The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-05
IN SIX PRISONS.
A Maine Officers Adventures IN the
confederaoy.
Under Fire Of the Swamp Angel at
Charleston.
ceneraI c. p. Mattocks's Paper Be-
fore the Loyal L eeion.

on detached service in Maine ard the de-
failing of the Colonel to the temporary
command Of brigade, been for nearly two
months in the winter of 1864 in command
of my regiment, and in this capacity had
the proud satisfaction of seeing it under
state of drill and discipline which aupured
well for its conduct in the coming cam.
paign, which we all then believed would
result in the humbling of Lees army and
place us In possession of Richmond, which
had for three long years been the obs Give
point for which the army of the Potomac
had SO persisteutly commended. Prepare.
tory to this supposed final fort, after the
return of our Colonel, /, for the first time
asked for and received leave of absence
during which | visited my home, returnine
to my post Of duty in the latter DAYS Of
March. Within less than a week after NV
return. much to my surprise and disgust.
found myself detailed from my own regi.
mebt to take command of the LIST u. s.
Sharp Shooters, regiment better known
as "Berdan's Sharp Shooters," which
achieved worldwide reputation in the
use of the rifle. These men had been re-
crulted only alter passing most critical
test OF their workmanship, and were not
surpassed by an equal number of men IN
either army as skirmishers or sharp shoot
ers. The Colonel of the regiment had been
mustered out OIL service, the Lieut.. Colonel
had been killed and the Major was awav
on detached service In Washington. and
the washington authorities. always as So
icitous for their own welfare as fer the
safety of the troops at the front, would
not allow his return to the field, as his SER
vices were valuable in Washington. Tn
add to these complications, the War De-
partment had refused to muster any more
field officers in this regiment. Thus my
detail scented likely to be somt thing more
than temporary, as the regiment then had
nearly another year to serve. However, in
those days orders could not be disregafded
and l cheerfully assumed my new com
mand, but not without many reerets at
leaving my noble comrades of the 18th, and
not without due sense of the honor con-
ferred npon me by being selected 10 take
charge OF body of men who had already
made for themselves national reputation.
Through the Remaining days Of March,
through the whole OF April and until the
opening Of the Wilderness campaign, we
endeav0red, as well as we could, by Skin
mish, drill and target practice, To prepare
ourselves for the peculiar and important
service which we knew we shonld be CALI d
upon to perform. When the head of Lees
columns struck Mesde's lines in the ia, :
gled growth Of the Wilderness, | found
myself hurritdly deployiug my men as
sklrmisheIS in front of the lett of the ID
corps, with the 81 Michigan Infantry regl-
meme as sklrmtsh support We had not
long to wait before our videttes announced
the approach of Confederate line of bat
tie, which afterwards proved to be the 4 Id
'Stonewalp' brigade, in command of whi h
General Thomas j. jackson achieved The
soubriqaet of '.'StonewaL,". by which name
ne has gone down into history. Falling
back undtr orders, had gathered in all
but ten or fifteen Of my men on the rie ht
Of my line, who, In the thick growth Of
timber, had not noticed the movement ON
the left In myself attempting to get these
men out. was captured with portion of
them and at once had an opportunity 10
witness the art OF war as practised by the
enemy. saw what few can record, and
that was Grant and Lee actively engaged
In The same battle, for, shortly before |
went forward, Grant had ridden by, aud.
shortly after my capture, | noticed a fine.
