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vqjw zjP3 ''. "TO CARE FOR HIM WHO HAS BORNE THE BATTLE, AND FOR HIS WIDOW AND ORPHANS." ESTABLISHED 1877 "Whoee Sto. 53. WASHER-TOST, D. C, SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1882. HEW SEBIES . TOJ- II, T-1. MISSIONAEY EIDGB. RAISING THE SIEGE OF CHATTANOOGA. CRUSHING DEFEAT OF BRAGG'S ARMY. Hazen, IVlllicli, Ilnrkcr, and Turcliin Gain tho Crest Almost Simullanconsly ami Pour an Enfilading Tiro Upon tlio Con federate Line Tho Captured Artillery Turncd Upon tlio Confederates Uravo Conduct of two Corporals Urals's Vain Eflbrts to Kally His Plying Troops A Panic that lie had never uefore wit nessed Seizes Theiu and Hears Them Vttth Frantic Haslo to the Hear, and Victory rerches Upon tho Hanuer of the Army of the Cumberland. IV. JZxpIanalion of Map: 1 Mouth of Chickauiau- 7 Siunmcrtown. pja River. 8 Jloccapin Point, 2 Railroad Tunnel. 9 Orchard Ivnob. 3 CJmttanoopa. 10 Williams's Island. 1-1 Brown's Ferry. 11 Rossvillc. 5 Wauhatchie. 12 Crawford Springs. 6 Craven House. E-M. & C. R. R. 11 Ga. R. R. While Sheridan's centre and right, led by the gallant ITarker and T. W. Sherman, were lighting their way step hy step towards the summit, and Carlin was pushing forward on the right, Hazen and Willich, having a shorter route and encountering more feeble opposition, gained the crest and opened fire on the flanks of Bate and Anderson. A mo ment later the flags of Harker and Turchin appeared upon the summit. The confeder ate artillery, abandoned hy the infantry sup ports, was captured and turned tipon the ingitive army, and Missionary Ridge was won. Wagners brigade, released from its perilous position in the trenches, dashed forward and took a hand in the fray. General "Wood describes the charge made hy his division as follows : " When the first line of entrenchments was carried thegoal for which we had started was won. Our orders carried usno further. TtTc had been instructed to carry the line of entrenchments at the base of the ridge and there halt. But the enthusiasm and impetuosity of the troops were such that those who first reached tho entrenchments at the base bounded over them and pressed on up the ascent after the flying enemy. Moreover, the works were no protection against the enemy's artillery on the ridge. To remain would be destruc tion; to return would be expensive in life, and disgraceful. Ollicers and men seemed impressed with this truth. In addition, the example of those who commenced to ascend the ridge was contagious. "WITHOUT "WAITING FOE AX OKDER the vast mass pushed forward in the race of glory, each man anxious to be the first on the summit. The enemy's artillery and mus ketry could not check the impetuous assault. The troops did not halt to fire; to have done so would have been ruinous. Little was left to the commander of the troops but to cheer the foremost, to encourage the weaker of limb, and- to sustain the very few who beemed to be faint-hearted. To the eternal honor of the troops it should be recorded that the laggards were few in number. The interval which elapsed be tween carrying the entrenchments and crowning the summit was one of intense and painful interest to all who were not participants in the assault. The ascent was an efibrt to try the strongest limbs and the stoutest hearts. But suspense was not of long duration. Upward steadily went the standard of the Union, borne by strong arms, and soon it was seen flying on the crest of Missionary Ridge. Loud were the shouts with which this spectacle was received. Some of the troops on the crest of the ridge pressed forward in pursuit of the flying enemy, while others, with great good sense on tho part of their brigade commanders, were deployed to the right nnd left, to clear the ridge and relieve the pres sure on our troops that had not gained the summit. THE GOOD EFFECT OF THE FLANK ATTACKS was almost instantaneously apparent, and soon the entire crest was occupied by our troops. Missionary Ridge was ours." Gen eral Hazen, commanding the right brigade of Wood's division, says : "'On commencing the advance, the thought of storming Mis sionary Ridge had not entered the mind of any one, but now the necessity was ap parent to every soldier of the command. Giving the men about five minutes to breathe, and receiving no order, I gave the word " forward," which was eagerly obeyed. The forces of General "Willich on my left had commenced the movement somewhat in my advance, and those of General Sheridan on my right were a considerable distance in my rear. There were in my front the troops of General Breckcnrid,e, forming tho left of the