The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-19
much nerve left that we can well spare) to be
kept so long in suspense.
r. P, BLACK,
Late Co. E, 103d Pa. Vols,
plymouth Pilgrin.)
THE GRAND ROUND.
To the Editor NATIONAL Tribune:


/ cannet help but express my hearty appre-
citation of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE-the ex-
celsior soldier paper. | enjoy reading IT, and
especially the articles relating to prisoners
and prison escapes. l read Comrade Hills
history of his escape with sympathetic interest,
as well as other briefer sketches of similar ex-
perienees.
The reason I am so much interested in this
subject is | was a prisoner myself, though /
never succeeded in making an escape. / was
taken prisoner about o'clock p. m. on the
memorable 22nd day of June, 1861 in the battle
in front of Petersburg, Va, together with about
1900 others. No doubt many viii remember
the particulars of the fight near the Weldon
Railroad. After our capture we were taken to
an open field III the rear of Petersburg and
guarded for the night. Next day we were put
on an Island in the Appomattox River, where
we were kept few days, and then were taken
to Libby Prison, Richmond, where we were
separated into squads of six or eight, and
stripped entirely nude by the rebel officers, for
the sole purpose Of robbery. We were robbed
of money, watches, jewelry, blankets. KNAPP
sacks, hayerSackS, eanteenS, and, in fact, Of
everything of value in our possession. Even
the little sugar and coffee had left was taken
from me. They made thorough search for
greenbacks, serutiniZing every seam in our
clothing. After the robbery, what clothing
they did not want was returned to US. We
then were marched TO Belle Island, where we
remained four days. From there we were taken
(by rail- TO Lynchburg, but from Lynchburg
we had the pleasure of footing it 20 DanYille, q
distance of sixty miles, where we celebrated
the 9TH of July by eating sour corn bread, and
by being taken sick. Between Lynchburg and
Danville several of our boys escaped the guards
and struck out for the Blue Ridge, but did not
succeed in making good their escape. They
were recaptured by guerrillas and brought
back to starve in Andersonville prison. On our
arrival at Danville we were put into large.
brick building on the banks OF the River Dan
to remain for day only. The day following
we leftvia Greensborough, N. c., and Columbia,
S. c., for that terrible hell on earth as we used
| to call it, Andersonville prison. arriving there
on II think the 18th of July-after the execu-
ton of the six raiders. at least we remained
until the last gun was fired at AppOmattox.
| save the few times we were run out OF that den
| of filth 30 various other places. Probably it
| will not be amiss here to mention few of these
| places.
PLEASANT EXCURSIONS.
i We were at one time run out of Ander-
| sonville north (by rally to Macon, then east and
| imprisoned at Millen, to remain about three
weeks, then to Savannah, where we were to
have embarked on our transports for Gods
country. But all, not we again were taken
/ back to Andersonville. On several occasions
we were run south to Albany, and from thence
we had the pleasure of footing it to Thomas
/ vile, distance of seventy or seyenty-fve
miles, where we were kept few weeks. We
| also were kept at Blackstone Station for o
| short time, where one of our boys, in attempt
| ing to escape the guard, was shot through the
bowels, from the effects of which he died shortly
afterward. | cannot give his name As before,
| we were again returned TO the den of infamy,
kept by that demon Wirz. On this road-the
Albany and Thomasville-we were compelled
| to travel back and forth several times and all,
| or nearly all of us, baref0oted. / well remen-
Der the Blue Springs, a few miles from Albany,
| on the Townsville road, wherein we took a
| bath on several occasions. / will narrate an
| incident or two which occurred On these
marches This part of the country being over
| grown with pine timber, and having no axes,
we were OF necessity compelled to use pine
| knots for fuel to cook our scanty meals, and, as
| a natural consequence, were smoked very black,
and as we were minus soap could not keep
clean. 1t was at times very difficult to distin-
guish Us from plantation negroes. Cur sable
| compilations caused quite q little merriment
! among the JohnnieS. 4 lieutenant OF the rebel
| guard said TO US as We stopped TO rest-whieh
/ we had TO do quite often owing TO our reduced
and weakened condition-that at the next rest
| he would give the BLACKLIST man a hlrd-tack,
which of course was an article of diet we had
| not seen since our service with Uncle Sam,
| and for once ali wished to be the blacklist
| man.
THE BLAcKER THE BETTER
At the next halt Mr. Johnny Reb walked
around viewing the sable crowd and step
| ping up to one of the prisoners said: Here
| is hard-tack for you; l believe you are
| the blacklist man see, at the same time hand
| ing over a large round bareback. Then cheers
went up from the half-staryed wretches. You
can scarcely imagine the feeling of gratitude of
| the poor fellow who received the hard-tack
for small favors were in those days thankfully
received and highly appreciated. While we
were making one of those journeys it happened
TO be raining, and the roads were very muddy,
| and as we were passing along We came to a
! ditch which covered the entire breadth of the
| road. Seeing the prisoners wading through
mud and slush up to their thighs, and noticing
a rail or plank lying across the slough at a
narrow point, thought l might as well take
| that advantage in crossing. As | was midway
| on the plank | felt severe thrust in my side,
which knocked me off the plank into mud over
| my knees. Turning, / saw the remOrseless
| fiend coffee cooler of the Fourth Georgia
militia, standing there apparently for that
purpose, or for the qualification of his demo-
| MAC desire to see half-naked and half-staFved
| prisoners Juggling with all their strength to get
/ through the mire. The muZzle of his musket
! mo, not mis- musket, but some other reb's, for
the cowardly whelp did not carry musket,l
| struck the strap OF SlIlnS OF NtSSESaCk
| (which / had made of my worn-out shirt aud
broke it, throwing it with its precious con-
tents into the slush. You cannot imagine my
mental agony If, my strength had per-
mitted I should have sprung upon HIM like
a ferocious tiger, regardless of consequences
| MAKING VIRTUE OF NECESSITY.
! All could do under the circumstances was to
| pick up my haversaek out of the mud and
slush and move on as fast as my weakened
| limbs would carry me. might recall many
| an incident that transpired during the term
of my imprisonment. For example, the storm
| that burst over US IN August and swept away
| part of the stockade, and the prisoner who
| revealed the secret OF the tunnel aud who
afterwards had his head shaved, sc. All
who boarded at the Hotel de AndeFsonville
will distinctly remember the chime OF the
enfeebled prisoner going arouad camp singing
/ out, "Who has beans for pork?" or, Who has
| corn meal for tobacc0?" or such like; his object
| being to exchange some article for another more
preferable. The few remaining ones whose
souls had not flown to realms of eternal
bliss, one morning in April. like living ghosts
arose from the tomb of AndersOnville, boarded
a train which carried them southwark, and
arrived at Baldwin, Fla, the 2Sgh. The
railroad track from Baldwin to Jacksonville
! being torn mp, we had another foot excursion
| of twenty miles before us. Some CT us-the
misunderstanding at Jacksonville the same
| day, while those most enfeebled, myself among
the number, were obliged to lie down FOR the