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THE GREATERDAVENPORT, 100. Bowling, af Company D, Iftth Iowa Infantry, /lt;«•*«* eon of awr n,ii!)|j Mood BDd fellow citizen, Jam— M. Bowling, arrived home laat evening, after an experience of fire long and dreary months in the rebel prison pen* of Ike South. lie was captured among others of tbo 10th on the memo rabia i id of July last, at tbs gallant and al ■toot disparate charge before Atlanta. Be was marched with the re it of the prisoners to Uritfin, Os., thence by rail in hog can. to the fearful prison pen at ADderaonrille— a place of moat exquisite torture, and one ever to be remembered by thirty-dee thousand federal prisoners, who together sutiered the inhotpilalitita of that accursed place. We hare too frequently re reeled the horror* of that place to recount them here. Suffice it to eay, that the experience of our young soldier friend was equal to the worst accounts that hare been given. Ue was there two and a half month*—bis ration« being a pint of corn meal per day, without salt, which was sometimes changed for a pint of beans, and ones in s while they wers permitted to enjoy the change to two tablespoons full of corn meal and a like amount of beans per day I On this miserable (are they won obliged to lire or die. Sherman's successes giving alarm to to the rebels, young Howling, among others, eras put aboaid of a train and started off to Savannah, li re they wers put under guard in an open Beld, which was an improvement upon An-dcTsonrille, for twelTS days. The rations were about the same as at A’ndersonville, though a littls 'letter. The citisens of Savannah furnished them with some extras in the shape of corn bread, which was most gratefully received. Fears of the approach of Sherman caused their removal from thi‘ point. Tliey next want to Charleston, where their atay was ye-y short -only about three hours. While there tlio women of Charleston provided them with a good meal of bread and soap—the beat meal they had enjoyed for many a long day. Thoncs they wera hurried off to Richmond Florence, S. C., and after a few hours' stay were sent back to Florence, where they staid until the 7th of December. At this place they were with about 11,000 prison art, S' metbnc: in an open Qeld, an 1 some a in a stockade. Tho rations wore the I as at Andersonvillr, and by that time • clothing had become most inlacrabl n%it to nono in quantity, and barely necessary to keep them from (reeling to death. Young Bowling relates that the men bare ha l to sleep upon the ban earth thia fall with no other clothing than a pair of drawers and a shirt—very thin and ragged at that, when tho ice upon the water a them fruxe as thick as a half dollar! Each one waa dealt out a single stick of wood about the size of a boy's ann, and this all they had for tho day and night to cook their pint of meal and keep them warm No cooking ut mails waro allowod them, but lied a camp kettle—others a knife or (, end so they swapped around and igetl to lire. Some dug holes in the gr mnd, in which to lie down to keep off the wind, an 1 often would the cold rain and sleet msko those unl-niblc, and th'V ha1 co keep soul and liody together th. b .-t way they could, which was bad enough, indeed. The prinripa’ amusement tho boys 1 in any of the camps was the daily hunt for gray-backs. So plenty was this species of game, that the hunt became a necessity in order to secure any degree of comfort while waking or sleeping. Putting off one’s last shirt or drawers in a raw fall ley. to bunt down that style of vermin is s i of adversity that most people would rather not learn.On the 7tli of this month youi g Rowling succeeded in getting psrolt i is one of the invalid list, lie counts himself extremely lucky, as there were many of his worn out, aick, and wofully emaciated comrades who were much lower in health than he was, whom he left behind, and who would very kcly pass the dead lina ere many daya, ami never again taste tho sweets of liberty, or gladden the hearle of dear parents and ' udred at home.Being paroled, the boya wera sent by rail to Charleston, where, after a delay of several days to get papers mads out, they embarked on tbo I. 8. transport United States on the 10th. Never were hearts more oveij yed or intansely gladdened than theirs. The scene of overflowing joy at the sight of friends and the promise of a speedy and safe journey horns, can better be imagined then described. They threw away old rags, underwent a thorough pro-oaaa or bathing aod cl easing, and each received a new suit of dething throughout, and then sat down tea good wholesome meal—the drat they had eajoyad for many long, lonesome months, fibers they got the Brat meat rations, with but a few aolitary exceptions, that they had tasted sjnce their espture. They arrived at Annapolis on the 13th, end staid than until the 25th, Christmas day, whan they started for their homes.naxpeotodly to his parents, young Bowling dropped in upon them last evening, creating a deeply interesting sensation in the hearts or his aged parents aod devoted sisters—as may be iaaagiosd. This young an Is now about 13 years old, and has already axperienoad mors hardships aod privatlews than mart people ever aaderge la a whele iong life-time, and now awaits an exchange to again taka the Bald.At Anderaonville two members of Com-D, Ore. W. Sniveiy, of this county, i reernlt by tho name of Fredericks, fen victims to the cheerie—ne—of their ooo-othera who there broke down under their b-vy load ot misery and want.At
Newspaper Details
Daily Davenport Democrat
Davenport, Iowa, US
Fri, Dec 30, 1864
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Scott N.
MN, USA 16 Feb 2024
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