Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-05-22


young man by the name of John Cofl
: man, whose father lives in the bacl
r part of this county. He died at
o'clock A. NJ, on the 1lth day Of De
; cember, 1861. Another by the nam
of Hall was left in the hospital. too fee
i bic to be brought away, and have NJ
: doubt that ere this be, poor fellow, he
. gone to mingle with his mother earth
; On the Goth day of December we wef'
informed that all on the upper 400
would be sent further south on Mon
day, which would be the 29d. work
J ed until late Saturday night, makiug
. cotton bag, in which to carry whatifss
things I had. On Sunday spent tht
day in writing letters, receiving and ex
changing cards with my new prisor
friends, for we had formed warm anf
ardent attachments. Monday morning
December 22d, we were routed up fol
roll call at 5 o'clock; received our bit'
of bread and meat at balf-past s; ant
were told that at O'Clock we mus
march to the depot. By this time i
was currently reported that we were
going to Salisbury, North Carolina
At 6 O'Clock the officer of the dav and
the roll caller comes in and begins:-
Byas, here; Black, here; Burns, here.
All that had any bundles had them
thrown over their shoulders, and wait
ing anxiously until their names were
called; but, lol pause, and anxious
suspense rests upon each prisoners
mind; right about face, and we are or
dered back to our dens to await further
orders. Speculations, conjectures and
surmises run high in regard to the cause
OF so sudden a change in the pro-
gramme Of events. Some thought we
had been stopped on account of the
rains, for it had been raining that NOR
ming. } others, that the guard was afraid
to take us; again, Mcclellan was march
ing upon Richmond, which rendered it
dangerous to them to start with us; the
place to which we had been consigned,
had been captured by our forces; and
again, Rosecrans had passed down and
cut off the railroad communication
These and a number of other ideal
causes were assigned by our visionary
spectators, as a reason why we did not
go.
During the day, I was informed by
the Sergeant Of the floor, that was
not TO be sent away; that he was going
to keep me and send one Of his men IN
my place; that he had procured for me
situation in the hospital, and that
was to have parol of the city.
| listened to it all, but at the same time
did not believe any Of it, for l came Sc
near going. that l thought no one but
JEFF. Davis himself could prevent it.
On the following morning. December
"a, the same routine was gone through
and at 6 o'clock they began to call the
names Of those that were to be sen
South. l was told by the officer that
my name had been changed for another
mans, and that l was not TO go. L
was sad sight to see those that baC
shared with me the long. weary march
and the tedious prison life, one by one
depart. Ny heart grew sick at The
thought, as l bid them farewell; all o
those belonging to the 9th Virgins
Regiment, taken with me, except eigh
or ten in the hospital, were sent to Sails
bury, North Carolina, where l suppos'
they yet remain. To their friends,
would say, 1 was separated from then
on the gath of December, 1861; tha
they were all well and hearty whel
they left, and appeared to be in GOO
spirits. Capt. Thomas and Granvill
Pollock. of Higginsport, and Hamilton
Smith, Of this place, were put down a
citizens, or political prisoners, and wer
sent to the lower floor. VIM. Massie
from the back part of this county, wa
also sent to the lower floor among th
citizens; and 1 was left solitary an
, alone in the Sd story. Like Selkirk o
his lonely Island, l was monarch c
all l surveyed" Soon, however,
was informed that 1 was adopted b
] the 18th Massachusetts,, and assigne
:; to Company D. The Sergeant of tn
s floor. L. D. Goddard, belongs to Com
D pany D, and to him 1 am indebted 70
# my release from prison. I would lik
y to give description of the man, but
C would occupy too much space in thi
}, closing article. He obtained (and just
:; ly, too, the euphonious name {
S Cheeky. He could do more for th
e prisoners, and get more privileges fc
|, them, than any other man; and woul
u say himself that he done it By cheekin
it through. Every thing was My an
ie I; and it was truly amusing some time
/, to hear the little fellow talking to th
IS officers Of the post. A stranger woul
d have thought he owned all the Tobacc
J. Warehouses in Richmond, and every
1t body in them, and that the Confederat
s. officers and soldiers were menials an
d bound to obey bis bebest. He woul
I approach the officer Of the day with Il
IS air of nabob, and make his demant
if it was refused, he would give b
st head peculiar turn, and say, "Wel
" I'll send a note to Captain Gibbs {
i Captain Goodwin" as the case migl
d be, or perhaps to General Winder; an
l. "I'll see if l cannot have things as
,e want them" He would make fe
c, turns in the room, come back to Il
ID officer, and make the same demand;
ut again denied. he would go through Il