The National tribune., 1904-06-23

separated from the command. the colOred
soldiers were shot without mercy. Gen.
| Cabell, Confederate, reported that one of
his regiments stationed east of the battle
| field on the Camden road killed SO negroes.
While in the hospital Henderson overheard
two Confederates deplore the cruelty to-
ward the negroes, because they said it was
game two could play at, and they in
| stanced the action of Col. Crawford's I'd
kans. (Colorej) in the battle of Jenkins 5
quarter. Henderson knew of negro sol
diers entering a house and killing six Con-
| federate prisoners.
Capt. ]. II. Purifoy, the Confederate
whose place Henderson had raidcd. came
to the improvsed hospital and invited Hen
| derson TO his home, that his wife might
nurse him: but Henderson declined to fare
better than his boys. Purifoy was a Sur
geon i'm the Confederate army, captured
at Fort Gaines. He had been prisoner
at Alton, ILL.,, where bakers bread had
ruined his health. he said; but upon ap-
pealing to the Commandant he was granted
his home feed of corn p0ne. There was
then and still is a pOst-office named Puri-
| foy. about the west line of Ouachita
| tWashita) County. The prisoners re-
mained in this place, mostly on the battle
field, for three weeks-fOr little time in
ably treated: the neighboring planters fre-
quently contributing variety of provi-
SiOnS.
Gen Steele had sent 200 wagons to Pine
Bluff for supplies. and these were also
captured. The Poison Springs disaster
cost him 400 wagons. Couriers from Gen.
Banks announced several misfortunes to
his division. These discoura gements, added
to his unprepared condition, compelled
| Steele to withdraw from Camden to Little
Rock. The movements of Gens. Banks
and Steele west of the Mississippi were
=, e II
| the rebellion. but were Oyershad0wed by
the greater Importance of the operations
of Grant on the Potomac and Sherman )
march TO the sea- so that neglect cOntribut-
ed to the disasters of the remote Western
movements. Gen Steele was tardy i'm NOV
ing from Little Rock. and his explana ton
was that more than half of my cavalry
were dismounted, and more than half of
the rest very poorly mounted: artillery
horses and transportation in the same con-
dition. This Department is the last to be
served, my troops scattered all over Ar
kansas. and still ! am expected to move
on short notice. We have had to haul
most of our forage 80 and 40 miles for
months" Gen. Steele left at Camden a
hospital containing about 300 wounded, in
charge of DR.. William Finlaw, for many
years afterward a citizen of Junction City.
but now of Santa Rosa. Cal. FinIaw at
tended Henderson until the latter was
taken to Camp Ford.
| OFF FOR REBEL PRISON
After the departure of Gen SteeIn's
army, the rebels gathered up all the prison
ers and put them in the court house at
Camden. There were about 80 wounded
and in all about 400 prisoners. In pass
ing over the battlefield on the way to Cam
den the horrors of war were terribly illus
| trated; the dead had not been decently bu-
rled, their feet and arms protruding
through the thin covering of earth. About
the 1st of July. 1864. the prisoners were
the prison at Tyler, Tex. Tyler is in
Smith County. near the northeast corner
or the State. For some miles after leaving
the neighborhood of Poison Springs the
roads were lined with bleachcd skulls. evi-
IDENTIFY the remains of negroes massacred
because they were in arms in aid of the
Government The prisoners spent the
Fourth of July in Shreveport. The citizens
turned out to see them, and were quite
demonstrative. One boodthirsty citizen
wanted to exterminate the prisoners, but
the guard pushed him away and told him
to go TO the front, where he could get Il
live Yankee for breakfast every morning
They crossed the Red River on a pontoou
bridge and were placed in a tobacco shed
where they spent the night.
On the 9th bakers came around with
trays on their heads. offering loaves at 1C
.Sh'o III thfteu money, OF Sl
In Confederate money. All the money in
the party had been taken by the guards
Not man in. the party that day had a
bite to eat A Confederate officer move,
about among the boys. Offering liberty te
all who would join the rebel army. One
man signified his willingness to do so, anG
it was with the utmost difficulty the rebe
guard prevented the prisoners from hang
ing him.
On the 9Th they were placed with mum
ber of prisoners already at Shreveport il
a bull-pen, making in all about 600, anC
started for Tyler The ration in the morn
ing for the whole day was pint of meal
which each man carried in the corner OF
his blouse. They travelled hard that day
On this march Henderson saw Henry w