The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-11-18
An Iacidehs III Priseu tile q the
North.

An Iacideht IN Prisen 1i1e q the
North.
An "Eschanxed Prisoner, fbsm lo1Hsea's Island
furnishes the Savannah RepsAlfnp with the fol-
lowing incident, which occniFsa 1ssisg his csiE
'fnement there. II rs not surprising that pIol
should have been recently formed ~ MtseifuI men
to release the Confedefates there.
The evening Of the Ell, Of AuepM viii ever he
remembered by oil who were cdMesed In thar Ioafi-
some den. The full moon rose t1spngll ctnssdless
| sky-Eol dipple Or wave distNfted the wafefpa-
the lake spread out az far as the se9e could I'D,
fecting the forests that envlrome4 ITS shtses 1hr
moons bright beams from cldnltess sky minRjea
with the waters and made the l4 present sht ~
The picture was inimitable, rnpssous tpcisnnting,
and broughrtO mind visions 0f tAfet 1nn1. SHe had
seen the news of the cartel fDr eze1ldA6 Ut pris-
0ners having been ratified, and bunynnt with the
nope OF an early return 10 our r0MntFy and home,
we could look from prison HHd h1fges ilae hard
ships Of our condition In the beauty 0f the scene
before us. inspired by alt the Surroundings, song
was proposed. and with united volces, sod a mel
ody and ferver never before e9tAlee4, we sent
echoins over the lake she words q Sne again
Hardly had the last note died nWay In the dis
tance when we were staLiled by sthet report OF a
m1sket and one of fell 10 flle ground nj
tering faint moan. No one wm al1o owed to ap-
prOach the PROSTATE man ns he tay 3fgbi at The
door of his quarters. Was he dead? Was li,.
wounded. Was he only feienin& in order to shpl-
ter himself from another sh0t9 N0ra6e could tell,
the crowd being prevented from approaching by
the inhuman guards. Thirty mlnNfeN Ella psetI sfi
ring which two field pieces t4Ade@ q grape were
trailed upon the prisoners, nne III hatia3isU win,
loaded arms. drawn up In lne were ready for their
work of murder The officer Of the day then up
preached the PROSTATE man, still keeping back the
crowd, and returned In haste out OF the prison,
saying to tie anxious inquiries Of the prisoner :
tta At hp al uhl l,srrf II,
his own safety, he thus qaieted the men till he got
beyond the prison bounds. The surgeon ne II zane
IN; he was the.only Off er in the whole Yankee
guard that had kind heart or generous imputse.-
He was much respected by all. and Is RENE nskered
kindly by many for his acts Of sympathy. He ap
preached the PROSTATE man, and Calling Il half IA
dozen to his assistance. lifted the itless body OF
Lieut.. Gibson from the ground. The ball enter ring
his left breast passed through his body and pene-
irated the door of his quarters For thirty minutes
from the time he received his wound, he laid upon
me ground Il" iriend OF romfade was allowed 10
approach, and his dying words and affectiomaIc
IN father, mother, sister, and friends, f.
only upon line Of the God of his hope and sal
walton, whose name he adOfed and whose c0nl-
mands he had kept from his yout, up.
Silently and sorrowfi,lly the prisoners gathered
around their dead cOmraGe, and with their scant
res0nrces prepared the body for the grave. In
searching the baggage Of tire murdered enc for
clothes to substitute for his bloody garments, we
found carefully packed away melnentoes that ~i,-
listed our greatest sympathy for the bereaved
family when they should iearn of their loved ones
fate. Here was fob chain ingeniOusly wrought ct
gntta percla, in measured links, nlad with she'll
taken from the lake resembling pearl, with seal
pending, in which the Confederate flag was rep
resented by the cOlOrs of Me sh+ll-this was Tor
the aged father. bfeasipin of the same material,
with cross aud the Star Uf the East above II, viii,
Il spear below, symbolic of the Christians h pc,
WAS for his mother A pair Of bsacp lets. formed in
links OF The same material, The links adjoining ,i,,
clasp on either xidr having the device Of heart,
tpN 10
tiOnate sentiment, ssin hope let our hearts be
unted''-lhis was for his sister.
These menientOes Of a s0n's and brothers. aficc
On so Interesting on account OF their having been
carved out while in prison. and with the primitive
tools AT the command of the prisoners, were not
allowed TO reach the hands of those for whom they
were Intended.
The sentiment of the prisoners that night IL in
descrbable-a deep, determined spirit of revenge
settled upon the minds Of every one, and found ut
terance, one to another, In solemn pledges to
avenge his dealh. Twelve hundred Yankees vii!
bite the dust, for each conlrade has pledged him
self 10 mber the fate of Gibson, and strike for
vengeance whenever the foe appears.
We procured black walnut coffin, and placing
the remains in ii, 1T. Steele, of the 2Sth N. T..
regiment, performed the solemn funeral service
over our murdered brother The coffin then
placed in scavenger cart, and six Yankees
thereon. With their spades resting upon
the coffin they drove off to the lake shore, where
they buried him with curses and vulgar jokes upon
ssthe dead rebel.o
Imagine the feelings Of a fond parent, full Of
years, a venerable minister OF the Gospel Of the
Baptist denomination, when at Vichsburg expect
ing to take to his embrace loved and dutful son,
he learns the fate that has pefaIen him. and that
he was killed to make good the oath of a Yankee
guard that he would kill rebel before we left the
prison.
On leaving the prison the men were marched TO
the cars, and while there surrounded with guards
and bristling bayOnets, unknown to them, their
baggage was tom open with violence and robbed
of aVA
trinkets and charms that the men had cxpen ted
their ingenuity and time whale i'm prison in making
mrmentoes Of theiI prison life, and at the
time atfecliOnate offerings to their kindred and
friends. Thus they murdered, in cold blood, Lieu
tenant Gibson, and appropriated To unhoiy uses
those little things that valuable only 10 the
bereaved on account of their association and the
circumstances under which they were made.