730 NortH CAROLINA TROOPS: 1861-65.

same thing, and they with many of their. men were out to-
gether on the water.

Then I was into a scheme to build a boat, which we accom-
plished by means of knife-saws and screws; but just as we
had got it finished (and at best it could not have carried more
than eight men), in came old Hike with a guard, tore up the
floor, found and destroyed our boat. ;

A “coffin detail” was made every morning, twenty-five
rough boxes being the day’s task, and more frequently it hap-
pened that more coftins were lacking than corpses. Over on
the Jersey shore was the burial ground, and there, in the
rude holes we dug for them, reposes the body of many a gal-
lant Southern man, whose noble heart once throbbed only for
truth and honor and liberty and love and home; whose un-
recorded greatness and valor will only be known at the great
final day when the graves shall give up their dead and jus-
tice at last be meted out to all.

Once, during my prison life, a copy of the Philadelphia
Enquirer fell into my hands, containing the experience of
some Yankee officer who had escaped from Andersonville
prison. Of course everything was exaggerated and made to
look as black and bad as possible, and a great parade was
made over the “cruel, barbarous treatment” of Union soldiers
in Southern prisons.

I read it over carefully, as did many others; showed it to
our jailors, officers and privates, compared the statements
with actual facts before our eyes, and all were forced to ad-
mit that, taking everything there said as true, prisoners at
Fort Delaware were faring worse, suffering more, and bear-
ing greater indignities, hardships and privations than those
of Andersonville. And still Delaware was held up as the
model prison! . I remember now one gallant fellow, his name
I have forgotten—who having been captured was accused of
being a deserter from the Federal army. Many there were
who knew him, were ready to swear that he was a native
Southerner and had never been in the United States service,
but after a mock trial he was condemned to die. He was tied
to a stake, and the officer told him that he had only a few sec-
onds to live; that he had better improve his time by confess-

 

Two Yrars at Fort DELAWARE. 731

ing himself to be a traitor, etc., and ordered the file of Yan-
kee soldiers to advance and make ready to fire.

Then spoke that heroic man: ‘I am your prisoner; kill
me if you will; I’d rather die than suffer as I do! But, so
help me God! I am neither traitor nor deserter, I am a Con-
federate States soldier. Jeff Davis, and Lee and Jackson,
and Beauregard and Johnston yet live and my death will be
avenged.” No quailing there! and his noble bearing had its
effect even upon his persecutors, for he was returned to prison
and finally released! I hope he is alive yet, for such fearless
and true men are few.

And so the long weary months wore on; and even in our
almost hopeless condition we sometimes heard a rumor that
cheered us, or caught a word from some of our enemies that
caused a gleam of sunshine and pleasure.

Few of the many prisoners “gave way” (and to this I at-
tribute the fact that the mortality was not greater, shocking
though the number of deaths were) but generally tried to
make the lingering hours pass lightly. We had a debating
elub and theatrical performances, all improvised and gotten
up by ourselves.

Every bone, horn, brass tack, bit of tin, wire or copper
were appropriated to some purpose. Bushels of rings, pins,
buttons, chains, charms and puzzles were patiently wrought
out of such crude material; and many of such articles would
have reflected credit upon the most skillful artisan or jeweler,
in a shop supplied with all requisite tools and materials for
such work. A fan was made by a prisoner which sold for
forty dollars, and when not stolen from us (“hiked”) we
could always find ready sale among the garrison for these
things.

At last the day of my deliverance came; a little money
that I had made, some trinkets, ete., brought me out, money
would bring anybody out if properly invested. That is,
while all wefe “in the market,” it was useless to bribe a pri-
vate or subordinate officer ; one must go up to the high officials
with his offering, and then if it was pretty liberal his release
was sure to follow.

The particulars of my escape, with all the adventures at-