USA > Indiana > History of the Third Indiana cavalry > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
During this time there were also numerous changes in the com- pany officers of both battalions of the regiment. Charles W. Lee, who went out with Company A as a sergeant, first became second, then first lieutenant, and then captain of that company, on the 5th of August, 1863, Lieutenant Porter, of that company, having left the service on the 20th of December, 1863. Benjamin Q. Gresham, of Company B, who had been a lieutenant of that com- pany, became its captain on the resignation of Capt. James D. Irvin on May 22, 1862; was then promoted to major and later resigned to become lieutenant-colonel of the Tenth Indiana Cav- alry. Marshall Lahue as first lieutenant of Company B com- manded that company until it was mustered out of service. Lieut. Ephraim Martin, of Company C, was made captain of that com-
182
183
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
pany on the 9th of May, 1863, Major Lemon having been pro- moted and Lieut. Paul Clark having resigned on the 20th of June, 1862. William W. Long was made first lieutenant of that com- pany August 5, 1863. Isaac R. Gilbert became a second lieutenant of Company C on June 8, 1863, and George Rogers was made second lieutenant of the company January 1, 1864. Daniel B. Keister went to the field as captain of Company B, but resigned July 1, 1862. Lieut. Mathew B. Mason became his successor and resigned October 3, 1862. Henry F. Wright followed as captain and resigned March 3, 1863, and Lieut. John D. R. Spencer be- came captain August 5, 1863, going from second and then first lieutenant, and remained with the company as its captain until the close of its service. James A. Kelsey was first and James Calhoun was second lieutenant of this company at the date of its muster out of service.
George H. Thompson became captain of Company E on the promotion of Major McClure, January 5, 1863, and subsequently was promoted to major. The officers of Company E at the date of its muster out of service were George M. Gilchrist, captain ; Abner L. Shannon, first, and John P. Mathews, second lieutenant.
Thomas W. Moffitt, who was made captain of Company F, December 30, 1862, was discharged with the company as its cap- tain, and Louis C. Wilson and William Cotton were the first and second lieutenants, respectively. Felix W. Graham, of Company G, resigned April 9, 1862, to become colonel of the Fifth Indiana Cavalry. George F. Herriott, who became his successor, May 17, 1862, resigned to become major of the Fifth Cavalry; and William J. Lucas, who was second, then first lieutenant, became captain of the company and continued with it until the date of its muster out of service. At that date Daniel Callahan was first lieutenant and the company had no second lieutenant.
Alfred Gaddis, who took Company H to the field as its captain, became major of the Western battalion, June 30, 1864, and Uriah
184
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Young became his successor and was mustered out with the com- pany at the close of its term of service. First Lieut. Joseph M. Douglas resigned May 2, 1862. Robert P. Shanklin, who was made second lieutenant May 26, 1862, became first lieutenant July 10, 1864, and Daniel White was made second lieutenant of the company on the same date; and these two officers were also with the company at the date of its muster out of service. As we have seen, all the original officers of Company I resigned in a body, January 25, 1862, and at the date of that company's muster out of the service Charles Hedrick, who had been second and then first lieutenant, was captain of the company, and Thomas B. Wilkinson first lieutenant, the company having no second lieu- tenant.
When Capt. Robert Klein, of Company K, was promoted to major, Charles Qualman, who had first been a sergeant in the company, then second, then first lieutenant, was made captain on the 1st of November, 1862, and was mustered out with the com- pany at the date of its discharge. Christoph Roll, who was a first lieutenant of the company, resigned February 1, 1862, and George Klein resigned the same rank March 31, 1862, and Gustave Liskey was the first lieutenant of the company at the date of its muster out and William H. H. Green was the second lieutenant.
Oliver M. Powers, who became captain of Company L October 23, 1862, was transferred to the captaincy of Company E, Eighth Indiana Cavalry in 1865 and mustered out with that regiment. George J. Langsdale, who became first lieutenant of the company at its organization, resigned August 1, 1864, and Simeon J. Mitchell became first lieutenant, and he, too, was transferred to the Eighth Cavalry. Byron Dawson, who had been orderly ser- geant of the company, became second lieutenant September 1, 1864, and in 1865 was transferred and made captain of Company G, Eighth Indiana Cavalry.
