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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa2cb7f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50991 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50991) diff --git a/old/50991-0.txt b/old/50991-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a1f6a18..0000000 --- a/old/50991-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6027 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fifteen Months in Dixie, by William W. Day - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Fifteen Months in Dixie - My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons - -Author: William W. Day - -Release Date: January 21, 2016 [EBook #50991] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIFTEEN MONTHS IN DIXIE *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Lisa Anne Hatfield and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -Italic text enclosed with _underscores_. - -Small-capitals replaced by ALL CAPITALS. - -More notes appear at the end of the file. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - FIFTEEN MONTHS - IN DIXIE - - ——OR—— - - MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN - REBEL PRISONS. - - - A Story of the Hardships, Privations and Sufferings of - the “Boys in Blue” during the late - War of the Rebellion. - - - ——BY—— - - W. W. DAY, - - A PRIVATE OF 60. D. 10TH REGIMENT - - WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. - - OWATONNA, MINN. - THE PEOPLE’S PRESS PRINT. - 1889. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - To my Comrades - who, like myself, were so - unfortunate as to have suffered the - horrors of a living death in the Prison Pens of the - South, and who, through all their hardships, privations, and - sufferings, remained loyal to our FLAG, and to my beloved Wife, - who suffered untold tortures of mind begotten by anxiety - on account of the uncertainty of my fate, for - fifteen long, weary, months,——this - work is dedicated in - F. C. & L. - by - THE AUTHOR. - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1889, - BY - W. W. DAY. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE. - - -I have sometimes been in doubt whether a preface was necessary to this -work; but have decided to write one, for the reason that in a preface -the author is permitted to give the reader a “peep behind the scenes,” -as he is not permitted to do in the body of the book. Since the -commencement of the publication of this story, in a serial form, a few -very good people have been so kind as to tell me, that it is “too late -in the day” to write upon the subject of Rebel Prisons. My answer is: it -is never too late to tell the story of what patriotic men suffered in -the defence of Constitutional liberty, and of the Union of States, which -union was cemented by the blood of our Revolutionary sires. It is never -too late to tell the story of,— - - “Man’s unhumanity to man.” - -It is never too late to tell the truth, although the truth may be -sharper than a two-edged sword. It is never too late to inspire our -young men to love, and venerate, and defend, the Flag of their Country; -to tell them how their fathers suffered in support of a PRINCIPLE. No, -it is not too late to tell this story, and I have no apologies to offer -any man, living or dead, for telling it. But, while I have no apologies -to offer, I deem an explanation in order. - -Since I commenced writing this Story I have felt the want of a liberal -education as I never felt it before. For, to tell the exact truth, I -never enjoyed the advantages of any school of higher grade than the -common district school of thirty years ago. Therefore, kind reader,—you -who have enjoyed the advantages of better schools, and a more liberal -education,—when you find a mistake in this book, one which can not be -laid at the door of the printer, kindly, and for “Sweet Charity’s Sake,” -overlook it; for I assure you I would be thus kind to you under similar -circumstances. - - W. W. DAY. - - Lemond, Minnesota, September, 1889. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - Page. - CHAPTER I. - 1 Introduction - 2 The Battle of Chickamauga - 5 Captured - - CHAPTER II. - - 6 The Field Hospital - 8 A trip over the battle field - 8 The Atlanta Prison Pen - 9 The “Engine Thieves” - 10 Onward to Richmond - - CHAPTER III. - 12 Libby Prison - 13 Scott’s Building - 15 “Zult” - - CHAPTER IV. - 16 Danville Prison - 17 Bug Soup - 18 Patriotic Songs - 19 Searched—Small-pox - - CHAPTER V. - 20 The “Very O Lord” - 21 Escape of Johney Squires - 22 Skirmishing - - CHAPTER VI. - 25 En Route to Andersonville - 27 Description of Andersonville - 28 “Dugouts” and “Gophers” - - CHAPTER VII. - 29 Winder and Wirz - 31 “Poll Parrot” - 32 Georgia Home “Gyaards” - - CHAPTER VIII. - 33 Insufficient and poor quality of rations. - 34 Digging Wells - 35 Providence Spring - 35 Stealing a board from the dead line - 36 A break in the stockade - 36 Plymouth Pilgrims - - CHAPTER IX. - 38 The Raiders - 39 Capture and hanging of the raiders - 41 Spanking - - CHAPTER X. - 42 Close quarters - 43 Joe Hall and “Tip” Hoover - 46 The Negro. Catholic Priest - - CHAPTER XI. - 47 Mortality at Andersonville Dr. Jones’ report - 57 Remarks on Dr. Jones’ report - - CHAPTER XII. - 59 Progress of the war - 59 Tribute to Logan - 60 New quarters - 61 Number of deaths in Andersonville - 62 Jeff Davis - - CHAPTER XIII. - 64 Good-bye Andersonville - 65 Arrival at Charleston - 66 Historic Ground - 66 Florence - - CHAPTER XIV. - 68 Naked and cold and hungry, Sherman - 69 Letter to Wisconsin Sanitary Commission. - 70 Tribute to the Sanitary Commission. - 72 Honey - - CHAPTER XV. - 73 Vale Dixie - 74 Exchange Commenced - 75 My turn comes - 77 Homeward bound - 77 Conclusion - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ERRATA. - - -On page 3, 23d line, 1st column, for “right” read regiment. - -On page 74, 16th line, for “adopt” read adopted. - -On page 74, 23d line, for “slowing” read slowly. - -On page 74, 2d column, 2d paragraph, 10th line, for “regions” read -designs. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - FIFTEEN MONTHS IN DIXIE, - - OR - - MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - IN REBEL PRISONS. - - - BY W. W. DAY. - - - - - INTRODUCTION. - -On the 12th day of April, 1861, in Charleston Harbor, a shot was fired -whose echo rang round the world. The detonation of that cannon, fired at -Fort Sumter, reverberated from the pine-clad hills and rock-bound coast -of Maine across the continent to the placid waters of the Pacific, -thrilling the hearts of the freemen of the north and causing the blood, -inherited from Revolutionary sires, to course through their veins with -maddening speed. That cannon was fired by armed rebellion at freedom of -person, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the Union of -States. That echo roused those freemen to a resolution to do and to die, -if need be, for the maintenance of the Union, and the supremacy of law. - -The outbreak of the rebellion found the writer, then a little past -majority, on a farm near a little village in Wisconsin. I was just -married, had put in my spring crop and when the first call was made for -troops, was not situated so that I could leave home, but on the 10th of -October following I enlisted in Co. D. 10th Wis. Inf. Vols. - -As this is to be a history of prison life, it is not my purpose to write -a history of my regiment but a short sketch is proper in order to give -the reader a fair understanding of my capture. - -The 10th left Camp Holton, near Milwaukee, about the middle of Nov. -1861. We went by railway via Chicago, Indianapolis and Evansville to -Louisville, Ky., thence