USA > New York > History of the 27th regiment N.Y. Vols. > Part 17
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We loved each other like brothers, and of course I never let his haversack go back empty.
September 13th .- Work the same as before. Another man died yesterday, by the name of Bailey ; and another to-day, from our regiment, A. M. Hunt, of Co. "G." I went up to see him a short time before he died. I found him in a small attic room of the hospital. where it was close and hot. He was sick with fever. He had been out of his head for some time, but seemed to know me. He has had very poor care, and has been much neglected. I got water and washed him, and moistened his parched lips, and gave him drink : then combed his hair, and drove away the swarms of flies that were tormenting him. He seemed very grate- ful to me: reached his arms around my neck and drew me close to him, but he could not speak. I remained with him as long as I could, and then made some of the other boys promise to care for him. Poor fellow ! he soon died, and now sleeps in one of those unknown graves, among the thousands that went down to death from those vile Southern prisons.
One remark about these dying men : They retained their hope of life up to the hour of dying. They did not give up.
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RECORD OF 27TH REGIMENT N. Y. VOLS.
There is another thing I wish to state : All the men, with- out any exception among the thousands that I have asso- 'ciated with, have never in a single instance expressed regret that they entered their country's service. They have been the most loyal, devoted and earnest men; even on the last days of their lives they have said, that all they hoped for, was just to live and enter the service again, and meet their foes. It is a most glorious record in reference to the devo- tion of our men to their country. I do not think their pat- riotism has ever been equaled in the history of the world. There was no time during our term of imprisonment that we could not have been free by taking an oath of allegiance to the Confederate States. Agents were constantly coming to the prison to induce mechanics to come out and work at their trades. Shoe manufacturers and other tradesmen were anxious to get more workmen, and promised good wages, plenty to eat, and constant employment. But none of the men were moved by such inducements.
September 14th .- To-day I have had to move my sleep- ing quarters from the floor in the hospital, to No. I Prison, on the same floor with Davis and Dunn, of Co. " C," 27th. On leaving, McKune gave me one of his blankets, a gift of which I am very proud. as a bare floor is not the best bed in the world.
September 19th .- Several of the men ran away last night, and the officers seem to suspect that I have had something to do with the escape of so many men of late, and will allow none of the cooks in the yard ; but the cooking is hereafter to be done by the negro prisoners, who are allowed to go where they please. So I have to remain in No. 1 Prison. Upon reflection. I think the suspicion of the officers was not entirely incorrect. Sometimes, when quite a squad of the prisoners would come down to draw rations, one or more of them would slip into the storehouse and hide among the barrels and boxes. At night I would lock them in, and after dark they would raise the back window, which opened outside the guard-line, and make their escape.
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OUR ORGANIZATION IN PRISON.
While in No. I Prison, I joined the " Richmond Prison Association," a club for fun and mutual improvement. Of course such an association should have a seal, sign and motto ; and what more natural than that we should select as a coat of arms for our seal, our constant companion, the " body louse." So, a skillful engraver was set to work, and on a piece of bone the size of half a dollar, two rows of body lice were carved around the margin, under which was, " Richmond Prison Association," and in the center the motto, " Bite and be damned." Then we had a sign. which was to scratch under the arm with vigor. We would often sing our prison song, only the last verse of which I will quote :
" And when we arrive in the land of the free, They will smile and welcome us joyfully ; And when we think of the Rebel band, We'll repeat our motto, Bite, and be damned!"
RISOIY
K
ago
FBITE
TAIOVI
AND BE
DAMNEDYO
OK
Up to this time Gen. Winder has been Provost Marshal of Richmond, and under him is Lieut. Todd, a brother of Mrs. Lincoln, who has immediate charge of the prisoners. He has two assistants, Lieut. Emac and Sergeant Wirtz (also spelled Wirz, Wurz).
Lieut. Emac was a West Point graduate, and he and Wirtz were connected with the two companies of United States soldiers now guarding us. These two companies were stationed in Richmond at the breaking out of the war, and went over in a body to the Confederate States.
(It will be remembered that after the close of the war Wirtz was tried, condemned and executed by our govern- ment, it having been proved that he had killed some of the prisoners while in command at Andersonville.)
