Seven months a prisoner ; or, Thirty-six days in the Woods. Giving the personal experience of prison life in Gordonsville [and other places] ... and two escapes, the last successful, from Columbia to Knoxville, over a distance of four hundred miles

Front matter

OR,

THIRTY-SIX DAYS IN THE 3 WOODS.

GIVING THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF PRISON LIFE IN GORDONS- VILLE, LYNCHBURG, DANVILLE, MACON, SAVANNAH, CHAR- LESTON, AND COLUMBIA, TOGETHER WITH A DESCRLEV TION OF HOW NEW CAPTURES ARE RECEIVED INTO PRISON, OF HOW THEY ACT AND WHAT THEY DO, ETC., ETC., AND TWO ESCAPES, THE LAST SUCCESSFUL, FROM COLUMBIA TO KNOXVILLE, OVER A DISTANCE OF

Preface

In presenting this little volume to the public, the author claim - for it nothing in a literary point of view. It has not been prepared for the library or the critic's desk, nor has it grown out of any desire for literary fame; but it is the legitimate offspring of the " embarrassing leisure " generally attendant upon the beginning of a profession. Its publication, however, is not so much to find em„ ployment, as to preserve in some kind of order for the satisfaction of ourself and friends, the adventures, hardships, and sufferings endured in an escape from Columbia, S. C, to Knoxville, occupying thirty-six days. .This, then, being our principal object, we have thought proper to sketch very briefly, in a simple manner, but a few of the leading features of seven months confinement in rebel prisons, and if in our endeavors to tell the truth, we have exaggerated or obscured any material fact, to that extent have we fallen short of our aim. In some things mentioned we may not corroborate other writers upon the subject, for we have written in a spirit of liberality towards the jailors of the South, and with no other guide than a few imperfect notes, hence whatever discrepancies may appear, may no doubt be accounted for in the fact that we have labored, especially to evade a too vivid recollection of our treatment, to the end that we might deal impartial justice to cur enemies, as well as to the generous and loyal hearts that aided us in our final accomplishment. So much has already been written upon " the treatment of prisoners of war," that we feel considerable hesitaation in adding anything more, and our silence in many matters we desire to be construed into a desire to save the reader from wearisome repetition. To detail all the crimes and barbarian cruelties that came under our personal observation, in the various prisons^ would take more time and more pages than we have leisure to write, or the public patience to read. To present something new, to prepare for the fickleness of old age, to enliven a sympathy for the loyalists of the South, and give recreation in an idle hour, more especially to the children, is the hope of

THE AUTHOR.

Danville, Ind., 1808.

Chapter I

Jack Pendleton vs. Henderson — Grant's Last Campaign — - The First Day's March — General Rice and his Staff — The First Guns of the Wilderness — Mistake of the Second Brigade — -Lieutenant Mitchell — The Captured Mississippian — The Fury of Battle — The Climax

Chapter II

Parker's Store — Lieutenant Shelton — First Escape— Shelton's Strategy — The "Wilderness Battlefield and its Dead — The Whip-po-wills of the Rapidan — The Grievous Mistake —Shelton Gives Out — Takes Refuge at Mrs. B.'s— Charley, the Rebel — The Ignominious Betrayal — Off for the South — The Thieves at the Rapidan — Sheltou's Trouble with his New Clothes — -The North Carolina Lieutenant — -Shelton's Resolute Pluck— General Wadsworth — Shelton Left Behind — All Alone Now — Tim. Hayden — General Lee's Head-Quarters — Colonel Richardson — Yank — The Poor Indian — Gordonsville and Starvation — Charlotsville — Lynchburg — Pandemonium — Relic of the Institution — Danville— Jamestown — Bill Reese — Augusta ■ — Macon — Camp Oglethorpe — How they Took us In — Who we Met Inside — The German Captain — Tunneling — The Fourth of July

CONTENTS.

