The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-27

Across the doors of these cars strong wooden
bars were placed, and at each door two guards
were stationed to preclude any possibility OF
escape.
When about three miles from Ringgold (the
train not exceeding 20 or p miles an hour, we
saw in the distance great confagratlon, IKE
that Of burning wagon train or line OF cars.
Two miles further on the engines Stacked up at
q w8y-station to take on a supply of coal or
wood and water, which occupied fully three
quarters Of an hour The car in which my
comrades and 1 were housed was guarded by
four Georgians, two at each door, and who
were IN q measure well disposed, and con-
yersed freely with US all along the route
There was one unruly aud o5strepeTous fellow
among the prisoners in our car, who for some
reason was very indignant and abusive to one OF
the guards. He was finally prevailed upon by
one OF our men to be quiet, and under threat
by one Of the guards to have him severely pun
ished on his arrival at Richmond. On more
than one occasion it was thought that he would
be run through with the bayonet, but tortu-
nately he was not. Our trip to Richmond was
not altogether very pleasant one, for ooth the
prisoners and the guards would indulge id
harsh language, hurting vile epithets at one
another: the guard aggravating the prisoners
by saying that they ought to be strung up
without the least show of mercy" aud other
such like remarks, and the prisoners In turn
tautaliZiug them with tTampiing the star
Spangled Banner" under their feet, and that
they were on an equal footing with Brant,
the border rufiian and brute of Revolutionary
times" etc. which bored them terribly.
When we arrived at Petersburg burly-look-
ing soldier with bulldog c9untenance and
somewhat intoxicated was walking alongside
the train. lie wore a huge mustache on the
grenadier order and was dressed in regular
butternut suit He was armed with con-
spicuous-looking instrument, the Arkansas
tOothpicz," brace Of old horse pistols OF Revo-
lutioGary fame, no doubt, aud hinge cavalry
saber dangling at his side, striking his heavily
sp1rred heels as he carelessly staggered up to
the car in which we were standing and, assum-
ing the attitude of Iago, accOsted US IN a some
what humorous manner:
Hello, thar; whar does you-uns hail from,
"a kinder like ter know, an whar is you -uns
bound fer?"
We good naturally informed him that we
were from everywhere, but lately from the bat
tlefeld of Chickamauga, and bound for Rich
moud, Lynchburg, Andersonville or some other
Winter resort, for the benefit of our health, and
would like to have his majesty's company.
Ya-as / rather reckon so, he replied, with
q grin, as he bit of two inches from plug OF
black, fat tobacco IN be consarned eff you
uus dun't smell birthstone inside or 45 hours
my name arnt Lige Dangerfeld, Nv the Texas
Rangers, you bet!"
"What are you doing out this way?" said /
"Fll be John Brown eff ! Amt up yere on el
! particular bizuess," said he. Pm a sharp
/ shooter Nv the Rangers, / tell you-uns. an III
( bet you-uns $50 Fedcrate note kin shoot ei
+ fly Of you-uns nose 'thout tOuchin' the hide,
/ kin; eff 1 dun't. you-uns gifts the stakes"
informed him that ] wouldn't bet, simply
/ for these reasons: In the first place, l am an
/ orphan, and had no money or friends; and in
the second place, didn't care for that kind o.
amusement at present.
Drive on, then" said the King of the Canni
+ bal Islands But hold up thar, Yank say
/ what State was you-uns riz in? ,"
! The train was slowly moving of, as l shouted
! out, - From old Kaintuck, the dark and bloody
/ ground the birthplace of Harry Clay"
Well, it's all right, pard, said he, " kinder
/ like ole Kaintuck; it's mighty nice place K
live, an all that sort O thing, but I'll bt
switched eff you-uns arn't in q darned bad boz
now. Don't you-uns tell EN- y'u're from OLE
/ Kaintuck, fer eff they find it out youuns i
/ gone up, shure; they hate 'em out yere like
/ pizen fer jinin' the Yankee army"
The last words he said TO Us were, Good-by
/ Yanks' and he gave terrific war whoOp like
/ a wild Comauche Indian, aud, tossing his som
I brero in the air, continued his frantic yels
! which finally died away in the distance II;
4 I ever met with anywhere south of Mason 6
Dixon's Line. We arrived il Richmond late il
/ the evening, and were given temporary lodg
4 ing at the Old Clay Prison.-ALFRED w. HAIR
RS, 5th Ky.