Confederate War Stories

A Midnight Duel
Camp Douglas Prisoners of War

A Midnight Duel

"I remember it as though it was yesterday, the march of Hill's corps along the winding Shenandoah, up to the famous Luray gap. Who could ever forget that march? The road winding with the beautiful river, and overhung with a majestic chain of Blue Ridge mountains, while across the crystal water the magnificent valley, with its charming cottages dotting the bounteous land with white-like balls of snow robed in flowers.

But the most engaging and lovely objects paled into insignificance beside the peelrless women of this blessed country, and you may well believe that when the camp was struck that the soldiers lost no time in making their way to the surrounding coattages. Soon the music of the violin was heard, and the shuffling feet kept time to the music, while, for a time, the soldier's face was lit with old time joy. At one of those cottages the belle of the valley reigned supreme, while several southern soldiers vied with each other in paying homage to the queen. Among others were two young soldiers -- one from Georgia and the other from Mississippi -- who were specially energetic in their attentions, and so marked had this become that those present watched the play with constantly increasing interest, fulling believing that both exhibted a case of love at first sight.

The surmise on the part of those present was only too true, as the tragic event which followed fully proved. The Georgian seemed to have the lead on the Mississippian, and when the dancers were called to take their places, he led the belle of the valley to a place in the set. At this point the Mississippian was seen to approach the couple and heard to claim the lady's hand for the dance. An altercation ensued, but both were cool, brave soldiers -- two of the best shots in the army -- who did not believe in a war of words. So it was ended by the Georgian dancing with the l ady and the significent remark of the Mississippian that 'I will see you after this set.'

When the dance was over the Georgian was seen to seek the Mississippian, and together they called each a friend from the crowd and departed. When outside, both claimed that an insult had been passed, which could only be wiped out in the blood of the other, and that a duel to the death should be arranged at once.

A full moon was just appearing above the tops of the surrounding forest, and I tell you this talk of blood in the silence of the night was anything but pleasant. No argument, however, would avail with these men, so it was arranged that the duel should take place at the top of the Blue Ridge, near the centre of the road that passes through the gap; that the weapons should be pistols at fifteen paces, and to fire at or between the words 'one, two, three', firing to continue until one or both were dead.

The point was reached, the ground measured off, and the men took their positions without a tremor. The moon shed its pale light down on a scene never to be forgotten. A moment or two and the\ silence was broken by the signal: 'one, two three.' At the word 'one' the report of two pistols rang out on the midnight air, but the principals maintained their respective positions. The Georgian's left arm was seen to drop closer to the side, but the Mississippian was immovable, and still held his pistol to the front. Again, a pistol shot was heard, coming from the Georgian, and the Mississippian still held his position, but he did not fire. The Georgian protested that he had not come there to murder him, but no answered was returned. The Mississippian's second approached his principal and found him dead, shot through the eye on the first discharge of the weapons. Death it seems has been instantaneous so much so as not even to disturb his equilibrium.

I may forget some things, but the midnight duel on the yop of a spur of the Blue Ridge, with its attendant circumstances, is not one of them." "

Written by an anonymous Confederate veteran. Published in The Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, 26 January 1885.

Camp Douglas Prisoners of War

Some Reminiscenses of the Late War Between the States, from the Columbia, Georgia Sun.

"An old ex-confederate soldier, who was for a long time held a prisoner at Camp Douglas, and who is familiar with the treatment of the northern soldiers at Andersonville, in conversation with an Enquirer-Sun representative last night, gave some reminiscenes .... The south has been greatly slandered and misrepresented in regards the treatment of federal prisoners at Andersonville, yet the account given by this old soldier of the manner in which confederate soldiers were served at Camp Douglas furnishes a comparison in which the north can find nothing to argue in favor of her humane treatment of the so-called confined within her prisons."

"Talk about the yankee prisoners being roughly treated at Andersonville," said the old soldier, "why I can tell you some of the hardships that confederate soldiers at Camp Douglas had to endure that will open the eyes of the civilized world. They call the late unpleasantness of a 'civil' war, but the treatment we received at Camp Douglas was, in many instances, of the most brutal character. I will relate a few instances of how we were punished for so-called offenses of the most trivial nature."

"On one occasion, Colonel Sweat, who was in command of the prison, was showing a party of distinguished visitors through the camp. While the party was passing through the square the prisoners cried "'more bread! Give us more bread!'" This so enraged Sweat that after his visitors had left he had us all drawn up in a line and made us 'point' for half an hour. Pointing, you know, is to stand on your feet and lean forward until the tips of the fingers of one hand touch the ground, and then remain in that position until your punishment is through to be sufficient. But this is nothing to compare with other things we had to endure. I have been compelled to stand for an hour at the time holding my hand in the snow because I was accused of violating some frivolous rule of the prison. Prisoners were in some cases made to sit in the snow until they would afterward die from the exposure."

"Hanging prisoners by the thumbs was an every-day practice. I knew one poor fellow who was kept hanging so long that when taken down he died. If prisoners were heard talking in their banks after sunset they were brought out and hung up by the thumbs."

"On one occasion two men who were bunking in the same berth with me were overheard talking. The guard ordered us out. I was about half sleep and asked him if he was speaking to me. With an oath, he replied that he was, and I was compelled to leave my berth with the other men and ride a scantling for two hours. You cannot imagine how I felt when I was permitted to dismount my keen-back horse unless you have experienced similar punishment. A prisoner was given no hearing when charged with an offense. His guilt was assumed, and he had to undergo whatever punishment a brutal guard desired to inflict."

"The weather at Camp Douglas was intensement cold in winter and the barracks was a veritable skeleton of a building. I remember that at one time it was so cold that we were continuously hungry that they would light a fire under a dog...If a visitor came in with a terrier following him, it was seldom that he left without leaving his pet behind him. Some of the men would throw a blanket over the dog and after the visitor had left he would be served up and devoured by the starving men. I have eaten many rat pies while in Camp Douglas, and was only too glad to get them."

"I remember once that a few of us attempted to tunnel our way out of prison. We worked at night and had only one more night's work to do, and we would have been free men again. A hard rain came on the night that we had fixed to make our escape and completely thwarted our plans. We might have succeeded the next night, but a tritor informed against us and we had to undergo the most cruel punishment. On the same day that our tunnel was discovered many others were found, and it was developed that but for the rain the previous night nearly every prisoner in Camp Douglas would have escaped."

"I saw many prisoners who were driven stark mad by the sufferings which they had to endure. I remember once seeing a guard shoot five times at a mad man, but missed him. The guard was not punished at all for this piece of outrageous inhumanity."

"Talk about the 'horrors of Andersonville'. They were nothing compared with those of Camp Douglas. The south was not able to care for her prisoners any better than she did. She gave them the best she had, and treated them like human beings. No one would be so bold and reckless as to assert that the prisoners at Camp Douglas got the best treatment and provisions that the north was above to give them.

"I might relate many more instances of cruel treatment received by us at Camp Douglas, but they are of such a character that I know the public would receive them with incredulity."

Written by an anonymous Confederate Veteran and published in The Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, 26 January 1885.