Prisoners of War and Military Prisons. Personal narratives ... With a general account of Prison Life and Prisons in the South during the War of the Rebellion, ... by A. B. Isham ... H. M. Davidson ... and H. B. Furness

Front matter

Evening at Andersonville. Prisoners of War AND MILITARY PRISONS PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PRISONS AT RICHMOND, DANVILLE, MACON, ANDERSON- VILLE, SAVANNAH, MILLEN, CHARLESTON, AND COLUMBIA WITH A General Account of Prison Life and Prisons in the South during the War of the Rebellion, including Statistical Information Pertaining to Prisoners of War; together with a List of Officers who were Prisoners of War from January 1, 1864 BV ASA B. ISHAM LATE TIRST LIEUTENANT CO. " F," SEVENTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY, FIRST BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC HENRY M. DAVIDSON LATE SERGEANT BATTERY "A," FIRST OHIO LIGHT ARTILLERY, JOHNSON'S DIVISION, ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND. AND HENRY B. FURNESS LATE SERGEANT CO. " B," TWENTY-FOURTH WISCONSIN INFANTRY, SHERIDAN'S DIVISION, ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND CINCINNATI LYMAN & CUSHING 99 West Fourth Street 1890.

Copyright, 1890, by Asa B. Isham, Henry M. Davidson, and Henry B. Furnkss. Electrotyped by Printed and bound by CAMPBELL & CO., ROBERT CLARKE &c CO , Cincinnati, O. Cincinnati, O. PEEFACE. During the past ten years, many narratives have been published, detailing the sufferings of Federal prisoners in tbe late War of tbe Rebellion. They have, for the most part, been confined to accounts of the personal experience of the writers in the several prisons in which they were confined, and many of them exhibit vivid pictures of the horrible condition to which they were reduced by the policy of their captors. The following narratives furnish a more complete account of prison life than any which have been heretofore presented to the public, by combining the stories of the hardships endured by officers and by private soldiers re spectively.

They were prepared for the press many years ago, while the incidents related were still fresh in the memory, and while the unfortunate writers were still smarting under their terrible experience. The truthful ness of these narratives is, however, corroborated by a cloud of witnesses, whose veracity is unimpeached. The General Account of prisons and prisoners in the South attempts to give a somewhat more extended view of the subject, and shows that the treatment described by the narrators was general, and not confiued to particular prisons or special localities. The materials for this part of the work were drawn from various sources. " The Report on the Treatment of Prisoners of War," made to the Forty-fifth Congress, and known as " Shank's Re port," has furnished the main supply of documentary evi dence.

Chapter I

Starting upon a Campaign — Marching into the Wilderness — A Night Scene and March — Going into Battle — The Uses of Cavalry — Supporting a Battery — Panic in the Lead Horse Caravan — A Horn Blowing — Sleeping on the Field — Knowledge Respecting the Wilderness 3

Chapter V

En Route to Macon, Ga. — Cruelties to Enlisted Men — A Brutal Officer of the Guard — Colic — Confederate Economy — Native Curiosity — Arrival at Macon— The Prison Camp — Rations and Barter — Calling the Hours 37 (v) Contents. VI

Chapter XII

Prisoners in Columbia Jail— A Loyal Lady— Building a Bridge — One too Many— Misrepresentations— Endeavors to Inflame Prisoners against the Government— The Food Question— Retaliation— The facts in Reference to Exchange of Prisoners— Balloting for Presidential Candidates gg Contents. VII

Chapter XIII

Sympathy of Southern People and Troops for Prisoners — Abiding Guests — Gray Backs ; Travelers — Clothing — Repairs and Washing — Cooking and Cooking Utensils — Diseases— Homesickness — Sanitary- Regulations — Distribution of Rations — Diversions — Music — " Sherman's March to the Sea." 97

Chapter XIV

Enrolment of Sick and Wounded for Exchange — Departure from Columbia — Branchville— A Desperate South Carolinian — Charleston- Devastation and Desolation — Confederate Flag-of-Truce Boat— On Board " God's Vessel " — Enlisted Men From Andersonville — Horrible Condition — Fearful Mortality on Shipboard — Admiral Porter's Fleet— The Old Flag Supreme and Memorial 108

Chapter XV

Contrast between the Officers and Enlisted Men — Condition of Enlisted Men at Andersonville — Known Deaths among Union Officers — Inaccuracy of the Rebel Returns of Deaths — General Mortality i>f Union and Confederate Officers — Union Officers Killed by Guards — Interment of Union Officers 116

