The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-03-28

Letter from n Citizen ep ssiiIsdais
COuutv.
SOMERSET. March i4ih ls7.

SOMERSET. March l4th, 1876.
EDITOR STASDARD:--I come TO the
call that / saw in your paper. and will
try 10 give true sketch OF my prison
life aud treatment. enlisted the 9th
Of August, 1862. in Co. q, 18th Mich.
Vol. Infantry, and was captured ut
Athens, Ala, on the Gath OF Sept, 49,
Ga. by FORESTS cavalry. Those to
whom we were obliged to surrender
robbed us OF our blankets, canteens,
watches, etc. They took us to Cahav-
ba, on tho riabama river, near the cen.
ter Of the State. There they searched
us and took everything from us, and
put us into what they called a prison.
II had been used for store-house for
cotton. II was OF brick walls. 200x900
feet, with a roof aver ns-s 80 ~ AZ.
center being left open. The first saw
as we marched in. was some OF our
boys who had been there six months.
They had their hair cnt as close to their
heads as possible TO keep the lice off
Some Of them had nothing on bnt a
pair OF drawers; nothing on their heads
or feet, and were nearly as black as
colored person. I asked one what had
become Of his clothes. lie said lac
sold them to the guard for something
to eat. One OF our company found his
brother there in that situation; he
took his blouse of FROM his own back
aud gave il TO him. Soon after We got
in there we drew a skillet (an old-fash-
bake kettle) for every squad OF ten
men, which was all the dishes OF any
description they let Us have. We had
TO make wooden spoons aud sharp
sticks with which to eat our food. We
had small yard outside Of the wall.
with plank set mp endwise, for cook
yard. Can you imagine what place
that was when We got 1S0 fires started
around? The smoke was too thick to
breath Que could not stay there long
enough to bake his pone, (as We called
ID, but had to be relieved often by
some OF his squad that remained in
side Of the yard out OF the smoke. -
They had dead line around inside OF
the wall, where the guarl marched up
and down we knew that death was
our portion IL We got across that. |,
being sergeant, drew the rations for
our squad, and know just what we
had. We got for rations. the most OF
the time. a pint Of unsifted meal TO a
man per day I; sometimes We would go
two days without any and every sec
ond or third day we had one forward
quarter ef beef with the leg.and should
or taken Off for 100 men. ! drew my
tenth Of that for my squad. II might
interest some TO know how managed
10 divide that 30 there would be no
growing bstween the hungry men. 1
tried different ways, but the only one
that would give satisfaction was this,
| Il had the luck TO smpggle my jack
knife I'M: cut the meat what little
there was on it, off, and then took an
| old axe we had for that purpose and
cut the bone into ten pieces, then took
the meat and put piece on each bone,
| SO that each one would get piece Of
bone and little meat then / would
have some one turn his back and say
who should have the pieces as point
ed to them. shared with therest
divided everything in this way. Once
in 10 or IL days VIC drew n little salt, a
spoonful and half TO man that
put into little piles on an cid piece Of
rubber blanket one OF the boys hap,
pened to have as soon as their names
were called they were ready 10 step up
and take their portion, put it into lit
tie cloth and into their pockets. We
drew some lard two or three times
while / was there, ut had yellow streaks
through iD, enough to grease one Or two
pones had 10 spread ii on with stick.
Once we had salt enough left TO sprin-
kle on top of the lard the rest Of The
time II was rather fresh eating. Wien
we had meat we put il into the skillet.
cooked il little. then stirred our meal
in: this we called fresh mush. We
would sit on the ghound around the
skillet, ench one take "a spoonful when
il come his turn until it was all gone
it did not last long We got some
pumpkins twice while l was there.
got four small ones for our squad.
suppose they were the same kind ",
raise here, but they tasted like sweet
ones there. Some eat theirs right down
raw, others boiled theirs with meal the
same way we did our meat. This Is the
kind and all the rations we had TO hy,
on for the six months was there. L
any got too noisy they were punished
They had ladder set up against thu
outside Of the prison they took th'
prisoner out for punishment aud made
him go up on the under side Of the lad
der, put his toes on the third or fourth
round and reach up rs high as he coul,
with his hands, and hang there tvent,
minutes. The guards we're ordere,
il the Yank fell before that time to rnl
the bayonet through him. have seei
the boys so lame the next jay that the,
could hardly walk. l shall long re
membeHthe looks Of the ssndy-heade'
boy that stood guard at the door tina
We passed through to go into the COO
yard. One OF our men had been on
into the cook yard with little cup O
pail he happened To have. which had
wire bail lac took little stick abou
foot long 10 hang il on TO b, Ill it owe
the fire TO cook his mush after il wa
cooked, he started into the prison ou
Of the smoke 10 eat it; the guard halt
ell him and said, cant go in here wit
wood :" the man halted anj looked 9
round did not know what the guar
meant, did not think OF the little stich
and started on, when the guard struc
him in the back with the bsyonet an
run it through him he fell TO th
ground and soon breathed his last
The guard did not come back the mel
morning to his post. and we learne
; that they gave him furlough for ds
ing bis duty and killing Yank. Co
Jones had command there and OF th
prison.
When there come rain ia the nigh
all at the lower side Of the priso
where I slept. had 10 get up and stan
. the remainder OF the night, for we In
10 sleep on the ground without an
blankets. or snything TO keep We out (
the mud sDd wet IL IL rained in III
daytime ne would scrspe the mud u