USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > The story of Camp Chase; a history of the prison and its cemetery, together with other cemeteries where Confederate prisoners are buried, etc > Part 10
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Captain Dinkins came forward then and said :
During the four years of desperate struggle between the North and the South there died in the Federal prison at Camp Chase, Ohio, 2,260 Confederate soldiers, who were buried within the prison limits. Those devoted men, separated from comrades and friends, could have regained their liberty, and doubtless many, of them would be living to-day, had they taken the oath of alle- giance to the Federal government; but, rather than yield the opinions which they believed were guaranteed by the Constitution, they gave up their lives as a sacrifice to principle. Their bodies lie in Northern soil, and for thirty years we had no record of their resting place. Far removed from those whose love and teachings made them what they were, their graves remained unmarked un- til finally one of that mighty host which opposed them (ah, I may say, the greatest of that mighty host), regardless of the jealousies and prejudices of his neighbors, determined to perpet- uate their deeds and their glory; and to-day, thanks to his cour- age, his munificence, and his patriotism, it is his pleasure to have sweet flowers tenderly placed on them every year.
They were Americans, who, believing they were right, did not hesitate between sacrifice and personal safety. Having that sense of appreciation which only a patriot can feel, that great soul pres- ent here to-night began the work which he has so successfully pursued. We are assembled to do him honor, and to acknowledge the obligations we feel for his unselfish deeds, and his noble ex- ample of an American which we are proud to recognize and to follow.
It has been truthfully said that the greatest happiness is derived from contributing to the pleasure of other people; therefore Colonel Knauss must enjoy much satisfaction, because the people of the South will ever hold him in grateful remembrance. And I can assure you, my dear Colonel, that these people, representatives of the best social condition, whose guest you are to-night, convey the sentiments of all the Southern people in tendering to you the warm and sincere expressions of admiration and love.
It may be justly said that the Southern people are generous in their love. No section is superior to them in devotion to duty ; and as patriotic American citizens, whose record in war and in peace will forever be maintained, whose conduct on the battlefield
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can never be excelled, whose love for the traditions of the South will continue to descend from parents to children, and whose loy- alty to the flag is unsurpassed, they are deeply sensible of the ob- ligations they owe Colonel Knauss.
Then addressing him directly, Captain Dinkins continued :
These obligations they have no desire to cancel; but, moved by a common impulse, the Confederate soldiers of New Orleans, their wives and daughters, created this beautiful memento which they now present to you, sir, with the hope that your life may be spared for many years, and with prayers that finally the great Captain may crown you with a wreath immortal.
A New Orleans daily paper, in describing the event and the badge, said:
All of the Confederate Veteran Camps participated in the re- ception and presentation of the medal, which is a very handsome and costly one. It is made of 16-carat gold, about the size of a silver dollar, and suspended from a crescent, to which is attached the coat of arms of Louisiana, and on the face of the medal is the Confederate flag, stars and bars beautifully enameled, with "W. H. Knauss" on the bar'between the crescent and the medal. On the reverse side is the inscription : "In appreciation of the notable care of our comrades' graves at Camp Chase, Ohio, the Confed- erate soldiers of New Orleans present this memento to Col. W. H. Knauss, February 13, 1902."
Finally the time came when I had an opportunity to thank them for their graciousness and their great kindness. It matters not what I said. I recall that I reviewed what had been done at Camp Chase, and that they were pleased when I told how Miss Osgood, a teacher in the public schools, had trained one hundred and fifty children to sing on one memorial occasion, and how the little girls took flowers from the platform and strewed them upon the graves of men who had died far away from home, far from those they loved. From the audience came bouquets until they were piled around me. There were many kind and beautiful things said and many gracious attentions shown me. I mentally see the picture of that scene over and over, with its soldierly men and beautiful women, and I catch the perfume of the flowers, and with its glamour I wonder how and why it all came about.
The New Orleans daily papers commented upon the event edi- torially. Without comment on my part, or apology for doing so, I reproduced the sentiments expressed by the Picayune and Times-Democrat.
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In the introduction to a five-column article descriptive of the meeting at Memorial Hall, the Picayune says: .