Chapter XVI

What was furnished to Rebel Prisoners— Clothing — Account of Treatment by a Confederate Officer— Testimony of a Confederate Surgeon — Circular Orders of the Commissary-General of Prisoners 134

Chapter XVII

Chickamauga Battle— Hospital— In the Enemy's Hands— The Wounded — Paroling Hospital Attendants— Want of Water— Bandages and Medicines— The Field— Seven Days after the Battle— Arrival of United States Ambulances with Supplies for the Wounded— Paroling the Wounded Contents. VIII

Chapter XVIII

March to Chickamauga Station — Tunnel Hill — Dalton— Kingston— Resaca and Fortifications — Pies and Cakes — Marietta — Scenery — Arrival at Atlanta — Trip to Augusta— Savannah River— Branchville — Kingsville — Columbia — Charlotte — Raleigh, via Salisbury and Greensboro— Goldsboro, Weldon, and Petersburg— Richmond 164

Chapter XIX

Smith Prison — Pemberton Prison — Scott Prison — Libby Prison — Prison Fare — Newspaper Gossip — Roll Call — Crowded State of the Prison — Insect Pests — Effects of Starvation — Debating Clubs — Exchange — Spoils — Small-pox — Removal to Danville 176

Chapter XX

Danville — Prisons Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 — Writing Letters Home — Occupation of Time — Small-pox — Receipt of Rations and Clothing by Flag of Truce — How Appropriated and Issued — Hospital— Express Boxes — Tunneling — Handicraft — Incidents — Newspaper Reports — Exchange — Removal to Georgia 191

Chapter XXI

Andersonville Prison — Admitted — Appearance of the Prisoners and the Pen— The First Night— The Morning— Search for Water— Roll Call- Rations— Cooking Utensils — Wood and Axes — Belle Isle — Prisoners from Cahaba and Plymouth 219

Chapter XXII

Enlargement of the Stockade— The Camp at Daylight— Shelters— Cooking— Appearance of the Prisoners— Roll Call— Sick Call— Market— The Sutler— Smugglers— Manufacturers— Gamblers— Water— Fortifying — " Raiders "—Six Men Hung — Police— Petitions — Writing Letters— Receiving Express Boxes — Incidents— A Storm and Break in the Stockade Contents. IX

Chapter XXIII

Rations — Cook Houses — Escapes — Blood-hounds — Punishment — Standing Stocks — Ball and Chain — Lying Down Stocks — Iron Collars — Removal of Hospital— Sick Calls— Hospitals— The Dead— Burial- General Winder — Captain Wirz 270

Chapter XXIV

Atlanta Taken by Sherman — Order of General Winder for Exchange of 20,000 Prisoners — Escape of the Author with Two Comrades — Avoiding the Dogs — Encounter Hood's Scouts — Hair-breadth Escapes — In the Midst of Hood's Army — Surrounded and Recaptured 307

Chapter XXV

Rebel Head-quarters — Opelika, Columbus, and Fort Valley — Plan of Escape Detected — Andersonville Again — Savannah — Special Exchange of 10,000 Sick — Removed to Millen — The Prison Pen — Recruiting Among the Prisoners — Free 348

Chapter XXVI

Paroled — Rebel Truce Boats — On Board Ship — Homeward Bound — Northern Soil — Furloughed — Views of the Prisoners — Tables — Conclusion 370 TREATMENT OF UNION PRISONERS OF WAR. General Account 401 I. Treatment at time of Capture 408 II. Treatment on Arrival at Prison 410 III. Location and Description of Prisons — Libby — Belle Isle — Danville — Salisbury — Florence— Cahaba — Camp Ford 413 IV. Food, Water, and Fuel 426 V. Knowledge Possessed by the Rebel Authorities Contents. X VI. Ability of the Confederate Authorities to Relieve the Sufferings of the Prisoners 460 VII. Agents of the Rebel Government — J. A. Seddon — Robert Ould— J. H. Winder— W. S. Winder— Wirz— Gee— Barrett 459 VIII. Results of Imprisonment — Mortality — Disability of the Survivors PARTIAL LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. t. Evening at Andersonville Frontispiece. 2.

