USA > Rhode Island > Battery F, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery in the Civil War, 1861-1865 > Part 15
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gradual breaking in. Nothing more was received until three or four o'clock in the afternoon, when the breakfast bill of fare was again presented, with sometimes two or three ounces of fresh beef as a substitute for the beans. I need not say that the substitute was a welcome one. Those who had smuggled a little money through were enabled to add some trifles to their bill. Searching my pockets thoroughly a day or two after my entrance I found about a dollar in scrip, which one of the negroes, who helped sweep the room, had the kindness to take out and get changed into Confederate money, receiving there- for five dollars. This I soon invested, buying two onions at a dollar each, some rice which I believe was worth nearly one dollar per pound, a clay pipe and a pound of smoking tobacco-the latter was the only cheap article in the Confederacy, the best costing one dollar per pound at that time.
Our only amusements were walking and smoking; for knowing that our stay in Richmond would be short, and feeling as all new prisoners will, rather blue, we had no ambition to get up any amusements. Those who had been proprietors of blankets a short time had something to keep them busy an hour or two a day, although it could hardly be classed under the head of amusements.
On the evening of the second of November two days' rations were issued, and we were informed that sometime during the night we would start for a prison depot further South. These rations consisted of three or four ounces of rotten bacon, so rotten that it might have been eaten
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with a spoon, and the smell of which nothing in the world ever equaled, a small dried haddock, and the usual allow- ance of corn-bread. I have said that I was blessed with a pretty strong stomach, but this bacon was too heavy for it, and with some difficulty I traded it for more haddock. About two o'clock in the morning we were treated to a sere- nade by " Turner's Band." They played but one air, the "Long Roll," at which we fell in, were counted, and, with the exception of several non-combatants, surgeons and chaplains, who were to be paroled, we were marched through the deserted streets of Richmond, across the bridge to Manchester, where a train of cars awaited us. Here we found a large number of enlisted men also tak- ing passage. All were carefully guarded, so that to es- cape was impossible. It was daylight before all were aboard and the train made up. If the members of the " Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" could have seen that train they would never complain of over crowded cattle cars. These were ordinary box cars, with no windows, only two doors, and but one of these open, which was protected by a grating, and each car was crowded with full sixty human beings. Two guards were stationed inside and six on top of each car. As we had nothing on leaving Richmond in which to carry water, and having eaten quite freely of our dried had- dock, our sufferings from thirst soon became intolerable, and had the train not stopped occasionally and the guard allowed one or two to get water from the ditch alongside the track, we would soon have been desperate. We ar-
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rived at Danville, Virginia, which it seems was our place of destination, during the following night, but were con- fined in the cars till daylight. How quickly we obeyed the order to turn out, and how good the fresh, cool air felt and tasted to us, after twenty-four hours in hot. crowded and filthy cars, no one can know unless placed in a similar situation.
The prisons were not far from the depot, so that it took but a short time to march to them. On arriving at the door and being admitted it would be difficult to describe our reception. Some three or four hundred men-for few, either from their appearance or dress, could be called officers-met us at the head of the first flight of stairs shouting. "Fresh fish." "Here they come." "Don't hit him." "Let his hat alone." "Keep your hands out of his pockets," and the like. My first impression was that we were in a penitentiary and that most of the pris- oners were rebel convicts, with a small scattering of Union officers, but finding that, notwithstanding the noise, nothing happened to us, I began to look about and soon discovered several friends; to one of them, an officer of my own regiment, I attached myself, he kindly volunteering to show me the ropes.