The reception given Col. W. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, last night by the ladies of the various Confederate associations of the city, which was participated in by the Confederate veterans of. the various Camps, was a notable affair. Though the attendance was confined almost, if not quite, to the members of the Confed- erate organizations, there was a large gathering, and it represent- ed the best social and intellectual elements of the city.
Colonel Knauss has been so long honored and admired for his. care of the graves of Confederate dead at Camp Chase and John- son's Island, in Ohio, that many have desired to show their appre- ciation of his service to the South, and he has been known as a. friend, even though never seen. He came to New Orleans to the carnival, but has been so quiet that not many people knew of his presence ; but after the veterans and the ladies found it out, he was "captured by the ladies," as he expressed it.
One of the chief incidents of the evening was the presentationi of a beautiful gold medal by the veterans of all the Confederate associations. Colonel Knauss did not know about that part of the programme, and it was hard to decide whether he was most delighted with that or the magnificent bouquet of white roses. presented by the Daughters of the Confederacy.
The Times-Democrat editorial of February 15 said of "An American Patriot :"
We had occasion a day or two ago to emphasize the point made recently by Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, that there are va- rious, though in no sense conflicting, ways in which men who love their country may manifest their patriotism. "Some men show their love for the flag of their country by protecting it from violence," said Senator Hoar ; and it is a noble thing to do. Other men show their love for the flag of their country by keeping it. pure and preventing it from becoming a symbol of tyranny and injustice. The Senior Senator from Massachusetts was inclined to think that the latter phase of patriotism was quite as honorable as the former. It is certain that all temperate, thinking American citizens will sustain him in the admirable point he makes. It may be said, indeed, that patriotism in its highest and best form is that intelligent love of one's country which supplements the willing- ness to die that the nation may live with the determination that the nation's life shall be animated by the philosophy that "He who ruleth his own spirit is better than he that taketh a city." It is only when the positive force is supplemented by what -might be called the negative force that love of country becomes a passion the noblest known to the human heart.
There are millions of men in this country of ours who, aroused.
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by the ardor of conflict, would step with jubilant feet the moment the war drum might throb; and there are millions of other citizens who, in the quiet of peaceful industry, each day illustrate the vir- tues of courage and constancy, which only and which alone make a people great. The citizen of finest fashioning, however, is he who may pass from the calm of peace into the storm of war and from the storm of war return once more to quieter days, and withal keep his conscience unseared, his mind unprejudiced, and his spirit sweet and unspoiled. The kind of patriot we have in mind it has been the pleasure of the people of New Orleans to welcome here within the last few days and, out of the abundance of their kindly hospitality and fraternal feeling, to honor with a tribute of their respect and their affection.
It is hardly necessary to add that the gentleman to whom we refer is Col. William H. Knauss, who while in the Federal army almost lost his life on the battlefield of Fredericksburg, and who after the close of war devoted his time and his attention to an. unsolicited labor of love in caring for the graves of Confederate soldiers who during the conflict died at Camp Chase and were buried in a cemetery near Columbus, Ohio. The simple story told by Colonel Knauss in his talk of Thursday evening at the Memorial Hall was one which, so long as man is man, can never fail to move the human heart. It was eloquent of the one touch of nature that makes the whole world kin. It illustrated the larger significance of Appomattox. It taught that the surrender of the Confederate soldier meant more than the emancipation of a race, more than the political welding together of separate and individual States. It meant that with the echo of the last gun should die every ignoble prejudice and memory; that beneath the repelling features of war should be discerned the redeeming nobleness of both Federal and Confederate ; that a reciprocal con- fidence should solidify and purify our political life; and, finally, that as one nation we should become one people.
This is the message fresh brought to us from Ohio by this gal- lant Union soldier; and in contemplating not only the words spoken by Colonel Knauss, but also the man who spoke, the peo- ple of New Orleans pause for a moment to listen and to applaud- "to do him honor," as Captain Dinkins said, to acknowledge the obligation we feel for his unselfish deeds and for his noble exam- ple of an American which we are proud to recognize and to fol- low." We are quite sure that among the men who wore the gray or among their children may be found not one whose heart does not echo another sentiment perfectly expressed bv Captain Dinkins in presenting Colonel Knauss with a gold medal.
