Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-11-06
A Chapter from the Diary of
]. MADISON DRAKE.

found me guest of the officials of the
city of Savannah, Georgia. had passed
some six weeks here in not altogether
improbable manner, yet the period
might almost be considered blank in
my checkerad history. The lessons
learned in mining" otherwise called
tunnelling, We're not profitless, al
though the immense amount of labor
performed was performed III vain. 1t
was at this time that Sam Jones,
commanding ut Charleston extended us
an invitation to visit and partako of
the Inequalities which that city at
that period but meagrely afforded The
year before ] had been extremely anx-
ions to enter the place having i'll fact
composed one of the numerous party
who accompanied General Foster to
South Carolina but the authorities of
Charleston strongly objected to our en-
tering the h;ubor, on the plea that we
would find it extremely unhealthy. =
General Foster, who commanded 0ur
excursion, deeming it inadvisable to
attempt TO land under such protest,
oadered the gun boats to fire a salute,
and then retire to more healthy loca :
ton, which was done in very credita-
BILE manner-the South Carolinians an
swering the ''salute" by salvos of the
heaviest artillery.
Sam Jones insisting on our accepting
the hospitalities of the city, of course
we could net refuse to comply, and
some six hundred of us accordingly
made preparations to leave the friendly
shade of the Georgia live oaks which
had sheltered us so long. Sunrise on
the following morning found us pre-
pared and vending our weary way
from the pen at the corner of CASTOR
and Drayton streets, to the Railroad
depot--distant mile and more. The
public spirited people of Savannah
had kindly furnished us an escort, con
sisting of many of the ''tirst citizens"
of all shades of complexion. We were
preceded by band of colored musi-
clans, who played not upon their sweet
sounding instruments, owingt to cause
we never ascertained. The sidewalks
were lined with denizens, while from
many windows females waved little
flags, whose nationality l could not
discover, owing to coating of dirt and
the essence of snuff. BY the way, the
females here, as elsewhere in this de-
lectable country, chew up, large qnan-
titles OF this delicious solace.
Reaching the railroad we found o
train of cars already in waiting. In
less time than it requires to state the
fact, we had loaded ourselves at the
ratio of sixty to a car. This may well
be imagined "close packing" but it
must not be compared with the manner
in which our poor enlisted men had
been transported from Belle Isle to
Salisbury and Andersonville. Although
we had neither room to lie, stand, or
sit, yet our situation was pleasant to
that of many of our brave boys who
had been conveyed during the summer
thousand miles. like cattle under the
protecting care of IL New York butcher
boy.
The shrill note of the locomotive
soon announced ready" and off we
start but not without fearful misgiv-
ings as to our future lot During the
nine hours ride through the intermin-
able Savannahs, we had ample oppor-
tunity to speculate on the mutability Of
human life. What disposition would
Jones would make Of us, none could
tell, although the majority concluded
that we were he placed in part Of the
city subject to the fire Of our batteries, a
hostages for the protection of the place.
This impression gained credence from
the fact that Jones had threatened to
carry this fell purpose into effect. The
ride to Charleston was tedious and ia
tiguing nothing occurring to disturb
the monotony, not even the shoot
ing of a single prisoner fayorite
pastime with our custodians.
About the middle of the afternoon
We came in sight of the Presidential
city, now being scourged by "Yollow
Jack, terrible, remorseless enemy.
While slowly crossing the beautiful