Chapter IV

Lieutenant Chisman — Off from Macon — General Stoneman'e Raid — At Savannah — The Curious Populace — Drayton Street — Chisman and the Rebel Girl — The Prison — Major HiJl and His Guard — How They Treated Us — From Savannah to Charleston — The loth of September — Charleston Jail Yard—The Bombardment — Under Fire of Our Own Guns— The Desolation of the City — Yellow Fever in Our Camp — -Consternation of Our Guards — Sent to Columbia — Intense Suffering from Thirst — The Rebel Refugees — The Cadets — - Camp Sorghum — Amusements — Rations — An Officer Tom to Pieces by Dogs — The Final Escape

Chapter V

Lieutenants Good and Baker — The Home Stretch — The First Night's Difficulties — Our Organization — The First Negro —Our First Interview — Chisman's Speech to the Darkies — The Saluda River — Quandary as to Route — Our Second Interview with the Negroes — Our Decision — Streets of Laurensville — The Irishman's Short Comings — Good and the Gander— Locked Up in a Barn — In Terrorem — Martin and Moses — -Sumptuous Supper — The Two Cavalrymen — North Carolina Line — Fight Among Ourselves — The Hounds at Ross' — Reuben- — Captain Pace and His Company After Us — Reuben's Fidelity — Collision with Captain Pace — Saluda Gap — The Guard in the Road — Flat Rock —Interview with Rebel Soldiers — How We Escaped Them — On a Lost Mountain, Lost, Starving and Freezing —The Culmination of Sufferings and Trouble — God "Works in a Mysterious Way — The Union Girls — The Garret — Juan's Strategy

CHAPTER YI.

The Women of North Carolina — Waiting for Guides — The Candy Pulling — The Old Gossip — More Female Strategy —Adieus — Among the Robbers — Their Murders — Their

CONTENTS.

Cave — Their Engagement with Us — Why They had to

Tarry — The Expedition to Dr — The Capture of One

of the Vances — Our Hurried Departure — Crossing the French Broad River — Good and His Pone — Banks Burton's — His Neighbors and Family— Among the Mountains — The Obstinacy of Our Guides — The Majesty of Mount Piscah — Abandoned by Our Guides in the Wild Mountains . 132

Chapter VII

South Hominy Creek, Buncombe County, N. — Uncle Jimmy Smith — That Day's Fight Between the Unionists and Rebels — George Peoples — Kim. Davis- — Our Next Guide — Week in Buncombe County — Girls of Buncombe- Farewells in the Davis Family — Again in the Mountains — Sandy Mush — Rocky Ridge — Mr. Dunn — The Mules- Federal Pickets — Knoxville — The Old Flag — How We Felt — How We Looked — Gay Street — General Carter — In a Federal Hospital — Hood Besieging Nashville — Organization for Home, via Cumberland Gap — Kim. Home Again — Conclusion , 160

OR,

THIRTY-SIX DAYS IN THE GAUNTLET.

Chapter I

JACK PENDLETON VS. HENDERSON — GRANT'S LAST CAMPAIGN

THE FIRST DAY'S MARCH — GENERAL RICE AND HIS STAFF

THE FIRST GUNS OF THE WILDERNESS MISTAKE OF THE

SECOND BRIGADE LIEUTENANT MITCHELL THE CAPTURED

MISSISSIPPIAN THE FURY OF THE BATTLE — THE CLIMAX.

Those who were with the 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, at Culpepper, Virginia, in the winter of 1863 and '64, will all remember Jack Pendelton, with his dogs, his parrots, and his race horses. Jack, without doubt, belonged to the F. F. Vs. He not only said so, but his pedigree, which he often recited in our company, ran back through a collateral family of the Washingtons. He was 67 years old, his hair was white and silken, and hung down in; massive clusters near a pair of broad, square shoulders, surmounting a body of comely proportions. He had been raised by, and lived always among slaves, with a whip or club in his hand, and his habit of command had grown into second nature in his dotage; and it was his egotistical and dictatorial address that makes him so well remembered by those soldiers who came under his notice. Jack was rich before the War; had many broad acres about Culpepper, and counted his slaves by scores. But,

