The National tribune., 1899-02-23
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and often for weeks together we were not
allowed TO step beyond the doors of this
narrow cage.
But why add more relative to the hor
rors of this filthy penl He who has
never experienced the torture OF South
ern prison house can form no idea of the
wretchedness incloSed; while the tens OF
thousands who have been incarcerated
therein, but who have been fortunate
enough to escape death, need no words
that they may appreciate the crueltles
inflicted.
SHERMAN NEAR BY.
Its a long lane that has no turn, y
says an old adage, and our captivity
like all things earthly, came TO an end.
When Gen. Sherman moved upon Branch
Vile the evacuation OF Charleston became
a military necessity; and when the rebels
lett the city Gray and myself were sent TO
the Jail at Columbia, the Capital OF South
Carolina The presence of Sherman S
army appears 10 have almost worked a
miracle, for from the time we were lodged
at Columbia we received the best possible
treatment. Our keeper was Capt. SemmeS,
whose whole conduct toward us was that
of gentleman, though n bitter rebel,
and got along fin ely, except in a single
instance.
We were put in a room in which there
were about Is persons, u of them being
deSerterS from our army, and the re-
mainder prisoners of war. OF course, we
could never agree with the deSerterS, and
they put at me TO convert me to their
faith or rather lack of faith, which oc-
caSioned me TO insult them, and for this
| was soundly whipped for it in less than
three minutes. L was not strong enough
to fight them, for they were Just from the
North, and had been well fed and were
in good health, while had been shut up
SO long on short allowances and unwhole-
some food that / had little strength left;
nevertheless, l went in whenever oppor-
tunity offered, and alw avs came out sec
ond best. Fearing if ever / got North
again L would report them, they con
cluded TO take time by the forelock, and
reported me TO the rebels as a spy; and
either Capt. Semmes or his Lieutenant
gave an order that my hair should be cut
off as a punishment, and accordingly Jour
of them seized me and held me down,
while fellow named linn Brown, a de-
serter from the 31st H., hacked off my
hair. This miscreant is a man about six
feet high, with dark hair and eyes and
swarti1y. cOmplexiOn,-a very laxative
man,-and, | believe, a fiddler. He was
raised iii the Sequatchie Valley, in Ten
nessee, but for several years has been
living in Franklin County, Ill and he,
together with the whole vile crowd, took
the oath of allegiance to the Southern
and were sent back North
as a reward for their rascaIity. T ey
should forever be excluded from society
for their crimes.
When Gen. Sberman's army invested
Columbia the rebels took us out of iail
and put US under fire of our own guns,
bat what for we did not know. There
were about 60 OF us altogether and among
the number was the Colonel of the 1st
Ga. Federal regiment; also a Capt.
Harris, OF the cd Tenn Cav, who had
been ina close confinement for two years
and haif-hcavily ironed all the time,
and during the whoie period had been
kept in one room, outside of which he had
n ever been.
While we were under fire piece of one
Of our Rodman shells, weighing abodt fiee