The officers' prison was called number three, and, like Libby, had evidently been built for a tobacco warehouse. The interior was also similar, except, that standing alone. it admitted light from all sides. The rooms in which prisoners were confined (the second and third stories had windows containing glass, but the lower story, where
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two or three sentinels were stationed, and where we were allowed to walk during daylight for exercise, had windows without glass, and, although boarded up half way, they afforded ample play for the cold winds, which made it very uncomfortable lying without blankets on a single board floor, with cracks almost wide enough to let us through. Our room was heated by two of the oldest fashioned cylinder stoves that I ever saw, and for fuel we had a poor bituminous coal, brought to Danville by canal from the interior of the State. When our stock of this was exhausted, four of us were allowed to go to the pile for more, a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile. under charge of two sentinels. It required an hour or two of hard work in the frozen dust and slate to fill our box, which we carried stretcher fashion. These stoves heated the room very imperfectly, owing to the poor quality of the coal, the thickness of the stoves, the cracks in the floor, and the circle that usually congregated around them, sometimes four or five deep. This circle was gen- erally quite good natured, and hailed the arrival of anyone to its inner rank, whether by strategy or otherwise, with the shout, " Another man made happy." A large number seldom visited the inner circle, but managed to keep warm, when it was very cold, by moving at a double quick around the room, one after another. This was good ex- ercise, and when warm we remained so for some time, while those who hugged the stove most, were the coldest when away from it.
A great variety of uniforms were observable, few hay-
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ing an officer's dress entire. Nearly all had some article of grey, and some had full suits; others had little enough of any kind. There being a ready market in our guard for anything we had to sell, in the shape of boots, clothes, watches, buttons, jewelry, etc., everything of that kind that could be dispensed with, and some that could not well be, had been disposed of. I had several mer- chantable articles, and my friend volunteering to ex- change them at current rates, I placed them at his dis- posal. A pair of boots brought one hundred and twenty dollars ; a necktie ten dollars ; and a pair of black kid gloves twenty dollars. (My pants were traded for a pair of second-hand shoes and another pair of pants-grey.) With the money thus obtained we bought from the guard who smuggled them in at night, and probably made a handsome profit themselves, a peck of beans at forty dol- lars ; a peck of Irish potatoes, about the size of walnuts, at forty dollars ; two or three pounds of salt, which at that time cost us but fifty cents a pound, though it after- wards touched a dollar ; several pounds of flour, for thickening our bean soup, at eighty cents per pound ; this also rose nearly out of sight, costing as high as two dollars and a half per pound ; and six little red peppers. for five dollars, to season with. Having nothing to cook in, we bought three shares in a mess-pan, at two dollars per share. There were twenty shares in the pan, owned by different individuals. Those of whom we purchased had run out of extra provisions, and hence had no need of cooking utensils. Our buying three shares gave us a
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larger control of the pan and enabled us to crush out smaller competitors.
While these lasted we lived in clover, but "when we died we died all over." They gave out at last, and we were forced to sell our shares in the pan to more fortu- nate individuals, and fall back on our regulars.
In cooking beans, they were in the first place hung in a tin cup against the stove until boiled sufficiently, then taken down into the yard, more water and the potatoes added, and with a few chips picked up while out for water, boiled until cooked. Chips were rather scarce and it cost considerable labor to keep a supply. I have seen an officer, who at home had probably never split a piece of wood in his life, beg a log which the guard had re- jected as too tough and knotty for their axes, and with nothing but about six inches of a broken scythe and a stone, work all day splitting off enough to cook a cup of coffee made from a crust of burnt bread. The rations here, as at Libby, were principally corn-bread. Bean soup was not so plentiful, nor was fresh beef. The day's ration of corn bread was always issued in the morning, and soup or beef, when we had any, in the afternoon.
Previous to their arrival at Danville, the officers had been confined at Salisbury, North Carolina, where they were quartered in small houses or barracks. These houses each appointed commissaries to draw and issue rations to the messes, of which there were several in each house. For convenience this organization was still pre- served .. Rations for all were issued under supervision of the commissary of the entire building.
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The cook-house for the prisoners was nearly opposit =_ and could readily be seen from our windows and maz: longing eyes were cast on it. An officer looking out on= day, when we knew we were to have bean soup, sudden .: exclaimed, " Don't you see those fat hogs scratching themselves against the cook-house fence ?" pointing 3: two or three sickle-backs, of which it is said it takes cwc to make a shadow, who were engaged in the occupaticc peculiar to their race, scratching, an operation which most of us indulged in freely. Bean soup was the basis of many good jokes ; it was hardly solid enough to be cie basis of anything else.
