The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-27

and was about to shoot but some of the pas
sengers interfered and made the Jew let go, in
order that his life might be saved. Every pas
senger was searched, while the soldiers on
board were threatened with death if they at
tempted to make move to interfere. One OF
them stuck his face close to mine and asked:
"Who are your" When / told him he an
swered. That's all right" and passed on to
some more profitable game. They got as much
as they could carry, aud took three or four
Union officers prisoners, and ordered us all out
of the cars, set fire to the train, and disappear
ed up the side of the mountain.
As we were thus turned out of the cars at the
beginning of night, the comrade (named Muir
ray) who was with me proposed to walk along
the track which we did, and finally came to
house, where we were allowed to sleep on the
floor by the stove, and for which we were
charged % cents each, which we gladly paid,
as it had begun to rain. The next morning our
host informed us that about mile from there
were stationed two companies of soldiers
guarding trestle-work, so we resolved to go to
them. We started early in the morning, and
in the course of an hour came to the place,
where two full companies were stationed guard
ing bridge that crossed a mountain stream.
They received US kindly, and were surprised to
hear that the rebs had thrown q train off the
track so near by without their knowledge. We
spent the greater part of the day with them
waiting for the next train west which came
rolling along in the afternoon and stopped to
take us on, and again | was journeying home
ward, which was safely reached without fur
Their mishap.
ARRIVAL AT HOME.
was received by my friends and relatives
with great rejoicing, as they had given me up
for good and mbered me among the many
victims of the war who went forth and were
accounted for as missing. My anxiety to reach
home had kept me in unnatural state of ex-
element, and as soon as / reached there reac-
tion took place and was again Frustrated, and
was dangerously weak and sick, and my family
physician pronounced my case very doubtful.
With the good nursing of my wife l regained
comparative health. AS my furlough had now
almost expired, / began to think of going to
Camp Chase, O., where at the expiration of my
furlough / was Instructed to report before l
rejoined my regiment which l had not heard
from since my capture, aud was destined never
to see again. 1t was some time in April, 1865,
while sitting at home reading the Cincinnati
Commercial, that under General Order No. II
from the War Department all paroed and sick
soldiers at home on Through will report for
muster out and discharge, which order obeyed
and reported to Camp Chase, o., where | found
many thousands like myself who had also re-
ported under the same general order. Among
those who came, and one whom was overjoyed
to see, was my old prison cbum, Virgins, whom
| had not seen since l lost consciousness on the
transport. He was greatly improved in appear
ance since last saw him, but recognized him
at glance. We were detained in Camp Chase
for IL weeks before receiving our final dis
charge, although we were drawn up in line and
mustered out several days before we received
our papers. We Of the Cd Ohio Cav. resolved to
march to Columbus, distant about four miles,
and ask the Paymaster Maj. Williams to pay
US off and give US our discharge papers; which
we did, and the Paymaster paid us off and
handed each man his final discharge, dated the
18th Of June, 1865. The amount of money each
man received was large, as the most Of us had
been prisoners so long that our pay, together
with three months extra pay allowed TO each
ex-prisOner, amounted in some cases as high as
eight or nine hundred dollars. | felt, with my
roll Of money and my honorable discharge from
the army, that was going home happy man.
/ found letter awaiting me at home from the
Captain of my company, in which he congratu-
lated me upon my successful release from the
rebel prisons and in it asked me TO hurry and
| join the regiment; that he had Lieutenant's
commission for me. | answered his letter,
| thanking him for his kind consideration, and
| and that would have to decline his generous
| offer, because ! was discharged from the service
| and had donned citizen S garb. / also informed
| him that my experience had quite satisfied my
desire for any further military honors
! Virgins is living in the soldier State OF Kan
| sas, from where, after lapse of % years, and
| after having vainly sought all over the country
| by letter and advertisement, was surprised to
! receive a letter from him informing me of his
whereabouts, and that he was nicely located
| with gcod wife and family; all of which he
| richly deserves.