The National tribune., 1901-05-23

before us a foot march of 60 miles to
Thomasville, Ga. {.
Our marching rations consisted of five
ounces of salt pork and three army crack
ers per day.
On or about the fifth day after leaving
Albany we arrived, during rain storm,
at the vicinity of Thomasville Here We
halted in the pine woods, and the officer
commanding our escort went on TO the
town ostensibly to see about tranSporta-
ton. He came back about the middle of
the afternoon and informed us that the
Federal authorities at Jacksonville re-
fused to receive us. This TO me has been
an unsolved mystery for 80 years. Was
ever disappointment so cruel?
With feelings impossible TO describe we
faced-abOut and commenced the weary
countermarch to Albany, thence by rail
to Andersonvile, where we arrived about
10 days after leaving it. Instead of be-
ing returned to the hospital inclosure, We
were turned loose in the prison stockade.
Here we remained about three weeks, in
the enjoyment of one luxury 10 which we
had long been strangers-abundance OF
pure, sweet water from ''Providential
| Spring"
The latter part of April, about o o'clock
in the evening, we received hurried or
ders to go to the station. Our guards
seemed nervous and excited. Evidently
something was about to happen.
At the station train was waiting,
| headed to the north. We We're soon on
board and in motion. Some time during
the night we arrived at Macon, but were
not allowed ID leave the cars.
Soon after daylight next morning an
| engine was astached to the rear of the
train, and We started back in the direc-
| ton of Andersonvlle. Hope was giving
place TO despair; we were again headed
for the scene of our long continued suf-
! fering and misery.
| Hope revived a little and a faint cheer
was heard as we passed the old stOckade
without even slackening speed. On ar
rival at Albany we left the cars, and
again made the weary march to Thom-
| asville, 80 miles. where we at length ar
rived and found a train waiting. We were
| soon on board and in motion, and felt
| that we were going to see Gods country
again, although some of the old-timers
| insisted that we were merely going to an
other pen.
We made no more stops, except short
ones, to take on wood and water and oc-
cesiOnally TO enable the engineer to cool
| the heated journals of the sickly old en-
| gine, until we arrived in the vicinity of
| Live Oak City. Fla. Here we made
long stop; got off the cars and lay around
in the pine woods, and were again pa
rolled; then continued our journey.
On arrival at Baldwin, 10 miles from
| Jacksonville we found the railroad de-
stroyed and nothing in sight but fire.
| bIackened ruins. Here our guards left US
| to our own devices. One old FlOridiau
! stationed himself beside the road. with a
| knife and huge plug and cut off a lib
| eral chew for all who wanted tobacco.
| A little before sunset We came to
picket of eolored soldiers about one and a
| half miles from Jacksonville and tall
| flagstaff, from the top of which "Old
| Glory fioated languidly in the faint
breeze. j think this was the happiest
| moment of my life. 1t was April 3,
| 1868, and that date has ever been red
! letter day in my life. We got papers and
news from the outside world, from which
we had been for many months excluded.
We then heard for the first time OF
the surrender of the two principal armies
of the Confederacy. and the tragic death
| opportunity of writing to our friends at
home, who had long since given US up
| for dead.
We remained at Jacksonville nearly
week, and drew new clothing, and en-
barked on the U. s. transport Daniel
! Webster for Annapolis, Md.
| We remained in Annapolis three or
| four days, and were paid our commuta-
ton for rations in crisp, new sreenbacks,
being the first real money | had handled
for II months. From Annapolis we soon
proceeded to Camp Chase, o., where we
were mustered out by order of the War
Department.
So ended the prison life of the last de-
tachment of prisoners of war who occuy
pied the old stockade at Andersonville.- -
WIN. S. HORTON, Sergeant, Co. n, 9Th
Mich Cav, Commerce, Mich.