The Portland daily press., 1863-01-07
COMMUNICATIONS.
Experience of a Soldier.
IN CAMP-IN FIELD-IN PRISON.


The following letter is from ADJ. CHAs. C.
DREW, Sd Reg. Maine Volunteers, son of
Rev. William A. Drew of Augusta, who for
the last year and half or more has had va
ried experience in Camp, Field and Prison
life. He was in the first Bull Run battle, July
2l, 1861, and since his exchange and return to
his regiment in September last, has been in
the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg.
By his experience the reader will see what our
loyal soldiers may be called to endure in the
cause Of their country
] entered the Federal service as one of the
earliest volunteers in the first Company fCo
B) of the first regiment Numbered g. raised
in the Sunrise Capital-said Company being
commanded by Capt. afterwards Col IL. G.
Staples, the immediate successor of Col now
Gen. o. o. Howard. This was in April, 1861.
In June we broke up camp in front of the
State House, and were the first to move from
the Capital to the seat of war. On the 2lst
oil the following month, July, 1861 we were
engaged in the battle of Bull Run, where both
beliigerents commit an Irish BUR and Run
In opposite directions, each thinking itself
worsted in the fight--the rebels falling back
on Manassas junction, and our forces on Cen
terville and all along the road. Whilst our
army was on the retreat, fellow soldier and
myself halted on the field to care for wound
ed volunteer, when company of rebel cayal-
ry rushed upon our imprdvised hospital, and
placing cooked pistols at our heads and breasts
demanded that we should accompany them as
prisoners OF war. Resistance was useless, and
we were obliged to accept the penalty of not
running from the field. So we were carried
to the rebel headquarters. There we found
multitudes Of others in like circumstances
with ourselves /; and if"misery loves company"
we had enough of it. At Manassas they kept
us fasting, on the principle of total abstinence
from every thing that can noursh, till the next
day, when we were put on board OF the cars
and sent to Richmond. Arrived at the depot
in that city, the chivalry greeted us with wells
and bad eggs to show their Joy at our capture,
and there cant oftore for the Yankees
Thousands of us together, escorted by ne
groes, were driven into the tobacco ware
houses, the doors barred against us, and we
prohibited looking out of the windows on pen
atty Of being shot. Several were thus Shot
down for presurning to look at heavens own
daylight, and to breathe heavens own air, as
you have seen from testimony other than my
own. On one occasion whilst was in anoth-
er prison, of which mention will be made else
wherel revengeful rebel appeared at the door
OF q long passageway, on the floor of which
some two hundred fellow-prisoners slept, or
tried to sleep, and saying that he wanted the
privilege of shooting some id Yankee, lev
eled his rifle, and deliberately killed defence
less prisoner. The murderer was allowed to
pass unpunished for his crime which proba-
bly, was extolled as virtue.
Crowded as SO many of us were into the
Richmond warehouses, the acomodatons of
the prisoners were exceedingly limited; there
was one good thing however, about this tobac-
co factory; being SO strongly impregnated with
the searching odor Of this "foul Indian weed"
the premises were quite free from vermin OF all
sorts. Other filth was abundant Our fare
was coarse and stinted, but as good and abun-
dant probably as the rebels could afford We
ought not therefore, to blame them for this
Some of the officers were kind and honorable.
BY trustworthy guards, the prisoners who had
the means (which but very few had) could
send out into the city and purchase certain ne
cessaries and comforts
Hpermitted to write letters, all communica-
tions were examined by rebel officers, and if
any thing In them complained of ill-treatment
or censured the rebel cause, they were pretty
sure to be suppressed.
In September large body of us was sent
from Richmond to New Orleans. The convey
ance was by railroad and steamboats,. No
Wnere ON the rout were we treated by the spec
tators who crowded the depot to see US, but
WIN ruueness, excepting one instance. In one
place between Mobile and New Orleans. there
were women at the depot who kindly offered us
cakes, drink and nosegays Such unexpected
attention made most grateful impression on
us all. May Gods blessing ever rest on such
sisters of charity
In New Orleans we were thrust into the
common felon's jail, and in squads of 16 were
locked lin cells IL x 16 feet, with no win
dows but an iron grating high up, no beds,
mattresses or even blankets, TO lie on or un-
der. Our couch was the bare floor. Ii the
prisoners would assist, under guard, in build
ing nigh fence around the prison yard, they
were promised the privilege of recreating
themselves and taking the air in it; but when
the work was done, this privilege was refused
why, never knew There was a narrow
yard, a few feet wide, adjacentt to the prison.
into which at certain times prisoners were al
lowed tC go for the purpose of cooking. wash
ing, &c. Our fare at first was hard bread.
smoked pork and water. Whilst the pork
lasted, we had the bones to make trinkets of.
but the impure flesh gave us the scurvy, and
as cure for this, all meat was withhoden
and we were dieted on bread aud water only.
Strange as it may seem, the Yankee prison
ers, during their six months Imprisonment in
New Orleans, made several hundred dollars
worth OF trinkets of bone and wood, which
were sent into the city and sold Some of
them were wicked enough to alter or counter
felt Confederate shin-plasters, which were