The Story of Camp Chase

dfotnell Mtttuctaity ffiibrarg THE JAMES VERNER SCAIFE COLLECTION CIVIL WAR LITERATURE THE GIFT OP JAMES VERNER SCAIFE CLASS OF 1889 1919 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 081 310 074 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924081310074 A LITTLE iJUD. Kathariiif Elizabeth Gamble, Granddaughter of-the Author. THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE A HISTORY OF THE PRISON AND ITS CEMETERY, TOGETHER WITH OTHER CEMETERIES WHERE CONFEDERATE PRISON- ERS ARE BURIED, ETC. BY WILLaIAM u. knauss Nashville, Tenn., and Dallas, Tex. Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Smith & Lamar, Agents 1906 Copyright, 1906, BY Margaret M. Knauss. —— CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Decorating the Graves— 1896. p^^^ After Long Years Strangers Pay Tribute to the Valor of the South- ern Dead—The First Programme at Camp Chase—What Was Said That Day and Who Said It—A Stranger from the South Had Something to Say—An Afternoon Where Tenderness Reigned More Than Two Thousand Flags Fluttering over Low Green Mounds—The Setting Sun Stoops to Kiss the Little Banners as It Sinks to Rest—Left Alone in Their Slumbers i CHAPTER II. Caring for the Graves— 1897. A Larger Crowd—A Southern Orator, Col. Bennett H. Young, Addresses the People Assembled—Address of Judge David F. Pugh, a Northern Veteran—The Chairman Reviews the History of the Cemetery—The Mayor of the City Speaks Briefly—Some Letters from the South ; Also Cash—The Second Memorial Service over the Confederate Dead a Success 9 CHAPTER III. The Interest Growing— 1898. Again .Orators of the North and the South Pay Tribute to the Silent Dead—Patriotic Lessons Taught—Tlie Confederate Glee Club from Louisville Is Present—Colonel Young, Captain Leathers, and Mr. Osborne the Southern Speakers, Capt. G. H. Bargar Represent- ing the North—Letter from a Texas Veteran—A Lady from Atlanta Writes Encouragingly—"You Will Be Gratefully Remembered by Us ; Yours for America on Land or Sea" 19 CHAPTER IV. The Services of 1899. The Children of Avondale School Sing—Orations by Judge David E. Johnson, of Bluefields, W. Va., and by Gen. W. D. Hamilton Tableau of Blue and Gray with Hands Clasped—An Impromptu Service Some Days before the Regular Decoration Exercises—The Southern Members of Waterworks Convention Pleased and Im- pressed—They Stood with Uncovered Heads—The Mystery of the Broken Tombstone ; 41 ' b — vi THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. CHAPTER V. Camp Chase in 1900. i-agh. Ohio's Governor Present at the Services at Camp Chase—He Makes a Wise and Patriotic Address—The Ex-Confederates Pleased with His Kindly Expressed Sentiments Concerning the Dust of the Lonely Dead—General Arnold, of Kentucky, Delivered an Eloquent and Touching Speech—Mrs, T. W. Rose, President of the Ladies' So- ciety of the Union Veteran Legion, Spoke with Much Tenderness —Dr. Thomas P. Shields, an Ex-Confederate of Ohio, One of the Speakers—What Southern Governors Said 49 CHAPTER VL The Memorial of igoi. Arm in Arm the Men of the South and North Marched into the Cemetery Where Sleep the Dead of Camp Chase Prison—Com- mander Shields, of the Confederate Camp, and Commander Grim, of- McCoy Post, G. A. R., Lead the Way—Children of Avondale School Sing—Rev. John Hewitt Delivers an Address—Hon. Emmet Tompkins, Then Republican Member of Congress, Delivers an Oration—Remarks by Rev." Howard Henderson, Ex-Confederate Captain Rogers, an Ex- Confederate, Places Southern Flowers on Graves of the Union and Confederate Soldiers 56 CHAPTER Vn. The Monument Unveiled— 1902. What Southern Writers Who Were Present Said about the Occasion —The Chairman Tells Who Helped So Liberally with the Arch The Oration of Governor Nash—The Reply of Judge D. E. John- ston, of West Virginia—The Speech of Judge D. F. Pugh—Cap- tain Dinkins, of New Orleans, Delivers an Eloquent Speech—The Story of the Colored Men—Letter from Mrs. Randolph—Invitation to Go to Nashville—The Monument Turned Over to the Ex-Con- federates—Happy Ending of the Author's Work at Camp Chase.. 62 CHAPTER VHL Odds and Ends. Planting Trees at Camp Chase Cemetery—An Incident of Concord, N. C. —Confederate Dead at Gallipolis—Official Correspondence Concerning the Cemetery—A Few of the Many Friendly Letters —The Return of a Confederate Flag—A Speech That Caused Com- ment—Insinuating I^ostal Cards—The Visit of Editor Cunningham —Visiting Camp Chase Cemetery in Winter 84 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER IX. Visiting the South. p^^j. A Trip to New Orleans Mardi Gras Time—An Unlooked-For Re- ception—What the Crescent City Papers Said—Great Bouquets of Roses by the Ladies—The Confederates Present the Stranger with a Fine Gold Badge—Eloquent Speech of Captain Dinkins—An Edi- torial—Going to Nashville—A Fourth of July Event—Meeting