The National tribune., 1902-10-23

of the thousands we left on Belle Isle and
at Staunton were alive at the end of a
year and a half?
It is estimated that 80 days was the
average life of prisoners confined in those
places of torment during those appalling
months. I was on Belle Isle about IL
days; add to that IS more, which would
have carried us up to the last days OF
October. No man with less than an iron
constitution could have lived through it.
| But not in October; not until year from
the next February was there another gen.
eral exchange, at which time these men
were all in their graves.
When Gen. Meade refused to allow us
to take the parole at Gettysburg, of course,
he did not know that all exchange of
prisoners was about to cease; if he had
known it he would have been the blacklist,
hearted murderer the world ever pro.
duced. But Gen. Meade knew enough of
the treatment of prisoners by the Confed-
crate authorities to have touched the
chords Of sympathy and humanity in his
heart, if they were there, and the lives of
these men would have been saved.
On leaving Belle Isle we were conducted
directly to the depot, where we boarded
train of palace box-cars, and an hour
later arrived at City Point, where flag.
Of-truce boat-if l remember rightly, the
New York-was awaiting us.
As the train pulled up to the landing
there fell upon our vision sight that to
my dying day l shall never forget. There
upon the placid stream lay the good ship
that was to bear us away from those in.
hospitable shores back to Goods country
1t is our Saviour, messenger from the
happy land beyond the dark dead line.'
| There can be no mistake-there is nc
uncertainty, for at her masthead, floating
grandly in the breeze
"Now 1t catches the gleam of the morn.
| ing's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the
stream"
We behold once more, after all these
days of wesriness, the "Star Spangled
Banner" of the Republic; the fair emblem
of our country, for which Of old our brave
fathers fought and our heroic mothers suf.
fsred and prayed. The flag that we had
flag that we had followed in victory and
guarded and defended in defeat; the flag
for which our mothers, sisters, wives and
daughters gave the crown-jewels of Their
hearts; the flag that, during those -four
years Of devastating war, 2,77S,304 men
rallied to defend and in defending, 100000
wounds were received and 364, ,116 lives
were sacrificed. The flag that by thou
| sand battles on land and sea was borne
to final victory; that triumphed at last
over the vile emblem of treason, slavery
starvation and death, and now guards and
honors the graves of the $1,000 who Ian.
guished and perished beyond the reach OF
hope or mercy, where the foul rebel rag
held sway, with the graves of their more
fortunate comrades who fell beneath the
inspiring glory OF her starry folds; the
flag that today is the proud emblem OF
75,OOO,OOO of free and happy people; the
one flag of one country extending from the
Great Lakes to the Mexican Gulf, and
from ocean to ocean, through "a degrees OF
latitude, and 81 degrees of longitude, tC
say nothing of Alaska and the islands fal
away; which is known in every harbor in
the world; is respected on every sea anG
hOnored in every land. As the face of a
lost loved one seen for all time through
the mist of the years of the dead bul
never to be forgotten past, so engraved or
the retina of the minds unfading eve.
see as l saw it then while gazing from
this last environment of a hateful i'm
prisonment, just over the line, the flag Of
free America, flooded with the transcend
ent light of full and perfect freedom
bright, beautiful, resplendent, glorious
How every eye kindles, how every hear
thrills. Then follows cheer, a glad, ring
ing, wild hurrah, that echoes from owe,
the river and among the hills and glen.
and re-echoes forever in the recesses Of m,
memory.
Every comrade joins in that cheer: tn.
yGang, the old, the strong, the weak, the
well, the sick, the dying, all unite theil
voices to swell the grand chorus. Bu1
see! They are coming out from the shir
with cots and stretchers to carry in the
sick, and springing lightly to the GROUND
| made my way along the train through
the excited crowd until l found nv ole
tent-mate again, whom l assisted past the
last gray line that intervened between u.
and our "angel of mercy" over the gang
plaak and into the hospital.
The last man was soon on board; ther
our snip cast of her moorings, steamed
down the historic James, past the ruin,
Of the old church where Pocahontas wa.
married in the ancient city of jamestown