unhappily, he lay in the war path of the Potomac^ and 2

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

the armies, both Northern and Southern, marched and counter-marched over him for two years, so that at the time of which we write, perhaps not one rail could be found on his one thousand arable acres , and scarcely a dozen wagon loads of knotty pine and oak wood. His valuable negroes had ran away, their houses were torn down, his fine orchard destroyed, his garden and park laid waste, and a mile south of the Court House, upon a beautiful elevation, nestled among forest trees, in the midst of a vast desolated plain stood his sightly residence, which had still been spared. This house no doubt had been a seat of hospitality : for the long tables, the many broken decanters and the numerous horse racks at the gate, spoke it louder than the oft' repeated words of the host. Jack was an anti-secessionist at the start, but, prob - ably, more from policy than principle, for in an able and eloquent speech, delivered in Richmond in the winter of 1860, his principal argument was the inevitable desolation of Virginia in the event of a war. He, too, had been a politician ; had represented the Whig party of his District for two terms in Congress and had filled a foreign appointment under Taylor. He was the great personal friend of Abraham Lincoln ; they had served in Congress together, and Mr. Lincoln, with a dozen other members, once went home and spent the holidays with him. This was the event that supplied Mr. Pendleton with many anecdotes, which he could tell in capital style. A half mile west of the house was the course where he beat Mr. Lincoln in a horse race ; and twelve miles to the east was the Wilderness, which now contains more dead men's bones than deer, is the place where the party chased a deer for two consecutive days — Mr. Lincoln proving himself the noblest Nimrod of them all.

Four rooms in Jack's house — two below and two above, were now occupied by General Rice as Headquarters, and

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

the writer of this sketch was doing duty on his staff. Our party, eight in all, upon the main, got along agreeably with the host, after our reconciliation ; but when we first occupied, without permission, the old man suggested? rather emphatically, too, that he regarded it a summary proceeding, saying, "that when General Longstreet made his headquarters there but a few weeks before, he had. the politeness to negotiate with him.

Jack Avas a rebel now, and most vehemently hated run

away negroes. We had four or live of these at headquarters, who were constantly giving the old man trouble. Among them was a great big muscular African named Henderson, who had ran away from an old friend near Fredricksburg. Jack's hate especially rested upon this boy, for no other reason than lie had left him whom he knew to be a good master. Henderson was a taciturn, obedient, inoffensive boy, and went about the premises doing errands, saying nothing to anybody, and had several times run when pursued by Jack. But he was finally forbidden the yard, and informed that if he entered it again, it would be upon peril of his life, and for several days went trudging around through the mud, while the other servants could pass and repass through the yard at pleasure. This forbearance ceased to be a virtue with Henderson, and he asked the General one day what he had done, or who he was that this distinction should prevail among them. The General, always on the side of the oppressed, told him to go about his business, and through the yard whenever his duty required it ; that he must be polite and kind to the old man, but if Jack showed him any violence, to defend himself. This counsel was oil upon troubled water, and Henderson went from the General walking an inch taller than ever before, for it was the first time in all his life that he had license to fight a white man.

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

It was not more than an hour until there was a collision. Henderson had but time to get to our kitchen and black a few pairs of rusty boots, when he boldly started through the yard to deliver them. Jack, ever on the alert, met him, raised his cane, and, as usual, with a terrible oath, went to the attack, but this time to find battle instead of chase. Henderson parried, thrust, and down went the blooded Virginian to the ground, crying- murder, and bellowing like a gored ox. Every body about headquarters ran out immediately, and what we saw was more ludicerous than serious.

We found Henderson sitting astride the old aristocrat, with knees upon his arms, and a lion's grasp upon his throat, counseling or shutting off his breath, as the case required.

The parties were summoned to trial — Rice sitting in judgment — witnesses sworn, white and black, in anticipation of the Civil Rights bill. The case was regularly tried, which resulted in the General giving an elaborate opinion adverse to Jack. This threw the old lawyer into hysterics ; he raved, he swore, and he cried. Commanded the General to leave the house, or burn it with him in it ; that he would rather perish in his own house than to be so insulted in it. Because Rice would not do either, Jack appealed to Corps Headquarters, but General Newton was always too much engaged to investigate it.