enemy's centre. Not much regard to lines could be observed, but the strong men, commanders, and color-bearers, took tho lead, in each case forming the apex of a tri angular column of men. These advanced slowly but confidently, no amount of fire from the crest checking them. Lieutenant Colonel Langdon, of the First Ohio, gaining a position where the conformation of the hill gave cover till within three yards of the crest, formed several hundred men there, checking the head for that purpose, then, giving the command, the column broke over the crest, the enemy fleeing. These were the first on the hill, and my command mov ing up with a shout, their entire front was handsomely carried. The troops on my im mediate left were still held in check, and those on my right, not more than half way up the hill, were being successfully held back. Hastening my men to the right and left along the ridge, I was enabled to take the enemy in flank and reverse, and by VIGOROUSLY USING THE ARTILLERY CAr TURED THERE, I soon relieved my neighbors, and carried the crest to within a few hundred yards of Bragg's headquarters, ho himself escaping by flight, being at one timo near my right encouraging the troops that had checked Sheridan's left." General Bragg says: "About half past three p. m. the immense force in the front of our left and centre advanced in three lines, preceded by heavy skirmishers. Our bat teries opened with fine effect, and much con fusion was produced before they reached musket range. In a short time the roar of musketry became very heavy, and it was soon apparent that the enemy had been re pulsed in my immediate front. "While rid ing along the crest, congratulating the troops, intelligence reached me that our line was broken on my right, and the enemy had crossed the ridge. Assistance was promptly dispatched to that point under Brigadier General Bate, who had so successfully main tained the ground in my front, and I pro ceeded to the rear of the broken line to rally our retiring troops and return them to the crest to drive tho enemy back. General Bate found' the disaster so great that his small force could not repair it About this time I also learned that our extreme left had also given way, and that MY POSITION "WAS ALMOST SURROUNDED. Bate was immediately directed to form a second line in the rear where, by the efforts of my staff, a nucleus of stragglers had been formed upon which to rally." Gen. "Willich misunderstood the order, and only knew that at the signal he was to ad vance. He says: "I understand since that the order was given to take only the rifle pits at the foot of the ridge ; by what acci dent I am unable to say, I did not under stand it so. I only understood the order to advance." "Willich's command thereupon made no halt at the rifle-pits, but pushed on, getting the advance of Hazen in the ascent. His march to the summit was greatly facili tated by two roads, one on his right and the other on his left, leading up the hill, whero they united, with others and formed the main road leading to Chickamauga station, in the valley beyond the ridge, which subse quently formed the line of retreat for the centre and left of Bragg's army. On his right was one battery and on his left were two. Willich says: "What so often, is ut tered in eloquent speeches in comforable saloons, in State houses, and halls of Congress, 'victory or death,' was hero an uncomfortable reality. The right of the brigade, consisting of men from all the regiments of the centre and right, reached first and mounted the enemy's breast-works. From the works they had to charge the rallying enemy, and received tho fires from the batteries on tho right and left. The battery on the right was taken in a very few moments by the right of my brigade and the left of Gen. Hazen. The Thirty-second Indiana and the Sixth Ohio claim to have been tho first to plant their colors on the crest. But a few moments, and all the colors of the brigade were in the enemy's works.'' The Sixth Ohio was in Hazen's brigade. Brig.