to Shepherdsville, thence to Elizabethtown, -where we were assigned to Sill’s Brigade of Mitchell’s Division. -Wintered at Bacon Creek and on the 11th of Feb. 1862, marched with -Buell’s army to the capture of Bowling Green. Buell’s army and part of -Grant’s army arrived almost simultaneously at Nashville, Tenn. Grant -with his forces proceeded to Pittsburg Landing, Buell to Murfreesboro. -After Buell with the greater part of his army had marched to Grant’s -support, Mitchell’s Division marched on Huntsville, Ala., capturing that -place together with about 500 prisoners, 12 engines and a large amount -of rolling stock, the property of the Memphis & Charleston R. R. - -The 10th guarded the M. & C. R. R. from Huntsville to Stevenson, the -junction of the M. & C. and the Nashville & Chattanooga R. R. during the -summer of ’62. - -Early in September we commenced that famous retreat from the Tennessee -to the Ohio, and to show the reader how famous it was to those who -participated in it, I will say we averaged twenty-four miles per day -from Stevenson, Ala., to Louisville, Ky. On the 8th of October, -supported Simonson’s battery at the Battle of Perryville, losing 146, -killed and wounded out of 375 men. Our colors showing the marks of -forty-nine rebel bullets, in fact they were torn into shreds. Dec. 31st, -’62 and Jan. 1st and 2nd, ’63, in the Battle of Stone’s River, or -Murfreesboro. - -The army of the Cumberland, then under command or Gen. Rosecrans, was -divided into four army corps. The 14th, under Gen. Thomas, was in the -center. The 20th, under Gen. A. McD. McCook, on the right. The 21st, -under Gen. Crittenden, on the left and the Reserve Corps, under Gen. -Gordon Granger, in supporting distance in the rear. - -We remained at Murfreesboro until June 23rd, ’63, when the whole army -advanced against Bragg, who was entrenched at Tullahoma, drove him out -of his entrenchments, across the mountains and Tennessee River into -Chattanooga and vicinity. Here commenced a campaign begun in victory and -enthusiasm, and ending at Chickamauga in disaster and gloom, but not in -absolute defeat. - - - THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA. - -Rosecrans showed fine strategic ability in maneuvering Bragg out of -Tennessee without a general engagement, but he made a serious and almost -fatal mistake after he had crossed the Tennessee River with his own -army. He should have entrenched at Chattanooga and kept his army well -together. Instead of doing so, he scattered his forces in a mountainous -country. Crittenden’s Corps followed the north bank of the Tennessee to -a point above Chattanooga, there crossed the river flanking Chattanooga -on the east and cutting the railroad south, thus compelling the -evacuation of that place. - -McCook crossed two ranges of mountains to Trenton, while Thomas with his -corps still remained at Bridgeport, on the Tennessee, and Granger was -leisurely marching down from Nashville. - -In the reorganization of the Army of the Cumberland in Oct. ’62, our -Brigade was called 1st Brig. of 1st Div., 14th Corps. The Brigade was -commanded by Col. Scribner of the 38th Indiana. The Division was -commanded through the Perryville and Murfreesboro campaigns by Gen. -Rousseau, but through the Chickamauga campaign by Gen. Absalom Baird, -now Inspector General of the Army. - -I shall not attempt to give an historical or official description of the -Battle of Chickamauga, but a description as seen from the standpoint of -a private soldier. - -On the 18th of September our Division was bivouacked at Maclamore’s -Cove, a few miles from Lee & Gordon’s Mills. Heavy skirmishing had been -going on all day at Lee & Gordon’s Mills and Rossville between -Crittenden and McCook’s forces and those of the enemy. About 4 P. M., -the “Assembly” sounded and we “fell in” and commenced our march for the -battlefield. At dark my Regt. was thrown out as flankers. We marched -until 10 o’clock along the banks of a small creek while on the opposite -side of the creek a similar line of the enemy marched parallel with us. -We reached Crawfish Springs about 10 P. M., here we took the road again -and continued our march until sunrise on the morning of the 19th when we -halted and prepared breakfast. Before we had finished our breakfast we -heard a terrible roar and crash of musketry to our front, which was -east. This was the opening of the battle of Chickamauga. Immediately -afterward an Aide came dashing up to Lieut. Col. Ely, commanding 10th -Wis. We were ordered to fall in and load at will. Then the order was -given “forward, double quick, march,” and forward we went through brush, -over rocks and fallen trees, keeping our alignment almost as perfect as -though we were marching in review. Very soon we began to hear the sharp -“fizt and ping” of bullets, a sound already familiar to our ears for we -were veterans of two years service, and then we began to take the -Johnies in “out of the wet.” Forward, and still forward, we rushed all -the time firing at the enemy who was falling back. After advancing -nearly a mile in this manner we found the enemy, en masse, in the edge -of a corn field. Our Division halted, the skirmishers fell back into -line and the business of the day commenced in deadly earnest. We were -ordered to lie down and load and fire at will. Reader, I wish I had the -ability to describe what followed. Not more than twenty-five rods in -front of us was a dense mass of rebs who were pouring in a shower of -bullets that fairly made the ground boil. To the rear of my regiment was -a section of Loomis’ 1st Mich. Battery which was firing double shotted -canister over our heads. How we did hug the ground, bullets from the -front like a swarm of bees, canister from the rear screeching and -yelling like lost spirits in deepest sheol. But this could not last -long, mortal man could not stand such a shower of lead while he had -willing legs to carry him out of such a place. - -The rebels soon found a gap at the right of my Regt. and began to pour -in past our right flank. I was lying on the ground loading and firing -fast as possible when I saw the rebels charging past our right, with -their arms at a trail, looking up I discovered that there was not a man -to the right of me in the Regt. I did not wait for orders but struck out -for the rear in a squad of one. I could not see a man of my regiment so -I concluded to help support the battery, accordingly I rushed up nearly -in front of one of the guns just as they gave the Johnies twenty pounds -of canister. That surprised me. I found I was in the wrong place, twenty -pounds of canister fired through me was liable to lay me up, so I filed -left and came in front of the other gun just as the men were ready to -fire. They called out to me to hurry as they wanted to fire, facing the -gun and leaning over to the right I called to them to fire away and they -did fire away with a vengeance. After this things seem mixed up in my -mind. I remember getting to the rear of that gun, of hearing the bullets -whistling, of seeing the woods full of rebs, of thinking I shall get hit -yet, of trying to find a good place to hide and finally of stumbling and -falling, striking my breast on my canteen, and then oblivion. - -How long I remained unconscious I never knew, probably not long, but -when I came to my understanding the firing had ceased in my immediate -vicinity except now and then a scattering shot. I started again for the -rear and had not gone more than a quarter of a mile before I found Gen. -Baird urging a lot of stragglers to rally and protect a flag which he -was holding. Here I found Capt. W. A. Collins and several other men of -my Company. When he