The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-09
A Worthy Soldier Terribly Ar
f1fOfQA

. lying on his cot wounded officer, who ia a
nicted in . manner worse than il seems poss
, bic for humanity to endure and survive. n
name is Capt Charles P. johnson. former]
of the 18th Iowa infantry.
/ In the first battle Of jackson, Miss. Ma
l4th, 1868, Capt. johnson, while leading h
men in 9 terrible charge, was struck by \ Mir
me ball, which passed plamb through nj
body. The bullet in its course passed t6roue
both hips, anterior to. the saarnm, woundin
! the reetuG SO that the contents of the bowel
have, ultll quite recent period, passed on
both openings of the wound. Ever since, III
nature of his wounds required him to lie fla
on his stomach, face downwards. In thi
painful position he passes away tie long an
weary hours Of daI aud night,
Wat added to the intensity Of his suffering
was the inhuman manner. in which he wa
banged about and treated for weeks after ne
ceiving his injuries by the rebels, intb who's
hands he had the misfortune to fall otter IN
ea..la. lie remained in jackson four weeks
end was then shipped on cattle car, deprive,
of medical assistance, to Atlanta, Ga, wher,
he remained in captivity among the heathen
until the place was captured by Gsu, Sher
man.
The narrative of what the Captain saw ant
felt while prisoner would gil an interestin,
volume. Some of the incidents that he re
iates almost cause the hair to stand on end
de was paid off the day before be was taker
prisoner all the money due him from the Gov
srnment, WHICH vas 5000 This money and
his gold watch were taken from him hv Jew
| named Hess, This rohber Shyiock said he
took the articles by order Of D. W, Yandell
of Louisville, XIV.
.>ext, a rebel officer, whose name, singu.
larly enough, was Capt. Charles T. JchnseB.
the same as his, Gang up and demanded hii
side arms; he came in from the 18th Louisi
ana. The rebel officer demanded of the
Union officer his name, and on the latter tell.
ing him, he said: mo joke now; that S my
name The Union officer would rather let
the rebel bear his sidearms than his name.
At length, after weary months Of imprison-
ment, Sherman came laundering against the
walls of Atlanta. The screaming shells came
flying about, and some of the rebels asked
Captain Johnson to retreat with them 10 the
caves in the hills. "No," replied the prison.
er. Those shells are my best friends
As Sherman neared the city, the rebels,
who had been heretofore boastful, arrogant,
and Insulting, began to simmer down and be
have more decent. A wretch named Oliver
Il Jones, who hung Andrews and his party
of loya! scouts, came to the Captain and
asked him what Sherman would do with him
# he was taken. Hang you" said the
Captain.
Jones argued that he only performed an act
Of humanity. The humanity consisted in this :
When Andrews was hung up to the limb of a
tree, his toes touched the ground. atd life
was still not extinct Jones sent negro for
shovel and made him dig hole in the
ground under the dying loyal mans feet. SO
that he could die more speedily
The Captain said that as an tact of hu-
manity our men would hang him (Jones) to
a tree, the same as he did Andrews.
After the capture of Atlanta, hundreds of
bitter Iebels came to the Captain to implore
has lntereesslon. in their behalf, with General
Sherman. A woman was among the number
who, at one time, when the rebel stock was
up, rushed about the prisoners quarters with
dagger, and said she wanted to plunge it
into the hearts of the .sYanks"
1t should be mentioned that while the Cap
tain was prisoner he was attended by his
mother, who spent all her means in getting
to him through the lines. She got leter of
recommendation from Governor kirkw pod of
Iowa. to Gen. Rosecraas, who forwarded her
through the lines to Atlanta She arrived
there in August, 1868. This noble mother is
still attending on her son.
Now we come TO another feature of the
case. 1t so happens. that Capt johnson was
bonorably discharged from the service on the
26th of April last, just one day before, (the
27th) when by an Act of Congrsss. he xonld
have drawn three months additional pay. He
is now without any means of support, and not
even entitled to Government rations.
We trust that this gallant Young man who
went into the service and was promoted Cap
tain three days before he was of age, may re-
ceive some special relief either from Congress
or some other loyal source. He is an excel,
lent penman, and has tried to get clerkahip
to earn something.
In company with Mr. Barrett, of the Pro-
vost Marshal's Office, we visited the Barracks
last evening. We found Capt. johnson lying
FIAT on his belly, his head raised by pillow,
in which position he has been twenty seven
months. He has pale, intellectual face,
and dark, piercing eye.
On the way from Atlanta his mother had
to pay 81, 100 for expenses, while rebels were
being transported home at Government ex-
penses.-St. Louis Paper.