The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-14

. future speaker was selected with the others
and told TO get ready TO go southwark he
supposed he was going to be exchanged,
and his heart was glad. The 600 were
packed away between the decks of the
little steamer Crescent. Bunks had been
knocked up for them, and these ran in
tiers the whole length of the vessel.
Each bunk held from three to four
persons. and down there under the
decks it was terribly hot. The trip was
taken during the worst part of the dog
days. IL lasted for more than two weeks,
and during the latter part of the voyage
water became scarce and the salt water
was condensed and given TO the prisoners
boiling hot. They would often put it into
bottles and hang these by strings out into
the ocean to cool. At last the ship arrived
at Morris island, and the speaker and his
fellow officers found themselves put in
stockade on the sands. This stockade was
square, and it Enclosed about an acre. 1t
was midway between the Confederate
batteries Gregg and Wagner, and in front
of the federal batteries, and located so as
to be in the direct range of the Confederate
guns. These guns were mortars, and they
threw great shells which went shrieking
over the prison pen, and now and then ex-
the stockade, to the horror of the
prisoners. Strange to say, however, no
one was hurt.
Representative Cobb, of Alabama, was
in this prison at the same time with
Speaker Crisp. He had been taken pris-
oner at the battle of Gettysburg, had
spent six months in the prison on John
sons island. had been carried from there
nj nd sth
other officers he was in the stockade under
the Confederate fire. He and the speaker
had practically the same experiences, and
they remained together until they were =
carried back to Fort Delaware. Their
guards on Morris island were negroes,
land these" says Mr.. Cobb, were the
blacklist negroes you ever saw. They
were exposed as much to the fire as we
were, and one of them had his leg shot Off
by she'll"
what sort Of accommodations had
you?' ] asked.
Not very good. was the reply. "The
camp was laid of in streets, and we had
little A-tents, and there were four men in
| a tent. A negro sergeant had charge of
each row of tents and il was his duty 10
call the roll three times = day and TO issue
rations. Around the tents and inside the
stockade there was rope tied TO posts,
which we knew was the deadline and this
man who passed this rope, or even touched
| it. knew he would be shot."
What were your rations?
They were not very fattening." was the
reply. They consisted OF hard tack and
| Inush or rice. In the morning we got
from three TO five pieces OF hardtack and
piece of meat about an inch wide and two
inches long. At noon each Of US got about
| half pint of pea soup, which was
brought around in q barrel and
ladled out, and for supper we had little
rnush or rice, which was also served from
barrel. At first the feeding was not so
bad, but later on, when the principle OF
retaliation was carried ont, they cut US
down TO a pint of meal and half pint of
pickle per day. This was terrible, and IL
! was done in retaliation, so they claim, for
| the treatment of the prisoners at Ander-
| sonville. Many Of the prisoners then got
| scurvy and we all became emaciated. We
| were under FIRE at Morris island for more
| than forty days, and we're then carried to
| Fort Pulaski and at the close OF the war
| taken back to Fort Delaware and released"
Perhaps the most distinguished prisoner
among the members Of the House was
1 General Joe Wheeler, the famous Con-
| federate cavalry officer. General Wheeler
| was graduate OF West Point, and be
| entered the Confederate army as lieu
| tenant at the age Of =. He was promoted
/ again and again, and upon the death OF
| General j. r. i. Stuart he became the
1 senior cavalry officer OF the Confederate
| army. lie was in fact the Phil Sheridan