USA > New York > History of the Tenth regiment of cavalry New York state volunteers, August, 1861, to August, 1865, pt 2 > Part 29
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Sickness prevailed to a considerable extent. Time wore away slowly. Sick, sad, half starved, and covered with vermin (which it was impossible to keep entirely clear of), about the 30th of July we were put on board a train to be moved to Charleston, S. C. There were about five hundred of us. Before the train moved, however, our raiders. under General Stoneman, had cut the road about fifteen miles from Macon, and we were taken off and put in the stockade again. Soon after we heard the sound of cannon, which came nearer and nearer as the day advanced, until our boys sent the shells whizzing into the sub- urbs of town, and about eighty rods from our prison. There was not a single unhappy-looking countenance in that prison when the sound of Yankee cannon promised deliverance; but, alas! the next morning dawned and we heard no more of the Yankee guns, and during the day were informed by the guards that the Yankees were all taken prisoners, which was nearly verified by the appear- ance of General Stoneman and staff in the prison stockade. Our next news was that fifty officers had been exchanged at Charleston, and that we would be soon after we arrived there.
On the morning of the 11th day of August we were marched to the train
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again. I was hardly able to carry my baggage, what little I had, yet hope and a determination to survive under any and all circumstances buoyed me up, and I was more cheerful than one would suppose. As usual, on cattle trains-the most filthy they could find-we were packed, and arrived at Augusta, Ga., the morn- ing of the 12th. We changed cars and started for Charleston, S. C., where we arrived on the morning of the 13th at daylight and marched down to the lower part of the town, which was nearly destitute on account of General Foster's shell- ing that portion of the city, and placed in a large building near the jail, used before the war for a negro workhouse. Six hundred prisoners were crowded into this building, which had a small back yard, where we got our water from two cisterns. The water was miserable stuff and brackish. Frequently the demand exceeded the supply, and no one could get a drink for twenty-four hours, except he had money to pay one of the guards at the door a dollar in Confederate currency for a single bucketful. I shall never forget the first night of our stay in this miser- able prison. About 10 o'clock P. M. our guns. on Morris Island opened on the city, and the one and two hundred pound shells made night hideous. It was im- possible to sleep while these missiles were crashing through the buildings around us every five minutes. With a shudder, as they went screeching and screaming through the air in close proximity to us, we asked ourselves what would be the next horror added to our loathsome prison life. After a few days the novelty of this constant shelling wore off, and we thought nothing more of it except when one came very close. They were fired with much regularity every five minutes, night and day. One piece of shell struck on the roof of our prison, but its force being nearly spent it did no harm. Another struck at the door to the yard and one in front of the building. No one was hurt. Our gunners being well posted as to our locality, sent their shells to the right and left of us, as well as over us.
For the first time since I had been a prisoner we were allowed to write letters, and a few papers were allowed to come into the prison. I improved the oppor- tunity of writing as often as I could get a scrap of paper, which was not very often. We were allowed to write but one page, and the contents were subject to a rigid examination by the rebel authorities. Our rations were much better than they were at Macon, but too scanty to fully appease hunger for the time they were issued, and every ten days they were cut short. Notwithstanding our usage. my strength increased a little, and I felt better than I had for two months, but I felt the hunger more keenly. Once, about the 1st of September, 1 was obliged to go without a mouthful to eat for three days and nights, having been half starved before I was obliged to do without entirely.
About this time the yellow fever broke out in the city, which was another misery added to our deplorable condition. A number of cases were reported among the prisoners. Guards that were guarding us in the morning were dead before night. Fifty new cases in the city were reported each day for some time.
Just before the yellow fever broke out, a large number of prisoners were brought to Charleston on their way to Florence, S. C., from Andersonville and placed in the jail-yard adjoining our building. To give a description of this body of men is an impossibility. It was the most horrible sight I ever saw. They were dirty, half naked, and some so poor that their bones were sticking through their clothes. Their treatment at Andersonville had rendered them almost devoid of reason, and they thought of nothing but something to eat.
