The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-22

SOME OF US WOULD AhhESI hIo ALLEN ~
large loaf of corn-cake, followed out for
the purpose; but when they learned of
this, they cut open every loaf before it
was given to us. Then we tried new
plan.
Picking up in the back yard a tin
backing box cover. we fitted its plate into
the lid of the coffee-pot in which "Old
Maggie" brought our steaming-hot rye
coffee. The blacking-b box plate served as
an inner lid to the coffee-pot cover, be-
ing secured in place by the bending down
of slots in the rim of the cover with cor
responding notches in the plate. The
newspaper, closely folded, was packed in
the space between the two covers thus Sc
cured to the coffee-pot. When the cof-
fee-pot was opened, as it always was,
for examination, before our guard would
leave it with us for the morning, the out
coming steam would so far confuse his
sight that he never suspected there was
anything contraband there.
Of course, the paper was wet with
steam when taken out, but it was handled
carefully and dried thoroughly before we
read it. Thus, in one way or another,
we had the news of the day, with very
rare exceptions, during all our imprison-
ment.
SECRET MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
Although we were supposed to have no
direct communication with prisoners in
other parts of the Jail, we had little diff
ficulty in keeping up full correspondence
with them. By series of agreed signals
with the Confederate prisoners in the
room back of ours, we knew when it was
safe to pass a word along. Then we
would send a letter from our room to
theirs, through a break in the plaster of
the intervening partition near the floor.
That letter would by them be attached to
bent pin, lowered by a thread through
the ceiling and floor above. and be drawn
up by our enlisted men. In like manner
letter would come back to us, or be
lowered to our naval officers on the op-
posite side of the hall In this way plans
for escape were considered, and important
information was communicated.
In sight from our jain windows was
the Office Of one of the daily newspapers.
Its bulletin-board was near by, at the
corner of two of the principal streets.
The conduct of those who stopped to read
| these bulletins gave us pretty good idea
of the nature of any fresh intelligence.
When men read slowly, and moved of
| with downcast heads, we took courage as
| to the progress of affairs in the great
struggle. When they showed delight at
what they saw, and evidently congratu.
were CORRESPONDENCE depressed.
We saw reinforcements for Gen. Bragg
| at Chickamauga, on their way from Gen
Lees army, passing in sight of our win.
dows, and it was hard to be unable to
notify our commanders of this movement
of troops. Prisoners from the army OF
Gen. ROsecrans, in the battle which fol
lowed that movement, were taken toward
Salisbury, before our eyes, but beyond our
1 TIM yhAvx
words of sympathy and cheer News OF
Federal losses and defeats, and rumors OF
retaliatory measures which should cause
the wholesale execution of prisoners or
both sides, were inevitably depressing
and it was SO hard to be inactive while
intense action seemed the only life wortl
living.
| OCCUPATIONS AND DIVERSIONS.
We had our occupations and diversion.
in our Jail rooms. Two German Ameri
Two others were our instructors in pho
biography. We whitfield out set Of
wooden chessmen, and had a series o.
competitive chess games. Adj't Camp was
a fine player, having been President of the
Yale Chess Club while in college. He waf
sometimes personally matched against all
the other good players united, while tn,
rest of us watched the contest with in
terest. As We were shut up to our dull
life in common, with no opportunity tc
work of surplus feeling in any outside
effort, 1t was easy to get up an excite
ment without much seeming provocation
Some Of our more mischievous fellow,
would take advantage of this, and sti
up an unexpected breeze when Their,
seemed dead calm.
One OF our Photographic teachers wa,
an enthusiastic admirer of Pitman's sys
tenn, the other inclined to Graham's mod
ihcation of Pitman. Often they discussed
the rival systems earnestly. The rest O
US took no part. One evening, whel
things inside were peculiarly duh, the Pit
man man ventured remark In praise ot