-Gen. Sam Beatty formed his brigade two regiments in front and the remainder in column. The Ninth Kentucky was de ployed as skirmishers, covering his left and Baird's right. The Seventy -ninth and Eighty-sixth Indiana charged the rifle-pits, drove the confederate pickets from them, and pushed on up the hill under the leader ship of Colonel Fred. Kefller. This made it necessary to support him with other troop3, and the Thirteenth and Fifty-ninth Ohio were at once ordered forward. Gen. Beatty says: "Hoping to obtain a firm footing on the ridge I ordered forward tho remaining two regiments of my brigade, tho Seven teenth Kentucky, Col. Stout, and the Nine teenth Ohio, Col. Mandcrson, to support those already sent forward, and soon after received the order from Gen. Granger to send forward all my troops. These two regiments advanced in splendid order. By the time they were halfway up the side of the ridge the four regiments in advance had gained the crest and OCCUPIED THE REUEL "WORKS, l having successfully at the second attempt charged the enemy from them and planted their colors on tho summit of Miseisuary Ridge. The colors of four regiments of my brigade the Seventy-ninth and Eighty sixth Indiana and the Thirteenth and Fifty ninth Ohio were almost simultaneously planted on the enemy's works. At nearly the same time the colors of a regiment in General Willich's brigade were established on the works by its colonel." In the mean time the Ninth Kentucky, advancing on the left, charged a battery, and with the assist ance of the left of tho brigade (already in the works) captured it. There can be no doubt that tho first troops seen by Bate those upon whom the right of Tyler's brigade fired, and against which, by Braggs's direc tion, Bato led Weaver's command were those under command of Colonel Langdon, First Ohio, consisting of the strong men of his own regiment and those of the Fifth and Sixth Kentucky and Sixth and Forty-first Ohio. Tlio flag of the Sixth Ohio headed the detachment as it sprang over the crest. Colonel Langdon fell shot through the face; Colonel Wiley, Forty-first Ohio, was borne from the field to the hospital, whero he lost a leg; Colonel Berry, Fifth Kentucky, was wounded for tho third timo in two days, but remained on tho field animating his men by voice and example. Corporal Kramer, Forty first Ohio, fired the first piece of artillery probably of Dent's battery against Bate's flank by discharging his musket over the vent. Corporal Augelbeck, of the same regi ment, seeing a CAISSON, FILLED WITH AMMUNITION, ON FIRE, cut the wounded horses loose and ran tho caisson into a ravine toward the enemy be fore it exploded. The colors of tho Sixth Ohio wero borne by four different bearers, three of whom wero wounded, and one, Mc Laughlin, killed before they were finally planted by Major Stafford on the captured works. It was a day of great and heroic deeds. Officers vied with their men in toil ing up the steep ascent in the face of a storm of bullets, their uniforms furnishing con spicuous targets for tho sharp-shooters, who never ceased firing as they retired slowly and stubbornly before tho advancing lino of blue coats. Finlcy's brigade of Florida troops on Bate's left furnished the picket lino in front of its left flank tho First, Fourth, and Seventh Florida, under Major Wall who were promptly captured by Sheri dan's skirmishers; part of Stahl's brigade picketed tho front of Clayton's brigade on the extreme left of the confederate line, and Reynolds's brigade picketed tho front of Bate and Adams. Many stragglers from these commands gained the crest of the ridge in advance of tho Union troops, and rushing through tho main lino throw it into confu sion. They were with great difficulty rallied in tho rear, and were brought into some degree of order by General Bragg and his staff officers, where, as he says, they served as a nucleus upon which to form a second line a thousand yards in rear of tho first. Anderson's entire division and Adams's brigade had retired in disorder before tho irresistible charge of Wood's division, while yet Bate was holding his position. TnE BATTERIES, DESERTED RY TnEIR IN FANTRY SUPPORTS, continued to pour an enfilading fire upon the assaulting line until they were captured. To tho right of Anderson's division the con federate line had been weakened by the transfer of troops to the support of Cleburne on the extreme right. The advance of Baird's division caused their quick return, but not in sufficient force to hold the position against the impetuous assault of that gallant com mander. -Bragg says: "Lieutenant-General Hardee, leaving Major-General Cleburne in command of tho extremo right, moved to wards the left when ho heard the heavy firing in that direction. He reached the right of Anderson's division just in time to find it had nearly all fallen back, commenc ing on his left, whero tho enemy had first crowned the ridge. By a prompt and judi cious movement he threw a -portion of Cheat ham's division directly across tho ridge facing the enemy, who was now moving a strong force immediately on his left flank. By a decided stand hero tho enemy was entirely checked, and that portion of our force to the right remained intact. All to the left, how