Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-09
Personal Experience Of Prisoner Of War
.--Tr0ubles- Of a Newspaper Corresp0H-


A correspondent of the Cincinnati Com
mercial who was in the fight at Richmond,
Kentucky, and was captured there, tells
the tale of the captivity of himself and a
fellow journalist:
Gas thecorrespondent of the Gazette and
myself were among the prisoners captured
on the memorable S0th, our personal ex-
periences may be of general interest, and
give some idea as to what became of the
1900 who fell into the Confederate hands
at the same time. My conferee andI were
riding on an artillery wagon in the for
ward part of the retreating column, when
we heard the significant order, "CaValry
to the front" Instinct told us that the
sentence was incomplete, and that "all
others to the real" should have been added.
At any rate, in a few seconf5 we were on
the other side of a neighboring fence
making a forced march toward the place
from whence we had recently come. "0n
to Richmond never seemed such mill
tary necessity as then. After running
through a number Of fields, hunting in
vain for some place of safety or conceal
ment, we beheld near by four large hay
stacks, behind which we were quickly sta
toned. Here we remained in breathless
anxiety as to our impending fate-the
noise and conversation Of rebel cavalry on
the trail of us and many others distinctly
audible. Whatever division Of sentiment
may exist editorially between the CONNER
! cial and its cotemporary of Vine and
Fourth, the representatives of these jour-
nails, as they stood behind the haystecks,
were united on the broad platform of indi-
vidual safety. We were
''Two souls with but a single thought"
but our hearts, instead of beating as one
! thumped like a million. " Take down that
| fence and fire o few rounds into that hay
stack, was we'll calculated to quicken the
/ pulse and make the vital organ brUise the
seventh rib in its gymnastic efforts. In less
| than five minutes after the remarks above
narrated were made, several shots whizzed
by our ears, and We became impressed with
the belief that our neighborhood had reach
ed its heated term. To gain the field IN
shot, and make clean surrender, was the
next best strategic move, and this we did
without reluctance. Three of Scotts cav
airy rode up to us and told US to "come
along with them. I inquired if it was
their habit to arrest tnOn-combatants. ayes,
we'll arrest every one we catch with this
G-dd-n crowd" That settled the ques-
tion-we were prisoners ofwar. In the i'm
mediate vicinity of our point of surrender,
a number Of soldiers were overhauled and
we were all ordered to march down the
road to the headquarters of Colonel Scott
"On the way dOwn.a courier came dashing
past us with the command to bring up"
and "double-quick," saying that their freb-
ell cavalry was retTeating from Richmond
pursued by ours. They had simply mis-
taken the flight Of our men for an attack
upon them. They double-quicked US until
the most of us were completely exhausted,
and threatened to shoot any one who should
fail to keep up with the crowd. After q
race of about four miles they halted us in
field, which we were told was to be our
camping ground for the night. It was a
general rendezvous for captives caught
along the road, the number of whom swell
ed before morning to six hundred. The
most embarrassing circumstance of our
position was the fact that our encamp-
ment' was so located that should an en-
gagement take place between the two
forces we would fall in for the largest
share Of the bullets. This was explained
to the officers in charge of US, and we were
removed to a safer but not more comforta
bic place wherein to pass the night
"The day had been very warm; we had
been on the tramp all the afternoon, and
most Of US felt that if there was one thing
in this world more valuable than another
just then, it was drink of water There
was acreek near by, but our guard of honor
would not permit us TO avail ourselves Of
tit was oceans of water and not
drop to drink with US until late at night,
when an officer took pity on us and per-
mitted us to obtain limited supply. As
for edibles, hungry soldier asked if sup
per would be furnished to the prisoners,
and the guard thought the question a fit
subject for a joke.
By this time many of US had been de-
pleted of such earthly possessions as car
pet bags, and even coats. The correspond
ent of the Gazette, finding it impossible to
with his valise in hand,
passed that article to one of the mounted
guards, who volunteered to carry it. Ar
irving at the camping ground, he desired |
to repossess himself Of it, and put forth |
his hand to take it from the cavalryman;
just then, however, a rebel officer put forth |
a pistol in the direction of the Gazette |
mans face, with the remark, AGO on, Cd |
d-n you, I'll take care of that" And so |
ended the story Of that valise, so far as |
the rightful owner of it was concerned. |
One of the squad asked me if had watch |
about me. told him it was half-past five.
q Let me have the watch, said he, with an |
air of authority. at amt in |
arms against the Confederacy; what do |
you want it for ?" said I. "To keep
what the hell do you think p said he. I |
knew very we'll he would keep it if he got /
it, so that his answer gave me no inform
atom ou are prisoner, and we II take |
everything you've got;" said the Confeder |
ate warrior. Why, l thought you were |
= soldier when l surrendered" said l. |
q What the devil else do look like?" was |
his pert reply. I" / only meant 10 say that |
l surrendered to q soldier, and not to q |
l thought, said l. Just |
then a rebel officer came along, and | rela- |
ted the guard request TO him His reply |
was, that if the guard asked me for my |
watch, he twas an Internal thief and so |
the matter ended, while | retained my re- |
peater.
Early on Sunday morning, after pass
ing restless night in attempting to sleep |
in the open air, without blankets, tents or |
sufficient clothing, we were ordered into |
line of march for Richmond, and in q |
couple of hours we found ourselves in the |
town. The Gazette correspondent, another
citizen and myself-the only citizens in a
crowd of six hundred-were informally |
released on parole, with orders to report |
to General Smith during the day. The
soldiers were marched into the court house,
into the front yard of which they were
packed like cattle into a railroad car.
"In the afternoon the trio of civilians re-
nnrted 10 Genaral Smith rcnnastinr infnr-