The National tribune., 1906-11-08
THE GLORIOUS SECOND CORPS.
A West Virginia Boys Experiences IL
the Field and in Prison.

the Field and in Prison.
Editor National Tribune: 1t has beer
q long time since the last shot was hred
and our recollections are growing aim
but there are things that transpired Oh
the battlefield and in prison pen tha'
we will never forget should We live fol
the next 100 years. Now, comrades,
am not going to boast of being the
youngest nor the oldest in the field.
am not going to tell you that ] charged
a battery, captured it, carried it off the
field and hid 1t to keep the rebs from
will tell you that 1 belonged to the
grand old Second Corps, and am proud
of its record, and will say there was
none better. My brigade, Kimbalrs
Joined the Army of the Potomac at
Harrison's Landing, and got there just
is where the 7th w. Va. was tested.
When our brigade advanced on the
enemy, they were raking the field with
q masked battery. Gen. Kimball gave
the order to fall back, but Col. Lock-
wood misunderstood the command, and
gave the order Forward! Charge!'
That was enough, and it was not many
minutes before the 7th W. Va. was in
the big pine woods with the Johnnies,
and as the 7th was always a very
friendly regiment, we soon cleared the
field. After the first yell we were soon
Joined by the 4th and Sth Ohio and
18th Ind; better regiments never car
ried gun.
There in the big pine woods we es-
tablished our lines for keeps; there we
cut big pine trees and built breast
works. After We had them completed
Kimball came along our line, and stopt
in front of our colors. He told Col.
Lockwood that the enemy was advanc-
ing on our line, and ordered him to
have his men all ready, so We all got
down on our knees. The order was for
the front line to rise and fire, drop down
and let the rear rank rise and fire. but
not to fire till We could see the whites
of their eyes. Gen. Kimball stood be-
hind big pine tree, close to our colors,
told Lockwood to look out, and got him
mand soon came, 18th Va, look out!'
The next order was, Front rank,
ready" when the whole shooting match
jumped to their feet and blazed away,
one man in my company Co tainted
and lay on the ground. The General
saw him, and asked the Colonel where
he was hit. The Colonel told him he
was only sick. The General said, Car
ry him back in the shade and If he
dies he will go right to Heaven"
After this event, when we had been
IN camp some time, the orders came
TO be in readiness to move at any time,
and 1t was not long before we were all
aboard transports, bound we did not
know where. After we landed our first
orders were to prepare for light march,
1ng. 1t was then We took up our fast
march to the final camping ground OF
many of our noble boys, where they
ceased their marches on the bloody
battlefield of Antietam. 1t was there my
company lost three color-bearers, be-
sides many others. At the battle of
the Wilderness, in 1864, I was taken
prisoner Of war along with a wounded
brother, and after they had robbed us
we were put in the big warehouse
known as the Pemberton Prison, Rich
mond. There we stayed one month.
TheIs we were sent to that place worse
than the internal regions, Anderson
Vile, Ga, where We remained more dead
than alive for 10 months and IS days.
i was at the famous spring, now called
Providence SPRING" five minutes after
II burst out of the hot sand. 1t was
there / first saw Boston Corbett He
got on big pine stump when the rebs
brought in big wagonload Of lumber
Some of our boys said, "They are going
TO take the spring from u.s." and when
they commenced to unload the wagon
~
first rebel that raises hand to take
from us that which God has sent, God
Almighty will strike him dead in his
tracks. So they made big spout to
the spring; then We had what our boys
called delicious water
II was at Andersonville that We or
ganiZed police force of 900 and cap
tured the raiders, which were tried ,,y
court-martial, and six We're condemned
10 hang. They made fun of the scaf-
1oid, and said they were not born in
The woods to get scared at the owls,
but when the meal sacks were pulled
down over their heads they began to
realize that ii would be a go for sure.
Finally, when everything was ready,
the Sergeant cut the rope that held the
platform, and they were sent to their
final deserts.
man named Curtis ran away, and
altho he got many whacks, he finally
got thru the crowd and ran to the
swamp and plunged in. 1t was then
my brother, Benjamin Sutton, and
Frank NJ. Linch captured him and
brought him back to the place of exc
cution. He then said, God have
mercy" and / did not know whether
he had reference to his own self or to
some of the comrades he had helped
to murder.
have heard a great deal about hero
ism on land and sea. They tell me that
Togo and his men We're great heroes,
and they talk of the heroes of the
Maine and about Medals of Honor. But,
comrades, when / stood inside the
stockade at Andersonville / could look
on 10000 of as grand heroes as ever
lived. 1t was there the boys stood for
Old Glory, and there they died rather
than forsake their Flag. When our
grand old commander, Gen. Sherman,
had commenced to press the rebs pretty
tight, and the Southern Confederacy
had robbed the cradle and the grave
to strengthen its army, they came ia
the prisons for their reinforcements
They told us that our Government had
forsaken us; that they would give us a
chance to save our lives, and all we
had to do was to take the oath of allie.
glance to the c. S. A. They also told
US they would give us all We could eat
and now suits of gray. Well, / am sorry
to say that some of the boys agreed.
will never forget when the rebel Officer
came to my little squad and tried tc
reason with us. My little comrade f
officer told him of the good things t.
nI h. 70 x1yffI, \,