Battle of Yellow Tavern (full page) 18 3. Castle Thunder 30 4. Libby Prison, front view 31 5. Libby Prison, side view 32 6. Libby Prison, interior view 35 7. Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Ga. (full page) 44 8. Tunneling at Macon 63 9. Charleston Jail and Work-house 68 10. Camp Sorghum, Columbia, S. C. (full page) 74 11. Killing a Hog 75 12. Arrival of " Fresh Fish " 79 13. Shooting a Prisoner 83 14. Washing Clothes 100 15. Squelching a Fire Eater 110 li>. Johnson's Island (full page) 135 17. Bathing at Johnson's Island 137 18. Andersonville, view from main entrance (full page) 149 19. Snodgrass Hospital 152 20. Battle of Chickamauga (full page) 155 21 . Leather Pies 167 22. Robbing prisoners 1 74 23. Smith and Pemberton Prisons. 177 24. Meditating Escape 190 25. Turning Water into Soup 202 26. Birds-eye View of Andersonville (full page) 219 27.

North-west View of Andersonville (full page) . . 228 28. Distributing Rations 229 29. Plymouth Prisoners 235 30. Diagram of Andersonville (folder) 238 31. Burrows at Andersonville 242 32. Going for Water at Andersonville 245 33. South-east View of Andersonville (full page) 247 34. Insane Prisoners 248 Partial List of Illustrations. XII 35. Smuggling 254 36. South-west View of Andersonville (full page) 257 37. Raiders 259 38. South End View of Andersonville (full page) 270 39. Blood-hounds 274 40. Chain-gang 279 41. " Spread Eagle " 280 42. Shooting a Prisoner 298 43. Mode of Interment at Andersonville (full page) 302 44. Kicking a Prisoner to Death 305 45. A Strange Voice 317 46. Grapevine Bridge 333 47. Hanging by the Thumbs 359 48. Prison Pen at Millen, Ga. (full page) 362 49. Life or Death 368 50.

Prison for Rebels at Elmira, N. Y. (full page) 379 51. Belle Isle (full page) 401 52. Pearl River Bridge 407 53. Robbing Prisoners 409 54. General John H. Winder 414 55. Salisbury, N. C. (full page) 420 56. Salisbury Hospital Interior 422 57. Camp Ford, Tex. (full page) 426 58. Florence, S. C. (full page) EXPERIENCE IN REBEL PRISONS FOR UNITED STATES OFFICERS a r R1CHMOND, MACON, SAVANNAH, CHARLESTON, AND COLUMBIA BY ASA B. ISHAM LATE FIRST LIEUTENANT CO. " F," SEVENTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY, FIRST BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

Chapter I

Starting upon a Campaign — Marching into the Wilderness—A Night Scene and March— Going into Battle — The Uses of Cavalry — Supporting a Battery — Panic in the Lead Horse Caravan — A Horn Blowing—Sleeping on the Field — Knowledge Respecting the Wilderness. HE Army of the Potomac never set out upon a campaign in lighter marching order than that of 1864, when it took up the march toward Richmond. For the cavalry arm of the service, one wagon to a regiment and two lead horses to each company constituted the transportation equipment. It was generally realized by the troops that their powers of endurance were likely to be tested as never before. Hence, every man put as little burden upon himself and horse as possible, carrying nothing that he could do without. If one had a preference for a blanket, he left behind his overcoat; or, if the overcoat was thought indispensable, the blanket was thrown out.

Cooking utensils were commonly reduced to a pint tin cup and a half of a canteen, which latter served for a frying and stewing pan, with a stick split at one end for a handle. Yet some, who were likely to mourn for the " flesh pots of Egypt'' in the Wilderness, clung fondly to a light skillet and a coffee pot. On the 4th of May, 1864, the camps around Culpepper Court-house were broken, and the columns were set in motion for the Rapidan. Quietly the march was con ducted. Conversation was not indulged in to any great extent, every one being apparently occupied by his own reflections. The soil moved over had been the scene of many a tight, to which recollection recurred, and a fresh encounter was momentarily looked for where the foe had been so often met. Bivouacking for the night at Stony Mountain, the march was resumed at 3 o'clock upon the morning of the 5th, crossing the Rapidan at Ely's ford.

Upon reaching the high ground in the vicinity of Chan cellorsville, we moved " On right, into line," to present sabers to General Grant and his staff, who rode by to head-quarters' tents, pitched a short distance to the right, while a salute was fired by a section of artillery. It was evident to all that there was no immediate danger of an engagement, and a lighter feeling pervaded the ranks. Here a number of colored regiments were overtaken, the first ever 6een by the Army of the Potomac. They had tents pitched, arms stacked, and were disporting them selves in their bare feet. Their pedal extremities and the army brogan did not seem to be exactly natural affinities. Their union pro duced a most uncomfortable chafing of protuberances, so that, while the colored brother cherished his shoe leather and suffered the pains of martyrdom with it upon show occasions, he much preferred to carry it upon his back during the steady plodding of a campaign.

