The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-13
By Stephen F. Nunnelee.

By Stephen F. Nunnelee.
 After service in Virginia, in 1861, for some months, as lieutenant in the llth Alabama infantry, l resigned and came home and soon after, under the requisi- ton of the Governor, commanded com pany on the coast That term of service having expired, I joined Company H. 5lst Alabama Cavalry, Colonel J. D: Webb, then on duty near MurfreeSboro, Tenn, in February. 1863.
 In June 1863. near Shelbyville, I was wounded at the trenches when General Bragg withdrew his command towards started forward, ito Washington" osten- sbly to be exchanged and with hundreds of our regiment and brigade arrived at faithful service as Confederate soldiers in that "hospitable' prison. The incl dents of the trip were mainly trivial. ex- cept being ''cussed" out by medical direc- tors at Shelbyville and Louisville, where we were detained about a week, respec- lively, in these ''wayside homes" far re- moved from actual war, with the Union- fists very bitter in their denunciations of best Government the world ever saw"
 Arriving at Camp Chase, l. with others, was consigned to Prison No. 1. and in less than an hour, while bathing my wounded leg, little depper drug clerk came into my mess soliciting contribution from prisoners to buy medicine for sick prison- II | busted that he could not furnish medi- cine for few sick prisoners? He re- piled No" but "our bill for drugs was being filled in Cincinnati and it would be several days before the goods would ar- rive" I felt then that, like the wounded Jew en route to Jerrico, we had fallen among thieves"
 vile, lying on the platform at the depot. | a tall white headed negro, with a clean | apron on, approached me- and asked my 1 to remain there until he returned. Soon he reappeared with bountiful lunch Of l lightbread and cold ham. l asked to whom I was indebted for this timely 1 help. He told me to ask no questions, but | eat your dinner. All right, but you are a Samaritan. and the first colored angel I ever saw"
 | I spent one night there in the hospital, | of a Christian Union Society. who asked | for my address ttat he might write to my family. The Medical Director ''cussed me out and asked why had come there. 1 q did not come as volunteer, but was l ordered there by a man with strap on | his shoulder" I was inducted into room. had nice bath and clean gown. The attendant took my soldier clothes 1 with him. promising to return them in the morning. He did so, but my treas ured knife and fork and every button but | one on my jacket was gone. I re1oined my comrades in the pen in the morning and veritable hog pen it was. The mud | in the back yard was ankle deep and the stench was horrible. Our dinner was | handed to us as we passed by stuttering | black negro, as rancid as billy goat. Take dis; go on!' It Is hard to conceive | of a more disgusting and repulsive abode for white men. We endured this for several days.
 After spending few days in Prison No. l. at Camp Chase, we were transferred to
 Prison No. ?. adjoining. Here was the be-
 ginning of our prison life. The enclos-
 ure embraced several acres under l6-
 picket fence, with guard gangway out
 side near the top. There was broad
 street from the front entrance to the row
 of cabins. with alleys between, six, eight
 or twelve in row, about two feet apart.
 There was door in the end and small
 shutter window in the side. The floor ex'
 tended from the door to the hunks in the
 end. lower and upper table and cook
 ing stove was the sum total of furniture
 Our rations were issued to commissary
 mess, who were applicants for the oatf
 of allegiance and service against the In
 dians in the West Our messes drew
 three days rations at time from tht
 commissary mess. There were two oi
 three thousand prisoners in No. ?, ant
 upon the whole. with many little petty
 contemptible annoyances we fared very
 we'll as prisoners. Lieutenant Hammond
 the prisoners. He told us that with good
 behavior he would treat us fairly. "lt
 is your privilege to get out If you can; it
 mine to to keep You in ii can and lh '
 It was not long before many became rest
 less and tired of prison life and schemes
 for liberation were concocted and in one instance one proved partially successful. A tunnel was decided upon, and in the early fall work began in & mess near ours. Games and sham battles had be- come the pastime. and the front street l was crowded with men and the sport was | rough enough, attracting many specta- | tors on the guard walk. Men with haver- sacks of dirt were constantly passing to uY,I klz ,try{A- l,nr | these began to fill up. A time was set l for beginning the jail delivery" l was | invited to be a member of the first squad. but wounded leg forbade my accept | ance. One night squad of over fifty passed out under the outer wall undis- | covered.
 A few days after the garbage cart broke | through the crust into the tunnel and the | sham battle campaign was at an end
 Letters were received from some of the l escapes, stating that their furloughs had | expired and that they had rejoined their
 commands. No more than two prisoners
 could congregate after this for a prome-
 made. But reconnoisances again began
 after quiet was restored and a ten-foot
 ditch was completed inside of the outer
 back wall. One evening - Willis of
 Louisiana and Craddock sf Huntsville,
 Ala. think that was his name) about
 dark planted ladder against the wall One of them mounted to the top to make | observations; the other with case knife saw was trying to cut a plank fin two | Several caps were popped and one musket | was discharPed and they had to desist
 They were arrested and tied up by their thumbs. They protested. quoting Ham, monds authority for trying to escape. | Hammond occasionally from the upper walk would cry out Who wants to- | 1acco?" large. eager crowd would as-
 ,emble below and he would throw down a | black plug to see the men scramble for | it in the mud. On other occasions he
 would issue few articles of clothing in l he same way.
 | One night our mess was raided by | thieves and we lost our three days ra-