The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-08-01
TRYING WAR SCENES
Richard Williams Recall Incidents
Of Bloody Times.

Salisbury, N. C. July 2O.--on Dec
GRAFTON Day we saw picture of the
Salisbury prison in the window of the
Cullen store. On that picture our
mind ran back to the Civil war, when
our father, John Williams, was quar-
tered in the corn crib on the right of
the railroad track, he being quarter
master general under John A. Hoke,
the commander of the senior reserves
that guarded. the Union prisoners
here. These men were oonscripted in
1864, between the ages of sixteen
and forty-fiye years of age. and we're
known as the Senior Reserves. But
today the writer with his niece, Miss
Forest is right on the spot in stern
reality, and visited the old tobacco
factory where the prisoners were kept
and also the cemetery which was es-
tablished by act of Congress in 49,
We trayersed that magnificent ground
walled in with solid rock wall out OF
lime stone rock, while the enclosure
is sodded with grass and evergreens
of every variety set out on the ground
as well as shade trees Of all kinds and
graveled walks, always with suitable
tablets displayed on the trees and
walks, to be read by the visitors as
they pass by. At the entrance we find
magnificent brick building where
the custodian, who is employed by I'm
Gle Sam, and his esteemed wife, live.
We found them very courteous. On
the other end where the soldiers are
buried we find magnificent monu-
ment erected to their memory, also a
large flag staff with the stars and
stripes thrown to the breeze.
Many Well Kept Graves.
On the bronze tablet at the en-
trance we noted the following inter
ments, 1915; 80 unknown, and IL
OPS unknown. While looking over
this Yertiable garden of Eden, it made
us feel proud to note the manner in
which Uncle Sam looks after his dead
as well as he keeps on this ground
the custodian and three assistants to-
keep the place in order, and their
work shows that Uncle Sans inter-
ests are well cared for. While taking
in the surroundings our mind ran
back forty-three or forty-four years
ago, when the writer visited his faith
err twice every week from our home at
Gold Hill, fourteen miles away. While
on these visits, with eadness in our
heart, we would see four mule Con-
federate team drive up to the hospital
with two loads on the wagon; and
when the team came to a stop We
could see the dead being handed out
of the second story window, or rather
thrown out to two men on the wagon
who placed them along just as cord
wood, until they were piled up six feet
high, with legs dangling on one side
and heads on the other, just as nude
as when they came to the earth; and
looking at their features one could see
beauty and youth on their countenan-
ces and count them as the blossom of
the earth.
How BurlaIs Were Made.
As the wagon would start away we
would follow them to the cemetery
about a half mile away. On getting
there we would find trench dug
about four feet deep and six wide.
The load of dead was drawn up and
the unloading was commenced. Two
men on the wagon would hand the
corpse to two men on the ground and
they would hand the corpse to two In
the trench. These men were prison
ers there under guard. They would
lay two side by side and one on the
center and then put light covering
on them and the covering up would
then commence. Then the prisoners
marched back to meet their fate. In
the prison there was well, but not
enough. Nearby there was little
creek of coperas water. The deficien-
cy was furnished out Of this greek,
which was sure death to the partak-
ers thereof. This same creek ran
right through the cemetery. While
standing on its brink today, we were
led to say. "To you belongs the great
est part in sending the blossom of the
earth to their future reward" When
Sherman said war was hell he made
no mistake. On our meditation on the
above with our niece, we returned to
the home of our sister near by, where
bnninor N will mt