PRISON RULES--STARVING IN THE MIDST OF PLENTY--ORGANIZING FOR A
BREAK--TRADING WITH THE GUARD--BUSINESS IN PRISON.
Although the orders were very strict that the guard should hold no
conversation with prisoners, and they were instructed to shoot anyone who
attempted to approach them, their cupidity often led them to violate their
instructions, which were equally well understood by us, and deterred many
from attempting any familiarity. But there were those, who had tact and
pluck enough to take all risks, to make a trade with them, of boots,
rings, watches, and other valuables, for bacon, tobacco, flour, and other
necessaries. In fact this had been my daily occupation, with the exception
of the first week, since my arrival in Danville.
Buying gold pens, rings, watches, and everything of value, and selling
them to the guard; and in return buying of them, provisions for myself,
and to sell to my fellow prisoners, who had money, but did not wish to
take the risk or trouble, to get up in the night and go down stairs to
trade.
Most of the exchanges were made in the night, just after the eleven
o'clock relief came on; although the bargains were usually made in the
daytime.
Thirty men were allowed to go down stairs to the sinks at a time, and from
fifteen to twenty, were allowed two or three times a day, to go out doors
for the purpose of bringing water from the river, which was about forty
rods from our prison, and get wood and coal, to supply the two large
stoves on each floor, and do our cooking with.
I have been thus minute in my description, that the reader might better
understand what follows. The four hundred officers were organized into
eight companies, with full sets of officers for each, and the balance
acting as privates. I belonged to the Cavalry detachment, and we were to
mount ourselves as fast as we could get horses, as far as it was possible
for us to do so, and act as the advance guard or vidette. There were, at
this time, about eighteen hundred prisoners in Danville, scattered about
in different buildings, and the plan agreed upon, if we succeeded in the
break was, to seize all the arms we could, overpower the guards at the
different prisons, release the enlisted men, capture and hold the town,
take possession of the telegraph office (operators having been detailed
who were experts in telegraphing), impress into the service all the horses
we could find for the Artillery and Cavalry; supply ourselves with arms as
far as possible, supply ourselves with rations and forage from the
Confederate storehouses, form the enlisted men into companies, and march
through as an army and join Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley.
Danville was at this time, the depot of supplies for Lee's army at
Richmond, and contained a large amount of Artillery and ammunition;
besides having storehouses, well stocked with captured hard tack, so that
there would be no lack of supplies for our army. We were therefore,
actually dying of starvation in the midst of plenty. In going daily from
the prison to the river for water, we passed a building 20x40 feet, two
stories high, that was packed from bottom to top with captured U. S. hard
tack, and others filled with bacon, and other provisions; and tried to get
Colonel Smith, commanding the prisons, to give us rations of hard tack
once or twice a week, but were told that this was held for the use of
their troops in the field.
For fresh meat, we were supplied with the heads and lights of beeves, and
for twenty-six days we did not even receive that; our only rations during
this time, being a piece of corn bread, or johnny-cake, made from unbolted
corn meal, four inches long, three wide, and two inches thick, for
twenty-four hours.
This would not more than half satisfy an ordinary man for his breakfast,
and a good feeder would then want a couple of eggs, a good sized potato
and one or two cups of coffee for a full meal, and even a half-pound of
beef steak would not be left to be thrown into the slops. While the
rations we received would have been considered princely fare by our
famished comrades at Andersonville and Salisbury, still it was just enough
to keep us constantly hungry, and make us think what we would eat if we
should ever get the chance to again sit down to a GOOD SQUARE MEAL. Like
the castaway upon the great ocean, with "Water, water, everywhere, and not
a drop to drink," so we were dying of starvation in the midst of plenty. I
say we, by that I mean the great majority of prisoners. As for myself,
while in Danville, I only lived exclusively on the prison rations drawn
for five days, and I thought I should die of starvation in that short
time.
Then, as I have heretofore stated, I went _into business_, buying and
selling jewelry, etc.
Now I suppose the reader would like to know where the capital came from
with which to commence business; for goods must be bought before they are
sold, and as I have before stated, I had sold even the buttons off my
uniform, in order to supply myself with food to satisfy my hunger.
Well, I happened to be talking one day with Captain Albert Thomas, 24th
New York Cavalry, who has now a studio in Syracuse, N. Y., and he showed
me a gold pen and silver case, that he had been trying to sell, without
success. He was entirely out of money, having some days before used the
last cent of a one hundred dollar bill, which he had most ingeniously
secreted upon his person, when stripped and searched at Libby prison,
upon his entrance into that notorious rebel prison hell, presided over by
the equally notorious Dick Turner. He said he had offered the whole thing
for fifteen dollars in Confederate money, but said he, while some folks
can sell any worthless article, I can never sell anything.
I told him to let me take it, and I would either return him his pencil or
bring him fifteen dollars within half an hour. He gave me the pencil, and
I went down stairs to interview the guard. It would not do to approach him
and offer to sell, as he might assert his authority by trading me a
Confederate bullet instead of scrip, and I was not hankering after rebel
lead just then. So I walked up and down the floor near him, holding the
pencil in my hand so that he could get a good view of it. After a while,
looking around to assure himself that no Confederate officer was near, he
asked in a low tone, "what d'ye ask for it?"
This gave me an opportunity to speak, and I answered as cautiously,
"Twenty-five dollars." "Let me take it; I'll give it back in a minute." I
walked up and handed it to him and stepped back, while he paced up and
down examining it carefully. Finally counting out the amount, he beckoned
me to come to him, and handed me the money. Of course, I was perfectly
safe in allowing him to examine the pencil; for if he had refused to
return or pay for it, I could have had him severely punished for
disobedience of orders, in allowing a prisoner to approach and converse
with him.
Within twenty minutes from the time I took the pen and case, I returned to
Captain Thomas with the fifteen dollars, and had made ten dollars for
myself. This ten dollars I immediately invested in a similar pencil, and
immediately sold it to the same guard for thirty dollars. With this start,
I succeeded in making enough to live upon, by buying of prisoners, and
selling to the guard, and in return buying of the guard at night and
selling to my comrades the next day.