Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-05-07

allowed 10 talk. So the Rev. Father got
the best Of it and prisoners Of all creeds re.
joiced ut IT, Every prisoner had 10 answer
at roll call, morning and evening. The
work consisted Of sweeping up the streets
and around the quarters and carrying away
the garbage. Through the day, when NOT
In the water, would be spent in playing
cards or some other game defiance. Sing.
ing, wrestling and comic performances
came In for large share of time. We had
mot been in prison many days before we
heard of the surrender OF General Lee.
Ifme commenced 20 drag much more
heavily. We knew the war was virtually
over and that our comrades who were
with Lee would soon be home again. In
few more days President Lincoln was
sssassinated. The guards were doubled
around the prison end the rules were strictly
carried out. The soldiers talked and looked
as IL every Confederate had something to
do with the crime, whereas every one
deplored the unfortunate act, being con-
WINGED besides the other evils IL would com
pei their detention as prisoners for q longer
time.
In few more DAYS General Joe John.
sson surrendered and the men of his army
were on the way TO their homes Time
dragged more heavily. The minutes COM
menced to lengthen to hours; the hours to
days and the days To months 10 q short
time General Dick Taylor surrendered the
last Of the Confederate armies. Now surely
we thought we shall be released in n few
days. But days passed by. weeks passed
by, aye, q month passed by, and still no
tiding Of release. As each succeeding day
arrived our anxiety and solIcitude increased
in geometrical proportion. Time hung
like an incubus. About the 18th or 9Th Of
, June the glorious news arrived 10 proceed tc
release the prisoners, which was done alpha
. betically. Those whose names commenced
with the last part of the alphabet had tC
, endure the solicitude the longest Abou
five or six hundred were released q day
They observed many formalities. Each
prisoner had TO be weighed, height meas
! ured, in fact, regular description taken
: Lastly you had the iron clad oath admins
, tered to you and certificate ofrelesse giver
and you were turned on the outside fire.,
, man once more. Oh, the joy Of being free
What emotion filed ones breast! What
mighty effect II someties has upon boil
body and mind.
The old dOorkeeper of Congress whel
;. the news rang out that CORVALLIS had sur
!, rendered actually died for JOY. So on thi
occasion one or two of my comrades wer
D so overcome that they had to be carried Il
!. the hospital. With me the excitemep
r was powerful. Up to this time my appetite
r had been excellent now 1t was entirel,
: gone. The extremes seem to meet-ex
e treme joy and extreme sorrow-each pris
D oner had 10 be sent to his home So pris
B. oners from Texas for instances, or any othe
5 State had to remain at the Point and wal
e until there was load for that destination
l with friend, as there was no boat 4
r Leonardtown for twenty hours, asked to b,
u lCb OuS LuC hSOCHdOc anu We WAIKIKI
I The Saint Mary's Countians who were il
: prison at the time, if remember right, wer
e J.::T. Parsons, John Fl. Chunn. Henry Cha,
r Dent, Edgar Combs, DR.. Whit Hammett
D John F. Duke. John Goldsmith. Webster
s Slye and William Norris. Norris vas il
I prison for running blockade. Webster Sly,
? was captured crossing the Potomac will
{ Burns, the Faro Bank man. Burns haC
4 gone from Baltimore about the commence
I ment of the war and established a Far,
Bank in Richmond and ran il during In,
war. About the time of the evacuation O
Richmond he tried to avoid capture anC
D 60 back 10 Baltimore, but was captureC
q and relieved Of about thousand dollars il
good money. Burns, though q gambler
was the big man of the prison city. al
could command more money. and il
T said that he relieved the wants of many
E needy Confederate.
! INNATE.