The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-10-31
The way the Returned soldiers
Taik-'rrue Patriotism at this
Crisis.

huc WAY TIC Nctufhcu SOiOicts
Talk-rrue Patriotism at this
Crisis.
On Tussd-y night last there was q
rousing Union meeting in Chicago
which was addressed primarily by Gen.
Prsntiss and other prisoners recently re-
turacd from southern prisons. Gen.
Prcntiss' speech was in substance the
same "a that recently delivered by HIN
in Washington. We would gladly give
il entire If our space would permit as
it is, we copy from the report of the
Chicago Tribune so largely as to pre-.
vent our usual variety. Our readers,
however, we think will be our debtor
for our SO doing. General Prcntiss was
Of course loudly cheored on his appear.
ancc. He introduced himself and his
speech as follows:
My friends, ] feel free tonight | am
at home in Illinois. Cheers. have
been six and half months confined in
Southcrn dungeons, as believe, by the
efforts OF d mrgogues North and South.
Applause. Permit me, my friends, to
place myself and these officers, to night
upon the record concerning our csptiy-
ny.
Altcr having vindcated tho truth Of
history in relation to the battle of Shi-
To- aud Me caplnre of his men, he thus
detailed his first experience as prison
er:
We were taken from the battle field
and that body OF men, among. whom. la
dies were perhaps some of your brothers,
wounded, sore, bleeding, were marched
twenty-five miles through and over the
worst and toughest rond that ever men
Scre compelled to murch not having
eaten anything since the break OF duy
on that ever.tO. aforementioned Sabbath,
the 9th of April. When we had dragged
ourselves over that muddy and rugged
twenty-five miles, we were compelled to
take cdttle-cars ut Corinth and hurried
away through raging storm, huddied
together like a flock of sheep. Had il
not been that the men had in their pos
session some knives, with which TO cut
holes through those box cars to admit
air, they would have suffocated.
We were taken TO Memphis, arriving
there on Tuesday, and there we were met
by an immense crowd OF people cheer
ing tor the victory OF the rebel army
Tue men were not fed that nieht. We
were taken to the City Hall. l must be
brief. In that hall were the poor sold
iers, who in vain had asked for food and
begged for water, crowded togc ther, o.
200 Of us in one building, half staryed.-
Remember II was Tuesday night, and
nothing TO eat since Sunday morning.
Wednesday morning came. l had
been endeavoring to get these men some
food. | called upon the colonel com
the post aud told him the con-
dition of the men, and demanded food,
II could not be had. fhsnk heayen. a
Union man was found who furnished us
some crackers. Cheers.] went from
the room in which ] was confined. into
that immense hail, with all those wound
ed soldiers lying upoh the foor-no
blankets. no surgeons, no medical assist.
anco. noticed at one end of the ha ]
the Goodness Of Liberty. | mounted
the table crying out, " Boys, rise to
your feet, all that can stand up, and sing
the glorious old Star Spangled Ban
ner." Great enthusiasm. We sang
il, and then Columbia, the Gem Of the
Ocean" The citizens came running,
thinking We had broken loose, or were
trying to. They concluded it was bet
ter to get vs. cut Of Memphis. put US on
the cara aAd started South. Suffice III
to say, il required some four days TO take
us to making menugerie or US
-as we passed along-giving notice at
each station, $1,000 Yankee prisoners
coming !-tak,n Vt Shiloh" They had
magnlfed our numbers from 2,2LO to
1000.
After having detailed the treatmont Of
the prisoner at Mobile, Talladega, and
Selma, including the separation Of the
oaicers from the men, he continued
Bnt thst is as nothing--come with
me further to Montgomery, the place
where all our Lieutenants were sent. Ii
was their Of all places that the ofiicer,
suffered most--in al old cotton ware
house, with not blanket TO lie on---not
one. There wcrc commissioned ol6eersl
intelligent fuman beings, forced 90 USE
all their ingenuity in making bone rings
TO sell 10 the Citizens In obtain tnonav