Presents Excerpts from the 1863 published book by F. Kiner

ONE YEAR’S SOLDIERING

EMBRACING

THE BATTLES

OF

FORT DONELSON AND SHILOH

By F. F. KINER

CHAPLAIN FOURTEENTH IOWA INFANTRY

CHAPTER VI.

OUR IMPRISONMENT IN CAHAWBA, ALABAMA, AND JOURNEY TO MACON, GEORGIA.

On the 19th of April, late in the evening, (Saturday,) we left Mobile bound for Cahawba, Ala., situated on the banks of the Alabama river, but how far above Mobile I do not know. We went up on board the steamer Reindeer, arriving at Cahawba on Monday the 21st. I should have stated, that before leaving Mobile the Iowa prisoners were separated from those of other states, and sent by themselves; consequently we were taken up first, and the others followed the next day. From some cause or other there were no provisions brought up with us upon the first boat, and when we reached Cahawba we were without anything to eat; the bit of cooked eatables we had with us were consumed on our way up, and there were no commissary stores there. However, the families of the small town baked us some corn bread, and with a small portion of meat, we were provided for until the other boat arrived.

The building we here occupied as a prison, was a new brick warehouse, not finished, and only partly covered. One corner of this building was laid off for an office, and contained several rooms, which were occupied mostly by the Iowa boys for sleeping apartments; the balance of the house had no floor, consequently the greater part of the men had to sleep upon the ground, or upon boards arranged by themselves which lay around through this unfinished warehouse. Our food was most horrible at this place; the meat we had to use was corned beef, and that only in name. Some of our men still contend that it was salted mule meat. What it was when living I will not pretend to say; but when it came to our hands I know it was badly spoiled, and mostly for want of salt; much of it was so foul, that we refused to touch it, and boiled it through three different waters, and then dared not breathe till I got it into my mouth; yet I eat it for want of better. We often complained to the men who issued it to us, what could he do? He had to give us just what was sent to him to issue.

In the morning we made our breakfast upon some of the spoiled beef and corn bread we had prepared for the journey; after finishing which, and making some arrangements about the sick, which were to be left in the hospital there, we started again, this time for Macon, Georgia. As always before, we were put in freight cars, which were, however, tolerably clean; some had seats while others had not. Next morning early we again got under way, and between ten and eleven o’clock in the forenoon got to Macon, Georgia, and marched in to our most noted place of prison life. This was the 4th of May, 1862. Hitherto we had suffered hard enough, having been in want of nearly all the comforts of life, and what we did get was unfit for human beings to use; but now, dear reader, with patience and candor bear with me, while I in my weak way try to tell you of some of our sufferings in this place, where crimes were committed, against innocent and loyal men, of sufficient magnitude to condemn the perpetrators to everlasting misery.

Transcribed and submitted by great great grandson

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