The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-29
FIRsT AT CAME FORD.
Letters From the Survivors of that Noted Rebel
Fen.

Letters from tle Survivors OF that aOieu heD1
Fen.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Ia TEE TRIBUNE of April there is state
ment made by S. ii. Wright in regard TO who
were the first prisoners sent TO Camp Ford.
Texas. ] wish to correct some errors which
appear in the statement; for that only is his
tory which is exact. Comrade Wright quotes
his statements from a work by Lieutenant
Colonel Duganne, OF the 10th New York, who,
] presume, was misinformed Lieutenant
Colonel Leake commanded not the 10Th but
the 18th Iowa Lieutenant-Colonel Rose COM
manded the 10Th Indiana, aud not the 10th Iowa,
as stated. The only troops captured at Nor
ganzia Bend, La, September %, 1863, were
portion of the 26th Indiana infantry, por-
lion Of the 18th Iowa infantry, and one sec
ton of the LIST Missouri artillery -450 men
all told. ] was captured at that time and heard
the count taken and numbers called. We were
on what was called the Sterling plantation SIX
miles from the main command, and our camp
ing place surrounded by cane and weeds. De
pending upon our cavalry as pickets, we only
had out our usual camp guards. We were thus
camped Tor nearly three weeks, when the rebels,
having learned our situation, eluded the cav
airy, and had us completely surrounded. The
first we knew Of their presence was when they
fred directly into our camp, killing several OF
our men before we could even fail into line. The
baLAlG WHICH lDl4oMGu Was d NGskibletC ain
bloody one. The Confederate force under ten.
Green, was estimated at 5000 The battle
lasted two hours and eight minutes Our loss
was thirteen killed and forty wounded. The
Confederate loss was supposed to have been
/ equal To our entire command. as we had the
| best trained troops and also advantage of posi-
ton. Gen. Green was much surprised when he
found that he had only been fighting a mere
handful Of men. He said in my presence that
he supposed that he was fighting our whole d.
vision l well remember remark that Gen.
/ Green made to Leutenant-C Colonel Rose, who
was our commander After the surrender the
! general looked at the $50 prisoners and then al
Colonel Rose and said: Colonel, is this all the
men YOU have left?" at is, said the colonel"
! Then said the general, " If I had all my men
back again, you might go to - with your
/ entire command"
The $50 mentioned were the first prisoners al
! Camp Ford, Texas. A few months after we
were imprisoned at Camp Ford, portions of the
9th Kansas and 22d Iowa regiments were
/ brought In, besides squads Of men from Other
regiments. / well remember seeing Colonel
| Duganne. of the 10th New York volunteers
and remember that he was taking names for &
book he proposed to prepare if he should live
10 be free once more. l always understood that
most Of these men we're captured at the fight
| at Mansfield, La. which occurred during ths
Red River campaign, under General-or a!
most Of the boys called him, Corporal -
Banks. / hope that some eomrade, gifted witt
a good memory, or backed up by the proper
| memoranda, viii conclude to give u.s. through
/ TIE TRIBUNE, sketch Of prison life at Camp
| Ford. JOHN w. HAMLIN,
Private Co. <, Goth Ind. Vols