Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-08-26

eA~s~
aud our sober surroundings. Mr.. Jones
showed me his books, containing full and
accurate data concerning the interment of
all tho prisoners buried hero during tho
war
'The first day that was called upon in
my capacity of sexton to bury prisoner
who had died." he said, "I thought nothing
of it. Directly thero were more dead
Que day l had sovcn to bury. After that
they began to die fast. / buried forty
three in one day. had ten or twelve men
under me. For somo timo we buried twenty
or thirty day."
"Iow did the dead look7"
"rhey were much cmaciatcd-all wasted
away and sunk to nothing. 1t was
ghastly sight to SEQ them. Suoh sights I
hope may never sec again. 1t was uuut-
tcrably snd to go by the place where they
were sick. When they were dying and in
dclirium they would call tho names of wife,
mother, sister or brother. When they
wero dying they never talked of war; they
talked only Of home. 1t made my heart
bleed to hear them. In tho winter Of 'G4
and 'G5 five hundred died of tho small
pox."
"IIow many prisoners were thcro in
prisonY'
"About twelve thousand
"Nere they well fod?'
"Yos. They were well fed. They had
all they wanted to cat"
"Why did so many dic?"
"Well, in the first place they were
starved when they got here. saw them
just after they got off the cars which
brought them from Gettysburg. A 10y
came along with loaf of bread. A priso-
ncr looked sidcloug at the loaf, and said,
'Como here, lad; how much will you take
for your loaf?' The boy said he didn't
want to sell it, but tho man could have it
for dime, and he would get another loaf
The Confederate paid the boy for it, and it
wasn't minute before it was divided
between six men. The Confcderutcs acted
like starved men, and locked like starved
men. IF you put starved CATTLE" lie con
tinucd, con clover, thcy will havo murran
| and die in eight cases out of nino. That
The came from 10 ralions and We gave
them hot bread. They took sick and died
with tho chronic diarrhma. At first thoy
should have been dietcd and gradually
accustomed to plenty of good and nourishing
food :"
"What kind of men were tho prisoncrs?"
"Thcy were loyal to their flag. They
died in prison rather than take tho oath CT
allegiance. They chose to suffer for a
cause which they conscientiousy thought
right rather than yield to that whicE they
honestly thought wrong.
"Thcrc was ono Confederate soldier who
was coal black negro. Hc had been
captured in tho Confederate ranks at Get
tysburg. IIo endured confinement and
chances of death in the prison nearly two
years rather than tako tho oath of allegi-
ancc. He was tho most bitter rebel ever
saw. Two companies of negro soldiers,
recruited for the Union army among the
| plantation hands Of South Caroliua, mounted
guard for q time over tho Confederate
prisoners hero. 1t was rather CALLING to
the Confedcratos. Tho colorcd soldiers
struttcd around, proud of their blue uni
forms, brass buttons aud shining guns, and
especially delighted in the state of affairs,
with tables turned, in which they found
themselves. They were intensely bitter
toward tho Confederate soldiers. One day
o prisoner accidentally stepped ovor tho
dead line and ono Of tho negroes on guard
shot him. The man WAS pickod up dead.
The negroes were then sent away for q
different kind of service 1t is said that
ono day Confederate prisoner approached
tho dead lino ond colorod sentinel on
guard Dried cut, "Halt dab! do powder
in dis hcah gun wants right smart to burnt
"Thcre was mere lad in tho prison,
who, though he was hardly large enough to
carry gun, had been soldier in tho great
charge Of Piokctt's division, on tho third
day at Gettysburg. | asked him how one
so little got into tho army. IIo said 'Mis--
ter, was standing out in front of tho house
on tho rail fence, in the country, Watching
tho soldiers go by. Some ono from the
ranks took hold of my hand and said,
"Como on, you will do to fight Hero
tho boy would burst into toars ard say, "l
have mover seen my mother sinco that day."
met by accident, after leaving Mr..
Jones, man whom recognized, from his
pronunciation, os from the South. He had
boon Confederate prisoner at 1Ilmira
Although he was quito communicative, no
spoke of tue prison only with extreme
reluctance. lie said that when prisoner
fell sick it was always considered that he
would dio, as matter Of course. Another
prisoner would wash tho sick man shirt
for tho sake of the siok mans rations. IIo
himself holped bury tho dead for five cents
a day and double rations. Ho had no
doubt that tho Unitod States Government
provided we'll for tho prisoners, but he
feared that thoir arrangements wore somo-.
times thwarted by men engaged in making
money.
"Thoro once camo to tho p,ison," ho
said, ia woman with four little children, all