The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-29
ANDERSONVILLE.

Htei0 siSepuig tnaJ night. Ihe morning
was very cold, but we sang and ioked
as we marched over the creaking bridge,
on our way to the cars. We were
packed so tightly in these that it was
impossible to even sit down, and we
rolled slowly away after a wheeling
engine to Petersburg, whence we ex-
pected to march to the exchange post.
We reached Petersburg before noon,
and the cars halted there long time,
we momentarily expecting an order to
get out. Then the train started up and
moved out Of the city toward the south
east. This was inexplicable, but after
we had proceeded this way for several
hours some one conceived the idea that
the rebels, to avoid treating with But
Ter, were taking us into the Department.
OF some other commander to exchange
US. This explanation satisfied us, and
our spirits rose again.
Night found us at CASTOR, N. c.,
where we received a few crackers for
ratlons, and changed cars. 1t was dark,
and we resorted to little strategy to
secure more room. About 80 Of us
got into a tight box car, and immedi-
ately announced that it was too full to
admit any more. When an officer came
along with another squad to stow away,
we would yell out to him to take some
OF the men out, as we were crowded I'M
bearably. In the mean time everybody
In the car would pack closely around
the door, so as to give the impression
that the car was densely crowded. The
rebel would look convinced, and de-
mand-
" why, how many men have you got
in de cab ?"
Then one of us would order the
imaginary host in the invisible recesses
to-
Stand still there and be counted"
while he would gravely count up to 100
or 120, which was the utmost limit Of
the car, and the rebel would hurry off to
put his prisoners somewhere else.
We managed to play this successfully
during the whole journey, and not only
obtained room to lie down in the car. but
also drew three or four times as many.
rations as were intended for us, so that
while we at no time had enough, we were
farther from starvation than our less
strategic companions.
The second afternoon we arrived at
Raleigh, the Capital of North Carolina,
and were camped in piece of timber,
and shortly after dark orders were issued
to us all to lie fiat ON the ground and not
rise up till daylight. About the middle
of the night a man belonging to New
Jersey regiment, who had apparently
forgotten the order, stood up, and was
Immediately shot dead by the guard.
For four or FIVE days more the
decrepit little locomotive strained along,
dragging after it the rafting old cars.
The scenery was intensely monotonous.
1t was fiat, almost unending, stretch
of pine barrens and the land so poor
that a Disguised Illinoisan, used to the
fertility of the great American Bottom,
said rather strongly. that,
BY George, they'd have to manure
this ground before they could even make
brick out of it,"
1t was surprise to all of us who had
heard so much of the wealth of Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia, to find the soil sterile sand
bank, interspersed with swamps.
We had still no idea of where we were
going. We only knew that our general
course was southwark, and that we had
passed through the Carolinas, and were
in Georgia. We furnished UP our school
knowledge of geography and endeavored
to recall something of the location Of
Charlotte, Columbia, and Au-
yusta, through which we passed, but the
attempt was not success.
Late ON the afternoon Of the 25th Of
February the 7th Ind. Sergeant APP
preached me with the inquiry:
"Do you know where Macon is?"
The place had not then become as we'll
known as it was afterward.
1t seemed to me that had read some
thing of Macon in Revolutionary history,
and that it was a fort on the sea coast.
He said that the guard had told him
that we were to be taken TO point near
that place, and we agreed that it was
probably new place of exchange. A
little later we passed through the town
Of Macon, Ga, and turned upon road
that led almost due south.
About midnight the train stopped, and
we were ordered off We were in the
midst of forest of tall trees that loaded
the air with the heavy balsamic odor
peculiar to pine trees. A few smallrude
houses were scattered around near.
Stretching out into the darkness was
a double row of great heaps of burning
pitch pine, that smoked and famed
fiercely, and lit up little space around
in the somber forest with a ruddy glare.
Between these two rows lay q road,
which we were ordered to take.
The scene was weird and uncanny.
had recently read the 1liad,' and the
ong lines of huge fires reminded me of