The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-04-13
EXPERIENCE IN sOUTHERM NJ
PRISONS,

]
from an eighteen months captivity in
Robeldom, has furnished us the sub
joined interesting narrative of his ex-
perience during that time.
"Many of my friends seem anxious
to know how we were treated while in
Southern prisons. l shall endeavor to
igive only an outline of what l have
seen and passed thropgh. was cap
tured on the Goth of September, 1863,
at the Chcamauga battle. l had been
in rebel hands but short time before
they robbed me of everything that was
of any value whatever; after which l
was sent TO some Rebel Generals head
quarters, where | was asked by seve-
raj rebel officers whether Vallandig-
ham would not be elected Governor
Of Ohio. AT loss to know why they
asked this question, | simply remarked
that he would be beaten so bad that
his name would never be heard of
again. They then asked me the
strength of our army, with other ques-
tions Of similar character, which |
told them could not answer. / was
then sent to tho hospital, and from
: that place soon after to Richmond,
where arrived on the Both of Sep
tember. On the road to this place
we (myself and other prisoners) were
greeted at many points with all man
ner ofinsulLing language, which l will
not repeat for fear of shocking the
modesty Of some of my butternut
friends. At Richmond we were COM
PEELED to give up our money, the rebel
thieves telling us we should receive
seven for one Confederate currency.)
We were turned into the prison like
so many hogs into pen. Very few
of us had blankets, and the most of us
but little clothing. In this way we
were compelled to. spend three or four
months, at the end of which time we
received blankets and other articles
from home. These articles from our
friends added greatly to our comfort
for time; but this state of affairs did
not last long. On the 7th of May,
1864, we were shipped to Macon. Ga.
For several days and nights we were
packed in the cars as if we We're SO
many swine rather than human beings.
We arrived at our destination on the
18th of May. Dirty, hungry and in
tested with vermin, we were turned
into an enclosure of about two acres,
with no shelter whatever, except that
afforded by our blankets which we
managed to put up in such way as
to give some protection from the heat
of the sun. We remained at this place
nearly three months, toward the close
of which, with great difficulty, we pre-
vailed upon the rebels to furnish us
some boards to build little shelter;
but they were so slow about it that
all were not yet sheltered when we
were again transferred TO different
location. Our ratons at Macon were
very small consisting Of throe quarts
of very coarse meal for five days, with
about pound Of meat for the same
time, and occasionally dozen or SO
of beans or spoonful of rice, and u
pint Of molasses-all for five days.
Part of the time thirteen hundred Off
GERS were in this place. On the 29th
of July, 1864, six hundred of us were
scnt to Charleston, s. c., where we
were placed under the fire of the guns
of our own forces bcseging that place
but with this barbarous act OF the
rebels, we received better treatment
as to "grub" than at any other place
in the South. On the 9TH of October
we were sent to Columbia, S. O. Here
we were turned into an open field, per-
fcctly destitute of shelter of any kind;
and, with heavy guard around US,
we laid down for the night. Never
did | SEQ it rain SO hard as on this
night. Many, from the wetting they
got on this occasion, went to the hos
pital never to return to the homes or
tho loved ones they often dreamed Of
There were fifteen hundred Of us in
this place. We were compelled to get
our fuel by going to the woods with
n heavy guard, to cut it. There were
but eight axes issued by the rebels to
the fifteen hundred men; with these
and few We bought, we managed to
build few little huts. At this place,
with several others, made my cs-
pc on the 9th of Noverber- march
cd through u part Of South Carolina
and Georgia, n distance of lS0 miles,
through swamps, rivers and woods
missing Sherman on his march thro'
that region by about ono day, | again
fell among tho Rebs, was re captured,
taken to Millon, Ga, thence to Au-
gusta. Hero we found the most con-
tcmptiblc set of thieves | ever en-
countcred. | think they tool; every
thing even down to pocket comb,
| was fortunate enough, however, to
bo at that time it, " very ragged con-
dition, and so escaped plunder, From
this place we were taken back to Co.
lumbia. When we arrived there we
found that our camp had been moved
to the Asylum yard, Previous to be.
ing taken to these quarters, we were
confined by turns in Jail, penitentiary,
worll-house, &c. After arriving at the
Asylum camp, few boards were given
us to build shelter with but when it
was found that this was going on, or
ders were issued to tear down all the
buildings and deprive the prisoners OF
all shelter. Before the order was oXe-