Show THE POWER YER OF SONG AN INCIDENT OF LIFE IN LIBBl LIBBI PRISON DURING TUB THE CIVIL TV WAR All How the Prisoners Sang Sane the Star Star Spangled Banner anner and There was Cheering In the Streets of Richmond Rich- Rich mond Taken prisoner while in charge chargO of the rear guard on Stoneman's first raid ne near r Richmond Va relates an anold anold anold old captain of the cavalry and after alter various adventures I I. I with 2600 of the prisoners taken at Chancellorsville was sent to Libby prison The The- large excess of prisoners on the Confederate side procured us most fortunately an exchange in a very short time and within a a. month or so I participated In another raid under Colonel Spear of the Pennsylvania Cavalry over the same ground where I had been 1 lately led a prisoner of war We had passed but one Sunday in 93 Libby 93 officers confined to an up up- upI I most story About the middle of that afternoon I chanced to look around the room A half dozen parties were playing cards many were sleepIng sleeping sleeping sleep sleep- ing several were lying on the floor pretty sick while one squad of a dozen dozen dozen doz doz- en or more had organized a a. prayer meeting Not being a a. saint and perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps not much of a sinner I was simply simply sim sim- I ply a Looker on In Venice The leader was a captain of a Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts regiment The meeting was evidently dragging the great heat beat and perhaps hunger and our p position not proving conducive to much thanksgiving thanks banks giving The National Anthem Suddenly the captain started up and taking his place near the centre of the room exclaimed in a a. voice loud enough to attract immediate attention attention atten atten- tion tion Let us all sing The Star Span- Span I u. u f i f Cheers for the Red White and Blue Veritable cheers heers they were Tears Tear streamed down the veterans veterans' cheeks the boys In the room below took u uthe up the shouts and three times' times three thre were given Hearing some cheering on the outside outside outside out out- side I moved cautiously near th the window window window-it it was dangerous to go to too tob near near and and saw sawall all the guards in line with their muskets pointed toward th the building but massed up and down the streets were hundreds upon hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- of people four-fifths four of them women clapping their hands and waving wavIng waving ing their handkerchiefs showing by their approval a most remarkable tribute tribute tribute trib trib- ute to the power of song and that love lov for Old Glory still sUll held a warm place in their hearts an and memories |