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PRISON AND ESCAPE-CAPTAIN B. B. PORTER, CO. G. 549
The morning after they were brought there I saw one poor fellow lying on the ground half naked and dead, with his mouth full of dry meal and his hand on his chin full of meal, showing that when he breathed his last he was trying to satisfy his dreadful craving for food. At the time I did not look upon this scene with any degree of astonishment, but took it as a matter of course, wonder- ing how long it would be before my turn would come in the same manner. During the day this man's body was thrown into a cart, as one would throw in a dead hog, and carried off. This was only one instance of thousands. The next day these prisoners were moved to Florence, S. C., a prison but little behind An- dersonville in point of brutality.
By the 1st of October the yellow fever was raging throughout the city fear- fully, but, strange to say, it did not trouble us to any great extent ; but the in- habitants wished us moved, for fear we would cause it to spread worse. Among all the prisoners there were but forty-two cases-forty died and two got well.
On the 5th of October we were moved from Charleston to Columbia, S. C., and arrived there on the morning of the 6th. As no word had been sent (purposely, I suppose), no preparations were made for us. We were marched into an open field with just room enough to lie down, A strong guard of Columbia cadets were placed over us, and one of them displayed his chivalry and thirst for the blood of a Yankee by running his bayonet into a prisoner because he got over the limits established without knowing it. At night a drenching rain-storm set in, and a great portion of our ground was covered with water three inches deep. In this we had to lie down or stand up, just as we chose. Many of the prisoners, not being able to stand, wallowed in the mud and water all night. There were fifteen hundred of us altogether. This was a slight introduction to our subse- quent treatment. The most of us had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours. On the morning of the 7th of October we presented a horrible appearance-wet, hungry, and covered with mud. One cake of hard bread was delivered to each man, and in the course of the day we were marched about two miles from town into an open field, a strong guard placed around us, and for twenty-four hours we were not allowed to have any water, although a clear stream of running water was only twenty rods off. This camp was subsequently named "Camp Sor- ghum." Turned into an open field without shelter, wood, or water, or anything to eat, was rather a hard-looking prospect for long life or happiness. This was our condition October 8th. Just at night we received a miserable pittance of corn- meal. a little flour, salt, and sorghum molasses. The weather had cleared off during the day, and it was a very cold night for that country and that season of the year. It was simply an impossibility to keep warm. I was very thinly clad, . my clothes being nearly worn out.
Time passed slowly. We got no letters, and no recently taken prisoners were sent to our camp since we had left Macon, so that we were comparatively cut off from the world. Nothing occurred worthy of note for a number of days. A captain of the Nineteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers was taken with the yellow fever and died. This was the first case since we had left Charleston. Perhaps many more had contracted the disease before we left Charleston. We knew not. and cared but little; however, only one more died with the same disease, and it disappeared altogether. Five axes were furnished for fifteen hundred men to cut wood with, and each day we were allowed to go out in the woods near by to
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get wood, with a strong guard thrown around us. One hour at this business was allowed us, and we took good care to improve it. Many prisoners escaped by hiding away until after the guard' had been drawn in and until night, when they would strike out for our lines on the coast or in Tennessee. The distance by the shortest route (which was the coast) was two hundred miles, and over the mountains to Tennessee more than three hundred. This was quite an undertak- ing, and but few ever got through. Many were caught the next day after leaving camp, while some were out for weeks, then caught by dogs, and returned again by citizens. A number of officers were shot trying to run the guard in the night, and we were in as much danger inside the camp as those who endeavored to es- cape. It was a very common thing for a musket-ball to come whistling over our heads, and sometimes uncomfortably close, during the night. So we were not sure when we stretched ourselves on the ground at night of being alive in the morning. Lieutenant Young, of the Fourth Pennsylvania Cavalry, who was taken prisoner at the same time I was, was shot and killed while sitting quietly by a little fire one evening with a party of others, in consequence of one of the guards shooting at a man who was trying to make his escape. A number were wounded in the same manner at different times.