ATION
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Lieut. Todd is vicious and brutal in his treatment of the prisoners, and seldom enters the prison without grossly in- sulting some of the men. He always comes in with a drawn sword in his hand, and his voice and manner indi- cate his desire to commit some cruel wrong. I have seen him strike a wounded prisoner who was lying on the floor, and cut a heavy gash across hi- thigh with his sword.
After a time Todd was sent to the front, and was after- wards killed in battle. Two other brothers of Mrs Lin- coln were also killed while in the Confederate service.
Whenever we go too near the window we are likely to be fired at by the guard. The first man killed by the guard was private M. C. Beck, of the 79th Regiment. He was instantly killed while he was hanging his blanket up by the window. The next was R. Gleason, of the New York Fire Zouaves, who was killed while looking from the window. The guard is said to have remarked, as he leveled his mus- ket : " See me take that -- Zouave in the eye!" The ball entered his forehead and he instantly fell-dead ! Four others were seriously wounded in this manner, and Charles W. Tibbetts, of Co. " K," of our regiment, was instantly killed by a guard in a most cruel manner. The prisoners are permitted to visit in couples an out-house in the prison yard, and Tibbetts and companion were going thither inside the guard-line, when a sentinel on the opposite side of the street raised his piece and fired at them. The ball passed through the breast of Tibbetts and wounded his compan- ion in the arm. The indignation of the prisoners towards these skulking and cowardly assassins can find no ade- quate expression. Yet as the bleeding forms of their mur- dered comrades are, one after another, borne from their presence to the " negro burying ground," they feel that a day of retribution, however long deferred, will surely come. It is even said that the guards are promised promotion if they shoot a prisoner.
No menagerie was ever regarded with more general inter- est and curiosity in a country village than are the Union prisoners in the tobacco warehouses of Richmond. They
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HARWOOD'S TOBACCO WAREHOUSE.
are the standard attraction of people of both sexes, all ages, and every variety of shade. On Sundays, more par- ticularly, the citizens turn out in squads, and from morn- ing till night the street is blockaded with eager spectators.
RICHMOND TOBACCO WAREHOUSE-PRISON NO. 1.
Prison No. 1 is a lofty building, three stories in height, its interior dimensions being 70 feet in length by 26 in width. The second and third stories are occupied by private soldiers (captured at Bull Run), and the lower floor by the commissioned officers and a number of civilians, among whom is the Hon. Alfred Ely. It is the most crowded and filthy prison of all : there are 130 and often 150 men on one floor. At night the prisoners stretch themselves upon the bare floor, uncovered ; and at meal time they sit upon the floor, ranged against the walls, and devour whatever they can get.
One cannot conceive a more gloomy and revolting spec- tacle than a look into these filthy quarters. Imagine a hundred haggard faces and emaciated forms -- some with hair and beard of three months' growth-so miserably clothed, in general, as to scarcely serve the purposes of decency, and many limping from the pain of unhealed wounds, and some faint conception may be obtained of our wretched condition.
The " standard bill of fare," which has now been adopted, is as follows : About nine o'clock we receive our morning ration of bread, beef and water, about half as much as a
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well man would naturally require. Our second and only other meal is received about 4 o'clock, and consists of bread, and soup made from the water in which the beef was boiled. The prisoners, sick or well, are compelled to accept it or go without.
The question of "exchange" is naturally uppermost in the mind of every prisoner, and is at intervals an untiring theme of discussion One has but to lisp the word and a crowd of his associates instantly gathers about him, can- vassing the subject with as much interest and energy as though it were newly broached. and extracting fresh en- couragement from every sage or emphatic prediction of a speedy release. .
It was our first impression that we would be detained but a few days; that the Federal Government needed only to be apprised of our situation, and our numbers, to proffer the requisite exchange from the prisoners in its own cus- tody. This opinion at length yielded to the belief that another advance was contemplated, and that our destiny depended, in a great measure, upon the result of a second battle. A new apprehension here presented itself, for it was openly threatened by the rebels that, in the event of their defeat at Manassas, the Union prisoners would be massacred by the confederate soldiers in Richmond.
It must be borne in mind that the Richmond press was particularly hostile to the prisoners, and recommended filling the navy yard at Pensacola with Union prisoners, arguing that our troops would then be compelled either to sacrifice our own men or to withhold an attack.