Considerable excitement was raised by the rebel com- missary sergeant informing us one morning that we were to have pork and beans issued to us in the afternoon. Visions of the old-fashioned New England Sunday break- fast rose rapidly before us, especially those who had bad experience with them at home, only to be widely dispelled by the reality. At the usual hour "Buckets for soup was called. They were sent out. Their return was anxiously awaited by a large number congregated in cie lower story to get the first sight. Bucket after bucker came in, presenting the ordinary appearance, until nearly twenty - our usual allowance - were before us, when it. was discovered that what had been taken for scum in one of the pails was really a piece of pork. It was fishes out with a stick, and a dozen or so, after weighing carefully in their hands, and looking at it fondly with their eyes, placed its weight at inside of a pound and :
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half. What a rich treat for four hundred hungry men. However, it was divided into six pieces, one to each house. In our house the messes drew lots for it, and the end was, one man ate the ration of pork for sixty, and lived ; at least that didn't kill him.
We were allowed plenty of drinking water, which we brought ourselves, in the same buckets that were used for soup, from a spring some two or three hundred yards from the prison, and about the same distance from the river Dan, from which the town takes its name. Anyone wishing to go for water would procure one or two empty pails, and cry out, "Buckets for water," which usually brought a dozen or more, when the sergeant of the guard being informed through a sentinel, would send two of his guard with the party, after counting them.
We were early risers from necessity, the cold forcing us up long before nature had satisfied her demand for sleep. When the sun had risen and in a measure warmed the building, and rations had been issued and eaten, the real business of the day was commenced. This was a searching examination of every particular seam and thread in our clothes, from head to foot, for vermin, which was plentiful, and from the visitation of which none were exempt. It would have been a comical sight to an outsider to have looked in upon us any pleasant morning about nine o'clock-the floor literally packed with men, squatted tailor-fashion, studying some article of their clothing as intently as ever school-boy studied his book.
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For amusements we had chess and checker-playing- the men made of wood ; card playing, with one or two packs of dirty and hardly legible cards ; smoking, walk- ing, laughing, singing, and talking. The latter known among us as "chin," was certainly the most prolific source of amusement. Any report from the guard, or that some one had seen in a rebel paper an article on exchange of prisoners, especially if the paper was pro- duced, was sufficient to cause the wildest excitement, and a buzzing probably as great as that at the building of the .Tower of Babel. An item of two or three lines often formed the basis for a week's "chin." Numbers whiled the time away by manufacturing bone-work, of which I .saw some very beautiful specimens in the shape of rings, napkin-rings, breastpins, etc., rivalling any made by those having all the necessary tools. I tried my hand at mak- ing a ring from a piece of bone found in my ration of meat, but after rubbing it all one day on a brick, to reduce it to the proper thickness, with little visible effect, gave up in disgust. Of course in such a large body of . men, there were some fine singers, who favored us, when in the mood, with some excellent singing. That which suited me best, was, when some one, after we had lain down and were waiting for sleep to come, started " Rally Round the Flag," "John Brown," or some other song with a good chorus. This would be taken up by the whole of us, up stairs and down, and sounded grand, even to our rebel guard, who appreciated the music if not the words.
