The National tribune., 1910-03-03
THE NATIONAL WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

AS soon as I had finished my break
fast was put into carriage with TWO
armed men and taken to SALISBURY
Prison. At that time. according to my
estimate, there were not over 500 pris-
oners at that place.
In the three-story brick building
where the prisoners were confined the
ground floor was not occupied; the sec
ond floor was occupied by citizens.
called political prisoners, and the third
or top floor was occupied with us, pris-
oners of war.
There was another smaller building,
occupied by deserters and bounty
jumpers of our army-about 20 or
more of them.
The Sergeant of the third fiocr was
one of the six raiders that later were
hung at Andersonville. His name was
Curtiss. and he is the one that broke
away and ran, causing such a panic
after they marched them inside of the
big gate at Andersonville. l was stand
ing below the gate where he ran down
towards the creek. l at once recog-
nized him as the same man.
We Federal prisoners remained at
Salisbury until May Z, 1864, when in
the afternoon we again were put on
stock train for Andersonville. l had
a common old case knife, the back
of which had been filed and made into
a saw that we used for saving out
With this saw I and two more of the
boys-Jack Span, of the 1st KY, and
Dominic Popollo, from New York
regiment-made another escape.
AS soon as we boarded the train we
took our position near the front of the
car, where there was a small creek.
Soon after dark, by hard work, we had
an opening made that was large enough
for us to get thru. We got out and
stood on the coupling.
As soon as all three were out we
jumped off. The train was not moving
fast, and we were not hurt. We trav-
eled all that night by the guidance of
the stars in a nOrtherly direction. Next
day was Saturday, May 8. We lay in
hiding all that day, and at dark re-
sumed our journey, when to our great
and misfortune a heavy
rain storm came up and we were made
soaking wet We kept on going, and
as best we could we tried to go in the
right direction with nothing to guide
us.
AT one time, as we passed a farm
house where there were a number of
fowls roosting on a fence, each of us
secured bird-one was a turkey. We
came to a small creek, where we
We cut out part of the turkey breast,
and as we had a little salt along with
us we ate some of it raw.
As the ground got very soft from the
heavy rain, we made tracks wherever
we Travelled, which proved our undo
ing
When daylight came we again lay
down between some logs in the woods.
This was Sunday morning. A heavy
hplnp1
We We're wet and cold from the heavy
rain and fog. Near noon, after the fog
had risen, there suddenly appeared in
our front small group of men with
guns in hand. approaching our hiding
place. We kept as motionless as pos
sible, but they found us.
When they had captured us they said
they had no trouble to follow our tracks
in the soft ground. They took US up
to one of their homes and gave us a
plentiful dinner; then they took us on
horses under heavy guard to States
Viiie, where we were put in jail for the
night.
The next morning there arrived an
other trainload of prisoners at States
vile, going from Belle Island to An
dersonville. We We're taken out of Jail
and put in charge of the rebel officer
IN charge of those prisoners and as the
train laid over a few hours he bucked
and tied us down in the hot sun.
When he got ready to start he put
us under heavy guard in a special
car, and made us promise under oath
that we would not attempt to get away
from him. We finally landed in that
earthly place of misery and starvation
called AndersonvilIe. When / got in
side of the stockade I again found my
comrade, A. G. Smith, and others. They
were not a little surprised to see me
again. The rebels had reported finding
me dead after / jumped off the first
time that night between Raleigh and
Salisbury.
L remained in Andersonyille until
some time in September, when again
they commenced removing us to differ
ent places. Some went to Florence and
some to Savannah. Comrade Smith and
L were among the latter. The first
time L was taken out / happened to be
on the unfortunate train that was
wrecked only a few miles from An
dersonville. The second time I left
Andersonville we were taken to Savan-
nah, then TO Millen, and from there
back again to Savannah and Black
smear. On our way from Blackshear
TO Florence we were sidetracked to lay
over night at Savannah. That night
some OF