The National tribune., 1888-09-06

ground We had tramped toward Salisbury
Prison Ei ch we reached al q Eht aud were
puf ID the rebe. guar3bause, iG which quite q
number ot refractory and unmanagea1ie rebels
were confined for various OteDses. When the
morning dawnedFFe were greeted quite j0Vally
by the rebel prisoners, VINO were disposed to be
very familiar.
WHY. hello. Yank; howdv?" said they.
When did you get inE Arc you going 70 stay
long with Us? i hope you viii like the place
and company" Then noticing q silver corps
: badge. " aich I had found the battlefield "
Cpeanl1, lud which ! had pinned on the Jap
pei 81 DIv blouse, one saiG. SAY. 4auk, what
vii you take t0r that bTeas-Fin2" Making
him a8 answer, De again accestea me with q
proposition To trade, and said: VOW. look
here. Eaak iii tell yoI what I'll 60. I'll give
you ibis bed-Uuilt for that bTta5tp.u." and he
held up lDr mE Inspection weii-'y0rn, dirty
aud somewhat torn old quilt This. he said,
would do nc more good iH there where was
going than that pin, and if ] Would say trade
DE Wglld call IT a bargain. / gladly accepted
his offer fCI knew DE spoke Tie truth.
Virgins and j were soon called ont and cues
toned iiv tire gllCer 81 the day as 70 the man
ncr iu wa.ch We Effected cur escape, and when
4 told him where and hOw it was done, he
said. +" Yes, believe FDG and III bet there
was all 81 % got through that hole and the
guards said they discovered il before amy got
through You viii have to go back and try it
aea.E
After wc had gotten our effects together, ne
aud guard led Us up 20 the narrow gate
which he opened, sud again We wese in tie in
closure gf starvation. suffering and death
Hhat q scene was il that met our eyes. Some
how, IN that mysterious and u4acc0uutablc
way that news Is spread among BODY Of men,
it tCca4e known among the prisoners Of the
Enclosure thar we had been Tccaptured, and
they bad collected I'D large numbers IN front
j T# "
we entered with our meat, bread aud corn,
which we carried in plain view, it had al effect
that We iittle dreamed o. il appeared from
what Wc could Learn that
THERE HAD BEEN 80 RATIeSs
issued 10 the prisoners the day before and
when these starving prisoners 5cAeld what we
had aud what they 50 much needed. iu the most
beseecalug tones they begged for something "a
cat: nor could TIE flashing eyes and tone Of
voice be misunderstood. A. tac sight Of the meat
sud bread fairly set them wild, and they pressed
around us ID q manner that told Us that 0ul
dives were not safe IN such q crowd, aud K
such appeals as
20. say. partner. won't you please give mt
piece Of llatg / haven't mad anything lol
We would give small piece which was re
peateG So often that oUr stock Of rations so0r
dwiudLed TO almost nothing Never can ] Tor
get the fierce aspect and actions Of the poo
starving rrIEOIcrz. Their eyes seemed to Lag,
"a far1ishe8 CLEAN like those Of hungry wolves
aud il would have been almost as safe for us hex
we been east into aeu OF wild animals. Bu
VIC kept moving along surrounded as we were
until we reached the ninth division, wher
Virgins was located before cur escape am
here we found several Of oHr regiment, VIII
were surprised and rejoiccd 70 see US. Ate
the excitement attending our return had WOr
OF we settled down 10 tire same old routine G
hopeless prison life, There weres6ve Of the 2
Ohio Cav whom I knew who were confined il
the prison, and resolved 10 stick togethe
and take caEl z: each other IN case Of sickness
We Lad no place 81 shelter where We e0,i.1 (,
together, 50 we resolved 10 dig a hole in ia
ground, which we did Immediately IN the rea
Of the dead-house. This habitatioa was simila
20 many others that were dug for the sam
purpose. aud was constructed on plan whic
We thought would afford us the greatest PR
lection from cold and weather. The hole wa
about six feet deep with an arehed roof
about two feet I'D thickness, with seven fet
square Of floor room Ia one side Of the hol
VIC dug fireplace aud constructed Gimme
with mud bricks on tho outside and above,
create a draft We had dug q narrow way Il
an entrance, "a which nc shaped steps IL I'll