a mud puddle, but all men, and among them Yankees, not being of gentle blood, could not keep themselves clean with- out some means of doing so. Just about daylight on the morning of the 14th of November, we Avere formed in rank and counted; the door was unbolted, and we passed out, each man as he stepped into the street receiving a small loaf of heavy corn bread. Guards were stretched on either side of the street through which we marched to the 62 FOURTEEN MONTHS Danville Railroad bridge, near which the head of the column halted, for the last of the men to get out of the building, and " close up." We knew nothing of our destination, until we reached the Danville depot. All were expecting that we were en route for City Point. The train awaited us and we were soon aboard in readiness for another ride through the Southern Confederacy at the public expense. Our train was long and heavy, the engine light, and the grade ascending. In consequence the train was soon at a stand still, and a messenger sent back to Richmond for help. We could plainly see Belle Island with its tents and prisoners. This island was then used as a place of punishment for Federal prisoners, who had been guilty of various petty offenses as well as for the un- pardonable crime of attempting to escape starvation in the regular Confederate way. A more extended notice of this place of horrors will be given here- after. The Railroad from Richmond to Danville runs through a gently rolling country, and was in a fino condition. Petersburg junction is the largest place on the hue, and that is of no importance except as a Railroad junction. Previous to our leaving Rich- mond, and as soon as we had learned it was probable that we should be sent either to Lynchburg or Dan- ville, I constructed a map of the country between IN SOUTIIEUN PRISONS.