Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-05

called out to us to keep up good spir
it, aud not get discouraged. Although
his face showed traces of great anx-
iety we knew he tried to appear as
cheerful as circumstances would pc r.
NIT. We also knew they would have
| preferred to have kept along with US.
| but the commissioned officers were
| kept separate from the non-com-
missioned officers and privates, and
were put in separate prisons.
Arriving at the depoGwe were again
packed into filthy box cars, and soon
were slowly rolling along toward
LynchbHrg. All day and night we
sat and sweltered in our seats ON the
floor with our backs against the sides
and ends Of the cars, or in the middle
of the car with onr legs crossed under
us, tailor fashion, with hardly room
Sweet Home. No soldier who en-
dured the torture of that eleven days
and nights journey from Richmond
to Georgia, will feel like dispu ting
the truth Of the following from the
Congressional Committees report
before alluded to; and to which may
hereafter frequently allude to sub
stantiate the truth Of my own asser-
tiOns, for [ am aware that much Of
which [ shall write will seem utterly
impossible of belief, except to those
who have passed through the expert
ence.
s'Prisoners transported on rail-
roads through the South were almost
invariably packed into close box cars,
the sick and we'll and wounded, from
sixty to eighty huddled together in
each car.
These cars were often used for this
purpose, without cleansing, imme-
diately after cattle had been taken
out of them, and the excrement of
the beast was the bed Of the man.
Insufficient gnards were sometimes
provided on such occasions, and the
cars kept closely shut, sometimes for
several days in succession, the mon
not being allowed to leave them for
any purpose. Such was the bitter and
terrible preparation of the devoted
soldier of the Union for his entrance
into the charDel houses of Richmond
and Andersonville.
The transportation Of prisoners in
the crowded and suffocated condition
which we have described was not the
result Of any necessity. 1t was caused
by no forced retreat from a battle
field or any emergency of similar
character, but was the usual mode of
transit of prisoners to and from
stockades in the heart of the Confed-
eracy. So horrible were the sufferings
endured in these Journeys that every
possible effort was made by the pris-
oners to escape from the cars while
in motion, and many cases are no
ticed, where, in the night, they
succeeded in forcing open the door,
or in cutting holes through the side
of the car, and by that means at
tempting to escape, preferring to
risk their lives in this forlorn hope |
rather than endure the torture of |
travel. An instance of wanton cruel |
ty occurred on the occasion Of squad |
of prisoners leaving Richmond early |
On winters morning, who, after a
night Of snow and rain, were COM
pelled to march through the middle |
Of the streets, many of them bare
footed, their feet bleeding from |
wounds occasioned by the roughDess
of the road.''
Soon after we left Richmond, Cap
tain Edwin j. MorreH, of Co. A, and |
Captain James E. Eldridge of Co. H,
made their escape from the car by
jumping from window. Eldridge
dropped instantly to the ground, but
Morrill, hung by his hands to the win
dow sill long enough for guard to
fire upon him, intiicting mortal
wound from which he died the next
day. Eldridge, after remaining till
evening with his comrade, exchanged
his clothes with negro for a suit of
confederate gray, and pushed ON
through the woods toward the north
star. After travelling seven days he
cached the Potomac, where he was
AIKEN aboard a United States gun
'oat, conveyed to Washington, and
vas soon with his regiment again.
E H WEBSTER.
TO BE CONTINUED.