Were I able to give a full description
of our wretched and filthy condition I should almost question whether
it would be credited. * * * It was God's good pleasure to raise me up
once more so that I could just make out to walk, and I was again
returned to the Jersey prison ship."
Here he received sad news. One of his uncles was a prisoner on board
the Jersey, and had been very kind to him, giving him a share of his
money with which to purchase necessaries. Now he found his uncle about
to take his place in the hospital ship. A boy named Stephen Nichols
also informed him of the death in his absence of the gunner of their
ship, whose name was Daniel Davis. This poor man had his feet and legs
frozen, from which he died.
"Nichols and myself were quite attached to each other. * * * We
stalked about the decks together, lamenting our forlorn condition. In
a few days there came orders to remove all the prisoners from the
Jersey in order to cleanse the ship. We were removed on board of
transports, and directly there came on a heavy storm. The ship on
which I was was exceedingly crowded, so that there was not room enough
for each man to lay down under deck, and the passing and repassing by
day had made the lower deck entirely wet. Our condition was
distressing. After a few days we were all put on board the Jersey
again. A large number had taken violent colds, myself among the
rest.
Pages:
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336