The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-08
~ MARCUS IL. ToNEY.

wrote you from Elmira. N. 2. June
IA. 1913, giving description OF our
Confederate Cemetery there. where
rests the dust of 2,s17 Confederates
who died there. ] inclose picture of
tho graves. I don't know In all our
country, North or South. a prettier or
better kept cemetery. and tho people
OF Elinira take a great pride in It and
call 1t the Soldiers Cemetery. 1t occu-
pies some three and n quarter acres In
their Woodlawn Cemetery, which &.
much like our Mt Olivet,
Recently public-spirited citizen OF
Elmira. Mr. Clay w. Holmes. has com
piled large volumne on Prison Life
in Elmira," and every person OF i'm
portance in the city has copy. Mr.
lfolmes was a young reporter some fif
teen years OF age on the Elmira Ga
zctte. but was never in the prison, as
no one was admitted 70 those prisons
without an order from President Lin
coin OF Secretary OF war Stanton. and
when Mr.. Holmes conceived the Idea OF
compiling the history he wrote 10 the
survivors ne could locate and aaked
them to send "Reminiscences OF thel.
prison life. I sent him my "Privations
of n Private" which contained eleven
months experience there. and the pic
lures of the prisoners-how they slept.
tho punishments, burial of the dead.
tho traffic In rodents, etc.
There WAS also one picture which
seemed to interest Mr.. Holmes more
than any others, entitled "Homeward
hound" IT WAS a group OF twenty
seven Confederates who refused TO take
the oath. The commandment, Coy w.
r. Beale, ordered us to Dry Tortugas.
but intsead of going We relented and
took the oath June IA, 1855 and while
we were waiting for tho train street
artist set mp his camera for picture
OF the group. Seeing there was some
hesitancy ne said: Boy, only charge
n quarter" ] was the only one In the
group that had the price. ! told him
TO fire away. I had bought n light hat
and linen buster and took position in
the centre OF the group. as | was 10
pay. Right In front or me was small
boz about eleven or twelve years old
who was looking at us. and when the
artist get up his camera the little fell
low turned around and j got good
picture OF him.
said TO Mr.. Holmes. my work was
copyrighted. but would give him per-
mission TO use all the pictures he want
ed. which he did, and has been trying
throughout Elmira TO locate this little
fellow / told Mr. Holmes If he was
living maybe he was now grand
father.
Another picture admired by Mr..
Holmes was the burial or the dead.
When prisoner died. his name, com
pany and regiment were printed on the
breast OF whatever garment he wore.
The body was then carried 10 dead
house In this house was a large mum
Der OF poplar collins, the shape of q
/ long box. In which guns are trans
ported On the lid Of each box was
! tackled q headboard. The body was
deposited In the box, the inscription
copied on the headboard. which was
poplar and there deposited In dry
mineral water bottle, corked perfectly
secure, and deposited under the arm
bit At the cemetery lodge was kept q
large Journal, In which each name was
| entered alphabetically. with the num-
Der Of the grave opposite. Suspended
over the table was II chart OF the Gem
etery, numbered from ! TO 2,917. sc