GRATIOT STREET MILITARY PRISON. (ST. LOUIS, MO.) CAMP AND H*f*t* M**t**l* EMBRACING SCENES IN CAMP, ON THE MARCH, AND IN PRISONS: SPRINGFIELD, GRATIOT STREET, ST. LOUIS, AND MACON CITY, MO. FORT DELAWARE. AL­ TON AND CAMP DOUGLAS, ILL. CAMP MORTON, IND., AND CAMP CHASE, OHIO. ALSO, SCENES AND INCIDENTS DURING A 'TRIP FOR EX­ CHANGE, FROM ST. LOUIS, MO., VIA. PHIL­ ADELPHIA, PA, TO CITY POINT, VA. BY GRIFFIN FROST. QUINCY;; I£MN0JB: :,•:: 1"S67.'"~ "' :" : :;" INDEX. CHAPTEE I. PAGE. Introductory; Organization of Company ''A;" March to Glasgow; Capture of Steamer Sunshine; Battle of Lexington, Mo,; March Southward; Wilson Creek Battle Ground; Battle of Pea Ridge, &c, &o 1 CHAPTER II. Cheering News from Virginia; Humored Capture of Gen. Curtis and Seven Thou­ sand Men, in Arkansas; Southern Plantations; Crossing the Mississippi River; Drowning of Luther Marks, &c, &e 13 CHAPTEE III. Arrival at St. Louis; Gratiot St. Prison; Manner of Eating; what we Eat; Rumors of an Exchange; An Ungentlemanly Officer; Arrest of Ladies; Escape of Priso­ ners; Arrival of Female Prisoners; Exchange; Trip to Port Delaware, &e.,&c 27 CHAPTER IV. Great Excitement at Petersburg, Ta.; Gen. Whitfield's Residence at Demopolis, Ala.; Capture of Jackson, Miss.; Battle of Helena, Ark.; "Mam and her Gals;" Arrival at Little Rock; Exiles from St. Louis; High Living, «fcc, &e 43 CHAPTEE v. Trip Northward; Excitement in Camp; Scarcity of Provision; Crossing the Missouri River; Taken Prisoners; Examination of Papers, &c; Ladies of Richmond, Ray County, Mo.; Treatment while at Macon City; Gratiot St., Prison; Meeting of Old Mends; Affecting Scene, Capt. J. C. Hill, &c, <&c TO CHAPTEE VI. General Order No. 86; A Night with the Condemned; Lecture from Old Masterson; Prisoners Leaving without Permission; The way they Leave; Locked up Night and Day; Removal of Col. Priest to the Strong Room; Accounts from Camp Chase Ohio; How Prisoners are treated there, &c, &c 91 CHAPTEE VII. Arrival at Alton, 111.; Alton Military Prison; My Sentence; The way we Live at the Old Penitentiary; Extract from the Richmond Dispatch; Singular Attempt to Escape; A Search for Knives, &c.; Col. Weir and the Private; Gratiot Street Prison again, &c.,&c e 108 0504 PREFACE. Whenever we permit our thoughts to dwell upon the "Land we Love" we feel that she has a peculiar claim upon us—we have loved her from manhood, firm and true—and feel anxious to con­ tribute our mite to succor and comfort her in her sad and desolated condition. Rivers of tears have been shed by her dear ones, exci­ ted by the fierce and cruel treatment of her foes! War has spread over her fair bosom, its desolation and carnage, and the eyes of her widows and orphans have been bathed in tears. In placing this Journal before the public we claim for it no merit save strict regard for truth; it is embellished by no brilliant scintillations of wit—no towering flights of fancy and imagination, but it tells the plain unvarnished truth—represents facts as they actually existed. And if this poor tribute, will be instrumental in silencing those who are ever and anon invoking imprecations upon the officers having charge of Andersonville, Libby and Belle Isle prisons, neither of which, we are sure, can exceed in atrocities those of Gratiot, Alton, Camp Douglas and Morton, as a careful perusal of this work will convince any right thinking individual, then will we feel compensated for all our perplexity in concealing our notes while languishing in Northern prisons, and for our trouble in gathering together the remaining facts preparatory to publication. THE AUTHOR. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 18G7, hy GRIFFIN FROST, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Southern District of Illinois. Printed at the -QrjxcY irauro soof AND JOB OFFICE, - _ " (Southwest? Cojv^faiiie-and Fourth Sts., Quincy, III. CHAPTER VIII. PAGE. Sentence of Col. Winston; In the Dungeon; Our Mess; Arrival of Charles Hunt; Release of Dr. Jourdon; Amusing Incident; Reduction of Rations; Arrival of Citizen Prisoners; Removal of Joseph Lanier, for Execution; Struggle for Lib­ erty; Escape of Capt. John Thrailkill, from Alton Military Prison; The Arkan­ sas Lady, &c, &c 128 CHAPTER IX. A True Southern Lady; Arrival of a Box of Provision; Sentence of Capt. J. W. Livingston; White Men Guarded by Negroes; More Prisoners from the South; Departure of Capt. Sam. Winston and Eleven others, for Alton Prison; Visit to the Hospital; Stealing Money from Prisoners'Letters; Reprieve of Capt. Living­ ston after his Execution; Stonewall Jackson's Way, &c, &c 151 CHAPTER x. Arrival at the Old Bastile; Improvements since my last Visit; Bucking and Gag­ ging Prisoners; Newspapers Prohibited; Retaliatory