The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-20
CHRISTMAS In LIBBY.
Major A. R. Calhoun RecOuntS
His Own Experience.
Christmas 0fthe Awful Battle Year Of 1903.
M0mentous Times Recalled.

copyright, 1885, by American Press Associa
tion.l
The James river, at the back OF the pris-
on, was locked with ice, and the snow, fall
ing steadily outside and swept In by the
cutting wind through the iron barred,
glassless windows, did not tighten the
gloom In the six long, black rooms, where
the ragged prisoners tramped to keep
warm, and thought as they tramped of the
dear ones in homes far beyond the battle
lines--dear ones whose Christmas season
would be rendered joyless by thoughts of
the imprisoned soldier.
"We mustn't give way to despair" said
young Lieutenant Watson of the Twenty
third Wisconsin, as he took my arm aud
led me down the crowded length of the
upper Chickamauga room, so called be-
cause most OF the prisoners occupying it
had been captured In that disastrous bat
tie. Turner has agreed to let us have
the cookroom for show tonight, and Ed
Mas. God bless the brave fellow, is getting
up troop In tho Potomac room, and they
Will sing the old home songs and the war
songs, too, and so wo'll forget the hunger
and the cold. After all, old fellow, hap
pjness Is largely a matter of Imagination,
and If a man can't get his Imagination GO
ing on Christmas time-why he hasn't
any, that's all. "
Watson he is now colonel Of the Thir-
teenth Brooklyn, or New York State
guard, was, and still is, one Of those brave,
cheerful spirits that look ever on the bright
side Of things and have the power to COM
municato their feelings to those of more
fomber cast like myself.
We had reached the head Of the broad
damp steps leading TO the lower middle
room when, instead of going back In tho
same way, 1 led my friend across to tho
other.
"What for9" he asked.
81 want TO see Bohannon, captain of tho
Third Middle Tennessee cavalry. You re-
member he camo in about ten days ago."
Yes, yes. Hos quiet sort OF u chap,
but looks like good soldier. What OF
hint"
"Well, he's under the weather and in
bad shape. He was captured in cavalry
fight near Knoxville and was pretty badly
hurt by the fall of his horse. The horse
was killed. You can bet on that. Then
the captain got severe cold, but be has
horror Of the prison hospital and refuses to
report himself on the sick list, l said.
Captain Bohannon was half reclining,
with his back against the wall and his
legs stretched out on tho damp floor
He was tall, slender man of five and
thirty, with long brown hair and curly
beard of the Same color. Tho strong face
must hayc been handsome before the sun
had bronzed 1t to an Indian hue, and care
had cut deep lines down the checks and
between the fearless gray eyes.
Now, there was flush on the cheeks
and light in the eyes which experience
had taught us were due TO prison fever in
stead of TO health This impression was in
creased as Watson and myself knet beside
the captain and pressed tho strong brown
hands and felt their abnormal heat,
Before this had again and again urged
the captain to go to the prison hospital.
DIR. Sabnl, the Confederate surgeon in
charge, was one OF the bost and kindliest
men that ever administered to the ailments
of friend or foe, but the Tonnesseean al
ways shook his head and said:
II know you're my friend, old pard,
and you are doad right, but I've never
been in hospital, and somehow feel
that 1t would kill mo II l went there.
No, il I've got to be buried in a blanket,
let them carry mo away from here.
What's the diffcrenceP"
The captain had evidently lost his grip
on things terrestrial. 1t was not that no
was prisoner that depressed him: he was
too much Of man for that but there are
heart wounds more killing than those
made by bullet or saber, and the captain
was suffering from one of these.
Bohannon's father had been we'll TO 30
planter In middle Tennessee, but mistaken
speculations Impoverished him and ended
in his death few years before the war.
George, the only child, with characteristic