Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-05-11

Au6 a. OuCc,. We KNEW not WQere
and after going about fifteen miles
we laid down to rest for the nigh
but were offered no rations. TIL.
next morning we marched five OF
six miles further until we came t.
railroad station and there we were
crowded into a small cattle car, as
thick as we could stand.
After riding until nearly noon
the train was switched on a side
track, unloaded, and while there
the rebels gave each one OF the
prisoners an ear of hard corn and
We made that our first meal in rebel
dom on that. Then we were ordered
on the cars again and before night ar.
rived in Wilmington, N. c., where
they gave us a grand supper con-
sisting Of corn bread ground up
with cob and all, and no salt in 1t
together with small piece OF bacon.
Then we were marched to Whining
ton prison and placed in the second
story where we could look out
through the iron bars and see the
city. Each cell held ten or twelve
prisoners.
Hides Money In Wall
1.-THE next day, / noticed they
were calling out the prisoners one
by one and none returned. Then the
thought came to me that the were
being searched, and having $156
in greenbacks, Il began to look
around for place to conceal my
wealth. In one Of the cells / found
where in days gone by some one
had been digging in the wall and
left hole. I knew I might as we'll
hide 1t there and run my chances of
getting it again as to give it to the
rebels.
Il put $3.50 in that hole and kept
the balance in my pocketbook,
thinking if did that it would ar
rest all suspicion and they would not
search me so closely. My theory
proved correct. After we were
searched and everything OF any
value taken, we were returned to
the same quarters and I soon went
to where my money was concealed
and there / stayed until midnight.
When all seemed to be asleep. cut
the threads in the bottom Of the
hem Of my pants and also in the waist
band, where made place to con-
ceal the money. Not a person
knew I had penny during the fiji
teen months I was in prison"
THE prisoners were kept in
Wilmington only few days before
they were sent to Salisbury, N. C..
and while there Mr. Blake nearly
died Of typhoid fever. The Salisbury
prison was considered a large one,
with about one acre inclosed by a
high stone wall. The prisoners were
a great curiosity to the southern
ers, who it seems looked on them
with hatred. The treatment accorded
Mr.. Blake and his companions at
Salisbury was fair, considering the
war, said Mr.. Blake, except that the
rations were small. The last of May
1864, Mr.. Blake and the eight who
had been with him on their recon-
noitering raid were taken to Ander-
sonyille, Georgia.
Crowded Like Cattle.
Andersonville prison then con-
tanned about 10000 union men, but
by July the number had been in
creased to $4,000 according to Mr..
Blake. The total area was thirteen
acres.
II got in with seven other prison
ers and all we had was three old
blankets and few yards of tent
cloth, as the rebels had taken away
all we had OF any value,' said Mr..
Blake's entry in his diary concerning
that time. "The rebels would even
take our best coats and blankets and
give us some old garments nearly
worn out and of little use"
Telling of the corn cake which
was their sole rations most of the
lime, Mr.. Blake said sometimes "for
! change" they were given just the