Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-04-15
Rebellion War Record.

In my last | related how few OF
ns were forced to surrender. My
captor ordered me to give up my arms,
nv watch and my wallet. | refused
to give up my watch and money, |
but with an oath and a revolver, he
forced me to give up both. | had
ahout one hundred dollars in green
backs and several dollars in currency,
and I parted with it not very willing
lv. He took me back about two miles,
and the others were treated about the
same as had been. We found pris-
on Guard and hundred OF more of
our boys who had been captured. L
supposed they were done robblng
me. but had on nice pair of caval-
rv boots which my wife brought on
from Vermont, and one of the dirty,
ragged graybacks discovering them,
proposed to swap his old shoes for
them. l declined to make the eN-
ch ange, but he insisted on it.
found the provost marshal, and asked
him if he allowed his men to rob pris-
oners and commissioned officers. He
inquired if I was an officer, and when
l pulled out my Captains straps, he
said, ''I guess we are even. L carry
nv insignia of rank in my pocket.
Finding that I was captain, he un-
dertook to show off his chivalry, and
ordered the grayback thief to let my
boots alone. But he was soon out of
sight and they forced me to give
up my boots. / really felt worse IN
the loss of my boots than when COM
PEELED to give up my money and my
watch.
We were soon taken in charge of
q lieutenant, who, with small COM
pany of Confederates, marched us
to Stony Creek Station. | found
there two other commissioned officers,
a corporal from the 9th Michigan
cavalry, and Lieut.. Higley of our
regiment. Here, while drawn up IN
line waiting the arrival of the train,
we were again subjected to sharp
search. / happened to be at the end
of the line, opposite where the search
commenced, each man being thor
oughly looked over. | had been
pretty thoroughly gone through with
at the time of capture, but happened
to have hidden in the Wristbands OF
my pantaloons $50 in greenback cur
rencv. l saw the method adopted IL
the search, and noticed that the cloth
ing was most carefully examined. L
looked as though my Z. S. currenc.
was soon to change hands. L wa
standing close to picket-yard fenc
which enclosed the residue of one th
Virginia F. F. Vs., and saw an op
: portunity to slip my money betweel
. the boards in such way as to con
!. = ceal it. l expected to get my finger
on to it again after the search wa
over. When the searching part
reached me, (I was the very last ma
= to be examined) he said, "Captair
what have YOU got?" l said, 81 al
already pretty much cleaned out.
. He put his hands into my pocket:
" found nothing, and let me off by sa,
ing, 81 guess you are all right. Rigf
. face. march," The train was comm
% and we were marched off. For q
/ that know my $50 is still hidden
30 the fence at Stony Creek Station.
~ realized how my cunning, or foolis
~ ness, had lost me my money, as the
y was no search made which would ha'
revealed it to the party searching m
We were taken to Welden, n. c
that day, reaching the town in tt
evening. They took us to SIN;
:, - guard house where some boards h;
been placed for us to lie upon.
thought | had before that time b;
. some interesting experiences Wi
- body lice, but the sort we met wi
- during the two nights we remained
- that place, for size, agility and
racity. exceeded anything had eV
of w
- were packed closer than sardines
a that prison-house, the night bel
:, hot. This was one of our early pr
on experiences, not calculated
- heighten the pleasures OF anticipate
=. of prison life. We were getting t
= ribly thirsty and hungry, the most
- us not having had anything to
since the forenoon of the 20th
June. This was July 1st. Abou
o'clock in the afternoon the guar
7'o' issued rations, and we got what to
10 seemed a good meal. | had bee
WI little more fortunate than some.
day before, while we were outside
'n our sleeping prison house, still un
'oo guard, the citizens of the town, T
u haps three hundred, came out to
% the "Yanks," and | struck up a tn
- with young man and his wife
'in- which I bargained a German sill
&C. pencil and pen holder, worth not Q
eo- 25 cents, for dinner for myself
en- Lieut.. Higley, who stood beside
'eo The man and woman went away,
oio I had little faith in their return. 1
" behold, to our great surprise, t
returned in about an hour with
in,O plates of string beans, pork and
h'i bread. You ought to have seen
Lio brave cavalry officers at that ii
'''e and the spirit and courage with WI
they attacked that dinner. Eve
'o"' this day my stomach expands wh'
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