Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-09-04
CHARLESTON
Scenes and Incidents In and
Around the City of the Caro-
linas During the Late
"Unpleasantness" Be-
tween the States.

"UnpleaSantHesS BE-
tween the States.
Written for the VIRGINIA CITIZEN by James
II. Powell, one OF the boys who was there.
PART w.
We stayed at Monks Corner two
nights and day, sleeping in swamp
when We struck Kings Tree. Ar
irving at that point we were put up
on platform cars and carried Il
Florence. We got to Florence on
Saturday and stayed there until Mon.
day. After putting up tents for oul
officers we were allowed to fix ur
places for ourselves and then to gel
our supplies. That night the writer
and four other men were allowed to
go out in the village to see if we
could muster up something to eat
In this, however, we we've unsuccess.
full, as no one was willing to give us
a morsel of food, giving as their rea
son that they did not have anything
themselves. This we knew was not
the truth, but we had to accept it.
The next day being Sunday, they
issued q small mackerel to each man,
which were so strong that we could
not eat them, and 80 we refused to
accept them. They then gave as a
small piece of beef, but that was 80
poor that 1t would "stick to plank" ("
if thrown against it, and we would
not accept that. They then brought
us some bacon and rice, which we
took. About 10 o'clock, just as we
had begun to prepare our dinner, or
ders were issued to attend preaching
by our chaplain, but as we were very
hungry, having eaten nothing for
twenty-four hours, you can rest as.
sured that very few Of us availed
ourselves of the opportunity. On
Monday We were again placed on the
cars and taken to Oheraw, the writer's
home. We got there about four o.
clock in the afternoon, and after pre-
pairing quarters for our officers, the
scribe, with four or five Others, got
permission to visit our families,
whom we had not seen for over
twelve months. The next morning
when we got to our camp we found
it entirely deserted, the report being
circulated that Sherman's army was
within a half mile of town. We put
out to hunt our command, which had
crossed the river. As soon as we had
crossed the river AID burned the
bridge Sherman came in sight and
firing over our rear guard
We followed on but did not catch up
with our command until they
reached Rockingham, N. q. We
had hardly gotten well across the
-iver before Sherman had q pontoon
bridge constructed aud followed US,
but did not succeed in getting up
with us. Just after crossing the
river, Georgian passed Col. Rhett,
who, supposing him to be one of his
AIDS, ordered him to take message
to another portion Of the command.
This he refused to do, telling Col.
Rhett who he was. Without one
word Col. Rhett shot the Georgian
down.
Just after leaving Rockingham,
thirty or forty Of US were captured
and taken on with the Federal army
until we reached Beltonsville, where
we were met by the Confederate army,
and battle ensued. The Federals
had thrown up three lines of breast
works and we prisoners were placed
between the first two lines, in the
ohpe, as the Yanks expressed it, that
the "Confederates will kill you, and
thus relieve us of the trouble Of be-
ing bothered with you." But they
were mistaken ia this. A kind Prov
ldence watched over US, and not one
Of us was hurt. After fighting all
day, each army threw out reconnoit-
sring party, but both armies being
whipped they withdrew in different
directions, leaving their reconnoit-
ering parties to do the best they
could. The men having sworn that
they would kill Col. Rhett on the
first opportunity, he thought "dis-
cretion the better part of yalor," and
his party to the Fed
erals.
From Beltopsville we were march
ed to Beaufort, N. O., where we were
placed on O steamer and taken to,
New York. We were treated with
great deal of barbarity during this
march. If q man was sick or faint
and could not keep up, q Yank was
placed behind him, who would prick
him with bayonet and force him to,
march until he fell, and then either
shot him or allowed him to lie where
be fell and die.
From New York we were sent to
Hart's Island, where we stayed until
the close Of the war. Here we Jared
rather badly, particularly in the way
Of something to eat. The govern
ment allowed us plenty, but Gen.
who had immediate charge
Of us, under Gen. Wetzell, put the
most of the money issned for our
support in his pocket, and bought
for us very little of the cheapest food
that he could buy. The bsef was
such as had been condemned in the
New York market the day before he
bought it. Our daily rations consis-
ted Of the following: In the morn
ing cup Of coffee with very little
sweetening in it and three small hard
tacks. For dinner we got about two
or three ounces of this beef, q pint
Of hot water, falsely called "bean-
SOUP" q quart of beans having been
boiled in the water in which the beef
had been cooked, making q pot of
soup for sixty men, and four or five
hardtacks. This soup never had one
'.eye" of seasoning in it. Some times
they would vary our rations little,
and We would be given rice instead
Of "soup," but never more than
enough to keep soul and body to-