Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-09-21


with rich green and shaded by venera-
BILE trees, etc. And again: This Is
simple, gracious, dlgnifed old city, In
habited by self-respecting and whole
some minded folk"
In reading this tribute to Savannah's
attractions recollections of that city Ia
the spring and summer of 1864 well tip
in my mind
The dust and heat and turmoil of con-
test and battle had waged for three
years. One day l found myself In Sd
vannah, and many companions were in
like plight with myself We were pris-
oners of war ON journey from Ply
mouth, n. c., TO Andersonville and Ma,
con, Ga. There were some 1900 Of u.s.
and we were called plymouth Pill
grims" by the press Of the South as we
journeyed toward what was to be our
first destination inside the Southern
Confederacy.
Was II kindness on the part of our
captor to us, or was II a display they
thought they would like to make Of MS.
as a cat does of its mouth, TO the people
of Savannah, whose equanimity and
peacefulness had not yet been disturbed
by any serious war echoes, that we
were permitted to get out of our train
and return the gaze of those who flock
ed by thousands to look upon us?
The sun shone brightly and people
came by carriages on horseback and
on foot to look at us 1t was a most
entertaining sight TO see those people,
ladies and children predomnating,
most of the men probably being away
at the front.
There was space allotted to us of
about fifteen feet on one side of the
train. A few sentinels kept us within
its bounds. We were probably as good
looking a lot of soldiers as could be
found, for we had recently come out Of
garrison duty of more than year. Con
sequently our clothes were good and
we were fresh and clean In appearance,
in marked contrast with soldiers made
prisoners in the midst of an active cam
paign.
The people looked at us with mingled
curiosity and kindness. We were the
first Union prisoners that had been ex-
posed to public view in Savannah. As
/ stood on slight elevation where |
could get good view of the crowd a
woman sent small child TO me to ask
If / was from New York. replied
that was from the State of New
York, but not from the city. My an
swer seemed to disappoint her.
Suddenly two men pushed their way
through the line of sentinels. One of
them wore the Confederate uniform of
a captain; the other was In eitizen's
clothes. The officer said, I'VE viii see
now If there is any one here from Al
legany." l turned and saw ia the speak
er one little older than myself. who
had been village boy with me in the
county of New York which be named
/ shouted out. How are you, Fred?"
and he stopped. amazed at the sudden
realization Of his thought A ringing
laugh was his response. The duty he
had to perform. TO provision the train
load of prisoners, permitted only few
words to be interchanged between us.
He introduced me to his companions,
who had come South some thirty years
before from the same Northern county
as ourselves.
Capt II. gave us pieces o in
the raw and some sea biscuit we
apportioned among ourseh Very
toothsome food / can assure you under
the circumstances in which we found
ourselves.
In three months time, about Aug. /,
/ was again In Savannah. ShermaD's
army was getting into uncomfortable
proximity for our guards to the pris-
ons at Andersonville and Macon. forty
miles apart. / had been confined at
Macon with 1900 officers OF the Union
army and ii was deemed prudent TO re-
move US from that locality With coo
Others / was brought TO Savannah. The
scourge Of war had not yet reached
that city and there was the same holl-
day crowd out TO see us that there had
been before. In this case. however, ~
were taken from the cars to be march
ed to the Naval Asylum grounds. The
active man in control was my friend Of
three months before.
As prisoners In Savannah we Jared
quite famously. outrageous trees help
ed to screen us from the summer sun.
We had tents TO live In during the six
weeks Of our stay We had fresh beef
ration every day and we had rice to 20
with II. With mud ovens which we
made ourselves We could roast our beef
and bake our corn bread, which we
sweetened with sorghum We also could
made our rice into buildings. One not
overcome By depression from restraint
of liberty could fare well al Savannah
II was said that the people took pride
in giving US excellent treatment.
Such IS my recollection Of the old
town at a time when the country was
raclsed by ciTii war