Letter by Thomas Horan of the 65th Indiana Cavalry

March 27, 1865

A Sketch of my 15 months in the C.S.A. Prison. Some three days or more after the fight at Bean's Station not far from the month of December Myself and five more of the same Co. being detailed as couriers started the same night in charge of our Captain Carrieo in order to establish our line that same night. After riding some 10 miles wee arrive at one William Scaggs, a suitable place for our post. Here wee took our station for post No. 2. Here we remained some 5 weeks finding considerable duty to perform without much alarm with the exception of a few scouting parties of the Enemy. Here wee done well untill our Forces being compelled to fall back from Blanes Cross Roads which left our line exposed to the enemy But wee still held our position until the eavening of January the 27 when Post No. 1 became allarmed at the Enemy being in that neighborhood wass compelled to abandon their post and fall back to our post No.2. Wee then thought it best to Saddle our Horses and fall back to Maynardsville and Report to Lieut. Admire which wee did without delay There wee remained that night. The next morning before daylight the Lieut. thought best to fall back to Clinch R which wee did taken Post No 3 and 4 with us. Here wee remained until the evening when wee received orders from Capt Carrieo to establish the line at all hazards. Wee then moved the line over on the Jacksonborough Road leading from Knoxville to Tazewell. Riding most of the night and the next day wee esstablished our line without much difficulty. Wee arrived at our post on the evening of the 23 at one McClouds, apparently a very fine Union man, but wee had not the opportunity of testing their goodness long for on the Evening of the 24 a scouting party of the Texas Rangers being 20 in number charged in on us by surprise and captured us after stripping us of everything in our possession, nearly leaving us naked they marched us that night and the next day in the evening wee arrived in Newmarket as hungry as wolvs for they gave us nothing to eat on the march. Here wee remained in prison until the morning of the 28th when wee were taken out and marched to Morristown. There wee were drove in to a pen like hogs. There wee were kept until the 2nd of Feb. when wee were taken out and marched to Russelville where wee remained until the 8th on the Evening of the 8th wee took the cars for Bristol, V.A. and arrived there that night. I will give you a slight Idea of our Rations on this trip when wee arrived at Bull's Gap, Tenn. They turned us out to help ourselves to beef which wass in great quantity but not quality but wee skinned and eat quite hearty of the Beef Heads that our Forces left after butchering some three weeks before. It had no nice smell I assure you but it wasn't the smell wee wass after. Well wee remained in Bristol until the 10 when wee took the cars for Lintchburg, V.A. and arrived there the next evening. There wee changed cars for Grand Junction and arrived there the next day at 12 o'clock. There wee changed cars for Richmond and arrived there on the evening of the 11. There wee remained in prison until the 13 when wee were taken out and marched through the principle streets of the city to feast the eyes of the Southern Ladies on Yanks. When this wass well performed wee marched across the James River to Bell Island. Here wee find a Retchard place Men die more or less every day with cold and hunger our Rations per day are two spoon full of beans and a little piece of corn bread equal to a half pint of meal. Here wee were turned on the island destitute of blankets or shelter with but two sticks of cordwood to 20 men for 24 hours. I have had to take my shirt wrap around my feet to keep them from freezing men freeze to death every night.. On the 4. of March our spirits were revived by the removal of several 100 being taken off for exchange but I wass not in the lucky squad. On the 6 of Mar one of the Boys killed a Dog belonging to a Reb. Lieut. which is not incomman in this place. I could relish a piece of dog or cat and be glad to get it. Well, when this was done our Rations was stoped untill we had to take the poor fellow out that killed the dog it was a hard task but had to be done. When they got him they hung him up by his thumbs for one Hour then let him down and made him eat one quarter of the dog raw but that part wass no great task to perform. I could doe that myself and be glad of the chance. Well here wee remained in this condition untill the 10 of Mar when wee were marched to the city and there put in prison untill the morning of the 12. between the hours of 3 & 4 o'clock when wee were taken out and put on the cars and told wee were going for exchange Oh. no one can imagine the feelings of the poor starved yank when he think he is a going from starvation to the land of plenty well the first place wee found ourselves was in Petersburgh here wee changed cars for Gaston on the Roanoke River here wee changed cars for Raleigh. N.C. and a rived there on 14 here wee changed cars for Charlott here wee remained untill the 16 then took the cars for Columbus S.C. there took the cars for Brantchville here wee took the cars for Andersonville G.A. here wee arrived on the 18 of March and if ever there was a Hell on Earth its one. here I wass turned in the Stockade without a Blanket or a shoe to my foor and the skies above for my shelter. here I remained in this condition untill the 13 of Sept During this time I saw sights and went through hardships to numerous to mention all at this time I have run several narrow escapes in trying to make my escape I have worked a many a night in tunnelling under the stockade. During my stay in this place from the 18 of March untill the 13 of September the number of deths are Thirteen Thousand and 800 poor fellows their bones are lying in the sands of G.A. I have beheld some awfull sights in this retched place. I have saw men lying not able to help themselves with Maggots working in their eyes and nose and them alive. Well I saw a hard time here untill the 13 of Sept when wee started as wee were told for our lines but I could not believe it so