West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-01-07

Here we como on ground oc-
cupied by the 5000 prisoners
uken az chlckamauga. Here. near the
west gate. where oil the prisoners en-.
tered. AN effort was made 10 dig tun-
mel They worked I'm the daytime.
claiming At was well, aud at night Mt
the tunnel. They got beyond the stock.
adc, but were discovered, and their
work was lost From the west gate we
80 east near tho line whore tho old
ssockade was located. This was intend.
cd at hrst for 10000 men. but the pris.
oners Increased 50 fast that they were
compelled 20 enlnrge. At one tlmo
there were over $1,000 prisoners here
In all, from first TO last. over $1,000.
We walk east to a strong fort about
200 yards from tho stoclxade. IL wns
well laid out, aud tho broastworks are
In good state OF preservation. Now
every foot OF ground n historic.
My guido pointed 10 spots where this
and that thrilling incident occurred.
Pointing 20 a depression in the ground,
he said: '.ln this place eight bodies of
prisoners wcro aecrcted by the band OF
murtierers who were organized TO kill
ana piundcr They were our own sol
dicrs. Our soldiers asked permission 10
arrest and try them. II was granted,
aud seventy were arrested and tried In
the west gate. Old stumps show plain,
~ where this occurred, and the four
posts recently set also show exactly
where this trial occurred. Six were
found guilty OF murder and were sem
tenced 10 be hung. The spot OF their
execution Il pointed out on the south
side of the creek. when about ready
for tho work oua prisoner broke away
and ran down tho hiii and stuck fast
Ia the swamp. They brought him back
All ak were swung at once, but one
repe broke. aud that condemned man
pleaded that that was a token from
Cod that he should not be hung. The
thousands OF prisoners cried out as
With one voice, LESS talk and more
henelngf' lie was hung.
There Is no telling how many OF our
prisoners pcrished by this band. Some
southern people Judged by this that we
were All OF that class. How far from
the truthi Tho guards OF the prison
should have hearing. Tho Confcd.
erncy had literally robbed the crndlo
and tho grave 10 nlI up their ranks.
Al over eighteen years and under six
ty.nFs years were sent TO the field, but
tiofe under eighteen aud over sixty.
hse were used 90 guard the prisoners.
a man told me last week that ho was
eieetrd ~ orderly sergeant when sew
eniecn. and he said that nearly all the
guards were Ooys. ESme os them
watched fof an excuse 20 shoot pris.
ooer These guards wcrs. neither men
NOE aasons. 10 We Judge the whole
coufctleratc army By these guards We
are far from the truth. About the
same proportion ln each army were
honest religious mtn. IL seems hard
% have any % our men shot want0niy,
b6i Y h likely thag many lives were
saved in this way The prisoners were
Fosdy M any time 20 make dash for
TIE gates Ead liberty. II this had Oc-
cuFred the cannon which wcro planted
in the forts about and witch were
leaded with grape and canister would
have been nncd into The crowds OF sol.
aiars IN this event there would prob
ably have BEEN ten killed where there
was one Killed BY the boy guards.
ioekinE east. We could zee plainly
Whefe thore had bccn a street called
Harkcf street. To ti,a right ana left
ar depressiaus ln the earth where I'm.
peFtaat events occurred. About half
way sffsss the eiockado q deep
Eniiy FuaniDe Down the south hillside
toward che creek. II is perheps fwcn-
~ feei deep and thirty feet wide "a tho
Top assd mas &C. saVenly-nge feet long.
tast eaet ~ this depression was
poIntt1 0nt 90 me Here = prisoner
Nho bad beon an oi5ieer had hiz head
sraFiera Re preferred % come here
vita his psea rather thau go 10 Libby.
fn tsis hole ~ administered iho cath
% ofer znz0 men. They vtFe plaauing
Tor q raid ou sno gates lie vas here
fccenill ard poinfed - = concealed
weii lnst 3 little bel0a THIS spot. It
had efoHo over with brush. bat fhoy
cat 9n the hfueh. aud q is plain 90 b.
seer Rnere 81 was. I 1oiico ono more
l.ulut oa ttls sixeei. re o. near ibc west
gate AZ guido peiase5 60 q depfes
kioa 1nd nsld. -eae thiaf Originally
hare stood 3 blE pine frce. ft was c8t
N'"f'" ~ N|iN t-N|""| hIA|| "tt|HNNt|. nNN|
ff.eeacsg trz g1t ererJ fher ~ foofs
Cor feei ~ ta.s fi1ls ihfy had n big
hoie in fhe ground. They Just cleaned
e ouf making ~ aarhitbsater of H.
ln hafc iafy held meefines fof prayer.
New % ug eolt down toward tlc
creff 90 a. noi large. and s9on after
it runs fhrDerii iAe siofkada Re uldeus
i1io swamp perhsfe nfiy yards pide
ard runs east ia ere siockade On the
east SIDE Here within shout twelve
fetf ~ tbf dead nne was bridge.
1Aefs Aas cQiarniiy BEEN ons put in 10
tako thf place ~ fir on during ne
var ItcIe ere fH1 pieces shout
twelve feet ioua aH acroe fiis oref.
fhey afe atsni shcea fraf fra1 fht
Cfees tfi1u uas sfafos from barrels
ere neilei a-rrss these finters Tfefe
~ eui1' Hes uueh nHetif1 We eoa1
ees flsi Nteff ibe ttoeka1r sioud. ai.8
iaa whore shs dtsd n1e pss afsl