Life in Southern Prisons: From the Diary of Corporal Charles Smedley, of Company G, 90th Regiment Penn'a Volunteers, Commencing a Few Days Before the "Battle of the Wilderness", In Which He Was Taken Prisoner ... Also, a Short Description of the March to and Battle of Gettysburg, Together with a Biographical Sketch of the AuthorSmedley, Charles
History
Life in Southern Prisons: From the Diary of Corporal Charles Smedley, of Company G, 90th Regiment Penn'a Volunteers, Commencing a Few Days Before the "Battle of the Wilderness", In Which He Was Taken Prisoner ... Also, a Short Description of the March to and Battle of Gettysburg, Together with a Biographical Sketch of the Author
Smedley, Charles
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
_1st day, 9th mo. 11th._ This was a very warm day. There was not so
many got away except this morning. About all the old prisoners are
gone. Yesterday evening, all from 19 to 23 were ordered to be ready.
About three, o'clock this afternoon, all from 23 to 33 were ordered to
be ready. No sooner was the order given than the "boys" packed up and
moved off to the gate. Each detachment took up its position, ready to
go. Here we lay, anxiously waiting for the cars to come, which were
expected at five o'clock, but they did not come. We lay down on the
ground. Drew boiled rice this forenoon. After getting to the gate, got
boiled beef. I am some better, but so weak and thin, I can just get
along. Griffith has such a lame back, he cannot get along much better
than I.
_2d day, 9th mo. 12th._ We lay ready to go until almost five o'clock.
Drew rice, molasses, and bread, for two days rations. I am very weak,
hardly able to walk. At five the trains began to come in; we moved out
and got in the cars; sixty to a car. About six o'clock they gave us two
days rations of corn bread and pork; started about dusk and arrived at
Macon about the middle of the night.
_3d day, 9th mo. 13th._ Lay in the cars until daylight; then started
and got to Augusta by evening; stopped there about two hours, then
changed cars and started again about dusk.
_4th day, 9th mo. 14th._ Kept on all night, going on the Columbia road,
and came to a junction which went to Charleston; and, at noon, came to
another junction, one leading towards Wilmington, which we took, after
changing cars, and started about five o'clock, and continued going on
pretty steady all night.
_5th day, 9th mo. 15th._ Arrived at a village called Florence, South
Carolina, and encamped here. Arrived here about two o'clock last night;
lay in the cars until eleven o'clock to-day, then were moved out about
a mile from the place. Clark, Joice, Griffith, and I, put up a snug
tent of two blankets. The day, and, in fact, the weather, has been very
warm since we started; we are almost worn out.
_6th day, 9th mo. 16th._ Slept very cold last night; have the diarrhoea
very bad, and am so weak that I can hardly go about; did not get any
rations until twelve o'clock at night, and then only a pint of meal and
a little piece of pork. The rebel Captain called the roll this evening.
The camp is divided into messes of one hundred, and detachments of
three thousands. I am in mess sixth of our detachment.
_7th day, 9th mo. 17th._ Was a very warm day; I got no better; am so
weak, can hardly help myself. Last night was so cold I could not sleep
until we took down the blankets and put them over us. Drew a pint of
rice for two days' rations.
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