Proceedings; More Rumors of Gen. Price's Movements; Removal of a Man named Abshire, for Execution; Regulations of Room No.l; A Prisoner's Appetite, &c, &c 184 CHAPTER XI. Another Attempt of Prisoners to Escape; "Cook's Pills;" Stealing Prisoners'Pro­ vision; The Old Tract Man; The Navy Mess; More Rumors of an Exchange; A Singular Mode of Punishment; Arrival of United States "Gutta Porcha" Sol­ diers; Nailing Down the Windows in the Ladies' Quarters; Arrival of more Fe­ male Prisoners; Departure of Col. Winston, for St. Louis; Stringent Orders with Regard to Letter Writing, &c, &e 202 CHAPTER XII. Arrival of More Prisoners; Brutality of a Sergeant; Return of Capt. Dawson, from the Hospital; Visit out in town; Federal Prisoners Burning their Beds; Fight Between a "Galvanized Reb." and a Federal Sergeant; A Negro Shot and Killed for Crossing the Dead Line; Death of Mrs. Reynolds; Her Burial by the Catholic Church; Letter from Mrs. Martin; Miss Lundy Released; Letter from Another True Prisoner's Friend, &c, &e 231 APPENDIX. Particulars of Nino Months' Imprisonment, at Camp Morton, Indiana 24G Horrors of Camp Douglas, Illinois, as Related by a Prisoner 205 The McNeil Massacre of Ten Rebel Prisoners, at Palmyra, Marion County, Mo., in the Fall of 1S62 281 Arrest, Imprisonment and Treatment of Col. Jeff. Jones, of Callaway County, Mo., as Related by Himself. 289 Horrible Atrocities—Embracing the Murder of Maj. Owen, of Marion county, Ga­ briel Close and Black Triplett, of Platte county, and also Lasley, Price and Ridgeway, of Monroe county, Missouri 293 Conclusion » 298 CHAPTEE I. INTRODUCTORY, ORGANIZATION OF COMPANY "A," MARCH TO GLASGOW, CAPTURE OF STEAMER SUNSHINE, BATTLE OF LEX­ INGTON, MARCH SOUTHWARD, "WILSON CREEK BATTLE GROUND, BATTLE OF PEA EIDGE, &C, &C. AUGUST 1, 1861.—Believing the people of the South to be en­ gaged in a just cause, defending the inalienable rights of American .freemen, and that principle in the Declaration of Independence which asserts that "all governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed/' and that the States are acting by the authority and in the strength of their reserved rights, I am with them. Their principles are mine; I endorse their course, and en­ gage my life and sacred honor to sustain their action. "Live or die, sink or swim," I am with them—willing to test my faith on the march, the battle field, or in the gloomy prison. If we fail, we will at least have made a stand for the rights and liberties trans­ mitted by our fathers ; if we succeed, those who fall will not have shed their blood in vain. In the month of August 1861, I enlisted in the Missouri'State Guards, Company "A," organized in July, near Emerson, Marion county, Mo., John W. Priest, Capt., John Hicks, First Lieut. Our regiment was commanded by Col. Martin E. Green, Joseph Porter, Lieut. Col., and Wm. Davis, Adjt. 2 FROST'S CAMP ANB We were at the battle of Athens, after which, we remained some two or three weeks in the North-Eastern counties of the State, when we received orders to march toward the Missouri river. We broke up camp, which was near Marshall's mill, on the Fabius river, in Ma­ rion county, on the morning of September 2nd, and camped same night near Florida, Monroe county. From that point we com­ menced our march to Glasgow, where we joined the main body ef Second Div. M. S. G., under command of Brig. General Thos. A. Harris, member of the State Legislature and author of the "Mili­ tary Bill." Here we captured the steamer Sunshine, on which we crossed the river, going into camp on the southern bank. On the 14th we fired into the steamer Sioux City, but did not succeed in taking her. Broke up camp on the 15th and proceeded by forced marches to­ ward Lexington, camping two and a-half miles South of ihat place, which was then occupied by United States troops, strongly en­ trenched. Our forces then moved upon the enemies works and commenced an attack about 12 o'clock on the 18th. Col. Mulli­ gan, commanding the federal troops, surrendered about 3 o'clock P. M., on the 20th. Besides arms and military stores captured, we recovered and returned near a million of dollars belonging to the Farmers' Bank at Lexington. Our loss was 70, that of the enemy, killed and wounded, 270. Our boys behaved well. On Monday 30th, we took up the line of march and proceeded southward; on the 21st of October we halted at Neosho, Newton county, Mo., where we had several interesting sermons, one from Eev. Win. G. Caples, and one or two from Elders Fink and Eoe. On Sunday night a member of our Company, Thomas Banks, of Marion county, died. We buried him next evening in a beautiful place, and the litle pine board which marks the spot, bears this in­ scription : "T.