The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-02-28

further resistance was useless. Then
we decided to surrender and holsted
up q white flag. The firing ceased
and they had possession Of our
camp. Several Of our boys were shot
while swimming the river trying to
make their escape. About twenty
five negroes, men women aud chill
dren, followed our train rs it was
passing through the country saying
10 was Massa Lineoln's train and IL
would take them 10 freedom. True
enough Il took them where they
were freed from the cursed slave
drivers lash and from the cares Of
this world as well, for no sooner
had we surrendered than the rebels
proceeded to kill every negro, spar
ing neither man, woman or child.
After killing the negroes and cut
ting down aud burning cur wagons
we were ordered to mount our horses
aud we started at q rapid pace for
Little Rock. We made . rapid
forced march OF about seyenty-hye
miles before we stopped for the
night. We halted at noon Just long
enough for our horses to eat. We
had no breakfast and but very little
dinner, our captOrs divided their
rstions with us, they having but
very little for themselves to eat.
The reason for making 20 hard q
march the first day was through
fear OF being overtaken by our regi-
ment. In Justice to these rangers
I will say that they treated Us very
kindly after our surrender aud n
long as we were under their control.
The first night We camped on large
plantation aud us prisoners were
| quartered in the negro huts near the
planters residence. Soon after we
went into camp the hut that was In
was visited by the planters wife
and two daughters, they having q
| great curiosity To see u real live
yankee. From the reports they inn
| agined that the yankees were some
/ hOrrid looking creatures with horns
on their heads aud wool on their
I teeth. They entered the door of our
: hut where they stopped 10 take q
I good survey of those wonderful
creatures. After looking At us for
some time they finally ventured to
I ask us some questions. Among
others the old lady asked US was,
what do you uns come down mere
to fight we uns for; We uns would
never go up there to fight you uns."
The young ladies were fine looking
and intelligent. They soon got into
conversation with Us and after half
an hours chat they left, seemingly
with q much better opinion Of the
yanks than when they came. About
10 o'clock that night rs | was wan
dering about in the cabin. ! thought
I heard q whisper at the back part
of the cabin. I stepped back where
there Was a large open space be-
tween the logs aud saw an old dHr-
key outside. ! asked him what he
wanted. lie said Miss Fanny had
sent them yanks something TO eat.
He then handed me II large dish
filled with fried chicken, buscuit,
butter and honey. He said that
she didn't see but them yaHks was
Just a. nice rs anybody. And j can
assure Miss Fanny that there were nj
least eight hungry yanks that
| thought she was the incest girl
they ever saw. I sOOu aroused my
comrades and We quickly got away
with the fine lunch. The guard
meanwhile sitting outside the door
!n blissful land hungry ignorance
Il vi WIN was EbNhR ou
next morning We were again on the
march. The remainder of the way
was made by easy marches; arriving
nj Little Rock we were turned over
| To the tender care Of General Hine-
man who Immediately ordered Us to
be confined ia tue cells Of the old
state prison. And now We expe-
rIenced radical change from the
kind, courteous treatment We had
received from the rangers to the
harsh brutal treatment Of those who
had charge OF the prison. We were
kept in close confinement In those
cells, our food was corn bread aud
meat Of the cOarsest kind aud not
over One-third rstiOns at that. For the
most thrilling or Imaginary offence u
prisoner would Ice taken out into
the prison yard, tied up to post
| AID logged with the cato -nine-tails.
We were ia those cells aud subject
ed To that kind Of treatment for
about tSO weeks, and though short ~
the time may seem, IL WAS amply
sufficient to ruin the health Of
several Of the prisoners. There were
two Of our lieutenAnts who were
treated even worse than we were.
When We were released from that
dirty HI hole one Of our lieutenAnts
WAS released with us aud II he IL
living today he il but \ walking
skeleton. The other was ~ healthy
a man a. we had In our regiment, he
WAS kept there aud starved to death
in that prison. After being kept
for about two weeks We were told
that we would he released ON parole
if We wished aud ~ We all wanted To
get out Of there We were taken tO
General Hiuemau one at q time and
parOled. He had two kinds Of pa
roles, one was Nh unconditional pa
role which Was never to take up
arms again against the Southern
COnfederacy, the other was n regular
parole not TO take up arms again |
until duly exchanged. As the men
were taken before him be would try |
10 get them TO take the uncondi- |
tiOnal parole. He managed to get |
two or three Of the boys to take ID |
but the rest soon dropped To his |
racket and would take only the |
regular parole. When I was taken
before him he read the unconditional |
parole to me aud asked me how I
liked that. I said I did not like
that and would not take IL. His
adjutant said he would make me
take Il or he would put me back in
the prison and let me stay there.
told him I would stay in the old
prison until the worms carried me
out, before ! would take that parole.
The old General broke out into n
hearty laugh and said was right,
that he admired my grit, and for me
to take the other parole aud go home
and stay until | was exchanged and
then IL I still thought was right to
come back and fight them like HI.
| told him that wac Just what in
tended to do. After we were all
parOled he gave US our papers and
passes ordering Confederate troops
To pass US. He then told us to make
our way the best we could to Rolla,
Mo-, the nearest point to our lines.
and about 800 miles distant. Gen
aral Hineman refused to furnish us
any provisions, transportation or
guards for our protection. There We
were, the most OF our number la
very poor health and half clad (the
rebs hayingtaken all our best clothes
rom us' journey Of three hundred
miles before US, aud that distance
III the way through the enemy's
country and that country thoroughly
nfested with bands OF bush whackers q
md guefillas. Our chances for get /,
ing through did not look very fovor-
Ible, but the prospect for freedom !
md getting back TO Gods country
made US very willing to undertake !
H. ;a.,rna. lnr Lac Nka s.nEa i i