Our rations were being reduced at every issue, and we received no meat of any kind or a particle of fat or grease. For twenty days we had been favored very much by not having had any storms. On the 27th of October a heavy rain set in and found us without any shelter whatever, except a little pine bush, which the rain ran through in the same manner as through a sieve. In the mud and water we wallowed like so many swine, drying when the sun shone out and skirmishing generally every day. At this time we were suffering for the want of better food and more of it. Our condition seemed almost intolerable, yet we managed to live, but with a discouraging prospect of ever being relieved from our loathsome situation.
Every way possible was tried to effect an escape, and many were successful. I had nothing to wear on my feet, and could not avail myself of any opportunity, for it would have been useless to attempt it with no boots or shoes. About this time an order was posted up about camp that all officers must give their parole not to attempt to escape, or they would be confined in a pen and treated the same as enlisted men were. This order was signed by General Hardee, formerly of the United States Army. About this time a large hog strolled into camp, and had no sooner got well inside than hundreds of men were after him with sticks, clubs, axes, etc. Under so close a siege he had to succumb, and was cut up in the twinkling of an eye. I got a small piece of his hide, which I managed to get a little grease out of that was decidedly delicious.
On the 19th of November Major Wanza, of the Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry, had a pair of new shoes sent him and gave me his old boots, which I patched up as well as I could, and determined to effect my escape if possible. On the night of the 20th a party of six, myself included, tried to escape, but the guard caught us at it and fired on us; therefore our scheme failed after we had crawled about fifteen rods in the mud. It was a very rainy night and continued to rain the next day, but I found no chance to escape. On the 24th (Thanksgiv- ing-day) Lieutenant Myers, of the Seventy-sixth New York Volunteers, and my- self concluded to escape if possible. While we were out after wood we induced
PRISON AND ESCAPE-CAPTAIN B. B. PORTER, CO. G. 551
the sergeant of the guard to send a guard with us outside the lines after a log that we pretended two men were out after, and we wished to help them in with it. An officer by the name of Captain Schofield went out with us, having prevailed upon the Sergeant to let him go. After we had gone far enough in the woods to get entirely out of sight we concluded we could not find the two men we were looking for, and proposed going back, but Schofield did not wish to. Myers and myself started toward camp; the guard stayed with Schofield. As soon as we were out of sight we made good our escape. After running in the thick bushes some distance we came to the road which led from Columbia to Lexington, and came very near meeting a wagon with an old man and woman in it. We dropped behind some bushes and escaped their notice. As soon as they had passed we crossed the road in quest of a more secure position. Hearing an- other wagon coming, we crawled under some small bushes. We soon learned that our position was between two roads, and people were almost constantly passing. Fearing to move, we lay in almost breathless silence while people passed to and fro not more than a hundred feet each side of us. We kept our position without being disturbed, though almost frozen, for it was very cold, until near nine o'clock at night, when we got up and took the road to Lexington, as we supposed, intending to join Sherman's army as soon as possible, as he was at that time in Milledgeville, Ga., and we supposed he would be in Augusta, Ga., as soon as we could get there. We had not traveled far before we found we were on the wrong road, as we very suddenly brought up at a crossing of the Saluda River. Knowing that we had to follow that stream up some distance, we turned back, and in an hour or so were on the right track. Not being used to marching, we were soon very much fatigued and were obliged to rest often. About midnight we passed two escaped prisoners, who had heard us coming and skulked. Soon after we heard them coming, and skulked in the same manner. It was very dark and they came very near us. Although they conversed in a whisper, we learned by their conversation that they were escaped prisoners, and then made ourselves known to them and traveled on together, every mile or two flanking picket and teamsters' fires. We had not gone far before we came across two more escaped prisoners, who joined us. All had escaped the same day but in different ways.