When I visited my good Southern friends at Nashville in July of that same year, in the beautiful capital of Tennessee, every courtesy that generous hearts could conceive or willing hands
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execute awaited me at all times. Mrs. Knauss and myself were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Toney, at Vauxhall Place, and enjoyed the hospitality of these good friends during our stay. Our friend and comrade, Mr. S. A. Cunningham, of the Confed- erate Veteran, Mr. Toney, and others met us at Bowling Green, Ky., escorting us to Nashville.
MARCUS B. TONEY.
When these gentlemen explained what had been planned for our entertainment, I was deeply moved. Not only did the ex- Confederates seek to make this one of the most beautiful visits of my life, but my comrades of the G. A. R. also joined heartily in making the occasion pleasant.
A Nashville paper of June 29 said :
It will be a pleasure to old Confederates generally, and especial- ly to the committee of Frank Cheatham Bivouac appointed to in-
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vite the Union soldier, William H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, to their Fourth of July celebration at Cumberland Park, to know that he has decided to come. He wired his acceptance yesterday. Colonel Knauss is now looked upon as guardian of the graves of all Confederate dead buried at Camp Chase. He comes to join the camp fire to be held at Cumberland Park, and will be the guest of the Confederate Bivouac.
The Nashville G. A. R. Posts are, however, claiming the right to show their esteem and affection for Colonel Knauss, and with this end in view the Commander of George H. Thomas Post, N. D. Higley, has appointed a committee to join the Bivouac and meet him at the depot on arrival.
The following programme will be carried out at the camp fire : The Blues-"The Confederate Dead at Camp Chase," Col. W. H. Knauss; "The Army of Tennessee," Dr. N. D. Higley; "Gen. George H. Thomas," Gen. G. P. Thruston ; "Nashville During the War," A. W. Wills; "Nashville After the War," John Ruhm. The Grays-"The Confederate Private," G. H. Baskette; "Prison Life in the North," B. M. Hord; "Reminiscences-Generals Lee and Jackson," M. B. Toney; "The Twentieth Tennessee In- fantry," Dr. W. J. McMurray; "The Tactics of 1861," Theo. Cooley ; "The Confederate Veteran," S. A. Cunningham.
The Nashville Banner of July 4 said :
Col. W. H. Knauss, of Columbus, Ohio, the Federal veteran who is to-day the guest of Frank Cheatham Bivouac, U. C. V., and George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., arrived last night, accom- panied by Mrs. Knauss. He was driven to Mr. Toney's home, in Vauxhall Place, where he was accorded a Southern welcome.
Colonel Knauss has endeared himself to every Southerner by his generosity and magnanimity in caring for the graves of the Confederate dead at Camp Chase, Ohio; and by his splendid war record on the Federal side he is a hero in the North. He will be the principal orator at the camp fire of the Confederate and Fed- eral veterans to be held at Cumberland Park, and will respond to the toast, "The Confederate Dead at Camp Chase."
He was indeed accorded a "Southern welcome." As in New Orleans, so it was in Nashville-kindness and friendship every- where. There was the satisfactory knowledge that these atten- tions proved the nobility of character of the Southerner and his quick appreciation of a friendly act. The Banner of that date told the story (already alluded to) of the battle at Fredericksburg. Va., in which a piece of shell came near finishing my life work.
The Fourth of July celebration was gotten up by the Frank Cheatham Bivouac at Cumberland Park for the purpose of rais-
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ing money to erect a monument to the private Confederate sol- dier. The Post of the G. A. R. at Nashville gave them cordial assistance, and a feeling of good will seemed to pervade the atmosphere. All in all, it was a day of genuine enjoyment.
There was a sham battle that made the light of battle come again in the eyes of the veterans. In this case the defenses were rows of mown weeds. At a distance they looked impregna- ble, but when set on fire, accidentally, they disappeared faster . than earthworks under masked batteries. The volumes of smoke, the roar of the artillery, and the spiteful crack of the rifles seemed like old times, particularly when a command in the old-time gray and with the old-time yell moved to the attack. That night the camp fire was an interesting occasion. It is ever interesting when men once foes meet together as though comrades always and talk of the battle days.
Before the great battles of the sixties it would have been con- sidered an event worthy of world-wide note, could there have occurred a camp fire of Wellington's grenadiers and Napoleon's Old Guard. The world heard of Gettysburg as well as Waterloo. Meade's legions of blue were as terrible as Wellington's grena- diers, and Lee's old guards in gray under Pickett charged where Napoleon's men could not have gone. It was such soldiers who sat together and ate and drank together that night in Nashville.
