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Daniel is
Conscripted by Force
Shortly after this I was takened from my rural home by the conscrips with the intention of carrying me to the army. My mother took me by the hand and said the following words: fear and trust in the great and powerful hand of the Lord and he will preserve and send you back to your mother again.
I was soon thrown into Prison by the conscript officers for safe keeping until I could be carried to the Army. Several others who was conscripted both white and colored were to be carried for soldiers and for laborers.
The first night seemed sad and gloomy to me. No bed was prepared for me, cave the hard wooden floor. The best fire was procured in an old smoky stove,' about dark my supper came which consisted of only a piece of loaf bread and an unusual fat chunk of beef which I soon ate. As I had had nothing for the day I thought it tasted very sweet.
I laid down several pieces of short wood parallel with each other and spread my overcoat on them and lied down and tried to go to sleep.
Soon I was awaken by the stifling smoke that oozed from the old crazy stove. I jumped up and knocked at the Prison door for the Keeper. He arose, came forward and asked me what was the matter. I informed him that I was nearly suffocated with the excaping smoke. He opened a window which let of the disagreeable gases.
The night seem long and weary but day came after awhile. And glad was I to see the morning rays appear once more. This was in the winter of 1865.
The next day the Prison keeper came and saluted us with a good morning, and departed. Nine, ten, eleven and twelve o’clock past and I began to be very hungry for nothing had been brought for us to eat. Soon after the last stroke of twelve o’clock died a way a man entered the hall. I was anxious to see who it was. It was one of the conscript officers. He had brought my breakfast but it was scant indeed.
I ate it, but only felt the force of my appetite the more. How different it was from my warm breakfast at home. So things went on until the third day about 2 o’clock in the afternoon the Keeper and officers already mentioned decided to let me go home. The former saying I can confide in that honest looking fellow Russell. I know he will not flinch from the demands of his country. Give him a furlough and let him depart. A permission were granted to me about 3 o’clock. I struck a bee line for home.
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