, 1864-11-24
THE SOUTHERN PRISONS,
Interesting Narrative of an
Escaped Prisoner.
The Pens IS Of Macon, .Ander-
sonVille and Columbia.
Terrible Suferings of Federal
Prisoners.
A Journey through the Heart of
South carolina-Fidelity Of the
hegroes-Miraculous Escape .
Interesting Concerning
Sherman's Movement.

oueGWau movement.
From an interview with }, L. Elmer n
Cedar Rapids, Town, n priyntc In Co. &, It'll
Iowa infantry, and an escaped prisoner from
Southern Dungeons, VIC have gathered many
items Of interest. Mr.. Elder WIS taken
prisoner at Or before Atlanta in July last. and
was successfully taken to Macon, Anderson,
Vile, Anguish, Savannah, Charleston, and
Columbia. At Macon he was fortunate
enough to obtain a position In the hospital
where he cared for the wounded men of Cook
and stoneman's raiders. Among them was a
Tennessee cavalry officer who was In a DIVING
condition. This officer gave to Elder biz
clothes, and desired him to send home bis
shonlder-sGaps and memorandum book to
Ms friends at Knoxville. Elder donued the
officers coat, and placed the book and s+rans
In his pocket, which served him q good tnrn
as our readers will see. ~
shortly after, he wAs removed to Ander,
SonFn!e, that den Of horrors worse than the
Black Hole Of Calcutta, or the terrors II ~
Jersey, in revolutionary days. The prisoners
we're drawn up in line, and examined and rep.
1stered. Elder gave his name as nrivafs
but upon searching him, the book with the
name Of the Tennessee officer aud the strnps
o,,ao "vo aa1nad tounu n Ms pocket The rebels at
ns = nr;ta4a ~ t ~ " naq registered himself
want to eo }nto tbn aIm a, ae must be slliy to
better treated as an ocer Elaer Ia eoa ct onoe oe
saT tue propriety of his assuming tie rank
even # it did not belong to him, and aok7aot1-
cdged hk rataake. The result was that ho re-
enor ,a,,a,-aJ ~ ~ ~ uu3 TWO oays, and vas
1ncai;tG nonGo ~ 10 petter and more desirable
ncn n3rc than n acuane o. tne horrors Of that
Vnr Tap poor fellows were IN terrible condition.
maps sa,,r =! sns we're learfnlly eaten By the
scuI'y, lhelf Jaws and thigh bones, in some
instances pfotrnoing through the skin. Large
numbers, 1lu9 a!lAough comparatively sound In
tost uuus, x1re Turned INTO mantacs By the hor-
Taoat shelter. They were stripped Of their
9 eio9tnns. ana covered :heir nakedness with
olo rags ana nlthy meal sacks. In this plight
me cold >dews Of the night, the nala-
and a,opf f5e Stea%hng rapofs Of the morning
N body and mind. Many and many poor
passed II in order to be shot hv VIZ H. e, ana
relieved Of his miseries by death. IN one ~ ~
casion, Elder saw sergeant deliberateIr
cross the lines. He folded his arms and called
out to the guard to shoot him. The bunrlinp ]
w1etch fired FIVE times at him, the last shof ti1i,
ing him and two Of the others. Tounainp nther
prisoners, one Of them fatally. Tile hS1;es of
the dead men left uuburied and under ~
s"eltering boiling sun, rapidly TUNED black
and s~elled in the most repulsiye manner:
Eaten with scnrTy, ganeTene and 1er.
min; starved, beaten ana ahnsed. a AT
wounded and crazcd with the inhnman'
treatment, they still clung wifi, rnxTa-,i-..-
fidelity to the Union cause. and no hrihe ,ra5
large enough to tempt them from their a1Ie.
glance Noble heroes! gallant men! They
Gaa 10y a,e Maslng beneath the furnace blast.
from AndcEsonv11le Elder vas removed
oack 10 Aacont where he made bct tempo
rary stay, and thence on to Augusta. Here
ne renamed but short time, and was arain |
moved to Savannah, At this latter mace |
q Ineif Treatment was much better than they
sannah, lact they discovered by presents r. |
'9oo AUG money conveyed to them surrepti- |
s.ous'y: @ lhcre are no fortihcations in the
~, ~ Ssannn- ana garrison Of 1000
sars 'shsr1nssn n1a, ;,1 nola ne p!ace. Elder
Sayonnet ns. VII VII nave no difficulty in taking
10 rreet The 1c.annesr1nea ~ u paent5 q cnlon m:1
st,{5es Ne disappearance OF the Stars and
KIT fila haer
~. ~ aAe ~ Anasucrns, the prisoners mnst still
,,,a ~ aao AF ne1t Lime they were re-
,tioaed - 1aIles1on where they were
ar4so1;onooS LILY: teae1al hre Here they again
1ocn 1rho Ea1,rd " w h1nohcss OF Union
c4es o. comfort and consumption to them |
eua!ees ~ wa,cn we're connived at By |
~ -o4;a. - L,:u .au lcott regiments, the Epe- !
