Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons — John Shaqi
Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel PrisonsDay, W. W. (William Worthy)
History
Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons
Day, W. W. (William Worthy)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
While he was disposing of my case another Union soldier crossed his
guard beat, for he was one of Longstreet’s pickets. He called to him to
halt but the soldier paying no attention to him, he brought his gun to
an aim and again called, “halt or I’ll shoot yo.” “Don’t shoot the man
for God’s sake, he is in your lines,” said I, and while Johnny was
paying his addresses to the other soldier, I gave a jump and ran like a
frightened deer. Around the clump of brush I sped, thinking, “now for
Chattanooga.” “Hello, Bill! Where you going?” “Oh, I had got started for
Chattanooga, but I guess I will go with you,” and I ran plump into a
squad of men of my company and regiment under guard.
Men, styling themselves statesmen, have stood up in their places in the
halls of Congress and called prisoners of war “Coffee Coolers” and
“Blackberry Pickers.” I give it up. I cannot express my opinion,
adequately, of men who will so sneer at and belittle brave men who have
fought through two days of terrible battle, and only yielded themselves
prisoners of war because they were surrounded and overpowered, as did
those men at Chickamauga.
The Battle of Chickamauga was ended and that Creek proved to be what its
Indian name implies, a “river of death.” The losses on the Union side
were over 17,000, and on the Confederate side over 22,000.
I said in the introduction that the Chickamauga campaign did not end in
absolute defeat. And, although we were most unmercifully whipped, I
still maintain that assertion, Gen. Grant to the contrary,
notwithstanding. Rosecrans saved Chattanooga and that was the bone of
contention, the prime object of the campaign. But it was a case similar
to that of an Arkansas doctor, who when asked how his patients, at a
house where he was called the night before, were getting on replied:
“Wall, the child is dead and the-ah mother is dead, but I’ll be dogoned
if I don’t believe I’ll pull the old man through all right.”
CHAPTER II.
A PRISONER OF WAR.
“Woe came with war and want with woe;
And it was mine to undergo
Each outrage of the rebel foe:”—
Rokeby, canto 5, verse 18.
Scott.
When I had thus unceremoniously run into the lion’s mouth, I surrendered
and was marched with my comrades a short distance to Gen. Humphrey’s
headquarters and placed under guard.
I then began to look around among the prisoners for those with whom I
was acquainted.
Among others, I found Lieut. A. E. Patchin and Geo. Hand of my company,
both wounded. Having had considerable experience in dressing wounds, at
Lieut. Patchin’s request, I went to Gen. Humphrey and obtained written
permission to stay with him (Patchin) and care for him. Patchin, Hand
and myself were then marched off about half a mile to a field hospital,
on a small branch or creek, as we would say.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account