The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-14
FIFTY SOUTHERN GIRLS.
Taken as Prisoners of War and Held al

Taken as Prisoners of War and Held as
Hostages at Vicksburg.
Il was mixed up in one little unre-
corded event of the civil war" said
General B., that was interesting from
its very unusualness, and which, as
look back, seems strangely picturesque.
] We We're attached to what was known
! as the Marine Brigade, little fleet of
| twelve 'tinclad' river steamboats, that
piled up and down the river after the
surrender Of Vicksburg. The term
tinclad,' by the way, is somewhat mis-
leading, as it is not remotely connected
with the white metal, but signifies
rather boats heavily planked with oak
for the purpose of protecting them
somewhat from the ravages of bullets.
zone day our little battalion Of four
companies was ordered to steam down
the river, disembark at Rodney, march
to Port Gibson, and there consult sealed
orders in regard to further proceedings
Imagine our surprise upon reading the
instructions that we were expected to
tdptult CdlIy JAIN W
as prisoners fifty of the most aristocrat-
ic Confederate young women in the
city. However, we had served long
enough to obey orders without question,
and, provided with guides familiar
with the town. we set about our bizarre
and not too agreeable task. We first
established headquarters at the resi-
dence of prominent Confederate
judge.
Then different squads We're sent out
to call at the homes of the young wo-
men and escort them to the place of
rendezvous. The instructions We're that
they must report at headquarters with
in two hours on penalty of their family
residence being burned to the ground.
The only information we could give
them {the whole transaction was as
much q mystery to us as to them was
that they were to be taken to Vicks-
burg as prisoners of war, but We're on
no account to suffer any discomfort or
indgnty.
'Of course, there was great weeping,
wailng and crashing of teeth from
tender mothers, loving sisters and irate
fathers and brothers. But the incident
had to be accepted as belonging to the
fortunes of war and at the end of two
hours forty-nine of the fifty, attended
by anxious friends and relatives, were
at the rendezvous Mercy was i'm
ploredl for one delinquent. An addl-
tional hour was GRANTED, and, at their
own suggestion, several of the young
women were dispatched to her home to
persuade her to follow their example in
gracefully submitting to the inevita-
BILE. The result was that before the
hour was up the last fair prisoner had
put in an appearance, though in a very
defiant mood.
"Our troubles, however, by no means
ended here. Indeed they were hardly
fairly begun. The next question was
how to transport our beautiful cap
tives to Rodney, a distance of some
twenty miles, over roads that were in
frightful condition from the devasta-
ton of war and consequent neglect.
All the good horses, too, like all the
good men, were off to the war. and as
for carriages, they had fallen into a
state of innocuous desuetude. There
was obviously nothing for us to do,
therefore, but to gather together all the
broken down old horses and dilapida-
ted vehicles in the vicinity, which we
managed to hitch together
with plough harnesses, bits of rope,
straps, etc. With these mprovised
coaches, drawn up into line, began the
process of loading on our victims, and
when they were all slowed away it was
4 motley looking procession, / can as
sure you. Even the sound of fare
wells and the sight of weeping eyes
Gould not blind us to the humorous as |
oect of the scene. You must remem- |
ger that we were all pretty young fell !
ows in So. The civil war was fought |
~ men whose average age was only |
wenty-three. Well we made our way
slowly, amid tears and laughter, to |
Rodney where we embarked for Vicks-
burg. Upon arriving there the young
were taken before the provost
MARSHAL who put them on parole con-
lining them to the limits of the city.
Most of them had friends in the town !
With whom they chose to remain, and
uitable quarters were found for the
est.
1.-The reason for the whole transac-
ion then transpired. 1t seemed that
ONE northern young women school
eachers had been taken prisoners by
he Confederates, and were at that
in their camps, where they
we're forced to wash and mend for the
oldiers and perform other mental SER
ices. These Confederate young women
we're, therefore, to be held as hostages
ntil the northern women were re-
sased. There was little delay in the
xchange, and we had our visitors in
icksburg only thirty days. They were,
oweyer, very gay, delightful days.
'ankee officers and Confederate maid
MS intermingled socially, and the ac-
uaintance so rudely forced upon the
eautiful southerners proved in some
Instances a mutual pleasure. I could,
indeed, point to more than one roman
lie marriage that was the direct out
ONE of our raid upon Port Gibson
hi rf1t,