Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-19
A LOYAL WOMAE's EXPERIENCE IN
CAPTIVITY.
Return of Mrs. Francis G. Parker 20
this Guy from Macon, Georgia.

We clip the following interesting letter
written in this city, from the New York
EUening Post, to which journal it was
sent:
Mrs. Francis C. Parker has just returned
here from Macon, Georgia. Her husband, i,
Mr.. Dewett Parker, served three years in
the war, in the twelfth Illinois regi-
ment. After his term of service expired,
he went into government service as q con-
ductor ofa government train running be-
tween Chattanooga and Nashville. On the
9Th of August last the train was captured
by band of guerrillas, and all on the train
taken prisoners, The guard would not
dress the wounds Of Mr., Parker and Mr.,
Dean, but seemed to delight in aggraVat-
ing them and in rsnsscking Mrs, Psrker's
trunks, They found her husbands letters
to her while he was in the service, giving
accounts of the battles and so on; would
read them, tear them up and throw them
at hlm, taunting him in every way they
could, They took their money, clothing,
books and every thing they had, even to a
gold ring off Mrs. Parker's finger,
The prisoners were confined in Jail, Mrs.
Parker tore up her nnder clothing to dress
her husbands wound. But on the Esd of
October her husband died, and she was
released on the 10Th.
october 2oth, in company with George
DeMill and William Dean, Mrs. Parker
started North, having government trans
pOrtation to Cleveland, where she arrived
November Path, having had no change of
| clothing for five weeks. She came to find
sister who had moved here some years
ago. She could not find her; was alone,
homeless and penniless. Mr.. 6. A. Hyde
sod wife of this city, happened to be at the
railroad depot the morning after Mrs.
Parker's arrival, and learned something Of
her history from clark Warren. Mr.. Hyde
| gave her home, and by the exertions Of
himself and wife, means have been raised
to clothe her, that she may again take the
position in society that her education and
merits as a lady demand.
The scenes of suffering which Mrs
Parker witnessed can hardly be realized by
those of US enjoying good health and the
comforts Of home. Federal soldiers who
had once been strong, stalwart, robust men,
| lay on the prison floors in rags, with the
bones of their shoulders and hips protrud-
ing through the flesh, with nothing under
them to keep tt raw flesh from adherine
TO the bare floor, and in such agony they
| would turn from side to side and
when, amid all this suffering, which
would seem to be enough to awaken
the sympathy of the most savage monster,
Southern women were found SO wanton a.
to spit in the face of poor helpless soldier
because he groaned with pain. Mrs. Parker
saw one of the lady chivalry do this, and
was 80 enraged that she slapped the woman
in the face, and in consequence was tied VI
and kept on hominy and water for three
| days. She had suffered so much she cared
very little what they did to her, and fell
that she would about as soon die as live
In one of the rooms of the jail fifty prison.
ers were confined, and it was so small thai
while part of them lay down to rest, tht
balance of them stood huddled together
and when they got tired out, the otherl
would get up and let them lie down. The
furniture of the room consisted of enC
wooden bucket and one tin cup. An order
was issued to shoot any prisoner seen put
! ting their heads out of the windows of tht
jail, For violation of that order, Oscal
White, of Iowa, and Richard Williams, o
Missouri, lost their lives.