Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-26

were the captives. There was much
military red tape about issuing the
rations. There always is in the
army. and this thing troubled all the
way from Louisville to Rock Island.
We were hungry on our arrival at
the end of our journey north, and
not in the best mood to hear the
prison regulations read to us. This
was done by a stubby German who
spoke in broken English. After re-
ferring to the situation in which we
bad been placed, through no inten-
ton on our part, the German officer
said that insults would neither be
given nor taken. He told us that
we could write one letter . week,
but the letter must be confined to
one side of one sheet of paper. and
that if it crossed the lines it must go
under a flag of truce. He told US
that for the first night we must do
without coal. since though some had
been ordered it had failed to arrive.
This was worse than it looks now,
since all the prisoners who had SUD-
piled themselves with Yankee
blankets or overcoats were required
to leave them on the outside Of the
prison. We we're without fire from
in the afternoon until 10 in the
forenoon of the next day. 1t was
New Years day of 1864 and very
cold. That night the foundation was
laid for diseases which carried away
some 1900 confederate soldiers.
There bones are now lying in graves
on Rock Island. But / am not
charging intentional cruelty. 1t
was. l suppose. one of those unfor-
nate accidents which sometimes oc-
cur in the best regulated armies.
Something like this happened on our
side.
Rock Island prison was q city or
community by itself. where all were
on level and the houses all alike.
Almost from the first the prisoners
divided themselves into circles or
companies just like society folks.
We had lawyers and they punched by
themselves, so did the literary fell
lows, the mechanics, and the farm
ers, where all could talk of things in
common. Barrack No. 8 came to be
known as the Four Courts. The
Judge distinguished himself by wear.
ing q checkered shirt. We had q
clerk, reporter. bailiff, and all the
machinery OF a court in regular
standing. This kangaroo court had
the brightest of lawyers. 1t was q
capital offense to wear q boiled shirt
and some were tried, found guilty
and sentenced for that. Others were
indicted for stealing rations, fol
breach of promise. Where women
figured as witnesses, plaintiff or de.
PENDANT. it bothered us at first, but
in time Fitzpatrick, who was tailor
bv trade, made a dress and some
thing he called bonnet. These we
put on Murray who was handsome
smooth faced fellow, and he played
the woman act.
There were some escapes, no,
many, from Rock Island prison.
can tell you of one l saw, and better
of one that gave me freedom. The
doctors came to the prison every
morning and they all wore long mill
tary clOaks. They usually entered
the prison about the same time, bu
they would leave singly, now ant
then in pairs. One Of the prisoner!
who had been anxiously watching
his opportunity for weeks, and max
ing every preparation for it. had a
part of his plan put on some cloth
ing sent him by friends While the
docter was at the far end OF tn,
building, and very soon after he hat
come. Holt, that was the fellow
name. wrapped himself in the doc
tors cloak and with q slonch ha
which he had concealed, he boldl,
walked to the gate. right-faced, sa
luted the guard and passed out
That was the first escape out of sew.
eral thousand men in the fou
months was there. As there wer
no cliffs to scale, no tattlements
snd no chance for digging tunnels
nothing was left but strategy b,
which to effect an escape.
1.-The prisoner l had most to d.
with never would have got away had
it not been for outside help. A
Warsaw, KY, a woman was banishe,
by the union officer in command be
cause she insisted on expressin,
sympathy for the southern cause
, Miss True, as shall call her, wen
to Rock Island where she had friends
and like her. they were southerner
who thought as she did. though the,
said much less. 1t was through Mis-
True and such means as she had de
vised that boxes of goods from thei
, southern relatives reached the pris
oners. She could not get into tn
prison, and it might have arouse'
suspicion if she had tried to do so
but she managed to communicat
with some of the prisoners. Once /,
, prisoner was allowed to 90 outsid
under guard, and meet Miss True
They exchanged their words O
, honor more by looks than voice, blu
each understood the other. 1t 9
happened that this prisoner becam
gloomy, then melancholy, and to az
pearances at least really sick. Un
der this excuse he was permitted (