Monroe-Taylor County GaArchives News.....IN PRISON 45 YEARS AGO February 3, 1911
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Liz Robertson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00013.html#0003232 December 18, 2007, 8:45 am

Monroe Advertiser February 3, 1911
IN PRISON 45 YEARS AGO. (Monroe Advertiser, Feb. 3, 1911)  By HUGH NEISLER
    Georgian Relates His Prison Experience at Point Lookout During Civil War.  
Published by request. 
    Butler, Ga., July 1, 1907.---The evening of March 25, 1865, thirteen of 
Company E, Forty-fifth Georgia regiment of Thomas' brigade, and one hundred 
and sixteen of Forty-fifth Georgia regiment (this number being counted after 
we reached prison by one of the regiment, a Mr. Gore, of Company F, from Jones 
county), were captured at the time on the Waldon railroad (Fort Stedman), near 
Petersburg.  Our picket line was captured early in the morning and in the 
evening the Thirty-fifth and Forty-fifty regiments of our brigade were sent to 
recapture it, which we did.  Our picket line was at least a half mile from the 
breastworks.  We held it till our cartridge boxes were empty.  We were being 
charged by five lines of battle and were finally overrun and captured.  There 
were not more than fifteen or twenty men to the company at that time.  We had 
the same little crowd every time while Grant was being furnished all the men 
he wanted.  The picket line consisted of rifle pits twenty or thirty yards 
apart.  Our lieutenant colonel, Charlie Conn, of Milledgeville, was killed in 
the pit I was in, of whom it can truly be said there was never a better nor 
braver man.  Several others were wounded by my side.  In being carried from 
the field we saw the ground in front of us was covered with dead and wounded 
yankees.  We were marched to Grant's headquarters and put in a stockade.  The 
same night we were sent to City Point and the next day we were offered every 
inducement to take the oath of allegiance, but our men paid no attention to 
these offers whatever.  We were sent on to Point Lookout the same evening.
    We arrived there on the evening of March 28th.  We were lined up and 
searched.  All United States blankets, gun wipers, screwdrivers, ec., were 
taken from us; then we were sent in the prison.  This prison was situated 
between the mouth of the Potamac river and the Chesapeak bay, and was said to 
contain forty acres of land.  This ws enclosed by a fence made of plank placed 
upright about eight feet high.  The prisoners were not allowed to go to the 
fence, there being a dead line about eight feet from it on the inside.  The 
prison was separated into divisions, two rows of (condemned) tents facing each 
other made division.  The divisions were divided into companies, lettered A, 
B, C, etc.  One of our men was orderly sergeant of each company and a yankee 
corporal was in charge of each division.  The corporal of our division was 
named Bozze and a very clever man he was; treating us very kindly.  I was in 
the eighth division Company C.  There were three large gates on the side next 
to the bay which were locked every evening and unlocked every morning at 8 
o'clock.  We were allowed to go in bathing or fish if we wished.  We were 
under the guard's eyes all the while, as there was a platform about three feet 
from the top of the fence on the outside for the guards to walk on.  The 
privies were built out over the bay, and it is a fact that a any prisoner of 
reasonable health had no occasion to visit them more than once a week.  
    I have mentioned this to men who were at Fort Delaware and Camp Chase and 
they said it was the same there.  At 8 o'clock in the morning, the corporal 
came around and had the sergeant to call out each company as he came to it and 
he heard the roll called.  We were then marched to the cookhouse for 
breakfast, which consisted of a piece of beef or pickled pork about half as 
large as your hand.  At 10 o'clock the bread was brought around to the 
companies; one baker's loaf to two men.  At 2 o'clock in the evening we were 
marched back to the cook house and each man got a pint of bean soup.  We were 
only given just enough to keep us alive.  We were hungry all the time.  At 
least one month of the time we were guarded by negroes.  Thirteen of us staid 
in a board shack 12 feet square.
    Six states were represented in the shack.  Three from Virginia, four from 
Georgia, one from Mississippi, one from Tennessee, two from North Caroline, 
two from Alaama.  Major Brady, who was in charge of the prison, used to ride 
through with his escort, and sometimes they would issue us yellow meal and 1 
salt mackerel to the man with no means whatever for cooking it.  A hardtack or 
a chew of tobacco was good money there.  It was nothing uncommon to see a man 
with two or three rats for sale.  I never tried any of that.  If a man threw 
away a chew of tobacco (after chewing) it was picked up like a chicken picking 
up a grain of corn.  They would dry them to smoke.  I did not use tobacco, so 
the tobacco question did not worry me.  We came out of prison with what was 
left of the cloths we were  captured in.
    About the first of June, as well as I remember, they commenced paroling 
us.  There were said to be about 20,000 prisoners there at that time.  In 
paroling the questions asked were of your company, regiment, age, color of 
eyes and hair, resident and occupation when at home; then we were put on a 
stand and measured by a diding scale, back us up and slide it down on our 
heads and call out the heights.  All this was taken down by the different 
clerks, all writing as fast as they could.  The oath of allegiance was read to 
us and our parole given us, which we had to sign.  Then we had to walk under 
the stars and stripes to the opposite door from which we entered.  A few days 
after they began paroling, Major Brady ordered a flag of stars and stripes 
raised in front of the house.  Some of the prisoners had to dig the hole and 
raise the staff and have the flag ready to raise when he gave the command.  He 
then said for us to give three cheers when it got to the top of the staff.  
    He gave the command, the flag went up, but there were  no cheers given.  
They paroled alphabetically those who were to go to the nearest and fartheest 
points first until they got to O, then took all as they came to them, then 
went to A again so that threw me to the last day, my letter being N.  Were 
were sent to the nearest point house.  Then we had to make our way the best we 
could.  The boat I was on carried us to Richmond, we went from there to 
Danville, from there to Raleight on to Charlotte, etc. on the train.  We had 
to walk from Blackstock, in South Carolina, to Hokes station, we went on an 
engine and two box cars from there to Abbeville, where we were issued some 
rations.  I suppose by the town authorities.  We walked from there to 
Washington, Ga.,  
    I never will forget the kindness of the ladies of Barnsville.  They met 
each train with something to eat, as some prisoners were coming through each 
day.
We had been in prison for many months, were weak, hungry and ragged.  When we 
got to Macon a committee met each train and cared for us.  We left Point 
Lookout June 20th, and reached Taylor county July 13th.  I have my certificate 
of release as prisoner of war yet, stamped A. G. Brady, June 29th 1865, major 
and provost marshal headquarters , Point Lookout MD.  I have it in the 
envelope it was given to me in.  I also have the roll book of the company I 
was in while in prison.  I was the last one who had it and brought it home 
with me.  I heard a few years ago that Major Brady was in Greensboro, N. C. 
interested in a factory there, and that men who were at Point Lookout in 
prison would go to him and tell him they were there and that he was always 
glad to see them and treated them so kindly.
    Forty-Two years ago this all happened, but it is as if it were yesterday 
to me and I suppose it is that way with all who are left.  I know of very few 
who are living now.  If any who were there at that time should read this I 
would like to hear from them.  Hugh Neisler, Butler, Taylor Co., GA. (Top)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/monroe/newspapers/inprison2690nw.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/

File size: 8.5 Kb