Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-09
BY EDITH TuNIs SALE.

!. the cloud 80 heavy with fate burs,
= with such sudden fury upon the
!. heads of his followers and himself.
I. In the light of their heroism. an,.
record of their daily life Is interest :
Ing, and hook which has recently
;. been shown treasures between each
line tho elements of human interes,
). mat appeal to all ages and clasa;s.
IL Is only an old Autographs book
not even book, simply a list of
names and dates bound together with
= the threads OF comradeship and sor-
row-but its entries throw L flood of
;. light upon the lives and characters
or the men who pcnned them. for IL
= tells the greatest tragedy Of 1865.
:. Faded and mellow with age now, with
;. the ink sunk deep into the pages of
cream. we touch it with reverence.
recalling anew the momcntous days
;. when 1t was FRS. opened within the
prison walls at Johnson's Island
= Nividly the little book calls before
us the gallant young officers. eager
and full OF keen interest, throwing
themselves with passionate ardor into
>. the great trial 81 their country
On Luke -Grie.
Johnson's Island lies at the south
west end OF Lake Erie. two and n
y. half miles from Sandusky, Ohio. and
contains about 200 acres. Ten acres
= were cleared OF trees for the con-
/. s,ruction OF the prison, the buildings
: OF which were Enclosed within
twelve foot wall The barracks were
built of white pine and consisted of
thirteen houses placed in two rows
with fiftyfoot street separating
them. Each building measured la5
/, by 20 feet and was two stories in
height.
All the rooms in only four OF them
/, were ceiled. the rest having just two
: and three large rooms on floor with
Sheds at the end OF each which an
swered for Kitchens. Inadequate
ventilation game from limited num-
Der Of windows. causing the nifty or
sixty officers confined in each room
intense discomfort.
To overcome this they cut holes in
the walls for air and light. From
200 10 800 men lived in each build
ing. all sleeping in threc-story hunks
which lined the walls. With winter
came untold suffering. owing to in
sufficient heat and in the zero
weather OF 1854 number OF men
: .frozc TO death right in the prison.
The only drainage came from "a
large ditch which encircied the wall
and was fed by smaller drains run
ming through the yard. all OF these
being dependent upon heavy rains for
thorough cleansing. The water sup
ply came from deep holes dug in the
middle of the street and three pumps
ON the side OF the prison nearest the
lake, 10 which pipes ran. When the
wells and pumps frozc, the prisoners
were sent In detachments to cut the
ice on the lake and from there bring
the water necessary for the various
buildings.
Cherished MS Sacred.
We do not wonder that Southern
ers have always kept place In their
hearts for the ill-starred officers who
passed so many ,wretched hours at
this prison on Lake Erie, md the
little book. with the saddcst OF stories
told pitifully between each aamc.
should for all time he sacredly
cherished. 1t is perfectly natural
that those loyal TO the backbone to
the Southern cause should now and
then grow rcs,ivG; under the unhappy
no pay for months; the weather was
severe. rat!ons were poor. and their
hearts were wruns by tidings OF
families almost starving in their dis
tant homes.
in December. 1863. a plan 10 es-
cape was formulated by the officers
under the leadership of Captain l.. W.
Allen. of Caroline County. Va. They
"a IA. al .l IN fri. Ia.
canadians. but, unfortunately, as the
escape was about to matcrinliZc. she
,Governor-General OF Canada notified
Lord Lyon. British ambassador at
Washington. who Informed MI.
Seward, Secretary OF state From
that time on. the prison was douhly
disappointed men who penciiied upon
one Of the prison walls the lines
which cannot fail 10 move the hearts
of all who have friends sleeping in
peace beneath the soll of the lake
bordered island
.'Hoarse sounding hllows of the
white-cappca lake
That 'gainst the barriers Of our hate
prison break,
land sea;
Thou. TOO. subservest the modes OF
Gjrdiing this isle, washing it's lonely
shore
with moaning echoes OF thy melan-
choiy roar
z Farewell, thou lake. Farewell. Thou
sf inhospitablc land,
Thou hast the courses of this patriot
All. save the spot, the holy, sacred
bed,
Where rest in peace our Southern
warriors dead
H. J,.l IpIn Il
numbered los, the average number OF
prisoners being about 900, though
as many as $3.50 were held there .;
one time. That the Confederate otii e
GERS were right In the firing line with
their men is proved by the number
captured, and it is interesting to note
.~that the red-bound book records the
names OF two major-generals md
eight brigadiers among the inmates
of this ofticer's prison.
Roll of Honor.
Across TIE pathos OF names ocTMcG
80 sadly, hickcrs CLEAN OF sat!sfac.
al! have never been forgotten by
those for whom they gave il. Turn
jng the pages our eyes are FIRST ar
rested by the entry:
.@i7I. r. TrimDle OF Maryland. Maj'r
Cenl. r. A. G. S. Wounded e. captured
at Gettysburg. July 3, 1868. John
sons Island Fcby. I3th. 1864
@F Then follow in sequence: