Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-11-08
Two Pairs of Shoes


Eederate pair of shoes-or rather two
LARS OF shoes lit would reveal some
interesting incidents about my lie as
a prisoner OF war, and of my escape
from the Southern prisons.
One day in September, 1864, | was
sitting up against the brick wall
some fifteen feet high. that inclosed
the Charleston jailyard, and huslly
engaged in porting over II volume OF
Thomas Jefferson's works that be-
longed to our small prison library,
and that had been given us by some
body in the South disposed in a
friendly way toward MS. OF course
| was inside OF the wall. 1t afforded
Inc something to lean against, while
the ground was amply good enough
to sit upon. The wall also afforded
shelter from the sun, and the place
most frequently occupied was almost
directly beneath agallows that hadno
doubt often done duty in punishment
for the crime OF murder. We prisoners
ofwar were in the yard both day and
night and ut the same time in the jail
itself were confined men under arrest
for criIninal otfenses committed in the
city. One night, on the occasion OF
a very evere storm, | spent in the
jail, very glad to get it's shelter. On
the occasion to which | now refer,
when | was communing with the
literary remains OF Thomas Jefier-
son, one OF the city prisoners from
inside the jail came among the
Northern prisoners desiring to sell II
pair of shoes. | had on u pair OF
boots pretty thoroughly worn out,
but which still had u commercial
value on account OF the tops. which
could I've made into uppers for shoes.
1t did not take long tor the city
prisoner and myself 10 get into n
negotiation for a purchase and eS-
change. The price OF the shoes was
$50 in Confederate money, | finally
took them, giving my boots and $40
in Confederate money for them.
They were of no great value. AS the
uppers were made from soft leather
from bootlegs, but they served TO
tide me over some pretty trying cir
cumstances. The weather soon be.
gan to get cool, and We could not
habitually go bdrefooted as We had
done during the hot weather.
When | got to Wallhalla on my es.
cape, late in November, my shoes
having served me for $50 miles foot
travel, besides having been anumher
of weeks in prison, they were III n
condition for no further service. Wa.
ter, and some snow that we had had.
had as free access TO my feet rs
though had no shoes, the one pur.
pose they We're serving being that
the soles, such as they were. kept ms
feet from being bruised. Our hostnt
WallhulIa saw the dilapidated con.
dition Of what | had on my feet, and
which were not in u condition TO
hold further together, and produced
for me an entirely new pair OF shoes,
firmly made and OF good lenther.
To be sure their size was tens, while
my size was sevens, but in the incon-
gruity Of things inside Of the Confed-
crate States Mt this time no import.
ant note was TO be made Of this:
and as | could tie them tightly
around my instep, | thought, and
| certainly had, obtained n great
prize. On the first night out
from Wallhalla there was either n
heavy frost or n light snow, my
memory not serving me now perfect.
~ regarding it, and my heels would
so ball up that it was very difficult
for me to walk. Consequently /
kicked away to get rid of the balls.
Soon a heel came clean off one oil the
shoes. Now ! was certainly in n very
bad plight for walking, and go /
kicked industriously with the other
foot, and this was soon minus q heel.
From this time on no one il moro
comfortably shod on the Journey
than was /.
Our host had given me the shoes
in the kindness of his heart. / had
a silver watch with me. which was
q good one and which | mad nun.
aged to keep through my prison Ok.
perience. 1t needed n slight repair
to set it going. but it was a valuable
piece of property in the C~onfederacy
in those days. | presented this to
our host. 1t was a great source Of
congratulation between himself and
his wife ,ns it was worth tour or five
hundred dollars in Confederate money
and would relieve them Of n pecuninry
embarrassment by enemies which on
account OF known or suspected
unionism on theirpart was the more
harassing.
@.S~w
Lost to Sight.