Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-18
DINNER FOR THREE
IN A PRISON sTocKADE. oeogMsEa
25, 1864.
From Thanksgiving to Christmas-Thess
sPoonfuis of Gookas and Three Of
Msal-Watching q Tin "Gunbsas'
A Lifetime Memory.
New York Sun I

New York Sun.l
On the last Thursday of November, 1854,
thres of us sat in a shsbang in the prison
stocsade at Florence, s. C. Sheban2 was
the prison word for dwelling constructed
in this way. 1t was in the afternoon We
had received our daily rations-about thrss
tabisspoonfuls Of gookas, or cow peas, and
little over pint of corn mssl-had cooked
and eaten them, and were sitting on ths
ground floor Of the shebang, our eyes Hat
lsssly turned roofwards, while our thoughts
were as shallow Is our faces.
We were silent fer awhile was the 6rst
to speak:
"Thanksgivings gone, boys, bus If w Hvs
until Christmas We can have . dinner, and
won't be hungry after We have eaten it,
"How% inquired my tive comrades,
eagerly.
I'VE won't feel much hungrisr than we do
now if we each put by spoonful of meal
and spoonful Of gookas every day from
now until Christmas and think our saw
ings will make q dinner that will be satisfy
ing"
After some discussion as to the relative
strength OF our appetite and our wills, II Wa
decided to Jay by our six spoonfuls of food
every day, all agreeing that the spoonfuh
should not be heaped, but even. / dreamed
that NIGHT of faastins, o, I'll -. - -
:. on az ons goa 'Ainss
or eaten. The next morning =. rad. -,
hays of penerous siza In tbs aft.rrNo, =.
our rations came we mn, thr.. ,,,oor,,,I. :.
gookas in one bag and three spoonful, of
meal in the other. Every succeeding day
the bags received their portion, and were fsl
of .ffectionately. to find ont ~ r,nch ,h~.
contained
Christmas morning. 1ss, after bsin, lon,
waited for. came at last The faint Iiebt a
the mornino fonnd ma s,i,.ri,, W. "a
boarded our fusl saving a little sv.ry d.v
1t was not an easy thing TO do. for the d.iIv
fuel ration Of ninety man was three .t;cts -
pinewood of average siza To this sunnlv We
had added by pickino mn evsrv .nlint.r :.
large as a toothpick and svsrv chin a, I.r..
as a 1O-cent pisce that wa discov.rsd in on,
wanderiues about the s.ockads
The occupant, of a .bsbany ma, onr
In addition to thu usuaI COOKING nt.,s,l.
quar-. bottle. and tin or ,b..t iron n.,.L
possessed a eunboat. Tbi, was a nisc. q, IA
roofing tin mads into , nan mr.. th.n
foot long and abont .i, ;,,ft.s ;Sa.S -.
The corners where the tin bsa bs.n c,,t "A
or turned were soId.rsd with cor, 1nssI +,
was not slightly. but WAS conveni.nt Ws
had baryain.J befor. for the me-. =, ,h;, -
boat.
Tba fin. w.s 1;ob,.d TIL. 49,
soaked the night bafor, .nd ,ss,. -. 70. -. -. !.
the gunboat Covered With ,x.t.r "a -.
punbost was %. over tbs fi-o No., -. -
brics. made for the occas;,n -
not NAV no. boil hnt a vTa,.h.J au.s.,
did for three beaas bsns f.-w.-1 80 -
ewes gssed intantIv mon tb. contact. - a..
vessel over the tir. nntiI N. r.,sr-.LuS
bling and thu psas dan,ino in .na .,,.-.,.
the bubbles
At short intervals q f.u ,...~ ,.S~
ont in a spoon and aIlowsd tp co,l ~ ~.
was taste5 bv es,b ~ :. - t,-I-s
given as to II, being done En,riv ws ~.
Inanimous in the oninion that II. go.
were cooked enough Nal ms, 49,
forth and stirrad in and tbs ,,ddir, -. al.
lowed TO rsmain ON tba fire nntiI n hsd 49,
epsd. so that there was danger Of n, NJ.