The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-07-13

Yankee, of the 92d N. Y. Regiment, who wa
captured by the Rebels during the bate G
Fair Oaks, on the 31st of May, 1852, and con
fined in Dixie's Land during the summer an
part of the autumn of 1862, being correc
his capture, and their confinement, treatment
and suffering, while prisoners also, hit a
the habits and customs of the Southern Con
federacy.'
Twas on the the thirty-frst of May,
In eighteen sixty-tWo,
The rebels met our Union force,
To see what they could do.
Mcclellan was near Richmond then,
That nasty rebel den,
Where whites the gentlemen are crowned,
Where negroes are not men.
They met and fought with iron will,
Each eager to obtain
The mead that every soldier loves
The victcr's glorious name.
The cannon sent her iron hail,
The musket showers of lead,
Which filled the air with dying groans,
And streWed the field with dead.
The Ninety-Second stood firm in front,
In Palmer's bold brigade,
Until in "Dixie's land" they had
Some scores Of widows made.
But when they saw they were out-fanBed,
They lcheeLed about and fed,
While many Of our Northern braves
Were numbered with the dead.
The doubLe-gwick our soldiers took,
Soon left me far behind,
That nimJle step could not take,
Although so we'll inclined.
The rebels came with savage yells,
A yankee they had found,
With curses bid me "face about"
And march away to town.
They marched me down with many more,
Through mud and niire to town,
And there with bars and prisou walls,
Your homer did surround.
They made tobacco within those walls
In times of peace and trade,
But now the bedbugs and the lice
Hold nightly dress parades.
They give US rations twice each day,
But nothing for our beds,
With feas and 6edbugs without number
Gently crawling round our heads.
Cur morning racions were Of bread,
A slice of sinking meat,
Which hunger made us soon devouT,
And even tasted sweet.
At night we had little sotp,
Some water boiled with peas,
And then we took our prison beds,
To drearl of lice and feaS.
We. were confined three days and nights
Within those iron bars,
When, Oh the welcome news then came,
To get aboard the cars.
They marched US through their nasty streets
That all the crowd might see,
The ''LiU,ng yankees" from the North,
That in that land run free.
The crowd was dense on either side,
Composed of whites and blacks,
While many shouted in the crowd,
To shoot them in their tracks.
We travelled all this day and night,
Oppressed by dust and heat;
We got some muddy water,
But nothing for to eat.
At length each man ,fUe CRACKERS got,
All counted out with care,
And this they thought libera thing,
Considering a0ho sce were
Again we travelled all day and night,
AS we had the day before,
With nothing for our rations,
While our seats were getting sore.
Again our scanty breakfast came:
Five crackers as before,
And this they thought heavy draft
On old Jeff'S three years store.
This morning found US all within
The North Carolina State,
With Salisbury's prison walls ahead,
Where we could read our fate.
We found Carolina on the fence,
a leg on either side;
She says it's Southern fashion
For ladies so to ride
She sends her troops to help the North,
Then Northern prisoners keep;
But vengeance sure is on her track,
And vengeance never sleeps.
Our prison walls were large and high,
For spinning cotton made,
When "old King Cotton" ruled as king,
And negroes were in trade.