Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-12-08
A STORY OF THE WAR.
what Caused the Confederate sweet
Potatoes to Disappear.

man OF Libby prison, tells the follow
ing story of his experience while stand
ing guard over the prisoners one night
in Libby prison in 1868. "The building
was SO crowded with prisoners that a
large number of them were quartered
in the second story of a building across
the street. In the first story of this
building the prison officers had slowed
a large supply of splendid North Caro-
lima sweet potatoes.
"a bout the third day after the pris-
oners had been placed in the building
it was noticed that the potatoes were
disappearing at the rate of about a
bush ell day. At first it was thought
that the rats had taken them, but a
second thought showed that the idea
was absurd. Sentinels were posted
around the building, with orders to
shoot any man caught stealing those
potatoes; but they didn't see anybody
to shoot.an although they were posted
there day and night, and no one was
allowed to enter the room in which the
potatoes were kept, they still continu-
ed to disappear.
"These potatoes at that time were
considered luxuries, and the confeder-
ate officers were nearly wild with rage
at their repeated losses. The doors
and windows of the room were scaled,
and private marks were put on the
wax. The next morning the officers
went into the room. The wax was all
right, but another bushel of potatoes
had vanished. 1t was the maddest
crowd your ever saw They locked
me in, and lighted candle was put at
each end of the room so that | could
see.
Il was ordered to shoot on sight any
body | saw stealing those yams. 1t was
terrible lonesome in that room. Just as
fast as would light one candle and 90
the other end of the room to light, the
other, the rats would cut the first one
down. They were regular confederate
rats, and candle was a godscnd to
them. About midnight | heard
creaking, grating noise. cooked my
gun and listened. The noise ceased, |
could see nothing but the rats, and |
began to think the place was haunted.
| Presently the noise occurred again.
looked al the pile of potatoes, and
presently saw something shoot from
the ceiling and fall on them. / saw it
was brick, and could distinguish 81
rope tied 10 1t. | crept little nearer
to get good look at the thing, but be-
fore could examine it, it was drawn
slowly up, and there was about a
peek of potatoes sticking to it. 1t went
up through hole which had been cut
in the floor above, and presently came
down again with a thump right among
the potatoes. 1t was the most artful
arrangement you ever saw. The brick
had about fifty holes drilled in it, and
through each hole "a sharpened ten
penny nail had been run, so that when
the brick fell among the potatoes these
nails stuck into every one they fell on. |
could not help laughing at the smart
dodge those Yankees had taken.
gently put my hand forward and
caught hold of the rope. Pretty soon
they began to draw on it, and when
it did not move / heard one fellow
say:
STEADY, boys; the bricks hung in
something. Pull her steady without
jerking.
They did pull steadily, and fairly
easy, boys, easy the director said, and
tugged away. | got pretty red in the
face holding to tho rope. was afraid
to let go, because | thought some of
those spiked nails might strike me in
passing. thought of my pocket-knife
and hauled 1t out just as they were
putting all their weight on the other
end of the rope. cut it in two and
the end shot back through the hole in
the ceiling, and could hear rolling
and tumbling on the floor above, show
ing that the sudden giving way of the
rope had disastrous effect. | heard
another voice say: There, now, l told
you so. You've broken the rote.
We've lost our brick and tomorrow
We'll be found out. Can't YOU see it?
We might hook up. Next | saw n
long neck protruding through the hole,
and fellow peering down. Then |
called out: If you trouble any more
ofthose potatoes I'll shoot That fell
lows head shot back through that hole
Just like terrapin, and it was as still as
death up there. | hated to tell on
them, because il was such sharp
scheme OF foraging on the enemy, but
| had to. When the officers went up
the next morning to examine the
room it took long time to find the
hole. Those Yankees had cut hole
about foot square through the floor,
and 1t was done so neatly that it took
good eyesto discover it."
Webster was an esthete, because he
enthusiastically says in his dictionary
that the very sspeakb is too ,,.tur