TAYLOR COUNTY, GA - MILITARY CIVIL WAR LETTER  Neiser, Hugh Point Lookout Prison

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Reprinted The Taylor Tracer December 1997

The following article was printed in the Atlanta Semi-
Weekly Journal of July 16, 1907 and the Butler Herald,
August 13, 1907. 

Butler, Ga. July 1,1907.

Dear Mrs. Felton: Enclosed find my article on my
experience in prison at Point Lookout, Md. I would have
sent it earlier, but have been very busy and so kept
putting it off. I thank you for your kindness in having
my letter published and the kind notice you gave it.
The Daughters of the Confederacy of Butler asked me to
write the article in question, is why I have done so;
and if you thank it worth being published you can do
so. Yours Respectfully, Hugh Neisler Butler, Ga. July
2, 1907.

The evening of March 25. 1865, thirteen of company E,
Forty-Fifth Georgia Regiment of Thomas's Brigade, and
one hundred and sixteen of the Forty-Fifth Regiment
(this number being counted after reaching prison by one
of the regiment, a Mr. Gore, of Company F, from Jones
County), were captured at one time on the Weldon
Railroad (Fort Stedman), near Petersburg, Va. Our
picket line was captured early in the morning and in
the evening the 35th and 45th Regiments of our brigade
were sent to re-capture it, which we did. Our picket
line was at least 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
over-run 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, ofMilledgeville,
was killed in the pit I was in, of which it can truly
be said there was never a better or 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
whatever. We were sent to Point

Lookout the same evening. We arrived thereon the
evening of March 25th. We were lined up and searched.
All United States blankets, gun wipers, screw drivers,
etc. were taken from us, then we were sent to the
prison. This prison was situated between the mouth of
the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, and was said to
contain forty acres of land. This was enclosed by a
fence made of planks placed straight 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 the 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 Bozzo and a very
clever man he was; treated us very kindly. I was in
eight 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 guards' 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 over the bay, and it is a fact that 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 cook house
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 bought 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
Carolina, two from Alabama. Major Brady, who was in
charge of the prison, used to ride through with his
escort, and sometimes they would throw tobacco cut up
into chaws to see the prisoners scramble for it. Some
times they would issue us yellow meal and one salt
mackerel to the man, with no means whatever for cooking
it. A hardtack or chaw 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 chaw 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 trouble me. We came out of
prison with what was left of the clothes we were
captured in.

About the first of June, as well as I remember, they
commenced paroling us. There was said to be about
20,000 prisoner there at that time. In paroling the
questions asked were of your company, regiment, age,
color of eyes and hair, residence and occupation when
at home; then we were put on a stand and measured by a
sliding scale, back us up and slide it down on our
heads and call out our heights. All of of this 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 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
farthest points first until they got to 0, then they
took all out as they came to them then went to A again
so that threw me to last day, my letter being N. We
were sent to the nearest point home.

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 Raleigh, on to Charolette,
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 will never
forget the kindness of the ladies of Bamesville. 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 29, and reached Taylor
County July 13. I have my certificate of release as
prisoner of war yet stamped: A. G. Brady, June 29,
1865, Major 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 m Greensboro, N.C. interested in a
factory there, and that men who were in 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 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 County, Ga.

Editors Notes:

Hugh Neisler enlisted in Co. E, 45th. Inf. Regt. from
Taylor Co., Ga., March 4,1862 as a private. He was
wounded at the Battle of Cedar Run, Va. August 9, 1862.
Appointed 2nd. Corporal January 1863; 5th. Sergeant
August 1864. Captured at Hatcher's Run, Va. (Fort
Stedman) March 25, 1865. Imprisioned at Point Lookout,
Md. March 27, 1865. He was paroled June 29, 1865 and
listed as having light complection, dark brown hair,
dark blue eyes, and 5ft. 9 1/2 inches tall. (Born in
Russell County, Ala. September 28, 1841)
(From Henderson's Roster)

The following were listed in Henderson's
Roster as being captured with Hugh Neisler
on March 25, 1865.
(1) Private Merrell Bowman, released June
24, 1865; 

(2) Private Richard D. Davis,
released June 26, 1865; 

(3) Private Charles
R. H. Hays, released June 27, 1865; 

(4)
Private Thomas P. Joiner, released June 28,
1865; 

(5) Private James W. Martin,
released June 29, 1865; 

(6) Private James
H. Morris, released June 29, 1865; 

(7) 5th
Sergeant Hugh Neisler, released June 29,
1865; 

(8) Private John Howard Neisler,
released June 29. 1865; 

(9) 4th Sergeant
James H. Thompson released June 21,
1865; 

(10) Private James M. Tittle,
released June 21,1865; 

(11) Private Young
S. Worsham, released June 22, 1865.
Captured April 2, 1865: Private Benjamin
Blanton Watson, released June 22, 1865;

Killed March 25,1865: Private R. T. Greer
and Private William T. Morris.