The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-20

L
blandly informed them the escaping pris-
oners had been seen running down the
road rs fast rs they could go about half an
hour before BY the help of these kind nc
grccs wo finally managed to reach the
Union lines"
In Federal Prisons.
Congressman Cobb of Alabama, the pro-
FOUNDER of the famous question, "NIr.
| Speaker, where was atf' has related his
experience after his capture in tho battle
of Gettysburg, and it is an exceedingly
interesting story. He was the first lieuten-
| ant of u company attached to the Texas
| division under Longstrcet. "The second
| day Of tho fight, July 2, 1862" said Mr.
Cobb, II was cornered by the enemy in
tho course Of the engagement. On the side
of mo was q steep, almost perpendicular
slope. On the other was u wood of heavy
timber and thick underbrush. failed to
hear the order for retreat and before 1
| knew it WIS surrounded and captured. /
was first taken to Fort Horny, Baltimore
! harbOr, then to Fort Delaware for three
weeks, and after that to Johnson's island,
where stsid from the 1st of August until
the February following AT that time there
was call for 600 of us officers to DO car
| ried to Point Lookout ut tho mouth of the
| Potomac. We were joyful over tho trans
fer, as we thought it~was made for the
purpose of exchange, and rs matter of
| fact goo were exchanged.
we were eventually crowded out by tho
wounded men brought IN from some bat
| tie and were then carried back to Fort
| Delaware. Soon after our transfer another
! call for 600 men was issued to 20 to Charles
| ton harbor to be made the subjects of re-
tnliation. The Fcdcr,ls charged that Fed
eral prisoners in the hands of Confederates
| had been kept within range of Federal bat
| tcricS and thus exposed to the shots from
| their own men. Whether this was true or
not do not know, but they took mo and
| about 600 other prisoners among them
| Speaker Crisp, and placed US in position
between Federal and Confederate batteries,
| where we were exposed to the shots of both
| sides. The shots would fly over us occa-
sionally. don't remember that any of us
was injured, but it was certainly not pleas
ant to be constantly expecting u stray shot
to drop among us. After this ordeal our
| party was separated, some of the 600 being
| sent to Fort Pulaski and the remainder to
| Hilton Head. was among the latter and
| WAS some time nftcrwnrd transferred back
| to Fort Delaware, where remained until
the cessation of hostilitics.
| Il never saw any particular case of cru
city In the prisons in which 1 was con-
fined. Tho guards shot several prisoners Mt
Johnson's island, but I guess they brought
| 1t on themselves There were severe pun
ishments for insubordination-a for in
| stance, when privates were tied up by
their thumbs and officers were tossed in
blankets. helped to bury many n poor
| follow. Sometimes rs many rs four or five
| were buried ut once. Their death was not
| tho result of bad treatment but of wounds
they had received in the field OF of confinc-
mcnt or inconsistencies. The winter 1 spent
Mt Johnson's island was very severe, tho
thermometer registering sometimes 10 to
| 20 degrees below zero On New Yours day
of this year five men attempted TO escape
through my room. They took two of the
| benches which were in each of the rooms
and made ladder by mailing pieces of
wood between them, by the assistance of
which they made their escape through the
| window. Ordinarily there were scntrics
| stationed about every 900 yards, but this
night WAS SO bitterly cold that they could
not remain on post. The five succeeded in
leaving the prison, but one succumbcu to
tho cold before he had gone mile and was
brought buck the next morning with his
ears, toes and fingers frozen. Three others
wero found ut different distances near the
fort, unable TO proceed farther on account
of the cold, and We're rcapturcd. The fifth
escaped to Canada
Several other efforts to escape were
made by tho prisoners, with better success
than the one I have just related. One time
party occupying the hut nearest the
fence took tho floor up, dug under it and
tunnclcd under the fence, carrying the dirt
off In havcrSacks. This was u long and TO-
dious job, but it wns finally finished On
the outside of the fence at the exit Of the
tunnel there was a thin crust Of earth In
side the fence the tunnel had downward
inclination and outside the fence AN up
ward. When everything was in readiness
dark night was selected for tho escape.
y large number succeeded in making a
safe transit, but one large, fat fellow got
stuck where the tunnel turned to 20 up
ward and could neither retreat nor go for
ward. His comrades tried to push or pull
him through the tight place, but without
avail, and he had to stay there. He was a
ncrvy fellow and made no cutlery, remain
ing there oil night until next morning,
when the glInrdsman discovered him lodged
in the tunnel. His fellow prisoners thus
had II good start and about half of them
made good their escape The others were
recapturcd." WALTER WELLMAN