Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-03-24
ACONFEDERATE'SDIARYI
DIR, GREEN WRITES ANOTHER
INTERESTING LETTER,
Confederate Prisoners Diary Shows
Marked Contrast Between Treat
ment of Prisoners i'm Civil
War.

Editor Public Opinion:
Fatio Durham, a member of Co.
B. Sd Florida, during the civil war,
was the father of my niece, Mrs. c..
H. Messiner, and by her permission
| have had access to diary written
by him while he was prisoner at
Johnson's Island, Ohio, in the whit
er of 1853. Believing that a few ex-
tracts from this diary may be OF
interest TO the old veterans, among
your readers and possibly to others,
l have taken the liberty to jot them
town chiefly for the reason that
they furnish conclusive evidence
Of the kind treatment accorded con-
federate prisoners by the repre-
sentatives of the union, which, as
Mr.. l.. l.. Couse and others who
were unfortunate enough to be in
carcerated ut Andersonville or Libby
we'll know is in marked contrast to
what befell them in those prison
pens. OF course the diary contains
many things which would be of no
interest except to the near friends
and relatives of the writer; so
have passed them over and just
picked out the few brief extracts
which are. given IN this letter
Captured Sept. 20, 1863. First
Lieut.. Co. B. 3Sth Ind. relieving me
of my sword and belt" After
speaking of the kindness Of the cap
tors, he says, lone of whom | will
never forget, may the Almighty
shield and protect him from all
danger, a corporal of the 18th Reg
ulars, u. S. A Sunday night
was turned over to some Yankey
Colonel who was very kind to me,
having had no raticns for two days
vas of course very hungry and felt
very tired having marched all Sat
urday night the 10th. The quarter
master of some Yanky brigade took
me to his quarters aid had coffee
made and | made a good meal or
bareback and boiled fresh beef
We were guarded by the 9Sth
ILL.,, mounted infantry under Lieut..
Col. Ket ?h4ll, whom we found to-
gether with the rest of the officers to
be very gentlemanly and treating us
with the utmost courtesy
On the night of Sept. 30th just as
we all had got into bed orders came
to tumble up and we supposed we
were to leave Louisville, but we
were marched to the Provost Marsh
all's office at the residence OF the
lamented Jollcchoffer and there we
answered to our names (omcers
only after which several bottles oil
whiskey were opened and Rebs and
Yanks tipped glasses and drank to
each others health as If peace
reigned over the whole land"
Speaking of his arrival at Johnson's
Island, he says, I'm little while
the steamboat Eastern landed us
(29 officers in number l was very
agreeably surprised to find my
brother Dave, who was taken at the
battle of Gettysburg, Pa. in July.
found him practicing for some
entertainment on the island. BE-
ing very hungry | at once embraced
the invitation of Lieut.. Bail OF the
I'd Florida, one of Dawes mess and
soon made hearty meal of cold
roast beef, potatoes and bread.
find this prison far superior to any
have yet been in; 1t is a beautiful
place and the lake much reminds
me of my ocean homes Some
excitement in the Bull Pen today.
a report beng in circulation via
grape vine" that an armistic, 80 or
40 days, has been agreed upon by
the u. S. and G.. S. government.
Weather fair and fine, the Rebel
Thespians gave an entertainment
this afternoon. Another grape
vine this afternoon, viz: that the
Yankey commissioner Meredith had
rnrN1annd nnd that Cen OIld
and the new one had agreed upon
q cartel for the exchange OF all pris-
oners. Another excitement
today the Baltimore papers say
COPIED from the Richmond Express
of the 20th.) that cartel had been
agreed upon and that all prisoners,
officers and men are to be exchanged
except a few Vicksburg prisoners
up to the first of Sept. Bad news
for me and the balance of my
friends taken on the goth of Sept.
= The Chicago Times has
telegraph from Washington to the
effect that the Commissioners have
failed to agree, the Confederate
government not asserting to any
proposition of the Yankey Commits
sioners; if such is the case our fate
is all winter within these prison
walls
Inasmuch as the diary was writ
ten in small blank book which was
filled while he was yet a prisoner,
it may be assumed that the Lieut..
and his friends spent the entire
winter as the guests of Uncle Sam.
However that may be, his testimony
as to the kindness of the Federal
officers, the courtesies shown him
together with the quality and guam
tity of food he received, is a direct
denial of the absurd stories of cru
city at Johnson's Island.
l have met with several Confed-
crate soldiers here at Palatka, also
few Union Veterans, most of these
however, are like myself, tourists
from the north. Between these old
vets, the utmost good feeling pre-
walls; they freely fraternize with
each other on all occasions, the
bronze button is seen at their picnics
and other social gatherings and is
hOnOred eoualiy with the crossed