saw me he asked me if I was hurt. I told him “no, -not much, I had a couple of cannons fired in my face and fell on my -canteen which had knocked the breath out of me but that I would be all -right in a little while.” He then told me I had better go to the rear to -the hospital. To this I objected, telling him that I had rather stay -with the “boys.” - -We then marched to the rear and halted in a corn field. The stragglers -from the regiment began to come in and the brigade was soon together -again, but we did no more fighting that day. But just before night we -were marched to the front and formed in line of battle. About 8 o’clock -in the evening Johnson’s Division attempted to relieve another division -in our front, Wood’s, I think it was, when the latter division poured a -galling fire into the former, supposing they were rebels. Some of the -balls came through the ranks of the 10th, whereupon Company K opened -fire without orders and a sad mistake it proved for it revealed our -position and a rebel battery opened on us with shells. To say that they -made it lively for us is to say but part of the truth. The woods were -fairly ablaze with bursting shells. The way they hissed and shrieked and -howled and crashed was trying to the nerves of a timid man. - -After the firing had ceased we were marched a short distance to the rear -and bivouacked for the night. I laid down by a fire but “tired nature’s -sweet restorer” did not visit me that night. I had received a terrible -shock during the day. We had been whipped most unmercifully. The 1st -Division of the 14th Corps had turned its back on the enemy for the -first time, that day; and, too, there was to-morrow coming, and what -would it bring? Do coming events cast their shadows before? Perhaps they -do, at any rate the thoughts of all these things passing through my mind -made me pass a sleepless night. - -Sunday morning, September 20th, came. The same sun that shone dimly -through the hazy atmosphere which surrounded the battlefield of -Chickamauga, and called those tired soldiers to the terrible duties of -another day of battle, shone brightly upon our dear ones at home, -calling them to prepare for a day of rest and devotion, and while they -were wending their way to church to offer up a prayer, perhaps, in our -behalf, their way enlivened by the sweet sounds of the Sabbath bells, we -were marching to the front to meet a victorious and determined foe, our -steps enlivened by the thundering boom of the murderous cannon, the -sharp rattle of musketry and the din and roar of battle, together with -the shrieks and groans of our wounded and dying comrades. What a scene -for a Sabbath day? But I am moralizing, I must on with my story. - -Our division formed in line of battle on a ridge, with Scribner’s -Brigade in the center, Starkweather’s on the right and King’s on the -left. Soon the rebels came up the ascent at the charge step. We wait -until they are in short range then we rise from behind our slight -entrenchments and pour such a well directed volley into their ranks that -they stagger for a moment, but for a moment only, and on they come again -returning our fire, then the batteries open on them and from their steel -throats belch forth iron hail and bursting shells, while we pour in our -deadly fire of musketry. They halt! THEY BREAK! THEY RUN! Those heroes -of Longstreet’s, they have met their match in the hardy veterans of the -west. Three times that day did we send back the rebel foe. In the -meantime McCook and Crittenden had not fared so well. Bragg had been -reinforced by Longstreet, Joe Johnson and Buckner, so that he had a much -larger force then did Rosecrans. - -Shortly after noon Bragg threw such an overwhelming force upon those two -corps that they were swept from the field and driven toward Chattanooga, -carrying Rosecrans and staff with them. - -Here it was that Thomas, with the 14th Corps, reinforced by Granger, -earned the title of “The Rock of Chickamauga.” Holding fast to the base -of Missionary Ridge he interposed those two corps between the corps of -McCook and Crittenden and the enemy, giving them time to escape up the -valley toward Chattanooga. - -But to return to my division. Three times that day did we repel the -charge of the enemy, but the fourth time they came in such numbers and -with such impetuosity that they fairly lifted us out of our line. When -we broke for the rear I started out with Capt. Collins, but he was in -light marching order, while I was encumbered with knapsack, gun and -accoutrements, and he soon left me behind. - -When I left the line I fired my gun at the enemy, and as I retreated I -loaded it again, on the run, all but the cap. When Capt. Collins left me -I began to look for some safe place and seeing a twenty-four pounder -battery, with a Union flag, I started toward it. They were firing -canister at the time as I supposed, at the enemy, but they fell around -me so thickly that they fairly made the sand boil. I began to think it -was a rebel battery with a Union flag as a decoy, so I filed right until -I got out of range. - -Soon after getting out of range of the battery I came across a dead -rebel and noticing a canteen by his side, I stooped, picked it up and -shook it and found that it was partly filled with water. This was a -Godsend for I had been without water all day. The canteen was covered -with blood, but, oh, how sweet and refreshing that water tasted. Here I -threw away my knapsack to facilitate my flight. I soon came to a wounded -rebel who begged of me to give him a drink of water. I complied with his -request and again started out for Chattanooga. I had gone but a short -distance before I saw a soldier beckoning to me, supposing by the -uniform that he was a member of the 2nd Ohio. I approached within a -short distance of him, when the following colloquy took place: - -Reb,—“He’ah yo Yank, give me yo’ah gun.” - -Yank,—“Not by a thundering sight, the first thing I learned after I -enlisted was to keep my gun myself.” - -Reb,—“Give me yo’ah gun, I say.” - -Yank,—“Don’t you belong to the 2nd Ohio?” - -Reb,—“No, I belong to the 4th Mississippi. Give me yo’ah gun.” - -At the same time pointing his gun point blank at my breast. - -Yank,—“The devil you do.” At the same time handing him my gun for, you -will remember, I had loaded my gun but had not capped it. - -I think I hear some of my readers say “you was vulgar.” No, I was -surprised and indignant and I submit that I expressed my feelings in as -concise language as possible. Consider the situation, I was in the -woods, it was nearly dark, I supposed I had found a friend but there was -a good Enfield rifle pointing at me, not ten feet away, in that gun was -an ounce ball, behind that ball was sufficient powder to blow it a mile, -on the gun was a water-proof cap, warranted to explode every time, and -behind the whole was a Johnny who understood the combination to a -nicety. The fact was, he had the drop on me, I handed him my gun and he -threw it into a clump of bushes. - -While he was disposing of my case another Union soldier crossed his -guard beat, for he was one of Longstreet’s pickets. He called to him to -halt but the soldier paying no attention to him, he brought his gun to -an aim and again called, “halt or I’ll shoot yo.” “Don’t shoot the man -for God’s sake, he is in your lines,” said I, and while Johnny was -paying his addresses to the other soldier, I gave a jump and ran like a -frightened deer. Around the clump of brush I sped, thinking, “now for -Chattanooga.” “Hello, Bill! Where you going?” “Oh, I had got started for -Chattanooga, but I guess I will go with you,” and I ran plump into a -squad of men of my company and