The National tribune., 1900-09-06
DREAD DAYS IN DIXIE.
CONTINUED from first page.

show that in the National Cemetery at
| Salisbury, y. c., are buried II. 126 men
who died in the prison there. The prison
at Salisbury was established rs general
prison for Union soldiers about Oct. D
! 1864. and was discontinued early IL
March, 1865. There is no record that
ever knew of that tells the number of
men confined there, but from my persona
knowledge and observation, made at thc
time was there, it would not have been
more than 10000. Then, counting Lot
days as the length of time the prison eA
listed, the average number dying each day
was something over 50. and ihiS. too, with
only half the number to draw from that
are found to have been at Andersonville.
| These figures appear startling ana justly
so, for | have every reason for believing
that they approximate the facts IN the
case. But if the reader is not satisfied
with my figures, let him take the best
data obtainable and work it out for him
self.
The wonder is not that so many died.
but that any survived. As the Winter al
vanced the suffering increased in ten
fold ratio. The feet and hands of hun
dreds were frozen: nay, not hundreds, but
thousands, many of them so badly and 60
often that the flesh rotted and fell from
the bones. Those who had strength and
resolution left could do little to alleviate
the suffering of their helpless comrades.
and despair, disease aud death reigned
supreme.
SURRENDERED TROPHY.
A gang of slaves pumped water by hand
for the tank that supplied our engine. and
had their quarters in small building ad
joining the depot, and | had discovered
that they always kept a good fire, whiis
that in our waiting room was often low,
In fact, we were expected to wait on the
open platform, and it was oaly by pre-,
suming on the good nature of the guard
that we were permitted to go into the de
pot buildings at all.
| frequently went in there alone. and
soon discovered that they had a small
rebel battlefiag hanging against the wall
This flag had belonged to a Georgia regi-
ment, and had Seven Pines, Mechanics
vile and Malvern Hill engraved on it.
The negroes told me that the regiment
had been quartered there for a short time
had been presented with "a new set OF
colors, and, being unexpectedly ordered
away, this flag had been accidentally left
behind and had been in their possession
ever since. / prevailed on these negroes
one morning to give me the flag, design
ing to make shirt of it. After we re-
turned to the stockade that night ! tOlt
some of the boys of my prize and how
obtained it. They told me that if the
rebel officers found it on me they woulo
surely hang me- and maybe kill the wSole
squad. Viewing the matter thus scared
me- too, and ] took the flag back mex
| day, leaving it where found it.
We were objects of wonder to mos
people who saw us, and many sharp re
marks were fred at US. but these fling
| the boys usually answered in way tina
| left our wouldbe tormentors little t.
boast of. People used to come and clim'
on the guards platform around the stock
ade and look over at u.s. One day i wa
at the small gate on the west side of ou
pen, as usual wishing for something t.
happen, when a party Of well-dresSed mel
and women climbed up the stairs to th
| platform near me to ''see the show" On
fne e-haired North Carolina beauty, point
! ing her gloved finger at a man sitting OIL
the ground near me, said to gentleman
| at her elbow:
"Oh, my. Gus, Is that a Yankee?"
The prisoner pointed at was what mos
| timid people would call perfect fright.
| His hair was long and matted, his forage
| cap minus its frontispiece, bis clothes were
only bundle of rags and filth. his hands
and face thiclly coated with SCOT from
our grecn-pine fires, but all his manly
spirit had not yet been crushed. On hear
ing these sneering words he instantly :ost
TO his feet, faced the speaker, anj with 9
polite bow said:
Yes, madam, large as life and twict
as handsome. Please take good look :
yes, by God, madam. large as life and
twice as handsome. Please take good
look"
The beauty was apparently satisfied
for she quickly turned away without ask
ing Gus" any more questions Their,
seemed to be a widespread idea among
the Southern people that Yankees be
longed to an entirely different species, and
were hardly to be classed with human be
ings at all.
(To be continued.I