Frozen Confederates

[major bill]

Stinking hot today, but don't fear winter is coming soon with relief . I thought I would post a couple words about cold weather in the Civil War. On January 7 1864 a winter storm hit the area and the temperature dropped to 38 degrees below zero as far south as Chicago. There was heavy snow and high winds as well.

The Marshall (Michigan) Democratic Expounder on January 7 1864 discusses that several people had frozen to death.

"We are informed that a colored boy working for James Deyo, who resides a short distance in the country came into the city yesterday on horse back. When arrived he was frozen to the saddle, and his hands to the reins." It appears that it was believed he would survive.

An article about Camp Douglas. 'Thursday night four of the Confederate prisoners scaled the fence and dropping to the ground escape. The guards were blinded by the fury of the storm, and were unable to halt the fugitives. After reaching the ground, on the outside of the fence, while the storm was beating in all its fury. the escaped pioneers started in a southerly direction, but made very slow progress, as may be readily imagined. Two of them were retaken early in the morning nearly frozen and were returned to camp. The remains of the other two were found about three miles from the camp on the road to Calument having traveled as long as possible and seeming to have fallen and died in their tracks."

Anyone who has walked into a wall of snow being driven by heavy winds at 20 0r 30 below zero can feel sympathy with the poor escaped prisoners. Why they attempted to escape during such a storm is questionable.

It will be below zero in a few months, who will go for brisk a walk with me in shorts and a tee shirt when the temperature hits 20 below zero in January?

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Not me but I'll think about it. This weather is why you'll never get a complaint out of me during the worst sleet, hail, ice, dreck and blizzard. Love all of it- out there hopefully peering at the neighbor's walk to see if they've forgotten to shovel.

It is a dreadful story about the Confederate prisoners- maybe they were from somewhere South where it never really snowed ? You know the ' Yanks ' and ' Rebs ' had this disdain for each other all about who was tougher. Guessing a Northerner trying to escape through say, a Deep South swamp and these poor men toughing a snow storm had the same chance?