regiment under guard. - -Men, styling themselves statesmen, have stood up in their places in the -halls of Congress and called prisoners of war “Coffee Coolers” and -“Blackberry Pickers.” I give it up. I cannot express my opinion, -adequately, of men who will so sneer at and belittle brave men who have -fought through two days of terrible battle, and only yielded themselves -prisoners of war because they were surrounded and overpowered, as did -those men at Chickamauga. - -The Battle of Chickamauga was ended and that Creek proved to be what its -Indian name implies, a “river of death.” The losses on the Union side -were over 17,000, and on the Confederate side over 22,000. - -I said in the introduction that the Chickamauga campaign did not end in -absolute defeat. And, although we were most unmercifully whipped, I -still maintain that assertion, Gen. Grant to the contrary, -notwithstanding. Rosecrans saved Chattanooga and that was the bone of -contention, the prime object of the campaign. But it was a case similar -to that of an Arkansas doctor, who when asked how his patients, at a -house where he was called the night before, were getting on replied: -“Wall, the child is dead and the-ah mother is dead, but I’ll be dogoned -if I don’t believe I’ll pull the old man through all right.” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - A PRISONER OF WAR. - - “Woe came with war and want with woe; - And it was mine to undergo - Each outrage of the rebel foe:”— - Rokeby, canto 5, verse 18. - Scott. - - -When I had thus unceremoniously run into the lion’s mouth, I surrendered -and was marched with my comrades a short distance to Gen. Humphrey’s -headquarters and placed under guard. - -I then began to look around among the prisoners for those with whom I -was acquainted. - -Among others, I found Lieut. A. E. Patchin and Geo. Hand of my company, -both wounded. Having had considerable experience in dressing wounds, at -Lieut. Patchin’s request, I went to Gen. Humphrey and obtained written -permission to stay with him (Patchin) and care for him. Patchin, Hand -and myself were then marched off about half a mile to a field hospital, -on a small branch or creek, as we would say. - -Seating Patchin and Hand by a fire, I procured water and having -satisfied our thirst, I proceeded to dress their wounds. We sat up all -night, not having any blankets, and all night long the shrieks and -groans of wounded and dying men pierced our ears. - -In the morning I went to a rebel surgeon and procured a basin, a sponge, -some lint and bandages, and after dressing the wounds of my patients, I -took such of the wounded rebels in my hands as my skill, or lack of -skill, would permit me to handle. - -I worked all the forenoon relieving my late enemies and received the -thanks and “God bless you, Yank,” from men who had, perhaps the day -before, used their best skill to kill me. Who knows but that a bullet -from my own gun had laid one of those men low? - -In the afternoon those of the wounded Union prisoners who could not walk -were placed in wagons and those who could, under guard and we were taken -to McLaw’s Division hospital, on Chickamauga Creek. - -On the way to the hospital we passed over a portion of the battlefield. -While marching along I heard the groans of a man off to the right of the -road, I called the guard’s attention to it and together we went to the -place from whence the sound proceeded; there, lying behind a log, we -found a wounded Union soldier. He begged for water saying he had not -tasted a drop since he was wounded on the 19th, two days before. He was -shot in the abdomen and a portion of the caul, about four inches in -length, protruded from the wound. I gave him water, and the guard helped -me to carry him to the wagon. His name was Serg. James Morgan, of some -Indiana Regiment, the 46th, I think. He lived five days. I cared for him -while he lived. One morning I went to see him and found him dead. I -searched his pockets and found his Sergeant’s Warrant and a photograph -of his sister, with her name and post-office address written upon it. -These I preserved during my fifteen months imprisonment and sent to her -address after I arrived in our lines. I received a letter from her -thanking me for preserving those mementoes of her brother; also for the -particulars of his death. I also received a letter from Capt. -Studebaker, Morgan’s brother-in-law, and to whose company Morgan -belonged, dated at Jonesboro, N. C., May 1865, in which he said that my -letter gave the family the first news of the fate of Morgan. - -We arrived at the hospital just before night and I proceeded to make my -patients as comfortable as possible. There were at this place 120 -wounded Union soldiers besides several hundred wounded Confederates. Our -quarters were the open air. These wounded men lay scattered all around, -in the garden, the orchard, by the roadside, any and every where. - -The first night here I sat up all night building fires, carrying water -for the wounded and dressing their wounds. Besides myself, there was a -surgeon of an Illinois Battery and James Fadden, of the 10th Wis., who -had a scalp wound, to care for these poor men, and a busy time we had. I -assisted the surgeon in performing amputations, besides my other duties. - -The rebels seemed to think we could live without food as they issued but -three days rations to us in eleven days. - -How did we live? I will tell you. On both sides of us was a corn field -but the rebels had picked all the corn but we skirmished around and -found an occasional nubbin which we boiled, then shaved off with a -knife, making the product into mush. Besides this, we found a few small -pumpkins and some elder berries, these we stewed and divided among the -men. - -About a week after we arrived here, I applied to the rebel surgeon in -charge for permission to kill some of the cattle, which were running at -large, telling him that our men were starving. He replied that he could -do nothing for us, that he had not enough rations for his own men, that -he could not give me permission to kill cattle, as Gen. Bragg had issued -orders just before the battle authorizing citizens to shoot any soldier, -Reb or Yank, whom they found foraging. But he added that he would not -“give me away” if I killed one. I took the hint, and hunting up an -Enfield rifle the Union surgeon and I started out for beef. We went into -the corn field to the east of us where there were quite a number of -cattle, and selecting a nice fat three-year-old heifer, I told the -doctor that I was going to shoot it. He urged me not to shoot so large -an animal as the citizens would shoot us for it, and wanted me to kill a -yearling near by. I told him “we might just as well die for an old sheep -as a lamb,” and fired, killing the three-year-old. You ought to have -seen us run after I fired. Great Scott! How we skedaddled. Pell mell we -went, out of the corn field, over the fence, and into the brush. There -we lay and watched in the direction of two houses, but seeing no person -after a while we went back to our game. It did not take long to dress -that animal and taking a quarter we carried it back to the hospital. We -secured the whole carcass without molestation and then proceeded to give -our boys a feast. We ate the last of it for breakfast the next morning. -After this feast came another famine. I tried once more to find a beef, -but found instead two reb citizens armed with shot guns. I struck out -for tall timber. Citizens gave me chase but I eluded them by dodging -into the canebrakes which bordered the creek, thence into the creek down -which I waded, finally getting back to the hospital minus my gun. - -You may be