Friends Both Blue and Gray—Guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Toney —A Remarkable Camp Fire—Well Repaid loo CHAPTER X. Camp Chase in i86i. Once a Military Camp and Prison'; Now a Fine Farm—The First Prisoners—A Confederate Pictures the Daily Grind of Prison Life—What a Texan Remembers of Camp Chase Prison—The Plot to Escape—The Spies' Report—Brutalizing Effects of Prison Life—The Man with the Poor Memory—The Deserter and the Prisoner—Strother's Story—Work on Camp Chase Begun in May, 1861 Ill CHAPTER XL Increasing Numbers. The Indifference of Columbus toward the Soldiers—Southern Pris- oners Were Not the Only Men' Neglected—A Wife Accompanies Her Husband to Prison—Arrival of a Number of Officers—A Ken- tuckian Expresses Himself—What the Raw Recruit Said—The Long Roll Beaten—Almost a Riot 122 CHAPTER XII. The Years Crept Slowly On. From 1863 to 1865—Gen. John Morgan and His Men—A Brief Review of His Famous Raid through Ohio—On the Road to Camp Chase —A Tennessee Judge Once a Boy Prisoner—The Boy and the Bowlder—A Conspiracy 129 CHAPTER XIII. After Forty-Two Years. The Intercepted Letters Found in the Ohio State House by State Librarian Galbreath—Some of the Letters Photographed—Some Letters from Down South—List of Letters Not Used in This Vol- ume—History of Mrs. Clark, by Her Son, Rev. Frank P. Clark. .. 140 viii THE STORY OF CAMP CHASE. CHAPTER XIV. Johnson's Island. A Prison Comfortable in Summer, but Cold in Winter—The First Prisoners to Arrive at Sandusky—The Town Turns Out to See Them—A Sad-Faced Lad—Making a Rope of the Flag—The Chap- lain's Consoling Words—Letters from Johnson's Island—The Num- ber of Prisoners upon the Island Each Month in 1862, 1863, 1864. 184 CHAPTER XV. Stokies of the Prison in Sandusky Bay. Prison Rules at Johnson's Island—The Grapevine Telegraph—The Opinion of Whitelaw Reid—The Execution of Corbin and Mc- Graw—A Pathetic Letter—A Deserter Shot—Campbell, the Spy —Wanted Back in Prison—Adventure of Captain Gubbins—How Lieutenant Bowles Was Killed—A Brave Kentuckian Calmly Meets His Fate 194 CHAPTER XVI. The Great Conspiracy. Plan to Liberate the Prisoners on Johnson's Island—Beall Captures the Philo Parsons and the Island Queen—Captain Cole Fails to Capture the Gunboat Michigan, Guarding Sandusky Bay—The Con- spirators to Spike the Guns of the Land Batteries—In Face of Dan- ger They Weakened—Capture of Cole—How Beall Got Away with the Philo Parsons—The Effort to Get Canada Involved in War with the United States—Great Excitement at Sandusky—Warn- ing of the Toronto (Canada) G/o&c—The Trials of Beall and Bur- leigh—Southern Version of the Plot 207 CHAPTER XVII. A Thrilling Escape. Prisoners Plan to Escape—Major Winston, of North Carolina, Major Stokes, of Virginia, Captain McConnell, of Kentucky, and Captains Robinson, Davis, and Stokes, of Virginia, Scale the Wall—The Thermometer Thirty-Three Degrees below Zero and the Wind Blowing a Gale—Captain Stokes Recaptured—Making a Raid on a Farmer's Stable—A Troubled Dutchman—No Sleep for Sixty Hours—Going through Toledo, Ohio—Breaking through the Ice — Safe under the British Flag 225 — CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XVIII. Plain Living at Johnson's Island. p^^,^ The Story of Lieutenant Cunningham—Eighteen Months a Prisoner at Johnson's Island—An Interesting Story Cleverly Told—The Lights and Shades of Prison Life—Pierson's Ten Commandments —Nothing in the Lord's Prayer to Cover the Emergency—Getting Home at Last—A Hugging Match 237 CHAPTER XIX. Personal Stokies of Camp Chase. Diary of Capt. A. S. McNeil—Nine Months a Prisoner at Camp Chase —An Unbiased Story of Prison Life—Going Home at Last—Story of R. H. Strother in Prison at the Same Time as Captain McNeil —Shooting at Prisoners—The Narrative of Lieutenant Mitchell He Tells of Lieutenant Grasty's Escape—How Captain Herbert Came to Camp Chase—A Pleasant Deputy Sheriff—The Effects, of Overeating 254 CHAPTER XX. Johnson's Island Stories, New and Old. Incidents of the Island Prison First Told in the Confederate Vet- eran—Pen Pictures of the Place in 1864 270 CHAPTER XXI. A Confederate Spy in Ohio. Promoted from First Duty Sergeant to Major—Scouting in the Moun- tains—A Narrow Escape—Recruiting for the Confederate Army in Ohio—Meeting the Knights of the Golden Circle—Makes Colum- bus His Headquarters for a Time—Visi*s Camp Chase—A Peep into the Prison—Getting Confederate Recruits through the Lines —The Story of Major Marlowe 274 CHAPTER XXII. Getting Together. Some True Stories That Illustrate What Friends Americans Can Be, though Enemies Once—The Man Who Shot Me—Telling the Story of the Battle—The Captured Silverware—Drinking from the Little Cup in After Years—Plowing with the Yankees' Horses—A Little Rebel Bootblack—Hunting a New Home—A Northe;-n Office Hold- er—Governor Campbell's Last Pardon 294 X THE STORY OP CAMP CHASE.

Load more