Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-10-17


down the zig-zag river; the silence
was only broken by the stern com.
mands Of the Yankee guards. La
the dusk of the evening we reach-
ed Cairo, boat tied near the Ian
ding was rocking back and forth
LIN the winter wind, q signal to
stop was given and the boat was
steered to the side of the one at
rest; the stern command "Re-
move all the sick from the boat, +"
was distinctly heard. The BROTH
ers held the same position in the
stern Of the boat, and, hearing
these words, Jesse nestled closer
to his brother and whispered !:
slim, they are going TO separate
as and / VIII die here" "No, Jes-
se," answered the other, 'swe will
go together" So saying he placed
q blanket under his brothers hend
and stretched himself languidly
on the floor. The persons who
carried out the sick took the broth.
ers together into the other boat,
which was used as o hospital, and
the boat that bore them there was
off with their comrades !; the boat
into which they were taken was
filed with sufferers who had al
ways received the kindest atten-
tion at home, even for the slight
est affliction. Here no mothers
care, no sisters fondness alieviated
their sufferings. The guards
cursed them and told them that
they were only pretending; the
only attention they received was
a visit by physician once a day;
those who partook Of his remedies
most freely were the ones who
never recovered Jesse observing
this requested his brother to emp
ty their portion into the river.
Two long weeks were spent in
this horrid boat every day witt
messed scenes of cruelty and death
that would shock our readers and
arouse the sympathy OF the most
hardened the boat was taken to
St. Louis, aud some of its inmates
having partially recovered were
commanded to walk from the Ian
ding to the depot. The brothers
were among the number. Jesse
being very weak one OF the guares
pushed him down with his bayo-
net at the same lime telling him
with an oath to ''walk up The
poor fellow by his brothers aid a.
rose and assured the unfeeling
guards that he vas sick and could
go no faster. They were put in.
to a stock car and the door bolted.
As the train speeded away they
watched the large city until it dis
appeared. They were going they
knew not where; rivers, wood
lands and villages pass before them
as they listlessly gazed through
the cracks Of their rude apartment.
Their thoughts were not on what
they saw, but naturally reverted
to their homes in the dear sunny
South. Having reached Spring.
field, Illinois, they were taken i'm.
mediately to Camp Butler Prison,
about five miles distant; the pris-
on was crowded with Confederate
soldiers, and the young men hoped
to join their companions from
whom they were separated at
Cairo-they were sent TO barrack
number ten. When they entered
the barracks they were scrutlnized
very closely by the inmates and
several slightly remarks passed a
mong them concerning the new
comers; while TO the disappoint-
ment Of the young men they did
not see a man that they knew,
nor one that seemed to rec, i've
them with kindness. II the rea-
der can imagine the feelings OF
those who are at the mercy OF the
unmerciful when nearly if not all
hope of ever seeing those who
are dear to them is gone, he may
with some accuracy picture the
feelings Of those young men.
Barrack number ten was abort
seventy feet long and ten feet wid';;
| it was the home Of over one hun
dred men and there was but one
stove with a limited amount of
fuel to keep them warm bunks
were attached to the wall one n.
bove another on the side OF the
building; on one Of these laid Jim