The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-28
A Confederate Micer on John
sons Island.
AFTER GETTYSBURG FIGHT
Some of the Experiences of n South-
ern Man Who became a Prisoner.
"A Strange Statement ms to the
cause of the Prisoners Removal
tn Point Lookout,
(From the New York Eve,;no pos,


troops holding the crest of Cemetery Hill.
ana on the men of Rhodes division. the
rear guard of the Confederate forces.
slowly Withdrawing toward Virginia. The
route of the retreat passed close to nv
home. and thinking 1t good time for a
brief glimpse of my mother. whom I had
not seen for many months, l asked and
reserved SIX days leave for that purpose.
All TOO brief, IL seemed at the outset bnt
1t eventually proved ample for ali INV
purposes.
win light heart / set out, swan the
fotomac and Shenandoah, both swollen
from recent rains, and made nv way 10
Leesburg. No fears for my own safety
disturbed me. for / believed that all the
Yankees In the world had faced us on
the fatal field of Gettysburg So my
mother and felt quite free from appre-
hension as We sat together Gin the twf-
HShL the evening after my arrival Then
there was a sudden tramping of feet
without. and l dashed to the window just
IN ume TO look into the muzZle of a pistol
held by blue-coated gentleman, who
greeted me as his prisoner. 1 had been
captured by a regiment ordered out from
Washington to feel Gen. Lees move
ments, They sent me TO the rear en- route
TO the old Capitof prison, where | was
destined to pass many weary hour.
One morning a week or so after reach
ing Washington, l heard the tramp of
the guard in the corridor outside of my
room, and was presently ordered to the
commandapt. There were sixteen of US
ic all, and as We marched down the long
halls TO the colonels office, / wondered
what 1t meant, and hope of possible ex-
change flashed through my mind 1 re-
member perfectly the appearance of the
room as we filed into 1t. 1t was fitted up
with the necessary furniture, and on the
table. amid a litter of pipes and papers,
was an old-fashioned tobacco jar, inno-
cent-looking enough, but destined to play
an important part in that Mornings work.
The colonel. a truly kind-hearted man,
looked at US gravely. and then briefly in
formed US of the business before US. Two
Federal officers had violated their paroles
and were sentenced to hang. and we were
summoned to draw lots for a hostage for
their safety.
1t was like a sudden blow in the dark.
A moment before. l had been dreaming
of freedom and of home, and now | was
to have one chance in sixteen for my life.
We faced the inevitable calmly enough.
and l remember wondering If l could not
induce them at least to let me die the
death of a soldier, and even as l thought
it heard. my name called. and stepped
forward and thrust my hand into the jar.
anxiously for the next. The suspense
was brief enough. the black bean soon
falling 10 Capt. Robert Tyler, of the
Eighth Virginia. He was my lifelong
friend We had been schoolmates and
playmates in boyhood. and tears dimmed
my last sight of him as the guards closed
about him and marched him away 10 MS
solitary cell. Sorrowfuliy enough we went
back TO our own corner OF the gloomy
old nd hour IN
anxious speculation as to mis- fate. but by
one of those happy chances, which are
stranger than fiction, Tyler was exchanS-
ed and with his regiment in less than
two months, while many of US never saw
Dixie again until the war ended
In September, our numbers having
sweIled to 100 we were ordered to john
ston's island, and began our long Journey
uorthward When we reached the gate
Of the men we were searched, and all
money except that of Confederate manu-
facture was taken from us This, they
said might be useful to play poker with
among ourselves. and was otherwise
harmless For all greenbacks ana goIu
we got credit on the suffers books de
had a store in the pen, and kept clothing
and eatables He was from Maryland
and while he. of course, conducted MS
business at a profit, he did many noble
charities. Tor WHICH L IOpc hc hS'0 49,.
rewarded tenfold. After our financial
matters had been arranged, we were
turned loose in the pen and told to for
age for food and lodging. no rations De-
ing served out till next morning.
After two or three days our detacn-
ment was called up to the gate. bianket
and an empty bedtick given to each and.
under a sergeant and a guard, we were
marched to the wharf, where small
schooner lay with her hold full OF straw,
from which we were expected to manu-
facture our beds. Among us was Lieut.
Charles Grogan, of Baltimore, aide-de-
camp to Cen Trimble. He was dressed
in a new suit of citizens clothes. and had
managed to keep back part of his green
backs when they searched us at the gate.
While we filed our beds, Grogan burrow-
ed under the straw and stayed there, We
meanwhile forming in line for evening
roll call When his name was called, the
response came from distant part OF the
line. and continued to come from there
with unfailing regularity for five months.
AS soon as darkness fell, Grogan crepe
out from his straw pile and hid in an
empty building on the wharf. Next MORN
ing when the daily boat from Sandusky
reached the island, he sauntered out
among the passengers walked up to
headquarters. took look at the pen and
the prisoners. strolled in leisurely fash
ion back to the boat, went to Sandusky,
and in less than a month we heard from
him in Richmond.
Possy Brown, our caterer developed
promising scheme of his own in our be-
half In those days we called him Pos
sv'' from a remarkable resemblance in
name and features to the original PossO-
watmie but since then his name has be-
come we'll known, because of his connec-
ton with certain events at Ellenton and
elsewhere in his State.
He proceeded with much dignity, to
display an outfit consisting of box,
three dice and a row of six cards pasted
on an oilcloth, together with two scent
suffers checks, as the fruits thereof. He
had spent the morning seated on the
sunny side of building, ready to shake
with any guiltless passer-by. Of course.
our commentator ran high, as he pro-
ceeded to explain the workings of his
little game by which he said he could
win the whole suffers shop, at six to one
in favor of the bank.
While he enthusiastically foretold a
happy future for the mess, when no man
would go hungry, l carelessly picked up
his dice, and, with a pencil, converted the
twos into threes and two tours into fives.
Rube Boston, of my regiment, seeing me,
forthwith invited Brown to illustrate the
strength of his little enterprise. He
cheerfully assented, and shaking his dice
and calling call Set" lifted the box. A
five, deuce, ace greeted him, and he look
ed aghast; he had won 81 or s. and lost
$50. He tried it three times, goaded on by
our enthusiastic encomiums on his game,
and. finally, when his losses mounted to
Rod n FOL of he