J ack went to Washington and Baltimore that winter- Notwithstanding his rebel proclivities his relations with Mr. Lincoln were sufficient to secure him the necessary pass over the signature of the President. His business was, ostensibly, to get family supplies. The morning he was to leave home he came into the dining room while we were at breakfast, with his high hat and scissortailed coat on, and remarked :

*Rice, I should expect a pleasant time with my friends

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

if it were not for that G — d Stanton ; he hates me, and if he finds I'm up there, he is almost sure to arrest me."

"Oh no," says R., "he would not think of it when he finds out that you are up there on invitation of the President."

He was to be gone two weeks, but three had well nigh passed before he returned. Mrs. Pendleton, an excellent and amiable lady, was much distressed at his absence, and to her great relief, one afternoon, Captain Lacock's wagon drove up and left at the door an eight gallon demijohn of whisky, two barrels of crackers, two or three of flour, one of hams, etc. Soon the old man was seen coming slowly over the hill, evidently out of humor. He passed in through the back door, and was not seen any more that day.

The next morning, while we were at breakfast he came in with his brow knitted and wearing the expression of a desperate man.

The General accosted him. " Why ! good morning Mr. Pendleton. I'm glad to see you back. You staid longer than you expected to, did you not? "

" Yes. May G — d — that Stanton ; he arrested me, sure enough."

Some how Stanton found out that Jack was in the city and arrested him on the way to the cars, returning home, and detained him in prison a day or two, and until the President ordered his release.

On the night of the 23d of May, 1864, we broke the happiest camp ever occupied by the army of the Potomac. Man and officer felt as he drew off the little piece of shelter-tent which had formed the roof of his log hut, "well, we've had many a happy time in these quarters, anyhow.' And we had, too. We had had excellent rations, good clothing, and furloughs, three things as necessary to the good feeling of an army as discipline and victory is to its

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

efficiency. Every one, too, seemed to appreciate the magnitude of the work before us.

Grant had been made General of the Armies, and coming from the West, flushed with victory, and flattered in his hold on policy, had established himself with us. He had concentrated large forces of foot and horse men, and to this end had made all the forts and bomb-proofs about Washington and Baltimore disgorge. These extraordinary preparations, together with a very suggestive order from General Meade, beginning : " Soldiers I you are again called upon to meet the enemy;" was conclusive enough to the dullest man that aggression was the plan of the campaign, and that when the Army of the Potomac moved, with its new., leader, its power was to be felt and feared. The Army had perfect confidence in Grant, and in themselves. Although perhaps not so many victories were inscribed upon their banners, they never doubted but that they could fight as long and as well as the Western Armies, if led by the same genius. Nor for once did we believe, that when the much hated Eapidan was again crossed, that we would have to return as we had done twice before.

The order for our march was not unexpected, and found but few unready, yet it was not without some trouble that we made ready to move out — certain transfers of property to make, tents to turn in, pack mules to saddle, provisions to pack up, etc. But when midnight came we were all ready to fling our brigade into line. Our orders took us to Germania Ford, and in that direction the 1st A. G-, now the 5th, was soon wending its way through and over the hills.

The night march was made without interruption, and next morning we made our coffee at Steven sburg, but eight miles from the Ford.

The morning opened up very warm. The road was dry

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

and dusty, and as the sun's rays fell scorchingly upon backs burdened with prodigious knapsacks, there fell in, on either side of the road, innumerable blankets and overcoats. Had some enterprising Quartermaster followed in the wake of this Potomac Army for two days he might have collected enough of such articles to supply at least one half the corps the coming winter.

