The National tribune., 1882-06-24
INTERESTING WAR "REMINISCENCES.

STROMsBURG, NEB., June 10.
INTERESTING WAR "REMINISCENCES.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Gratefully l accept the kind invitation to
soldiers of the late war to make your paper the
medium of communication with each other /
have been taking THE TRIBUNE since March l,
and find it the soldiers friend indeed and in
truth. Every soldier should constitute him.
self an agent for it, since its mission is To care
for him who has borne the battle and for his
widow and orphans" To strengthen its arm
and to widen its influence should be the duty
of those for whom it labors. Seeing the name
of Col. G. c. Knitiin as chronicer of war events
in its columns, calls to mind an incident which
he may have forgotten, but which is as clear to
my recollection as yesterdays events At
Parkss Ferry, Nicholas county, KY, Knifin
was acting as recruiting officer. Stepping up
ts me he asked if l wanted tc fight rebels.
With bOyish enthusiasm l answered yes"
and down went my name alongside of twenty
eight others. Would Col. Knflin like to know
the fate of those brave fellows who offered
thems elves that day to fight their country's
battles? Of the twenty-eight who marched
one escaped without wound. Your corre-
spondent participated in several severe battles,
was wounded at Chickamauga, and last, but
not least, endured for five months the horrors
of Andcrsonyille prison. The story of my cap
ture is soon told. My company, commanded
by Lieut.. Chas. I. SwOpe, was with McCook in
Stonemans raid. After severe fight in tho
rear of Atlanta our troops were forceH :" ~n
treat My company ID, Fourth K
mounted infantry was ordered to c.
retreat. The rebs closed in and cut us 5 1a.
the main army. This left US at their as
our ammunition was about spent. Nj, al -ve
ing on we drew Off about two miles to b.
and took position on an eminence.
waited hopelessly our doom. Mornin
and with it heavy line of confeder-
for some ammunition -" What do yc
of the situation, lieutenant" said T.
had a hundred round of ammunition,"
"we would go out of this or take a FEY
Johnnies with us TO the happy hunting
As it is boys, I'm afraid there is nOthiI
but to surrender" When the demand
answered, eyes, sir; but if we had
tion you'd pay dearly for every man .-
little company" Our capture occurr
30, 1850. Among our captors found IN .F
acquaintances belonging to the FOurt, .s.
tucky rebel regiment. They treated me l.
sharing their scanty rations with me- and ----,
all in their power for my comfort They knew
we were elected for "Wirz's slaughter pen"
We reached this "hcll upon earth " July 81
Description fails to picture the horrors of that
place. Tongue cannot express my feelings on
entering that abode of disease and DEATH
Gaunt famine broOded over us. Hunger and
filth, weary home sickness, despair, and insanity
made havoc within our ranks. The most bar
barous nations Of heathendOm never inflicted
on their miserable captivcs a moro terrible
punishment than was here meted out to the
defenders of this country by people who
boasted of their chivalry and superior civiliza-
ton. Yes, the mocking bird chants its requiem
above the graves of thousands of brave boys,
who felt heroic triumph in dying this death
of torture, yielding up their precious lives
sacrifice on their cOuntry's altar. And the
handful that escaped immediate death in the
prison are one by one passing away in the prime
Of life, victims to the fell diseases contracted
within its walls In another decade few of us
will be left to tell the tale of its horrors. Yet
there are people who never lost nights sleep
or single meal in their cOuntry's service, who
object to pensioning the disabled soldiers on
the ground that it will break the Govern
ment." They say we were paid for our SER
vices" Paid $13 month"; Why divest men
of their patriotism, and the mines Of earth do
not yield pay" sufficient to induce men to
endure such suffering and peril ''All that
man hath will he give for his life" and we
offered our lives for our country. The pittance
of $13 per month and the prospect of bounty
were not what we endured the hardships and
peris of field and prison to obtain. 1t was to
save our Nations life. The United States is
not rich enough to pay us in the true sense of
the word, but the disabled soldier demands q
pittance of her wealth as his just right, that
hunger and neglect may not complete at home
the work begun at AndersOnville; that he may
feed, clothe, and above all, educate his children
Poverty breeds ignorance. and ignorance is
death to a republican government. Therefore
il is duty the Government owes to herself, as
well as to her defenders, to provide for those
children, that cultivated intelligence may be
added to the sterner quality of heroic patriot
ism inherited from the fathers; thereby in
suring the perpetuity of her freedom and pros
perity. Now, comrades word to you. Vote
for no man who is afraid of doing too much for
the Nations defenders in the way of paying
them their just dues.
JAMES M. BURK,
" nj Mounted Inf