ever, except Bate's division, was ENTIRELY ROUTED AND IN RAPID FLTOIIT, nearly all the artillery having been shame fully abandoned by its infantry support. Every effort which could be made by myself and staff and by many other mounted officers availed but little. A panic which I had never before witnessed seemed to have seized upon officers and men. and each seemed to be struggling for his personal safety regard less of duty or character." General Baird's divisou was formed in two lines, with Turchin on the right, Vandeveer in the centre, and Phelps on the left. A heavy skirmish line covered his front and left flank, and at the signal the command moved forward, dashed over the rifle-pits through a concentric fire from batteries on right and left, and up the slope of the ridge in pursuit of the fugitive pickets. General Baird says: "Looking towards the right I saw that General Turchin had passed tho line of rifle-pits arid was well upon his way to tho top of the ridge. Two of his flags, surrounded by a group of the bravest spirits, had passed the rest and remained for some time PERCHED UFON TnE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, quite near the top. I saw, however, that the troops on the right had halted near the rifle-pits, contrary to my understanding when I gave him his instructions, and that he was unsupported. I was in tho act' of starting forward my other two brigades for this purpose when I received orders not to permit my men to go further, or to become engaged. I was perplexed how I was to withdraw Gen. Turchin. It was only mo mentary, however, as another order came in less than three minutes for the whoie line to charge to tho top. At that order both lines leaped forward with a shout and rushed up the mountain side. The ridge, more or less sleep and difficult throughout, was particularly so in my front, but the strongest and bravest men, striking the most accessible; points, soon passed to the front. Regimental organization became deranged and the lino presented rather the appearance of groups gathering around the colors, which they pushed onward and up ward through the storm of bullets. I can not too strongly commend to the Major General commanding the heroic gallantry of tho officers and men of the division in this charge, which has few parallels in my reading of wars. THE MARCH OF GENERAL TURCHIN'S RRIGADE was directed upon a prominent knob on which there were several pieces of artillery and a small house to the left, used after wards as a hospital. This I believe to be the first point carried by my command. General Willich's perhaps reached its point of aim a little before mine reached theirs, and soon after opened communication with us. The intermediate brigade (Bcatty's) came up a little later. I mention the first knob taken by General Turchin's brigade particularly, as marking the extreme point in the right carried by my division. It was strongly defended by tho enemy, who was driven from it by the Eleventh, Thirty-firs't and Thirty sixth Ohio regiments, and three guns cap tured. From this point to the left every foot gained was due to the stubborn fight ing of tho men of this division, who drove tho enemy steadily before them, and what ever captures were made are the pnmer tro phies of their valor." Vandeveer and Phelps came up almost simultaneously, and tho entire division wheeled to the left to meet Cheatham's division advancing from tho right to protect Hardee's left flank and rear. It will be borne in mind that Hardee's right formed an angle with the main line, facing northward, where it was confronted by Sherman. Among other bridgades moved towards tho left by General Hardee were those of RROWN, "WALTHALL, AND CUMMINGS. The latter had been engaged in a charge upon the right of General Sherman's line, as heretofore described, and returned to its po sition south of the railroad gap, when he Avas ordered by Hardee to move down the ridge towards the left. He says: "After moving about half a milo to the left, I found the head of my column approaching a line of baStle drawn up at right angles to the ridge. Ortxiding forward, I ascertained it was Gen eniBrown's brigade. On consultation with hi-Iwas advised to retain my then position uiitiinslrne.fciona .should be received from Gi ,-iftrKFnrdee.