The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-19
STATEMENT Ofaa EsCAPED sRlsOyER.
BLOODHOUND sESTINBLs.
7he Prison at Shreveport, Louisiana.
Cotton Sold fO- Grcenbaczs.


Of candor and intelligence From his
statement We gather the following
facts:
Mr.. Burgess was captured the 10Th 0!
I january last, with eight other Federal
soldiers, fifteen miles from Pine Bluff,
I bY about seventy OF Shelby's men, who
/ were mostly dressed in Federal uniform.
/ This was at the time Of the second raid
upon Pine Bluff The prisoners were
Immediately taken to Shelby's head
/ quarters, on the Saline river, near Mt
Elba where they arrived and found two
| other prisoners from the 9th Kansas.
When Mr. B. and party were captu-
red. the rebels took from them their
horses, money, Overcoats and boots 4;
and, IN some instances, thcv rob-
bed his comrades OF their troWse.S.
and (Which was adding insult 10 iniu-
rs turned over 10 our men their own
ragged and lousy trousers. When the
party got to Camden, the rebel provost
marshal took from them the other little
articles Of property they had left, such
a. pocket knives, sewing thread, pen
ellis and combsl Mr.. Burgess says that
when the rebel troops plundered them
Of their money and clothing, they con
fessed that that was what they were
now fighting for The prisoners were
marched to Warren, where they remain
,Sl four days Marmaduke's head
quarters were then at Warren. From
thence they marched TO Camden, where
theyremained three days From Cam
dem TO Shreveport they were six days
The weather was cold much Of the time
and as the prisoners were, most Of them,
compelled to march barefooted, they
suffered severely. Private John Hen
bricks Of the 9TH Kansas, had his feet
frost-bitten, and at the end of the
march his feet were 50 swollen they
hardly resembled human feet. The
prisoners had to lay out nights, without
shelter or blankets, and they conse-
quently were much exposed, and suffer
ed in health
Mr.. Burgess thinks the rebel force
there was about 1000, and in very
domoralized condition. There was a
good pontoon bridge there, and few
transports. At that place also several
Confederate soldiers came TO him pr
yately, and said they were anxious 10
get out of the service and go home
They inquired particularly how they
would be received if they got into the
Federal lines, whether or not they would
be forced into tho Federal service?
That idea, Mr.. 8. says, had been extern
siyely impressed upon their minds A
lot OF them, he says, told him they have
given up all hopes Of success. One man
said he had fred the last round he ever
would st the Union army, and that he
would gives thousand dollars to be out
Of tle service.
Mr. B. says the rebels had taken sew
eral hundred horses and mules in their
raid near Pine Bluff. These they took
from friend and foe alike and ayowed
that the getting these animals was the
principal object of their raid, rs they ex-
pected the Federals would get them il
they did not He says they gave no re
ceipts to the owners Of the animalr.
They had about twenty citizens as cap
tivcs, whom they treated with contempt
and altogether more rudciy than they
did the Ecdcrals
On arriving at Shreveport. the pris-
oncrs were taken to Kirby Smiths
headquarters, and were detained about
there q couple Of hours, and thence
were sent to the prisoners camp, fifteen
miles distant
At Shreveport, Mr B. saw two gun
boats, one o. which was ironclad called
Webb. There were, however, no guns
aboard her, they having been taken out
TO put upon the Qualifications He also
counted thirteen or fourteen transports,
some of which were nice boats They
have good p0ntoon bridge there, and
earthwork5 to protect it. But there
are no Notifications 70 oppose 8 river
attack. The river there is not so wide
as the Arkansas at Little Rock ShfeY>-
port IS built on a high bluff IS larger
than Little Rock, but has no trade at
present, there being no merchandise
there. There Is , telegraph in oper-
alton between Camden and Shreveport
The rebels have garrison at Alexan-
lria, and a small one at Monroe Mr.
3. thinks the rebels cannot collect TO-
900 effective men at Shreveport
The camp for prisoners is situated
below Shreveport, and two miles from
the river It IS on moderately high !
ground, in timber country, but sur
rounded by swamps. The rebels had !
about 600 there, among them being two
crews Of gunboatmen, who were cap
tured yearago. The prisoners were |
quartercd in huts and houses, which /
they had to erect themselves The |
camp included about two acres. and |
was surrounded by . chain Of sentinels. |
There were only from eight to ten sen
tinoi, on q relief Besides this guard, /
the Confederate government Kept |
pack Of 5,0o1ho;mas numbering about /.
twelve which were placed on duty gen |
orally about four o'clock in the morn /
ing. Nevertheless the guard was 50
weak, or had 50 many Union men I
among them, that prisoners frequently |
escaped.
The usual rations OF the prisoners |
were ono pint Of coarse corr meal to q
man, three-quarters of a pound of fresh
beef, OF a poor quality, ali Uncoo.led, a
spoonful OF sugar, and salt barely
enough to uso N cooking tho beei-no /
ct ali, except once in whilo
? sweet potato IN lieu of the ration of
tea nor coffee Cooking uten-
sis wore few. The prisoners did their
OWN cooking, The prisoners, generally
enjoyed gooI health, and had no hos
0itaL
At clock in the morning, aud At 5 /
in the afternoon, tho prisoners were
in front OF the headquarters
Of Col NaFrizon, commander Of the
camp, -aud counted There was = roll
call only once q week.
Mr. Burgess was not contcnted 10 re-
nc.u longer than ten days when he
.uccoede1, with about twenty ctLels, IN
by crawling out NJ night on
.he ground between the scntinels- Two
prisoners belonging 20 the 2Stn Indiana,
accompanied him after the escape 10
-Cc Red river where they made raft,
ard then iiosted down stream three
niles to avoid pursuit by the blood
bounds They tHen pursued their way,
keeping ~ the woods over streams and /
through swamps, % the Mississippi,
which they struck st Ashton. From
thence Il ey proce sded to Nicasburg.
IL is The opinion Of Mr.. Burgess, after
al he has seen Of the people and sol
liess Of -eOeldcm, that a very large
majority despair Vi the Confederate
cause, and heartily desire the restcr2-
.:on Of the Federal authority. he
thinks the Presidents proclamation OF
VIII produce great effect
when il becomes known n the rebel
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