The National tribune., 1889-10-17
OFF FOR HOME,
or a TrIp % 0od,s ConnIrr.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Twenty-f five
years ago to. day, Sept. 6, was perhaps the hap
piest day will ever see, IL live to be very
old man. 1t was on this day that l was passed
through the lines ut Charleston, s. O., and
started on my trip for Goods country" The
night before some of the rebel officers, wishing
to leave good impression on our minds, made
US n visit, and brought with them long, black
bottle aud couple Of fiddlers. and we put in
the last night of our prison life having regu-
lar old stag dance, as we used to call IL in the
| army. About 10 a. m. we went aboard the ex-
change boat and floated down Ashby River TO
Fort Sumter, where We met the Union ex-
change boat under flag of truce. 1t was really
interesting to see the Johnnies and Yanks
come out of their holes and enjoy themselves
while the exchange was going on. The pre-
limiDarics of the exchange occupied q couple OF
hours when we crossed the plank into the
Union exchange boat.
In the cabin was spread out o bounteous
| repast, to which we did ample justice We
occupied all our time eating for the distance OF
60 miles, TO Port Royal, where we took steamer
for New York. My diary of this afternoons
meal says that / drank five cups of coffee and
six of tea, washing down tho dinner set before
us. Every little while we were "choked OF"
by our kind friends who were fearful of our
unnatural appetites Many of our party were
sick all the way TO New York after this our
| first meal.
When we arrived at Port Royal the naval
| officers could not do enough for u.s. although
| perfect strangers; but then, we were all fighting
for the same cause, and could not have been
| better treated il at home with our loving
| parents. Our trip to Port Royal was treat to
| all of us, for we passed directly through the
feet, and had an opportunity of seeing first the
| line of monitors, then n few hundred yards
! farther on the line of gunboats and still far
| theT in the rear the line of magnificent steam
ers, with all the grandeur of hagships, stream
| ers, etc, accompanying lull-fledged fleet. We
| had hardly made our way out through the
| feet before we were given an exhibition of not
a sham battle like we had mt Milwaukee few
days since but an actual fight with guns of all
| caliber, and we all enjoyed it hugely. After a
| delay of couple of days at Port Royal, we took
the steamer Karnal for New York. An inter
esting episode connected with our voyage was
| the bargain made with the Steward of the
| steamer. who agreed to feed US for $40 head,
/ he not being cOgnigant of the fact that we had
| been prisoners of war. When we arrived at
New York we were living on sea biscuit, hav-
! ing exhausted all the eatables on board tho
| ship. The Steward assured us that he lost
money on every mothers son of us, and there
after would ascertain who he was feeding
Our voyage occupied about week, when
| We landed in Now York barbor, and reported
! to the War Department, which in due time
| gave US orders To report to our regiments, with
permission TO delay en route 80 days. The most
enjoyable part of my furlough was spent in
eating big dinners, for at this time all my
| thoughts tended to something of this nature.
| How the dear friends at home did their part
toward filing me up can be realized by those
who passed through those days of our history.
| In due time / rejoined my regiment, which
was on outpost duty down on tho Tennessee
River, where they were delaying Hoods adj
vance upon Nashville.--H. I. BIRD, 9th Iowa
/ Cav, Mount Pleasant, Iowa.