-, &l1thia:nioniehfc th'cno'my. opened fire upon the troops that were in front of$4eneral Brown,juid those troops giving brisk, Brown's brigade was faced about and mi'u-ched to the rear pursuant to orders pre viously given him. This produced some li'-tlo confusion in my troops, which was, however, shortly rectified, and they were nipved forward and placed in line of battle orGeneral Brown's right and in continua tion of his line. Immediately thereafter we received orders from General Cheatham to mpve our troops from the field by the left fliink, moving towards Chickamauga Depot. This was effected under cover of night with out loss or confusion." General Baird's division, advancing ob liquely to the left, encountered Cummings ami Brown, capturing prisoners and twelve pieces of artillery. One battery of three pieces) taken, by Turchin's brigade on first reaching tho summit, was recaptured by Jackson's brigade in a vigorous charge, but could not be held, and was subsequently re taken on the arrival of Vandeveer's brigade. Thus by a grand and simultaneous charge the entire crest was crowned by the Union line. Bragg was greatly incensed by tho con duct of tho majority of his troops. He had nioved the bulk of his army to tho north eiid, of the ridge, leaving Breckpnridge to look out for his left flank. Stewart's divis ion, charged with the defense of the pass west of Rossvillo and with the removal of the stores from that place, failed in both, and retreated along tho ridge towards the right. In his report he says : "No satisfac tory excuse can possibly be given for THE SHAMEFUL CONDUCT OF THE TROOPS " ON OUR LEFT in allowing our line to be penetrated. Tho position was one that ought to have been held by a line of skirmishers against any assaulting column, and wherever resistance was made the enemy fled in disordor after suffering heavy loss. Those who reached the ridge did so in a state of exhaustion from the great physical exertion of climb ing, which rendered them powerless, and tho slightest effort could have destroyed them." But a few minutes elapsed after the Ridge was carried before tho commanding-generals appeared upon the scene. Success having crowned the movement they grew facetious. Wood threatened his men with arrest for winning a battle without orders. A group of soldiers discussing the occurrences of the past hour, saw General Thomas riding by. Said one : " General, we know now why you have been dieting us for three weeks past; you have been training us for this race." "Yes," said the General, looking towards Chattanooga, where a steamer was just rounding up to the landing, "and there come the rations." PRURIENCY OF FAME NOT EARNED. General Scott, in ordering the enforcement of the order of March 1st, 1825, prohibiting officers of the army from writing private letters, with a view to their publication, ex tolling their own services, issued the follow ing order: " Headquarters of the Army, " Mexico. Nov. 12th, 1847. "General Orders,! No. 319. J "The attention of certain officers of this army is recalled to the foregoing regulation, which the general-in-chief is resolved to en force so far as it may bo in his power. "As yet but two echoes from home of the brilliant operations of our arms in this basin have reached us. The first in a New Orleans and the second through a Tampico news paper. " It requires not a little charity to believe that the principal heroes of the scandalous letters alluded to did not write them, or especially procure them to be written, and the intelligent can be at no loss in conjectur ing the authors, chiefs, partisans, and pet familiars. To the honor of the service, the disease, pruriency of fame not earned, can not have seized upon half a dozen officers (present), all of whom it is believed belong to the same coteries. " False credit may no doubt be obtained at home by such despicable self-puffing and malignant exclusion of others, but at the ex pense of the just esteem and consideration; of all honorable officers who love their country, their profession, and the truth of history. The indignation of the great number of the latter class cannot fail, in the end, to bring down the conceited and the envious to their proper level. " By command of Maj.-Gen. Scott. "H. L. Scour, A. A. Gen." If this order had been enforced during the late war, tho country might have been spared the needless sacrifice of many valua ble lives ; the army would have been spared the infliction of incompetent officers foisted trpon it by newspaper clamor, modest merit would have been more sure of its reward, and official reports of battles would corres pond more closely with the accounts by newspaper correspondents. The pen proved itself mightier than the sword in securing promotion to those who knew how to wield it. A WAR INCIDENT, A Surgeon's Idea or Soldierly Courage A Pathetic Story. Much comment has been made, says Dr. Geo. I. Rice, of La Moille, III., in a commu nication to tho Chicago Intcr-Occan, on the bravery