Lexington is a small village twelve miles from Columbia, and we pushed on as hard as possible to enable us to flank it before daylight-which we did success- fully-and traveled three miles beyond. Just as it was getting daylight we turned off the road into a swamp for the day, nearly used up.
This was the first day of our escape and we enjoyed our freedom very much. During the day we slept and mended our clothes. I had a needle and Myers had some thread. This day being a warm and pleasant one, we rested very quietly without being disturbed. At night we started for the road again, having left it to secure a good hiding-place. Our provisions were all gone, as we ate the last we had in the morning. About 9 P. M. we reached the road and left our compan- ions of the previous night, believing it more safe. The country through which we passed was thickly settled for that State, and we had to be very careful, for to be seen was about the same as to be caught, for as soon as any of those citizens saw a Yankee they would gather their pack of dogs and put them on his track and hunt him down as they would a deer. Nothing transpired during the fore
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part of the night except tearing clothes in the bushes with very hard walking. About midnight we were very hungry, and Myers began to express fears that he would starve did we not get something to eat very soon. He began to be reck- less, and I feared he would get us recaptured, as he was determined to stop at some house, no matter where, without any ceremony, which would have proved fatal to our escape. All the powers of persuasion I had I brought to bear in favor of being as cautious as possible. About 2 A. M. we passed a house where no dog came yelping forth, therefore we examined all the barns and out-houses in search of something to eat. Myers fortunately secured two small chickens. We traveled then with a lighter step, not having tasted meat for two months. except the hog before mentioned. In a short time we came to a dense piece of woods and turned off the road a short distance, built a fire of pine-cones, took the en- trails out of the chickens, and roasted them, feathers and all. It took but a short time to devour them, and we were on our way again very much refreshed. It was getting near morning when we heard the chickens crowing ahead of us, and we pushed on until we came to the house, where by very careful manœuvring we secured three large chickens without disturbing the owners thereof. It being almost morning, we turned off the road into the woods and lay down to sleep. When it became daylight we found ourselves in a very exposed position, and, while looking about for a more secure place, three large dogs came howling toward us from the direction of the house where we took the chickens. We thought certainly that we should be caught. We lay down on the ground and kept as quiet as possible, expecting every moment that some person would make his appearance, but after barking at us for half an hour they left, and we started at a brisk pace for a large swamp about a mile off, where we got into the most dismal spot we could find and camped for the day. We built a small fire (I might mention here that we started with eighteen matches and a small sack of half a pound of salt, which was worth everything to us) and commenced cooking our chickens by roasting a piece at a time on the coals until they were all cooked. With the gizzards and hearts we made soup in a pint cup (the only dish we had with us and ate our fill. This was the first time since I had been a prisoner that I had had enough to eat. What we had left we carefully packed in our haver- sacks for future use. After eating we slept until near dark.
We were now in most excellent spirits on account of our good success thus far. Although foot-sore and very stiff we did not feel it much, and soon after dark were on our way to the road again. By the aid of the stars to keep us in the right direction, we soon reached it and lay behind a fence, fearing to travel much before nine o'clock. The moon was new and set about ten o'clock, making the night dark, which made it more favorable for us. At the first house we came to after starting on the road we came near meeting a man who had come out to chop a stick of wood. We both dropped at the side of the road until he returned. and then passed the house unnoticed. We considered this quite a fortunate es- cape. Soon after we met others, or came near meeting them, but escaped their notice in the same manner. At length we came to a. negro's shanty, which stood a short distance from his master's house. As we were very anxious to get some bread, I concluded to effect an entrance and procure some in some manner. Just as I was passing around the corner of the shanty a large dog came bounding out to meet me, and whoever was inside hissed him on. I ran as fast as I could,
PRISON AND ESCAPE-CAPTAIN B. B. PORTER, CO. G. 553
with the dog close to me, but after reaching the road I drove him to a respectable distance from me. The noise brought the old lady of the house to the door, and she sang out to the darky to know what the matter was. The dog continued to bark, but we crawled off into the woods on the opposite side of the road and lay still until everything was hushed. We then resumed our journey. Before we had gone far we got hungry and very tired, but allowed ourselves only a small portion of our chicken, as we wished to make it last as long as possible.