185
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Charles U. Patton, commissioned captain of Company M on De- cember 11, 1862, continued with his company during its entire term of service and was mustered out with it April 15, 1865, in North Carolina, as was James W. Haymond, who was first lieu- tenant from first to last, with this company. The only changes in officers of this company were in that of second lieutenant. James W. Stephens, of the company, left the service January 1, 1863. Lieut. Thomas G. Shaeffer died at Resaca, Ga., August 25, 1864, and Samuel Borton, commissioned second lieutenant on November 3, 1864, was mustered out with the company April 15, 1865.
First Lieut. George H. Thompson, of Company E, acted as adjutant of the Eastern battalion until December 27, 1862, when Gamaliel S. Taylor, a sergeant of that company, was commis- sioned adjutant and served in that capacity until the muster out of the battalion in August, 1864. John Greiner served as com- missary until May, 1863, when he resigned, and Philo G. Leslie became his successor and continued with the regiment until the close of its service.
Elias W. H. Beck was commissioned surgeon, October 21, 1861, and was mustered out with the regiment. His first assistant was Luther Brosie, who resigned November 29, 1862, and James H. Knight was commissioned to fill the vacancy December 23, 1862. He and Dr. Beck served with the Eastern battalion until its muster out. Thomas J. Fritz was made assistant surgeon of the Western battalion February 4, 1863, served with it until the 15th of April, 1865, and was transferred to and mustered out with the Eighth Indiana Cavalry in North Carolina.
List of men who died of disease or casualty, while in the service, other than those who died of wounds received or were killed in action, or those who died in Southern prisons :
Adams, George W., Co. - , Murfreesborough, Tenn. Accident. Burns, Barney, Co. A, Fredricksburg, Va., Dec. 13, 1862. Acci- dent.
186
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Bucher, Chas., Co. C, Rappahannock River, Va., 1862. Drowned. Buchanan, Pleasant, Co. D, Fredrick City, Md. Disease.
Barker, Elijah, Co. D, Alexandria, Va., July 8, 1862.
Branham, Oscar W., Co. E, Fredricksburg, Va., Aug. 24, 1862. Disease.
Bond, Benjamin, Co. F, Budds Ferry, Md., Nov. 30, 1861. Dis- ease.
Brown, Moses H. G., Co. I, Louisville, Ky., January, 1862. Dis- ease.
Boner, John, Co. K, Athens, Ala., Aug. 2, 1862.
Becker, John, Co. K, Huntsville, Ala., Nov. 15, 1862.
Barth, Jacob, Co. M, Fayetteville, Tenn., Dec. 19, 1863. Chapman, Hezekiah, Co. M, Cedar Grove. Disease.
Currie, Marion, Co. - , Alexandria, Va., May 26, 1864. Disease. Clark, William, Co. - , Nashville, Tenn., April 22, 1865.
Dennis, Whitesil, Co. I, Stevenson, Ala., Sept. 20, 1863. Dunn, Vincent, Co. K, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 7, 1862.
Daniel, John R., Co. M, Brown County, Ind., April 11, 1865. Eurich, Benedict, Co. M, Indianapolis, March 15, 1863. Disease.
Earhart, James, Co. C, Gallatin, Tenn.
Fouch, Obion, Co. G, Murfreesborough, Tenn., March 17, 1863. Disease.
Fee, James, Co. H, Murfreesborough, Tenn., 1863. Disease. Gue, Edward, Co. I, Louisville, Ky., January, 1862. Disease. Hulley, William, Co. - , Acqia Creek, Va., May 8, 1863. Disease. Heiner, Jacob, Co. G, Camp Shiloh, Tenn., May 25, 1862. Dis- ease.
Hobbs, Jesse, Co. I, Louisville, Ky., January, 1862. Disease. Heidman, Dedrich, Co. K, Nashville, Tenn., April 18, 1862. Dis- ease.
Hollingsworth, Isaac N., Co. L, Stevenson, Ala., Oct. 31, 1863. Hammond, Henry C., Co. M, Fayetteville, Tenn., Dec. 14, 1863. Hama, William A., Co. - , Sept. 30, 1862.
187
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Koenig, Daniel, Co. K, Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 24, 1862. Disease. Knecht, Clemens, Co. K, Nashville, Tenn., April 26, 1862. Dis- ease.
