The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-01-24
Ny Prison Life. and Escape.
(Bx Col. J. @. GREEs.)

lore. lie had been tried and found gull
ty of sympathy for the south, and had
been ordered south, as he was too old for
the army; but being lawyer, and having
some very important business for veal
thy northern clients, through their in
| fluence he was soon released and / saw
him no more. There was no lack Of
preachers in the prison, the Methodists,
Presby terrain and Baptist churches were
all represented, consequently there
was no lack of preaching on
Sunday: but none of them ever laid down
truth with the same freedom an JUNCTION
as Rheuben Burrow did at the Irving
Block, hence none of them wore bracelets.
Farther Luck, the Baptist preacher,
was a standing member of our
prison. He had been there seven months
when / saw hun last. How long he staid
| after do not know. He told me he had
often met and preached with Rev. Pey--
ton Smith, on old resident of Upton and
grandfather Of Peyton J. Smith. He
was charged with being spy but fol
some reason or other they could not
| bring him to trial, neither would they
turn him loose. He was happy-minded,
| iovial old man and never seemed in the
least cast down by situation. There was
a very sprightly boy of fifteen years in
the prison charged with being a spy.
He had been letter carrier to the south
ern amry. He was highly educated for
his age and quite smart. BY the aid OF
two or three able lawyers in the prison,
he prepared. speech for his own defense,
and when his trial came off he boldly de-
tended himself and was acquitted. One
day when the prisoners were scattered
around all over tie halls the guards
came in and order every man to his
room, and ordered Us to keep our doors
shut until we were told 10 open them. !
did not understand it. Father Luck anG
other old stand-bys explained the mean
ing, - woman is coming in, was the re-
ply to M questioning. I'll that is all
why shut Us up?' The reply was, "the
first time woman was brought IN the hal
ON her way to the woman's department
she went through like queen among
her loyal subjects. We received her with
heads uncovered, and cheered her as | onR
as she could be seen. Now when wo
man comes in, we are shut up to prevent
any expression of sympathy for her.
We heard the rough tread of the guard
and easily distinguished the lighter foot
steps of the woman, and SO profound was
the silence in our room that we heard the
rustling OF her skirts as she passed oul
door. The crime for which she was sen
to prison was that of having written let
: ter to brother in the southern army
which letter had been intercepted, anC
in which with woman-like gossiping ma
ture she had told all the meanness tina
had been prepetrated in her father
house and among her neighbors by thu
yankees. For such offences many noble
women languished in prison, or wer'
; sent south without the means Of support
I to live through the war as best they
could. 10y mess was composed OF sol
diers, except the lawyer, who staid but !
few days and the copperhead. Bernard
who was "a penniless as ourselves, conse'
quently we were dependent alone upoI
the prison ration, which was good enough
to sustain life and health, but not so gooC
, as we would have liked. The either
, prisoners Jared better than we, being al
home, or near home, they had money anc
the privilege of supplying themselves
with whatever they chose to buy. Seeing
their better fare our ambition wa
= excited to do az well. Captain Blank.
of our mess, was a splendid poker player
He played with the citizens, occasion
ly replenishing our table; but this wai
precarious and could not be depended
on for every day, hence we made standing
rule that our cook should be the first
man up every morning, each member
of the mess being detailed alternately
for this purpose, and visit the kitchen
before the commissary arrived. This i'm
nortant functionary was little careless
and left in the kitchen the little remnants
of the previous days rations, consequent
tly we often found pint of coffee grounds
little sugar, loaf of bread, and a doz
en- or more fine Irish potatoe:
and frequently a beef bone for {
pot of soup. All of this was carefully
removed to our room. Then when the
eommissary made his appearance om
cook made his appearance also, and limo
Gently drew our regular ratIons. In this
way we Jared very We. We often hac
nice dish of soup for dinner, to be fol
T lowed by a bread pudding with coffee
. and potatoes at every meal. This was
in addition to the regular rations. We
ate orr meals from long narrow table
, against the wall, one man az each END
and six on the side. Our table was sup
piled with tinware, which the cook was
expected to keep as bright as silver
Having no important business to draw
us away, we fingered long at the table in
! pleasant conversation, dealing largely in
"reminiscences OF home and wife and chill
dren. One young lieutenant spoke elo-
quently and often of his lady love. Like
old soldiers whose life work was seem ing.
ly done, we fought our battles over again
from day to day. There was a mouse
hole Just upon a level with our table
from which an old she mouse peered al
, meal. We threw crumbs within her
reach until she became tame enough to
boldly come out and take her meals with
7 us. She was considered as n legitimate