The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-30

O"dlul. w ueu SetlllS lnlO ulS duUuldIlc'
to lock after his own wounded he was free
} upon by the rebels. When he told then
: who he was, they said they would take {;
parting shot at him, which they did, wound
ing him in the leg. He had his boots on
and his spurs on his boots. and as they drov,
along his spurs would catch in the tail-boart
of the ambulance, causing him to shrek with
agony. An officer rode up, and, placing hi:
pistol to his head, threatened to shoot him if
he continued to scream. This was on Sun
day, the day of the battle"
GEN. RICKETTS, EXPERIENCE.
One of the most important witnesses was
General James B. Ricketts,, we'll known in
Washington and throughout the country
lately promoted for his daring and self-sacri-
ticing courage. After having been wounded
in the battle of Bull Run, he was captured
and as he lay helpless on his back, party Of
rebels passing him cried out, "knock out his
brains, the id Yankee" He met Gene.
raj Beauregard, an old acquaintance, only a
Year his senior at the United States military
academy, where both were educated. He
had met the rebel general in the South a
number of times. By this head of the rebel
army, on the day after the battle, he was told
that his General Rickett's) treatment would
depend upon the treatment extended to the
rebel privateers. His first lieutenant, Ram
sey, who was killed, was stripped of every ar
tlcle OF clothing but his socks, and left naked
on the field. He testified that those of our
wounded who died in Richmond were buried
IN the negro burying ground among the ne
groes, and were put into the earth in the
most unfeeling manner. The statement of
other witnesses as to how the prisoners were
treated is fully confirmed by Gen Ricketts,
lie himself, while in prison, subsisted mainly
upon what he purchased with his OWL money,
the money brought to him by his wife. "We
had," he says, "what they called bacon soup
soup made of boiled bacon,the bacon being
a little rancid-which you could not possibly
eat; and that for man whose system was
being drained by wound is no diet at all. ~
In reply to question whether he had heard
anything about our prisoners being shot by
the rebel sentries, he answered: "Yes, num-
Der OF our men were shot. In one instance
two we've shot; one was killed and the other
wounded, by 4 man who rested his gun on
( General Ricketts, in reference to his having
been held as one of the hostages for the pri-
vateers, states: Il consider it bad treatment
to be selected as a hostage for a privateer,
when was SO lame that | could not walk,
and while my wounds were still open and
unhealed. At this time General Winder
came to see me. lie had been an officer in
my regiment had known him for twenty
odd years. 1t was on the 9th of November
that ne came to see me. He saw that nv
wounds were still unheaed. ne saw my con-
dition; but that very day he received an Or
der to select hostages for the privat. ers; and
notwithstanding he knew my condition, the
next day, Sunday, the 10th of November,
was selected as one of the hostages" 81
heard" he continues. "of great MANY of our
prisoners who had been bayonetted and shot.
| saw three of them-two that had been bay
onetted and one of them shot. One was
named Louis Francis, of the New York 14th
lie had received fourteen bayonet wounds
one through his privates-and he had one
wound very much like mine, on the knee, in
consequence of which his leg was amputated
after twelve weeks had passed; and l would
state here in regard to this case when it was
determined to amputate his leg. heard DIR
Peachy, the rebel surgeon, remark to ore of
his young assistants, II won't be greedy; YOU
may do it :" and the young man did it.
saw number in my room, many of whom
had been badly amputated. The flaps over
the stumps were drawn too tight and some
of the bones protruded. A man by the name
of Prescott, (the same referred to in the tes-
tlmony of Surgeon Homiston) was amputat-
ed twice. and was then, think, moved to
Richmond before the taps were healed-Pres-
colt died under this treatment. | heard a
rebel doctor on the steps below my room say
'that he wished he could take out the hearts
of the Id Yankees as easily as he could
take off their legs Some of the southern
gentlemen treated me very HANDSOMELY
Wade Hampton, who was opposed to my
battery, came to see me and behaved like a
generous enemy"
1t appears, as part of the history of this
rebellion, that General Ricketts, was visited
by his wife, who, having first heard that he
was killed in battle, afterward that he was a.
live but wounded, travelled under great diff
cuties to Manassas, to see her husband. He
says: "She had almost to fight her way
through, but succeeded finally in reaching
me on the fourth day after the battle. There
were eight persons in the Lewis House at
Manassas, in the room where lay, and my
wife, for two weeks, slept in that room on the
floor by my side, without bed. When we
got to Richmond, there were six of us in a
room, among them Col Wilcox, who remain
ed with us until he was taken to Charleston.
There we were ali in one room. There was
no door in it. 1t was much as it would be
here if you should take off the doors of this
committee room and then fill the passage
with wounded soldiers. In the hot summer
months the stencil from their wounds, and
from the utensils they used was fearful
There was no privacy at all, because there
being no door the room could not be closed.
We were there as common show. Colonel
Wilcox and myself were objects of interest,
and we're gazed upon as if We were a couple
of savages. The people would come in there
and say all sorts of things 10 US and about
US, until was obliged to tell them that was
a prisoner and had nothing to say. On the
way to Richmond, when We reached Cor.
louisville many women crowded al ound the
cars, and asked my wife if she cooked if she
washed? how she got there? Finally Mrs
Ricketts, appealed to the officer in char land
told him that it was not the intention thai
we should be subjected to this treatment, and
if it was continued she would make it known
to the authorities. Gen Johnson took m,
wifes carriages and horses at Manassas, kepl
them, and has them yet for aught l know
When got to Richmond l spoke to severa
gentlemen about this, and so Gid Mrs Rick
etts. They said, of course, that the carriage
and horses should be returned, but they new
or uere MIhera ;S ono dsht y ca,.s d. 81