The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-06-01
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON g. THURSDAY JUNE

roads that we had Been on was poor in the
extreme, but this line was the worst of all.
They did not dare run the train over 10
| miles an hour, and even at that rate the
uneven depressions irf the track swayed the
cars from side to aide nearly to capsizing.
Whenever we came to steep grade in the
line, which was quite frequent, the train vas
| stopped, the engine uncoupled and run
ahead for mills or so something about the
locomotive requiring greater rate of speed
than the slow running Of the train allowed.
The engine was continually getting out of
order, and the stops were many, sometimes
of such duration that we were allowed to
get out of the cars and stretch our tired
limbs, affording an opportunity to those who
lad cooking utensils for Moistening their
corn with the ditch water at the side of the
track. AS the majority had nothing to carry
water in, we were thankful for the chance
afforded to wet our parched throats.
At these stops many were the Yanke
tricks practiced to get away, but they were
always nipped by the guards, who were
sharp-sighted and very suspicious. Seme OF
the guards were quite social and willing to
talk, but we could never tell whether we
would get civil reply toaquestion or
RAP OVER THE HEAD
with the musket, accompanied with an inn
perious order to " Get into them ar cars"
The guards were generally made up of
old men and boys, unfit for duty at the front,
and none of them had ever been there or
under fire. Consequently, we were used
with greater severity than we otherwise
would have been if guarded by veterans.
II was conceded by both Northern and
Southern prisoners that when under the
care of men who had seen and felt the
horrors of war, they were treated with
more kindness and consideration than when
guarded by militia
After several days on the road we reached
Blackshire. The village, if there was one,
we saw nothing of, as we were marched into
the woods and went into camp; that is, we
threw ourselves down on the wet, cold
ground, without rations or fire, covered our.
selves as best we could with the few blank
cts we had, "spooned " up close to each
other, and shivered the long night through.
The weather was so cold that the ice
formed nightly of considerable thickness,
and as ] have mentioned before we were all
thnly clad, shirt aud drawers constituting
the individual stock of most of the prison
ers. 1t seemed as though human nature
could not endure the strain, and it did not
with many.
While we staid here we were allowed no
fire at night and very little wood, green ut
that, to cook with in the daytime. The
guards had several large fires around the
camp, which lit up the surroundings so
brilliantly that it would have been imposs-
bic to escape There was no stockade,
fence, or ditch here. They substituted two
lines of guards, and prisoners ran the line
Ia I.nA 9TH al Ind
when they saw that the guards had a
" bead on them, and few got clear Of both
lines, but they were always caught by the
hounds and brought back; if not the next
day, they were eventually captured. When
overtaken by the hounds they were gener-
ally terribly bitten and chewed up TAX
ing everything into consideration, it was a
losing business to try TO escape !; for all were
weak from semi-starvation and from other
causes, long distance from our lines, III an
unknown country, with,no maps or rcompas~,
no protection for the feet, or extra rations,
and innumerable other disadvantages
1t is a popular cdelusien that red pepper
sprinkled in the tracks of the fugitive, or
wading in water, will destroy the scent and
put the hounds at fault Tie following in
cident will show that such is not the case:
The four comrades heretofore alluded to
as being in the chaih-gang for attempted
escape, had all tie chances in their favor
when they made the ttial. They were at
work outside the prison, on parole, and
started Immediately alter rollcali at night.
They were not missed until roll-call next
morning s*r4ts-s %
They had contemplated this action for
weeks, and had pretty good idea of the
surrounding country. They were provided
with map and compass rations for three
days, whisky, matches, and red pepper.
Their shoes were in good condition, and
they were all in good health.
The weather had for weeks previous been
wet, and it had rained continuously for three
days and nights before they started, and it
continued TO do so for the same length of time
afterwards. Their plan was 10 strike for
the Chattahoochie River, which was no great
distance from Andersonviile float down
stream on logs to the Gulf, and there attract
the attention of our fleet and be taken off.
But their expectations came to naught.
They were
RUN DOWN BY THE HOUNDS,
and captured inside of week, within 10
miles Of AndersonvIlle.
At Blackshire we built such shelter as we
could with our three b ankets, but that left
us Will uDtHIUS " tufCl Us ab uISut j
was simply impossible to sleep, on account of
the cold. The only thing was to get up and
walk around. We had considerable rain
while here, and for all protection that our
shelter afforded we might as well have been
roofess.
After being here day or two the rebs
got down to issuing ratiOns somewhat regu-
larly, which continued to be about the same
az at other prisons The prisoners were
organized by divisions" "nineties," and
squads" Thirty men made one squad,
three squads one ninety, and three nine
ties one division of 270 men. A Yankee
Sergeant was selected for each division,
ninety, and squad.
The rebs issued the rations to the division
Sergeants, and they divided what they re-
ceived into three piles, which was called
of" to the Sergeants of nineties, and they in.
turn to the Sergeants of squads, who dis
tributed it to their squads Of 80 men.
Now, it was simple affair to equally di-
vide the rations until they reached the
squads, but here it was another thing 1t
was almost impossible to equally divide
anything that had 10 be cut and get each
piece ofexactly the same SIZE As to meal,
beans, salt, or molassas, it was different, as
such stuff could be measured quite ac-
curately. Even with these there were many
disputes and quarrels; starving men are
not apt TO be very nice in their Judgment