The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-09-03
SCOTLAND NECK, N. c., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, lsas

the night spent on tie river. TIE
forced march was continued until L
O'Clock Thursdayn night, when We ar.
rived at Amelia Courthouse. UI
to this time no rations since Satur.
day before the fight began had been
furnished US. The Yankees were
on short rations. They were ahead
of their cornnislary train, which
was expected to Wertake the army
each day.
When we arrived at the Yankee
lines at Amelia Courthouse Thurs
day night about u O'Clock, l was so
near broken down and SO hungry ]
could not sleep.
Friday morning we were promised
rations, but there was little to be
had, only little beef that had been
killed on the n.rch. It was too
poor for anything and not a particle
Of grease to cook It with. The cook
ing we did over al old fence rail fire,
with no salt, no bread, in fact, moth
ing but poor fresh beef. only partly
cooked by the railfire.
Twelve o'clock Friday orders were
issued to give eath prisoners three
ears Of corn and Start them back to
Petersburg. with instructions to
get rations as soon as we met the
commissary train, which we were
expecting to meet every minute.
Night came on andno train had been
seen. The msrcf was continued
until after midnight, and we had
nothlrg g to eat except the corn.
Our only hope WAS that we would
meet the rations coming from Pc
tersbure: but our route back was
by another road, and we met no
train until Sunday might near Peters
burg. Men were constantly drop
ping out all along the road, com
p.etely tagged out. / saw one man
fall exhausted, and died without
having rallied. There were about
$50 prisoners returning from Amelia
Courthouse to Petersburg, and four
Or five old horses, 20 poor they could
hardly walk. Colwel Ed. Cantwell
claimed one, which he road until he
arrived at the city limits of Peters
burg: he then gave me his horse to
ride. The guard wDa!d not allow
me to ride in the middle Of the street
but forced me to ride on the side
walk. in line with the other prison
ers. ! have never seen such hard
looking set of men as were the pris-
oners who marched into Petersburg
from Amelia Courthouse where Cen
eral Lee surrendered. The guard
compelled US to keep our old broken
down horses in line for no othef rea-
son than to humiliate US. We sup
posed they would drop them at Pc
tersburg, but not so. They were
carried to City Point, where we
found large steamer ready to carry
US to Washington, D. G.
While in Petersburg no prisoner
was allowed to leave the lines. A
friend of mine living there, asked if
| could be allowed to go with him
for only a few minutes. mol" was
the reply. He then took my haver-
sack and filled it with snaps, cheese
and crackers. From that time until
| reached the steamer at City Point
| ate every step of the way, fifteen
miles. | was almost starved and
very weak from not having had any
rest. l had marched three nights
without sleep, had but one square
meal in nine days; l had marched
about so miles, and with most in
describable yeariling in my stomach.
When | got aboard of that steamer
I felt just like "the day of jubilee
had surely come"
We arrived at Washington City
about one O'Clock on the day of
President Lincoln's ASSASSINATION.
For some cause the prisoners were
neld on Pennsylvania Avenue about
thrcc hours. We had just heard the
news OF Lees surrender, and there
was report that Congress, then in
session, was discussing the advisable
ity of parclling the prisoners, and
them home That night we
all were guar tered in the old Capitol,
and were in high hopes, thinking of
getting our parole and papers home
by next morning; bat at roll-eall we
were informed Of the assassination
of the President. Ireplied, 81 am
glad Of it." The Sergeant said:
'you had better mind how you talk;
were it known you had made such
remark you would be strung up to
the first lamp post" / did not be-
lieve the report was true but thought
it merely test to see how the pris-
oners would act if such catastrophe
had happened. But it was soon