St. Cloud Democrat., 1863-04-02
Correspondence.
THE BATTERY' BOYs' CAprURrp RY
s< , GUERRILLASP PAROLEO.

THE BATTERY soYs cAPTURED BY
T. GUERRILLAs PAROl.ED.
F Tho following letter frcm Will Kin
kead announces the release of the six
boys of the Second Minnesota Battery
captured by guerrillas, an account Of
which was given some time since. They
hope to be exchanged soon:
|; GsNsRAL HosP1rAL, ANNAPOLIS, Mn.,o
March 10Th, 1868.
DEAR 11I.-1 feel it incumbent upon me
TO let Ay friends knew, that l still
exist. On dit, was taken prisoner, to-
gether with Christian Denlinger, Henry ST.
monds. James Lane, Francis Flint, md Fordes
Averell, Of the ID MINI. Battery, on the sixth
81 February, near Franklin, Williamson Co.,
Tennessee, bv Capt. Forests Mounted Sharp
shooters. The horse was riding, fine ami
NAL belonging to Alex, was shot under me.
but escaped injury Of any kind. We were
hurried off to Columbia and locked up in the
tonscript prison five days. While there Capt.
II. Won Minden, of Saint Paul, who was cap
*tured while out scouting near Fl. Dennelson,
by Gen. Forest, came in. On the 18th we
were marched under guard of Lieut.. Allison,
Of the 18th Alabama cavalry, to Shelbyville,
where we were again introduced to filthy
prison, containing many disagreeable looking
eorn:tsd soldiers. Next morning the iron
horse carried us to Tullahoma and we were
confined in frame building twenty by forty,
on the opposite side of the street from where
Gen. Bragg and lady were boarding saw
the General every day he dressed in citizens
dress, and always carried under his arm roll
Of papers, evidently maps from appearances.
Here were over hundred persons, many
With shackles on, sentenced to be shot for
different offences some few called spies
were to be hung sooa three were executed
while we were there. In this loathsome
place, damp and sickenin2 from the spittle of
tobacco chewers, the fire was bu lit upon the
gfound-the floor being torn up for that pur-
poee-witha close roof overhead which pre-
vented the smoke escaping except through the
two open wirdow places. 1t was smoke
house On a large scale 1assure you, and our
eyes ached dreadfully. So dirty was this
den, that it certainly had never been cleaned
in any manner since new. Add to this, that
the vermin skipped about in focks The reb-
els had robbed US of our overcoats, and with
the wind coming in all around, you will not
wonder that, even exhausted as became for
want nf root Oou1A nil
it. Here our guards consisted of the First
Louisiana Regiment, composed Of Irish deck
hands from the Mississippi steamboats,. l
could not help inqulring where the "brave de-
tenders Of their soil' was when they allowed
the first regiment raised in the Crescent City
to be made up of men of foreign birth-men
find still ignorant of what they are fighting
for.
After being tortured here five days, We
were forwarded with number of others to
Chattanooga, where Capt. Won Minden left us
Oh the morning Of the 2lst for Atlanta, Ca,
where our commissioned officers are imprison-
ed. Next morning we started eastward
missing our connection with another train at
Knoxville, we were sent to the prison for safe
keeping. was twenty-four hours in the
same room where Parson Brownlow passed so
many days of suffering. The "reign Of ter
ror" in East Tennessee is still unabated. l
met many Of BroYnlow's friends and neigh
bors still suffering an unjust confinement, be-
cause like that noble old hero they will not ac-
knowledge the Southern Confederacy, or the
power of its rulers. Old gray headed men,
fast declining in strength as we'll as years, are
there From within that prison wall goes
up daily many fervent prayer for the Union
The Conscription act is in full force here, and
like all other jails in the South this is actual
ly stuffed with men unwilling to 6ght-men
carried away from their homes and families by
the rebel cavalry, who search the wooded hills,
among the caves in the rocks, where many
have been hiding for months. In the Knox
vile prison saw Union officers in shackles,
bolted within heavy iron cages, and a sentinel
to prevent any one conversing with them
Will, here I 'could tale unfold" but not
now. There are many things worth being ta-
ken prisoner for. haye many incidents of
pleasure which occurred during my captivity
that would like to relate but am too eau.
tious at present-sutice to say, it was N as
sisting at different places, some of "our boys"
out of rather unpleasant difficulties. While
in Tennessee We were fed exclusively on re-
markably small rations of corn bread and ba-
con, with no salt in the bread. The fact is
they will soon be unable to procure salt s:to
save their baeon''
After being detained one night at Lynch
burg We arrived 1t that Iefunct looking place
called Richmond, on the morning Of the 26th
Of February, and were soon ensconced in one
ofthe large (46 by 100 feet) rooms Of the mo-
ted Libby Prison, without any fires and only
the naked door to rest upon, or walk upon