| From the Wilmington Journal |
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| March 18, 1862 |
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| Federal Prisoners |
| On Sunday morning the Federal
prisoners at Memphis were sent off on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad
to Tuscumbia, Ala. They composed a portion of the Yanks taken at
Belmont, and a portion sent here from Fort Donelson, and numbered in all
about two hundred and thirty-seven. They were placed in charge of a
company of sixty Alabamians. Judging from their appearance, they were in
good health, but in spirits very much cast down. Although man
applications have been made to gain admission to their quarters, for the
purpose of seeing and conversing with the prisoners, but few have ever
succeeded in getting a pass. That was right. It is not very pleasant to
a prisoner to be stared at, as if he belonged to a menagerie, by
visitors; and sinners as great as these Yankees are, should be left to
themselves and their own thoughts, as the solitude and loneliness of
their prison house will fasten repentance as their evil hearts so strong
that when they return to their homes in the North they will not be
likely to join another abolition raid for the purpose of murdering and
plundering the free citizens of this glorious Confederate Government. |
| There was a very large crowd
gathered at the prison, and it was between 10 and 11 o'clock before the
prisoners moved off towards the depot. As they passed along the streets,
a lady stepped to her door and shook her fist at them and said, "Oh, you
rascals, you murdered my son, and I will be revenged on you yet." The
crowd that followed them to the depot made no ill-natured remarks about
them, and many of the prisoners expressed regret on leaving Memphis, as
their quarters were so good and their treatment so kind and courteous --
much better than they had hoped it would be. Captain Adams, the
commandant of the post, prepared plenty for them to eat while on their
way to Alabama. The few moments the cars remained at the depot after the
prisoners got on board, they were engaged in exchanging Memphis money
for Alabama and New Orleans funds with the citizens, which seemed to
gratify them very much. The instant the locomotive sounded its whistle
the cars moved off, and the liveliest among the prisoners shouted
"here's your mule," and in a moment more the iron horse had carried them
out of sight, en route for a region and a home in the pleasant
plains in old Alabama. |
| Ex. Paper |
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