About noon we crossed the Rapidan without opposition, and just on the other side halted in a pine grove to rest and cook some coffee. An hour was there spent, when we again moved out on the plank road leading to Fredricksburg. The march this afternoon was as labored as any I ever saw. The men, with the usual large loads carried on the opening of a campaign, and having had a long rest, made it very difficult for them to trudge along through the intense heat and dust. Many were overcome and fell by the way side, and many more were discouraged and sullen, so that before we reached our bivouac at Wilderness Tavern, the straggling was alarming. Our staff was ordered out to drive all stragglers to the ranks, and for one, I have spent few afternoons when my duties were more fatiguing. It was one continuous command of "move on!" and forcing up with the sword or revolver worn out soldiers, whose very countenance depicted extreme suffering. But at 5 P. M. the head of the column reached the Tavern, and after another hour's ride we succeeded in getting the Brigade in camp, and the roll called to the satisfaction of the Generals. We then rode off with General Rice to a little eminence capped with a cluster of pine bushes, and here picketed our horses and pitched our tents for the night. We were all dirty and tire^d, but after taking a good wash and putting on clean collars, we sat together upon a grassy mound, feeling happy, for our day's work had been satisfactorily done. But, for some reason, the General's usual humor and vi-

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

vacity was wanting, and he seemed serious and downcast.

Lamdin said to him, "General, what's the matter? Are you unwell ?"

"Oh, no ! I'm just tired ; that's all."

After drinking our coffee he said to us :

" Boys, all of you fill your pipes and come with me again to those bushes. I want to have a talk with you."

Rice was one of the few christian Generals. His Bible and evening prayer were no more neglected than his sleep. Though sometimes complained ot for his petulenee, he was, for the most part, a meek, kind, exemplary christian. Six of us sat down with him. He first asked each what his purposes and objects in life were after the war, and then proceeded in a lengthy, but excellent moral lecture. He exorted us to temperance and morality. "But beyond all, study honesty and integrity, which are the moving elements to sure success."

We carried with us two tents, one for the use of the General and his nephew, Lieutenent Bush, and the other for the rest of the staff, and we had them both pitched on this occasion, but after finishing our talk the General said :

" Bugler, sound Taps, now. Boys, let us all go into my tent and sleep together to-night, for it may be the last opportunity we will ever have."

B} r this time the spell had seized all of us, and we followed into that tent like those following a bier. Wq spread our blankets in one continuous bed, the General's in the center; and having seated ourselves upon them, the General read the eiii. Psalm, after which, having prayed fervently for our protection in the touring events, we laid down and went to sleep. Never did seven hearts seem to reciprocate more fully each other's interests ; and never did better teeling bind "heart to heart and mind to mind."

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

, There is an enchanting something in the soldier's life out of which grows more brotherly love, more pure unadulterated friendship, than can be felt anywhere else. Whether it springs from a common interest, or common aim, or whether from the probability of a sudden "taking off," or what, it certainly prunes the disposition and weeds the heart of all selfishness and jealousy.

A "still small voice" seemed to say to the General that on the morrow night five of the seven would be missing, and that in a few days he should be gathered to his fathers.

The morning of the 5th of May opened up very fair. A few guns reported early three or four miles to the southward, where General Crawford lay with his division. Rumors were current that Lee was falling back to Gordonsville, and the firing was supposed to be on his rear guard. But events that followed soon proved that this supposition was wrong. At an early hour we moved out in the road, in the direction of Crawford, but had not gone more than two miles before we met an aide hurrying from Crawford with the news that the enemy were advancing through the Wilderness, close upon us. Our regiments were at once double-quicked into line, batteries thrown into position, w T agons sent to the rear ; and in five minutes everything presented the appearance of work.

In the meantime the general directed me to cover the brigade with skirmishers, wich I did by taking five companies of the 95th Kew T York, and two companies of the 76th Hew York, and deploying them four or five hundred yards in the front.

We were now fairly in the ill omened Wilderness. So dense was the foliage, that the skirmish line was entirely obscured from the line of battle. Matters went on until 11 o'clock A. M., without any appearance of the enemy, and General Warren > commanding corps, somewhat doubt*

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

ting the correctness of the report, rode up and said :

"General Rice, you will advance your brigade skirmishers two miles south-west, and if you iind the enemy before reaching that distance, hold all the ground you gain until the line of battle gets up ; you moving your line forward as soon as the firing begins."

