Life in southern prisons

5–7 May 1864

Battle of the Wilderness

CORPORAL CHARLES SMEDLEY,

WILDERNESS," IN WHICH HE WAS TAKEN PRISONER, IN

LIFE IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 9

Joining the regiment a second time, he continued with it over thirteen months. While in the service he participated in the battles of Cedar Mountain, second Bull Run, Rappahan- nock Station, Chancellorsville, Thoroughfare Gap, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. In all these battles young Smedley per- formed his duty nobly. In the first day's fight at Gettysburg he narrowly escaped with his life — a ball grazing him on the neck and another on the hip. In the second and third day's fights the 90th Regiment was engaged on the memorable Cem- etery ridge. After the defeat of the rebel hordes on the

LIFE IN SOUTHERN PRISONS. 9

At the battle of the Wilderness, on the 5th of May, 1864, Charles Smedley was captured a second time, and, as we are informed in his diary, was taken by the Confederates to Gor- donsville, thence to Danville, from Danville to the prisoners' pen at Andersonville, Georgia, and lastly to Florence, South Carolina. At Andersonville he remained nearly four months in a stockade filled with thousands of Northern patriots. Here he suffered untold hardships, being exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, the cold atmosphere of the night, and to frequent storms of rain. The premeditated, gradual starvation process of his vile captors, together with the con- stant exposure to all kinds of weather, did its work effectually. His health at last became impaired and his physical constitu-