To judge from expressions, these fellows meant business. " Whar is de enemy; has you all saw him any whar?" "We des want to kotch dem Johnny Rebs once ; we make 'em hol ler, suah." " Dey is done clean gone, and we can't find 'em." " Guess dey hyar we was a comin'. Yah ! yah ! yah !" " We're gwine fer to git 'em yit." " Why can't you all head 'em ofFwiv your hoss critters, and den we mash 'em all to pieces." A compliance with the last suggestion was promised, to their evident delight, and they were left in the rear. The poor fellows found the "Johnny Rebs " many times, often to their sorrow, before the campaign was over ; and upon some occasions, too, they found that they turned up when they were not being hunted for. A halt was made in the evening near the slope of the high plateau overlooking the Wilderness, not a great dis tance in advance of General Grant's head-quarters.

At 2 o'clock on the morning of the 6th, we were again in the saddle and pressing toward the front by way of the Fur nace road. In the descent from the upper level, a scene long to be remembered was presented to the vision. Fires had been lighted up by the sides of the roads, which revealed by their glare long lines of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, filling up the tortuous ways in all directions, in wavy motion, like the undulations of some vast serpent. Then a blast furnace, with its accumulated stores of fuel, broke out in grand conflagration, illuminating a vast ex tent of country by its lurid light. The black, impenetra ble forest spread out in all directions, the central mass of flame, the winding streaks of fire diverging therefrom, and here and there disclosing moving, writhing, sinuous, slender, long-extended forms — all combined to impress upon the mind a preternatural idea of the spectacle, as though the demon of destruction was floundering and belching out tongues and volumes of flame in the murky depths below.

Now and then our advance guard would press too hastily upon the retiring rear guard of the enemy, when the far-off rattle of musketry and subdued shouts would be borne to the ear, and the undulations in the columns would become more marked. But soon we were threading the mazes of the Wilderness, circling about the hosts of rebellion, which the darkness and the woods shut out from sight. Lively fusilades of musketry, not far removed, halts in readiness for action, were of frequent occurrence ; but with these exceptions, this night's march was not dissimilar to other night marches through a forest growth. All such marches are attended with such mishaps as falling into " chug holes," stumbling over obstructions, getting caught in the snares of log bridges and rough pieces of corduroy, and running foul of over hanging branches, with results usually more annoying than grave, though sometimes serious for horse or rider, or both.

The moral nature received a terrible wrench, when from a half-sleeping, dreaming state, one is suddenly precipitated into a mud hole, hung upon a limb, or made to practice a grand balancing feat by a tumble over some obstacle in the way. While doubtless the cavalry con tained many " souls made perfect," these accidents seemed only to befall the wholly unregenerate, if the expressions uttered upon such occasions may be taken in evidence. But such incidents banished sleepiness by the lively sallies interchanged between the ones who had " fallen into the pit" and his comrades, enlivened the spirits, and made re freshing breaks — to all but the victim — in the monotony of the dull, plodding hours. Toward morning, 6th of May, a position was taken up at the intersection of the Brock pike and the Furnace road, upon the extreme left of the Union line of battle, joining on to the 2d (Hancock's) Corps.

Morning had not long dawned, when the ball opened by the driving in of the pickets established upon the pike. The thunder of artillery and the continuous, vibrating roll of heavy musketry heard upon the right told that the infantry was already hard at work. Very soon all was activity along our own front. Passing out from the woods into an open, we were brought up " Front into line," in order to arrest the progress of a regiment which was falling back in great confusion before an onslaught of the enemy, the officers' efforts and shouts of " Rally ! Rally ! Halt !" and " Right about, wheel !" being of no effect. " Turn back boys, and at 'em;" " You have nothing to fear, for we're right here;" "You are charging your friends now, the enemy is in the other direction;" were some of the excla mations which greeted them as they halted before our line.

" Oh, you be blanked," responded the fugitives, as soon as they regained composure. " Our alignment was'nt right, and we just fell back to re-form, so as to get a o-0od swing at them." Re-form they did, in short order, too • and back they went, right gallantly, in splendid form pushing the enemy before them. The battle ground was a clearing over a surface slightly rolling, including an area of perhaps forty acres, and sur rounded by woods upon all sides. On the Confederate side of the field were two batteries of light artillery, which were opposed by eight pieces of artillery upon our side. The action of that day, so far as it pertained to the 1st Cavalry Division (Torbert's) and the enemy in its front, consisted of an artillery duel, charges and countercharges of mounted cavalry across the field, and fighting dismounted in the woods.

