New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-08

both barges The hay bales instantly caught Ike
finder and blazed up in great. urid sheets of fane.
Finally the tug was cut in two by the shell. and went
down like plumrne.. We looked in vain no tug was
there We were floating and revolving helplss'y In
the eddes while the batteries poured forth hotter fire
than at any previous time For afew mnrtes, between
bonbarding ecalding, burning and drowning Denth
stared ms in the face in a good many different FORMS
It was less exciting than one might to expect. The
memory Of II upresses far more deeply than did the
experience at the time.
IN vICKsBURG AND JACKSON
We were treated at first With all the courtesy and
Kindness which prisoners OF war could expect Our
room was continual evee. Rebel officers and journal
lists were constantly with us; they supplied US with
clothing pressed money upon us, and oil talked much
about the war. but with entire courtesy. Our une1
pected and bosterous arrival created good deal oil
sensations and though everybody our expedition was
volunteer zone of tho soldiers paid IS for the chance
and said aterward he wond not have been absent for
twice the money! the Rebels didn't seem TO understand
how ANYBODY could have been board unless 10 was
compelled to.
At vicksburg the regular Agent OF Exchange, Major
Watts gave US our formal! fnal, legal paroles. lie as
surod us that We would not lie detained at Richmond
but were merely there the shortest route for
home, Grants military operations having suspended
flag oftIuce communication ut Vlcssbnrg. Major
Watts was a pomtous little officer. and said with
good deal Of selfiuportance: Gentlemen you are
long way from home; but don't despond fl you VIII
soon return. have net several thousands OF your
men In the same picdoan eat In fact expect to see
Maor General Grant In this within the next ten
DAYS rs prisoner Of war" We assured him he would
probably see Grant there, bnt not exactly Ia that ca.
pacity
While wa. in the river. after the Rebel skf was
within twenty feet OF ne. and there was 10 lope OF
escape threw all nv papers into the wsipr deter
mined TINT the enemy should rot Lave the satisfaction
Of reading aud printing Two long. conideniia letters
from the managing editor Of TIE TIBUyG, which l
Iad received In Memphis two days before Bat We
we're not searched even retained ny revolver 10 my
pocket willie in tie river and kept II for four or i've
DAYS. finally giving il to friend in Jackeon. as 1t was
certain TO be discovered soon, and was not ANXIOUS
to contribute 10 any Rebel arsenal
EN- ROUTE TOR RIcHMOsD.
. We yero told that t.e4e was more dagger In going
By rail nom tie Mississippi TO Richnord len In run
ming the vicksbrrg batteries. We made tie Journey
very lcsurey ct tie rate eight tea miles an hour
hut without accident Tic officer In charge Of us was
Instructed: Consider these .gen,lenea not under
guard but under csoo.t.' Acooransly VIC went about
as VIC pleased: slept in hoels. while the licr,cpart
remained in camp with BIS men; aud erjoycd a great
deal of freedom. Once. We hid a capital opportunity
TO capture the train 1t was perfectly feasible; aud
Grants lines were only 25 micJ away. BIT there were
our paroles in which We had ncioei MT to take ny
arms against tie ConfeGcracy III I'll exchanged; and tie
Rebels, in consideration hereof lad certified that VIC
AMI an n ca y.
W. kept faith. and q come they broke u.
At Atlanta, sent q card Ia one o tie newspaper
asking for bundle Of exchanges. Tie messenger car
red IL 10 tie wrorg ofcc delivering 1t TO Ths C0Ei'd
eracy--a red lot Rebel slee,. Tie IcIt morning ih"
urna devoted !esd,r 70 us which cuI o.iiy u
journalism ard COZ tanned noie fal,ehoods than evei
saw crowded into hall column before. L. character
lied our request as the most stuIcndous e1amp.e O
YANKEE impudence on record denounced us as thou
sand times wolse than tie Union soldiers declared
that We deserved hanging ind that tie editors woul'
be glad 10 assist In the OF alton. We learned after
ward that they wore two renegade Yankees from Yer
mont, and Of course rood deal than any Eobc
nntiyo and 20 the manner born.
POUR MONTHS IN IInBT PRIfoS.
Aswc went through the broad gate of Libby Prison
With scr,inel guardius {, "fun csoh .'d. - ss-msj e.
me that the ne ought 10 b. Inserted over H. Adam
don nll hope WHO enter here" let realized vory
little how appropriately 1T would apply to our owl cases
Tie Libby lad good Ioiais IL Was well oleansc
well fumi gated and contained large wooden trough
in which We could snjvy tie inostimab'e luxury o
bathing.
Capt Browne Of the eunboat Indanoa, AMI hi'
officers were pointed out TO US as men who bad actually
been prsoners for three months. With bow niue,
curiosity We viewed them. wondering that they bad
ever survived such oil ordeal We aterwapd learrei
10 look with great Indifference npon prisoners Sho lad
not been in duress moro than sixteen months
I viii give but Of the many incidents In our
Libby experience II WIS hot summer day and we
were all depressed. when tie news came that Grant
had been terribly whipped and driven back In confusion
from Vicksburg; and that great battle bad occurred
at some Obscure place IL Penns, called Gettys'
burg where Meade had received Waterloo &c eat,
and Lee had captured forty thousand prisoners The
Rel el papers INDUCED In good many NEGOTIATIONS Is to
Whr their authorities could guarl these prisoners and
how they could feed item without starving the people Of
Richmond That was Il sad silent night In Libby; and
evea the ususl evening prayer meeting vas cloudcd
with dependency and doubt
There was one IegTo among the score or two In the
prison. who had excited ny curiosity because In con.
yer 5aon With me. 10 declared that he felt 10 In.
tercst in tho national conflict. that Wis specalatos
war on both tiios. from which no good conld ever
result He IVES tho first African bal ever seen who
protested 70 be indifferent the subject But the nett
day after we received this gloomy intelligence be cane
rushing Up Tito our room erd Immediately b,gan TO
dance . borrpipc. performing the most remarkable
gymnastics We all clustered around lin, asking
What Is the matteri"
"Ds YANKEES he's taken vicksb1rg with forty thon.
sand prsone-s lie shouted he could gain his
breath. Here is lie pevs" And he pulled from bis
pocket Newspaper extra Just from the press which he