Lopp, Charles H., Co. H, Evansville, Ind., May 15, 1862. Lee, Robert D. F., Co. I, Louisville, Ky., June, 1862. Disease. Lipsey, John, Co. M, Indianapolis, Jan. 29, 1863. Disease. Lee, Elisha, Co. M, Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 4, 1863. Disease. Miller, John I., Co. A, Dec. 11, 1863. Disease.
McKinsey, Resin R., Co. H, Kingston, Ga., Sept. 7, 1864. Dis- ease.
McGuffin, William A., Co. I, February, 1862. Accident. Meyer, William, Co. K, New Albany, Ind., June 2, 1864. Disease. Mayhew, Samuel W., Co. M, Indianapolis, March 20, 1863. Dis- ease.
Mimms, Wallenstein, Co. I, Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 30, 1864.
Nutter, Theodore S., Co. M, Mt. Olive, N. C., April, 1865. Dis- ease.
Overholtzen, John, Co. H, Corinth, Tenn., June 23, 1862. Dis- ease.
Pickett, Alfred, Co. C, Jan. 15, 1864.
Plenn, Abram, Co. C.
Pettit, William D., Co. D, Brandy Station, Va., Jan. 11, 1864. Disease.
Porter, Gillett, Co. D, Washington, D. C., June 24, 1864. Disease. Puckett, Samuel F., Co. F, Washington, D. C., July 9, 1863. Accident.
Parkhurst, Washington, Co. I, Sandtown, Ga., Sept. 9, 1864. Disease.
Pavy, Henry C.
Roberts, Robert W., Co. A, Budds Ferry, Md., March 1, 1862. Disease.
Ritchel, Curtis C., Co. E, Hope Landing, Va., March 31, 1863. Disease.
188
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Russey, Ithamer W., Co. G, Chattanooga, Tenn., Aug. 22, 1864. Disease.
Rogers, George H., Co. G, Thorntown, Ind., June 5, 1862. Disease. Ross, Samuel H. P., Co. H, Louisville, Ky., Jan. 28, 1862. Dis- ease.
Rickard, James, Co. I, Maxwell, Ky., October, 1862. Disease. Reed, Theodore, Co. L, Feb. 12, 1863.
Smock, David, Co. E, Fredricksburg, Va., Aug. 8, 1862. Disease. Sebern, Cornelius, Co. G, St. Louis, Mo., June 28, 1862. Disease. Snow, John, Co. G, Edinburg, Ind., March 20, 1862. Disease. Stamper, John, Co. - , Murfreesborough, Tenn., April 21, 1863. Surran, John S., Co. M, Indianapolis, July 21, 1863. Disease. Shaeffer, Thomas G., Co. M, Resaca, Ga., Aug. 25, 1864. Trowbridge, Enoch, Co. C, Washington, Oct. 12, 1862. Townsend, Isaac, Co. E, Rockville, Md., Sept. 17, 1862. Disease. Thompson, John W., Co. F, Washington, D. C., July 14, 1862. Disease.
Toops, William H., Co. M, Cumberland Gap, Tenn., Feb. 15, 1864. Disease.
Tufts, Louis, Co. - , July 15, 1864.
Vansickle, James, Co. M., Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 19, 1864.
Wright, James M., Co. A, Baltimore, Md., Sept. 9, 1861. Disease. William, Winchell, Co. F, Budds Ferry, Md., Nov. 30, 1861. West, Robert C., Co. G, Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 7, 1862.
Wilkinson, George M., Co. M, Louisville, Ky., Oct. 18, 1863. Wenner, Joseph, Co. M, Richmond, Ind.
Whithead, William H., Co. M, Fayetteville, Dec. 27, 1863. Wiseman, Henry W., Co. - , Aug. 12, 1862.
The following is a list of the men who were killed or died of wounds received in action, with dates and locations :
Adams, George D., Co. K, Murfreesborough, Tenn., July 15, 1863. Adams, James N., Co. A, Culpepper, Va., Sept. 13, 1863. Atkinson, Joseph M., Co. A, Yellow Tavern, June 8, 1864.
189
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Banks, Simeon, Co. C, Raccoon Ford, Va., Sept. 13, 1863. Bledsoe, Benjamin S., Co. C, White Oak Swamps, Va., June 27, 1864.