sure that I did not try hunting after this little episode. - -Rosecrans and Bragg had just before this made arrangements for the -exchange of wounded prisoners. Our hospitals were at the Cloud Farm, -five miles north-west from us, and Crawfish Springs, five miles south of -Cloud Farm. - -The next morning I secured an old rattle-bones of a horse and went over -to the Cloud Farm for rations. I reported to the Provost Marshal on Gen. -Bragg’s staff, and not being able to procure any rations here, he sent a -cavalryman with me as a safe guard. We went down to Crawfish Springs, -where I procured a sack full of hard tack and returned to the hospital. - -I traveled fifteen miles that day over the battlefield. Such a sight as -I there saw I hope never to see again. This was eleven days after the -battle and none of our dead had been buried then; in fact, the most of -our brave men who fell at Chickamauga were not buried until after the -battle of Missionary Ridge and the country had come in possession of the -Union forces. The sight was horrible. There they lay, those dead heroes, -just as they fell when stricken with whistling bullet, or screaming -canister, or crashing shell. - -Some of them had been stripped of their clothing, all were badly -decomposed. The stench was beyond my power to tell, or yours to imagine. -Taken all together it was the most horrible scene the eye of man ever -rested upon. - -Let me try to give the reader a description of what I saw that day. When -I first reached the battlefield my attention was attracted to a number -of horsemen dressed in Federal uniforms. These were evidently rebel -cavalrymen who had dressed themselves in the uniforms of our dead -soldiers. In every part of the field was evidence of the terrible havoc -of war. Bursted cannons, broken gun carriages, muskets, bayonets, -accoutrements, sabres, swords, canteens, knapsacks, haversacks, sponges, -rammers, buckets, broken wagons, dead horses and dead men were mixed and -intermingled in a heterogeneous mass. - -Fatigue parties of rebel soldiers and negroes were gleaning the fruits -of the battlefield. - -In one place I saw cords of muskets and rifles piled up in great ricks -like cord-wood. The harvest was a rich one for the Confederacy. - -In one place I saw more than twenty artillery horses, lying as they had -fallen, to the rear of the position of a Rebel battery, showing the -fierce and determined resistance of the Union soldiers. - -At another place, near where my regiment breakfasted on the morning of -the 19th, a Union battery had taken position, it was on the Chattanooga -road and to the rear was heavy timber. Here the trees were literally cut -down by cannon shots from a Rebel battery. Some of the trees were -eighteen or twenty inches in diameter. Havoc, destruction, ruin and -death reigned supreme. In some places, where some fierce charge had been -made, the ground was covered with the dead. Federal and Confederate lay -side by side just as they had fallen in their last struggle. But why -dwell on these scenes? They were but a companion piece to just such -scenes on a hundred other battlefields of the civil war. - -We remained at the Chickamauga hospital for three weeks. Then all who -could ride in wagons were carried to Ringgold, where we took the cars -for Atlanta. Many of the wounded had died and we had buried them there -on the banks of the “River of Death.” I presume they have found -sepulture at last in the National Cemetery, at Chattanooga, along with -the heroes of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Peace to their -ashes. They gave all that men can give, their lives, for their country, -and we gave them the best gifts of comrades, honor and a soldier’s -grave. - -At Ringgold some ladies came into the cars and distributed food to our -party. It was a kindly but unexpected act, and we appreciated it the -more as we were nearly starved. We traveled all night and arrived at -Atlanta about 11 o’clock A. M. the next day. We were removed to the -“Pen” and here I was introduced to the “Bull Pens” of the South. - -The Prison Pen here was small, being used only as a stopping place for -prisoners en route for Richmond. The enclosure was made of boards and -was twelve feet in height. On two sides were barracks which would -shelter probably five hundred men. In the center was a well of good -water. The guards were on the platforms inside and nearly as high as the -fence. - -The next day after our arrival the Commandant of the Prison put me in -charge of twenty-one wounded officers. These officers elected me nurse, -commissary general, cook and chambermaid of the company. - -Our rations were of fair quality but of very limited quantity. A fund -was raised and entrusted to me with instructions to purchase everything -in the line of eatables that I could get. - -Here we found Gen. Neal Dow, sometimes called the father of the “Maine -Law.” He had been taken prisoner down near the Gulf and was on his way -to Richmond for exchange. - -Here we also found Lieut. Mason, of the 2nd Ohio Infantry, and he, too, -had a history. In the latter part of April 1862, Gen. Mitchell sent a -detail of twenty-one men, members of the 2nd, 21st and 33rd Ohio and a -Kentuckian, named Andrews, I believe, on a raid into Central Georgia, -with instructions to capture a locomotive, then proceed north to -Chattanooga, and to destroy railroads and burn bridges on the way. They -left us at Shelbyville, Tennessee, and went on their perilous errand, -while we marched to the capture of Huntsville, as narrated in the -introduction. - -These men were the celebrated “Engine Thieves” and their story is told -by one of their number, in a book entitled, “Capturing a Locomotive.” -They left our brigade in pairs, traveling as citizens to Chattanooga, -thence by rail to Marietta, where they assembled, taking a return train. -The train halted at a small station called Big Shanty, and while the -conductor, engineer and train men were at breakfast, they uncoupled the -train, taking the engine, tender and two freight cars and pulled out for -Chattanooga. All went lovely for a time but after running a few hours -they began to meet wild trains which had been frightened off from the M. -& C. R. R. by the capture of Huntsville. This caused them much delay but -Andrews, the leader, was plucky and claiming that he had a train load of -ammunition for Chattanooga he contrived at last to get past these trains -and again sped onward. - -In the meantime the conductor at Big Shanty discovered his loss. Taking -with him the engineer, and two officials of the road, they started out -on foot in pursuit of the fugitive train. They soon found a hand-car -which they took, and forward they went in the race, a hand-car in -pursuit of a locomotive. Luck favored the pursuers, they soon found an -engine, the Yonah, on a Spur road, and with steam up, this they pressed -into the service and away they go. This time locomotive after -locomotive. They pass the blockade of wild trains and on they go. As -they round a curve they see, away ahead, the smoke of the fugitive -train. The engineer pulls the throttle wide open and on they go as never -went engine before. But the fugitives discover the pursuers, and at the -next curve they stop, pull up a rail and put it on board their train, -and then away with the speed of a hurricane. But they have pulled up the -rail on the wrong side of the track and the pursuing engine bumps across -the ties and on they come. Then the fugitives stop and pull up another -rail and take it with them. The pursuers stop at the break in the road, -take up a rail in the rear of their engine, lay it in front and then -away in pursuit they go. The fugitives