St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-04-06

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ing given their parole not to 20 farther
than one mile, from the camp-weare
detailed to dig trenches, into which our
poor fellows sxere .umbIed,F one hun.
dred in, each trench. If man died
with adeceot suit OF clothes on, they
were stripped of and he was pitched
into the "dead Cart with nothing on
but his shirt. Although in the midst
Of = forest, with an unlimited supply Of
wood within sight, their rations of wood
were so small that they could only cook
their scanty rations Of foot by clubbing
together, and six or. eight cooking At
one Gre. One rule of the camp was
that when a man was discovered dead
four men were allowed t. carry him out
at the gate, and each one was permitted
to bring back one stick of wood. John
'ays he has seen three or four knock
downs over dying man, to decide who
shall have the privilege Of carrying him
ont, 10 order to secure. the prize Of a
little stick Of frewood, while hundreds
Of cords we're rotting slmost within
sight.
A number Of 6.mule teams, driven
by negroes, were employed in removing
the dead bodies. When a pile Of them
had accumulated at the gate, the team
came along, and two negroes seizing a
dead body-one by the head and the
other by. the feet-give him three
swings back aud forth, rs We often see
men handle bags Of grain, and toss them
pell-mell into the wagon. Arriving at
the trench, the bodies we're laid in rows
side by side, aud . bit Of paper con-
tanning the name, company and regi
ment, pinhed. on the breast of each,
and board placed at the head With a
corresponding description. +,
Mr.. May remained in this den of
horrors for two months and Eve days,
and was then-Sept l5-started for
Salisbury, N. c., via W,lmiugton.- -
This was at the time when Sherman
was making his immediate presence
sensibiy felt in the vicinity of Whining
ton, and there was much confusion,
CONSERVATION, and hurryins to and fro,
mounting in hot haste, and all that sort
Of thing: John was obliged to remain
here one day, listening with uuspcaka-
bic j"y and satisfaction to the sweet
music Of Sherm.n's great guns which
were distinctly heard booming in the
distance. .:
On the 18th he started on 4 train
for Salisbury, and that night, when
about sixty-fve miles out of Whining.
ton, he resolved to make one desperate
attempt to escape. The guard at the
door Of the car had gone to sleep, with
his loaded musket across the doorway,
and John, taking down his haversack,
containing about a quart of corn meal
stepped over the prostrate guard, and
after satisfying himself that he was
really asleep, crept stcalthily to the
edge Of the platform, peered out into
the gloomy night, and made a bold
leap. The train was moving at tht
rate Of twelve miles an hour, and il
the language Of the 1rishman, the ncx'
thing he knew he didn't know any
thing. He lay stunned and senseles.
for time, but on recovering, tound
that no bones we're broken, though ht
was not IN the best condition for trav
cling. The train was out of hearing, 81
he was obliged to guess which direc
tion to take in order to reach Whining
ton, but fortunately took the righ
course, and at daylight turned off tn,
railroad. aud finding secure retreat l,
; the thick bushes, slept soundlY through
the entire day, resaming his journe,
the next night. On the third nigh
he came upon rebel -pickets, but dis
covering them by their fires, and hav
; ing previously ascertained from tn
friendly negroes that there was . dir
road q short distance from the railroad
running parallel with II, he strucl
through the swamps and bushes, an,
gained it in safety. Here he was con
tinually obliged to make short detour
, to avoid citizens and soldiers who wer
: fleeing from Wilmington. ,:~"sr.a
On tho fourth night, he came tc tn
> Cape Fear River, ten miles from VII
m,ngtou, and he knew if he could &c
across that, he was safe. The river I,
}. that point is over one-fourth Of mil
!, in width, with . swift current. Hi
meal was gone, but he invariably foun
. the negroes friendly, cheerfully div