The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-05-05

the men Ill some den near by. AS soon
as we entered we were ordered to take of
our hats, coats, vests and boots and un-
dergo thorough search. They took
from us all our money, also our haver-
sacks, canteens, &C., at the same time in
forming us that if we secreted or kept
back any money we should be severely
punished. On the other hand they told
us our money would be refunded as we
should need it to use. We made many
applications for it from time to time, but
few ever eceived anything. l was one
of the unfortunate ones, and the fact is,
they had no intention to pay it back to
us. 1t was nothing less than wholesale
robbery.
They gave us no rations until the Goth
(three days after capture, and as but few
of us hadI any rations with us, and no
chance or means Of procuring any, we
suffered very much from hunger The
first ration issued to us was little bit
OF corn bread about one-half the size OF
brick, and bit of rusty, magggoty pork,
about one-half an inch square, and about
one gill of bean soup to the man. The
pork had been boiled with the beans and
the maggots came off into the soup, and
great numbers of them We're floating on
the top of it. took Il spoon and skim
med them off and ate the soup, and must
say that relished it as well as any thing
| ever ate. This was one days ration>,
all OF which was about one-half what |
required for one meal. We remained
here until June 18th. We were then ta-
ken out and started for Macon, Ga, by
rail. 1t was here, on the night of the
10Th, between Richmond and Lynchburg,
that Capts. Morrill, and Stafford escaped
from the cars, and / heard the shots that
were fired at them, but it was a long time
before | learned the result. in fact not un-
til arrived at Annapolis did learn for :,
certainty that Capt. Morrill, was killed.
On arriving at Lynchburg we were in
formed that on account OF the railroad
being destroyed, that we must march to
Danville, distance of 80 miles, and they
issued us rations for four days-20 hard
tacks and about one pound of pork to
each man. 1t was 4 hard march. but we
were compelled to make it in four days.
The weather being very warm, and we
hayin" nothing to carry water in. we suf-
iered Very much from thirst On arriiv-
ing at Danville We We're packed into box
cars that We're filthy beyond description,
and without any seats. There waS 81
large Il number in each car that we could
not lie down, but were obliged to sit or
stand. In this way we We're trcightcd to
Macon, and on arriving there we were
turned into yard Of about two acres, i'll
which there We're between 1900 and 1000
officers. \ portion OF them had open
sheds for shelter, but We're not enough for
all, SO those that came last had no shelter
nor nothing to lie upon but the ground.
Such was my lot. The rations issued US
here were of very inferior quality, and
the quantity much less than we required.
1t was not cooked, SO we all had to learn
to cook, and with comparatively nothing
to cook i'll, or hardly wood enough t,
cook with On the 18th of July, GOO Of
ticers were taken out and carried tc
Charleston, us they told us for exchange,
but instead of that they carried us to SIT
vannah. Here we were placed in Il small
field adjoining the naval hospital. Th,
yard WAS enclosed with high brick wal
and stockade. We were furnished tent>
here and were better treated and fed THAI
any other place in the Confederacy. W,
had meat issued us, also rice and corr
meal as much as We could eat, but nc
vegetables or sugar.
! We remained here until the 18th o
September, when the rebels told us thai
we We're going to Charleston to be placec
under fire. They freighted us there ant
turned us into the Jail yard, which wa:
very small and of all places the most fill
thy. There We're few small tents in tn,
yard, but not half enough to accommodate,
the number of men that were there. Sc
it was my luck again to lay exposed tt
the weather. l shall long remember ont
terrible, rainy night that l sat there il
my chair Zone which had made with my
pocket knife while at Sayannah) all night
as could not lay down without laying il
the mud. 1t was so filthy here that whe1
We laid our blankets upon the ground t,
sleep on, the worms would eat holes through
them, and some Of them were nearly de
stroyed in this way While here our ra
tions were CT very inferior quality an(
small quantity. 1t does seem as though
they gave us nothing fit to eat; they is
sued us beans, but there was hardly {;
good one among them They were full
of bugs and worms, and the only way w
could use them was to soak them unit
soft and then peel them one by one, ant
dig out the worms and throw away sucl
portions of each bean as was spoiled
have labored diligently all the forenoon t.
prepare enough for a scanty meal. Thos
that could obtain money had the opportu
nifty Of purchasing necessary articles, bu
at very exorbitant prices, Sweet potatoes
which seemed to be more plenty than any
thing else, were $40 per bushel, and 9th
er things in proportion. As for bein
under fire We truly were, but received n
injury from it; in fact it was great com
fort to us to see those death missiles pas
high over our heads and plank square in
to that nest of traitors. Gen. Foste
; knew we'll our position, and had the ex