Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-05-10
WAR SKETCHES,
OF INTEREST TO WEST Virginia SOLDIERS IN
OARLIN'S BATTERY.
This Paper Treats Of the Capture and Imprisonment
Of the Battery Boys Who We're Caught at Win
chester-InterestiDg Story by George
W. McClsland.
A Prisoner IF War.

Prisoner IF War.
After the capture related in my last arti-
Gle we were marched back through Win
chester to the main fort, which they had
rechristened Fort Jackson" We reached
il about dark on the 18th of June, 1863.
1t still contained our artillery, which
was not removed for a day or two. When
they did attempt TO remove the guns our
bows crowded around, and by the time the
horses were hitched TO the guns and cals-
sons the bows had removed the Gnch-pins
and several of the pieces were dlsmounted.
They did not expect to fire salute with
them in token of the victory, as some have
written. Our guns were so completely
spiked that they could not be fixed uatIl
taken to a factory, the copper pushing
bored out and the gun reoushed. This
work was cone for our guns in the Trede-
gar iron works, Richmond, Va.
Every two hours or so during the day we
were formed in line and couuted, TO draw
rations as we thought, or they said, l have
forgotten which. To the best of my recol-
! lection we got nothing to eat while in
"Fort jackson" We were there three
days.
Some of our acquaintance in the South
ern Army, amokg them, Butler Greer,
George Gully whose brother Jim was in
our battery, and others came in to see US.
| June 10, 1868, about fourteen hundred or
us were marched out of the fort, placed in
charge of the Fifty fourth North Carolina,
and started up the valley on weeks
march to Staunton. The first day we
marched eleven miles, | think beyond New
ton. That night we camped in the woods,
were not allowed to burn any rails, and 1t
was raining They issued us little bit OF
-four without anything TO cook 1t in. Some
of us made cruel, some perched hat rock
on pillars over a fire, others melted their
canteens and used the sides for pans, and
still others secured frying pans. Some way
before the close of that night we put our
selves on the outside of that little dab OF
flour. In a few days the Fiftyfourth
North Carolina issued US skillets and fry
ing pans. and in every way treated us as
humanely as they possibly could.
Before we reached Stanton, | saw
soldier dressed in grey seated by the road
side, who shook hands with Charlie Sen
seney He proved to be one of the Zane
| boys. He told Charlie he was sorry to see
him prisoner, and Hoped he would get out
shortly Tell my mother, when you see
her, that | am well and getting along as
well as could be expected under the cir
| cumstances."
Just outside Of Staunton, where we went
| luLO lucN lSSuCQ Us ldlE iOAhN
crackers. That and one other time was the
only occasion that l drew or saw hard
tack while in the Southern Confederacy.
The following day we were marched
through town and placed on the railroad
platform, while they backed up lot OF
freight cars for our accommodation We
were so glad to see the cars after our long
march that we rushed into them and filled
them until there was scarcely any standing
room. Then began one of the most miser-
able nights of my experience. The train
ran very slowly We had no room TO sit
down, and could not stand up all night,
Finally. the floor was covered three deep.
and while a fellow was on top he was all
right; but first one and then another of the
bottom sleepers would crawl out, and, in a
short time, the tops would be the bottoms,
to crawl out to repeat the process over and
over again.
Before daylight we ran into Richmond
and our train side-tracked. When we left
the train believe we marched to Twenty
third street, down Twenty-third to Cary,
down Cary past Libby Prison to Palmer's
tobacco works opposite Castle Thunder.
| The Fifty-fourth, who were still guard
ing us, did not like the citizens or soldiers
about Richmond, for some cause, and be-
fore we began the march they said: III
any of those citizens insult you in any way,
inst knock them, and we will stand by
you.n AS we marched down Cary, Brown
Porter stood near the line, shaking hands
with the boys whom he knew.
When we reached the tobacco works il
proved to be horrible dirty place. We
raked the dirt up in ridges along the walls
TO make pillows when we laid down to
sleep. The stencil was so great from the
water closets that George 10y tainted.
| In searched
cold and silver watches we had stolen at
Winchester. Those who searched US took
good care to let all the ''greenbacks" we
had stick to their fingers Next morning
we were marched over to Belle Island
where our real prison life began. On this
island was the Old Dominion Iron Works
whose machinery, including nail factory
and a plate mill whose large plates were
rolled for Iron clads.n The motive power
of this mill was furnished by water.
So much has been said how our troops
were fed while prisoners of war that | will
touch that subject as lightly as possibly
can. Our rations consisted of four ounces
of light, or soft bread twice a day, or
eight ounces of bread per day for each man ;
a gill of soup, including abOuta spoonful of
little, black, ill-tasting beans or peas, once
a day, and two ounces of beef per day. The
soup was issued in the evening and the
beef in the morning. When the bones were
taken out it left a little piece OF beef about
the size of your thumb TO the first joint
We were divided into five divisions, and
our company belonged to the third. They
began to issue to the first and on up to the
fifth one time: then the next time they
commenced at the fifth and issued down to
the first. AS we were in the third, II
caused our rations to come quite regularly,
AT 10 Il. IN. and p. m. We never drew any
bacon, though il must have been issued
daily, as our soup was greasy.
was down at the sally port' one even
ing watching the issuance of ratlons On
returning, one of the Twelfth w. Va, who
had drawn his ratons called me over. l
went over and holding out his tin cup Of
soup said, That's the pilot" | looked and
floating on the top was large maggot
about 3 Of an inch long. On said he
'there are more in the bottom and he be-
gan to stir his soup quite briskly with a
spoon.
Our method of serving was as follows: -
All the ratious were drawn by detail and
the bread and meat were cut as nearly as
possible in equal shares. One of the non
| commissioned officers would open the roll
| book and another officer would gather up
piece of bread and meat asking, "Who'S
this" The officer with the roll book would
designate whose it was, and mark the is
suance on the roll book. This process was
continued until all were served
used to dream all night about some
thing to eat Since then down TO the pres
ent time have never complained Of my
food. Let it be good, bad or Indifferent if
it was sufficient in quantity, / take my
share and if feelings of complaint would
rise TO my mind, l think of Belle Island,
swallow my share and be thankful
One day by chance, there happened to be
a ration Of bread too much. l don't know
how it happened, anyhow, there it lay on
the blanket with every one served. AT
Scott Riley's suggestion it was given to me.
| never felt so thankful in my life as l did
for that little piece of bread. 1t was given
to me by men who did not receive enough
at each meal to ease the pangs of hunger.
The authorities would not sell US bread
but allowed men to smuggle in tobacco and
sell it. l suppose tobacco was more plen-
| tiful