of wee starts for Savannah so Bob Wheeler of the 4th Ind Cav and I Resolved to jump of the cars and try our luck wich is no foll of a job to risk being killed with the cars or shot by the guards wich many a one is any how wee thought wee would try it. Bob said he would go first if I would follow so over Bord he went and he was hardly out of the door untill I took the ground a welt wich skinned my nose and forehead rather more than I liked wether the guards shot or not I cant say for it a shot had been fired I could of heard it any how I felt no Bullet but I have never saw Bob from that time to this Well I will tell you a little of my tramp through the swamps about one 100 miles I cannot give all the partivulars now I wass out some two weeks I could travel only by night some times up to may waste in water all alone a living on raw sweet potatoes and Peanuts. Well I tramped a long untill with in six miles of our lines when I came a crost two Rebs Diserters from the first and fifth Georgia cav= they treated me so kind that I made up my mind to stay with them two or three days wish I did to my own sorrow for one eavening after eating a harty supper of corn Bread and Beans wee were lying under a tree and the first thing I knew wass you D.D. suns of Bitches dont you run or I will blow you to Hell. looking around saw two doublebarrel shot guns cocked within 20 ft of our heads well there was no time for running then so off they marched us to Savannah there they put me in a stockade but i wass not there long before I turned groundhog and dug out - a half canteen and a wooden paddle wass our tools to dig with so off wee started myself and a little Frenchman for our Gunboats wich were some 30 miles distance wee sicceeded in geting to the Coast and a queer time wee had in geting there, not being aquainted with the raising and falling of the tide wee were some time a wadeing and some time a swimming. the Frenchman lost his boots, pants and hat in the opperation for wee would put our clothes on a log and shove them a head of us in the water. my feet were so badly cut with the oister shells and stones that I could hardly walk. wee swam out on an Island to get in sight of our Boats but wee could not get them to send in for us they threw several shells over us but would not come to our assistance they have been decoyed so often by the Enemy. here wee remained in this place thru day without food or fresh water wich compelled us to retrace our steps in search of food and water. but we had not gone far before wee found our selfs surrounded by 7 big Buck negrous an on white man who compelled us to march back to the old Bullpen as we term it. wee wass not there long untill wee tried the same old trick but was not successfull in geting out wee had the tunnell completed and my head out of the hole just in the set of crawling out when the Balls from some three or four muskets threw the dirt in my face but did not harm me. well wee dident stay here long before wee were moved to Melen there wee had no chance for to escape there we remained some 6 weeks or more and then old Sherman became dangerous then we were taken to Savannah and from there to Blackshere. here wee remained 2 or 3 weeks when we were taken to Thomasville near the Florida line here wee Remained some 2 weeks when wee were carried as they term it to Albany. but it wass the Darndest carying I ever seen. they marched us 5 days through the Swamps some time to our waste in water for 2 mile at a time, during the 5 days I had 6 crackers to eat. when wee arrived at Albany wee took the cars for that Hell hole Andersonville and arrived there on Christmas eave there wee were turned in the old stockade for the second time without blanket wood or shelter I never will forget Christmas Eave I spent it in an old well cold and wet and no fire to dry me Christmas dinner was a cup full of cooked rice thats all I eat for 36 hours this wass a trying time I would walk and run as best I could to keep warm. there wass but one way to a void this suffering that was to take th oath which many did but i could not see it in that light. one oath is enough for me well here I remained untill the 18 of March when we were taken out and started for the land of plenty. Just 12 months to the day from the time I first went in there... on the 19 wee got tp Collumbus there wee changed cars and started for Montgomery on the Alabam R - here wee lay untill the eavening of the 20 when we took the Boat down the River to Selma. there wee went in an other Bullpen and remained there untill the 22d when wee took the cars for Demopolis on the Tombigby R - there wee took the boat to McDowell's Landing and arrived there that night there we remained untill the 23d when wee started on the cars for Maredian Miss and a rived there the same day and the next morning on the 24 started for Jackson and arrived there that night. on the morning of the 25 wee started on foot with a quart of meal each for Big Black then to reach our lines so off wee started. I felt as though I could march 50 miles as poor and week as I wass for I wass not very stout. when I was captured my weight was 175 lbs and when I wass released I weighed 106 or 105 lbs Well our first days march wee reached Clinton some 23 miles from the River the next morning wee started stiff and sore and reached within 5 miles of U S Lines wich wee reached on the morning of the 27th one of the happyest days I ever experienced there they gave us plenty of crackers to eat and Whiskey to drink. here wee were Paroled and taken to the camp where I now remane Well if God spares me to come I will give you all the particulars for I can tell you things you will think impoosable thank God I am spared to return to the land of plenty I hope this will find all of you in good health so I will Bring this to a close hoping soon to see you all. now I must goe to the Commissary and draw Ration for my mess for they are geting hungry I have had this job to doe ever since I have been captured

If you write to me while here
Direct your Letters to

T. W. (H)Oran
Co B 4th Battalion
Camp Fisk
Miss

Sill true to my Country
My Love to all Good By
May God be with you as he has with me