During the night we heard some geese squalling some distance from the road, and knew there must be a plantation house near. Myers thought he had better go and see what he could do while I stayed behind the fence near the road until he came back. He started, and I waited in vain for an hour or more, and began to think he had been captured. At length he came back with no goose. It ap- pears he reached a negro shanty and was about to knock when he thought he would peep through a crack, when, behold ! there was a rebel soldier sitting by the fire. He made tracks back as fast as possible after making this discovery. On we went, and in trying to secure some chickens at a house came near being discovered, without getting any. From this time until we camped our course was through a wilderness. Long before day, nearly tired out and almost famished for want of water, we turned into the woods and lay down to sleep. At daylight we awoke, but finding ourselves in a secure place we slept until nearly noon, when we were aroused with thirst and hunger. After looking a long time for water without any success, we gave it up and concluded we would have to wait until night. As it was Sunday, we dared not venture to travel on the road, for the Southern people seemed to travel more on that day than any other. In, looking about for water, we found some first-rate whortleberries and made a very good meal of them. Just at night we placed ourselves near the road behind a log and watched for negroes to pass so that we could hail them and try to find out where we could get something to eat. Fortunately, we did not watch long before two came along, and we learned from them that Sherman was very near Augusta, and the white folks thought he would soon be there; also that we were on the wrong road, but not so dangerous as the right one. They directed us to a place where the darkies, were friendly and knew we could get all we wanted to eat. As soon as we thought it late enough we were on our way again, and after travel- ing a few miles came to water. We had been without nearly twenty-four hours. About midnight we got to the plantation where we were to get something to eat, but the dogs made such a noise that we could not get near the negro quarters; but finding a flock of geese in the road, we drove them on before us for a half- mile or so, and after a hard chase caught one apiece.
After traveling four or five miles our road ran out and we had to turn back. By the time we got back to where we caught the geese it was almost daylight. we turned into the woods, took our geese for pillows, and went to sleep. Just at the break of day an old hound came near and commenced barking at us. The house was in plain sight, and this time we thought certainly we should be dis- covered ; but one of the darkies of the house called to the dog and he left us, and we left to find a better place and one where we could build a fire and cook our geese. In a little narrow swamp on the head-waters of the North Edisto River we picked, cooked, and ate goose in the same manner we did the chickens. After we got through we lay down to sleep, and about the middle of the afternoon were
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awakened by the report of a gun a few rods off. In breathless silence we awaited our doom. Two dogs came within a few feet, but took no notice of us whatever. By the conversation-which we could hear very distinctly-we learned that some man was out hunting squirrels with a pack of dogs and a number of children. Our only course was to keep as still as possible and await the result, which was not a very agreeable sensation. As soon as we thought it safe we crawled as still as possible in an opposite direction from the hunter and his dogs, but instead of getting away from him came very near meeting him, for at the time we were crawling off he was going the same way. We had got into a place clear of bushes when we saw him coming toward us. There was no show but to lie flat on the ground and await the result. One of his dogs came near us, gave a yelp or two, and went on, which was a great relief. The tall, gaunt-looking reb, with one of our overcoats on, came leisurely along with his gun on his shoulder and two or three little negroes behind him with a couple of squirrels. He was looking intently on the ground as he walked within a few feet of us. He had but to turn his head or eyes and discover better game than he had found that day. We breathed easier after he had passed, and soon secreted ourselves in a more secure place, thanking Heaven that we were still free American citizens, although on an enemy's ground. This was November 28th, and we had been out four nights.
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