Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1862-06-04

even 8 twie 10 shelter our shivsriul
limbs. We were greeted next lnorDiu,
BY the cheerful sight Of { be bright SUI
casting BIB invigOrating rays over thsl
land ofdeath and ruin. About ten w
wsFsmarohsd aboard the boat Uni
fersS." where We stayed till thtse The
nsxt Tuesday morning, wheh we push.
ed OtffOr Yankee land. the bOyb singing
the old song
Way down In Cairo.
I'm bound for to die"
Nothing more Ofinterest occurred till
we arrived at Chicago. When the car.
stopped at the depot. dense crowds were
there to greet us with "threo cheers for
the Union, and groans for JEFF. and hia
savage boys" and, Yankee like, all were
pushing, crOwding and showing to get
sight of the elephant. After satisfying
their curiosity and venting their spleens
in thousand ways, one poor creature
tenturOd an opinion thdt the Southern.
erS we're teslly flesh apd blood, :" or, as
they expressed it, live mortal like
themselves.
1t was 50 intensely cold, that many Of
our boys werO taken sick upon the spot
and though the authorities made all
haste tOget us into comfortable quarters,
one poor fellow died while marching from
tie cars to the barracks. The arrange
lnents @erb soon completed, and we were
lodged in good comfortable houses, viz i.
Each regitheht was quarteted in line as
whOn III camp, each company having a
room to itself. The quarters wete pro;
vided with fDe coal stove, and en-
abundance Of fuel, the beds being made
IN tiers one above another. Each com.
pany was provided with a kitchen, fuel.
cooking utensils. water, and everything
necessary to the culinary art.
Our rations consisted Of a superior ar.
ticle oflight bread, good hams, fne Irish
potatoes. the army bean. gObd corn meal
and hOminy, an Indifferent quality Ofsu.
gar and mOlasseS, bat good tea and cOf.
fes.. :,
Camp Douglass is situated three miles
from the business portion of tho city, on
the Illinois Central Rallraid, ID Che i'm.
mediate N Vicinity of the residence of
Stephen A. Douglas 1t occupies fifteen
acres given by him to the city for the
lUcatiOn of the Chicago Commercial Col
lege, and ia surrounded By a high strong
fence, made douby secure BY q line Of
Federal bsyonsts. The quarters are
divided iOtO four large squares. three
and a half of which are occupied BY the
prisoners, and the fest BY the troops
used as guards When we first arrived,
owning to tho fearful exposure at Donel-
son, the hospitals we're crowded with
Sick, afflicted princiE ally with pneumonia
and typhoid fever. 81 =.
Two hundred ant ninety had died up
to the time Of my departure, but the
Boys having ,econe acclimated, their
health has wonderfully improved.
Their hOspita are conducted in fine
Aylc. They IRE divided into wards,
each limited to sixty Eve patients, to at
tend whom is a surgeon, q ward master,
SIX nurses and three apOthecpries, whose
business It is TO attend to Che presCrip.
tious Of their respective wards. The
hospitals are washed and secured every |
morning without fail; and having every |
facility for procuring medicines and hos
pital stoTss Of al kinds, il is very cyl
dent to the most casual observer that
our sick receive every possible attsn-
tion.
l an aSare that it Is the general i'm
preston that We are taunted. bullied and
maltrsated in every respect but l. wish
to correct this great mistake and tho
I have no more affection 6r the North.
trn people than tie verisst Ste.eattr !. inI
the laud, / will Do them justice In say.
ing, Ghat VI we're vsIl treated on every.
occasion with marked kindness. aSd that
NJ were afforded every facility for ex-
Orcise. and every opportunity for pass
ing IirKe HgFssably. All the prisoners
are provided with good comfortable
clothes, bO0fs. or shoes, sent TO them By
The ksntuCkians and BAltimOreapS In
avOrd, thsy are as comfortably Situa-
ssd a pOubibls ! and they ali understand
the policy Of the Federal GOvernmsDtl
-. !. l...,s..l;un thn,n hu kindns.s.