The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-10-22

in and was dickerinr with a prisoner
for some more Of the buttons when
another Yank prisoner slipped around
behind him and cut number Of the
prixed buttons off from the rear q
his uniform and stepping around in
front told him that he had quantity
Of the buttons which he wished 70 sell
and the officer grabbed them up in n
minute paying a handsome price for
his own property. The toughest I'm
len private was as rule about head
and shoulders above the rebel officers
when il came 90 intelligence and the
southerners had many trick played
on them.
There was dead line sun around
the inside ~ the stockade and Is feet
away from il and in case a prisoner
touched that line, a guard immedi-
ately shot him. Some touched il ac-
eidentally and paid the penalty, while
others. glad 10 have the sufferings
end, ercpt or crawled up and touched
the line on purpose. The rebel guards
were as n rule good shots and hardly
ever a man was missed and death re-
suited right away. When the guards
shot a man they had a good laugh
over the incident and as as reward
the guards usually We're gwen fur
Tough or something else as valuable.
Escape MAS very nearly impossible
and IL the men were caught in the act
the punishment was Of the most hor-
irihle kind. A man in Mr.. Gooding's
company was caught in the act of es-
Gaping and he was hung up by the
thumbs for an entire day, without
food and he suffered the most ex-
cruciating pain.
About $50 or It's men dieA in the
camp every day and their wasted
bodies were carried outside and each
morning the dead wagons would call
T for them and a lot Of them would be
roughly thrown on. Twas - regular
rough lumber wagon and the mems
i legs and arms would be hanging over
the sides in all manners. The bodies
were buried in one biz grave.
When Sherman marched his army
% the sea, the rebels thought that he
would get t. AnderSenville and they
started % transfer the prisoners from
there 70 Florence and Mr.. Gooding
was taken there and remained there,
under somewhat better conditions
than az the previous camp. until Feb
Il a.
plenty Of good beef soup and many
/ Of the soldiers ate 50 much of it 20
satisfy their starving appetites that
il caused them 70 become sick and
they died.
When Mr. Gooding arrived at Will
mington. he was crippled and so far
GoNe from weakness that he hard to
BE carried ont, They took him out in
an open field and laid him down and
some ladies came and brought pea
nuts and other selicacies % him and
his comrades, He was unshaven, his
hair uncut, he wore no coat. shoes or
Z stockings and the only thing he had
on Was pair Of army uniform pants
which had been wove away in shreds
up 70 the knceS and shirt which ne
had wcrn ever since being taken prs
oner. The ladies poured peanuts in
90 his pockets and when he was as
sisted - get up they rolled right on
2 through the pockets onto the ground.
The women cried terribly over the
sights which the union soldiers pre-
scented, While here they heard But
Ter esnnoaading the rebel fortified
tons St the mouth Of the Cape Fear
river and the rebels hurried their
prisoners - Geldseoro, where they
were PLACED in a field Of grahs and
left there for whole week without
shelter az any kind, The worst part
81 il was that il rained necessarily
all 6urinS the week. Those who
were able 70 walk were taken from
here % Wilmington n. c. and ex-
changed hut those who Were SO weak
that they could net set up and stay
M had @ remain. behind and endure
their suffe-irxs and many Of them
died while waiting 10 be exchanged.
Mr.. Gceiinr had worn = shirt
which his mother had made for him
hsfore ne enlisted and this was 50
fun ~ holy lice. and he was too weak
- hunt them that he came very near
" passing in his checks also and he
finally decided % throw the shirt
away as Il afforded too much pro-
lection for the ice. which by this
tSr,c had eaten treat holes in his
eeSiy and made his sufferings very
great.
AlcnS about this tine the rebels
came 70 think that their case was
hopeless and they gave in and took
Mr.. Ge~>iinr ard the rest Of the pris-
cnsrS O. ssrsscherS 10 landing on
the Cape Fear river. where Sherman's
fcrces were Tie says that the sight
~ OLD Glory rn&6e HIM strong both in
courage and in his physical condition
and tf,St he never saw = better sight
i in AL his hfe> While here ne saw
sone rsAel prisoners which the Union
foreeS were exchanging for himself
ard osAerS and they were in prime
eonaSssoa and fit - GO right back into
the array again. The rebels starved
their rri<ensrS while the Union army
s-~sseS theirs hurasnely tnd gave
shera very good food % eat and kept
fAera IS cerafo~tShle as they could
usser TIE circumstances
They were then placed on board a
UrSce steamer and thcr up in to a
scAoel Ac0se where they were cared
fer for short sirc. This school,
hcass Was Just crSnmed full Of sick
soldiers IN the worst condition i'm
Axir&h,c and while here Mr.. Cooling
rsss a. old scnrsde whom be had