The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-11
PRISON SURVIVORS.
Men Who Suffered in Rebel
Stockades Relate
Experiences.

New England survivors of southern
military prisons held a reunion in G..
A. R. hall yesterday. President Chas.
NJ. Smith gave a description of his es-
cape from Andersonville prison, after
confinement of seven months in the
pest pen. He believed that as long
as there are comrades who have suf-
fered southern military sentence, the
society would meet.
Four New England states and 81 sur
vivors of rebel prisons were represent
ed in Secretary and Treasurer William
Jubb's report. Upon motion of Lu-
Their D. Goddard, it was voted that the
present board of officers should stand
as reelected. They are: President
| Charles NJ. Smith; vice presidents
John Dorr of Providence, Samuel Arm
ington of Holden; executive board, A
H. Grafton, T. H. Mann, ]. Clifford
General regret was expressed at the i'll
ness of Mr.. Grafton.
There was a discussion relative to
! fixing a date for the next reunion din
ner There was stout opposition to
| having the affair take place in the
evening, and a vote decided that it will
be held in the morning. No date was
selected Before the morning adjourn
ment, the death of Comrade Charles
H. Bemis of Co D, Fifteenth Massa-
chusetts infantry, was reported.
! Dinner was served in the Creamerie
| Albert Mason of Gardner gave an ac-
count of Imprisonment in the Ander-
! sonville stockade. According to Mr.
| Mason's belief, the average length OF
| life in the pen was 80 days. Mr. Ma
son was a sergeant in Co. c, Second
Vermont infantry, at the time of his
capture. He showed a cane made from
| timbers of the stockade that fenced in
the Union prisoners. The silver head
| is engraved with his name and the
Greek cross, the insignia of the Sixth
army corps.
| The next speaker, William Jubb of
| Shirley, related experiences of life in
| five rebel prisons, at Andersonville
| Charleston, Florence, Millen and Belle
Isle. Mr.. Jubb was profuse in his
speeches of sympathy for the southern
slaves, and said that more than once
he owed his life to the assistance of
negroes.
| A West Boylston man, jeremiah
Fisher, who was captured at Drury's
bluff while serving in the Thirtyf1fth
Massachusetts regiment, told of his suf-
| ferings. For three days and nights he
| lay on the field of battle in a rain
storm, wounded in the abdomen and
arm. Other veterans had a general
discussion of the merits of half cooked
hoe cakes and rice coffee. The sing
ing of the Star spangled banner
closed the reunion
Yesterday President Smith closed his
18th year as president of the associa-
ton, and he was commended for his
efforts to keep the veterans of exist
ence in southern BLACK holes to-
gether
Those present We're: J. Brainerd Hall,
Fifty-seventh Massachusetts; A e.
Stearns, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts,
w. L. Bugbee of Shrewsbury, Twenty
fifth Massachusetts: Albert Mason of
Gardner, Second Vermont; ]. w. Ad-
ans of West Rutland Thirty fourth
Massachusetts; Luther P. Goddard,
Fifteenth Massachusetts; W. H. An
drews, Fifteenth Massachusetts; S. NJ.
Arlington of Holden, Fifteenth Massa-
sets; Abraham Childs, Twenty seventh
Massachusetts, A. w. Fairbanks, Fiji
teenth Massachusetts; Thomas Osborn,
First heavy artillery; H. H. Bush New
Braintree, Twenty Massachu-
setts; James Clifford, Clinton, Fifteenth
Massachusetts; John Burke, Twenty
fifth Massachusetts; Elisha Blair, K
Co., First Vermont cavalry; John Midg-
ley, Fifty-seventh Massachusetts; Dan
el S. Moulton Fourth New Hampshire
D. A. BOlles, East Pepperell, Eighteenth
Connecticut; jeremiah Fisher, West
Boylston, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts,
H. F. Hobart Thirty fourth Massachu-
setts; and James Dodwell, West Card
ner, Sixth New Hampshire.