In concluding this portion of the history of Camp Chase and its dead, I assert that, if I had hoped for any reward, I have had it abundantly ; but I had no thought when I began the work that any such scenes as I have described would occur. At most I felt that if I could let it be known in the South that there was sleeping here some one who had left standing at the gate as he marched away a woman who could not see him through her tears-a woman who had left her farewell kiss upon his lips, a woman who knew not where he sleeps-I should be repaid. I was permitted to give this information, and they thanked me, and that was enough. But they have written that they prayed God to bless me, and that is enough, quite enough.
CHAPTER X
CAMP CHASE IN 1861.
Once a Military Camp and Prison; Now a Fine Farm-The First Prison- ers-A Confederate Pictures the Daily Grind of Prison Life-What a Texan Remembers of Camp Chase Prison-The Plot to Escape-The Spies' Report-Brutalizing Effects of Prison Life-The Man with the Poor Memory-The Deserter and the Prisoner-Strother's Story -- Work on Camp Chase Begun in May, 1861.
To-DAY fruitful fields and comfortable homes take the place of the old parade grounds at Camp Chase, once worn bare by the tramp of men who had grown weary waiting for exchange. In the long stretch of years from '61-'65 to 1904 time has easily re- moved the traces of a prison from Camp Chase. Time softens memories, as "distance lends enchantment."
The first prisoners of war received at Camp Chase were a party of the Twenty-Third Virginia Regiment who had been captured in the Kanawha Valley. They were taken there July 5, 1861, and for a time were held as hostages for the Union soldiers cap- tured by Confederates. They were not held long, but were re- turned to their homes. The names of these Virginians, as given by the local papers of that date and from official records, were as follows : R. B. Hackney, A. B. Dorst, A. Roseberry, H. J. Fisher, K. Knupp, J. A. Kline, Frank Ransom, J. W. McMollen, J. W. Echard, David Dong, G. B. Slaughter, A. E. Eastham, J. W. Diltz, Robert Mitchell, S. Harfiss, E. J. Romson, F. B. Kline, Sly McCausland, O. H: Selnll, James Johnson, W. A. Roseberry, B. Franklin, and James Carr. The high tide of prison population was reached in 1863, when there were confined at Camp Chase stock- ades about 8,000 Confederate soldiers. The majority of these were privates and noncommissioned officers. There were at times officers of the rank of colonel at this prison, but they were moved to Johnson's Island, if not exchanged.
The first military camp for the Union soldiers was Camp Jackson. It is a park now, called Goodale Park. A story extant is that a regiment stationed at Camp Jackson upon the occasion
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of an anticipated outbreak of prisoners at Camp Chase was "double-quicked" all the way from Camp Jackson to Camp Chase, a distance of five miles. It was a severe test of endurance, for not every man could run for five miles without resting.
When the call for 300,000 more men was made in 1862, Camp Chase was made the place of rendezvous for ten of the interior counties. There were large camps near Cincinnati and Cleveland -Camp Denison, near Cincinnati. Regiment after regiment was equipped and sent to the front from Camp Chase, and Confed- erate prisoners were received in great numbers.
The prisons neither North nor South were intended for "pleas- ure resorts," and the death rate at Andersonville, Millen, Camp Chase, and Johnson's Island is proof that none of them were desirable places.
One feature of Camp Chase, unchanged through all these years, is the old "Four-Mile" house. It appears now as it was then. (See page 5.) Some who were in prison at Camp Chase will re- member the Confederate sutler store, where the prisoners secured rubber buttons and made rings, for which there was quite a de- mand from visitors, who were desirous of getting these souvenirs from the prisons. Many of these rings are still retained as me- mentos of this Federal prison.
A pen picture of a prison mess at Camp Chase or Johnson's Island is from Col. Barbiere's "Scraps from the Prison Table at Camp Chase and Johnson's Island," written soon after the war.