Harrassed by such reports, we still remain in Richmond, and as the weary days and weeks are added to our confine- ment. without affording the slightest prospect of release, many of the most hopeful become disheartened. The offi- cial indifference manifested at Washington towards us seems unaccountable. We cannot understand why the government is unwilling to exchange or even ameliorate the condition of men who have fought honorably in its de- fence, and are not only prisoners, but are known to be
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HOW WE PESTERED WIRTZ.
suffering for want of food and clothing. Yet notwithstand- ing these discouragements, at no time would our boys con- sent to receive their exchange at the sacrifice of a single principle involving the national honor.
Notwithstanding the inferior quality and quantity of our food, sometimes under the administration of Wirtz we got nothing but bread and water. The escapes from the prison were numerous. About one hundred in all succeeded in getting away, but all except a very few were recaptured. Whenever an escape was discovered, which was usually two or three days after the prisoner had gone, Wirtz would en- ter the prison in a towering passion and command the pris- oners to fall in for roll-call. His jargon was excessively amusing, and whenever the prisoners affected to misunder- stand, he was thrown into a spasmodic rage. Some one would usually respond for the fugitive, and Wirtz could sel- dom find out who it was that had escaped. He would then demand to know how they had made their escape, but the prisoners would refuse to answer any of his queries. " Tell, me," he would say, " or you shall never be so sorry in your life. I shall keep you tree tays on pred and wasser. " Oh, ho!" would shout a dozen voices. " Three cheers for Wirtz. He will feed us three days on bread and butter!" "No, no ! you tam villians, I say pred and wasser-wasser, and not busser !" And he proved as good as his word.
At one extremity of the prison, on the second floor, was a small room that had been used as an office, in which had been stored a quantity of tobacco, and a barrel of sweetened rum, used in flavoring the same. The door had been nailed up, but the boys, aided by a saw made from a case-knife, effected an entrance, and confiscated sufficient " Old Vir- ginia Twist" to last for several months: and as to the sweetened rum, the boys were rapturons over this unex- pected discovery. Sergeant Wirtz was not long in ascer- taining that the " tam Yankees," as he invariably called us, were in unusual "spirits," and because he could not find out how the boys obtained their " fire-water," he flew into a paroxysm of rage, and determined to punish the whole
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crowd, and the sentence was, as before, " Three days on bread and water."
The " Poet " of Prison No. 2 could not resist the impulse to immortalize our PRISON BILL OF FARE, and his efforts resulted in the following production :
First, at the sink, having performed ablution,
This problem, " What's for breakfast ?" needs solution ; Like others not in Euclid, oft 'tis found
To tax researches that are most profound.
At length 'tis solved, when, on his sapient head,
A colored "gemman " brings a loaf of bread,- Not common loaves, as in the shop you'll find, Such large affairs must suit the vulgar mind. Our friends take care our better tastes to meet, So send us loaves that are unique and neat ; Our longing eyes upon the batch we fix, Then quickly eat our rations-ounces six : So justly are our appetites defined. These loaves are not the largest of their kind ; To season them withal, our friends allow Three ounces of some lately butchered cow,- How long ago we say not, but the smell Would indicate it rather hard to tell ; The doubt, however, is not worth discussing, Such things create unnecessary fussing ;
Besides, it would be wrong to heed such stuff,-
Rub it with salt, it then goes well enough.
Thus, you perceive, all works have been at fault, To doubt the potency of Richmond salt ; It sweetens and removes a doubtful favor. We once, indeed, had coffee, but we fear Our friends have found the article too dear ; So now, we eat our sumptuous breakfast dry : For, even they use coffee made from rye. Some time we Yankees may the secret steal,
And make pure Java from bad Indian meal ; At all their little failings we must wink, And so ad libitum, foul water drink. Such is our morning meal ; now, "what's for dinner ?" Asks some insatiate, half-starved sinner,
As if the bounty of our Christian friends Was not enough to answer nature's ends. The fellow craves, till problem number two Calls the attention of a hungry crew,
That in a corner squat, in deep reflection,
Like Cabinet ministers, on home protection.
With busy hands, at length, their pates they scratch,
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PRISON BILL OF FARE.
