West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-03-16

railroad aud loaded us in some house
cars aud let US stand on the siding
/ all night. They had Que Of the doors
fastened up and a guard in the other.
Aloug IN the night the guard went 10
sleep in the car that was 10. He
set his gun across the door. and sat
down and leaned back against the
wall, aud after n while ] heard him
snoring, II / had been all right, 1
could have picked up his gun and
! hoped out and he would never have
known it. but the condition was in
/ Thought / had best not undertake IL.
The next morning they hooked on
to our train and pulled us out. They
ran all that day. l don't think they
averaged more than ten miles an
hour In the evening they stopped
at a small town or station and turned
as over to another set OF guards
The guards that come with US were
very overbearing and tyrauical, but
the ones that took charge Of us were
very nice men The old captain of
the company looked like an old rough
farmer He had them 10 pull the
train down to the woods below the
town and stop. de then told us TO
get out and hnnt up some wood and
build good fires. aud make ourselves
as comfortable as we could, and he
would get something for us TO eat
The old Captain went to the station
and in little while he came- back
with several boxes Of hardtaok and a
barrel Of messpork. They divided
it out among Us, and we had a good
supper and saved some TO take with
US the next day In the morning
they loaded us in the train and star
ted with us again. The guards then
told US they were taking us TO Rich
mond. They ran all that day and
stopped that evening at Goldsbor
ough, North Caroliua, for the nj igbt
We were now turned over to anoth.
er set OF guards, and they were
regular set of demons. They ordered
as out Of the cars, and IL was raining
pretty hard and very cold. They
marched us down In plowed field
and put a guard around US. We had
nothing TO make fires with. We got
a few pieces of rails and crossties
and made one small fire for all OF us.
Thy gave rs no rations at all |
bad one ration Of meal that ! brought
from Florence with me. Sometime
in the night / got some water in my
can and thought would make some
mush out Of it, bat couldn't get 10
the fire, so / just ate it raw. That
night several of the boys died, and
in the morning a great many were
not able to walk, but they loaded
what were able to walk and left the
rest Of them laying there on the
ground. We knew then they were
taking us TO Richmond
Sometime during the day the train
stopped at a little town and they
threw about half busbel Of raw
potatoes in each car, and the boys
went for them like hot cakes. Just
a while before we get TO Richmond
b1y got on the train and came into
the same car ] was in. He was a
nice looking boy, with a full rebel
uniform on. he drew my attention
aud l got into talk with him /
asked him where he was from, and
where he was going. He told me he
had been at home on furlough and
was going back 10 his regiment. He
said he belonged to the army of
Northern Virginia. He had a pillow
slip about half full of very fine bis
cults and he divided thom all out
among us boys.
Some time that night they got into
Richmond. They left us in the cars
until morning Remember the last
rations we drew was the first night
we stopped, when we got the crackers
and mess pork. You may know we
wore getting pretty hungry. After
a while they ordered us to get out If
the car, and they marched US right
past Libby prison and on over TO
PembertoD, just on the opposite side
Of the street from Libby It was
three story tobacco ware house ninety
by one hundred feet. We were put
ln a room on the second floor, az
many az could find room 10 lay down
and we're not allowed 10 look out Of
the windows under the penalty Of
being shot
About o o'clok they brought as
some ratious consisting Of six big
buckets Of mush and nothing else.
I don't remember that we drew
anything bat mush while we staid
there We stayed iu there about
three weeks and every morning three
or four dead would be carried out
The men were getting weaker and
going down faster than wheu they
were ont doors. One morning one
Of our Off i3ers came TO- he was
prisoner, but on parole He had ou
his uniform, but his shoulder straps
were or After looking around at
the boys as they were I8ying over
the noor. be told them 10 get up and
give him their attention. as he wan
ted to make the a speech They paid
no alienation TO him Ono Of ths
boys said We've heard too many
speeches now that's whats the mat
ter with us But he began by cay
ing Tomorrow morning 1T 9 O'Clock
we are going TO start with you TO our
lines When they heard that the
poor distressed follows that hadn't
boau mn for "a rgcoL be..s,, g. r.1t. .