throw out ties upon the track, -but the Yonah pushes them off as though they were splinters. Then the -fugitives set fire to a bridge but the Yonah dashes through fire and on, -ever on, like a sleuth hound it follows the fugitives. Rocks, trees and -houses seem to be running backward, so swift is the flight. But the wood -is gone, the oil is exhausted, the journals heat, the boxes melt and the -fugitive engine dies on the track. - -But our heroes jump from the train and take to the woods. They are -pursued with men and blood-hounds, are captured and thrown into prison -and treated as brigands. Some die, some are hanged, some are exchanged -and some make their escape. Lieut. Mason was of the last named class. He -was promoted to a 1st Lieutenancy, fought at Chickamauga in my brigade -and was taken prisoner and identified as one of the engine thieves, and -held for trial. He told me this story seated upon a sixty pound ball, -which was attached to his ankle by a ten foot chain. - -Besides the Federal prisoners, there were in this prison a number of -Union men from the mountains of East Tennessee and Northern Georgia. -They were conscripted into the Confederate army, but refused to take the -oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. - -We arrived at Atlanta on the 12th of October 1863, and on the 18th we -were put on board of the cars and started for Richmond. - - - ONWARD TO RICHMOND. - -Leaving Atlanta on the 18th, we reached Augusta early on the morning of -the 19th. There had been heavy rains and as the railroad track was -washed out ahead, we were compelled to wait here until the track was -repaired. We were put into a cotton shed and a guard stationed around -us. - -No rations had been issued to us since leaving Atlanta. It seemed to be -part of the duty of the officer in charge to FORGET to feed us, and I -never saw a man more attentive to duty than he was, in that respect. -However, I procured a pass from him, and with a guard, went down town to -buy food for my squad of wounded officers. I found bread in one place at -a dollar a loaf and at another place I bought a gallon of sorghum syrup. -As my guard and I were looking around for something else to eat, we met -a pompous old fellow who halted us and asked who we were. I told him -that I was a prisoner of war with a Confederate guard looking for a -chance to buy something to eat for wounded soldiers. “I will see to -this,” said he. “I will know if these Northern robbers and vandals are -to be allowed to desecrate the streets of Augusta.” - -I could never find out what the people of Augusta lived on during the -war. I could not find enough food for twenty-two men, but I imagine that -old fellow lived and grew fat on his dignity. - -Shortly after my return to the cotton shed a company of Home guards, -composed of the wealthy citizens of Augusta, marched up and posted a -guard around us, relieving our train guard. - -The company was composed of the wealthy men of the city, too rich to -risk their precious carcasses at the front, but not too much of -gentlemen to abuse and starve prisoners of war. They did not allow any -more “Yanks” to desecrate their sacred streets that day. - -Morning came and we bade a long, but not a sad, farewell to that Sacred -City. We crossed the Savannah River into the sacred soil of South -Carolina. Hamburg, the scene of the Rebel Gen. Butler’s Massacre of -negroes during Ku-Klux times, lies opposite Augusta. - -Onward we went, our old engine puffing and wheezing like a heavy horse, -for by this time the engines on Southern railroads began to show the -need of the mechanics who had been driven north by the war. Along in the -afternoon of the 21st, while we were yet about 60 miles from Columbia, -S. C., the old engine gave out entirely and we were compelled to wait -for an engine from Columbia. We arrived at Columbia sometime in the -night and as we were in passenger cars we did not suffer a great deal of -fatigue from our long ride. On the morning of the 22d as our train was -leaving the depot a car ran off the track which delayed us until noon. -While the train men were getting the car back on the track, I went with -a guard down into the city to buy rations, but not a loaf of bread nor -an ounce of meat could I procure. - -Columbia was a beautiful city. I never saw such flower gardens and -ornamental shrubbery as I saw there, but you may be sure that I did not -cry when I heard that it was burned down. I don’t know whether any of -those brutes who refused to sell me bread for starving, wounded men, -were burned or not, if they were, they got a foretaste of their manifest -destiny. - -We arrived at Raleigh, N. C., on the morning of the 23rd. Here we had -rations issued to us, consisting of bacon and hard tack, and of all the -HARD tack I ever saw, that was the hardest. We could not bite it, -neither could we break it with our hands until soaked in cold water. - -At Weldon, on the Roanoke River, we laid over until the morning of the -24th. Here we had a chance to wash and rest and we needed both very -much. - -We reached Petersburg, Va., during the night of the 24th and were -marched from the Weldon depot through the city and across the Appomattox -River to the Richmond depot, where we waited until morning. - -Midday found us within sight of Richmond, the capital of the -Confederacy. - -As the train ran upon the long bridge which crosses the James River at -the upper part of the Falls, we looked to our left, and there, lying -peacefully in that historic river, was Belle Isle, a literal hell on -earth. A truthful record of the sufferings, the starvation and the -misery imposed by the Confederates upon our helpless comrades at that -place, would cause a blush of shame to suffuse the cheek of a Comanche -chief. - -Arrived on the Richmond side, we dragged our weary bodies from the cars, -and forming into line, were marched down a street parallel with the -river. I suppose it was the main business street of the city. Trade was -going on just as though there was no war in progress. - -As we were marching past a tall brick building a shout of derision -saluted our ears, looking up we saw a number of men, clad in Confederate -gray, looking at our sorry company and hurling epithets at us, which -were too vile to repeat in these pages. This was the famous, or perhaps -infamous is the better word, Castle Thunder. It was a penal prison of -the Confederacy and within its dirty, smoke begrimed walls were confined -desperate characters from the Rebel army, such as deserters, thieves and -murderers, together with Union men from the mountains of Virginia and -East Tennessee, and Union soldiers who were deemed worthy of a worse -punishment than was afforded in the ordinary military prisons. - -Many stories are told of the dark deeds committed within the walls of -that prison. It is said that there were dark cells underneath that -structure, not unlike the cells under the Castle of Antonia, near the -Temple in Jerusalem, as described in Ben Hur, into which men were cast, -there to remain, never to see the light of day or breathe one breath of -pure air until death or the fortunes of war released them. - -The horrors of the Spanish Inquisition in the middle ages were repeated -here. Men were tied up by their thumbs, with their toes barely touching -the floor, they were bucked and gagged and tortured in every conceivable -way, and more for the purpose of gratifying the devilish hatred of their -jailors, then because they had committed crimes. - -On we march past Castle Lightning, a similar prison of unsavory -reputation, to Libby Prison, which opened its ponderous doors to receive -us. But I will reserve a description of this prison for another chapter. