Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-02-25
NUMBER s.

i have no rtcUEectlou why Went w
a hospital or Of anything that traDspired
there, but the journey across the city
with my guard was a walk never 10 DC
forgotten. King street was the principal
business street and led from the water
front across the town. For the first mile
the shops and the houses were barred
and deserted. Here and there cornice
was crushed in by she'll. the dooryards
were choked by rank growth Of bushes,
and in the cross streets the thin blades
Of green grass were sprouting thickly
among the cobblestopes. Asw got far
ther from the range Of the Morris island
guns we occasionally saw an open store
door opening irto darkness and silence.
The Roper hospital was much the
more desirable quarters, standing IN
grounds filed with tropical plants and
having an unobstrncted outlook in front
across the burned district To the harbor.
Along the Queen street front we were
only restrained by an ornamental iron
fence, and ON account Of the weakness
Of this barrier we were required 10 give
our individual paroles, which we VIII
ingIy did, for, although we were nom
inally under fire, we were actually in a
paradise for prisoners.
Outside this fence all day, from the
arrival Of The Courier. printed ON the
reverse side Of sheet Of wall paper, for
25 cents, to the going down Of the sun
row Of colored hucksters exposed and
FRIED their wares. Eggs We're - a dozen,
butter 50 pound, watermelons from
g. to Sl6 and SIS apiece. Some old
aunties in highly colored turbans sold
boiled shrimps, others shrimp pies, sweet
potato pones, goobers, yams and all the
delicacies of the market. Hanging over
The fence was always a row Of ragged
officers with empty pockets gazing long
ingly upon the tempting edibles.
At this time Confederate dollar had
about the purchasing power Of cents,
and the Charleston bankers sent their
Igents into the prison 10 sell the blue
bills 10 the Yankees at the rate OF four
ior one, taking their pay IN gold notes
to be- sent through the lines for collec-
ton. Blank notes were distributed and
when filled ont by prisoners and signed
were cashed by the speculator. who re-
lied entirely on the honor Of the party
Of the second part in the transaction.
Some waggish fellows took advantage
Of the situation, one officer signing a
draft for large sum, "A COW. y
The Roper hospital consisted OF cen
tral brick building three stories high,
fianked by long wings, the latter having
wide verandas along each story. where
many Of the prisoners slept IN the warm
summer nights. Queen street IL front
marked the edge Of the burned district,
and large tract lying between that
street and the harbor was "A desolate ex-
panse Of charred walls, green with
luxurious growth Of weeds and bushes.
In the center Of this waste loomed the
ruins Of the cathedral, and through the
oriel windows i'll its broken walls We
often saw the trailing fuses Of the shells
from the Morris island batteries as We
lounged in the summer evenings on the
cool yerandas. AT regular intervals "e
would see soft fash, like glow Of heat
lightning. suffusing the horizon above
the harbor, and then the flight Of
shooting star, which rose in graceful
curve into the zenith and fell with a
sharp report into the deserted portion Of
the city.
Once 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 TIC
slaves operating the old fashioned en-
pines, and cheered the shells while tic
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 s,rIi =
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 on y
news we had Of the enlisted prisoners
confined in the outskirts Of the city.
fro BE CONTINUED