USA > Virginia > Clarke County > Clarke County > History of Clarke County, Virginia and its connection with the war between the states > Part 22
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whiskey to get drunk on, and who were punished by buck- ing and gagging, the sweat-box and black hole, because they would not divulge the name of the Yankee who fur- nished the whiskey. An officer struck one of them in the mouth with a tent-pin, but they held out and told them they might kill them before they would tell. There were not a great many instances of cruelty, and some of the officers were kind when it was in their power to be so. The hospitals were quiet, good, and well furnished, and prisoners were detailed as nurses and stewards. Doctors, who were mostly men employed, not commissioned, were kind and did what they could to alleviate the sufferings of the sick.
In all the prisons, the prisoners, by their manufacture of trinkets, etc., were able to get some money, by which they carried on a traffic among themselves. At Point Lookout there were many who kept eating-houses, where one could get hot biscuits and coffee, molasses, some- times cabbage, or anything that could be bought from the sutlers. At Elmira we were not allowed to buy so many things from the sutler. Tobacco was almost the only article we could buy. It was also an important part of the currency. The authorities would not let money sent by friends be paid in money, but forced you to get orders on the sutler. So, to turn it into money, we had to buy tobacco, trade it for bread, sell the bread for money; with the money you could buy bread when hungry, or possibly clothing from some one who had a misfit or more than he wanted. There were many attempts to escape by tun- nels, but only one was successful, by which five men got away. I was ready one night to go out, and two men were in the hole about to open it, when some oath-taker dis- covered it and reported us. The two caught were con- fined in the black hole for a month on bread and water.
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We sometimes had preaching on Sunday, Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, brother of Henry Ward, a Catholic bishop, and several others. All but one confined themselves to the Gospel, one man undertook to tell us of the wickedness of the rebellion, but had to finish his sermon to the few Yankees who stood around, as the prisoners all left. In January there was talk of exchanging the sick, and of course, all wanted to get into hospitals. I was so fortu- nate as to be sick enough to get in, and to be sent on the second load to Richmond. You may imagine with what joy I got ready, sewing my prison relics in the lining of my clothes for fear they might be taken, telling good-by to the many friends, new and old, some met there who had become dear by pleasant association, congeniality of thought and feeling, never to be seen or even to be heard of in this world again. The sad memories of that time are brightened by thoughts of those who helped to bear the ills to which we were all subjected. The southern soldier, in prison, half starved, poorly clad, in a rigorous climate, in the midst of disease, with death rapidly re- ducing his numbers, bearing all with patient endurance, with cheerfulness even, with no incentive but love of country and of honor, maintained the reputation for bravery and devotion to duty upheld by men on hard fought fields, when inspired by the enthusiasm of comrades and the leadership of loved commanders. May our memory of the men and the times be kept ever green.
(NOTE .- Since the above address was delivered, the National Government has marked all the Confederate graves at the Federal Prison Camps which could be positively located from the records.)
CHAPTER XXXIII
HOW A CLARKE MAN, A PRISONER OF THE WAR, ESCAPED
S OLDIER life has many vicissitudes of fortune, in the Camp, or march, or battlefield. None is more dreaded by the soldier than capture by the enemy. The humiliation of giving up to your despised foe, the trusty saber and pistol or the beloved musket, and of exultation of the charge, changed in a moment to shame and despair is overpowering and one feels that death was preferable. T'was so quickly done, a dozen pistols at your head or perhaps bayonets at your breast, and you surrender. You are ordered to the rear with perhaps a dozen volunteer guards, who are glad of some excuse to leave the front, At the rear you meet other prisoners coming in, perhaps some from your own company-which is comforting-"For misery loves company."