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - LIBBY PRISON. - - “They entered:—’twas a prison-room - Of stern security and gloom, - Yet not a dungeon;”— - The Lady of the Lake, - Scott. - -Libby Prison, up to this time, was the most noted and notorious prison -of the South. It was a large building two stories high on its north or -front side, and three stories high on its south or rear side, being -built on land sloping toward the James River. - -The building had been used before the war as a store for furnishing ship -supplies. - -The upper story was used as a prison for officers. The second story was -divided into three rooms. The east room was a hospital, the middle, a -prison for private soldiers and the west room was the office of the -prison officials. The lower story was divided into cook room, storage -rooms and cells. It was down in one of these storage rooms, that Major -Straight’s party started their famous tunnel. Over the middle door was -painted - - ───┬───────────────────────────────┬─── - │ THOMAS LIBBY & SON. │ - │ │ - │ Ship Chandlers and Grocers. │ - ───┴───────────────────────────────┴─── - -Across the west end of the building the same sign was painted in large -letters. - -Before we entered the prison, all the commissioned officers were -separated from us and sent up into the officers rooms and we were -registered by name, rank, company and regiment by a smart little fellow -dressed in a dark blue uniform. This was “Majah” Ross, a refugee from -Baltimore, whose secession sympathies took him into Richmond but not -into the active part of “wah.” He was a subordinate of “Majah Tunnah,” -the notorious Dick Turner, known and cursed by every prisoner who knows -anything of Libby Prison. - -There seemed to be no person of lower rank than “Majah” in the -Confederate service. I think the ranks must have been filled with them -while “Cunnels” acted as file closers. O, no, I am mistaken. I did hear -afterward of “Coplers of the Gyaard,” but then, they were only fighting -men, while these “Majahs” and “Cunnels” were civilians acting as prison -sergeants. - -Soon after our entrance into the Prison we heard some of our officers -calling from the room over our heads. They had been appraised of our -arrival by the officers who came with us. I went to a hole in the back -part of the room and heard my name called and was told by the officer -speaking to come up on the stairs. There was a broad stairway leading -from our floor up to the floor overhead, but the hatchway was closed. I -went up on the stairs as requested. A narrow board had been pried up -and, looking up, I saw Captain Collins whom I had not seen since we left -the line of battle together on that eventful 20th of September. To say -that we were rejoiced to see each other is to say but little. Questions -were asked as to the whereabouts of different comrades, as to who was -dead and who alive, and, last but not least, “was I hungry?” Hungry! -Poor, weak word to express the intense gnawing at my stomach. Hungry! -Yes, from head to foot, every nerve and fiber of my system was hungry. -He gave me a handful of crackers, genuine crackers, not hard tack with -B. C. marked upon them, but crackers. Some of the readers of this sketch -were there and know all about it. Those of you who were never in a rebel -prison can never imagine how good those crackers tasted. One man who was -there and witnessed the above, and who was making anxious inquiries for -comrades, was Lieutenant G. W. Buffum, of the 1st Wisconsin Regiment, -now the Hon. George W. Buffum, of Clinton Falls Township, Steele county, -Minnesota. Ask him whether I was hungry or not. - -While we were talking together some one called out the name of some -comrade. No answer was given. Again the name was called and just at that -instant “Majah” Ross stepped into the room. Down went the strip of board -and we vacated those stairs in one time and one motion. But the “Majah” -had caught that name, or one similar to it, and he too became desirous -of interviewing that individual. He called the name over and over again, -but no response; finally becoming exasperated, he swore, with a good, -round Confederate oath, that he would not issue us any rations until -that man was trotted out. The man could not be found and little Ross -kept his word for two days, then, not being able to find him, he issued -rations to us. Hungry, did you say? Reader just think of it, we were -living on less than half rations all the time and then to have them all -cut off for forty-eight hours, was simply barbarous, and all to satisfy -the whim, or caprice, of a little upstart rebel who was not fit to black -our shoes. Yes, it makes me mad yet. Do you blame me? - -Thinking back upon Libby to-day, I think it was the best prison I was -in:—That comparison does not suit me, there was no BEST about it. I will -say, it was not so BAD as any of the others I was in. - -There was a hydrant in the room, also a tank in which we could wash both -our bodies and our clothes, soap was furnished, and cleanliness, as -regards the prison, was compulsory. We scrubbed the floor twice a week -which kept it in good condition. - -But when we come to talk about food, there was an immense, an -overpowering lack of that. The quality was fair, in fact good, -considering that we were not particular. But as the important question -of food or no food, turned upon the whims and caprices of Dick Turner -and Ross, we were always in doubt as to whether we would get any at all. - -I remained in Libby Prison a week when I was removed, with others, to -Scott’s building, an auxilliary of Libby. There were four prison -buildings which were included in the economy of Libby Prison. Pemberton, -nearly opposite to Libby, on the corner of 15th and Carey streets, I -think that is the names of those streets. Another building, the name of -which I did not learn, north of Pemberton on 15th street, and Scott’s -building opposite the last mentioned building. - -These three buildings were tobacco factories and the presses were -standing in Scott’s when I was there. - -The rations for all four prisons were cooked in the cook-house at Libby. -The same set of officers had charge of all of them, so that, to all -intents and purposes they were one prison, and that prison, Libby. - -Heretofore I had escaped being searched for money and valuables, but one -day a rebel came up and ordered all Chickamauga prisoners down to the -second floor. I did not immediately obey his orders and soon there was -much speculation among us as to what was wanted. Some were of the -opinion that there was to be an exchange of Chickamauga prisoners. -Others thought they were to be removed to another prison. To settle the -question in my own mind I went down. I had not got half way down the -stairs before I found what the order meant, for there standing in two -ranks, open order, were the Chickamauga boys, a rebel to each rank, -searching them. - -I had but little money. Not enough to make them rich, but the loss of it -would make me poor indeed. I immediately formed my plan and as quickly -acted upon it. Going down the stairs, I passed to the rear of the rear -rank, down past the rebel robbers, up in front of the front rank, and so -on back upstairs, past the guard. I discovered then and there, that a -little “cheek” was a valuable commodity in rebel prisons. - -We were divided into squads, or messes, of sixteen for the purpose of -dividing rations. - -I was elected Sergeant of the mess to which I belonged, and from that -time until my release had charge of a mess. - -Our rations were brought to us by men from our own prison and divided -among the Sergeants of messes, who