The Bright Side of Prison Life

Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett 1 Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett Project Gutenberg`s The Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Bright Side of Prison Life Experience, In Prison and Out, of an Involuntary Soujouner in Rebellion Author: Samuel A. Swiggett Release Date: June 30, 2010 [EBook #33035] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BRIGHT SIDE OF PRISON LIFE *** Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett 2 Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. [Illustration: CAPT. S. A. SWIGGETT.] The Bright Side of Prison Life. Experiences, In Prison and Out, of an Involuntary Sojourner in Rebeldom. By CAPTAIN S. A. SWIGGETT. PRICE $1.25. Press of FLEET, McGINLEY & CO. Baltimore. Copyright, 1897, BY S. A. SWIGGETT. PREFACE. The author`s name and reputation may sell this book--miracles have happened; but he does not intend to permit the possible deception of a confiding public into the belief that they cannot exist without reading it. The possible purchaser is hereby warned that it is different from any other book he ever read. It is without plot, moral, historical value, mystery, romance, horrors and murderous scenes. The best excuse to be offered for its existence is the fact that the author`s numerous friends have repeatedly urged him to print what they call an interesting and unusual series of incidents. The responsibility for any injury to the public must rest upon the heads of these friends, the author not holding himself accountable for anything except the truth of the narration. My friends being pleased with this publication, it may be safe for others to try it, but they must not blame me for any lack of appreciation. Trusting that this warning will prevent the unsuspecting from buying the book solely on account of the author`s literary reputation, the result is awaited with fear and trembling. S. A. SWIGGETT. March, 1895. CONTENTS. * CHAPTER I. Preliminaries 9 * CHAPTER II. The Capture 18 * CHAPTER III. On the March 27 * CHAPTER IV. Bright Spots 39 * CHAPTER V. The Stockade 44 * CHAPTER VI. Incidents 53 * CHAPTER VII. Events 61 * CHAPTER VIII. An Escape 69 Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett 3 * CHAPTER IX. On the Tramp 77 * CHAPTER X. Recaptured 85 * CHAPTER XI. The Back Track 93 * CHAPTER XII. The Return to the Stockade 103 * CHAPTER XIII. Incidents, and Another Escape 109 * CHAPTER XIV. Tramps Once More 120 * CHAPTER XV. Diplomacy 129 * CHAPTER XVI. Making Progress 139 * CHAPTER XVII. A Puzzle, and Incidents 148 * CHAPTER XVIII. Experiences 158 * CHAPTER XIX. Good Luck and Bad 169 * CHAPTER XX. In the Toils 177 * CHAPTER XXI. Another Return Trip 186 * CHAPTER XXII. Foraging, and a New Prison 196 * CHAPTER XXIII. To Camp Ford and Joy 207 * CHAPTER XXIV. Liberty at Last 219 ILLUSTRATIONS. Captain S. A. Swiggett, Frontispiece. General F. M. Drake, 18 Lieutenant Walter S. Johnson, 39 Adjutant S. K. Mahon, 69 Captain J. B. Gedney, 79 Captain Thomas M. Fee, 89 Captain Charles Burnbaum, 94 Captain J. P. Rummel, 115 Captain B. F. Miller, 167 Bright Side of Prison Life, by Samuel A. Swiggett 4 Sergeant E. B. Rocket, 189 The Bright Side of Prison Life. CHAPTER I. 5 CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARIES. My first appearance in the United States was made on the 19th of May, A. D. 1834. I have no recollection of this important event, but am reliably informed that the given date is correct, and that Dorchester county, Maryland, was the locality. At that time I had no premonition of my future life in a rebel prison, and if anyone had told me of the fourteen months which were to be spent mostly in such a manner I should have paid no attention whatever. The year 1855 found me in Blakesburg, Iowa, after having lived in Indiana during the three years following my removal from Maryland. In 1856 occurred my marriage to Miss Eliza H. Van Cleve, and no man could be more happily wedded. For thirty-eight years, until her recent death, on April 13, 1894, our life was as much of a honeymoon as it is possible for a well-mated couple to make it. I had learned the trade of a tailor, but other employment offered more inducements, and, on August 8, 1862, my occupation was that of postmaster at Blakesburg, Iowa, keeping a small general store in connection with the postoffice. On this date I enlisted with others, and we were sworn in at our place. Our company was organized at Ottumwa, where we went for the purpose, and my election as first lieutenant gave me much pleasure. Here we spent about two weeks at squad drill, having the usual experience of beginners. Many of the town girls had lovers, brothers and relatives in our company, and we had many fair critics present at our drills on the south bank of the Des Moines river. The excitement was great at the time, and everybody seemed to be interested very much in our company. For a while we received the criticisms of our fair guests with equanimity, but at last we conceived the idea of turning the tables, and soon had an opposition company so interested in their own drill that the girls gave us some peace. Two of the boys afterwards married members of the competing company. We rendezvoused at Keokuk, where the 36th Iowa Infantry was finally organized and mustered into the service of the United States on October 4, 1862, Col. Charles W. Kitredge commanding. Our boys were designated Company B. About November 1 the regiment went to Benton Barracks, near St. Louis, and remained until December 20. After we were ordered to go south all was bustle till we embarked on two steamboats and started on our voyage. The boats were loaded to the guards with soldiers, hard tack and coffins, the last being piled up in all available space. Said Pat Riley, a member of our company: "Holy Jasus, byes, luk! Luk at that! Hev us ter kerry thim ter hev `em handy loike?" The mute suggestion of the many coffins was not pleasant, but our boys were hopeful, and many jokes were bandied about in consequence of their presence. That sail down the mighty river will never be forgotten. None knew where we were going, and the conflict between hope and fear was in many a breast--hope of success and glory, and distrust of the issue. On board all was confusion; oaths, laughter, witty remarks, hoarse orders, din in general. Looking inboard, one could forget all save the immediate present, and hope was predominant. Looking up at the sky, with its sweeping clouds, like vast billows of dark, stormy sea, rushing on and tumbling over each other in mad haste, one felt ... - tailieumienphi.vn