The National tribune., 1893-10-19

rests we still marched on. Our hunger was
something awful. 1t seemed to me that the
rebels. as a class, could come the nearest to
telling Just how little a man could eat and
live than any other people on earth.
Z; was then about 4 o'clock in the after
moo J, and the sun was now shining IN our
bronzed faces from the west. / dare say
that more deplorable, forsaken-looking set
of mortals was never seen-footsore and
hungry, the possessors of nothing bat the
rags on our backs, hobbling along over the
gravel and stones, as we steadily tramped on
down the pike / thought Of the old saw
ing. that the darkest hour is just before
\ day" and it proved so in this case, for Just
as we emerged from behind a cluster of trees
and brush which stood at the bend of the
road in front of us, q great hurrah went
up from those in advance, and as l
looked up and across on the other side of
the river my eyes beheld the grandest sight
/ ever saw-the Stars and Stripes. the glori-
Gus old emblem of our beloved country.
never saw it when it looked so bright,
its stripes 50 broad, or its stars so glittering.
j had marched and fought under those colors
many times. but / must say that / never
knew Just what realty there was in the
emblem OF our country until that blessed
afternoon.
We had now forgotten that we ever had
sore feet or hungeT-pinched stomachs. What
few hats and caps there were went high IN
the air and were not waited for to come
down. for we broke pell-mell down to the
bank of the river leaving our rebel guards
behind We shouted and cheered until the
valley and hills echoed and re-echoed with
our rejoicing.
This was the 1st day of April, and do
think it was the happIest day of my life.
1t was a beautiful, balmy, sunlight day,
with enough breeze to watt the old flag
proudly n he air, and as she waved to and
fro, kissing the sunlight, she seemed to be
beckOning US over into Gods country"
After we had shouted ourselves hOarse we
were marched across the pontoon bridge
that had been constructed for our reception.
As we marched through in single file be-
tween Union and a Confederate officer, it
reminded me of lot of sheep going through
3 gap. only we did not jump quite so high.
As we reached the opposite bank of the
river We scrambled up the bank, every fel
low for himself, until we reached the camp
OF the Union soldiers. Some fell down on
their faces beneath the flag and wept like
babies. Some laughed, while others Joined
in singins patriotic songs.
When we had regaii ed our senses we were
called up IN line in front of the cook tent,
where three soldiers passed down the line,
the first with a lot of new tin cups, the sec
ond with kettle of hot coffee, and the third
with hardtack.
O. how delicious! / had often stolen pre-
serves and cream from my mothers milk
house, but nothing bad tasted so good as
this. II seemed to strike place which had !
never been reached before. We demonstrated |
little at first on net getting more than one /
cras ker but we were told that the first lot |
that came through had made themselves |
elk and some had killed themselves by eat |
iBg all they wanted, 50 we conc uded that 1T |
was for our good. After devouring my al |
lowance / went about among the soldiers |
begging Tor some paper, an envelope, and /
stamp. I sat down beneath the-Old flag, /
and she waved over my head | hastily /
penned few lines to my folks at home, to !
appris, heIn of the glad news that / had |
just reached cur lines and would be home |
In few days. They lad not heard from /
me for 80 long that they had about given /
me un. We were next shown our quarters /
OF tents. We were given plenty of soap
and wa;eT, h- iO.mzr b !ng something that |
we had not se n since our capture, but after /
a thorough scrubbing and securing a casual |
observer conid tell that we had been white |
once. We were then told that as soon as
colhing and transportation could be secured /
we would leave iOr our homes. If / re-
member rightly, il was several days before
our cloth a. came, but when it did come
We were ie
TO STRIP OFF OUR RAGS.
will Try 10 siye you an idea of the sait
/ wore when released from prison. Ny
trousers rvSeml5ieti crazy-patch work, for they
were not ali oi the same goods, and in some
places 40 goods at all. Ny shirt was what
tie ladies used to call a pin-back; ii had
become so rotten by the continued use in
the soaking rain and scorching sun, and the
traverse # the ever-present grayback, until
IT had hurst across the back from one Shout
der to the ether, and / had it pinned TO-
geiher WITH wooden pin. There were
tassels IN frInCes in proiusiOD. Yet / was
dressed much better than many of my COM
rsdes.
l viii here state that in all my confine-
ment in robe. prisons. / never knew or heard
Of the Confederate Government issuing to a
prisoner a stitch Of clothing vessel to cook
IN, disli to eat from, or an utensil Of any
sort 10 cat with.
After We bad shed our rags they were
pitched or a pile aud set on fire. In that
FIRE there was many life lost; many fat
gray back that had been sucking our life
bio ~ M up ia that smoke.
After we had donned our blues we began
TO have new lIfe, and longed for our trans
pOrtaiion North. On the evening of the 4th
the news reached us that Lee had surren-
dered, and We had another feast Of rejoicing.
ITO be colsfiauedl
T,r,, .anI Sh.t.