The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-11

was placed on a horse. ] started back 10
Virginia. | rode all day Saturday, all
Saturday night and up TO 4 or o'clock
Sunday evening / was captured by
Federal cavalry. near Grecncnstle. Pa
was with the wagon train. ! was dis
mounted and placed In a wagon. carried
10 a place called London and parOled
and left In n stable. About thirty OF US
were wounded We were all captured
along with the wagon train We were
left In stable for over a week with but
little attention by the citizens or by
Federal troops We were taken from
there 10 Harrisburg Philadelphia and
New York. but rs they could not get us
In any OF the hospitals. we were brought
back 10 Philadelphia, nnd then sent 10
Chester on Delaware river. there / re-
| nalned for some time. and then I was
sent 20 Point Lookout Md. whore I stay
| ed about seven months. The cook houses
| where we got our grub" were I'm charge
/ OF a Confederate soldier The camp was
business place with tho 'rebs." some
| making fans. rings. ] saw clOc6 made
in a canteon out Of cracker hoxos-s0fne
made bricks. BY the way, ! ran n brick
yard myself on the small scale. The old
rchs had a large home built out Of cracker
boxes. aud a keno" table placed I'm r.
You could see the Old rebs after they
| had been 10 get there little grub coming
10 this house 70 play keno" They would
put up a cracker against chew tobacco.
OF you would have the old Confeds calling
all oter camp here IL your cracker for
tobacco" or tobacco for cracker"
A good deal Of our pleasures was broken
w by placing negro guards over us. The
first night they were put on duty a Confed
stole one OF the negro senunels KNAPP
sacks. lie called for corporal Of the
guard and told him rebel had stolen
his kuapsack. he did not care for the
knapsack. but II had his girls picture in
II and plug OF tobacco. Each cook
house had a guard In front and they had
Instruction TO let the servants OF the
cOok-h0usc pass in and cut until o'clock
So IL happened that one Of the sergeants
went out 20 camp and staid longer than
he expected. and in coming back &c go IN
the coolx-house he was halted by the
negro sentinel "Whc dat como far7"
sergeant replied. Il am sergeant OF the
cook-hcuse." You cant pass hero wild out
got the coIntcrs.gn." Sergeant said h.
did not have H. You can't pass sar Wild
out f." Sergeant says what is the
countersign?' Fort Is the contersign
and you cant pass wild out H." Well the
Fort. lie told him 10 pass in dat he
must not think hard Of him for he was
strickly business man IN all of his quail
hcations and he must know dat and must
tell the rebs o. be CAREFUL how doy fool
around al dat cook-house whiie he was
dar."
was standing At the cook house door
one morning waiting for my hard-tack
and coffee. when an old reb come mp 20
the door with a great big heef-stcak
gnaH1ng way On il for an it was worth
and that was very little An cid Tar
Heel" looked up IN his face with n smilo
and says Say Mister after YOU got done
gnawing that bone let me juice e
little while"
We had a pretty hard time ~ Point
Lookout I left Point Lookout in 1864 and
was exchanged al city Point l got
furlough after being in Richmond a few
days, l visited my home After my fur
Tough expired / returned 10 Richmond. I
was not able 10 do field duty so + was
assigned TO take charge ~ ward ~"
Third Division. Chimborazor Hospital. I
remained there for along time in charge Of
the ward as ward-mastcr Soon they
made up an invalid corp 20 guard prison
crs on Bell Isle and the factory which
had prisoners on the corner OF Twenty
first and Cary street. ! went ont with
the corps I remained with the corps for
some time. then returned 20 my regiment
and remained until the end of the war.
After returning home ] went to rail-
reading on the OLD Oraura and Aicxan-
dria railroad after serving several years
braking. I was promoted baggage master
After serving eighteen months m that T
was promoted 20 conductor. and ran the
bynchhug for several years. l made
application for position MS conductor and
got H. This was Sept i0f so / have been
devoting my time with that company
every since.
a short while ago ] was walking around
IN Hollywood I was looking 40 the stone
monument and was wondering how q man
could climb 10 the top While standing
man near my age walked mp and
asked him was IL possible for % man 70
go up 10 the top. iio said ~ was as he
saw q man 20 up IL twic, IN one day. He
thinking ] was stranger. was very nice
and polite After we were standing talk
ine Doe told ME Doc bad charge Of the
soldiers part ~ the grounds
lie turned 10 me and sid that's Gettys-
burg Hill ! told him the name was very
familiar 10 me. lie then pointed 20
Pickett monument. I told him ] followed
him during the war. Tie said $50 did
l."
told him ! was in DIS brigade Will, he
was bficadier-eoncral lie said. $50 was
T."
told him 7 was iu Garnetrs Brigade.
Tie said. $50 was
] told him 7 was member n tho Fifty
sixth Virginia Regiment Of Infantry. lie
said $50 was J."
told him 1 was I'm Company "B" lie
said $50 was l."
"Who are you. any vay?" said l.
"My name is simmons"
(Which one Of the h ys2"
william and now please tell me VINO
I am talking to?'
told him. (Old man. shake. them
"HUl 7 am married
$50 am r."
OF have two children
$50 have T."
bin Says. George On fellow how glad
ann 10 sec YOU. take q st down 1ui Oct
us talk awhile. You know il has been
over thirty years since we have seen one
anothcr-s0 many changes, To y-u know
7 have oftcn.wondcroi what has become
OF the boys OF cld Company j. ] DONG
know the whereabouts of hvf few of
them some rare l.el fud others scatter
od al over rho country This Is ono ~
the hapficst meeting n my ne so I bid
BIZ good bye and ieft him. hut J see
him now quito often. ] know thar there
viii he lots OF happy hearts of our Old