Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-07
HOW THE WAR ENDED.
The Very Last Battle Of the Rebel
hon Fought At Camp Douglas
Johnny Reb's Revenge
The Keutucklan and The hutch


A Mississippi'trooper furnishes the
follOwins account Of his owu expert,
eoces AZ .fhe close Of the war, to the
lPhasdephia Times
Ny regiment, the Twelfth Missis
sippi Cavalry, was stationed at Sum
nit, Miss, in the winter Of lS6l.5,
nheu infbrhation was received By the
Colonel that a regular trade in mules,
beef cattle, ETC., was going on between
the negroes % the plantations just
above Matches and the Federal forces
along the river, | was one Of De.
taehment picked out to 90 on a scout
ing expedition 10 look into that trad
ing business, and that led to my taking
up quarters at Camp Douglas for the
rest Of the war. We knew Federal
troops were on TIC lookout Tor us, but
for my part | didn't expect to be
nabbed quite so promptly as | was,
CAPTURED.
When it happened | was riding
leisurely along the road, having Just
Sore from a point on the river | had
eetn' sent 70 observe, thinking of my
home in the piney woods and wishing
this cruel war was over" II | re
MEMBER right | was whistling, whel
just as | was rounding a point in the
road that led up a hill heard thu
sounds, Click cliokp'e lust ahead o.
me, 4a1, IN the second aiter the order.
Haiti i halted. Then an officer
with SIX negro soldiers stepped out
into the road and ordered me to ad-
vance and sufFender l did 50, giving
~ my carbine and my mule, fol that
was the sorti6t war horse the most Of
our regiment was mounted on in the
last year tof.the war. The negroes
cursed me soandalously, and was
really afraid they would murder me
AZ gold blood in spite Of their com.
handing officer. He was a little IN
easy aboutit, too. ar4e naff
They fofWarded De on TO Natchez,
together with, some, other prisoners
they had lAtely. oaptufed-a psrt Of
ben. from my own regiment--and at
Natchez they put us ID the guard.
house until a boat should be on hand
70 take us up the river. The ladies Of
Natehez had given as D good supply Of
blankets and quilts, but ell but one
apiece we're taken from US before We
went On board the boat. twas cold
etqush Oh the river, and We needed
every Blanket #e'could get. / reckon
we were about fifty miles below Mem.
phis when the boat ran, in the night,
against snag, aud il was all over with
her, ~
We got Of On a sand spit 10 the
rllYer without any loss of life, but
there were soma officers on board and
'aiso some women PASSENGERS, who had
got. out of their beds with only their
night clothes on. and they barely had
time 70 do that, 1t was rude change
enough for them from their snug
berths on board the boat to the wind
swept sand spit, and they had to. wslE
around right lively to keep their blood
circulating About 8 am. another
boat came along and took us Of the
spit. At Memphis L found some
friends, who gave me a little money
and couple Of blankets that were not
taken from me this time. We arrived
at last at Camp. Douglas. where we
we're put ID quarters already occupied
oy some Of Morgan's men, then pris.
0ners. Ea Or bNe
nfr CAMP DOUGLAS.
The building we we're put in was
about sixty feet long and say sixteen
feet vide. There were rows Of double
bunks-oue above the other-runnin0
the length Of the building, with an
aisle between them. There was a door
e each e1d oI the house, and one In
the middle. There was a stove At INV
end, where only two of us at a time
were permitted to warm, and onlv for
q lew moments. We had to get back
IN a hurry to our bunks at the word
from the men who kept guard over ma
Most OF us who bad been brought AZ
prisoners from Nachez had never secn
snow more than four inches deep. and
We were smartly bothered with the
sort that took US up to the waist. We
were not prepared for it either in The
way OF clothes. But for all that We
used to get sent into it in a hurry AZ
the tap Of the drum every morning
clothes or no clothes, for that was the
time the roll was called, aud when we
were not right on hand, the guard had
way Of notifying us to be 4 little
more prompt the next time.
~ Talk about 8 white man when he
cant help himself not standing. a
licking like a black mani Whv I've
seen the German guards takea bic
kentuckian who bad ridden WITH
John Morgan and been in the habit
when treel Of peppering bis meat with
gmpowder. and picking his teeth with
bowis-knife; I've seen the Dnfcb.
men take a fellovlike that. strin him
down, buck him over The edge Of a
bunk and strap him with soldier
bslt with the brass buckle at the end
of it
Well, after while news came ~
Lee 8 surrender, and that the war was
over. We did not believe Il at 6rst
out we we're convinced when thew set
US all Tree on parole, and gave us
transportation home. We had been
released from the prison and were sit.
ting down In The shade along the
Sidewalk Writing for papers 10 be |
made ont or sometime ofths sort
and on the opposite side of the street |
was an Illinois regiment that had |
lately got back from the seat of war
They had stacked their arms and were
louasing about just as We we're oil
cogIse we got to mingling together and
talking, Tor the men who had fought
one smother we're alwaysfriendly when
.be lighting was not going on. Ii was
only the c0wardly home guards who
we're ever cruel TO prisoners-prison.
,rs being the only enemies thew had 1
'bsnce Of meeting, W.
FETCH AMI KErcH.
| forgot 10 say that the two Germans
who had special charge Of our bar
'aeks Weer named Fetch and Keteb
NJ y used to make them powerful
mad when We called out Their panIea
? the dark. Fetch was corporal
irdShe lneaDest Of the two. While I,
Ve were sitting out on the sidewalk Ii
s | was saying, Reich, who was wall
lg about there, kept stepping on The
ee.t OF the big Kentuckiati, who was
ying stretched ont in the shade.
Please don't step on INV gsetl d
gain, said the Kentuckian xbsro
pon Fetch cursed him as BE- had
rison. III - 'ne
amt your prisoner no more, and
dare You to stand uB and 6ebt Il
Ut IKE man, said the Kentuekian ,
Fetch was no ways inclined 10 that
OFT OF thing and was for eetf;ns 49,