The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-10
BELLE ISLE REVISITED.
"A Loudoun Ranger Takes in the Spot where
He Starved aud Suffered.

LONG-cherlshed dream to reviSl,
IA Belle Isle, the place Of my imprison.
IL ment during the late war. was real
lied during the Goth National En-
campment at Washington. We took steamers
down the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay to Nor
folk, thence to Petersburg by the Norfolk q
Western Railroad from Petersburg to Rich
mond by the Richmond s. Danvills System,
known in war times as the Southside Rail-
road. From Richmond we crossed over one
arm of the James to Belle Isle on a new bridge
connecting the Tredegar Iron Works with the
Old Dominion Nail Works, located on the Island.
The Tredegar Iron Works is where was
rolled the heavy iron plating used for the
armament OF the Merrimac, as well as all the
heavy ordnance for the Confederacy. This
important industry was then, as now, the larg-
est in the South. The solid shot and she'll
used by that defunct Government was made
here. Those who were so unfortunate as to be
prisoners of war on the Island will probably
never forget how the Confederates would test
their cannon and shell made at the Tredegar
Works. by firing them over the prison stock
ade on the Island. Quite often tho shell would
burst, and the fragments would create conster-
nation among the prisoners and graybacks.
/ suppose everything is fair in war.
AS we stepped from the bridge to the Island
a panorama of % years ago passed rapidly be-
fore u.s. We looked for the stockade, but it
portion of the dead-line is quite visible ut
the northwest corner; the paraphet that was
once about five feet high, is now about IL inches
high.
A map the writer made of the prison-pen
some 10 years ago, exclusively from memory,
was produced, and was as accurate as if mad 6
by civil engineer on the ground. We have
always insisted the prison, after it was en-
larged in the Fall of 1863. contained about two
n Nnyu I / fp
in that statement. Where the prison-pen was
located is now an immense rolling mill owned
and operated by the Old Dominion Nail and
Iron Co. Where the writer lay in the sand with
7. A. Davis and Rube Stypes and where both
died during that memorable Winter of
1863-64, is now loated large Fairbanks scale
for weighing ore.
dog, and ate him in about Is minutes, is now a
large set of rolls. rolling out red-hot bar-iron.
Where the hospital tent was located, beside
which the dead were piled up to the number Of
200 waiting burial. is now an immense bank of
dead cinders from the rolling mills.
/ walked down to the dead-line, where poor
JEFF McCutchen was shot for getting too near
that line l picked sprig of the National
flower, the golden rod, from as near the exact
spot as | could locate it. / stepped upon the
parapet, now not over 10 inches high, where
the two little boys who belonged to the 18th
Regulars would get with fife and drum and
sound the grub call. What sweet music it was
to the starving prisoners!
l walked to where the gate was located that
led to the river for water and tho sinks where
we traded our last gutta-percha ring for q
half dozen biscuits. At the same place also
traded the copy of the New Testament that was
sent to me by the Christian Commission in
return getting one dozen biscuits. The physi-
cal man was perishiDg then, and not the
spiritual. ! walked up on the hill whore was
located the cannon that pointed its ugly nose
down on the prisoners. The guards took es-
pecial delight in telling US they captured this
gun at Bull Run. AS walked back towards
the once stockade / met green snake coming
towards me. ! did not argue the point, but
began pounding Mr.. Snake with my walking
stick.
| was eager to conquer this enemy on the
island, and as upon my first visit the serpent
had me, but now the table was turned. and |
thought of the many thousands of our fellow
prisoners who had suffered here, and then
/ pounded Mr.. Snake again. While Mr.
Snake was probably not to blame for my
on the first visit, yet 1 readily
seized upon the pretext Of holding him respon-
sible, and beat him again until he was dead,
dead, dead.
/ walked down to the gate where 100 men
were taken ont every morning for Anderson
vile. had always tried to get out before my
turn, but was always detected when Serg't
Haight would bring down his long club on my
head and send me back to starve awhile longer.
Mr. Baird, who was born on the Island, now
the Superintendent of the Old Dominion Nail
Works, was exceedingly kind and pleasant to
me. He showed the large kettle that was used
to boil the morning bean soup for the prisoners
1t is now used to mix cement in to lay fire.
brick. This relic the National Prison Associa-
ton should possess. l believe the Old Domin-
ion Works would present it to that association
gratia. Mr. Baird also showed us about 10 Or IL
tons of the iron plate that formed the arma-
ment of the Merrimac He had bought it for
old iron. Several pieces showed dents in them
three or four inches deep made by the solid
shot from Ercsson's Monitor. He has had sev-
eral kegs of nails made from the same mate
rial, and took great pleasure in presenting our
party with two each. We were also shown one
wing of the nail works that was built by the
prisoners AS good as the day it was put up,
splendid job of masonry. All prisoners (brick-
Iayers) that worked on the building got double
ratons of corn-dodger, and glad to get the job.
Most of the prisoners who died Oh the Island
Starved to DEATH are now buried in the Ma
tional Cemetery about three miles east of the
city; over 5000 are unknown. This was the
result Of carelessness on the part Of the C0nfed-
crates. When prisoner would die we would
always give his name, company, and regiment
to the Confederates, who would write it out on
\ piece Of paper and pin or stick it in button
hole, or lay it on the body, but when as many
rs 200 at a time would lay out in the rain and
NOW for two weeks before burial, nearly all
,he names would be blown away or lost. Hence
10 many unknown. Those that sleep there
now the flag for which they died waves proudly
over them.
% Rest on embalmed and sainted dead,
Dear as the blood ye gave;
No impous footsteps hero shall tread
Tho heritage of your grave,
Nor shall your glory be forgot,
While fame her record keeps,
Or honor points the halIowed spot
Where valor proudly sleeps"
Our party each cut sycamore cane from the
prouts that have grown up in the stockade
md walked off the Island with none to modest
IT make us afraid.-BRIscoE GOoDHEART,
Ioudoun (Va.) Rangers, Knoxville, Tenn.
Was in Squad No. 81 on the Island.
Lookout Mountain.
Rob't w. Callahan, Corporal, Co. e, Goth Pa
the first veteran regiment of the war;, ia
Wyoming street, Philadelphia, Pa, writes: II
ave been n constant reader of THE NATIONAL |
TRIBUNE for six years and have read everything |
the capture of Lookout Mountain, |
nut it remained for James Il. Mott, Co. X, 10th |
)hio to put on the finishing touch. He says |
hat his brigade was in support of the White |
star Division, and when the latter came within |
90 yards of the rebel breastworks business
vas too pressing for them, and they lay down |
I'D h. A,,oin ha l. l.