The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-04-24

Acc, were all around the place, though
nouc were in sight Of the house. Ny
only hope of escape now was in con-
ccaling myself until the army should
pass by; so after having supplied my
self with food, tobacco, matches and a
pipe, | ran to q thick cluster Of tall
! br!crs, alder bushes and vines near the
corner Of the pasture field and crawlcd
into ii. In few minutes the Yankee
providers were around me; some of
them passed within few steps
of me, but none Of them seemed
to suspect that there might be rebel
concealed there. / saw them take the
horses: then they drove out the cattle
and carried them off; they had killed
the hogs already and l was congratu-
lating myself upon my good fortune in
having 50 safe position, when some
of them began to entertain me with a
| performance that was very annoying.
They drove about 30 sheep into that
corner of the field near me, and two
young men with guns took such po-
sition that the sheep were exactly be-
tween them and me; then they pro-
cecdcd 10 shoot Mt tho sheep They
were very poor marksmcn and about
two thirds Of the bullets missed the
sheep and came crashing through the
foliage around my head with a sound
that was appalling. l could not leave
my place to try to find safer one, for
any shaking Of the bushes would re-
veal my position and lead to my cap
turc. Ny only defense was simply an
effort to hattcn myself out on the
ground in such shape as to allow the
least possible exposure Of myself to
tho passing bullets. I felt much re-
lieved when / saw the last sheep fall,
and hoped that the worst was now
over. | had intended trying to escape
that night under cover of the dark
ness, but there were 80 many camp
fires all around, it looked like solid,
unbroken ring OF fire with myself in
the center, SO thous ht it best to hold
on to my position, especially as I
hoped they might move on in tho
morning and perhaps leave me; but
next morning instead Of moving on,
they resumed their foraging, and be-
cause the sand around me showed q
great many hog tracks, they made a
careful search in those bushes for
hogs. But instead Of hogs they found
a Johnny. They carried me to Jones
boro, and while the battle at that
place was being fought, several Con
federate bomb shells passed over me;
they captured many other prisoners at
Jonesboro, and after the battle was
over they marched us to Atlanta; from
Atlanta they shipped us by freight to
Nashville, consigned to 'The Tennes-
see penitentiary," aud the cargo was
delivered in apparently satisfactory
condition. In tho penitentiary we
suffered many privations; the daily
allowance Of food consisted of q slice
Of bread, one fifth of pound loaf.
and about one ounce Of boiled bacon.
We got scarcely enough Of water for
drinking, and washed our hands and
faces only when it rained. Many of
US had no blanket to sleep on, and We
were badly infested with vermin; be-
cause Of these discomforts, I excused
myself of very wicked deed com
mitted in an effort to get away from
that place. After having suffered so
for about month, young mau came
in one morning, and after he had
opened q gate in the wall, called the
roll. He required US to answer to our
names by calling out the names of the
command to which we belonged. Some
when called were ordered to pass out
through the gate, others to remain
inside, and it seemed that our chances
of getting out depended on our en-
swer. I did not know the obje,t of
this proceeding, but thought it might
mean an exchange of prisoners, and
was anxious to pass through the gate.
Many of them when called answered
Fifth Georgia regiment, and T noticed
that all Fifth Georgia regiment men
passed out, and determined to make
that answer myself, although as mat
ter of fact, belonged to the Tenth
Georgia regiment in the Virginia
army.
When my name was called answer
ed with calm independence: Company
E, Fifth Georgia regiment, Jackson's
brigade, Cheatham division. Ipass-
ed out, although as afterwards learn