of an English marine who caught up a shell from the deck of a bombarding vessel at Alexandria and dipped the fuse into a pail of water, thereby preventing its explosion and its accompanying disasters, for which he is to receive special decoration from the hands of the Queen. Since which there has been many comparative cases of similar bravery mentioned among our own "Yf.ulice colditfs during- the lato war. There are few persons whose fortune it has been to be under fire but have observed much of the same kind of coolness; indeed, it was so common that only the cases coming under the notico of newspaper writers or officers high in command were ever noticed in print or official reports. My thought in writing this was to tell a story of a different character, but one in which the courage of a young lad was not less marked under sadder surroundings. On the second day of Antietam I was or dered ly Dr. Samuel Rollins, P. R. V. R., to find a place where there was water and shel ter sufficient to accommodate a field hospital. A place having all the requisites, close to our line of battle, was found upon the farm of Mr. John Showman, and his hams, sheds, house, and yards were quickly filled with rows of wounded men. Though out of range of the enemy's guns, it was a place to try the courage of those in attendance. Every move of the surgeons was watched by scores of men, and upon arising from a patient from as many lips would come the much-used salute, "For God's sake, Doctor, attend to me now." One little fellow about 17 years old was particularly urgent in his calls. Upon going to him I found that he had been struck in the right side of the abdomen by a grape shot, making two wounds one of entrance and another of exit through both of which a largo knuckle of bowels was protruding. The case looked so hopeless that I passed him by with a promise that I would call again, and went to work on cases where there was more promise of doing some good. But every time I rose from a patient his pleading eyes would meet me, and his pa thetic appeal could no longer be resisted ; so hunting up Dr. Rollins and enlisting his ready sympathy and able hand we placed him under the influence of chloroform, and made a faithful at tenvpt to replace the pro truding and inflamed bowel, but found the injury so great that tho case was beyond the help of the surgeon. Wc left him to the care of a comrade. Upon his return to conscious ness he asked the result. His friend de clined to give him the information, but sum moned me. I sat down upon the ground beside and told him of the sad results of our efforts, and assured him that tho end was surely and speedily coming. "Then," said he, "there is no hope, I must die." Upon being assured that such was the case, he asked for his knapsack ; took from it some keepsakes, and asked that they be sent to 110 Chestnut street. Philadelphia, the home of his mother. He requested that I would write his mother telling her of his death, and where the body might be found ; that I would say to his mother and sister that he died with a heart tender with their precious memories, and that he died without fear or regret, giving his lifo for his country, which they had taught him to love so well. His name was Bryant Wm. If., I think. I have forgotten the company and regiment. After making his arrangements he lay with the greatest patience and cheerfulness await ing tho final discharge, which came in a few hours. Not a murmur or complaint, but perfect resignation until the last. This is one of tho tenderest of many sad recollec tions of army days, and in my opinion showed a courage of a higher character than the wetting of a fuse, or the hasty putting of a shell out of the way of doing personal damage. SOUTHERN PRISON LIFE. THE HORRORS OF BELLE ISLAND EQUAL TO THOSE OF ANDERSONVILLE. Scaffold Scenes at tho Excctition -of Itaider3. A Man Uraincd by a IJlow from a Club Urutal Treatment of the Sick Reckless Transfer of Prisoners Railway Smash-up. Sufferers lixposed to Rain and Storm 3fo Value Placed upon Human ILife. Written for The National Tribune cy Free Lance. VII. September 11th. A prisoner who was con fined at Belle Island, near Richmond, last winter informs mn that the horrors of that place, exceeded those of Andersonville in some respects, if such a thing be possible. Over ten thousand men were crowded upon a space of five or six acres, around which a breastwork of earth was erected. The lo cality was flat and sandy and was exposed to fogs and swept by the freezing winds of the river. About half the xrisoners had. rotten tents and the remainder were com pelled to sleep upon the