The National tribune., 1902-12-18
Adventures of an Iron
ABri9ade Nan -
COPYRIGHTED 1902 By THE
By CAPT. R K. BEEcHAM. I'd Wis.

Many were the demonstrations Of JOY
BY our comrades when we found ourselves
once more beneath the protecting folds OF
Old Glory. Methinks there are many mil.
lions of American citizens in this year o1
our Lord, 1902, who could better appre.
ciate the beauty, the grandeur. and pro.
tecting power of the American Flag II
they could be transported beyond the pale
of its influence and enjoy the protection
of some tyrannical rag for about SIN
months They might thereby learn that
the thousands who gave their lives and
their health to maintain the supremacy
of that flag, had done them personal SER
vice. for which they could at least feel
thankful.
AN OCEAN VOYAGE.
From this neutral ground" we made
our way to Wilmington on foot, and the
next day at IL o'clock We boarded the
steamer that was to carry us back to God S
country. That afternoon we ran down the
Cape Fear River, and anchored in sight
of Fort Fisher. over which the Stars and
Stripes were flying. There our steamer
remained until about noon of the follow
ing day, when she weighed anchor, pass
ing over the bar and out to sea. The old
Atlantic was not SO very rough, but Tar
as the eye could reach the rolling swells
15 minutes after our steamer struck these
dead swells that came leisurely and laZily
rolling in to meet us, at least l .19O of the
1.200 passengers (all returning prisoners
of .rar). which the steamer carried were
en-. 1ying the various stages of sea a-sick-
ness l had been 10 sea several times,
and had never been sea-sick in my life,
but on this occasion l got the sensation.
As our good ship rose on the incoming
wave, and then seemed to fall away from
under our feet into the trough of the sea,
1t was accompanied by an unaccountable
but not exhilarating uplifting of the whole
inner man, which strange sensation
passeth all understanding, and. to say the
least. was not agreeable. When "upris-
ing" became so monotonous as to be op-
pressive, took my stand on the bow of the
steamer in the teeth of the wind, thus
preventing the uplifting of my spirits, and
other things, in getting the start of me;
but the great majority of my comrades
were not so fortunate, and soon passed
into the second and third stages of sea-
sickness, so that, on the whole, l think
it safe to say that our steamer carried the
sickest lot of happy mortals That ever
sailed the briny deep.
When the morning Of March dawned
we found ourselves steaming leisureiy
over the more quiet waters of Chesapeake
Bay. Most of the boys had regained their
equilibrium, and though many of them
still showed the effect of their late wrest-
Ing-match with Old Neptune. the deck
of the steamer was soon covered, and
anxious eyes were watching for the first
glimpse Of familiar landmarks. A few
hours later we caught sight of the dome
Of the Capitol of Maryland in the distance
and soon the little city Of Annapolis lay
before us in beauty and in peace. About
o'clock p. m. we reached the dock, and
to the music of "The Star Spangled Ban
ner," played by a band assembled on the
wharf, we hurried ashore as happy lot
Of mortals as ever escaped captivity.
OFFICIAL ARRoGATIoN.
While we fingered in Annapolis, and
within a few days after our arrival from
the South, seme comrade conceived the
Idea Of organizing fraterEal society, or
order, to be known as 'The Society of
Prisoners Of War" In talking the sub
ject over, we all felt favorable toward
such an association, and therefore q meet
ing was called to take the necessary steps
In forming such organization, which pre-
liminary meeting was well attended by
the returned prisoners of war. After
freely discussing the objects and advan-
tages Of such an association. we seemed
to agree unanimously that this was the
Z proper action to take. and that no more
epportune time would ever occur again.
when so many Of us were all in one city
and could be SO easily assembled. So a
committee was appointed to draft con-
stitution and bylaws for our contemplated
society, and report the same to an ad-
5ourned meeting, which was appointed to
assemble q few days later, when the or
ganization would be made permanent.
Our meeting for permanent organization
was so well and extensively advertised
that nearly all the prisoners of our old
Columbia camp were in attendance, and
1t certainly looked as though cur new So
ciety was destined to make an enthusias-
dc start on its life journey. The Com
mittee on Constitution submitted a re-
port, which was read, and a motion made
to adopt the constitution MS formulated
by said committee. However there was
one article OF the constitution which was
not only surprise to many, but most Of
fensive to their ideas Of justice. II my
memory serves me, 1t was Article III,
relating to the eligibility to membership.
which was Is follows:
Officers Of the United States Army,
Navy and Marine Corps who have been.
or may be, captured by the enemy and
held as prisoners of war. at any time in
and during the war for the suppression
OF the rebellion and the preservation of
the Union. shall be eligible to member
ship in The Society of Prisoners of War"
lmmediatelya comrade arose and moved
an amendment TO this article, whereby
soldiers, sailors and marines, as well as
officers, should be eligible to membership
IN the new order. Then followed q some
what lengthy discussion on the adoptiop
OF the amendment, and .t was truly sur
prising to learn to what an extent the Off
GERS there present were impressed with
their own Importance, and believed that
officers were the whole cheese in our army.
navy and marine corps, and that enlisted
men did not count when honors were to
be considered.
There were some who espoused the
cause Of the private soldiers, and who
stood bravely behind the man who stood
behind the gun in the hour of battle. They
argued that, as there was only about -four
per cent. of the army who were officers,
there were not to exceed 10 per cent. OF
returned prisoners of war who were Off.
GERS, and it was therefore inconsistent and
manifestly unjust for a small minority
thus to exclude the great majority Of ex.
prisoners from an association called 1.-THE
Society of Prisoners of War"
Personally. called the attention of the
comrades there assembled to the great diff
ference, In our favor, of the treatment
received by the two classes of prisoners
which accounted for the awful death rate
In the Southern prisons for enlisted men
and especially to the ghastly scenes We
had ourselves. many Of us. witnessed
alour tho road From, Coi;~L,,..