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There were but few escapes from this prison, and for pretty good reasons. We were securely guarded by a chain of sentinels, who, during the night, were obliged half-hourly to call the number of their post, and "All's well." Our distance from the Union lines, the nearest point of which it was feasible to attempt reaching being Plymouth, North Carolina, and the distance by the roads we should have been obliged to take, nearly two hundred miles, and the almost total want of boots or shoes, many having nothing but the tops of their boots tied on for soles, deterred the few who had the opportunity to try. Still four or five made the attempt, and, I believe, with success. The road for escape was discovered by acci- dent. A number were out for water, and, on returning, while stopping to rest, one of the party stepped into a wood-shed, in front of which they had halted, to pick up some chips. The guard, not noticing his absence, or- dered the party to move on, which they did, some one picking up his pail. After dark he probably started for our lines. The discovery of this road led to the finding of another, somewhat similar. In going for water, as I have before said, a dozen or so, with one or two pails, as they pleased, were allowed to go under two sentinels. Between the prison and spring, there was a very steep decline of perhaps twenty feet, at the foot of which was quite a large oven for baking the moulds used in a foun- dry alongside for casting shot and shell, and a few feet in front of this foundry ran a canal, spanned by a very rickety foot bridge, that required all our eyes in crossing.
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A prisoner having determined to make the trial, would ascertain the condition of the oven, and if it had not been used, towards night get a party to go for water, hav- ing arranged beforehand with them how to manage. On passing out some one would attract the attention of the sergeant, to prevent counting, if possible, and, having fairly started, another would engage the guard in rear in conversation, causing him to move slow and scattering the party pretty well. The foremost guard on arriving at the bridge had all he could attend to while on it, and this gave the opportunity to the individual proposing to leave, who, handing his pail to a friend, would quietly step into the oven before the rear guard arrived at the edge of the hill. This mode of escape was not always available, as we sometimes had a cross-grained sergeant of the guard who persisted in doing his duty and counting us. Of course if there was any suspicion among us that we had been counted, it was risking the exposure of our plan to attempt it.
Just after dark on the evening of February 16th, the commanding sergeant came into our rooms, struck a light, and read to us a dispatch from Richmond, to the commander of prisoners at Danville, directing him to for- ward next day, one-half his prisoners for exchange, and the balance the day after. Most of us had lain down, but in an instant everyone was on his feet shouting, cheering, laughing, talking, and maybe some crying for joy. There was little sleep the remainder of that night- once in a while a lull, generally followed by a storm.
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The order read one-half the prisoners, and applied to offi- cers as well as enlisted men. It was not given out until next day how this selection was to be made, and each hoped to find himself among the fortunates. In the morning the prison adjutant came in and notified us that all those whose names were included between the letters A and M would go. This put a damper on some of us, and made me wish I had been born an Angell, or even a Bird ; but we consoled ourselves with the reflection that we would be but a day behind. About one o'clock roll was called, and on answering to their names, the fortu- nates started for the depot, bearing our good wishes. Those of us who were left set to work cleaning up a little, and, had nearly finished, when we were amazed by seeing the entire party return. Nothing was known as to the cause, and many surmises were made, the most discour- aging of course. Late in the evening an order came for all to hold themselves in readiness, followed by the order to march to the depot, and, on arriving there, we found half a dozen trains waiting. The delay had been caused by some accident above Danville, and led to the accu- mulation of empty cars enough to accommodate all. Few guards were sent with the train, and they paid us little attention, allowing us to get on or off as we pleased, and to ride on top. The cars, although nearly as crowded as when we went down, were thus rendered quite comfortable.
We arrived at Manchester about noon the next day, and, after a delay of several hours, the train crossed the bridge and entered the city. Here occurred a comical
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scene. The cars no sooner stopped, than all of us, pay- ing no attention whatever to the guard, jumped off and started for Libby, each anxious to get there first and secure a good place. None had any thought to escape, yet it was after dark before the entire party were inside the walls. A number finding that they were too late to secure good positions, spent the time in wandering around the city, until warned by darkness and the provost guard that it was time to make arrangements for sleeping.