A prison mess contained from sixty to one hundred persons. They slept in two long rooms, in single bunks, but two were. forced into each bunk. They were three tiers high. In the upper tier the occupants could barely turn over without brushing the ceiling. A cynical comrade who was at Millen Prison, Geor- gia, in October and November, 1864, remarked that he had not room to turn over without brushing the roof or ceiling, while I had all the room that was between the stars and that patch of sand-nothing above me but the clouds, not even a blanket.
Colonel Barbiere also adds :
One dining room, one side of which was arranged with bunks,. rendered eating at all times disagreeable to a man of sensitive olfactories. In our room were ten plank tables, each adorned with ten plates, an equal number of tin cups, two pronged forks, a dull knife and an iron spoon, and a chunk of bread about the size of a man's fist to each plate, which allowance was all the.
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bread one received at that meal. In the center of the tables there was meat or bacon. Coffee was poured into the cups pre- vious to meals to cool. One stood to eat, and did not waste time at the table. Breakfast was served at six, dinner at lialf past eleven, and supper at half past five. Every one returned to his quarters at "retreat" and lights were extinguished at "taps," the former being at sundown and the latter at ten. Then every- thing was quiet until the treadmill of daily movements began with the next day's sun.
Camp Chase is situated in a flat four miles from Columbus, with a high board fence around the cabins. There is an elevated plank walk within the yard, to keep us from falling in the mud while making a circuit of the prison. It is one of the filthiest of the many pens assigned for the confinement of the Confederate prisoners.
Col. W. H. Richardson, of Austin, Tex., in 1898 wrote the au- thor of Camp Chase Prison :
It is but natural that you should like to know something of the life in Camp Chase and of those who fill the graves you have so kindly cared for. The story as it was written in hunger and suf- fering might bring to the surface bitter memories and be consid- ered unseemly and out of place. I will therefore deal only in a general way.
Arriving in Camp Chase early in August, 1864, we found an order curtailing rations to the lowest minimum possible to sus- tain life. Therefore a constant want of necessary, healthy food to sustain life fast filled those .. graves. The weak went first, and the unfortunate ones who contracted diseases next; while strong men, inured to hardship and short rations, wore on.
All this time the sutler was not allowed to sell anything in the shape of food, not even pepper. It is little wonder, then, that any scheme to escape was readily entered into. Our mess, com- posed of officers only (mostly border men), organized for the purpose of escape. We occupied a room twenty-four by twenty- four feet, with twenty-four men in the room, in one end of a barracks shanty built on posts two and a half to three feet off the ground. With one blanket and one suit of clothes, cold and hungry, we dug and worked for eight long months, only to be disappointed again and again. Secret tunnels and charging com- binations all failed.
I will give you one instance: After many failures through spies. and often by the failure of weak-kneed brothers, nine of us or- ganized. pledged to one another by all we held sacred, our sole purpose being to get away. The wall of No. I on the side next to Columbus was moved farther out, making more room. A new sink was dug eight by sixteen feet and eight feet deep, and we
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conceived the idea of getting into it as soon as opened for use and tunneling out, as we had only about twenty feet to go. I vol- unteered to take up the planks and let down a detail to dig. Mine was the post of honor. Immediately in front was a street lamp, and on the wall a sentinel twenty-five feet away. I worked long and hard, for planks were double-nailed and tools were scarce. The faintest shadow hid the form of the prisoners from the aim of the sentinel, only too willing to fire, but the boldness of the thing was what counted. No one suspected us; not even the spy saw the dark outlines of that desperate soldier working for life and liberty. The planks were raised; the work pro- gressed rapidly; two or three shifts were worked desperately. The ground was not frozen solidly enough where the new sewer led off, and when the tunnel reached the sewer it caved in, and the morning revealed the plot.
Then a howl went up under the very feet of the sentinel, and in the light of a street lamp a daring attempt to escape was made. The excitement in the Federal camp was great. It was ration day (rations were issued every two days), but instead of rations an order was posted which read: "Until the men concerned in the attempt to escape are brought forward, no more rations will be issued." : Some of the prisoners were ready to sell us for a mess of pottage. But little we cared; we, the picked nine, were not making a circus of ourselves. That we would be betrayed and probably shot bothered us but little, for a hungry man cares not a great deal for life. Colonel Hawkins, a preacher and sol- dier, volunteered to go before the commander. He did this, and. eloquently presenting the case, showed how hundreds of men were being punished for the act of others. Then the rations were issued and the job ended.
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