The National tribune., 1910-08-11
CAPTURE OF FORT JOHNSON.
How the Expedition Surrendered on
the Parapets of the Fort at James
Island

Island
Editor National Tribune: / think
Congress would pass the ex-prisoners'
bill in a hurry if the legislators had a
fair conception of the rebel prisons
during the war. / enlisted Sept. 19,
1861, and was discharged May 2, 1865.
with but one enlistment. They were
around in the Winter of 1S62-64, re-
enlisting men and paying $500 bounty,
but thought If / stayed in the army
three years and did my duty L would
get my share, so 1 did not re-enlist, and
on July 3. 1864, / was taken prisoner
on the parapets of Fort Johnson at
James Island. / was not cooling cof-
fee." either.
An expedition started from Battery
| Chatfield, on the lower part of Morris
Island, composed of 81 eight-oared
boats, called surf boats. for the capture
of the fort. We had to row against the
/ tide, and were not able to land until
the daybreak. As soon as the rebels
| discovered what we were doing they
| opened up on us, and they made an
awful racket The expedition was COM
posed OF all of the men fit for duty of
the SD Pa, the 126th N. ]. and few
from the Cd r. /. II. A. Seven boats
went back and left us. We first took
Brooks's Battery, which was near to
the shore .aS James Island, and then
went for Psrt Johnson, which was an
earth fort. We had to go thru marsh
between the forts of about an eighth
mile. and If the tide had not been down
we would not have been able to do il.
| The commander of the expedition
was Col. Henry NJ. Hoyt, of our regi-
ment. We fought quite awhile, with
the rebels on one side of the parapet
and we on the other. We finally got
on top of the parapet, but the Colonel
saw there was not enough of us to take
the fort, and he raised his handker-
chief upon his sword and we surren-
ldered. l did not know until then that
the rest of the expedition had gone
back and left us. for 1 did not look
back after we landed until then.
We were taken into Charleston, and
found very few rebel soldiers there
We were sure that If we had all landed
we could have taken Charleston on July
| ., 1854. as easy as not. And what a
Ihlherence II would have made in the
war if Charleston had been captured
then! we were taken to AndersonvilIe
| In Few days, and were there three OF
four months. Ours was the 99th de-
itachment
| will not say anything about the
rations we got while in AndersonvilIe
Tor they we're better and were nearly
all cooked and more of them than re.
ceived while in any other prison. But
; prisoners to Charleston, and we wer,
in that number and put in the race
= course near Charleston, while they
built the stockade at Florence. And II
: seemed hard while we were confined il
Charleston to be nearly starving, anc
: to have our regiment just across the
2 channel with plenty to eat.
4 We were in Charleston about &
2 month, and then We were taken Il
s Florence. Our rations there were near.
= iy all raw, and we had no wood to cool
4 with. Cornmeal was our principal ra
D tion. 1t was pretty fiat stuff to hav,
/, just warmed up and not bit of salt il
n it. l don't think ! had a teaspoonfu
of salt in the 236 days / was in prison
Sometimes we got rice or cowpeas. w,
that did finally live to get out had hard
! ly enough rations to keep the breatl
of life in u.s. The rebels did not pro
vide any kind of shelters for us, ant
r We suffered greatly with the cold.
, i had a good suit in my knapsack
I and had sent nearly all of the money
home that / had received at last pay
5 day. So my clothing were all rags, anc
S 1t was Winter and / had to. lie on tn,
: ground. / suffered awfulIy, but prob
ably not as much as some of the pris
l oners with nothing but a shirt on; tn,
: rebels had taken all but the shirt Som,
1 Of the prisoners took the clothing from
e the dead. From Florence We wer,