From the National Tribune,
2/14/1884
One of the First Prisoners at Belle Isle.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Will you allow an old “Typo,” and one of the “Boys in
Blue,” about a “stickful” or so of space in your most valuable paper to
“shoot off” an answer to an article which appeared in a Pittsburgh paper
recently, to the effect that a railroad engineer, by the name of George
Meadville, was the first prisoner of war on Belle Island, and also the first at
Andersonville. The article stated further that Comrade Meadville had seen
several years’ service before he was captured. There appears something wrong
about this statement - some mistake. I was taken prisoner on
the 27th of June, 1861
[sic], at Gaines’ Mills, in
Virginia
, along with my whole regiment, with the exception of one company and a detail
of two men from each company to guard our knapsacks while we “went in.” And
I tell you, Mr. Editor, truly, that we were not engaged in “cooling coffee”
while we were taken, either. We relieved the 4th
New Jersey
infantry on the afternoon of the 27th, but, before coming into
action, we had to lie down for a considerable length of time, subject to a fire
from the enemy, which we could not return, waiting for our orders to advance. We
exhausted our supply of ammunition, and, while waiting for relief, we received a
galling fire from the rear. Some mistook the force for our relief, and shouted:
“Don’t fire - they are our own men!” But only a very few minutes sufficed
to satisfy us that we were their men - their prisoners. And right here I would
like to know why it was that we were left fighting in that woods without any
protection for our rear, and relieving a regiment that was also captured
immediately behind us. Somebody higher in rank than division commander was
evidently in error. Well, we were marched to
Richmond
that night, and arrived there about daylight the morning of the 28 (that is,
the squad I was in). While being escorted along some street (
Carey street
, I think), I was angered not a little by hearing some women at a window shout
to us as we went by: “This is another way to take
Richmond
!” We were taken direct to Libby prison and assigned quarters in the third
story, and found quite a number of prisoners who had been taken in other
engagements. Enough already has been said about prison bars, treatment, &c.,
by others, and I will not attempt to describe our treatment while there. Early
in July I was standing near the guarded door of the prison, when a rebel officer
appeared, and said he wanted some “Yanks” - I don’t remember the number -
to go to Belle Isle to assist in putting up tents, &c., and arrange the
Island for the bulk of the prisoners, who would be transferred from Libby and
the other prisons in Richmond the next day. I volunteered, - only too glad to
get out of that horrid hole, --and when the officer got a sufficient number from
Libby, we were marched down
Carey street
, when we met another squad (larger than our own) drawn up in front of another
prison. I judge our number was over a hundred. Before starting for the
Island
we were given each a loaf of bread - small-sized baker’s loaf - as extra
rations for the labor which we were expected to perform. I assisted in putting
up one tent, - a Sibley, - and succeeded in capturing a part of another, which
was too rotten to put up, and assisted in occupying said Sibley while I remained
on the Island. So, Mr. Editor, I will claim that I was one of the first that
went on
Belle
Island
as prisoners of war.
Respectfully yours,
GEORGE W. KREMER,
CO.
F, 11th
Pa.
R. V. C.
UNIONTOWN
,
PA.
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last updated on
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