soldierly-looking general officer, with less
of staff retinue than graced some OF our
bIigadier generals, ride by amid considera-
BILE cheering, in the rear of the Confed-
crate lines, and, upon asking who the
ofticer might BIZ, was informed by a
Confederate sergeant that the man
enquired about was known among the
soldiers as bobby Lee" From the Con-
federate side, before | reached the rear of
their lines, saw enough of their practical
OtoSitAAiO obdSl AAO w az ltdob H.,
There was no leaving of the ranks by four
or five men at time upon the pretext of
carrying eff wounded comradP i hese
duties were perfoi med, and well performed,
by trained stretcher-bearers, who, / was
afterwards told, were chosen for their
GOODNESS, courage aud strength, and NOT,
q : = - SkSsa. sAnv Saso with us selecrpd
Dy some colonel from men he didn,t
care TO keep when called upon to fiji a de-
tail Tor stretcher bearers. Captured but
two or three hours before sulsef. we could
ulstlnctly near the clash of arms In our
front and could observe by the sound, as
well as If We were eyewitness, where
our line was pushing ahead or where IL was
being forced back. At the point where the
gallant General Alexander Hays was killed
IL seemed at one time as though his troops
would break through the enemy's line, so
much SO, indeed. that the Confederate pro-
vost guard marched us to the right and
rear OF the Confederate line, SO as to put
us out OF the way Ct recapture by our own
forces. At dark we found ourselves about
two miles distant from the point of capture.
Our squad OF prisoners then numbered ten
officers and one hundred and fifty men, but
a larger number had already been sent to
Orange Court House distant about twenty
miles.
Lying down TO dreams,--which after
wards proved to be realities,-of privations
and sufferings, we were awakened at early
saws ohos osoi uusty rodu anu unutT
burning sun, began our weary march to
Orange Court House. Our escourt con-
sisted OF adetachment of cavalry known as
Lees Body Guard" These men were re-
cruited from all parts Of Virginia and were
mounted upon horses owned In great part
by themselves, and 1t was claimed that
they could select from their number one or
more men who would be familiar with any
turnpike or even cross road which Lees
army might encounter In Virginia From
this command were selected many OF the
most noted and efficient of the Conieoer-
ate scouts. One young fellow of this de-
tachment entertained me by giving the
positions occupied by various brigades and
regiments OF the % corps on the night of
our breaking camp when we started upon
the wilderness campaign. l thanked him
Tor his information. and, at the same time
expressed my regret that l did not meet
him and have chance to entertain him
when revisited our troops and was so near
my own headquarters. L have never seen
In any command more gentlemanly, in
telllgent and soldlerly body of men than
were these young soldiers, who were, so to
speak. part of the military family Of the
Confederate COMMUNICATIONS, but after
we had entered the interior of tue Confed-
eracy, the class of men who guarded us
were, as we found to our sorrow, of far
different makeup. one of whom unceremo-
nlousiy conhscated my p0ncho, but not I'M
I'll had, with my jack-knife, cut few
noles In It to let the water through. At
orange Court House we we're turned over
10 the tender mercies of provost guard,
an officer of which searched us for Articles
which were contraband of war, while the
privates Oh his command stole nearly every
tnlng they could lay their hands on. At
orange Court House, we took the cars for
Lynchburg, Va, where we arrived May
Stn, without anything in the shape of events
more startling then the fact that at Char
lotteville the young ladies connected with
female seminary, mistaking us for Con-
iederate troops, came rushing down the
nil, with ringlets flying and handkerchiefs
waving, and. upon discovering their mis-
take, returned, amid the cheers of the Yam
zee soldiers, 10 their school, to resume
their studies (which had been interrupted
oy a sudden ontbqrst Of patriotism On
the way 70 Lynchburg, cur engine became
temporarily disabled, and guards and
prisoners alike disembarked to take sniff
OF Iresh air and view the scenery. At this
point there was large culvert. and, as
nad always had something of mechanical
turn. u occurred to me that, IL could only
get under that culvert, could practically
apply some of the principles OF geometry
learned under good old Professor Smyth,
W tne curves OF the masonry, and, then
aiteI oark, and after the train conveying
my iellow prisoners had again started on
us Journey, could creep out and make a
map OF the country. / got under the cul-
vert all right, but-a Confederate soldier
AZ Lynchburg we were allowed to leave
ene eaLS ana enter the military prison then
estaDnshed at that point. The prison it.
sen was. as was frequently the case in the
ooutn. an oid tobacco warehouse, the only
furniture OF which was an old stove which
had survived the previous winter, Here
we remained I, ON the 9th until the 18th of