716 NortH Caroxina Troops, 1861-65.

searcely recognize his best friends. There were six of us
from Wilmington, N. C.—all badly damaged. Had we been
consigned to any good business man, he would have rejected
the cargo, and refused to pay the freight.

We were turned into a stockade, built immediately in
front of what was formerly Battery Wagner. Our position
was such that every shot or shell from the guns on Sumter
and Moultrie and the other Confederate batteries, must either
pass close over our heads, or right through the pen. Any
which fell short, or exploded a tenth of a second too soon,
must strike death and destruction into our crowded ranks,

As soon as the Federals got us “fixed” to their notion, they
opened fire right over our heads upon the Confederate posi-
tions. They may have counted on receiving no reply, as our
men knew we were in front of Wagner, and I think the South-
ern artillerists were slow about taking up the challenge. Per-

-haps they were selecting their best gunners. Any way, one
fine morning when the Yankees opened up, and were getting

“gay,” we saw a puff of smoke blow out from Fort Moultrie,
and almost immediately, heard the rush of a fine, large shell.

It passed howling over our heads and smashed into the near-
est embrasure, where it exploded with much havoc. We
noted signs of great excitement within the battery, and an
ambulance dashed from the rear to the scene and took away
the wounded. Our officers fervently shook hands with each
other, and not one lifted up a voice of lamentation. It was
a good shot !

At night, when the firing was going on, the burning fuse
was plainly visible; and one could mark the flight of the
shells from the moment they left Moultrie until they
burst near us. Always some fellow would shout a warn-
ing, “Here she comes, here she comes—grab a root!”
Albeit there were no roots to grab on that bald sand beach.
Very few of our men were killed or wounded, and we had
reason to thank God and give praise to the good Southern gun-
ners who sighted so true. It is certain our enemies made
every provision for our annihilation!

The rations consisted of sour corn meal, meal which would
stand alone when the barrel was knocked from it—stuff, as

CONFEDERATE Prisoners at Morris Istanp. 717

we were informed, which had been condemned by the Union
Commissaries as wholly unfit for their troops. Occasion-
ally we received a piece of hog meat, about one inch square,
and, say half inch thick, with as many pickles, put up in
something near akin to vitriol, as we wanted. Of the rotten
meal we received daily six or eight ounces.

Some of the prisoners, for the sake of the record, complain-
ed to the Colonel. He replied that it was all right; there
was meat enough in the meal, bugs and worms, and that, if
he had his own way, he would be only too glad to feed us on
greasy rags. This man, it was said, commanded a Massachu-
setts negro regiment, and was not a veteran. We heard later
that some of his own men killed him. But perhaps the wish
was father to the rumor.

In striking contrast to this vile treatment was the conduct
of Colonel P. P. Brown, One Hundred and. Fifty-seventh
New York, who, when the prisoners were sent to Fort Pu-
laski 23 October, treated them with great courtesy and re-
spect, and did everything possible for their comfort. He
had met the Southerners on the line of battle, where he was
doubtless worth a regiment of the other sort. But the gov-
ernment was determined, as Captain Hammock said, to be
lenient with us, so they at once removed Colonel Brown, who
was a gentleman, and therefore unfit for the work, and sub-
stituted another. The truth is that wherever we came in
contact with veterans, we received only kindness.

It is always the non-combatants who are the most veno-
mous. It was one of this kidney—a certain Douglas, of
an Ohio Regiment, who murdered Colonel E. P. Jones, of
Virginia. The Colonel, a wounded officer, was not walking
fast enough to suit the cowardly sentinel, who ordered him
to get a better move on him, and, when the prisoner turned
to explain the difficulty, the fellow heartlessly shot him to
death and threatened a like fate to some brother officers who
wanted to take up the body!

The United States Government termed this treatment of
Southern officers retaliation. But retaliation implies the
paying back in one’s own coin. And that is what we have
never admitted. No rumors, reports, affidavits, no exhibi-