Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-12
PRISON EXPERIENCES.
NO. II.


water. We had been "dry' many
times in our own lives and [ had seen
an officer offer a good watch for
| canteen of water, but had never be-
fore experienced the smarting sensa-
ton in the throat that [ did at that
time, nor had my tongue ever swelled
in my mouth for want thereof. In
stead Of being allured to get out Of
the cars and stretch ourselves out on
the soft ground and get a drink, as we
| expected we would be, we were kept
inside in our cramped position until
morning. The constant cry all night
was for water, water! We begged and
entreated, and offered to- buy at any
price, all to no purpose. Occasion
ally, some one with stronger lungs
than the majority would yell at the
top of his voice, drawing out the word,
long and mournful, 'Wa-t-e-r!
GODS sake give US some water!" with
as little effect as dog baying at the
moon. At last the guard got tired of
the clamor, and one told US to "dry
up UnSES Is uO WdU0I W OS 1ldd.
Another said they had orders to give
US none, and we might as well keep
still as to keep up such a hallooing.
Finally we settled together in heap,
and tried to sleep.
''S1eep! o gentle sleep?
Natures soft nurse, how have 1 frightened
thee,
hat tboJ1 no more wilt xUaioT1 NV
down,
And steep my senses in forgetfulness?''
In the morning we felt as old as a
pack OF veritable Rip Van Wrinkles,
not because we had slept twenty years
or twenty minutes, but because of the
stiffness of bone, muscle and sineW.
We got out of the cars after the man
ner Of an old man with rheumatism
getting out of high wagon, letting
ourselves down gradually until our
feet struck terra tirnaG, and then rub
bing our creaking joints and straight
ening up little at time, until, revived
by gentle breezes of fresh air, we ex-
claimed, "Conscience, avaunt, Rich
ards himself againi" or words to that
effect. ACCOMPANIED by a guard we
hurried down to the James river,
which all night had been so near and
yet SO far, and drank as earth drinks
in the rain, and drank and gaped and
began to look about to see what they
could buy for breakfast. John Wilson
and Chauncey Webster had got some
meal and were baking a hoe-cake on
a half canteen. There were few citi-
zens around who had anything to sell.
When there was one, a crowd would
gather around him, we would make
him an offer, another would raise the
bid until the reb would sell his meal
for three Or four dollars pint. got
pint for a dollar and half; William
Ranger made it into a pudding, and
he with Hollis Bailey and myself ate
it. We remained here till o'clock,
during which time each man had is
sued to him eighteen hardtack and
a piece of bacon, which they told
us was only four days. rations.
They said we were going next to Dan
vile, ninety miles south, an6 as the
Yankee cavalry had torn up the rail
road, we had got to go on foot, and
that it would take four days. This
was no unwelcome piece of news to
us as we were much more used to |
marching than we were to riding on
the kind of excursion they had fur
nished us the day before.
We started at O'Clock and went
three miles, turned to the left into
low, marshy field where we bivouaced
for the night. Some one asked Will
liam Ranger what he was going to
have for supper. He said, hardtack
and bacon; Hollis Bailey said he
would take bacon and hardtack; Tom
Marnock, George Ranger and Moses
Elkins were all going to have hard
tack and bacon, concluded I would
have bacon and hardtack and gather
ed some dry grass and debris, placed
my bacon upon the sharpened end of
a stick, broiled it minute over the
little fire, and had the most royal feast
since entering the Confederacy.
had no plate, spoon, knife or fork,
but fingers were made before any of
these things and made them answer
all practical purposes. We had no
difficulty in finding soft place to lie