The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-06-14


Chicago on Fridsy-(C Chicago Times
41.g1g
Arslyal o. ever seven HsnArsA and
CO., R11ty ReleaseA Rr1oonen.
Their Half Starved Condition HoW fAeir Wants
r Awse Sapphed-A6seting Scens--Rsueiatio"s Of
Rsbsl Prison Lye-Rsfagsss--Rebe! IP!a" Of
Attacking Gen. Mtehell-Extessire Dedisngs IN
Cotton.
iee (correspondepce Of she Cincinnati aasstts.)
1ef @ HuSrsvrLLr, Ala, May 80.
In postscript to my last letter, spoke Of
the latest case Of the Dag Of truce epidemic
bringing with it seven hundred and seventy Of
our men, who were made prisoners ct Shiloh,
Belmont, Island No. 10 and some few in West
srn Virginia. They arrived about dusk, and
when put on the platform at the depot, scene
Of the widest confusion ensued. Imagine, If
you can, such body Of men, having been
closely imprisoned and kept under the strictest
guard for eight weeks, with scarcely morsel
to eat during the forty-eight hours last past,
placed again in the midst of thousands Of well
coming friends, and comparatively. the great
est profusion Of provisions. Loud were their
cries for bread and coffee; and when they were
marched into the comfortable quarters provid-
ed for them, and rations issued. the way they
did deyour them was sight never to be for
gotten. Box after box Of crackers was opened
and as each lid was lifted up, it was signal
for Q grand rush to seize prize in the shape
of fourth of pound of hard bread. Many
poor fellow, as he secured his cracker, sunk
upon the nearest stone or upon the bare ground
and long before his cravings were fully salts
fed, was reveling in sweet dreams Of freedom
and of home. l had occasion to visit head
quarters quite late at night, and in several in
stances the pavements in front Of the houses,
occupied by the soldiers, were lined with all inn
l;yht md "a tuda m tho Notd hard
stones, actually preferring so to sleep than to
be under roof. This morning, after having
given them such breakfast Is had not regal
ed them for many long day, they we're divid-
ed among the regiments of the Division, and
sent to take ''pot luck" with our boys. Thes
men all tell the same story of suffering and woe.
Not that there was any unnecessary cruelty
prscticed toward them, for the best that could
DO done was bad enough. For the last twenty
days their rations have consisted Of one-half
pound of cornmeal to man each day. When
meat was added it was so offensive, having been
put up almost without salt, as to cause violent
vomitings. There was no coffee, not even rye,
no tea, no beans, no hominy; but in the place
of these, two table spoonfuls Of rice once or
twice week. Do you think it strange there
was an intense desire to exchange prisoners,
manifested by the rebel authorities? How
about those bread riots in our Atlantic cities,
We used to hear so much of through Southern
journals?
About the only thing of interest that is oc-
curing in military circles at present, is the
constant arrival Of prisoners or refugees.
had most agreeable conversation with one of
the latter to-day gentleman who resides
within thirty miles south Of Montgomery, and
is an exile from his home, on account of the
suspicion of his loyalty to the Southern cause.
He says all that saved his life was the fact of
his foreiepi birth. The is an Englishman named
knight Some four weeks since on plea Of
visiting some springs of celebrity in an adjoin
ing county, he was enabled to pass the lines
established by the County Vigilance Committee
Instead of remaining at the springs during the
sumner as he had given out was his intention,he
stayed but single night, and the next morning
resolutely set his face towards Huntsville.-
After ride of almost incredible difficulty, in
cluding mountain trip Of 225 miles, Mr.. and
Mrs. knight arrived here on the evening train
from the direction of Chattanooga, having
struck the road at Larkinsville, % miles from
the Tennessee river opposite Guntersvills.-
They bring much information OF . valuable
che ar~ ctor = nortinn of which NAV interest our