The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-02-14
agents into the prison to sell the blue

agents into the prison to sell the blue
| bills tn the Yankees at the rate of four
| for one, taking their pay in gold notes
| to be sent through the lines for collec-
| ton. Blank notes were distributed and
when filled out by prisoners and signed
were cashed by the speculator, who re-
| lied entirely Oh the honor of the party
of the second part i'll the transaction.
Some waggish fellows took advantage
of the situation, one officer signing
draft for large sum, "a COW. "
The Roper hospital consisted of cen
| trail brick building three stories high,
fanked by long wings, the latter having
wide verandas along each story, where
many of the prisoners slept in the warm
summer nights. Queen street in front
marked the edge of the burned district,
and large tract lying between that
street and the harbor was desolate ex-
panse of charred walls green with a
| luxurious growth of weeds and bushes.
In the center of this waste doomed the
ruins of tie cathedral, and through the
| oriel windows in its broken walls we
often saw the trailing fuses of the shells
from the Morris island batteries as we
lounged in the hummer evenings on the
cool verandas. At regular intervals we
would see a soft fash, like glow of heat
lightning, suffusing the horizon above
the harbor, and then the flight of a
shooting star, which rose in graceful
curve into the zenith and fell with
sharp report into the deserted portion Of
tho city
Once a fire broke out in an adjoining
square, and as usual the besieging bat
teries trained their guns on the embers.
We crowded the windows, watching the
slaves operating the old fashioned en-
gines, and cheered the shells while the
frightened negroes ducked and ran away
from the brakes On this occasion two
pieces of a she'll came through the slate
roof of our building, one of them strik-
ing on table where party of officers
were eating.
Besides the spectators with Confeder-
ate money the only citizens who ever
visited us were Sisters of Mercy, who
came with grapes and other delicacies
for the sick and brought us the only
news we had Of the enlisted prisoners
confined in the outskirts Of the city.
In September yellow fever broke out
among our guards and was the imme-
diate cause Of our hasty transfer to Co
lumbia, for which destination we left
Charleston on Oct 4. We were unex-
pected guests at Columbia, insomuch
that the indignant provost marshal at
first refused to receive or receipt for us.
We were kept in the box cars i'll which
we had made the journey all night I'M
til O'Clock of the following morning,
when we were turned out into pouring
rain. A telegram had been sent to Hills
boro the night before for a company
of cadets to relieve our Charleston
guard These lads arrived in the morn
ing, Respondent in new gray uniforms,
paper collars and white gloves. These
natty little military freshmen, big with
the importance of their duties, seemed
to enjoy themselves at first, but as the
rain began to wilt their collars they
grew irritable and bloodthirsty. One of
the youngsters succeeded in distinguish
ing himself by the commission OF
brutal and wholly inexcusable assault.
Lieutenant Clark, who was negotiating
with negro woman for pone of corn
bread ON the outskirts of our party, was
run through the body by the bayonet of
this irate cadet, who stepped two PAGES
from his position in order to reach his
unconscious victim.
AS no suitable inclosure could be
found for us in Columbia, we were
marched across the Broad river to an
abandoned field two miles south of the
city. Here, without tents or shelter of
any kind, except such as we could con-
struct with our blankets, we were aban-
doned to the weather, which fortunate
ly was pleasant during the first month
of our stay. The fine bushes which over
grew this field were soon used up for
fuel, after which, for two hours each
morning, the guard line was extended
so as to take in an extensive piece of
pine woods. We were furnished with
axes during these chopping hours and
encouraged to cut and carry fuel into
camp.
Our rations consisted of two items
item cornmeal, item sorghum molasses.
The first was coarse, and the last was
often sour. The first was reasonably
abundant and the last was unreasonably
SO. No implements for cooking were fur
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