Next morning, boxes sent by our friends in the North, and which had accumulated to the number of nearly a hundred, were distributed after an inspection, and Libby was at once transformed into a vast cook-house. A couple of bricks taken from the walls and placed any- where on the floor-there were no chimneys -- with a few chips split off the boxes, gave us the opportunity to cook and eat our first square meal in nearly four months. These boxes contained a little of everything, and evi- dently reflected the taste of their owners. An old officer near me had ten or twelve pounds of lard-nothing else ; another had all flour, others a variety of everything from a ham to a bottle of medicine. Knowing that we should remain but a day or two, and determined not to leave anything for the Johnnies, quite a general distribution took place, those having boxes sharing with their less fortunate friends. By eating too much, and from the dense smoke of so many fires, numbers were made sick, causing quite a run on medicines. Boxes of Spencer's pills (genuine too, sent by Mr. Spencer to his son, who
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was one of us), castor oil, and other searchers, disap- peared rapidly and to good purpose.
On the 20th we signed our paroles, and on the morn- ing of the 22d (Washington's birthday) we started for Rocket's Landing to take the flag of truce boat, first destroying everything belonging to us that was destructi- ble and which might prove of any value to the rebels. Arriving at Rocket's a boat was found awaiting us, and there was little delay in getting aboard, each one seem- ingly afraid that he might get left. The day was delight- ful, and, moving rather slowly, we had a fine opportunity to view the rebel works along the shore of the James, and the several iron-clads at anchor in it. The distance from Richmond to Bulwer's Landing, our destination, was but about seven miles, though it took an hour to steam there. Here was found Colonel Mulford, having charge of exchange on the Union side, who held a short conver- sation with Colonel Ould, acting in the same capacity for the rebels, after which we were allowed to disembark, a privilege of which we were not long in availing ourselves. No time was lost in making for our picket lines, which could be seen a short distance up the hill. All cheering was done on the run. I felt like hugging our colored soldiers, who composed the picket, and might have done so but for the desire to put as great a distance between myself and Richmond in as short time as possible. From Bulwer's to Aiken's Landing is full two miles, and long ones they were to us who were so unused to walking. At Aiken's we found our flag of truce boat waiting for us.
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Several hours were consumed in bringing over the sick and the weak in ambulances, during which time we re- ceived a serenade from the band of a cavalry regiment. I also heard from my battery, which was stationed a short distance from the landing, but was unable to visit it.
Late in the afternoon, Colonel Mulford arriving with the last of our men, lines were cast off, and the boat steamed down the James, bound for Annapolis, where was located a large parole camp. Here we were detained several days waiting for our " leaves of absence," which at last arrived and we started for home. While walking through the streets of Annapolis one morning, I was very agreeably surprised at meeting my orderly (carpet- bag in hand and bound North), from whom I had heard nothing since parting from him in Libby. He looked quite well, and told me that although once detailed with a party to go South, he had never left Richmond until paroled.
This ends the sketch of my four months' experience, and I have endeavored to present it without exaggeration. That it was short, comparatively, and not very severe, you can readily see, and yet it was long and severe enough to enable me to form some idea of the suffering of our poor fellows at Andersonville and elsewhere. I have not men- tioned, nor can anyone who has not himself been through some such experience imagine, our sufferings from hun- ger. Although the rations were sufficient to keep soul and body together, yet they never fully satisfied the craving for food. This craving showed itself in all our conversation and affected all our dreams.
A SUMMER IN SOUTHERN PRISONS.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXPERIENCE OF PRIVATE CHARLES C. VARS, BATTERY F., FIRST REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND LIGHT ARTILLERY, AS A PRISONER OF WAR.
M AY 16, 1864, I was captured at Drury's Bluff, Virginia, while endeavoring to gain the rear after the disaster to the Union troops at that point. I was im- mediately hurried to the enemy's rear and conducted by guards to the James River, placed on board a small steamer and taken to Richmond, Virginia. I believe I was among the first members of Battery F to enter Rich- mond.
Arriving at the wharf where the steamer landed, we were greeted by a large crowd, principally negroes, of all ages, sizes and conditions, and, although feeling deeply the misfortune which had befallen me, I could but be amused at the expressions which came to us from the peo- ple there assembled. From the wharf the guard escorted us direct to Libby Prison (there were about eleven hun- dred prisoners in the party) and quartered us upon the third floor of that building. The room was crowded. in fact one could scarcely move about. The air was stifling
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