The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-10-12
SOUTHERN PRISON LIFE.
"Free Lance" Continues the Dole
full Story of His Experiences.
XIV

| XIV.
Dec 9TH have celebrated nv twentieth
birthday by stealing cordwood stick, and de-
vOuring my usual ratons Of Cruel. Sylvanus
Fisher and four other boys of our regiment
were brought into the stockade to-day They
were all captured on the road to Savannah
whittier Sherman was moving. Eleven of
them were sent out on the flank OF the army to
collect some forage, and reaching n fine resi-
dence, they halted and ordered the slaves to
cook them some dinner. Very carelessly, they
hung their muskets and cartridge-boxes on the
boughs of some trees and were lOunging about
in very unsoldierly fashion, when q company
of rebel cavalry dashed in upon them and shot
six of their number dead and captured the
other five. The rebel soldiers were eager to
Kill the whole party, and only were restrained
from doing so by their commanding officer
with the greatest difficulty. Fisher says that
Sherman is knocking the stuffing out of the
confederacy," and that the war will be over by
spring. On the 22d of last July, when our
brigade was fighting pretty much the whole Of
Cleburne's division, a private soldier of the
Fifteenth Iowa, by the name of Reuben Meek,
captured eighty-fve rebels without anybody's
dso!SttuCo ~ uchNy charge lstu Deen maze on
the Fifteenth and after it had been repulsed,
Meek started down to the ravine in front of
the position to fill his canteen with water sup
posing that all the rebels had fed Much to
his surprise, he came upon a large party of
them lying in concealment. They sprang up
and began cooking their muskets, when, in a
furious tone, he ordered them to ground
arms" instantly, or he would order the Skin
mshers to kill the last man of them. Pre-
Stunning that large force of Yankees were at
hand, they threw down their musl1ets, and
Meek marched them up to the regiment and
delivered them to his colonel
RED HEADS BRUTALITY.
Dec. 10th.-A Presidential election was held
in this prison on November Sth, the same as at
Millen, and Lincoln beat Mcclellan three to
one. Surrounding this stoclIade are two lines
of earthworks. When the prisoners were first
brought here from Charleston, 1900 of them
broke through the guard lines one night, while
still detained on the outside, and, in spite of
the musketry, most of them made their escape.
They were all recaptured, however, within
few days, and many of them were murdered in
the woods by their captors Packs of blood
hounds are kept here for the pursuit of prison
ers, who are barbarously treated if recaptured.
Red Heads" favorte amusement is to take
such men, tie their wrists together behind
them, and then suspend them in the air by a
rope fastened to their wrists. The bravest
and strongest man cannot undergo this ordeal
without finally screaming and shrieking with
pain. A rebel guard tainted one day at merely
witnessing the agony of Union soldier tor
tured in this way. Red Head" however,
dances about such brutal scene in the height
of physical and intellectual enjoyment An
other custom Of his is to suddenly appear with
an armful of heavy clubs and hurl them, one
by one, into clusters of unsuspecting prisoners.
He has dangerously injured quite a number of
men in this way He would not dare to enter
the stockade alone if it were not for the fact
that we would be held responsible, collectively,
for any injury done him. He generally has
guards with him, however. The First Georgia
infantry composed of soldiers who have seen
fighting, is well spoken of by the prisoners
Dec. 11h.-A soldier belonging to the Sixth
West Virginia cavalry informs me that he was
one of a gang of 700 Union prisoners who were
temporarily confined in tobacco warehouse
at Lynchburg, Va, last July. 1t was one
story structure on the outskirts of the town.
The ratiOns consisted of ham and corn dodgers
The rebel sergeant commanding was sailor
who was in the South when the war broke out,
and was conscripted in spite of his Union senti-
ments. The guards were convalescent veterans,
and treated the prisoners we'll In the cellar
of the warehouse was large quantity Of tin,
which the prisoners stole to make cooking
utensils out Of When the owner of it found
cut what had occurred, he applied to the au-
thorties for permission to put powder in the
cellar and blow the prisoners up. The matter
was adjusted by rebel colonel, who shut of
the ratons of the prisoners until the sale of the
same Unidentified the patriot who owned the tin.
COTToN-sEED FLOUR.
Dee. 12h.-One of the paroled men mentioned
a fact to me to-day which he heard on the out
side. Several years befo' the wab " some South
ern gentlemen conceived the idea that they
might not only make money out of cotton, but
also feed their slaves on -four manufactured
from cotton seed They accordingly had a
quantity OF cotton seed ground up into -four,
and had loaf of bread baked from the COM
modify produced. A negro was then compelled
to make repast from this bread, but died in
consequence. The symptoms were those of
poison. Strange that we have never been fed
on cottOn-seed flour.
Dec. 13h-To-day l saw q prisoner shot dead
for asking sentry to throw him chew of
tobacco. The guards are even more blood
thirsty here than they were at Andersonville.
Dec. 14h.-Last night poor, sick, emaciated
fellow got bewildered in the swamp, in the
darkness, and although he was only a short dis
lance from the causeway, he fell into a water
hole and was drowned. His body was found
this morning. A good many men heard his
cries, but no one went to his assistance.
Dec. 15th-To-day we were notified that the
guards have instructions to shoot all prisoners
who speak to them. Such instructions were
issued several days ago without our knowledge,
and many prisoners have been killed in conse-
quence. The object is no doubt to prevent us
from learning anything concerning the move
ments of Sherman's army. For some days past
the rebels have been taking prisoners out of the
stockade for exchange, endeavOring to select
only those who are manned, certain to die, or
whose terms of service have expired Among |
the lucky ones taken out to-day was Sturgeon, |
of our mud hut, and of my own regiment |
"Spurge" is very thin from long starvation, |
and got himself up for the occasion. Hump |
ing his back" hobbling with stick, and put |
ting on a fearfully miserable yisage, he Sic