The National tribune., 1910-01-27
THE END OF ANDER soNvILLE PRISON.

ibid he tell you that, too?" Then he
said: well. he has not exactly surren-
dered yet, but he will soon.'
As 1 turned away he asked me not
to tell anyone that he had told me any
thing. l promised.
l then told my partner, William
Koehler, now of Dubuque. Iowa, that
was certain that we would all be out
of there soon. l did not get much en-
couragement from him. He had heard
that before. / tried to tell him why l
had so much confidence in what l had
heard, but he would not listen and end
ed the conversation by saying we had
better go to the creek, take a wash and
go to bed, which we proceeded to do.
While we were washing the Sergeant
of the Guard came to the gate and be-
gan to call out men to go away. When
asked how many were going, he gave
US to understand that the last Yankee
(that is not what he called us)
would he out of there before morning.
The last of the prisoners marched out
of the gate before midnight.
l have said there were over 5000
there when we went in. About 5000
had gone thru the lines by the way of
Vicksburg, leaving $500 there at this
time. AS we left everything inside the
dead line was set on fire, and as we
went to the station, many turned back
to look upon the thick, black smoke
as it was lighted UP by the blazing
pitch pine.
on reaching the cars we boarded
and at Z o'clock were at Macon. In
about half an hour we started
back, and stopped at Andersonville
long enough to draw rations of hard
tack. the first we had ever seen there.
They appeared to be some that were
left from the Mexican war. We went
south to Albany, Ga; thence we march
ed three days to ThomasVille. From
there we went by rail to Lake CITY,
Fla, where we remained about a week.
Paroles were made and signed there;
then we went to Baldwin, Fla, only
about 20 miles from Jacksonville. 1
was on the last train that left Lake City
for Baldwin, and as We came to the
breastworks across the railroad en-
bankment, we found Capt. WirZ stand
ing there. He said: Boys, there's your
road; march, The road was the rail-
road embankment stripped of rails and
ties.
/ did not reach Jacksonville that
night, but was obliged to camp on the
road, because koehler when captured
| had a broken leg and this now began
to trouble him, so that he was lame
land could not go farther. We camped
near a swamp. and during the night
! had little scare occasioned by the too
near approach of some alligators. In
/ the morning we made our last corn
bread and started for Jacksonville.
We had marched about 10 miles on
our road before going into camp. We
started in the morning with Koehler
still lame. 1t was- evident that he
would not be able to walk the whole
distance. When we had gone two or
three miles we came to the end of the
track and, hearing locomotive
whistle, concluded that a train was
coming out for us. AS the whistle
sounded louder we sat upon the ends of
the ties waiting. Nearly every tie had
a man at either end waiting for the
I train. 1t was curious how everyone
wished to appear unconcerned, as if he
/ had no interest in the proceedings.
AS they sat there they would crane
( their necks looking/dOwn the track in
/ the direction of the coming train, and
all unconsciously to themselves would
arise to their feet. and finally find
. themselves standing on tiptoe looking
for II. On making this discovery they
would sit down as quickly as if in
obedience to a military command
| About half mile from us was
curve in the track and all beyond was
hidden from our view. AS the train
came nearer and before they came In
isight we could hear the strains of music
/ from brass band. playing the old pa
triotic airs we had not heard for so
1 long. Nearer and snearer came the
train and more plainly could we hear
] the music, The Red White and Blue"
The Star Spangled Banner and 9TH
ers. At last the train came around the
curve, and such a sight as we saw!
The Old Flag at Last.
There on box car stood the band
and man was holding the old Flag
the Flag we had fought for on so many
fields, and had suffered wounds and
imprisonment and almost death for
And here in the swamps of Florida we
were again to come under its protect
ing folds. Perhaps mortal man never
beheld a more welcome sight. Now
restraint was thrown to the winds.
There was no concert of action, no
cheering: but In every face could be
seen that they considered they had
passed from death unto life.
AS the train backed slowly to us and
stopped to take us on board, we discov-
cred that every man of them was as
black as men grow. men who had been
made free by the war then about to
close. Perhaps 1t was fitting that we
who had suffered SO much and so long
should receive our freedom at the hands
of those who themselves had been thus
made free. I believe II Ii the universal