The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

108 THE MAINE BUGLE.
to him, have their name recorded with credit for whatever was
thus turned over, the same to be returned strictly and honestly
when we were paroled or exchanged, as it was necessary for
them to take such things from us so we could not make use of
them to assist us to escape." I suppose this officer was the
notorious Dick Turner. Man)' of the boys took stock in that
enterprise. I didn't; didn't have any money anyway and was
obliged to miss that speculation. But Arthur had some cash
(when did any of you know him not to have?) and he was
considering how to save it, when a sail or formerly of theCum-
berland till that vessel was sunk, said we could rip open the
quarters of our army brogans and put in the greenbacks and
then sew them up and rub dirt on them, then slash the shoes
so no Johnnie would covet 'em, and we would be all right-
Arthur distributed some five dollar bills among us and we tried
it with complete success. Well, our names and the organiza-
tion to which we belonged were all taken and then they let us
alone for awhile ; next was the search before spoken of. We
were in the second story in the up-river end of Libby Prison.
There was an old sign nailed on to the corner of the prison
reading on the down-river side E. B. Libby & Son, Ship Chan-
dlers and Grocers ; on the upper side of the board was E. B.
Libby & Sons, Ship Chandlers and Groceries. We had room
enough but the room was dirty and hot. We had some of our
rations left and did not get very hungry till the next day, but
nothing came for us till about nine o'clock in the evening of
the next day. Now what do you suppose the noble and chiv-
alrous Southerners brought us ! I'll tell you ;
it was a few tubs
of dirty-looking swill, called bean soup. The men were half
famished and gathered around the swill tub and squealed and
swore and acted very much as real swine do, till finally poor
John Maloney, an Irishman of a New York regiment, dove his
hand into the hot stuff and began to eat, then there was a gen-
eral rush and a few who had dippers or plates got what there
was of the stuff. I did not get a taste, but the next morning
got a biscuit of hard bread somehow and got along. After that