Evening found us masters of the field, the enemy, under Fitz Hugh Lee, having been forced to retire with heavy loss, leaving his dead and wounded and many prisoners in our hands. It is the popular idea that the cavalry is held in reserve until the supreme moment for action arrives, when it is hurled in compact, irresistible mass against the infantry battalions of the enemy, dashing them to atoms and decid ing the contest. The fact is that the cavalry forms the guard and feelers far an army. In a forward movement, it pushes in advance; on a retreat, covers the rear, resisting the enemy's advance ; in a general engagement, it is posted upon both flanks, to protect against flank movements and furnish information of the disposition of the opposing forces ; while, when the army is at rest, it constitutes the outposts, always maintaining a hold upon the skirts of an enemy, so that there can be no decided activity upon the one part that is not immediately discovered by the other and a corresponding activity induced.

Hence, from the character of its service, and the surface variations of the soil, its natural and artificial obstructions, tbe cavalry must nearly as often fight upon foot, like infantry, as upon horseback. A genuine cavalryman has no great fondness for dismounted fighting ; he feels that he has lost the half of himself when separated from his horse. Yet he would rather engage in battle in any capacity than to be placed mounted in support of a battery of artillery. There is every thing in action to uphold a soldier's courage. In mass movement he forgets his individuality. In the asso ciation and excitement of active participation, the idea of Wrar. personal hazard does not occur to him. But behind a battery, in plain sight of the enemy's guns, whose every flash he sees, he soon begins to imagine himself the direct target for every shot.

His consciousness of individuality be comes intense. The shrieking shells he can not resist dodging as they strike in front of the battery and rico chet, seem only to have missed his head by the eighth part of an inch. He is sure that the next one will play sad havoc with his anatomy. He notes the casualties, and the blanched faces of the wounded, as they are borne to the rear past him, make him heart-sick. He reproaches himself for ever having been such an idiot as to think that the country was in need of his services. What good is he to the country, sitting up as a mark behind a battery of artillery ! He holds it a criminal sacrifice of human life to hold men quiet and helpless under a destructive fire. He can see no danger to the battery, since the skirmishers and maneuvering forces are away out to the front of it.

He thinks that he can best conserve hn? country's interests by taking himself to a place of safety, and he looks along the line to discover if his comrades are so occupied as not to miss his presence. They all appear to be speaking to him with their eyes, " Stay where you are ! " He straight ens up in his saddle, gives his horse a spur to wake him up, and assumes an appearance of unconcern. The skirmish line is being crowded back, and inspired by the possibility of being ordered to charge, he grasps his saber tighter, and his soul bounds up. Down go his spirits again. The skirmishers advance, and the rebel shots come thicker, angrier and uglier than before. He ob serves the surgeons passing behind the advanced lines, within the range of bullets, ministering to the injured and sending them back.

He envies them, for they are doing something, and even if they are exposed to danger, full employment in the line of duty destroys their conscious ness of it. The men serving the guns of the battery stripped to the buff, and black as coal from sweat and powder accretion — he would gladly change places with. Men and horses are stretched lifeless about the cannon and pieces are disabled, but the artillerymen, warmed up to their wTork, have no time to take thought of any thing else. Finally comes the relief. More regiments are 6ent dismounted into the woods upon either side ; mounted regiments in column of companies pass over the open ; the whole line, mounted and dismounted, moves in concert amid cheers and yells ; the rattle of carbines and pistols is like a Fourth of July jollification upon a grand scale, and the artillery discharges are so rapid as to produce an almost continuous roar, completely drowning the efforts of the bands.

Then comes an almost painful stillness, followed, after an interval, by rousing cheers. The day is won ; the enemy is in retreat. An episode of the day was a panic in the lead-horse caravan, which had been left upon the side of the road in our rear. When the cannon balls and shells began to crash through the woods in great abundance, the contra bands and skulkers, who were interested in the welfare of the lead-horses, deemed it incumbent upon themselves to get these beasts of burden into safer quarters. They were led off by one named Malachi, but more familiarly known as " Bones," a sad-eyed contraband, whose bullet-head, not much larger than a pint measure, was sur mounted by a coon-skin covering of rare design. He was mounted, with out saddle or bridle, upon a lame animal which went upon three legs, and he steered him by means of a hickory club carried in his good right hand.

