National Republican., 1884-11-29
BIZ q Confederate Soldier.


they serve to show the morale of at least
. goodly portion of the men of the army
Of northern Virginia in the winter of
1S64-5, when the confederacy WAS totter-
ing 20 its fall, and think it will be seen
that even with the best class of sol
diers--veteraus of hundred battles-the
sense of honor, patriotism, and bravery
depends in very great measure upon the
proper treatment of their digestive appa-
ratus. 1t Is q matter Of history that for
the last six months of the war the army
of northern Virginia was in state of
'semi-starvation and scantily supplied with
clothing and blankets. If the historians
are to be believed the troops of Wash
ington suffered more hardships at
Valley Forge, but am inclined to doubt
IL, for Washipgton's troops, oven though
''they left the imprint of their bloody
feet upon tho frozen ground" were not
subjected to the harassment Of a life of
almost continuous battle for six months
in filthy trenches and bomb proofs. Look
ing back to that period 1t makes the
gorge Of confederate soldier rise when
he can now see to what criminal negli-
gence the army of Leo was subjected by
those to whom the duty of feeding and
clothing them was intrusted. The army
did not starve and freeze because there
wero not food and clothing available
near at hand in tho confedoracy. II
was because of sheer iDcompetency,
OF worse, on the part Of the COM
missary and quartermaster's depart
ments and of the cowardly selflshness of
high officials at the seat of government
1t has been creditably stated by those in
position to know tho truth that during
all this time of suffering and privation
among the mon who were opposing their
barred bosoms as the bulwark of the con-
federacy in front Of Petersburg, there
were tons upon tons of provisions rotting
upon the platforms and in the store
houses of the depots along the lines of
railroad in the state of North Carolina
alone. believe tho plea of the quarter
masters was that lack of transportation
prevented them from forwarding these
supplies. 1t is true the rolling stock
and road beds were in bad order,
and there was but single line
in our possession. All true, but
was the situation irremediable when the
Tredegar iron works at Richmond could
have been run solely with tho view of
facilitating tho transport of supplies.
The first, the vital, consideration was to
feed and clothe the army. Had Gen.
Lee had the dictatorial power of q Napo-
leon, and had summarily shot half
uOZDu OF 30 Ol bubbb Huu
quartermasters and warned the others that
the supplies must be brought forward
who can doubt that the army would have
Jared better thereafter.
There is another thing to be considered.
On the downfall of Richmond enough
supplies were burned up to have lasted
Lees whole army for month. Why
was the only line of transportation bur-
dened to accumulate this vast stock OF
supplies? Simply to feed and clothe the
horde Of officials who swarmed about the
streets of the capital city. The army
might starve, but these civil exempts
must always have full stomachs to sustain
them in their terribly exhausting duties.
sion of the confederate congress, for in
stance, with its formidable array OF
clerks and messengers and secretaries,
and other official hangers on?
Why didn't they adjourn and &c
home, or, better still, go into the ranks
And what was the use of the Virginia
legislatures presence at the capital with
its horde, also, of able-bodied official
exempts Neither congress nor legisla.
ture promulgated an act in the closing
years of the war that had the slightest
bearing, either for good or ill, upon the
result. They and their subordinatcs
were simply able-bodied drones, and they
fed at the expense of workers in the
field. No wonder that in the latter days
there were heard among the men ON the
lines the mutterings of a coming storm
that would have inevitably waited r. T.
Lee into the dictatorship had not the
collapse of the confederaoy come 30 soon
1t is a well-known fact now that the
men of Lees army during that terrible
winter deserted to the enemy. not by
L..N L..
and as q general thing they took theil
arms with them. Matters had got tC
such pass at last that sentnels ant
pickets, in many instances, neglected t,
fire upon deserving comrades. 1t WA
dangerous, too, to be anywhere outside o
the patrolled streets of the city afte
nightfall, for robbers swarmed in rear o
tho lines. The men of the 1st Virgni
battalion were beaten and robbed in
number of instances in going to and fro
for we were camped about two miles ou
of the city on tho Telegraph road
Bread was a dollar a loaf in Petersburg
but the troops were not paid punctually
even in the almost worthless confederat
scrip, and could not thus exc out thei
scanty rations. Oh ! the miserable, miser
able management.
One morning in January, 1865, m,
turn came to do duty as officer of tn
guard at the huge tobacco factory used a
prison both for confederate and fedora
prisoners. The prison was UNUSUAL,
crowded that day. After counting tn
inmates and giving receipt for tn
:, number to the officer l relieved, 1t oc
CURED to me to visit again the room
where men under sentence of death wer
confined. Thero were some ton or twelv
of them with leg-irons on, but no hand
cuffs. All were condemned for attempte
desertion to the enemy. Four of ther
were to be shot the next afternoon
and l noticed, with some SUI
prise, that they appeared to b
the liveliest and most unconcerne
of the lot The four were seated on
blanket spread out on the floor playing "ol
sledge," and as | stepped up to them the
looked up and greeted me cheerfully.
left the room, but had an uncomfortabl
"premonition," rs it were, that all WI
not right. So, calling the corporal and
ile of men, returned and made tho
,ugh examination of the room. Nothin
uspicious Then l ordered tho prisoner
o get up, and, raising the blanket, foun
the floor covered with layer of coal dus
lust rs II it had been knocked out of til
stove and then spread by trampinj
Running tho point of my swOr
along the cracks OF the floor with twill
of the wrist up flew two planks, leavin
hole in the floor about foot and hal
square. Scarcely had | Strengthened II
before the prisoners made break at N
with their leg-irons, which they had ais
sawed in two. But the corporal and h
file were too quick for thom, and othC
guards rushing in, the desperate men wei
soon bound hand aud foot. shall new,
forget the glances of impotent rage an
hate with which they regarded IN
The prisoners had cut into so
of cellar beneath the hoorin
and removed the brckwork of the outt
wall, undoubtedly by collusion with IL
guards Of the previous night for they hs