The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-01-17
by Prison Life and Escape.

l''''"' y - - - h4c hdplN iCCIueit,
which has rever aeen explained, a deck
Of card. was produced by Jim Barrett
and We, that is Dickson and myself as
partners against Jim and Willie, sat down
on the cleanest spot we could fud and
played euehre all day ard every day as
long as we stayed together. OF course
there was no betting, as we had no mon
ey 1 had never played game before
but by close attention and Dickson's aid,
soon became pretty good player. I do
not approve OF card playing under any
other circumstances, but regard 1t as a.
foolish and vicious habit in its tenden-
cies; yet | must say that that deck Of
cards was a God send to ME, for think |
should have gone mad with ennui, but for
seine suc.l way If killing tune. Enough of
Bolivar cxI cricnce. After tour days stay
we we've crowded iHto a cattle car and
shipp,d 10 Memphis, the car foul aud
sinking with dry ordure left by tine cat
tie on the floor, and we packed in like so
many brute beeves going to market. On
arriving a, Memphis we were usllere1 IN
to th3 Irving block prison, where We
found god many of our friends and
fel low soldiers Among the number was
Col. Reuben Burrow and Capt McSpad-
den of my own regiment. / iound Col
Burrow wearing a bracelet, as he termed
If, on his ankle commonly known as a
ball and chain, and upon inquiry how
he came TO be so adorned, he told me
something to this affect: Last Sunday
was taken into another room under guard
where found large number of yankee
officers assembled. They introduced me
around the circle, and then one of them
remarked that 1t was Sunday, and hear
ing that / was a preacher they had sent
for me TO preach for them. | excused
myself on the ground that was prison
err and could not preach with the same
freedom that should exercise under 9TH
er circumstances. They insisted, and /
agreed finally to preach if they would al
low me freedom of speech, and agree not
to get mad if they did not approve of the
sermon. They all agreed, and took a
text at once and began to tell them of
their sins, as a minister of the gosple is
bound to do. / told them how they had
sinfully invaded my country, killed some
of my dearest friends and relatives, how
they had robbed me of my property, bur
ned my house and insulted my family
and turned them out of doors. Then by
way of application ! showed them that
the Almighty would be Obliged to damn
the last one Of them ii they did not re-
pent and bring forth fruit worthy of
| repentance. They heard me though in
silence land my sermon was good hour
and half long, when | was brought
back here and the next morning this
bracelet was rivited on my leg. ] don't
know why" | left Burrow in the Irving
Block, but he did not stay there long.
Friends on the outside furnished him
suit of citizens clothes and money enough
ly Which TO bride the guard, through
which means he made mis- escape out of
the back door Of the prison, and thence
through a window into the Cumberland
church, thence throwing open the front
door Of the church he boldly walked to
the house Of friend, where he was con-
cealed until night and then smlggled out
Of the city. We remained in Memphis
about two days. Here DIR. Dickson left
US, being able TO prove by commissioned
officers then in prison that he was a COM
missioned surgeon. On our last day at
| Memphis Just as lie roll was called for
our removal to some other place, we did
not know where / heard my name
called by lady at the front door,
the shutters being removed and replac
ell by strong lattice of timber strength
ened By iron rods. On approaching, saw
hand,thrust through the lattice, and the
face of Miss Fanny Townsend (now Mrs.
Farr;s) peering through the bars. There
was only time for howdy and good bye,
but on Withdrawing her hand she left
twenty-five dollars in greenbacks in my
hand The money was freely expended
on all in the purchase of comforts on our
way up tie river. Among other things
| purchased a blanket which covered
about five men at night and furnished an
elegant seat TO play euchre on during the
day. That blanket attended me from
Memphis to St. Louis, thence across
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
acoss Maryland to Baltimore down the
Chesapeake to Norfolk, Va. through the
Dismal Swamp, 7across North Carolina to
Richmond, thence through East Tenn
essee across into Georgia, across Alabama
and Mississippi, to the beginning or near
ly so near White Station on NJ. & C..
K. r., where lost it at midnight, trying
to pass the guards on my way home.
Bat am anticipating. About thirty of
us were marched to the river and on
boar for st. Louis. We were placed on
the hurricane deck under quart. The
weather was moderate, the stiff breeze en-
livening and the ride altogether pleasant.
We amused ourselves watching the hore
and pointing cut familiar places until
night. As the. darkness gathered about
and sight seeing was a: an end we began
to consider and inquire where our Writ
uous couch should be made, and soon
found the naked deck was to be our only