Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-28
SUFFERINGS OF 600.
AWFUL EXPERIENCES OF coNFeDE-
RATE OFFICERS.
Huddlsd from Pen to Pen for Nearly Two
Years-starved and Placed Under
Fire-e93 Only Survive.

Correspondence OF tho Richmond Dlspstch.l
CHASE err. Va, February al had re-
lated 70 me to-day the experience OF
Confederate who was taken prisoner on
Cemetery Heights. at Gettysburg. on Sd
July, 1868. His name is Francis q. Birnes,
lieutenant of Company G., Fifty-slxth
Virginia Regiment, of Pickett's Division.
Lieutenant Birnes Is fiom Charlotte
county. Va. and was with his regiment az
Fort Donelson in those four terrible DAYS
of hardship and exposure; in the battles
around Richmond, and afterwards IN the
campaigns of the Army OF Northern VIZ
GINA until captured on the memorable
day on the bloody field OF gettysburg.
His prison experience was IN many places
aud varied with all the intensity OF
cruelty and the terrible ordeal through
which be passed.
TO FORT M'HESRY.
From Gettysburg he was carried with
l,sOO Others by the Eleventh vermont
Regiment TO Fort McHenry. remaining
there one night. From there he was
taken on steamer 10 Fort Delaware, STAY
ing there four DAYS, aud thence carried
to Johnson's Island, where he renamed
until the 9Th of January. 1854. Then with
600 Confederate officers he was taken TO
the State Armory at Philadelphia. There
the quarters were good and he Jared well.
TO POINT LOOKOUT.
The same COO were then in few days
carried to tho Old Capitol prison IN wash
ington, and from there in a short time
carried TO Point Lookout. that horrid pen
of suffering. In March. 1864. he. with the
same GOO, we're carried back 10 Washington
4 ~. ~
time.
On August 90. 1864, with the same 600,
chosen for trip OF trials and retaliation.
were put on the ocean-steamer Crescent
and taken out TO sea.
OUT OF SIGHT or LAND.
The vessel stranded of Cape Romano
and had to uncoal before she could sail
again.
The prisoners were put to work. A yes
SCI was approaching and their rescue was
apprehended and all put under slrlct sur
yeillance. Out of sight OF land from 10th
August to TIN September and none OF the
prisoners knew their destination. Had TO
drink condensed water. and the health OF
all was affected. Lieutenant Edwards,
from below Petersburg, was the first TO die
aud was given O burial in the sea.
UNDER CONFEDERATE FIRE.
In September the vessel arrived at Nor
ris Island, ). c., and the prisoners We're
isembarked and placed under tho
IRE of the guns of their own men.
Inc Confederates got the range and
fired over them. and not the first
one was killed. A premature explo-
sion Of the Federal guns killed twel We of
the guard right before them. Abig Drum
mond light TO keep out blockaders was
turned upon the Confederates at night and
the eyes of many were injured
Left Morris Island October 2lst and ar
rived at Fort Pulaski October 22d. SIN
gulsrly. none died and one prisoner was
killed by guard accidentally.
SWEET MISTAKE.
| A Colonel Brown. of New York, COM
handed at Fort Pulaski aud was humane
| officer. A mistake occurred IN sending IN
a barrel of sugar instead Of a barrel of Hour,
winch was the first sweet thing they mad
! eaten for q long time. This was speedily
devoured Left Fort Pulaski Noyem Der
10, 1864. and arrived at Hilton Head, S.
| c., November 10th. There retaliation was
pTactIced III Its most cruel forms.
YASKEE BRUTALITY.
The allowance to such men was five
ounces of corn meal and one pint OF
| brackish water per day. Then scurvy III
vaded their ranks. and over 300 OF their
number died. The hunks were pine poles.
one blanket to two men in building
6Ox24 feet, the worst that could have been
made.
DIED PROM oyER-EATING.
When the retaliation was over about
what they could not tell, an abundance OF
provisions were furnished aud the men
died rapidly from over-eatlng. The re-
taliation was caused bv the Confederate
general placing 600 Federal soldiers IN
a hospital. the yellow nag raised. and the
refusal to comply with tho demand of the
Federal general to remove them some-
where else. so as TO not obstruct the fire
of their guns. SO 600 Confederate officers
were put under fire.
BACK To FORT DELAWARE.
They left Hilton House on Sunday.
March 5, 1865. and arrived at Fort Monroe
the sth of March; left there the llth of
March, 1865. and were carried for the third
time TO Fort Delaware Was paroled and
left there the 18th of June, 1865.
THE SURVIVORS.
Out of the 600 who had passed through
these hardships 1913 lived 10 get back home.
OF these Lieutenant Burns has only met
Captain George W. Finley, of Fourteenth
Virginia: Lieutenants Codee and James j..
Cobbs. of Third Texas Regiment; Hines,
of North Carolina, and Harris and Bull
lock, of Tennessee. Rev. j. X. w Handy
wrote history of the 600, entitled " Con-
federate Bonds or Prison Dures5," which
Lieutenant Burns unfortunately had re-
Gently destroyed by FIRE. Ii contained the
names of all the officers aud graphic and
beautiful account OF their priyations and
suffeungs.
PAROLE AND DISCHARGE.
Lieutenant Burns has his parole and dis
charge and shows that he was released by
General A. Schopf, commandant of Fort
Delaware, and countersigned by George
w. Ali, captain and assistant adjutant-
general.
The dates given above he preserved in
pocket Bible which he still has IN his pos
session.
Lieutenant Burns Is still in good health.
very active and was q soldier OF un-
blemisned record and conspicuous gal
lantry.
GRAND RALLY.
The writer remembers tho pictures IN
the books of deeds of daring and bravery
which he saw when a boy, but he never
saw il so magniticently exempllfied as IN
one of the battles around Richmond, the
one of Frazer's Farm. when Colonel w.
Stuart Symington, of Plckett's stan, and
Lieutenant Burns seized the flag from the
hands of a color bearer from fleeing regl-
ment and amid storm of bullets and she'll
rallied the men in tine very Jaws of death.