They were just getting started when a shell went screaming through the tree-tops right over the cavalcade, and sending down upon it a shower of small twigs. " Bones " uttered a wild " Ki, yi ! " turned his eyes toward heaven so that only the whites were visible, belabored his poor beast into a run, and, with the rest of the proces sion in close pursuit, struck out for the rear of Hancock's corps. This was but rushing from " the frying pan into the fire," and they soon turned back, more terror stricken than before, in a mad gallop, to their previous location, only to fly off again at the sound of shrieking missiles. An officer, sent back to look after them, found them rush ing pell-mell back and forth at the top of their speed. So wild with affright were they that he could exercise no control over them, until, giving chase, he unhorsed " Bones " by the liberal application of the flat of a saber about that worthy's head and shoulders.

The leader being thus dethroned, order wTas easily restored and a refuge found for them beyond the line of fire. In obedience to orders, we moved back to the Furnace to camp that night, reaching there some time after dark. Here all the buglers in the command were sent out into the woods to all points of the compass, and, in sweet dis concert they blew, and repeated, over and over again, all the calls in the regulations, except the one for quinine. They bugled for at least an hour, and if their wind held out they may have blown all night for all that the de ponent knoweth to the contrary. Tired soldiers do not lose any sleep on account of a little serenade like that. This musical demonstration was for the sole benefit of the rebels, in order to deceive as to the force, location, and movements of the cavalry, but had it been made more ex clusive by surrounding Lee's army with the buglers, the impression would have been more decided, and the results might, perhaps, have been as astonishing as those following a horn blowing performance once upon a time at ancient Jericho.

Daylight on the 7th of May found us back again in the position of the day before. Early in the forenoon, in a short but severe engagement out on the Brock pike, the 1st Michigan Cavalry drove back the enemy toward Todd's Tavern, which was soon after occupied by the 2d Division under General Gregg. The remainder of the day was whiled away in light skirmishing, and excursions to unknown points on the infantry lines, where we were formed in readiness for action at the edges of open spaces. The infantry, however, proved capable of holding its own; no call was made upon us for assistance, and we went back to our own particular battle possession. Here we remained mounted, in line of battle, until after dark, be fore orders were given to dismount and bivouac. The stench from decomposing horses, thickly strewn over the field, was almost stifling.

It seemed nearly strong enough to arrest the course of bullets which were flying about promiscuously in the darkness, since the enemy had again appeared on our front, and a lively interchange of leaden compliments was in progress between the picket lines, but a short distance removed. There was no hunting about for a choice spot upon which to rest, but each one nestled closely into the lap of Mother Earth wherever he was, however much he might entertain views of more desirable positions. Neither were noses turned up at dead animals when they could be felt within arms reach. In fact, a snug berth under the lee of a dead horse giving off the odors of putrefaction is not to be despised when wild picket firing at short range is indulged in upon a dark night. Those who found in the morning that they had slept upon the entrails of disemboweled steeds derived satisfaction from the fact that they had enjoyed softer beds than their companions.

Daylight of the morning of the 8th brought the revelation that the enemy had stolen away in the night. We then moved over to Todd's Tavern. On our way we were compelled to shoot some riderless horses, wounded in the legs, since they had no notion of being deserted, but persisted in crowding into places in the ranks and en deavoring to keep up with the column. The neighings of the poor beasts as they were dropped by the roadside were almost human in their plaintiveness. From Todd's Tavern we marched to Silver, on the Fredericksburg plank-road, where the entire cavalry corps was massed and where we spent the night. Thus was our service in the Wilderness concluded. Nothing could be seen beyond the little open stretch be fore us, and for a knowledge of what had transpired about us, we had been dependent entirely upon the sense of hearing.

We judged by the sounds of conflict which we had heard that a great battle had been fought, but we knew no more respecting the result than the man in the moon. As there was no enemy to molest us, we took it that he had been worsted. We had but vague ideas con cerning the topography of the country about us and our relative position to the rest of the forces. The Furnace was the central point to our minds. We knew that the road to our rear led back there, but that was about all we did know with certainty, since our marches were nearly all made at night. We had glimpses of bits of road filled up with infantry columns, or with ambulances for the wounded, of woods choked up with underbrush and fallen timber, and of openings covered with a growth of scrub bushes, and it was the predominating idea in the line that the enemy was every-where in position at the farther side of such clearings.