West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-02-16
Our CAMP FIRE COLUMN.
From Andersoavillo Prison to TIE
Old Homo In Preston County.

prisoners WIS informed that Drepa.
ritions for an exchange WINS being
made and the following morning
after receiving this information,
was marched On the outside Of the
stockadU 81 rounded by heavy
quad and kept in this position
for three DAYS and nights without
food or water. They had come to
regard the Rebels around them as
me, sureless liars and even now
while they hoped for tho best hey
nd their doubts Of being ex-
changed.
! he third morning came and
shortly after the order to move they
viewed with bitter anguish OF heart
their prison where they had spout
many weary months. They now
began to feel that they were union
soldiers with higher hopes than
that of starving and dying in An
dersonville. They bid farewell to
this prison which had been their
home for SO long and slowly
marched and crawled over to the
depot. Entering the cars they
were soon ON their way at tho rate
Of six or eight miles an hour.
Savannah was two hundred and
forty miles away and to their i'm
patient minds it seemed as il they
would never get there. The route
was cherries, running through a
barren pine country which covered
the greater part of Georgia. For
miles there would not be sign of
a human habitation and between
Macon and Savannah there was
only three little villages, but these
braYe boys, weary as they were and
in their half clad condition looked
on the poverty-stricken country
with good-natured contempt for
they thought they were leaving it
forever and would soon be in one
which conn pared to it was as the
fairness of Egypt to the leanness of
the Desert Sinai. On reaching
Savannah they we're placed on a
Rebel boat. A Government boat
bearing the Stars and Stripes lay
anchored In sight and it was not
long until the Rebel boat steamed
out where "Old Glory" waived
and pa He'd up close to her side.
AS our boys entered this boat
the Rebel prisoners took their
plice on the boat they had iusi
vacated. The first thing required
on entering the boat was to throw
their old filthy and lousy rags
overheard. Thus denuded each
one was sent into room where u
barber soon had their hair and
beard cut off. The next thing in
order was sponges. water and soap.
This was applied freely which re-
moved every trace of prison CRIME
from their bodies. They then
received new clothing which made
them feel as if they we're really
men again.
A little incident that took place
af'er the boys had been served
with some Of Uncla Sans grub
will not be out of place at this
time. Comrade johnson did not
feel satisfied with the bill Of fare
that had been set before him, so he
decided TO go down in the hull of
the boat who're large quantities of
crackers were stored away, opening
box he soon deyoured twenty.
seven large crackers. Martin l..
Crane says that he went down in
search of something more to eat
aad there stood COmrado johnson
with his pants legs tied at the bot
tom aad filed TO the waist with
crackers. After spending five OF
six days on the water they were
safely landed at Annapolis, where
they were taken charge Of by tho
Sanitary Commission aud march ed
up TO the Commissary Department
WherO they received supply OF
Jnclo Sm' grub. They thon
went INTO quarters, where they re-
manned about Two weeks; they
were then given q thirty days fur
Tough homo. AZ the expiration oil
the thirty days COmrtdo Johnson
rep Jrtod TO hiB command which
was camped at Wheeling, w. Va.
and there received an honorable
discharge from The service Of Uncle
SIm. ia r..