The National tribune., 1882-11-16
TRYING TO ESCAPE.
Hiding in e-brakes and Living
on PerSimmOnS.
HORRORS OF SALISBURY.
Moving Down the Prisoners
With Cannon.

On the Goth of September 1863, I, with many
others, was captured at Chickamauga We
were marched to the railroad sent to Atlanta,
robbed of pocket-knives and trinkets, then sent
to Richmond, and placed in the Pemberton
building, a large brick across the street from
Libby. Here we laid on the floor for about two
months, when we were removed to Danville,
and placed in large brick, without fire or
covering. The smallpox broke out among us.
Many died, many were taken out to the hos
pital, and many remained without medical aid
of any kind. We were fed about enough to
sustain life and keep us in perpetual misery.
Rice soup was brought us in wooden pals;
often have SKINNED off gill of vermin from
pail of soup. The first of April we were
placed on the cars and sent to Andersonville.
The scenes described there by Free Lance"
are not Overdrawn; indeed, no language can
eXaggcrate the horrors and miseries of that
G0lgotha Many were turned in there destitute
OF everything but a pair of drawers and shirt.
Many who walked around through the day
were found dead in the morning. 1t was one
continual scene of human woe and misery.
The prisoner mentioned by Free Lance" who
INV 'fSNSSA
line, was within few feet of me at the time
he fell but never spoke. A fine young man,
who slept near me on the ground, had the top
of his head blown off while he was asleep, the
guard firing into the prison for amusement. |
here give the names of a few acquaintance /
knew who died there: B. F. Bonner, William
NichOless, Fred. Grosh, Hiram Shrigley, James
Sutton, and Albert McCiurg, of the Tenth
Wisconsin infantry, besides many others whom
| do not now remember. In the fail we were
removed "a batch of about 1000 to Florence,
S. c., and placed in an old deserted field while
they prepared q prison. After being there
couple of days we made rush upon the guard,
and about 500 of us succeeded in getting to
large swamp covered with cane brush. Many
were the shots fired, but how many were killed
[ never knew. Myself and one other travelled
together beyond the swamp and secreted our
selves in fence corner for the day, when we
heard voices and on looking out from our place
of cOncealment we beheld three soldiers with
their muskets, searching for something, we
knew not what. They paused for a few mo-
ments and then passed on. We remained quiet
until night, and then proceeded on our way.
star We travelled mostly at night if it was
not cloudy. We subSisted on corn, persimmons
and whatever we could find. One day we saw
a man and q negro woman pulling corn blades
in a field, and being nearly starved, we con
GUIDED to call on them for food. AS We came
up they both faced us, but the woman in the
rear of the man. We made known to him our
wants and begged for bread. He had none,
but pointed to house some distance of, and
told us to 90 there and we would get all we
desired. The negress shook her head, and this
gave us to understand that danger was there.
We then appealed to the woman, who soon
placed two very large pOnes of bread and dozen
sweet potatoes raw before US. 1t took US but
a short time to deyOur them and start upon our
way. We had proceeded about two miles when
we became so stupid we could go no further.
We crawled into q thicket and went to sleep.
On awaking we found ourselves refreshed, and
rs the sun was about two hours high we started
on our journey. We suddenly came upon two
women washing at creek. We were now in a
road with swamps and cane brush on each side
of us. Being somewhat careless we took the
road and passed five or six houses in as many
ing our course. Darkness came on and we still
kept the road Soon we came near a small
cabin by the side of lane. We paused in about
twenty yards of it to consult, and we heard the
sound of horses feet in our rear. Quickly secret
ing ourselves we saw man pass by and pause
at the cabin. The door was opened, and man
came out and said, "What is up, DOuglass?"
He replied, "a couple of Yanks have passed
up the road and l am going to have them;
will go on to town and come back the other
road, and you be ready, should they come along,
and take them in" He then went on, and after
everything was quiet we crawled for about one
hundred yards and changed our course. Soon
we came upon another road, and felt sure this
was the one Douglass would return on. We
concealed ourselves so we had a fair view of the
same About midnight he passed by on his
return, and we Immediately resumed our Jour
ney.
We slept in the woods, in hog BEDS in
fodder-pens, and swamps. We suffered beyond
expression from cold rains, frOsts and hunger,
and were recaptured after we got in about days
travel of Charlottesville, n. c. We were drag
ged about from one place to another for couple
Here was another scene of agony and wretch
edness that can never be erased from my mind
while memory lasts. There were four or five brick
buildings inside of the prison walls, and these
were filled with the sick and wounded. When
we first went in there, we were confined in a
house with about 200 bounty.jumpers from the
Union army, having come there for protection.
They Immediately plundered and robbed us of
everything we had gathered up on our trip.
They soon learned we were from Anderson
Vile, and they drove us out of the building and
swore they were going to kill us because we
had hung the six raiders there. In few days
4 fresh supply of prisoners from Grants army
arrived, and we then drove them into their
building and kept them there until they were
removed. We were here destitute of clothing
kind the entrails of cattle were divided among
us on one occasion. / well remember we re-
ceived piece of beef tripe about three inches
square, raw and uncleaned, for % days rations.
The winter weather was cold and severe and
the old prisoners died more rapidly here than
ut Andersonyille; many were frozen to death
many were to be seen crawling around with
their feet frozen until the flesh dropped from
the bones Several citizens volunteered their
assistance to doctor and wait on the sick Feet
hands, legs and arms were amputated daily
from the effect of frost. On ono occasion, while
dozen guards were in the prison, the prison
ers seized them and took away their arms;