~ "uca would be Of course I'M
az 1E,.hoat ng ng I9e1f stay they were often
Ij,ls ~adnoui ito4 tor lonr or i've days, md
Lahs lnna, aeapcea TO Inc starvation point The !
Hoea Ii,o aathonues tt would then offer to provide
XII "aln g4oo eaotnes and the best Of food,
~ So1he 70 plepare IL and comfortable |
Dara,e o ~ or9 i9age t N, tnes "ould give their
Ind ~ co1orlsess mn ss " HusA N ne qnartermaster
men worn dn1r1 Tx fat;ia 1fsnes. Many OF our
,ented he ter1n" a+a ue ana slcknes9 ac-
liTcrs capacities. Dnr;ne his ~ ef,E ~ thnn MosA
:eceiTed tnfonmstic,, Trat96 MS ~ s'ay iaere, ne
o be a reI;ahie snnrca ~ tta. nas " peneYea
,nndred 7,,a1,nbs sou1ce 14at tne5e we're seven
ifv ~ Sharsastr,, a,1a;t Htol League IN the
inn and treasnn Aioe't LIE not Ded OF seces-
From Charleston he was renoroa - r.
umbia, s. c. Here. as at Andcrsonvil,s - no 10
la XXI - 11t;n, ta, "lauoGt snelter, Ike cat
T. 1ir 1auons consisted, during the
y = We "eeks ne was confined there, of 9 pint
:, coin ;th nsa ny N Hhlch me cobs were ground
eour m sorphnm n 9e nsr 1nn daF quarter o. pint
n 'ele assueo at a. In spite OF the failures of
eseiaa sG 70 escapeior the blood bounds we're |
eea sa5 uPon dne scent, and had already man.
.e3 lea ano ~ kilea many {among them Capt. Pc
Il o[e,, 81 tne otn lQWa)-Elder determined, as
ls exit
IN the night Of November 18th, Elder.
~. raston, 18TH Tennessee, one Of the sur
!Fofs OF the Fort Pillow butchery. Capts.
ack1nson, Robinson and Burke, Of the 1Gth
onnec1icut, ONT Capt Rcnnals, 18th Ohio, Capt. ;
nen, h9a ,o 3on ioWa, ana Capt Rathbone, 153d :
no, planned their escape. Armins them
ives with clnbs, they dashed suddenly upon !
le GUARDS 1dllng around the fire, and each .
ngling his man, fc1led him to The eround .
lore masket could be fired or alarm given.
ID Immediately struck for the woods. Thcy
'r1ied on to negroes cabin, who informed E
en- Of the locality of two boats on the Con- 7
RI F''er-for the negroes throughout the ! c
nth are as true as steel They were also -,
os1oed with sweet potatoes, hoe cakes and =:
ask OF water. They embarked and were 81
u On thelf way down the river, and rs they st
@ aga canronsiy along in the intense dark, f.
aia a1af on the haying of the baaed II
und Who Ind lost the ssccnt at the =,
er bank. The guards evidently believing u !.
~ ane Prasone5s mad crossed the river, gave
lne cnase3 ana returned to Columbia. Our h
sagere under me friendly corcr Of the night | II
~ 4Sa;zp iapo ~ epeea, by daybreak were far IT
;1HH they comoen3sd mr1s t1s atlantic During
ats to cseape Tie cves nf t,1os;i1 ana thsls
1Gseoa ~, 1ooaa a ioi oeserters. From the
uGa.e 1ts @ .ue5 lasseu mo The Santee River, 10
Jalhn;ds. ,9dns uas9o~ nS escapes. They passed "
"si o,ds nee;n ha;. Huu e9nlu near overhead the p
Jr~a - - s.1. 'V.1HAJ iouu0s' AT one ~
~ s.sa .e. tie 0~spt " me current within e
y 3ad1s - " ene haose' Tncre guard was e
e gpinE W eamp nre. Turing the nights Of n
itantas haet;,1 2oaney lney passed three =
ktciies, @ Aaeuy lnio"n up, and manned by a
i ~ t4tee 9 & ~ 4fesSna a oeser1ers from cross
!, /, az ~ ~ Merm;n1 or nE gSs 1o.,, .,, g
o%th tnG "f 4ha sen+ne ~ tne tnex rounded
- uror II their ee viaT ~ a a1,aa4 saless i ocean
cs vac Tse +honoht fo h. e - ntnot ~ Inc als -,
ler end G.nfssn Sm,th rn 5ooa., 49, uha -
~ r. 1a,tT we,,t nm ~, H. sha .ne
~ ;oS,os - ar1 % * 4IA,t ~ r. tus s4o!g e.
n1ed hi5todor ~ a = 6es e na