The National tribune., 1902-08-28

found my regiment within three or foul
hours, for at that time the whole army
was west of the Potomac. l was not sc
dealt with, however. was sent, with
other soldiers from the various hospitals
in Alexandria, under guard, to a place
called "Convalescent Camp" situated per.
haps a mile and half from the city, and
there we were all retained for three days
and until the army had crossed. the Pc.
tomac and was well on its way toward
the Antietam battlefield.
This transaction on the part of the au-
thorities, and another like unto it, which
followed, / always believed to be the
meanest, most outrageous and uncalled-
for trick ever played ON a loyal soldier
bles in the hospitals were bad enough, but
though the value of the daily ration per
soldier did not exceed 10 cents, he had a
roof over him and a clean, comfortable
cot wherein to sleep. In that Gonzales
cent Camp, the rations were not only too
miserably poor to mention, but we were
obliged to sleep in the dirt under an old
tent, without bed or blanket, unless a
man happened to have blanket Of his
own, which very few of us possessed.
Why, such a, ldisgraceful institution was
maintained or allowed to exist in sight of
Washington l never could imagine; but
there it was, the equal of which l never
saw in the shape of camp outside of a
Southern prison-pen.
After the army had gotten well out of
our reach we were all sent, under guard,
to Washington and quartered for the night
at the Soldiers Home. The next morn
ing we were turned loose, without blan-
kets, tents or provisions, to subsist as best
we could until we should find our COM
mands in the wake of an army that was
two days march in advance of us. There
were several hundred of us, could not
tell how many, but certainly enough to
form fair-sized regiment Shortly after
we started, a double spring wagon, con-
tanning a man and woman, passed us, and
getting ahead of our column kept along
just in advance until noon, when it halt
ed and the woman passed out a sandwich
to each soldier as he marched by. This
was the only food Of any kind that l
received, except what / begged or stole,
until arrived in Baltimore-for l did
not succeed in reaching my regiment
some two weeks later, about as near
dead as a man could be, and certainly in
the worst situation l ever found myself
during my whole life.
The first night out we camped-with
or near the Both Mass.-a new regiment
just going to the front, and from some
of the soldiers l begged few bareback.
After that night we lived on green corn,
green apples and potatoes, that we stole
when we could get chance, for we had
no money to buy with. One night, three
or four Of us being together, we found a
deserted shack with potato patch attach
ment from which We gathered sufficient
for our supper, and making fire in the
fireplace of the shack Of which we had
taken peaceful possession, were engaged
in roasting our potatoes, when we were
disturbed by an old man, who claimed
ownership of the premises and ordered
US away, calling us stragglers and other
pet Eames. / tried to explain our situa-
ton, but the old man would listen to no
explanation, and / finally told him to go
to Halifax, and we would stay in the
shack. The old man went, but soon re-
turned with an officer of the provost
guard, who ordered us out, and as he evil
IDENTIFY had the wherewith to enforce his
order, and would not listen to any expla-
nation of our situation, we obeyed the
order and camped in the woods that night
After about week / became sick.
dragged myself along about half a mile
to wayside hotel, where my comrades
left me and pushed on in the hope of over
taking their regiments. When l recovered
my taste for bread, begged food of an
old negro, who kindly supplied my
needs, and as soon as / was able to walk
to the station, about mile away, l did
so, intending to take the first train that
caHe aioHG, Wituoul regard 10 Wnefe II
might be going. After waiting at the
depot about three hours, a train drew up,
| which / boarded. l had not q cent with
which to pay for ride, but Providence
| assisted me. The car was full to over
flowing of paroled Union soldiers cap,
tured by Jackson at Harpers Ferry, and
| in that crowd the conductor overlooked
me- That train in due time landed me in
Baltimore.
STEWARDS MANSION HOSPITAL
do not remember the date that !
reached Baltimore. 1t must have been
after some Of the battles of the Ante
| tam campaign had taken place, for while
I was lingering around the depot-which
lingering lasted several days-a train
| loaded with Confederate prisoners of wal
halted for half an hour on the track, dur
ing which time many things in the shape
Of eatables were passed to the Confeder.
ates' by the sympathetic, without any
objection being made by their guards.
speak Of this from the fact that after.
| ward saw the situation reversed and the
Confederate guards over the Union pris