The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-07-16

them. were bound TO have a laugh. We moved to
the opposite side of Gauey river, the afternoon Of
the 29h, the rain pouring in torrents (by the way
il did rain as though It could not help it in those
mountains of Western Vrginia) and took up quar-
tcrs in pen No. 2, for the night and such night.
II rained all night. could not help laughing, i'll
spite of our forlorn condition, to see the boys per-
form. Some would take possession of corner of
the pen and appropriate more space than was
thought consistent with the times, while some
would doubt the propiety of standing up all night,
ana appropriate a rail that was intended for fire
wood, and in due time had to be dispossessed. But
morning came at last, and glad were we though not
refreshed materially. The prospect of something
to eat reused us up and each one tried to cook
beef that had b1rn provided by the Commissary,
but we had not tim to finish our meal before we
were ordered TO get r'ady for the march to Rich
mond. All that was necessary on our part was
something " eat which wo did not get though they
kept us standing up to count us, and search us,
half an hour. which would have given MS time to
have got little to eat, but our comfort was not con-
suited in the least. We were marched with a
strong guard of one hundred cavalry that marched
before us and the same number behind us and
about forty infantry. We were obliged to march in
the middle of the road made doubly bad by the
cavalry, the mud being our anclcs. Thus we
marched, our hands tied behind backs at
elbows. We marched twenty miles that day. We
had nothing to cat. We halted at an old log barn
and were ordered tooccupy the loft. 1t would have
been amusing to one, able to appreciate the Joke,
have the boys climb up into the loft with their
hands tied. Three or four were detached to do the
,r
selves to the arms Of Morpheus hungry as we were.
We were aroused about midnight To eat eur dinner
and supper, some were SO worn out that they did
not get up to eat. The reason we were SO long
cooking was the lack of utensils, the commisSary
having it was believed by us. purposrly neglected
to provide them at the pen No. 2. Consequently
cooking was going on during the whole night, the
cooks ENJOYING the perquistc of all they could eat
which made them in better marching condition than
the rest of us, our allowance being very trhing.
During the day we met parties Of soldiers some of
which were disposed to abuse rs while Others said
nothing. Hang them, the d-n Yankees" some
would say; No, the pOar ignorant fellows, hang
their head leaders, they don't know any better"
\ joke on the Ohio boys and system of free
education. And it was laughable, when we eonsid-
cr that quarter of the prisoners were students
Of one of the most Hourishing colleges in the west
aud in fact there were several graduates in pen No.
,, aud having their diplomas awarded, as was AS
certained subsequently. The difference as we put
it up was this they thought we were fools, and we
knew they were. We marched to junction station
the terminus of the Richmond ana Ohio Railroad
that being far it is finished, in four days and
! a half, one hundred and four miles. There we were
hooted at and abused scandaously. Several regi-
mcnts were stationed there. The officers stopping
to insult us by threatening to get ropes and string
us all up. We left there at two O'Clock and had
stthaw very acceptable to u.s. worn out by con-
| tinual excitement and the fatigues of the march,
! My feet were swollen that it was necessary to
cut my boots open to get them of of my feet Soon
! after the train started we were relieved from the
! ropes ON our arms. At dusk we were a; Staunton.
where Staid until morning, and had all we
could eat for the first time since our capture and
/ the last time during our soioun with the rebels.
| Left the next morning for Richmond and arrived
there about O'Clock in the evening of the ID or 81
of Sept. There we passed through the ordeal of
cpithets and curses which had become 10 them like
household words, which if not dealt out to us at
every station the road we had learned to consid-
!
being delinquent in two or the cases only We
marched to our prison on Main street to the music
| of the drum, the drummer being worth in ordinary
times about $1,000 We were crowded into the
lower room of an extensive tobacco factory, the
filth Of tobacco juice and dirt had accumulated and
adhered to the floor to the depth of one inch aud
half or two inches, There, we were obliged to lay
down without blankets. Nineteen long days and
nights, were spent in that miserable place The
guards would occasionally amuse themselves by
shooting Mt us through the windows. So you see
We had a variety. One poor soldier was killed ou
right, two We're wounded during our short stay a
Richmond. The calls of nature were attended tC
by us at the peri, of our lives and to fill up Ia,
measure of our ailliction, vermn which It was i'm
possible for 20 get rid of, was added to our lis
of calamites. Our rations were very scanty. l
went hard with us to be taken from full rations anC
be stinted and confined so closely, but hard time
had only just began as we learned to our sorrow
On the morning of the 3lst we were startled by tn
announcement by the Sergeant that called the roll
that II O'Clock NJ we would start for New Orleans
two hundred add fifty of us, and the same numbe
would follow in few days. BY the way 60 officer
and privates enough to make two hundred and fit
had been sent to Charleston two or three days pre-
vious. yellow fever and cholera and New 0rlean
a were synonymous terms to us. We discussed tn
length Of time it WAS possible for the war to las
It aud made up our minds that at least half of
t. would certainly die, il kept until its close Tn
e only redeeming feature in the change of locatio
T. was the hope that we would be better treated. b
e the way will relate instance of cruelty perpC
is trated upon one of our regiment, the enquiry wa
a made, sis there any coopers in this room " "Ne
e sir was the response. "Wcll sir, YOU can hay
plenty of that work 10 do, we will give YOU all yo
can eat if you will go aud head up barrels" "N
sir don't work for the rebels" the consequence
c was hand cuffs. The next day he was honored b
- a call from an officer and asked if he would wor
Al yet, "No SIR was the quick reply. He was r
ls warded by sound slap in his face and spit upo
n hand euffed as he was. My blood boiled, and ha
ne been enough, those best acquainted with m
ID can judge what he would have got, notwithstan
Is ing was a prisoner. At the time appointed, v
ar were paraded in the street with strong guard al
OF counted and marched to the depot, Jeers, threa
re and tauuts were showered upon us in great prof
81 sion. Going to New Orleans hey ""l reck
u therl be a heap of ye die down thar, yaller fev
as will catch You d-n lankeys. A right sm'
=" chance Of Nankeys, declar what did you col
ny down heah for did you think youns could wi
AZ soverners you will have 10 kill all the men, tn
ds the women will fight, then the niggers will fig
10 you you can't su6iugate us"
N suppose that have heard that repeated tw,
" times or more al every prineipal station on
.st road AT Augusta, Ga there was quite a demo