The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-03-06
Confederate Prisoners on their Travels

Confederate PRISONERS OH tnelT AThfelS'
We were to be sent to JohnsO rs
Island, Lake Erie.
Cur route lay over the Erie Rail
road, aud we made the trip on parole.
The guards placed at each door OF our
coach were for our comfort only, as
we were objects of marked curiosity
during the trip and would have been
oyerrun with visitors had not admit
tance been refused, At the different
stations we mingled freely WIN the
people on the platform and found
tin IN, with few exceptions, courteous
but inuuisitiVe. We were, no dOuot,
disappointing lot. There was noth-
ing in our apparel % mark the Rebel
solder, and as We mingled Win the
crowd surprise was freely expressed
thGt we were not as their fancy
painted US, though just what shape
that fancy took l never learned. Inc
ladies, as was the case both North
and South, were intensely patriotic,
and read Us severe and no doubt
saIutsry lectures Oh the evil OF our
WAYS, which we're submissively ana
cautiously received and duly pom
dered.
There was one question that you
could safely wager would be asked
by five out of ten, and that was, do
you honestly think you are rlghtE
! This eOuundrum was offered TO me so
often that where time allowed, being
IN President LineOln's country, l an
J yered in President LincOln's style
bv stating that it 'reminded me,
and told them of the couple who took
their bridal trip on an ocean steamer
with the usual result. As the
husband would return from sundry
trips to the rail of the vessel his
young wife would inquire, Reginald,
darling, are you sick?" To when
he at last replied, Good heavens!
Rebeeea, do you think am dong
One OF the Northern illustrated
papers published picture of one o.
the Belle Isle prisoners emaciation:
Some of the mess suggested that L
compete with him, kindly offering
| to back the Confederate entry. l.
! think they would have won their
bets; for, though regretting that L
must ackn Owledge the fact, l am con-
| fident that l was the worse looking
specimen of the two. L had entered
| the prison weighing over 40 pounds,
and then weighed less than 100. TO a
demonstration of anatomy L would
have been invaluable as living
astrological textbook. The pro-
| Ionged confinement had told severely
on Us, and the men could not but
yield to its depressing influence
! There was little to vary the dreary
mOnotony that made each day the
repetition of the day before and the
type of the day to follow. This alone
would have been sufficient, but when
scaht food and cold were thrown in
to the scale it is little wonder that
| both mind and body should yield I'M
| der the constant strain. Many OF us
were far into the second winter of our
confinement, and with all hope OF re-
lease gone we had nothing ieft-only
to wait for the end, whatever that
end might be; and 1t was weary wait
ing. 1t was generally known among
us that some mitigation of our con-
dtiOn would be afforded such as took
the oath of allegiance, and as this
| meant increased food and better
clothing some few availed themselves
of the offer. But one case came un-
der my notice-that of member OF
the mess; he, 1 presume, could not
help it, as it was with him simply a
question of endurance, and he gave
up. 1t was said of him that he froZe
up early in the first November, and
did not thaw out until the following
June. The prospect of repetition
was too much for him.-CentuTyJ oT
! March.