As if their brains a dinner there could hatch ; 'Twould seem they had, with one consent, resolved To scratch until the problem had been solved. Others, again, beguile the weary hours With quiet game of cribbage, or all fours ;- Wrapt in a cloud of smoke from morn till noon, They don't expect a dinner from the moon. The sick lie on the floor, as mute as mice,- Poor devils ! thankful for a little rice ; While lame and lazy, seeming ill at ease, Are laying plans their hunger to appease. Some fellows who are Incky, having money -- Though Yankees think the medium rather funny- With bogus bills, of small denominations, Contrive to add a little to their rations ; And eat at noon, without a guilty blush, A pint of Indian meal, made into mush ; Another brings to view his precious store,- A bone, that he had picked too well before ; This-(our pants inform us we are thinner)- Makes the sum total of our prison dinner. I now shall place in order proper,
The dainty items of our prison supper : At five o'clock, and sometimes half-past five, A humming sound is heard throughout the hive : The boarders think their supper rather late, And beat the devil's tattoo upon each plate ; Some get impatient, and the rest they choke, In stifling clouds of vile tobacco smoke ; For, be it known, a hogshead found up-stairs, Affords the boys a chance to " put on airs." So those to whom the habit is quite new, Can smoke a pipe, or take a luscious chew. But as the boarders throng around the door. Our colored "gemman " enters as before ; With graceful dignity his load removes,
While some thin wretch his tardiness reproves. Meanwhile another of the sable race, Whose comic grin c'erspreads his ebon face, Upon his neighbor's heels had followed close, And in his hands a curious looking dose : But something floating meets the boarders' view, - It must be-yes, it is an Irish stew. Just then the eyes of hungry sinners gleam, Extended nostrils scent the fragrant steam : The grinning darkey on his fingers blows, - His scalded hands to impatient boarders shows. Then leaves bis steaming bucket on the floor,
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And, with another grin, he shuts the door.
Now, anxious to inspect the savory mess, The hungry boarders round the bucket press ; But, short and tall, their open mouths they droop .- Their Irish stew is regulation soup.
Their happiness is changed to speechless grief, The water, this, in which they boiled their beef ; Some friendly hand, to make it somewhat thicker,
Had dropped a cracker in the tasteless liquor : Of this each boarder shares a standard gill : It's quite enough, and warranted to kill. To test its strength on us is their intention,- All the ingredients I dare not mention. We crumble in our ounces, six, of bread,
Swallow the physic, and then go to bed. This, be it known, is on hard boards,
The best the prison discipline affords. Shades of the epicures of ancient Rome. Whose deeds are writ in many an ancient tome :
Ve mighty men, whose gastronomic feats
Were sung in ballads, in Rome's ancient streets ;
Whose wondrous deeds by Plato have been noted, And crests by modern epicures been quoted,
Hold fast your laurels, for in Richmond prison, E'en at this day, your rivals have arisen, Who, though they cannot boast a second course, Have called from morn until their throats were hoarse ;
Insatiate men, whose inwards nought can fill.
Not even tubs of stuff called wholesome swill ;
Who crammed their stomachs with suspicious beef, Would taint the fingers of a starving thief,
Whose hungry eyes, most starting from their sockets,
Proclaiming they are starving men, with empty pockets, Who eat with gusto the Confederate swill,
That would a famished jackal surely kill ; Assembled 'round Secession's filthy tub. Ilyena-like, their eyes devour their grub ;
Nor can they have it in their hands too soon.
But bolt it, dog-like, without fork or spoon, - Then, with a rag, moustaches must they wipe. Such rare perfection, in the mystic art,
Might cause the souls of richer men to start. The famous sojer may safely bood it,
That he and all his tribe have got to hood it, And open shops where science is unknown. In some place bordering on the frigid zone, And tell the epicure, he may find there His fame was lost by this, our BILL OF FARE !
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OFF FOR NEW ORLEANS.
September 20th .- Our fears about being sent further south are to be realized, and a squad of 250 are to start for New Orleans to-morrow, to be followed in a day or two by 250 more. It is sad to think of being sent so far away from home, more than fifteen hundred miles. and no pros- pect of being released. The papers say they are to send us south so the fevers will kill us off more rapidly.
