Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-05
"reminiscences of the Third Tennes-
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEER.
THE PRISON AT CAHABA-EXPLOSI0N
OF THE Observation-Disclosures
OUT.
N ~"

man of culture and learning, and one
of the best writers in the command
who was with the enlisted men
through the whole of their prison life,
has kindly furnished me with the his
] tory of the same. A better soldier did
not belong to the regimen; a more
perfect gentleman does not live in the
State, but he requests that his name
shall not be used.
The enlisted men Of the command
were transported by rail and steamer
to Cahaba, Ala, at which place, on
embarking from the boat, they met
Capt. VIM. A. Campbell, of Company
&C." who was captured at Florence,
on the 10th Of September, mentioned
in a former chapter of the Reminds
cences, anu who was held as a prison
er of war until December 81, 1854,
when he was released On parole at
Baton Rouge, La.
But we will allow our c0mrade and
friend to use his own language, and
tel! the story of prison life and its in
cidents, although he tells it briefly,
but well:
The prison was located on the bank
Of the Alabama river, and q short dis
lance below the steamboat landing. Il
had been used as a cotton warehouse
in ante. belIum days. AbOat 0ne-third
Of the roof had fallen IN previous to
our arrival. TIE walls were OF brick
and in good condition. About two
acres OF ground enclosed by u stock
ade was attached to the building, and
IN this enclosure the cooking was
done. Inside the building at each of
The four sides about six feet from the
wall was the dead line" The stock
AIDE was pierced fer cannon, and a sec
tIOn Of u light battery Of brass twelve
pouDders loaded with canister, COM
mAnded the prison.
Alter being counted the men were
marched Inside the prison. The pros
pec5 was gloomy iii the extreme, as
The exchange Of prisoners had viz
tually ceased. a few OF the men gave
up in despair, became honesick and
died. Tie greater number, however,
accepted the situation, made the best
Of u Dad bargain, anu ia a few days
became aIulbCt CHEERFUL.
The ration per man consisted of oGe
pint of meal and one tablespoonful OF
salt per day, with IL half pint Of peas
and one hall pound Of bacon, or beer,
once a week. A spring Of excellenl
water, sufficient for cooking. drinking
anu "a: hing purposes, OuODIed up liz
the center OF he prison.
The weather 0uTlug the months OF
October auu November was delight
Iui. A fiddle" was bought for tue
sum of fifteen hundred dollars.
crisp Confederate notes, ana
many u hearty, If uot graceful,
quauiilie was danced TO the tune Of
Toe AIkansaw traveller" aud other
Kindred melodies.
a notable Character Of the Third"
. Uncle Jlmuuy Carver" Of com
pauy b" PlsJuI.f1 efttc ed Uncle
Jimmy a0OGJ AS much as biru-shUt
would the sides OF All non-clad. While
iuli vi Gun, he was ever ready Tor a
fight fist and skuii,n and IN several OF
our most violent domestic rows, lie
bore / prominent part, generally con-
Ing OuC wlth first houoTs, although
nearly sixty years OF age.
Considerable suffering was eX-
perIenced during tne winter months,
especially among thOae who were shoe
less and Eatlees. AL The head of this
list OF u~LfOrtunates was tue Rtgi-
mental Quaftermaster Sergeant, ii
youth OF eighteen, whose mother
would scarcely have recognized in The
young tutteI deuaiiou her own pfeel-
clOCs boy.
On the morning OF The Goth of ia
uary, 1865, an attempt was to
break ouC of pisoD. The plan.
as laid down, was to seize
the steamer Southern Replblic,'
lying at the whaif, use her ia trans
porting the men 10 Selma, Ala cap
ture the arsenal, procure arms aud am
munition theTefr 5no, board The trains
at Selma and start fol Jackson, Miss.
As near az could be ascertaiBed, 10
Confederate force of any consequence
was near the liHe of railroad, and tle
plan seemed feasible. At four O'Clock
Il The morning Of the 20Ih The sentry
at The sinks was quietly oVerp0wered
by two men, the sentries were then
picked eft their beats IN rapid success
sion. until all were taken and dis
armed. The Corporal of the guard
was cal ed for post by Mol. He camel in
with two sentries, and they were
quickly dissrmed, and placed with
ms othaIs under guard. The guard
fires were then eXtlnguished, ana the
building left in darkness. A sentry
on the outside parapet heard, OF imag-
Ined he heard, q noise. The camp
vas aroused, the long TCli sounded,
and tae troops pafaded under arms,
a gun was run in, q friction primer
placed in the vent, number one stood
ready, and but one word was necessary
to send 8 duZsn or more poor fellows
10 destruction, The rebel prisoners,
twenty-ihreein number. together with
their arms, We're surrendered To their
friends. A call was made for the ring
leaders; the prisoners declined TO name
them or deliver them up, and the
ratlODs were stopped for four days. Ga
he morning Of the fifth day a menu
DER of the Second Michigan Cavalry
sent for the Post Commander, saying
that he knew the ring leaders OF the
aft ir and would point them out; the
guards filed in and a Gordon Was es-
JabIished across he prison through
which the prisoners Sere 10 pass, IA
at q time, for recognition. Several of
The ring leaders were pointed out;
they were taken outside and confued
Il the dungeon Of the Jail for thirty
six days.
Some time in the month of Febru
airy the Alabama river oveIfOwed i s
banks, the water rose rapidly, and
sonn the town of Cahaba was under
water, the depth of water in !he
prison for several days was nearly four
feet; TWO hard tack "a day was Issued to
each man during this period.