Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-07-01


rid place. excessively hot, the air mcphitic
almost poisonous. l wonder how | breath
ed it without asphyxia. Our sole food--it
was the best they had, the authorities said
was half spoiled bacon and wrctchcd
corn bread, yet we managed to swallow it,
we were so desperately hungry We slept
on the floor or on rough boards, and we
livcd-that is, kept health in our bodies
buoycd up by the hope of getting out.
We talked in the morning of celebrating
the day" but how could we with nothing
to cat and nothing to drink save very
warm hydrant water that came from the
turbid James river? So with empty stom-
achs and soilcd hands and faccs-it was
impossible to be clean thcrc-wc thought
we would celebrate orally-that is, by
talking patriotism even more than usual,
which was certainly difficult. COnsc-
qucntly 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 ut this
late day. The officers warmed with their
subjects, living over again the scenes they
had rCCOuntCd. Some of them got so
flushed 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 be said of liquid stimulantS, particu-
larry in armies.
All the prisoners in Libby and doubtless
in the south generally were more than
ever inspired with patriotism on that day
because NickSburg, then beSicGcd by
Grant, as we had learned from the news
papers which we bought regularly, cher
ishcd Sanguinc hopes of relief from Con
eral Joseph f. Johnston, who was mcnac-
ing Grant in the rear. This we knew to
be Il dangerous situation and it naturally
made us very anxious. The NickSburg
journals declared that Grant was in u trap
from which he could not possibly cXtrcatc
himself and that they hourly expected to
hear of his surrender. We had faith in
Grant, but still we were apprchcnsive 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-
titles. Thcrcupon he began to tell what he
would order as soon us he gained his free
dom. He described Il most appctiZing
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 We're
starving. None of us could help thinking
say what we might, about NickSburg 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, as we had done scores
and scores of times before.
Only il few minutes had passed when II
colOrcd barber, whom / had always
thought, by a strange anomaly, to be in
sympathy with the south Che had been
coming for weeks into the officers quar-
tiers to shave them, slipped up to me and
whispered in my ear with overlooking JOY
that NickSburg had fallen. | knew he
was telling the truth when ne said that he
had hcard II dispatch read down stairs in
the office announcing the fact
Immediately repeated the information
in II loud voice, and it was received with
n roar of applause. Then followed John
Browns Body" Hail Columbia, " star
Spanglcd Banner and other patriotic airs
shouted rather than sung in stcntOrian
tones Is not this dramatic incident
enough to make that Fourth of July re-
memhcrablc: We had our celebration
Hftcr all. General Grant furnished it.
And IA glorious celebration it was for us.
IUNIUS HENRI BROWNE.