The National tribune., 1909-07-29
CAMP FORD, TEXAS.
The Experiences Of Those Captured at
Morgahza, Ia.

L
The Experiences of Those Captured at
| Morgahza, Ia.
Editor Matt nal Tribune: Some COM
rade who had been in Camp Ford
Texas, a prisoner, was asking in The
| National Tribune for a history of It.
We were taken prisoners near Nor
ganza. La, Sept 80, 1868, arriving al
the prison about Oct. 10. There was
barracks there then, and perhaps
| 100 prisoners. Our squal numbered
about 400 of the fa6th Ind. and goth
Iowa and section, of ap Indiana bat.
| terry. The barracks were occupied. We
| were put out on a sand ridge near the
barracks, without any shelter. We cul
poles and brush and made dugouts in
the side of the hill and lived there till
| in the Winter we bought a cabin tha;
some of the boys had built and N.Y.
self, Capt. Mcdonnell, Lieut.. Robinson,
| 26th Ind, and Lieut.. Lyon, of the
176th N. Y. occupied it till April, 1854,
when we were forwarded f,r exchange
for rebels that Banks was bringing
with him up Red River. We were
halted at Marshall. La, for several days,
and saw the prisoners from Bankss
army march past on their way to Camp
Ford. / expect the comrade will re-
member us lined up by the side of the
change fell thru, and we followed
them back to the camp. BY this time
we were getting pretty thick in camp.
They had put a stockade around about
two acres. About this time there was a
detachment brought in from Arkansas,
with the prisoners captured at Berwick
Bay and some at Sabine Pass. The
camp now numbered 5000 or 6.000.
They enlarged the stockade to about
four acres. When we got back to
camp the weather was getting hot and
the place filthy. We dug large sinks
for the slops. but there was enough
split on the ground for the flies to breed
on and you had to tie your i'antIcgs at
the bottom to keep the young flies from
taking possession. They, together with
the body lice and feas. kept YOU busy.
If you did not you would be eaten up.
In cases where man became unwoil
and no one cared for him, he died.
After the camp become so crowded and
filthy we had to use water from the
branch after the guards used it. and 1t
was filthy. When we got there Col
Allen was in command. He and mis-
wife werc as kind as tl,ey could be.
The officers were allowed TO go out at
VIII and the men had Il great many
privileges. our principal food was
corn meal not very well sailed. I'm
der Col Allen we got beef sometimes,
and bacon, too.
Early in the Winter the enlisted men
were sent to Shreveport and kept
month or so. but came back about the
1st of February, 1864. we got along
nicely while they We're away. About
the time they returned Col. Bordens
took ,coTlmand. and wasn't much bet
ter than Wirtz at. Andersonvile. They
kept trained dogs to recaptufe any who
tried to get away. All the officers of
our regiment f2Gth. IndJ got out one
night and tried to escape. but they
followed us with thaidogs and the third
day we were all back, III camp, except
two. capt Stott, 26th Ind. and a gum
boatman, who were abs3nt when our
squad was taken. Wien they found
we had been retaEep they started out
and fell in with the army going to
rebel pickets and INTO lour lines at
Pleasant Hill.
We played cards, behesi and checkers
from morning till iitfght,b Lieut. Lyon,
my bunkmate, and Coz. Crocker both
of New York. werei ithel1champions in
chess. We undertook to celebrate Wash
ngton's Birthday, out were dispersed
Alter WdTuS were dftDNen 20 on 1T
we didn't talk "treasoffie col Leak,
of the 20th Iowa made the address.
Col J. II. -Dugah. gff6th<hS. ny; read
poem of his own composition Under
the administration of Col. Allen we
had good many visitors, among them
Miss Molly Moon. a Texan poetess. and
we had some enjoyable times The cit
izens were allowed to bring in produce
for those who had the money to buy
$500 per gallon for sorghum, so cents
per pound for bacon, and all else in
same ratio. About July we were ex-
at the mouth of Red River
Among the rebel prisoners were men
that were present when we were cap
tured. When we arrived at New Or
leans hardly any OF the men had
enough clothing to cover them, some
only piece of blanket, and most all
were barefooted. Gen. Candy met us
at New Orleans and shed tears as he
passed along the line and shook hands
with us. We left a disconsolate as
sembly that bid us goodbye in camp
when we came out, but the number that
came away with us relieved the crowd
ed camp and l hope they were more
comfortable. / might relate good
many circumstances more than / have
but would make this too long Won't
the comrade spoken OF give us a sketch
of the time while he was there?. You
see we left soon after he got there. III
would be very glad to hear from him
N. A. Logan, Lieutenant Colonel, 18th
Ind.