The National tribune., 1903-08-13
FROM battlefield TO PRISON.
Recollections OF the Battle of Port Republic
and of Prison Life at Lynchburg and Belle

I
Isle. and during that period of incarcera-
ton l certainly failed to appreciate enco.
miaStically the chivalry of my hosts, OF
their vaunted hospitality. My imprison-
ment was one of the results of ''Stonewall
Iackson's Way" in the famous VALLEY
Campaign" 1t is not my purpose to recite
in detail the events of that campaign
They have been told in history. romance,
and song. In general way l may say
the object of the campaign was the cap
ture of Stonewall Jacksons army-to be
effected by cooperative movements of Nc
Dowell. Banks and Fremont.
My story begins with the ending Of the
campaigr-the battle of Port Republic.
fought June 0. 1862. While Fremont was
Mcdowell ordered Shields. who was
marching up the Luray Valley, to send
forward two brigades to burn the bridge
at Port Republic, in Jackson's rear The
Gbrigades thus pushed forward were COM
manded, respectively, by Gen. Tyler and
Col. Carroll, the latter in advance. Heavy
rains, however, had recently swollen the
streams, delaying our march. Jackson.
hearing of our advance and divining our
purpose, suddenly turned from Fremont,
and crossed the Shenandoah River at Port
Republic on the very bridge we had been
ordered to burn. With his entire army,
some 10000 possibly 25,OO0. consisting of
infantry, cavalry and artillery, he then
engaged our small force, less than 5000:
the unequal contest being waged nearly
FIVE hours. The severest part of the battle
was fought in n large wheat field, but long
before the combat had ended the beauty
of that field of golden grain vanished. The
promising wheat was trampled down. and
the ground REDEEMED with human blood.
The battle being fought in the open. the
loss on both sides was terrible. Jackson.
having an overwhelming force. especially
i'll cavalry, nearly surrounded us, forcing
us to retire from the field. As we fell
back his troops poured canister into our
ranks, strewing the fields and roads with
dead. dying and wounded. | was wound
ed in my left hand and shoulder while
falling back over the open ground. and my
comrades were shot down like blIckbirds,
some of them being shot after having sur
rendered. Many of us then left the road
and fields and took TO the mountains. hop
ing to flank our pursuers and rejoin our
regiments. In that endeavor we simply
jumped into a hornets nest. In every di-
rection all around us were Johnnies, who
shouted Halt there. Surrender. you
- Yankees We scattered. and, like
partridges tried to hide in the under
growth and fallen tree-tops. but al in
vain. There was no avenue of escape. We
were rounded up, and had to surrender,
about 400 of us becoming unwilling guests
of the Southern Confederacy.
If Shields with the remainder of his di-
vision. then near the battlefield. and Nc
Dowell with his 5000 men at Front Roy
al had hurried to our support the history
of that battle might be differently writ
| ten.
Before going into action we deposited
our knapsacks and blankets in the rear
and never saw them again: therefore
when captured we had nothing but our
| haversacks, nearly all of them empty.
mine containing nothing more than three
or four ''hardtacks" We were marched
| into the road leading to Charlottesville.
and there held under strong guard until
the other prisoners could be concentrated
at the same place. While halted on the
Charlottesville road we had the pleasure(D
Of seeing Stonewal Jacksons victorious
legions pass by. We We're then started
on Il forced march for Lynchburg. march
ing the remainder of the afternoon. start
| ing about 4 O'Clock. all night and the next
day without anything to eat. except the
few crackers in our haverSacks. We went
into camp, about dark. on the banks of
small stream near which stood a double
| loc; barn" AS many of us as could find
room in the loft of the barn We're per-
mitted to sleep the hay. Thus we
We're generously(?) provided with lodging.
! hut we went to bed SupperlesS. Being
weary we fell into the arms of Morpheus,
and dreamed of home and loved ones. per
haT.s Of something 80 eat. Near midnight
we We're aroused by our guards, who said:
IF you Yanks in that loft want anything
| to eat you had better come down" Heed
ing the admonitiOn with alacrity we ''came
down" and found bacon and -four near
notwithstanding fires. We roasted the ba-
con on sticks held over the flames. The
| -four we mixed with old water, baking
the cakes" on fiat stones "set on edge"
before the fire. Never in my life have
relishcd meal more than | did that mid
night supper. After supper we again
went to bed" where we slept and dream
ed until morning when. without breakfast
the march was resumed. About IL Il. m.
we marched into the public square of
| Charlottesville, where we rested some
hours under the shade of some grand old
trees. Right here, in the heart of ''Se
cesSia," under those venerable trees. an
| agreeable surprise awaited us. There
were numerous long tables loaded down
with true Southern hospitality
chicken. turkey, bread and butter. pastry
and wine. When we saw the spread
we thought it was banquet in honor of
our guards, Stonewall Jackson's men. not
dreaming that we "despised Yankees
would have part or lot in that attractive
menu. However, the smiling ladies gra-
ciously invited us to the .'festal board"
We courteOusly and somewhat eagerly
accepted the invitation. To this day l
am unable to account for the hospitality
of those ladies of Charlottesville.
Shortly after our splendid repast. the
cattle train that was to, transport us to
| Lynchburg arrived. When we reached
LynchhurS we were marched into the old
| Fair Grounds, then used as stockade,
or place of entertainment for Northern
tourists having military procivities."
There were other tourists there when
we arrived. For about two months we So
jOurned at ''Old Lynchburg town. regal
ing ourselves meanwhile on '.sea biscuit"
and raw salt beef" by some called
| mule" 1t was raw because the almost
incessant rain prevented us from lighting
fires to cook it; also. our wood was too
green to burn even in dry weather; also,
we had no culinary utensils. A few of us
We're sheltered in old, rotten tents. When
the wind blew just little bit, we had to
take turns day and night. holding up
those tents. The majority, however, had
the sky as n canopy, and were not. there
fore. worried calling 'reliefs' to hold on
to the frail, well-ventilated tents.
From Lynchburg we We're escorted to
l pnI Ic1n