Clever, George S., Co. L, Severeville, Tenn., Feb. 20, 1864. Clements, Reuben, Co. A, Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864. Donnovan, Peter, Co. G, Nashville, Tenn., April 10, 1862. Dunn, McKee, Co. G, Nolensville, Tenn., Dec. 27, 1862. Evans, John H., Co. B, Rappahannock Station, September, 1863. Fallis, David, Co. A, Poolesville, Md., Sept. 8, 1862.
Ferguson, William H., Co. A, Brandy Station, Va., Aug. 1, 1863. Gorman, Jas. D., Co. F, White Oak Swamps, Va., June 27, 1864. Green, Marmaduke, Co. D, Massaponax, Va., Aug. 6, 1862. Gibbons, Daniel, Co. G, Stone River, Ga., Dec. 31, 1862. Heath, Samuel A., Co. C, White Oak Swamps, June 27, 1864. Heath, Martin, Co. C, Stephensburg, Va., October, 1863. Holbert, James A., Co. K, Camp Creek, Ga., Sept. 24, 1864. Kirlin, Thomas, Co. G, Shelbyville, Tenn., June 27, 1863. Kraft, Bernard, Co. K, Little Kennesaw River, Tenn., Jan. 12, 1864.
Kennedy, Walter O., Co. F, Gettysburg, Pa., June 30, 1863.
Keoghler, Harvey M., Co. F, White Oak Swamps, Va., June 27, 1864.
Lamb, Samuel, Co. C, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Loder, Benjamin, Co. F, Madison C. H., Va., Sept. 22, 1863. Lewis, Joseph, Co. E, Middletown, Md., Sept. 13, 1862. Lemon, Charles, Major, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Moore, Stephen, Co. H, Nolensville, Tenn., Dec. 27, 1862. Mitchell, DeWitt C., Co. L, Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 31, 1864. Moyer, Nicholaus, Co. K, Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 26, 1864. Pebler, David, Co. C, Brandy Station, Va., Sept. 11, 1863. Park, William, Co. E, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Quinn, James, Co. A, South Mountain, Md., Sept. 13, 1862. Royce, John W., Co. G, Severeville, Tenn., Feb. 20, 1864.
190
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
Story, William, Co. E, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Smith, Jesse, Co. D, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Seever, Smyrna W., Co. E, Middletown, Va., Sept. 14, 1863. Trester, Oliver H., Co. D, Fredrick City, Md., Sept. 13, 1862. Williamson, James H., Co. F, Middletown, Md., Sept. 13, 1862. Wright, Augustus, Co. D, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863. Weaver, John E., Co. A, Gettysburg, Pa., July 1, 1863.
Zenger, Ernest, Co. K, Bowling Green, Ky., Nov. 20, 1862. Lost on Steamer Sultana, April 27, 1865 :
Kaney, William, Co. C. Norman, James, Co. F.
List of men who died in Southern prisons : Brindley, Elijah, Co. A, Richmond, Va.
Cunningham, Samuel, Co. F, Andersonville, 1864.
Fuget, Walter, Co. C, Andersonville, 1864.
Greenwood, William W., Co. C, Andersonville, Oct. 23, 1864. Humphreys, Isaae, Co. C, Andersonville, June 28, 1864. Hollingbuc, Cornelius, Co. A, Andersonville, Oct. 23, 1864. Harney, James, Co. I, Andersonville, Feb. 1, 1864. Joyce, James.
Kelso, Edward, Co. C, Andersonville, June 13, 1864. Kennedy, John H., Co. I, Andersonville, February, 1864. Lee, John, Co. A, Andersonville, 1864.
Lewis, Isaac, Co. C, Andersonville, July 7, 1864.
Micha, Lewis, Co. I, Andersonville, June 23, 1864. Moore, William, Co. F, Andersonville, 1864.
McCarty, Abram, Co. C, Andersonville, Oct. 27, 1864. Martin, George W., Co. C, Andersonville, May 31, 1864. Prentiss, Nelmore, Co. E, Andersonville, 1864.
Rogers, Monroe T., Co. M, Richmond, Va., Nov. 13, 1864. Vanarsdol, Richard, Co. A, Richmond, Va.
