The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-12-06

and consequently their rations had been stop
| ped at their detachment, and they were forced
to wait another twenty-four hours for food.
could enumerate very many more instances of
cruelty, but / think these win suffice When
| / reached Andersonville ] became acquainted
| with young man by the name of Bart Vas
| binder. from Brookville, Pa. To what regi-
mept he belonged / have forgotten. There
were two members of his company with him,
| and they told me he had been well brought up
| He seemed to possess good education, was a
| good young man, and concluded to share my lit
| tie money with him, and try and help him to live
and get home regardless of the great promises
| he and his comrades made me of great remun-
| GRAFTON from himself and father u. G. Vas
binder) if could only keep him from starving.
| He was transferred from Andersonville to
Millen, Ga, at the same time | was. and died
| there about October 20, 1854. It is barely pos
! sible that his friends never knew what became
| OF him. never saw or heard of his two COM
panions after leaving Millen.
| i left Andersonville about September 1, and
| was taken to Savannah and confined in
| board stockade about two weeks. The treat
ment was much better than we had received.
From there was taken to Millen, Ga, Sep
| TENDER 10 in a cattle-car. There were about
| ii 900 of us, and the journey occupied one day
and night. Our rations for that time consisted
of two oat biscuits. The stocl1ade at Mlllen
was about one-half a mile from the depot, and
the roll was called. The rations were the same
as at Andersenvilie excepting wood and water,
| which were more plentiful. Here | again
found Wirz Andersonville having been broken
up Hew assisted by two rebel officers
| Cobb and Lee | remained here twenty-six
days, when the rebels, hearing that Fitzpatrick
was advancing upon the place, took us IN the
night and started with rs to Savannah again.
We remained at Savannah four days, and
camped upon the fair grounds. The citizens
showed us at the time many acts of kindness,
bringing Us food, boots and shoes. The orders
were to allow no citizen to approach within
two rods, but so many came and were so per-
sistent that the guards could not keep them
back, and at last all were admitted by the
officer in charge. While we were passing
through the street rebel sergeant told me
that among the ladies upon the balcony of a
hotel where we halted to obtain water from a
pump was JEFF Davis wife with an officer sup
posed to be LongstTeet. These ladies (2) spit
upon US and called US "ofscourings of the
North"
From Savannah we were taken to Florence
S. c., where we remained nearly four months.
Here we met Captain WirZ again and the red
headed Lieutenant Barrett, who made a yalu-
able aid-de-camp for Wirz, being even more
brutal (if that is possible) than he. Our treat
ment was the same at Andersonviile and
: perhaps, if anything, worse.
Barrett seemed to delight in killing and
wonnding prisoners. | have seen him at times
when they were drawing rations at the gate
draw his pistol and fire. wounding some poor,
defenseless prisoner. No reasons could be as
signed, except devilish delight in hearing the
screams of the wounded have often thought
that be deserved hanging as much, if not more,
than Wirz
Almost every day the sick were called up to
the dead-line in single file TO be, as they said,
exchanged. The surgeon would feel of the
backs of the neeks and arms, then ask to what
regiment they belonged, and if the answer was
an Eastern regiment they were considered well
and sent back. If Western, the surgeon
would gently push them out of line, and have
them taken out of the gate for exchange. They
said Michigan pronounced by them My-shag-
in men did not know what they were fighting
for consequently we had the best chance. The
rebels seemed to be ignorant OF Michigan, and
did not know much about the State, nor ex-
exectly where it was situated. If Captain
MiTz could have seen the diary / kept-Inade
from the leaves of the book given me while a
Yankee sergeant $50 called in AndeTsonyille-
he would have come TO the conclusion that
My-shag-in men were not the arrant fools he
took them for. This book was taken from me
by Union captain at Wilmington, who told
me it was more valuable to the Government
than to me. / afterwards received letter,
ordering me to attend the trial Of Wirz, but
my long imprisonment, together with the
scuryy IN my feet, prevented me from attend
ing
THE LAST DITCH.
About February IL, 1865, we were taken to
!, Wilmington, n. c., and were told we were to
be turned over to Sheridan for exchange We
laid four days in the pine woods east Of the
!, city, and on the fourth day we heard heavy
cannonading and were ordered to double
quick TO the depot, where we were counted OF
, in sixties to car and sent to Goldsboro n. G..
J We remained there four days, living on corn
dodgers and meat that had been condemned
| by the officers of the rebel army. It was called
q salt horse" The last day We did not even
: get that until late at night. With it we re-
| ceived an order strange az it may SEEM for
; the sergeants of the different thousands to de-
! tail all men prisoners under them capable OF
! making out parole papers. AS it was dark and
raining 1t was some time before we could find
our way ont. and when We did we were or
dered to report to a lumber camp near by and
sign the papers. We were then turned loose
5 and in about thirty minutes afterwards we were
told the trains were ready TO take US TO VIII
mington, which place we reached the follow
: ing night. During this time we had nothing
, TO cat Upon reaching Wilmington we were
7 turned over to Sheridan's command, and then
! we received ali the food they dared give US, in
z our half-faminished state-tyo crackers lit
| tie beef tea, and little whisky. We were then
, Invested of our clothing rags and hospital
! clothing given US. From the time / was taken
, prisoner until the middle of January, 1865, all
} the clothing / had was a pair of pants and
blouse, one sleeve of which / had torn off to
: make bag TO hold my ration of neal In the
hole in the ground which / occupied were
two comrades. One died, and my partner took
) what clothes he had, except The shirt. and that
, fell TO me-vermin and ail-for which I was
grateful. 1t was the only shirt / had had since
| became prisoner.
At Wilmington we were put upon transports
and taken to Annapolis, Md and there re-
} ceived furiough for thirty days with rations,
! to report to Camp Chase at their expiration.
was unable to report there, but made report to
S Colonel lille, in Detroit, and the furlough
) wasextended l10days, when reported to Camp
Chase, and was forwarded to my regiment at
, Pulaski, Tenn. reaching it about bay |, 1865,
l the war being then entirely over could not be
, exchanged. and my duties, until mustered out
| at Nashville, Tenn, on September q, 1865,
were merely camp duties.
PERRY /. QUICK,
Co. K, 6th Mich. Cav.
! Holly OAKLAND Co., MICH
The Goth Illinois at Belmont