The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-07-04

rid place, excessively hot, the air mephitic
almost poisonous. 1 wonder how breath
ed it without asphyxia. Our sole food-it
was the best they had, the authorities said
was half spoiled bacon and wretched
corn bread, yet we managed to swallow it,
we were 50 desperately hungry. We slept
on the floor or on rough boards, and we
lived-that is, kept health in our bodies
buoyed up by the hope of getting out.
We talked in the morning of celebrating
the day" but how could we with nothing
to eat and nothing to drink save very
warm hydrant water that came from the
turbid James river? So with empty stom-
achs and soiled hands and faces-it was
impossible to be clean there-we thought
we would celebrate orally-that is, by
talking patriotism even more than usual,
which was certainly difficult Conse-
quently we got together in groups and
narrated to one another the most exciting
experiences that each of US had in the field.
Many of the narratives were very interest
ing, coming as they did from the actors
themselves. If they could have been taken
down as they fell from our lips, they
would be impressive reading even at this
late day. The officers warmed with their
subjects, living over again the scenes they
had recounted. Some of them got so
flashed and generally stirred that they
looked as if they had been drinking. On
my commenting on this several of them
said that they really felt as if they had
swallowed dozen glasses of champagne.
They added that patriotism was an excel
lent substitute for wine and liquor and
that it never hurt anybody, which could
not lie said of liquid stimulants, particu
larry in armies
AL the prisoners in Libby and doubtless
in the south generally We're more than
ever inspired with patriotism on that day,
because Nici,sburg, then bcsegcd by
Grant, as we had learned from the news
papers which we bought regularly, cher
ishcd saneuine hopes of relief from Cen
eTal Joseph Z. Johnston, who Was menac
ing Grant in the rear. This we knew to
be dangerous situation and it naturally
made us very anxious The Vicksburg
journals declared that Grant was in a trap
1roIn which he could not possibly cxtricate
himself and that they hourly expected to
hear of his surrender We had faith in
Grant, but still we were apprehensive of
the result.
One of the officers said that inasmuch
as talking had had the effect of drinking
on the takers we might try the effect of
talking of eating ON our rapacious appe-
titcs. Thereupon he began to tell what he
would order as soon as he gained his free
dom. He described Il most appetizing
meal that made our mouths water. Others
followed him until many cried out that
they could bear the theme no longer; that
through their imagination they were
starving. None of us could help thinking.
say what we might, about Vicksburg and
how the siege was going. Some one cx-
pressed this thought, which was widely
echoed, and most Of Us began at once dis
cussinG NicksbUrg, rs we had done scores
and scores of times before.
Only few minutes had passed when
colorcd barber, whom 1 had always
thought, by a strange anomaly, to be in
sympathy with the south Che had been
coming for weeks into the officers quar-
tcrs to share theln), slipped up to me and
whispered in my car with overflowing JOY
THAI Nicksburg had fallen. I knew he
was telling the truth when he said that he
had beard dispatch read down stairs in
the Cf,ice announcing the fact.
l Immediately repeated the information
in IA loud voice, and it was received with
Il roar of applause. Then followed = John
Brown 5 Body. " = Hail Columbia, Star
Spanglcd Banner and other patriotic airs
shouted rather than sung in stontorian
tones. Is rot this dramatic incident
enough to make that Fourth of July re-
membcrable? We had our celebration
after all. General Grant furnished il.
And glorious celebration it WAS for us.