Many of the officers and men of the Third Indiana Cavalry were captured by the enemy during their term of service, and many of
191
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
them incurred disabilities from which they never recovered, by reason of their treatment in Southern prisons, but all returned to the service or their homes exchanged or paroled, save the foregoing frightful list, most of whom it will be seen died in Andersonville. One of our surviving prisoners of war narrates his experience in the pages with which we close this volume and we give it because we believe his comrades will peruse it with interest:
"Argentine, Kan., May 2, 1900.
"My Dear Comrade-I was not in either of the scrapes men- tioned by you, the one at Kelleys Ford or in the rear of Fredricks- burg. I was captured on the 5th of May, 1864, at Mine Run, Virginia. You remember we left Culpepper Court House at 12 o'clock at night, crossed the Rapidan at daylight and advanced very slowly and cautiously. About 8 o'clock in the morning we formed in a field in close column and were ordered to get break- fast. My coffee had just come to a boil when the rebel advance ran into us. We received orders to mount and our regiment moved out in advance. We were dismounted, and drove the rebels back on their reserve. If you remember, it was very hot and many of the boys left the skirmish line to hunt for water. Captain Moffitt rode out to where I and Orderly Sergeant Tracy were and gave us an order to hold our post at all hazards. It was not over five minutes until the rebels advanced, fifty to our one, and Captain Moffitt ordered us to get out of there, every fellow for himself. I had to fall back across a field and the rebels were within twenty feet of me when I started to run. Rebel bullets fanned both sides of my face and struck on both sides of my feet for three hundred yards. I got safely into the next woods, nearly out of breath, climbed the fence and took a few shots.
"The rebel cavalry was charging down the road and I lit out again and got nearly to the next timber, where I found John C. Flora 'given out.' He said: 'I'll be goldarned if I'm going any farther if I'm captured.' I said: 'I am going to try and get
192
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
through if I possibly can.' I got to the edge of the woods, found some water and took a drink ; it was as warm as dishwater. Capt. Moffitt came to within about twenty-five yards of me and asked if any more of our boys were with me and I told him about John C. Flora. Captain Moffitt put spurs to his horse and got out of there, and when I got to where I could see there were about two squadrons of our cavalry formed across the road and I thought they would check the rebels until I got through.
"It looked to me as though they shot straight up in the air, and then broke like panic-stricken sheep. So all my hopes vanished and I was doomed to be a prisoner of war. In five minutes there must have been a division of rebel cavalry between me and our forces. I was trying to sneak down to the right, where there were some small pine bushes, to hide until dark and then crawl through the lines at night. But here about fifteen or twenty rebels came with one prisoner by the name of Bradley from a Connecticut regiment. The rebel in the rear was walking and leading his horse, which had been wounded. All the rest passed by me and did not see me, but this rear fellow, who had no arms, saw me. I drew up my carbine to shoot him, but the poor fellow pleaded for me not to do it, and it did seem hard, but I thought of Ander- sonville and drew on him again and again. The last time his cries drew the attention of his comrades, and I walked out and said : 'Boys, you have the advantage of me in numbers.' Well, they robbed me of my watch and hat and gave me one of their soft, limp cotton hats with about as much shape as a dishrag. They took us (Bradley and me) to the provost marshal and from there we began our march to the interior of rebeldom.
"We went to Orange Court House the first day and camped for the night. The next morning the ball opened early, and ambu- lances and wounded men began coming back single file, some of the wounded screaming with pain; and I thought to myself that is a different tune from what you sang last night when you bragged
193
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
about going down to clean out the Yanks. The second day we reached Gordonsville, where we remained four or five days and then went to Danville, where they put us in a tobacco warehouse and kept us about two days. Then they moved us out on a com- mon in a suburb of the town and guarded us there like cattle four or five days more. Then they loaded us into cattle cars and started us to Andersonville, where we arrived about the 16th of June, and soon learned that the notoriety of the place had not been overesti- mated.
"I shall not try at this time to describe the sights I saw and the treatment our boys received. You, no doubt, have read about it in books by comrades who were better qualified than I am to tell about it. I can forgive everything else but rebel treatment of our prisoners of war. I was in the stockade about six weeks. Our quar- termaster sergeant and the rebel quartermaster were Masons. Our rations were cooked one day and raw the next; and then raw all the time. I took chronic diarrhea like many of the men, some of whom were so far gone they could not get to the sinks. On the evening of the last day I was in the stockade I began to think I would soon be like them, if better luck did not come to me.
