Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-05
RECOLLECTlONs OF THE WAR
A NEWsBoY IN LIBBY.
Hew He wes Captured-.nsjsr Turner not
Such BAD Sort OF . Man.

was captured during the war and connned
in Libby prison. We extract the fohow-
ing: Al,
corporai, and produced my papers, which
were signed by General Patrick, provost
marshal OF the Army Of the Potomac. You
ought to have heard Johnny Reb laugh.
81 muxK IN IN THE WRONG PEw,"
I said. "wclI, my boy, guess you are"
he replied. and laughed again. See
bere,v I said, "Yye got some Yankee wais-
key and I'll give you some II you want It,"
You NAV be sure he wanted II. so / rum
maged under the pile OF papers and brought
out one OF Captain Remmgt0n's bottles.
Said 1: "Loek here, II you'll let me 90 III
not stop until get TO Washington" The
corporal took the cork out OF the bottle
with the point Of his sabre, and, handing It
10 me, said: "Come, young fank. take a
drink YOURSELF / began to wish that I
was AZ home at Vermont, but did az | was
requested, and told them that now they
knew what was they had better let me
"pit.u They looked at each other aud
laughed, and concluded that was In for
il.
al guess you'll have TO 80 TO the rear
with me-" said the corporal.
"All right" said; "it's as you say,
suppose; and / accompanied him to the
rear, where | was turned over 10 the lieu
tenant in command OF the reserve picket
post. 1t was poor fun. tell you, seeing
the rebs reading the latest news from my
HeraldSi The corporal told the lieuten-
ant about my whskey, and he speedily ap-
propriated IL to bis own use. The lieu
tenant gave me sl2 in Confederate money,
and sent me, in charge OF an officer, to
General Stuart's headquarters, which were
then at WarrentoD, IN brick hotel. The
General and his stall were preparing TO sad
die when.we rode up.
"Here's a Yankee newsboy who has Just
come into the lines, sir. on the pike road"
said the officer; and then they all began TO
question me about our army and rs TO what
was doing outside the lines. After they
yot through, General Stuart said TO one
OF his orderlies, "Take the young Green
Mountain boy up 10 the sergeant, and tell
him TO keep his eye on him till morning."
passed that night with the sergeant, bav-
ing saved my saddle-banket and a few
packages Of papers TO sleep under. My
horse was confiscated by one Of the men at
Stuart's HEADQUARTERS. The next morning,
In company with forty or fifty other prison
ere, we set out for Gordonsyille, twenty
miles distant. On the way
WE NET A PARTY or REBELS,
who were pushing for the front. and | have
never seen "A more motley, Unlocking lot.
One had bed-Quilt over his shoulder. an
other had hat made Of piece Of blanket,
and they nearly all looked like station
house tramps. Some were armed with
rlles and some With shot-guns. The road
was muddy. and our march was by no
means pleasant. My friend, the sergeant,
seeing that il was bard for me TO keep up,
said: Come here. YOU little Nank. jump
up behind heic," which | did. and rode
with him until we reached GordonsyIle.
On the way, / remember, be volunteered
the information that he had captured the
horse We rode while OH raid in Pennsyl-
yania. At Gordonsville we took the cars
for Richmond, arriving there late In the
afternoon Of the 18th. Tne streets were
ful OF people, and, as we passed along. we
were greeted by neutrality-suspicious. and
remarks, such as " How are you, blue-bel-
hes?" "'.Why didn't you uns bring your guns
with youf" 90. look at the little Yank
Norocr If he's drummer. He's too small
10 be soldier" ANY more
WHO'RE you uns come from ?" etc. Alter
PASSING through the streets about mile
we were halted in front Of large three
story brick building, on the northwest
corner OF which hung small wooden
SIGN, on entering the prison we were
formally introduced to Major Turner, the
keeper. He asked us il we had any val
uabes. produced 1928 in greeubacks,
which | had in my bootleg, and told him
| had made it selling papels, and was
going 10 send ii TO my mother in Vermont,
as she had to depend for support on what
nv four brothers and myself sent home 70
her. Ny lip quivercd little when told
him this. He pattsd me on the back and
said my boy, when you 90 out OF here
come into the Office and get this package
lie then took my passes and pinned then
around the money, and gave me back The
Sl2 in Confederate money which the lieu
tenant had given Inc for
CAPTAIN EHMIXGTOS's wnIsKRY.
"He was not :ueh bad sort oi a man
WIGS he :"
No. indeed. We were placed in q
room on the second floor. directly over thC
room used by the guards, is window being
the fourth from the corner. Tie room Wa
o very large one, about one hundred feet
long and thirty feet wide, supported bJ
large wooden beams running through the
centre. lie found in the room two sailor
who were captured on the coast. one o.
them was particularly interested in ms
when he heard that / came from Vermont
and commenced asking me about my faini
". found. to my Joy. that he was fron
nv native town. Burlington. We called
him "Saior Ben" lie came from {
wealthy family, and. like most o
"the Green Mountain boys" went out at tht
first tap Of the drum. We became bunk.
mates, and, not having any blanket,
shared with him my saddie-blsnhet and pa
peIs. While the $l2 lasted we feas'ed or
sweet.pOtato pies, for which ] paid 3.
each. After We had been there few day!
we commenced playing such games ~
"pus,y in the corner" and d" Simon say
thumbs up" We also bought a pack o
cards. for which we paid e.. Sentipeli
passed up and down around US, and ever
hour passed TIE word from post to post
something like this: Post No. 4, II
o'clock and all's we'll" and then the mex
John would say, ''Post No. 3, 10 !o'elocl
and alrs we'll" and so on.
Time hung very heavily on our hand
until the Sth OF December, when We heart
Il rumor
THAT wB WE'RE TO BE rARoLrD.
We were so much excited over th
prospec, that we could hardly sleep tbs
| night. There were about four hundred o
| us then, our numbers having beea sewers
| times increased. On the morning OF III
| 1lth, Sunday, we were told that alter roll
| call, as fast rs our names were called, "
were 10 go down stairs and fall in in iron
| Of the PRISON. When my name was cale'
was down stairs In about three jump.
throwing my blanket on spike, as did a
the others. / found my friend, Hsio
| Turner. in the office, and sure enough, b
returned oil my money, passes, etc. Tha
| night I sailed for Annapolis, reaching
,he second day, after experiencing YER
heavy weather in Chesapeake bay. A
| Annapolis we were ordered into camp
! where got nay discharge aud took ia
| first train for Washington. went to IN
| War Department, hsd my passes renewed
| POtC mac, taking FIVE hundred New Tor
HerdIds and stopping at Aqua creek.
soon learned that the Iron Brigade WI
at Belle Plain landing, and fastened
| JOIN it.
"where have you been, leaving US witt
out papers so longi" asked the General.
"Well, General, / have been to Rict
mond, where our brigade has been tryin
TO 90 for some time"
"Didnt the boys tell you not to so bsc
through the line-that Mosby was picsin
! up everybody he could get hold Off"
"Well, General, the boys had 70 hay
papers," said; 4" and cot an order for
horse, and delivered papers regularly unit