Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-08-11
A Georgia RebeI-UnIon Prisoner


The evidence muItiplies every day not
only of a Union sentiment among the peo-
pie at home in the south, but among the
soldiers iu the rebel army. We yesterday
bad an interesting conversation with a
captured Georgian in the Athereum who
was taken prisoner by a detachment of our
cavalry between Strausburg and Front
Royal. We found him plain, uueducated
specimen of the poor white trash" of the
South apparently honest-hesrted, truth
tut and unsophiscsted. He gave us what
we considered an unvaruished account of
things just as they are in the rebel army.
He is, and always has been Union man
voted against the secession OF Georgia,
and took up arms only at the last moment,
against his will, to avoid the CONSUMPTION.
He and his three brothers belong to the
48th Georgia regiment. His name is BENZ.
B. Black, and he halls from WOrthing,
Washington county Georgia, of which state
he is native. He says that in his
district only five votes were cast
for secession and upwards of one hum
dred against it. His part of the State was
considered the Union or disaffected part of
Georgia. The sympsthies of the people
were largely againt secession up to the
last moment. In his regiment are many
,uen like himself-unwilling soldiers il
the cause of rebellion. He says that when
he left home he prayed God to keep hin
from ever shooting a Union soldier, and h'
ia happy in the belief that he has never
killed one, although he was in the battlet
of fredericksburg and Characteristic
He was wounded in the latter battle. L
was common thing, he said, for him anG
his Union companions to set down round
their fires and talk over the warts origir
and probable end, and many time he hal
heard the sigh of the men longing for thei
homes, hoping tor the speedy Termination
of the war and wishing we'll to the UnioI
arms. He says the last thing hi:
old mother ever told him was that he was
going forth in bad cause-against the
Gag Of, his country-in the service of meI
who had not his interest at heart, and that
he would never prevail, for the Lord had
IMPRESSED it upon her in dream. He lef
wife and FIVE children behind who sub
sist as best they can off little farm OF {
hundred acres that he owns. He was al
ways hard working man, raising with III,
help OF his wife aud oldest children whs
supported them. He says thst in Georgia
as elsewhere in the extreme South, pool
man who has TO work at days work for 4
living has very hard chance in the world
Fifty cents per day was considered big
price for labsrer, They worked a. the
same work as negroes an3 were held il
the light of ''poor white trash" by
those who owned negroes. He thinks
that those who owned negroes and
who started the secession business ought
to have been the men to fight i, out Such
men AS him, having no ownership or in.
terest in negroes, felt that they had nc
rights that were being injured, and only
desired to be left at home With their fami-
lies. He first heard the news of Vicksburg
aud Port Hudson at Guiness Station aud
he says that it fell like shower Of bombs
in the rebel ranks. The Union men among
the soldiers secretly rejoieed, while the
others cursed and talked very dependent
", saying that the canse of the South had
gone up, and that there was 10 chance
Black was not in the battle of Gettysburg,
being sick with the fever-ague. he how
ever had been sent forward to Winchester
70 reinforce Lee and net his regiment on
its return from Pennsylvania. I; bad
suffered terribly in the battle. one of
his brothers had been badly wounded
sud his Captain had lost An arm