Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-10
G. Ar. Veterans Of Salt Lake

- et5 80 IA Z
5teenth Corps and ordered to Corinth,j
Miss. From that time until the close of
the war the regiment served on garri-
son duty and In campaigns against the
great Conhad crate cavalry leader and
other Confederate forces In northern
Mississippi and western Tennessee.
Clashes with these forces We're of fire.
,quent occurrence and in one of the
minor affairs that occurred near Rip
ley, Miss on June II, 1854, Lieut.. Kid
Sderw as made a prisoner. He was con-
fined at Macon. Ga, from whence he
was transferred to Charleston, S, c.,
where he was under the fire of Union
batteries at the harbor entrance for
two months. He was confined at what
the soldiers called Camp Sorghum
and Columbia, S c.. and was finally
released at Wilmington, N. Con March
!, 1865. He was then ordered to ST..
Louis, Mo- where Capt. Bonneville was
mustered out on May Is, 1865. Bonne-!
vile was then over 10 years old.
S. Some of Lieut.. Kiddei"s experiences
while a prisoner are extremely Interest,"
ing, and some OF them were funny At
Charleston, While confined in the de-
partment of the prison assigned to Of
5fcers, a certain southern banker by
the name Of Potter made little bust
ness proposition to the prisoners which
was eagerly accepted by them. 1t was
well known that prisoners in the south
were none too we'll treated. and at
Charleston was no exception to the
rule It was almost impossible to get
sufficient to eat, and absolutely in-8
possible to get anything to wear; what
the prisoners wore was all the clothing
they possessed Until their final release.
The days of the war We're nearing the.
end, and the banker thought to profit
by the position Of the prisoners. Being
officers he had entire confidence in the
.affluential condition of the prisoners,
and he agreed with them to trade them
money at the rate of three
to one This proposition was taken up
by the officers and in return for $500
Confederate money they gave Banker.
Potter their drafts" for 5000 United
States money on northern banks.
while Confederate money was not
worth much at that time even In the
south" said Lieut.. Kidder, the boys all
accepted the $500, and from that time
on they were able to buy food from the
southern prison officials. The excellent
physical condition which those Of
gficers were in at the termination Of
their imprisonment was entirely due to
the business foresight of Banker Potter,
who considerably traded them the
Confederate money for drafts on north
ern banks. Every mothers on Of an
officer executed his draft for the $500
exchange, but to my knowledge never
one of them was cashed. Most of them
were drawn on banks of the existence
of which the prisoners had no knowl-
edge, whatever, and which, perhaps
never had an existence In the business
world. y
~ The accompanying portraits show.
Lieut.. Ktdder when he was mustered
out at the close Of the war, and as he
appears today He Is a fair exemplih-
cation of the men with strong and
hardy physique who gave of their
strength to the nation in time of need;
and who now. in their advancing years
are honored by a, grateful nation for
their patriotism and for their service
through the Civil war.
Ralph r. Grant, better known as
G".'Rollo" Grant, residing at 1855 south
First West street served his country
to maintain the Union, from April 90,
1851 to May 2s, 1853, and during that
time saw a great deal of fighting,
passed through many hardships and
escaped without being wounded.
g8"I enlisted at Ogdensburg, n q.
April 20, 1851, said Corp. Grant, to
the News" and on May II, at Albany,
went with the Third brigade, First di-
vision of the Sixth army corps. If |
remember rightly the FIRST Brigade was
under command of Gen. John S. New
ton was In the first battle of Bull
Run, and was with Franklin in the
army of the Potomac.
II was also present and participated
In the first battle of Fairfax court
house where we lost one man. Then I
was in that memorable seven days
fight under Mcclellan on the Chick
ahominy at Malvern Hill, Harrison's
landing
Il guess the worst experience had
was in the fight at Gaines Mill We
vent into the fray with $40 men and
within Is minutes or SO 16S were killed
and many wounded i was carrying
my rifle on my right shoulder, hold