On the 10th of May, 1864, Sheridan made a great ef- fort to capture Richmond, while Grant was holding Lee's attention at Spotsylvania Court House. He was met at "The Yellow Tavern," near Richmond, and a hotly con- tested battle was fought. The gallant and beloved Gen. J. E. B. Stuart was killed there-a loss irreparable to the Confederacy. During the hottest of the battle the Clarke Cavalry were ordered to meet the advance of a large force which was endeavoring to capture a Confederate bat- tery. They did this most gallantly, repulsing the enemy. In the melee following the charge, our county man, A. Moore, Jr., then a boy of sixteen, was captured by the
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enemy. He with Mr. Eugene Davis, a member of the company, although a citizen of Albemarle County, and others of the cavalry were marched, on foot, to the "White House" on the Pamunkey and from that point sent by steam boat to Point Lookout, where the U. S. Government had a large prison camp. Here they met with many whom they knew belonging to other commands and also some of their own company. They in common with all others, en- dured the hardships of the life there until in August, a large number were selected to be sent to Elmira, New York. Mr. Moore and Mr. Davis were among the number. They went by steamboat to Baltimore and at that place were put on aboard cars of the Northern Central R. R. for El- mira. Mr. Moore knew that this road passed through the mountains of Maryland and Pennsylvania and through the Cumberland Valley. He with five others determined to attempt to escape. They were traveling in ordinary box cars, such as are used for carrying grain, etc. They thought that they could cut a hole in one end, and thus get on the narrow platform between the cars and by jump- ing off escape. In order to carry out this plan, on some pretense a blanket was hung across the car, shielding the one at work from the observation of the guard at the door. Mr. Davis, who was a very cultivated and agreeable man, undertook to entertain the guard and prevent him from suspecting what was going on. With their knives they slowly cut the plank away and at a late hour of the night when they thought they were now in Northern Pennsyl- vania and in the mountains bordering on the Cumberland Valley, succeeded in making it large enough to slip through. Without the formality of good-byes, six of them passed quietly through and taking their places behind each other on the bumpers, they sprang one after the other out into the darkness. Where they would land they knew not
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whether in a cut or on an embankment they thought only of the chance for freedom and did not think of the dangers. They were seen by some of the guards of the rapidly pass- ing train and fired at, but no stop was made, or effort to recapture them. What was their liberty worth to them now that they were free? They were in a hostile country. Part of Pennsylvania and Maryland lay between them and the Potomac, and as they knew the enemy were in posses- sion of the Shenandoah Valley. Fortunately Mr. Moore's knowledge of the country served them here. The moun- tains on either hand told them that their road was south- ward between the mountains. Undaunted, they deter- mined to press on. They found it best to travel by night and lie hidden during the day in corn fields or woods. Each night they would get something to eat from the spring-houses or dairies of the farms on their route. Liv- ing thus, principally on milk and butter, for they were afraid to venture to make inquiries or seek food from the houses, they made their perilous journey. On one oc- casion two of them went to a farm house seeking to get some food, as they were tired of the milk and butter diet. There they represented themselves as going to Chambers- burg, which they had heard had been burned by General Early, seeking work. The people were willing to sell them something and gave them desired information as to the state of affairs, but they were much nonplussed by a young woman of the house wanting to go with them, as she lived in Chambersburg and wanted to go home. Fortunately, it was found that her clothing was in the washtub and she would not go. On one occasion daylight caught them be- fore they got to a suitable hiding place and they had to take refuge in a small cornfield near a village. They could hear the drums beating as a detachment of troops was stationed there, enforcing the draft. During the day
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a woman from a near by house came into the field to gather the green corn. Some dogs that she had with her found something suspicious in the long grass and barked. She, to satisfy her curiousity, made a search and was much ter- rified when a tall man in a long linen duster rose out of the grass and confronted her. She fled rapidly to the house, and our friends thought that it was all up with them. But for some reason, probably she and her folks thought that the man was a citizen hiding from the soldiers who were enforcing the draft, and having no desire to have a fellow citizen drafted, they made no alarm. After their long and dangerous tramp they at last came in sight of the Po- tomac and Virginia. But the canal had to be crossed and also the river. While hidden in a corn field near the canal, Mr. Moore went forward to renonnoiter, hoping to find a bridge across the canal, as a road crossed it at that point. Upon approaching cautiously, he found just below him a picket post of soldiers. Retracing his steps very quietly and rejoining his friends, they kept hidden until some time after dark. They then came to the canal at another point, and were fortunate enough to avoid the sentinels on its banks and plunging in got across safely. A broad bot- tom was crossed and the river reached and now came the rub. Five of the men had been connected with the Con- federate Marine Service and could swim, but Mr. Moore could not. How was he to get across? They knew noth- ing of the river or of the bank on the farther side. But after all the other dangers passed they could not let this stop them. Two of the men offered to get him across if he was willing to venture. They struck boldly in, he having a hand on the shoulder of each one. At last the Virginia bank is reached and is found to be a high bluff and no place to land. The swimmers are almost exhaust- ed and our young friend urged them to leave him and save
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themselves, but they tell him to hold on and presently, swimming down stream, a landing is found and they are safe on the banks. After a while they were joined by the others and strike out into the darkness. Many people in Berkeley county near the river were Union people and it now behooved them to exercise supreme caution, but food they must have and information. So at last they determined to make inquiries at a large house looming up ahead of them. Upon knocking at the door a head is cautiously put out of a window-"who are you, and what do you want at this hour of the night?" After much baf- fling, it was decided to tell who they were-"Escaped Con- federate prisoners."-"Come right in, the Confederate pickets are just over the hill and Gen. Early's army is in Martinsburg." What relief of suspense! What joy to be again with southern friends and in the lines of a Con- federate army! Other heads had been at the windows above and they being withdrawn in a moment the doors were thrown open and the good ladies proceeded to give our heroes the first meal that they had tasted since they had parted with their Yankee guards and their "Hard- tack". There is very little more to say. In the morn- ing they went to Martinsburg and there parted never to meet again. Our young friend, Ammi Moore, going to his father's home in Clarke and thence to the army. The others reached their part of the army in safety. One of them is now living in Richmond, a very old man. Mr. Moore hears from him occasionally and through him of the others. No doubt there were other escapes made, all of them perilous, but none more so than this made by a Clarke county man who is known so well to the people of the county.
THE END
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