Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-11-16

sit dspr-dstinns m the littla property of
their follow prisoners. Their rinslesder
was finally dIsspysrrd. aud the move
mssts Of Ihe faa sls.alJ watched
When ths proper tiss arrived. the lead
or together with a lsry. number Of his
followers Wal suddenly arrested and nut
in close cosfnemsnt bv the rebel author
ities The blanket s~lonK:ar to the
leader was searched. and the body Of a
man found buried near il. and imnsdi-
stelv undsr its box WAS found almost
hlled with Watches. knives money aud
mssy other things which hxd bsen Stolen
from The prisoners xkils asleep. A court
vac organized. = Jury nf twelve ssrgeAnrs
s~mpaHnslled. aud . real lawyer. pris-
onsr, assigned to sonSzst 'hs defence
After $ careful trial, which lasted six
days, six Of these miscrs.nts. including
the leader. were found guilty. and sen
fenced to suffer ds,th by hanging. In
due time she sI.eu;inn tonk place. A
scsHold was erected ard when all WAS
ready, the six condemned men. together
with thslr acoomplIess. were rent for 49,
Being nearly one hundred in number.
thsy had plotted .mong themselves to
MAKE Sight upon re- entering thu stock
ale. and thss prevent the s~xssUtisn; but
when thsy sntsred and saw the long
lines OF determined men drawn up. they
eovsd down and I~ullsnly submitted -
The ak we're led up and stood upon the
fatal plank. the ropes were sdisstsd, and
the drop fell. and i've were left suspend
ed But the rops Of the leader broke.
and he fell tn the ground He begged
hard for mercy. bat in Vsin Hsws, led
up sgsin. and again the drop fell. After
this thsV had NO more trouble With
sooundrsls among thsm.slvex.
In this stockads there We, 4 nIaia oall.
cd the dead line. To e,oss shis line wss
instant death. Our poor fellow dropped
. piece NJ bread. wh;sh rolled over the
line. He reached ost his hand to yet it.
and had his arm broken nv q bullet
FROM the guard. II a man sslsrp nssr
that line should s,rsteL nis feat beyond
it. he was sure tn have = ball put through
then. Some, in despair. committed
suicide by merely stepping across that
fatal line.
But thsss men assured US that of all
che horrors Of that horrible place. moth
ing squallsd the collection of the dead
svsry morning. often exceeding one
hundred in number. Wagons and men
were sent in. One layer If bodies was
thrown in with the heads against the
front Of :hs BODY of the wagon, then
another with the heads against the hin
der end. and 30 on altsrnatslv-their
lower sxtrsmstiss ovsrlapping-untiI the
wagon was full. when the load would be
rounded up with as many a. could he
made to lie on. Not u~nfrs1u.ntly = jolt
Of the wagon would throw . body of up
on the wheels. which would be thrown
On again ~ men would throw on . sack
or . billet Of wood. Thus were brave.
noble. intelligent Christian men carried
to their hurisl every morning.
A prayer meeting was held svery eve
ninG by the prisoners, asd we'll attended.
This fact will afford a sweet drop OF son
~solatisn to many q crushed and sorrow
Ing heart at hsms. Thsv will SEQ by
faith. what the king Of Babylon saw.
one walking with thsir loved one. in
the furnace. "rhs.s fern was like tn.
Son Of God.
The rsbsl hospital attached to this
vaat stockade prison was a vretched sf
fair-almost destitute of medicine. total
" without comfortable and nourishinz
food. and poorly supplied with nurses.
To while away the time, which drag
ged heavily. the u Of These suf-
fsrins men were taxed to the utmost
Some formed themsslves into little clubs
for discussion and debates; some en-
gagged In suck small E.mss as they could
get up. while others taxed their me-
chanisal powers in the construction of
bens rings and a thosand other things
that could be whitfield ont Of wood or bone
with jack knives.
Their ingenuity. bat especially the
digging o. the vslla, a,toniEhed the ma
lives greatly, who would collect in crowds
from the surrounding country and psep
st them thYolh she chinks OF the stock
aas. aibrding our mon no little smuss
msnt BY thsir uncooth and the
oddities OF their provincialism. For ex
ample: . fellow would sing out in true
Gsorsis drawl. What made you uns
come down here to fight We mnss" Or as
another fellow. who was encountered by
ssms Of our cavalry scouts. expressed it:
what for yon uns come here, critic
back, 10 fight We unsi We uns don't go
up north to fight you uns." These are
about fair samples Of their varnscular-
isns
The common PEG pie are excessively
ignersnt. and can give no ineligible
reason why they were as war with the
Government. On the other hand. the
blacks seem TO comprehend ths matter
perfectly. and know very we'll that their
freedom or slavery hangs upon the issue
Of struggle. These gentlemen are very
confident the negroes will never 6ght on
the rebel side One Of them asked a
shrswed brisk fellow, that he law at
Andsrsonvills. what they would do if
their masters were to make soldiers Of
them. and set them to fighting the Yam
With q sly chuckle he replied,
"Golly, msssa. We would charge-ard for
ca 10 ssms kask !" Both these gentlemen
said emphsticlly that a. = class the me-
groes are much more intelligent thsn the
poor whites.
A large maj GRITTY OF these prisoners
have lately been removed from Anderson
vile TO other places, the greater part to
Charleston and Savannah, where tn cir con.
dition is said TO be materially improved.
Us hops that soon the survivors will
all be exchanged.
Hsssrs Stone and Cook assured US that
the friends of prisoners need not conclude
their captive friends are dead because
they receive no letters. They both wrote
many letters DO friends at home, none of
which reached their destination except
one that q parolsd prisoner managed
70 carry out neither did they receive
any from home. While at Belle Island
Mr. Cook said that he saw a cart load Of
soldiers letters dumped into the river.