"Bradley, David Atherton and I bunked together and the three of us had one blanket. When I was scarcely able to crawl into the bunk Bradley came around and said : 'Sterrett, I have some good news for you.' 'Well, what is it?' Then he said the rebel quar- termaster ordered our quartermaster to hunt up all the Masons in his detachment and report at the gate at 9 o'clock the next morn- ing. I replied : 'I guess we will be there on time.' We were all sent to Captain Wirtz' headquarters and signed an agreement that if we behaved ourselves and did not try to run away we would be sent off with the first exchange of prisoners of war.
"Then we went to work in the cook house. Jim Duncan was captain of the cook house and bakery ; we had rollcall every night and morning. One day Duncan came in with a big raw-boned,
194
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
burly fellow with side arms, who made the remark that 'cotton was king and was bound to come out victorious, and when the Southern States gained their independence he was going into the slave trade and ship negroes from Africa.' I told him a year would tell the tale and that I did not think he would ever have the opportunity of going into the slave business. I had them hot enough to bite a nail in two.
"A prisoner named Frank Turner and I were bunk mates at the cook house, and Frank had managed in some way to smuggle some money into the stockade. There was also an Irishman by the name of Patrick O'Conner of the Eleventh U. S. Regulars, whom the rebels had taken outside as a detective to prevent the prisoners from trading with the negroes or anyone else outside the stockade. Turner bought a sack of flour and O'Conner got on to it, and had Duncan confiscate it. On the 5th of September five of us ran off from Andersonville, and on the fourth day about 4 p. m. we were recaptured by old soldiers who had been wounded at the front. They were jolly good fellows and sent a man ahead to Lumpkin, the county seat of Stewart county, Georgia, and ordered our sup- pers at an old planter's. We had butter, milk, cornbread, honey and meat, and we thought it was the best supper we had ever seen. Just as I had finished my supper I said to the old man: ‘Land- lord, what are we going to do about this supper? We are the poorest guests that you could possibly have. We've got the supper and appreciate it very much.' 'Well,' said the old man, 'boys, I have a son in a Northern prison and if you should get back and have the chance and treat him as I have treated you I will be re- paid.' So we thanked the old man and set out for Lumpkin.
"Arriving there the guards turned us over to the sheriff or jailer. He was a saloon keeper and held the office of jailer, which exempted him from military service. It was Sunday evening and there were several in to see us, and they found out I was a Mason and I felt pretty well. They began to treat us, and when we
195
HISTORY OF THE THIRD INDIANA CAVALRY.
started to jail were feeling pretty rich, for prisoners of war. Some of our friends tried to get the jailer to leave the jail unlocked and let us get away. The jailer was afraid of losing his job and being compelled to go into the army, but we had the best fare and kindest treatment of any place in the South. One old farmer came to see us and brought with him a bucketful of nice hot biscuits. He came with the jailer and had him let us out for fresh air, so we could do justice to the biscuits. And they were the only biscuits we ever got to see in the Confederacy. The old man told us he was in full sympathy with the South but that he respected our views, for people in different sections of the country would have different views. The old man finally left us and we were put back in jail.
"Lumpkin is a beautiful place, large lots and nice shade trees. Our next place was Columbus, Ga., and when they brought us out of jail an old German shoemaker, doing quite an extensive busi- ness, came and told the man in charge of us to turn us over to him and he would be responsible for us. He took us to his shoe shop and gave each of us a pair of shoes and socks, as we were all bare- footed, and we greatly appreciated his kindness. We were then started to Columbus and had an awful trip walking in the loose sand. We stopped the first night on the bank of the Chattahoochie river and were guarded by citizens in charge of a corporal of the home militia. That night when they thought we were asleep they cursed us for all the d-d Yankees. The next morning the sun arose in all its beauty and we trudged on towards Columbus. We traveled two or three miles before breakfast and then continued on our journey. At noon we stopped for a rest and the guards set their guns down in a fence corner and climbed over the fence to get corn for their horses. They were completely in our hands and I pleaded with the boys to take their guns and we would march them awhile. The boys thought it would only be the worse for us, so I gave it up.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.