The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-03-16
The Experiences Of a Member of the 24t
Wisconsin in Rebellion,
Correspondence. of the Sentinel,
HIDE RS 2iTH Wis Vol. INFANTRY, J
February Goth, 1865 {

EDITORS SENTINEL: Perhaps l owe an
apology for trespassing on your space, but [
thought cursory account Of my experience
would interest some of your readers. was
taken prisoner by the rebels at the battle
of Chickamauga, marched to the rear, where
General Bragg gave orders to his soldiers to
take any of our clothing that they wanted,
and they did not wait for a repetition of
1 the order. From the field we were forward
ed to Richmond. At Atlanta we were strip
ped Of blankets, canteens and pocket knives.
1t required seven days to make the passage
to Richmond, during which time we had
frequent opportunities to escape, but our Off
GERS assured US we would be paroed mmedi-
ately on reaching that city. On arriving
there we were taken to the ''Scott prison,
and thoroughly searched for our money, and
then placed in the ''Pemberton" for safe
keeping. Here myself and companion, think
ing that there was something in the cellar,
cut through the floor and descending by
rope, found one hundred and fifty hogs
heads of clarified sugar, which, as it would
sell to the guard at five dollars per pound,
we proceeded to appropriate. We had no
Iisalt in our rations, and hearing there was
Iplenty i'll the next cellar, hole was made
through the wall, about three feet thick, and
Irregular rations of sugar and salt issued to
the prisoners. After using about eighty
| thousand dollars worth of these supplies, we
were discovered and our future indulgence
interfeIed with, by removing what remain
ed. To avenge ourselves we replaced the
iron grating at the windows with wooden
bars, intending thereby to make our escape
some dark night, but before an opportunity
| 0+fernd tho ,1riCoDare ,.,ara rap,O,yaJ 10 No.
ville Va, We were placed in hog cars six
ty In each, with four guards inside each car
and four outside. When near Danville, my
self and two others, growing desperate at
the prospect Of again being confined in those
| loathesome prisons to perish with hunger
and,cold, made rush for the car door and |
before the surprised guards could stop u.s.
sprang to the ground, were rolled down
steep embankment, and on rising found the
the train disappearing in the distance and
ourselves free. But we were not yet safe
We knew the country was full of home |
guards and that we would be tracked by |
blood hounds. We We're far from our lines
but preferring anything to the horrid prison
we had Just left, we started through the |
Tie weather was very cold, 1t was in No
There were several cold rain storms which, as
we dared not enter house, we enjoyed by
ourselves in the woods; we started by night, |
trusting to the negroes for food and informa-
tion and progressed finely; but at last our
success made us careless, we were seen, and !
after three days chase were retaken with
in six miles of our pickets, and carried back
to the Libby" put in the dungeon and
IL d IL L.
all the tortures Of hunger and cold Pris-
oners would sometimes arrive from the
front, when it was raining and freezing as
it fell, and they would be stripped of blank
ets coats and shoes and turned into the
camp without sheIter--During the cold |
nights of that winter, men were often found |
frozen to death. At last we heard that our
Government was going to send US food and
Clothes and some piles Of 'har1 tack" and |
rows of barrels of beef and pork were sent |
outside the camp and we rejoiced at the
prospect of having plenty to eat again But
vain hope. About one-tourth was given to
US in small quantities, while the rest was is
sued in full rations to the guard, or sent to
the rebel army. Large quantities of sani-
tary stores and private boxes were sent to
us, about three fourths Of which would be
confiscated.
At length in February, '64 an order came
to remove us to Andersonville, Ga. This
we hailed with delight as it gave us a chance
to escape from the cars again. When near
Raleigh, N. c., myself and three determin-
ed compsnions attacked the guard, whom
after short struggle we overpowered, and
sprang from the train, which was in full
motion, and were once again free We con-
cluded to go toward Kentucky this time, de-
termined to be more careful than before,
and as before we found the negroes ever
ready to direct us and supply us with food,
often after hard days work going miles
with us to show us safe road. But again /
our continuous good fortune made us care
less. We were seen, recaptured near Hills
vile Va, and retaken to Libby, where we
arrived April 29th Soon prisoners from
the Wilderness began to be brought in, and
with them we were again sent to Anderson
vile, again escaped from the cars, crossed |
the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, were
betrayed by a professed Union man, recap
tured and taken to Salisbury, n c. This
prison was, If possible, worse than Belle Isle.
The men died by hundreds of starvation
and exposure, and they were piled in a /
trench holding from fifty to hundred and |
failing in several attempts to 'tunnel" I'M
der the guard line, | with two Others brib-
ed the sergeant of the guard with an arm
full Of confederate money to allow us to es-
cape, and once more free, with new deter
mination to be careful, started for the noun
tains. One night, when near Wilkesboro |
II. c., |, as my custom.left my companions
concealed in the wood, and carefully APP
mr. aH 10 Init RI |
entered and found two of the home guard |
searching the house. They Of course seized
me, and securing me closely left me there
until morning, one of them returned and
started with me to the nearest railroad sta
ton, uttering all kinds of threats if attemp- |
ted to escape. After few miles managed |
to unite my hands and springing behind
him, seized him by the hair, threw him
backwards upon the ground and cut his
throat with my knife; then breaking his gun
started again for the mountains. Here | |
found great many rebel deserters, who |
treated me very kindly, and showed me
whose to find Union men. While crossing the |
mountains l suffered greatly with cold, as it
was mid-winter and the mountains were
covered with snow, and there were many
streams to wade After crossing the Wau-
tdSd river met parry t0L ueSerLeTS ana
conscripts, who We're a.. >ious to return and
capture the home guard Of Wautaga County
which kept the Union men of that vicinity !
in continual terror; SO joined the party. to |
which the guard, seventy-eight in number,
surrendered without firing gun. From |
this point we had to travel about one hun
bred miles through mountains infested with |
guerrilIas, but the prisoners were safely I
brought through and delivered to tue 4th |
Tennessee regiment, on picket near Bulls |
Gap, Tenn. Thus after an Imprisonment |
Of seventeen months varied by frequent at |
tempts to escape, was at last restored to |
the land of Liberty. | would like to give
you some interesting accounts of my adven-
lures in the country; the condition of fami-
lies of soldiers in the rebel armies: the feel |