Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-09-27

Of your correspondents writes of this
beautiful old-fashioned Southern city
with it's innumerable public parks and
public squares, it's open spaces carpeted
with rich green and shaded by venera-
BILE trees, etc. And again: "This is
simple, gracious, dignified old city, In
habited by self-respecting and whole
some minded folk
In reading this tribute to Savannah's
attractions recollections of that city in
the spring and summer of 1864 well tp
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 Sa-
vannah, and many companions were in
like plight with myself. We were pris-
oners of war ON a journey from Ply
mouth, n. c., to Andersonville and Ma
con, Ga. There were some 1900 of us,
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 it kindness on the part of our
captor to US, or was it a display they
thought they would like to make Of us,
as cat does of it's 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 most
entertaining sight to see those people,
ladies and children predominating,
most Of the men probably being away
at the front.
There was a 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 a slight elevation where 1
: could get a good view of the crowd a
woman sent small child to me to ask
if I was from New York. l replied
that l 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 citizens
clothes. The officer said, 1--WE will see
now if there is any one here from AL
legany." turned and saw in the speak
er one little older than myself, who
had been a village boy with me in the
county of New York which he named.
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 H. gave US pieces Of bacon in
the raw and some sea biscuit, which we
apportioned among ourselves. Very
toothsome food can assure you under
the circumstances in which we found
ourselves.
In three months time, about Aug. 1,
was again in Savannah. Shermans
army was getting into uncomfortable
proximity for our guards to the pris-
ons at Andersonville and Macon forty
miles apart l had been confined at
Macon with 1000 officers of the Union
army and it was deemed prudent to re-
move us from that locality. With 600
others l was brought to Savannah. The
scourge of war had not yet reached
that city and there was the same holt
day crowd out to see us that there had
been before In this case, however, we
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 go
with it. With mud ovens which we
made ourselves we could roast our beef
and bake our corn bread, which we
sveetened with sorghum. We also could
made our rice into buildings. One not
overcome by depression from restraint
of liberty could fare well at Savannah.
II was said that the people took pride
in giving us excellent treatment.
Such is my recollection of the old