The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-24
VICTORIES or .SAVANNAR.


To rMx EDIroR or THE sux-Sfr: In an
article published In TIE Sun on July .is.
entitled -Siests In Savannah" one Of your
correspond snts writes OF this beautiful old
fashioned Southern city with Its innumerable
public parks and public squares. Its open
spaces carpeted with rich grass and shaded
by venerable trees. &c. And again: This
10 q simple, gracious. disnined old city. In
habited by self-respectlng and wholesome
minded folk"
In reading this tribute to ~BavannahIs at
fractions recollections Of that city In the
spring and summer Of 1854 well up In my
mind.
The dust and heat and turmoil Of contest
and battle had waRed for three years. One
day l found myself In Savannah. and many
companions were in like plight with myself.
We were prisoners OF war on a journey from
Plymouth. n. C., to Andersonville and Macon,
Ga. There were some 1900 Of us. and we
we're called plymouth Pilgrims by the press
Of tho South az We journeyed toward what
was to be our frst destination inside the
Southern Confederacy.
Was II kindness on the part Of our captors
60 us. or was II q display they thought they
would like to make Of us. az a cat does Of its
mouse. to the people Of Savannah. whose
~eauanimity and peacefuluess 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 focked by
thousands 10 look upon usp
The sun shone brightly. and people came by
carriages. on horseback aud on foot to look
at US. 1t was a most entertaining sight TO
sec these people. ladies and children FREEDOM
mating, most OF the men probably being away
There was q space allotted to us Of about
fifteen feet on one side Of the train, A few
s%entinels kept Va within Its bounds. We were
could well be found, for we had recently come
out OF garrison duty OF more than. n year.
Consequently our clothes were good and we
contrast with soldiers made prisoners In the
midst OF an sctiye campaign.
| osityy and Kindness We were the arst Union
view In Savannah, As l stool on a slight ele.
crowd a lady, sent 9 small. child 70 me 70 ask
was from New York REPLIED hat was
tdS% N ny s answer ea seem seemed e9t to d lisa nS, raV her. u
.hroSsS tie line Of ssntleeIs. One q them
wore the Confederate uniform OF q Captain;
the other was in citizen clothes. The officer
said. we will see now II there Is any one
SPEAKER teG% one nse a little older " than S" myself who
had been a villa &c boy with me in the county
Of New York which he had named, | shouted
amazed at the sudden realization OF his
thought. 4 ringing laugh was his response.
the the t qsfg Iosd ns Of % prison 1sGrmi permIfted 'fbfS ns
few words to be interchanRed between us.
He introduced me to his companion, who had
come South some thirty years before from
the same Northern county as ourselves.
Captain II. gave VIZ pieces Of bacon In the
raw and some sea biscuit, which we appor.
toned among ourselves. Very toothsome food
/ can assure you under the circumstances in
which we found ourselves.
In three months time, about August !, ] was
again in Savannah. Shermsn's army was
getting Into uncomfortable proximity. for our
guards. TO the prisons at Andersonville and
Macon, forty miles apart. ! had been con-
fined at Macon with 900 officers OF the Union
army and II was deemed prudent to remove
VS. from that locality. With 900 others !
was brought to savannah. The scourge of
war had not vet reached that city and there
was the same holiday crowd out 10 see MS that
there had been before; In this case. how
marched to the Naval Asylum grounds, The
active man In control was my friend OF three
months before.
As pTisons8s in savannah we Jared quite
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 1t. With mud
ovens which we made ourselves We could
roast our beef and bake our corn bread, which
We sweeteDed with sorghum. We also could
come by depression from restraint Of liberty
could fare well at savannah. II was said
that the people took pride in giving us ex-
cellent treatment.
Such is my recollection Of the old town
at q time when the country was racked by
civil war. j. c. W.
BRooKIrx. July az.