Putnam patriot., 1911-08-18
am Byron D. Bugb C e Watch Our Show


the road near the old town of Winches- ter. Va. They had just come out of the dirt fort on the high hill behind them and were waiting for the order to march Before them, for ninety-two miles, lay the broad highway. winding up the beau tifully Valley of Virginia, to the town of Staunton. Beyond that, for one hun dred miles stretched a line of railroad, through a most mountainous country. At the end of this railroad the doors of Libby Prison would open to receive the captured Yankees
 These prisoners were a part of lit tle army of seven thousand men that, under the command of that intense patriot and ready fighter. General R. H. Milroy. had stood in the way of that part If Lees army Ewell's Corps of thirty-fiye thousand men, then surging northward. to meet few days later the veterans of Meade's army at Gettys- burg
 All through the previous Saturday and Sunday June 13 and II, Milroy man ouvered and fought his little army; but the extended ranks of the enemy pressed against his front and round his Hanks, till al last. Monday morning, June 15, he was surrounded and crushed His army was destroyed, he himself barely escap ing with the few who cut through the encompassng lines of gray.
 The batch of prisoners above men toned was the first consignment to the South They were men from New York, Pennsylvania. Connecticut, Ohio. Maryland, and New Jersey The 5Sth Virginia. with loaded muskets and fixed bayonet,. surrounded them on both Hanks, front and rear When ready 10 start their commander Col. Board rid ing a gray horse. moved to the centre of the line and thus addressed his men:
 Soldiers of the 5sth: These Yan- kees have fallen into our hands by the fortune of war want them treated like gentlemen as long as they behave as such II l know of any abuse or in- suits it will be punished" Then, trot- ting to the head of column,
 Forward, March"
 Nothing could have been better than the treatment We received from these men whjle under their charge It was when We arrived at Staunton and the 5Sth turned us over to Richmond City guards that screws were put on.
 Thus abont six o'clock in the after noon. We began the journey to the rebel capital Passing through the silent streets of the town. we swung out upon the broad white turnpike made famous more than a year later by Sheridan's famous ride At first the prisoners were silent The events of the past few days were fresh in mind The rattle of mus ket firing, the crash of artillery and bursting shells were still ringing in our ears The sight of mangled forms of comrades as they lay upon the field the uncertain fate of others; thoughts of home and the contemplation of the prob able misery awaiting us, could not pro duce a feeling of very great cheerful ness
 But as the cool evening breeze sprang up and the novelty of the situation was realized. a subdued conversation arose, sraduaily increasing ni volume then into jokes and calls, ehafing each other and even the guards. When, after march of about ten miles, we filed 10 the right into a field just outside of Newtown, for the nights bivouac, tone of cheerfulness, even hilarity. pre- vailed in the biue-clad ranks.
 To bivouac was simply 10 lie down upon the dewy grass. The prisoners were packed close together 10 make the work of the guard safer and essisr.