bare ground, with out fire or shelter of any description. There was not even a tree to offer the semblance of protection. Sleet and rain made sad havoc with these unfortunates, for all were destitute of blankets and decent clothing, and the rations were shamefully insufficient, Men were frozen to death, chilled to death, or crippled by the loss of frost-'oitten limbs. Hundreds perished. The prisoners confined in Libby Prison suffered less from cold, but were packed like sardines in a box and breathed an atmosphere of poison. Sept 12th. I witnessed quite an exciting riot this morning while several detachments were moving out the south gate, en route to the depot. The one-hundred-aud-third detachment attempted to "flank" tho twenty-seventh, and a bloody conflict en sued. Clubs were freely used on both sides. The battle continued until half a score of rebel officers rushed in with drawn swords and revolvers, and compelled a restoration of order. The twenty-seventh detachment was very properly ordered to xemain in position, while the one-hundred-and-third was re- id.i, Raiders who were hanged on July 11th begged hard for their lives, excepting a little sailor, who met his fate with indifference. The one whose rope broke with him was known as "Mosby." After he fell he begged for mercy, and even made a slight show of resistance, but the executioner drew a bowie knife and threatened to plunge it to his heart if he resisted. In a moment more he swung in the air. Among his murdered TFictims was the brother of his executioner. An Ohio soldier belonging to our mess was somewhat surprised yesterday on stroll ing down market street to meet his only brother. Tliey have both been imprisoned here for many months, but were ignorant of each other's presence until yesterday. A rebel soldier recently exchanged from a Northern prison came through the stockade to-day in quest of two of his brothers, who are members of a loyal Kentucky regiment. He was able to find quite a number of for mer acquaintances, who gave him the pleas ing information that both his brothers had escaped to the Union lines. To-day a rebel sentinel expressed the fear to me that his regiment would be sent to the front as soon as the stockade is empty. He said that he would rather be a prisoner like me than a soldier at the front. I replied that I would rather be in a Union line of battle under lire than in Andersonville, and I told him the truth. Nine prisoners out of ten would have told him the same thing. In view of the lato removals the guards are becoming more sociable and less bloodthirsty. Yester day one of them, an old man, told me from his sentry-box that he was as true a Union man as any prisoner in the stockade. He cursed Jeff Davis roundly. Sej)t. i:lh. The police discipline of our prison has become seriously relaxed, owing to the demoralizing Inllueuce of the late re movals. Yesterday a prisouer attempted to "flank" into a detachment as it marched out the gate, but his brains wrre dashed out by a blow from a club. The murderer was not arrested. The sick are also being once more treated with the grossest brutality. Their very dying groans are mocked and laughed at A prisoner died near the swamp several days ago, and nntil yesterday his swollen, putrid body was left to the mercy of the sun, the worms and the insects. When a detail was finally sent to carry it out, tho stench from it was so unbearable that it had to be buried on the spot. Many of the prisoners going out believo they arc going home, and leave behind them various rude but useful articles, which are immedi ately picked up by the prisoners remaining. Tent stakes are also pulled up for fuel, and in numerous instances holes-in-the-ground and abandoned hovels are gleefully ap propriated by homeless persons. Constant excitement prevails, and a thousand rumors are afloat, all based on the hope that we wiU soon be within the Union lines. Less shoot ing is in progress than heretofore, but now and then a sentinel improves the opportu nity to "wing a Yank" before we are all sent away. The members of our detachment are impatiently awaiting orders to march to tho depot. Opinions conflict but even a change of hells will be, to us, delightful. Sejit. lGth.Oa. the evening of the 13th I was apprised that several vacancies existed in the forty-eighth detachment, then in lino with other bodies at the south gate, and about ready to march to the depot. Dick Tallman and I packed up our very few in- TYriTiHorl t nairiTi A a T n vrri nofr" e TsFsWRffl .1SS';5..JjWWRW TnfSSSfciffia iuuuuvu v vtuwy mm ",',i.. mmua VAoti il.ij io Livau iji4.i iui aj.us.uj;. i..i. ui cue SAS