September 21st .- Orders were, to be ready to start at 3 o'clock this morning, and many of the men did not lic down at all, but sat up, sang songs, cheered for the Stars and Stripes, and made night ring. One would have thought we were the happiest lot of men that ever were together. The other prisoners hearing our shouts, took them up, and did all they could to disturb the rebel city. The officers threatened to fire on us, but could not make us keep still. We did not go, however, till 4 o'clock in the afternoon. One of the men was shot dead by the guard, while standing near the window. This makes the fifth man that has been killed by the sentries firing into the window. Before leav- ing I was allowed to go over to the hospital and bid good- bye to the men for whom I had cared so long. I passed from cot to cot, and received a kind farewell from all
Harry Stewart, one of our men, had lived in Richmond, and left the city only a month before the battle. He has a sweetheart here by the name of Sarah Sowards. When we first came here, she was allowed to visit the prison and bring food and presents to Harry; but after a little time the officers would not allow this, and she had to content herself by walking past the prison every day, hoping to get a look at her friend through the grated window. To-day. having heard that we were to leave Richmond, she came down early in the morning, accompanied by a lady friend. to watch if perchance she might get a parting word with Harry. But Harry was sick. The fever had attacked him. and he lay in a half stupor on the floor. Ilis comrades raised him so that he could look out of the window. No word or sign could pass between them. as the officers were watching.
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At last the order came to go. We were supplied with three days' rations of bread and bacon. A strong guard was drawn up on each side of the street, to keep us and escort us to the depot. We bade adieu to comrades who were left behind, and there was many a sad parting. We left with them messages to be taken to our home friends, as it was expected that those who remained would soon be exchanged. My friend Trowbridge was not to go. I tried to persuade him that we should not be parted, but he felt too weak to undertake the journey. . He thought he would soon go home, and promised to tell my friends about me. And so we parted, never to meet on earth again. In two weeks after I left him, he starved to death.
And now we are in the street and breathe fresh air once more. From the windows of all the other prisons were waved many a friendly salute and warm good-bye. By a preconcerted plan. when the order came to march, one cried, " Three cheers for the Stars and Stripes," and al- though the guards charged bayonets and threatened to shoot, three heartier cheers never went up for the dear old flag. Then the other prisons took it up, and cheer upon cheer from those brave hearts followed us as we marched through the streets of that doomed city. We soon reached the depot and went on board the cars. Harry's friend had followed us, and stood near the cars. weeping bitterly, but the guard, with his bayonet before her, would not let her speak nor come near. Many of the people who were stand- ing by were moved to tears, and begged the soldier to let her pass. The cars started. She seized hold of the mus- ket, threw it aside. rushed by the guard and seized her lover's hand and said good-bye. Harry was sick through all the journey, but recovered and returned home Sarah was imprisoned by her own people as a Union sympathizer, and suffered untold hardships through the war.
But to go on with our journey. We ride on open plat- form cars and reach Petersburg. the third station from Richmond. The country so far is very poor, the soil being sandy loam. Forests of yellow pine are plenty all the way
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A FREE RIDE THROUGH THE CONFEDERACY.
Corn is the chief crop, and it is poor indeed. We changed cars at Petersburg, and now ride in passenger cars with plank seats. One of our men-John Stout, of Co. " C "- while passing through the cars (it being dark) fell and broke his thigh. We took him out, and he was sent to the hospi- tal, but none of his comrades were allowed to remain with him. He recovered, and returned home before we did.
Sunday, September 22d .- It has rained hard all night. As we approach Goldsboro, N. C., the crops look better than in the vicinity ot Petersburgh. We pass fields of cot- ton, sweet potatoes, and immense forests of yellow pine, which extend clear on to Wilmington, N. C., where we arrive about 5 o'clock. This is a pleasant city. A great number of people are out to see us, and deride us at a great rate. Here we left the cars, and crossed the Cape Fear river by ferry. Some of the boys proposed that we overpower the guards, seize the boat and run down the river to the blockade fleet, but there was so little time that the plan could not be perfected, and the rebel officers, suspecting the plot, strengthened the guard and made every plan to frustrate us.
September 23d .- We pass on through a country with splendid scenery all the way to Sumter, S. C., where an im- mense number of people had gathered to see the "Yankees." At Kingsville we remained three hours, to cook bacon. Our food is bread and bacon. We reached Orangeburgh about sunset. This is a beautiful village and there is a large female seminary located here. Many of the pupils, "pretty secesh girls," came down to see us.
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