Year: 1876




caught and fetched back. The tun-
mel was discovered and stopped up,
and an extra guard placed on the
river bank.
One morning, about two weeks af-
ter we landed at Cahawba, a side
wheel steamer landed at the wharf,
and we were told to prepare for en-
barkation, which we did. A young,
sharp-looking fellow, by the nick
name of ''Old timber Jim, belonging
to some Illinois regiment of infan-
try, by some means got hold of two
or three lbs. of tobacco and called
the boys around him and treated all
to chew, and by the time that was
through with we were fling out of
the old cotton shed and walking the
gang plank aboard the boat, with no
knowledge of where we were going,


As soon as all were on board the
staging was taken in and we were
headed up streams northeast We
started without any rations, and no
body seemed authorized to furnish
us any. We arrived at Montgome-
ry, Ala, the next, day, without, any
thing to eat There We were disem-
barked and the quartermaster gave
requisition for four crackers apiece
and we were counted out in squads
of 40 in squad. Each squad was
ordered to stay together, and we
obeyed by remaining at our post.


The crackers were issued, but our
squad was overlooked, and didn't
get single cracker. We reported
to the quartermaster the situation,
but he refused to reissue anything.
He said the crackers were taken out
for us, and if we didn't get them it
wasn't his fault. We then applied to
the prisoners that had received five
crackers instead of four to. refund, as
there were 160 crackers divided
among them more than they ought
to have had. am sorry to say it,
but as am stating facts, l must say,
that not one man, as far as / know,
was willing, or did give up or divide
a single cracker with us. If there
was one man that did, 1 am not aware
of it.


We stayed all night near Mont
pomery, and next morning the
guards put us in some stock cars
and we moved on East. We didn't
receive the wherewith to appease
our hungry appetites. At every
station the guards received tokens
of respect from the young ladies on
the route, in the shape of bouquets,
which they received with applause


We crossed the State line at Co
lumbus, Georgia, and in the evening
of that day, which I remember was
Saturday, we stopped at Butler, a
small town in Georgia We received
notice that we would have to remain
over night. Our hunger was terri
BILE. All were complaining of hun
ger. and 40 of us we're suffering fear
fully. The guards gave us nothing,
and the quartermaster said he had
nothing to give u.s. They put us IN
a hog lot to sleep for the night, near
the depot.


The next morning as soon as peo-
pie we're string, the boys commenc-
ed to call for something to eat Ev-
ery body they saw moving they
would halloo to them, Il want some
thing to eat. Give me something to
eat. Say, Mr.. haven't you got some
thing to eat over there?" 1 am not
sure but 1 yelled few times myself
If 1 did that was the subject.


The yelling and begging lasted
until near ten o'clock A. Nj. when we
saw a man coming towards the pen
with a bushel basket of corn on his
shoulder. By the time ne reached
the fence the prisoners we're all at
that side of the pen. The man with
the corn got on top of the fence and
commenced calling ''pig-oo-ah! Pig
oo-ah!" like calling hogs. The boys
were calling to him to. pitch them
some. "Herel here! This way, and
there were about 600 hands up, eager
to seize that corn. The man pitched
the corn right and left, and you never
saw such a scrabbling for corn Some
got one ear and some got two, and
the most of them didn't get any; but
the philanthropical gentleman kept
carving out corn until we all had
rot at least one ear of corn apiece.
1 was lucky and got one, which L par
took of in its natural state.


We stayed all night again IN our
stock-pen, and early Monday morn
ing, on the 10th day Of May, 1864,
we we're put on the cars again and
steamed out of Butler. We switched
off the main track, and took down
South, and about 10 o'clock A NJ.
the engine whistled ''down brakes
and we stopped at little one-horse
town almost in the woods, which we
learned on inquiry was the never-to-


be-forgotten place called


/ ANDERSONVILLE
4 CT0 he continued |