The National tribune., 1904-05-19
REBEL hlsbNs.
Belle Isle. Andersonviue, i3dillen, Savannah
and BlAokshear.

| and BlAokshear.
EDITOR NATIONAL. tribune: Having
been j captive in psariy all the rbel
prisons. my troubles We're many and va
ried.
enlisted Aug G. 1861. and, serving in
Kilpatrick's Division. Plea sonton's Cav
airy Corps. was captured In nn engage
ment ut Buckland's Mills. near Warren
ton. Va. Oct. 10. 1862. Myself and othe,
prisoners were sent 10 Richmond. where
for about week we were confined IN the
| Pembcrton Warehouse. a large. three
story brick building. An officer. Major
l think. ordered a Guard to search us, we
| not bcin. permitted to retain OH our per
sons any money or thing of value. The
lying son OF Belial then sraciously i'll
formed us that the deprivation Of oul
private property would only be temporary
that it would be restored to us when cx
changed. From that prison we were sent
to Belle Isle. | shall not enumerate the
horrible sufferings. results of cold, hun
ger and exposure. that some 10000 help
less prisoners endured on that island IL
the James River. under the shadow of tht
Confederate Capitol. saw sick mer
| dubbed by Marks. the One-eyed Sergeant
l saw the bodies of dead men frozen tc
the ground. On the memorable cod day
Jan. ], 1864. the prisoners were driven
ont and made to stand in the piercing cold
| wind on the bank of the river to be count
ed. That unnecessary exposure was the
canse of many deaths. The officer in com
mand was Lieut. Henry Bossieux, a
Frenchman.
Feb. 30, 1864. myself and others lef,
Belle Isle, bound for .Andersonville, ar
irving there March 1. We remained in
that notorious prison until September
when we were taken to Savannah. We
had been there only short time when We
were hurried off to Millen. After remain
tTsr ft,n,.a fnrx cnr,f ho<
to Savannah, and thence to Camp Black.
shear, near Thomasville. From that prs-
On we were returned to Andersonvile, AT
irving there on Christmas Day. in heavy
rain storm. In April We were again sent
to Blackshear; thence We went to Florida
where we were released. near Jackson
vile, April -. 1866. l had been q pris
oner more than Is months.
From Florida ! went to Annapolis
thence to Camp Chase; thence back to
Wheeling. w. Va, where / was discharged
June 0, 1865.
verify believe that the officers in
charge OF those rebel prisons were the
most consummate villains that ever went
unhung. Near Blue Springs, Ga. l was
run down by bloodhounds, bucked aud
gagged, and upon one occasion ordered t.
be shot. Not the least Of my troubles
were hunger, scurvy, and rheumatism
There were thousands. however, whose
Affections were worse than mine. l suf
fered more at AndersOnville than in the
other prisons. Wirz was the incarnation
of meanness and cruelty, and the guards
were the rag-tag Of the Georgia Crack
ers.
AS / remember the following were the
names of the chief officers in charge OF
the various prisons in which | was con.
fined: Pemberton, Dick Turner; Belle
Isle. Henry Bossieux; Andersonville. Hen.
ry Wirz; Savannah, Lieut.. Davis; Millen
- Lawton; Blackshear. Capt. Black.
shear. l would be glad to hear from some
of the comrades who marched on our last
trip from Albany to- Blatkshear.-B. +.
JONES, Co. Is, LIST w. Va. Cav, Ladora
Iowa.