The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-12
CAPTIVITY IN the SOUTH.
Narrative Of q Union Prisoner
in Texas.

Il
ment or the Wounded After Their Cap
turc-Indignities mt Houston-Acts OF
Kindness from Private Individuals
The Society OF vermtn-March OF One
Hundred and Ninety Mlles-Camp
Ford--Trcatment Embellishments
Journey 90 the Union Lines-Senti-
meat OF the Texans-The Names or the
| Prisoners I'm Texas, Sc.
10 following communication is from Dr. D. r. Nestel,
surgeon OF the late United states steamer Clifton
FEBRUARY 20, 1864.
In behalf Of four hundred officers men and prt
Yates whom left prisoners Of at Camp Ford
Tyler Smith county, Texas, and their families resident
In the North permit me TO detail, briefly, the par.
tcuars incident to capture, and treatment among
the rebels, and my subsequent to release COM
mencng with few preliminary remarks touching the
action at Sabine Pass, Texas September 8, 1868.
The United States steamers Clifton AM Sachem, in
junction with General Frankn's forces having arrived
at the Sabine the 7th of September agreed
tween the officers commanding tho army and naval forces
that attack the rebel strong works should take
place the following day (Sth), when tho troops
to land at accessible point Immediately It's COM
| mencement by the vessels.
At about three O'Clock p NJ the next day the ball was
opened Under full head Of steam, with tho view pass
the fort and batteries the rebel
lying above, the Clifton and Sachem, In the
countable hard aground-the former in tho
Texas channei and the latter in the Louisiana channel
from which unpleasant predcancnt II found impossi
BILE to hem and the six guns tweny pound
ers) of the fort opened most destructive fire. at dis
lance Of not than three hundred yards. Not with
standing that death seemed the Inevitable fate Of all
board the two vessels, they fought with desperation
seldom witnessed-be Clifton being utterly unable TO
bring any but her gun to bear upon the fort the
Sachem receiving shot In her boiler, scaldng nearly
every in It's vicinity. This fact with the Clifton'e
inability to prooug unequal contest Alone with but
! one available gun-the broadside guns being
| dered useless owing to her immavabe position
| In the implacable mui-.ogether with tho
operation tho troops agreelby to the arrangement,
determined Captain Crocker, commanding the aeet to
surrender.
II was shown thai had the troops, afterwards,
complied with tho arrangement entered into with tho
vessels they could easily have redeemed the affair and
captured the fort and the town. AS 1t but forty
mcn stationed in the FORT captured the vessels while
there less than two hundred TO defend the fort
ard the against the thousands OF our own soldiers
! lying idle within their view.
II not until oil the prisoners transferred to
the that the of damage to two
! vessels was known. There being no surgeon on the
sachem the wounded Of both vessels placed under
my charge. How much they suffered during tedioug
| journey TO Beaumont no tongue may describe Not g
drop OF anything stimulating-so necessary to them-
could be obtane1. Hence they remained In state Of
partial insensibty until their further transfer to tho
| hospital at that place
The next morning the surviving officers and men were
conveyed by railroad 10 Houston, while remained with
tho wounded. During my stay here (some d.ys)
surgeon OF the post, during which time fortu
nate enough to enjoy social interviews with the rebel
chelsains Magruder and scurry The gentlemen
20 me the courtesy and respect incident only to good
! breeding education.
on the 18th OF september most the wounded having
recovered left for Houston where was ignominousy
confined with sthe other Yanks - the Assistant Pro-
Mar lhalc Nl uQ
Here were the recipients o. much gross indgnty rom
promscuous visitors both Some OF owuDg'
endeavored TO render situation still miserable
with their venom which only made s'sme with such
meaning' C)-painiuly engh enng us s 10 their
spirit patriotism justice and truth charac
terzing the wretchssthc most bitter and insane in
IL
Mandatory OF the many OF kindness experienced at
Also besides furnishing with comfortable BLANKETS,
mattress and COT excrted their best influence with the
"inexoraslc Duchman" the Provost Marshal, for the
obtanncnt OF my release, the ground that surgeons
both sides NOT held prisoners Of war, but in
VAN II is with gratitude that take this opportunity
| TO express my profound THINKS therefor.
On the 9Th Of october we all left Houston for Camp
There We found some Of the officers Of the Harriet Lane
Morning Light, OF The Forty second Massachusetts volun
toerabie only through their ingenuity and months Of
labor ana at ton 7. NJ. we retired, fcictaling our
finally released. But assl in about hour order
came from coarse throat ~ "turn OUT and turn
out We did MT knowing what be tho the
most singular procedure Taking up march, with
our bedding and other elects on our backs in few nm
utcs wc were ncontnently thrust into q neghborins
"shebang,v unsreakably iilhy. where the traits and
other vermin did hold revel.n Cropping about In the
solemn darkness III chosen spot wherecn TO lodge could
be found, each brought himself to anchor, waiting,
like Mscawber, for 'somehng 10 turn up" amelioratinE
The morning brought one Captain Evans at the door,
who aoogi ed Tor reception the previous night Civ
ing ms a reason that The Colonel Commanding lSaylesl
beng absent our treatment unavoidable, as no
compelled to dispose OF ~ 10 the minncr he did. for
which declared his unqualified disapprovsl, promising
| le er
| eli, &c
, week brought commundant Of Al post-Co.onel
| Ba, nes Colonel Sayles-irom whom received
very many favors tending to mitigate horrors our
situations ALEC from Captain Evans and others connected
| with the camp we received much Kindness.
suy Msess p.sseu away auis mn,on .s. ua
ears, The which ~ often proving false, tended 10 the
come that TO be raroed and sent shreyc-
! port, Ii. Accordingly the men and prvates with Or.
shulz Of the Morning Light ana paymaster simmons q
December all heoicers commenced most tedious march
on foot one hundred and ninety miles by another route
did me the honor Of stealing all silver, consisting
O e
uniform coat cutting them out therefrom, cloth and ALL
Sese oua
for policy sake although knew well the thief who had
on the I'D tour twelfth day IN roue we halted al Camp
Ford near Tyler. Here, u SURPRISE thrust
confined here some Of which we found were s,iiI occu
pied by certain officers OF Conn ctcut Indiana Iowa and
New York regiments captured at Brsshear CITY Donald
sonvile, Laiourche lhibodcaux, Bayou B@uf aud the
i Ford, che.
Colonel Allen commanding post at Camp Ford behaved
towards with much humanity, assuring US that our
food s,just no gave his sod,crsn which was
indeed the fact, aud which both scanty poor.
THIS state OF things, however, much aiev lated By
cur ability 10 purchase M exorbitant prices, many hle
things without the cruel stccksde which enclosed
Our sojourn here exceedingly dsagrceabc In more
| respects than Again rumors, amost daily.
rife that 70 be exchanged paroled and
under the impression that the who had pre-
coded by this sent within lines; but
these like those that haunted Camp Groce, proved
| 10 be merely ..jokcs ftcm Without
However, the middle Of January addressed for.
NAL the commandment OF the post, dem ne that
] DO released In accordance with the custom of AL