The National tribune., 1899-08-24

lasting several days, We were sent to Mobile,
thence up the Alabama River to Cahaba,
from there to Montgomery, where we took
to the rail again, bound for Macon, Ga,
where a fair ground had been converted
into a military camp and named Camp
Oglethorpe, and at Camp Oglethorpe we
remained until in September, when we were
sent to Richmond and finished our prison
experience in the famous Libby Prison.
CONFEDERATE CAPT. MCDOWELL.
At Mobile we were under cover in cotton
sheds, and not very badly crowded. The
officer in immediate charge of us there was
Capt Mcdowell, but of what company or
regiment / cannot remember, and most OF
my records were burned up in the great
Chicago fire of 1871, so have nothing at
hand to refer to for names and dates; OF the
facts / need no reminder. OF this Capt.
Mcdowell wish to say that he was at once
q soldier and a gentleman in the fullest
sense of both terms. He believed that the
cause of the South was right. He was
serving his country for his country'S sake,
and as duty; not for fame, nor for lucre,
nor for vengeance. He was sure that we
were entirely wrong-that We, as men, were
misguided, but he could understand that
we could be both wrong and honest In our
wrong. We were his enemies because his
country'S enemies, but he thought OF and
treated us as men. He did all ne could TO
render us as comfortable as possible, even to
the extent of putting his hand in his own
pocket to provide us with medicines and
more suitable food for the sick than he could
draw from the Commissary Department.
He commanded the guard that went with
us to Cahaba, and while the greater num-
Der of the prisoners were packed in close
quarters on the lower deck of the steamer,
he took the sckest of the men, without
reference to rank, and half a dozen of the
n0n-commiSSionedo officers (there never were
any commissioned officers confined with us
except two, for a few days only at Macon)
into t.le cabin, myself among the number,
and fed US at the cabin table. The state
rooms and berthS were all filled by paSSen-
gers. or | think he would have assigned
them TO our use; but sleeping on the cabin
floor was real luxury for us Just then.
Among the passengers on the boat were
q number of Confederate officers, all of them
young men, and all but one men of educa-
ton and conSiderate in their treatment OF
us; but that one was insulting; several
demonstrated with him, and more than one
asked me not to Judge of Southern soldiers
and gentlemen by assuming that he wes q
fair example. The friendliness of the
others infiamed the passions of this one
ignorant boor, and copious drinks fire.
Quently taken resulted in rendering him
quarrelsome. Finally he began singing
in loud tone, to the air of Dixie" words
that must be very offensive to us, and that
were really indecent. A Lieutenant of
Mississippi light artillery company was at
that time engaged in conversation with me.
He had spent a Winter in New York with
people WI. whom ! happened % & to be very well yell
drunken fellow disturbed us, and the artil-
leryman requested him to desist, telling
him that such language was dlsgraclng not
only to him as a man, but to the country
whose uniform he wore; that it was most
11zStr - lN xfyany
and a gentleman" for which a courtmartial
might disgrace him by reducing him to the
ranks, and even impriSon him..
This the boor chose to construe as an In
suit, and he drew pistol, but before he
could fire. the gentleman who had in-
wTenching his pistol from him and knock
ing him down, and Capt. Mcdowell, who
had military command Of the boat, and all
on board, ordered the young blackguard
under arrest, had him thrust in his state
room, and placed guard at the door to
prevent his further appearance among
gentlemen. Several OF the passengers l
have since met
ARRIVAL AT CAHABA.
When we arrived at Cahaba we were
quartered in large new buildings con-
structed for cotton warehouses, but which
had not yet been used for any purpose.
There were two long, narrow, two-story
buildings Tor from the outside they APP
peared to be two story from hight Of wall
and arrangement of windows, though no
floor divided them) with an open wagon
way between and large yard in the rear.
We used both buildings and the yard.
There was ample room, both indoors and
out, and for the little time We remained there
we were fairly comfortable.
Cahaba was at an early date the Capital
Of Alabama. 1t is, or was when we were
there, very pretty place; but Selma, a few
miles above it, was, and Is, by far the most
active business town. A single reason, l
think, prevented Cahaba from becoming one
Of the largest and most thrifty cities in the
interior of the State-the lack of good
water for ordinary uses. All the water
comes from artesian wells, some of them
very deep; the water in all of them rises to
the surface; some would spout to consider
able nights but for the fact that they are
piped. They discharge immense Quanti-
ties of water, which is conducted in bitches
to the river But all the water is warm,
some merely luke warm; from other wells
the water is too warm to comfortably bear
ones hand in. Before it can be drank it
must be cooled. The water is wholesome,
though, and not unpleasant to the taste
when cold.
Capt. Mcdowell had stream from one OF
the wells turned into the yard, so that we
might have an abundant and ever-preSent
supply of water, for both drinking and
washing purposes, and he bought soap for
us, too.
AT Cahaba, cornmeal was first issued to
us, instead Of bread or crackers. That we
might be promptly initiated into the mys.
teries of "pone" making, several colored
"aunties" were introduced to give practical
Instructions; but, do the best we could, we
never could learn how to make such corn
dodgers" as they did, though after their
lessons we did better than we had done be.
fore; but there seems to be a knack in max
ing all kinds of bread, which comparatively
few ever acquire Especially in making an
eatable article out of cornmeal and cold
water, and baking it in the hot ashes Of q
wood fire, or standing it before a blazing
fire, or even inclosing it in heated skillet
with acover on which live Goals are heaped
There is not easily attained skill in mix
ing, even, when you have bacon drippings
for shortening and salt, but when there is
only water and meal, then doubt whether
anybody but an old-fashioned darky
"mammy" or "aunty" can do it. They can
or, at least, in the days Of slavery they
could, and did do it.
Several OF the ladies Of Cahaba sent littlt
tasty things for the sick-though We had NJ
very sick among us there-and the boys will
never forget that But the thing that was
most widely known among us to the credi
OF Cahaba, and that few who were there a
that time will ever forget, is the books W.
got A complete set of Sir Walter Scott
Q nearly complete set of Dickens; J. Fenni
more Cooper, complete; and Bulwer, lack
ing only. Eugene Aram. They remained
with us through our after journeyings, and