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

NA tNAnotedu. suppose they thought
it would be nicer for us 10 travel on
then mush. A bout o'clock they
threw the doors open aud marched
Us ont and took us down to the
wharf, aud loaded us on boat and
started down the James river with
MS While we were going down the
river saw one OF the guards eating
an apple. Another one OF the guards
asked him, Partner, here did you
get your appleS' he replied,
Back in the city. They then asked
What's apples worth 20 The reply
was, ninety dollars barrel" !
thought that was pretty good
price for apples.
They took as on down the river
about niue miles, to long bend In
the river, aud ran the boats 20 the
wharf. One of our officers, a major.
met us there. He was mounted on
very fine horse, with his full uni
form on. We We're then turned over
to him and after we all got off the
boat he said 10 us: "Nuw BOYS. YOU
will have 90 walk about two miles,
just across the end of the river 10 our
transports. Do you think you can
DO it2" They told him yes indeed
they could do that all right After
the boys stepped OFF the boat out from
under the rebel guards whore they
had been from elk months TO "a year,
and were foot loose to go where they
pleased, they hardly knew how to
act The road that we had to walk
out was very muddy, where Gen
eral Grant had been moving his wag
on trains and artillray. The boys
all started out the road in high glee
every follow for himself Right
after them came a train Of ambu.
iances and when ever one would give
out they would pick him up aud put
him in an ambulance. got a long
stick as high as my head, for cane
would walk two or three hundred
yards and then sit down 10 rest.
After a while / saw where some ar.
tillary boys were camped and
thought ! would go down and get a
bite 10 eat, and il would help me
along They bad shauties built
out Of pine poles. stepped TO one
Of the doors and they looked at me
with surprise. / told them where /
had been and where ] was going, and
asked il they would give me bite
to eat, TO help me along. They told
me yes. all wanted, and they be
gan 10 pile bread and meat on my
arms until had to tell them 20 stop.
As / walked out Ct the door there
was one Of the boys lying in bunk,
and he handed me the half Of very
fine big cake, and said, "There com
rado, take that along with you.
took it out and gave IL all TO the
boys bnt just a little. for / knew
would not dare 30 eat much OF 81.
] sat down aud ate some and then got
mp and plodded along. was get
ting very tired. 1 thought if il was
much farther could not make 1t
] raised my eyes and looked ahead
and saw our transports, aud when /
saw the old flag waving over them
said Thank God for that, " It
was the FIRST time i had seen the Stars
and Stripes for eight mouths When
l got down to the boat the sun Was
just skirting the hilltops 1t was a
beautiful bright evening and had
been since twelve o clock making two
miles.
We went on the boat aud as we
passed around the end of the boilers.
we came TO the commissary, and
they save every one a loaf Of bread
aud n pound OF cold boiled beef
ate a little OF mine and went aud
laid down. / was very tired That
night quite a number Of the boys got
sick from overeating, and several OF
them died. The next morning they
told us to 90 TO the cOmmissary and
get some coffee. We went and they
gave each Of us a sanitary cup foil Of
coffee, cup and all / thought It was
the best coffee / ever tasted 10 was
the FIRST ! had seen since i had been
capurgd The next evening we got
around 10 Annapolis, Maryland.
Here they unloaded us and marched
ne through the city TO parole camp.
Tho first thing they did with as there
was TO take as to the wash house
which was a building about hun
dred yards long with a wide aisle
running through tho center and row
Of bath tubs on each side. We were
ordered to 60 in there and two 20 go
to each tub. There was not and
cold water, soap, towels, scissors and
comb We were ordered 20 pull on
our clothes and throw them in the
middle OF tho aisle and never touch
them again. and 20 wash each other
and to cut each others hair. aud 10
clean mp in good style Then they
gave us new suits Of clothes. from
socks Co over coats, and when we pot
dressed they took as out into nice
clean barracks, where we had good
comfortable hunks TO lay in. They
FED us all tho vegetable soup and
good Thugs we could eat for about
two weeks, and then gave us two
months pay, q thirty days furlougb.
and transportation home with orders
to report 90 our regiment for duty
ct the expiration Of our furlougb.
The End
NO CREDIT.
LnuuLIIr.n ..nnL.r W..