The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-26
A Sad RolI-CaII at AndersonyiIle.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

II
/ belonged to company b. One Hundred and
Eleventh o. V. l. Second brigade. Second division,
Twenty third Army Corps and was captured at
Lenoir Station while picket the morning of
the 10th of November, 1863 Burnside was falling
back TO Knoxville, where he had Notifications,
and as we were out on picket and neglected by
command, the result that fifty-one privates
and non-commissioned officers and one lieutenant
were taken prisoners by the Sixth Palmetto sharp
shooters of South Carolina. We were escorted to
the rear of General longstreet's army and there
turned over TO the provost guard Our army
fighting the Johnnies the entire day and many
brave boy gave up his life In this retreat of General
Burnside to Knoxville. On the morning of the 18th
orders were read to the prisoners to the effect that
we We're to be stripped of all of clothing,
which was anything but pleasant news to us, it
being then late III the season and winter fast APP
proaching After they had taken everything from
us down TO our shirts and pants we were started
TO Atlanta where confined for two weeks
IN a military stoekade. From thence were
taken to Richmond, Virginia, and confined in
old tobacco-house called Pemberton Castle Our
first feast of bug soup hailed with great joy.
AS the boys who were sent after it came in sight
we began TO remark TO each other that it was well
seasoned with pepper but on closer observation it
proved to contain small bugs, which looked like
pepper. Here remained for about one month,
and then. for breaking into the cellar and eating
about ton of bran which the rats had used for a
baseball play ground we were banished to Belle
| Island. While in the castle thirteen of the boys
! Were paroled and sent home to fill up quota
| which was being sent off. The lieutenant had
| been previously taken from and put in Libby.
| This left tllirty-eght of us hand From Belle
where arrived March "A at O'Clock a. m. AT
| roll-call in the morning company answered to
| thirty-tve names three having died previous to
our arrival. At the last l-caIl at Andersonvle
| the responses to names follows: Anderson,
Dan-dead. Anderson. Jake; here. Anderson,
James; here. Beaver, Geo.--dead. Burns. NJ. tt
dead. Coney, W. C.-dead Crosser M--dead
| Clark, ID. V.-dead. Cline, Henry-dead Cline,
| Aibert-dead. Deming, Wm.-dead Decker,
! Jerry--dead. Decker, Benj-dead Grant, SAM ];
here Holman. Albert; here. Johnson E.; here
keeler, Clark; here; Keifer Eli; here. Legron,
| Dagis-dead. Pergillis, Andrew; here. Hutchin-
| son, Jan:es-dead. Russell, l.. T.-dead. Richard
J. L.; here. Raney, A. K.-dead Stevenson,
| Jolla-dead. Stevenson, David-dead. Swirehart
! John - dead, Urie, Joseph-dead Valance
| james, here. WieIham. Wm-dead Wickham
/ Ross--dead. Keefer, John-dead. Leslie, c.
/ dead. The remaining two l cannot give any ac-
count of. And yet with this fearful mortality
some say that we did not fare any worse than the
| boys in the field How willingly would we have
run the risk the battlefield in preference to
! starving by inches as we did in those Southern
prison bells. Pension the prisoner of war? Oh,
| no! Not for such small sacrificesi
JOHN l.. RICHLANp,
PoMPEu, MICH. Co. B, 11lth o. VI.