Van Santvoord, Cornelius, The One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment New York
State Volunteers, Roundout: Press of the Kingston Freeman; 1894. pp. 95 –
96.
....On January 21st,
1864, their then place of confinement was vacated and the prisoners transferred
to Belle Isle. How the men were tempted to forswear their allegiance, and find
freedom, employment and good support by joining the Confederacy, and how the
overture was rejected, the following paragraph will show:
“Here again rebel
officers came with offers of quarters, food and clothing to those who would take
the oath of allegiance and accept employment in the Tredegar Iron Works, and
other places. But few, very, very few accepted; still, it was a fearful
temptation to many. The picture was made as complete as words could paint it.
Our government had forsaken us. They would never consent to a parole for fear
the rebels would not observe it, (had I been a rebel I never would have used
that argument,) and knowing one man on the defensive was as good as two or more
in an aggressive fight, they – our government – had concluded to let us die.
We were openly told of the opportunities we would have to desert them and escape
North, but no, they stood and swore allegiance to the stars and stripes while
stand they could, and then bravely, calmly, nobly laid down to die, and die they
did rather than stain their souls with treason, and their lips with such a lie,
and among the things longest to be remembered were the last words of some dying
comrade, as feeling the icy fingers of death groping or their heart strings they
would draw a comrade’s ear down to their fast stiffening lips and whisper,
‘tell father, mother, wife, children and friends, I did not desert.’ Those
deaths were glorious.”
The removal to
Belle Isle did not add to the comfort of the imprisoned, as appears from the
following extract:
“Rations were
smaller, if possible, on the island than in the city, and without clothing or
tents – and an exceptionally hard winter, and a necessity for greater exercise
to keep warm, men suffered very much. Many walked the whole night through, and
overcome by fatigue and weakness, some lay down and froze. At any rate they
died, and were found next morning stiff in death. At one time some of our guard
were accompanied by dogs, but after several had been coaxed over the line and
killed and eaten, the practice was discontinued.”
The prison life on
the Isle, ended March 4th, on which day they were taken back to
Richmond and hopes of parole were held out to the men languishing for release
from their fearful captivity. These hopes were destined soon to be destroyed.
For entering cars the next day, the prisoners were carried to Petersburg, where
some fancied the paroling process might be performed in their favor. Instead of
this, they soon learned to their horror, that their destination was
Andersonville, toward which the train was now making its way. [author goes on
at length about Andersonville and the journey there. This was not transcribed.]
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