The National tribune., 1882-08-12

tors were organized ana led In battle by Ser
geant Leroy L. Key, Of the Sixteenth Illinois
cavalry. On the day following the execution
he and six of his companions were taken out
of the stOckade on parole, lest they should bt
assassinated by Raider sympathizers. He
subsequently made his escape, but was re-
captured, and ON the oath of November, 1864
he was exchanged at Savannah He died al
Springfield, H., in April, 1881. The defeat
Of the Raiders occurred on July 8, 1864. The
SIX murderers were hanged on July 11th
Their names were as follows: John Sarsfield
One Hundred and Forty-fourth New York
William Collins, Eighty eighth Pennsylva-
mia; Patrick Delaney, Eighty-third Penn
sylvania; Charles Curtis, Fifth Rhode Island
artillery; A. Mum and w. r. Rickson,
United States navy.
Sept. Th.-A Tumor started at about dusk
last night to the effect that eighteen detach-
ments had received orders to be ready to
march from the stockade at q moments
notice. The tale was generally greeted with
skeptical jeers. BY bedtime, however, the
fact was everywhere established that such
orders had actually been received. The
members of the lucky detachments are ex-
tremely excited. AS yet none have left us,
| but we can see that the railroad track at the
depot is massed with cars. The great query
is, Are we going home or to some other
| prison? The rebel guards say that we are
to be sent to Charleston for exchange, but
they may have been instructed to do so in
order to deter us from attempting to escape
on the route. The old prisoners state that
every time they have ever been removed
! from one point to another they have been
humbugged in this manner with the story of
an exchange. Half the men in this prison
did not sleep last night owing to the intense
excitement that prevails. If we do not go
home hundreds will die of disappointment
They will give up this fearful struggle for
existence. In all my experience 1 never
before realized the necessity of courage and
determination as realize it here The mo-
ment a mans courage is broken he is gone.
His death follows as a natural consequence.
| Thousands of prisoners around me may be
said to be living without hope. They have
waited SO long for the day of deliverance
that they almost believe it will never come
Nevertheless, they face the future with a
cynical and stoical courage which never
witnessed before. The courage of the soldier
in battle is active. Here we must have
passive courage or die.
Sept. sh.-Al day yesterday and all
through last night prisoners were being
shipped away. Eighteen detachments have
bidden us farewell. The streets are still
crowded, business goes on as usual, but
prices are not SO exorbitant. On account of
the removals in progress our rations have
been seriously shortened. Last evening, to
serve for twentyfour hours, each man drew
less than pint of coarse cornmeal and
thin piece of raw bacon an inch long and
about an eighth of an inch wide. Neither
wood nor salt was issued to us. Not half
the men have been able to cook their food,
for lack of fuel I am almost famished, and
am so debilitated by starvation that the least
undue exertion makes me nearly sick. This
is gloomy, cloudy day, but We are hopeful,
and everything looks bright ahead.
day from the intense heat. Detachment after
detachment is leaving US. AS the boys march
out we bid them good-by with loud cheers
The rebels say q general exchange is going
on at Charleston, and that every man Of us
viii be homeward bound within ten days.
The news seems too good to be true. The
general determination is to prepare for either
fortune. If home is our destination, we will
be glad to get there. If another prison
awaits u.s. our minds are settled for its hor-
rors. / have noticed more than the usual
number of dead bodies lying in the streets
to-day. The excitement of this reputed ex-
change is proving fatal to many. Half an
hour ago, while going to the swamp for
water, found mere boy stretched across
my path, balf-dead with starvation and dis
ease. He had no shelter over him, and not
a friend was near him. His pallid face was
turned up to the scorching sun; his eyes
were closed, and his breast heaved with
mortal agony. stopped moment to pity
him, when kind-hearted German came up
and proposed that we do something for him.
We hunted up an old rotten blanket some
departed prisoner had abandoned and with
n few sticks improvised miserable shade
for his face, and then left him. "That's
what man gets for fighting for his country"
cried a faint-voiced invalid not far away.
When we came back from the swamp the
boy was dead This is only an instance of
what 1 have seen every day since have
been here. Since the 1st of June more than
nine thousand men have been carried to
their graves from this loathsome prison-pen,
and thousands of others have been ruined
in health for life.
Sept. 10th-The good work still goes on
thousands of prisoners are leaving us daily
Trains of box and cattle cars are running
day and night, heavily laden, bearing them
northward. In the meantime, Judging by
appearances, those of us who remain are
doomed to starve. All the food 1 have had
to-day has been little unsalted cruel made
from meal 1 tried to save up for my journey.
Anything, however, so we finally get out of
this den or horrors. A new species of strategy
has been developed by the removals now
going on, which we term "flanking" When
detachment is about to march out, men
who do not belong to it crowd into it's ranks,
and if lucky enough to be counted off by
the rebel officer they pass out, and as many