The National tribune., 1909-09-30

prised and all I could do was hold up
my hands. The next day we were
started on a march to Camp Ford, by
the way Of Shreveport, La When we
get to Camp Ford, q big gate was OPEN
ed and we were marched in, and what
a place il was, with no tent or tree to
sheker us. and the ground seemed to be
alive with vermia. We were given a
small allowance Of very poor, coarse,
coru-nleai and about once week
small slice ef meat. II it was what they
called beef It was SO poor and tough
we could not dc anything with it l
often told them that they killed some
mans old COW to keep her from dying.
/ wished to, ask Comrade Blanch-
. field If he remembers anything about
us working in the tunnels and how our
work was discovered and found out.
We were Betrayed by two men who had
deserted from my company. The last
tunnel discovered by the rebels was
started from our fireplace. We had
made great calculations of crawling
thru those tunnels and making our es-
cape. but our hopes were soon blasted
and we had to give it up Comrade
Bianchield, TO you remember about
them irving to induce US to take the
oath to their Government2. But 1 do
not remember any that did take the
oath. We let them understand that we
would rather die than thus disgrace
our fas. in Dixie's sunny land
After Lees surrender We were paroled
and marched to Shreveport, and from
there by water 10 the mouth of Red
River; from there TO New Orleans
where we discarded our old rags and
lice washed ourselves and put on Union
blue and were transported TO our diff
ferent regiments. My regiment, the Sd
U S. Cav, was at Little Rock. and 1
got there on tho rfth Of June, 1865,
4bfr and
started home Co Gods country.
NOW, just to show our patriotism and
LOYALTY TO our Government, l will men
ton a man, fer example. / don't re-
member his surname His parents were
said TO be very wealthy, living about 20
mikes from Camp Ford. AT the begin
Ming Of the war he went to Kansas and
enlisted in a Kansas regiment, and WAS
captured, I believe. on Red River. He
had often told Us how near he was to
his old home, but he did not want to
go there. One day a fine carriage drove
up to the guard quarters. colored
man driving and two ladies dressed Ia
silk in tfls. carriage, called TO the Onieer
of the Guard and inquired about this
young man. Presently a Corporal and
four men came in and inquired for him.
He was answered: Il am the man you
are looking for" They took him out
and it was his mother and sister that
Were lnUulriUS IOF MN w men ne CANT
forward his mother threw her arms
around him, saying: Don't you want
to go home John2" His answer was:
These rebels won't let me go
home His mother answered: Yes.
they will, if you will take the oath to
our Government" The brave soldier
raised his hand and pointed TO the
graveyard There lay thousands of my
comrades whom these rebels have
starved to death. and l would rather lie
there than to take the oath to such 4
Government as you have got" They
brought him back into the stockade
and turned him loose. Perhaps every
one that was there remembers how we
cheered the brave fellow when he came
In. The rebels often tried to persuade
US TO take the oath, but l do not know
of any who did. except those two de
serters have spoken of.
Now. in our declining years. wheI
there are but few OF US left, L thinl
that our Government, for which "
suffered SO much, ought TO appreciat
oHr suffering and patriotism enough
pass the ex-prisoners of war bilL-Wi
liam McKean. CO. J. Sd u. $. Cav Thu
man, o.