The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-12-04
Our Military Correspondence.
COLLEGE GREEN BARRACKS. ANNAPOLIS,
MARYLAND. Nov. 18Th, 1868

| can breathe tho air of Freedom. was
captured at the Hospital Of the 4,b Divis-
ion. (Geu. Reynolds on Sunday eve., the
2Oth of Sept, at the Battle Of Chickamau.
"a. together with o. @. Herrick. Medical
Director Of this Division. and Col. Fowler
Of the lO5tt V. M. At about 10 o'clock,
Gen. NcCook sent an orderly with orders
10 fll tho ambulance train with wounded,
and send them to Chattanooga without do.
lay, for we would certainly no captured be.
fore tho sun went down. The train was i'm
mediatcly filed and sent away. and then
The question was raised who should stay and
take care of tho balance Of our men for
there were some 300 left, besides those that
would probably be on the field, the hos
pital attendants selected AMI some eleven
surgeons.
We were captured by Wheeler and For.
rist's commands. Just at dark, they came
charging through in solid columns. yelling
as though hell had broken loose. ordered
The surgeons into line. and all Of the hospi.
tai attendants also, and then marched those
that had been selected to discharge the du-
ties of nurses. leaving tho surgeons and my.
self, with nearly 300 wounded mon to care
for, after robbiDg the surgeons of their
hats and overcoats, md taking mary of tho
blankets off tho wounded mon. We we're
two days without any help save what was
lnEt IN MnnAav r,as,i,- ,ho
went to work to bury tLe dead, and perform
the duties of nurses. which do not belong
to them yet they did it,, and too much
praise cannot be awarded them. For two
days ond nights wo had been hard at work
making tho wounded as comfortable as
could be done in such circumstances and
times as these. when robbed of everything.
1t was very gloomy.
Our men were not on the battle. field for
three days after tho feht, on Sunday, tho
10Th. 1t was on the 18th that there were
some brought to tho hospital,a after laying on
tho field for eight days. cannot give any
reason for their not letting them DO brought
oft before, unless it was for them to rob the
dead and wounded, for our dead were
stripped of their clothing, even to every.
thing but their shirts, and tho wounded of
watches, money and other smaller articles,
such as finger rings, &c. Our dead we're
not buried when we passed over the field on
our way to Richmond, as prisoners of war.
and | do not know but that they are laying
there ut the present time, for it would have
been Impossible to have inferred them in
the state OF putrefaction which they we're
in.
Wo wero forwcrded to Atlanta, Ga -
NO saw enough to damn the Confed.
Thcre was u Major OF tho I'd East
Cavalry. ibis name I forget.)
Who had lain three months, and then lay, on
IN old couch, with a fever from which he
never could recover, with ball and chain at.
:ached to his leg. The ball. l should Judge.
weigh 80 lbs. Also. Capt. Cor,is. of
he same Regiment, for no crime but being
N the Union army. We arrived in Rich.
on Sunday. the 18th Of October ; were
there examined, and our money taken from
us. with Tho assurance that it should be no.
turned to us when We left. | have received
none with others, nor do I expect to over.
Thoy may keep it. l intend to got four
fold it over return to my Regiment. While
in prison We drew loaf of bread, about 20
ounces bones. 2 ounces Of beef, twice q day,
a pint of soup, occasionally, until about
'hreo weeks ago. when we were cot short of
bread. and put upon unbolted corn bread,
about a pounds weight,and boiled and rotten
bacon. l, with others, was glad to get it,
although on some the muggots were an inch
long Tho soldiers in prison used to trade
their coats, boots and shoes for bread TO
keep from starvation, l have seen gold
traded to the guard, worth 800, for
200 loaves of bread, that would not weigh
over IL ounces a pair Of good shoes traded
from 5 to 8 loaves o: bread. This was
lone in Pemberton Prison.
l heard aw:u! tales of Belle Island, where
5000 Union prisoners are confined. but
,ould not believe all that I heard untn !
was transferred to the At Alabama (Feder-
a) hospital, and there l was conscious hat
all of the state mepts OF that horrib 10 place
were true as the Book Of Revelation. had
of 200 sick and wounded, mostly
tho Island. Tho Union prisoners on
the Island have no shelter. except a few old,
wOrn,out fonts, insufficient for half of tho
number, and thousands of tho men we're
without any protection from cold; one.
fourth of The men were without blankets,
and s%cartily clothed. The deaths in hos.
pitfalls, To my certain knowledge, would av-
eragc 43 u day, and mostly patients from
the Island. These deaths were among those
who were reduced to the last stage of dssti.
tuition, and then brought to the hospital.
where little could DO done for want of prop.
or food. medicine and care. They we're
brought in every day. the worst specimens
of human beings that the world ever saw,
lousy, filthy, for want of soap and other ar.
tlcles, (ior We do not draw soap.) ] have
seen many u poor soldier whose, hair was
nearly white with the eggs OF Bottle Island
G,ayhncka Wa draw for tha sick in hosni.