Similar orders had been given to all the brigades of our division : and General Rice turning to me said :

"Lieutenant, you will see that these orders are executed?"

I replied by calling for my horse: but at the same time looking significantly at my friend Chisman, who was lying at ease on the ground. He well knew that I had been in the saddle my full share that morning, and well read in my looks, my wishes, for he sprang to his feet with :

"General, with your permission I will assist Lieutenant in advancing the skirmishers."

" I would be very glad if you would, sir," was the answer, and he joined me before I reached the line.

We moved off in conjunction with the skirmishers of the 1st brigade on our right, carefully feeling our way through the woods. We crept along for a mile as noiselessly as possible, making or hearing no sound louder than the cracking of a bush, when suddenly an oavI in our front went "hoot, hoot, hoot," " Hallow," says Chisman to me, "that owl is not used to his song, or he could do better than that." "Hoot, hoot, hoot," went another, away off* to the right, and we hurried along the line and told the boys to keep a sharp lookout. A few rods further on, and the next signal was, bang, whiz, spat, from a rebel musket. The enemy was at hand; and whether we fired the first guns on that great campaign, is no matter, but right kere began the bloody battle of the Wilderness.

A brisk firing at once began in our front, and soon it extending along the whole line. The results were various

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

— charging and being charged, advancing and retireing; two or three times our line was broken like a reed, and hurled back several hundred yards ; and it was in trying to withstand one of these violent onsets, that my horse received a shot in the hip, which made him almost unmanageable. For fifteen minutes we had it hot, and yet no sign of the brigade coming up. We had no protection on our left, and the rebels overlapped us on that flank, we knew not how far. For a slight protection we swung back fifty men, at right angles with the front,, yet, with this, a thousand men might have marched around to our rear, and swept off the last man. A volley of musketry broke forth to our right, probably in the rear of the 1st brigade. Roar after roar came rumbling through the forest, shaking our hearts with fear, for a thought came into our minds that it might be our bigrade that had mistaken the direction, or the whole line had borne too much to the right, and left us without support. At this time Lieutenant Mitchell rode up from the General and confirmed our fears, for he said that he had left the brigade but a few minutes before, away to our right, within a short distance of the skirmishers. He also bore orders from the General to hold out if possible. While Mitchell was with us, the rebels charged us again, and were repulsed, as we thought at the time, along the whole line of the brigade, but subsequent events proved that they had succeeded in driving back a hundred men of the 1st brigade, immediately on our right, the density of the forest preventing us from discovering the fact. We begged Mitchell to make haste to represent to the General the exposed condition of our left flank, which not only endangered us, but the whole army. He dashed away to return again in five minutes, with the Generals orders thereon. We waited in painful suspense five minutes, and he had not come— ten minutes, and there were no signs

SEVEN MONTHS A PRISONER.

of him ; dangers thickening about us the while. I called to Chisman that I would go myself and see what was the matter, and what we should do.

I galloped off to the right, in the direction of the battle, as fast asl could, dodging under the limbs and from the trees, and had not gone far, when about crossing a beaten path I chanced to glance to the left, and there stood a man within thirty feet of me, in the path facing th© rear, with a musket hanging in his right hand. Not noticing him very closely, it occurred to me in the moment that he was a skulker from our skirmish line, and I yelled out at him, " What are you doing back here, sir?" Whereupon he replied :

"Are you a Yankee, sir?"

A rebel — quick as thought I jerked my horse to the left, plunged both spurs into his sides, snatched my revolver, and in a twinkle was upon him. He jerked his musket to his shoulder, but in his hurry had failed to raise the hammer, and before he could recover and raise it, he had to jump out of the path to keep from being ridden down, and before he could rally I had my revolver pointing at his breast, with a demand for his surrender. His gun fell to his side, and I then commanded him to double quick to the rear. All possible haste was made to get him away from there, for I feared that he might have comrades close at hand, who would come to the rescue. Having hurried him to the rear a few hundred yards I began thus to interrogate him :