Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-26
PRISON EXPERIENCES.
NO. 13.

NO. 13.
On the 5th we were again fore ed
into some more of those miserable
box cars, as many in a car as could
possibly ride without falling out the
doors. We knew too we'll what we
had got to endure, but could only
grind our teeth and invoke horrid
imprecations upon the heads of our
captors. The car occupied by my
comrades and myself had no window
of any kind, and only one door; that
was half closed and the guards stood
in the other half. We had nothing to
eat or drink and the sweat rolled off
us like water of the caves in a storm.
However much any of us had at any
time in our lives heretofore enjoyed
a free ride on the cars, there was not
one of us at this time but would have
been willing to forego the pleasure,
as we were told it wohld take five
more days to complete our journey.
Some one inquired what sort of
place it was we were being taken to.
"Oh," answered one of the guard,
''it's a nice place with good barracks
beside a large river, with a good
chance to SWIM" He said the river
was So broad they would be none
afraid of our swimming across and
escaping to the other side. "You
will be divided into squads of eight
or ten; have all the wood, meal, peas,
rice and molasses you need. You
will have to do your own cooking,
but will have all the pots, kettles,
frying pans, etc., necessary" There
was a yard for playing ball or any
other exercise we chose to indulge in;
if we got out of clothing, more would
be furnished, and he wound up by
wishing he was in tour places" Such
stories as this were told US with the
idea that we would be less likely to
try to escape, for no doubt the guard
was much weaker than we supposed.
Some swallowed this story without
any salt and one made the cheerful
exclamation, "Oh, well, boys, we are
not going TO have so bad time. after
al! But" he added, 81 wish we were
there now" Others thought the tale
was rather higaly vsrnished, judging
from the past, but none of us knew
until afterwards, what a big lie it
was.
We arrived at Charlotte, North
Carolina, 14S miles from Danville, at
dusk; got out of the cars and went
about a hundred rods to pile of cot
ton, upon which was a signboard,
painted with big letters, "STOP."
notwithstanding this written order
to ''stop," the officer in charge gave
us a verbal one from his own peculiar
tactics, "Halt, Yanks." When we
had been here a few minutes, another
squad of prisoners came along and
halted ten rods or SO beyond US. They
were captured while making a raid
and were all cavalry boys. I inquired
if there were any Vermont cavalry
among them. eyes," came the
answer, ''lots of Them" AS I had
two cousins in the cavalry, besid es
numerous acquaintances, / asked one
of the guard if he would go over
with me, to see if there were any
there knew. He agreed to do so if
I would get permission of the lieuten-
ant. I spoke to this officer, and told
him 1 would like to go over and see
my relatives who 1 supposed were
there. He looked at me as though he
would eat me up without grease for
daring to speak to his highness. 'No,"
said he, "Your cousins are Yankee
sons of b-h, just like you"
a negro came along with a mule
team loaded with barrels. We hoped
they were going to issue each man
a barrel of flour, but we only got
three hardtack which they told us
must last us two days. At least we
had the satisfaction of a hardtack
and half day for two days. Most |
of us devoured the whole at once and !
trusted to providence for balance of /
the time, but providence didn't pay
US back. After being thus bounti- :;