in turn divided it among their -respective men. Each man had his number and the bread and meat were cut -up into sixteen pieces by the Sergeant, then one man turned his back and -the Sergeant pointing to a piece, asked “whose is this?” “Number ten.” -“Whose is this?” “Number three,” and so on until all had been supplied. -Our rations, while in Richmond, consisted of a half pound of very good -bread and about two ounces of very poor meat per day. Sometimes varied -by the issue of rice in the place of meat. Sometimes our meat was so -maggoty that it was white with them, but so reduced were we by hunger -that we ate it and would have been glad to get enough, even of that -kind. - -To men blessed with an active mind and body, the confinement of prison -life is exceeding irksome, even if plenty of food and clothing, with -good beds and the luxuries of life, are furnished them, but when their -food is cut down to the lowest limit that will sustain life, and of a -quality at which a dog, possessed of any self respect, would turn up his -nose in disgust, with a hard floor for a bed, with no books nor papers -with which to feed their minds, with brutal men for companions, with no -change of clothing, with vermin gnawing their life out day after day, -and month after month, it is simply torture. - -Time hung heavy on our hands. We got but meagre news from the front and -this came through rebel sources, and was so colored in favor of the -rebel army, as to be of little or no satisfaction to us. The news that -Meade had crossed the Rapidan, or had recrossed the Rapidan, had become -so monotonous as to be a standing joke with us. Our first question to an -Army of the Potomac man in the morning would be, “has Meade crossed the -Rapidan yet this morning?” This frequently led to a skirmish in which -some one usually got a bloody nose. - -News of exchange came frequently but exchange did not come. Somebody -would start the story that a cartel had been agreed upon, then would -come a long discussion upon the probabilities of the truth of the story. -The rebels always told prisoners that they were going to be exchanged -whenever they moved them from one point to another. This kept the -prisoners quiet and saved extra guards on the train. - -While we were at Richmond we had no well concerted plan for killing time -for we were looking forward hopefully to the time when we should be -exchanged, but we learned at last to distrust all rumors of exchange and -all other promises of good to us for hope was so long deferred that our -hearts became sick. - -We were too much disheartened to joke but occasionally something would -occur which would cause us to laugh. It would be a sort of dry laugh, -more resembling the crackling of parchment but it was the best we could -afford under the circumstances and had to pass muster for a laugh. - -One day salt was issued to us and nothing but salt. I suppose “Majah” -Turner thought we could eat salt and that would cause us to drink so -much water that it would fill us up. A German, who could not talk -English, was not present when the salt was divided. He afterward learned -that salt had been issued and went to the Sergeant of his mess and -called, “zult, zult.” - -“What?” said the Sergeant. - -“Zult, zult.” said Dutchy. - -“O, salt! The salt is all gone. All been divided. Salt ausgespiel,” says -the Sergeant. - -“Zult, zult!” says Duchy. - -“Go to h—l” says the Sergeant. - -“Var ish der hell?” And then we exploded. - -I remained in Richmond until November 24th, when I, with 699 other -prisoners was removed to Danville, Va. - -We were called out before daylight in the morning. Each man taking with -him his possessions. Mine consisted of an old oil-cloth blanket, and a -haversack containing a knife and fork and tin plate, also one day’s -rations. We formed line and marched down 15th street to Carey, and up -Carey street a few blocks, then across the wagon bridge to the Danville -depot. Here we were stowed in box cars at the rate of seventy prisoners -and four guards in each car. A little arithmetical calculation will show -the reader that each of us had a fraction over three square feet at our -disposal. Stock buyers now-a-days allow sixty hogs for a car load, and -with larger cars than we had. Don’t imagine, however, that I am -instituting any comparison between a car load of hogs and a car load of -prisoners:—it would be unjust to the hogs, so far as comfort and -cleanliness go. - -Our train pulled out from the depot, up the river, past the Tredegar -Iron Works, and on toward Danville. Our “machine” was an old one and -leaked steam in every seam and joint. Sometimes the track would spread -apart, then we would stop and spike it down and go ahead. At other times -the old engine would stop from sheer exhaustion, then we would get out -and walk up the grade, then get on board and away again. Thus we spent -twenty-four hours going about one hundred and fifty miles. During the -night some of the prisoners jumped from the cars and made their escape, -but I saw them two days afterward, bucked and gagged, in the guard-house -at Danville. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - DANVILLE PRISON. - - “So within the prison cell, - We are waiting for the day - That shall come to open wide the iron door, - And the hollow eye grows bright, - And the poor heart almost gay, - As we think of seeing home and friends once more.” - -We arrived at Danville on the morning of November 25th, and were -directly marched into prison No. 2. There were six prison buildings -here, all tobacco factories. Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 being on the public -square. Nos. 2 and 3 being on the west side. No. 1 on the north side -adjoining a canal, and No. 4 on the south side. The other prisons were -in other parts of the city. - -In each prison was confined 700 men. Each building was three stories -high with a garret, making four floors in each prison. Thus we had 175 -men on each floor. The prisons were, as near as I can guess, 30×60 feet -so that we had an average of ten and one-third square feet to each man -or a little more than a square yard apiece. - -Our rations at first consisted of a half pound of bread, made from wheat -shorts and about a quarter of a pound of pork or beef. The quality was -fair. - -I had for a “chum,” or “pard,” from the time I arrived at Atlanta until -I came to Danville, an orderly Sergeant, of an Indiana Regiment, by the -name of Billings. He was a graduate of an Eastern College and at the -time he enlisted left the position of Principal of an Academy in -Indiana. He was one of nature’s noblemen, intelligent, brave, -true-hearted and generous to a fault. I was very much attached to him as -he was a genial companion far above the common herd. But after I had -been in Danville about a week, I learned that there were a number of the -comrades of my company in Prison No. 1. So I applied for, and obtained, -permission to move over to No. 1. I parted with Billings with regret. I -have never seen him since and know nothing of his fate, but I imagine he -fell a victim to the hardships and cruelties of those prisons. - -I found, when I arrived in No. 1, not only members of my own company but -a number of men from Company B of my regiment. We were quartered in the -south-east corner on the second floor. Nearly opposite where I was -located comrade Dexter Lane, then a member of an Ohio regiment, now a -citizen of Merton, Steele county, Minnesota, had his quarters. We were -strangers at that time but since then have talked over that prison life -until we have located each other’s position, and feel that we are old -acquaintances. - -I think I did not feel so lonesome after I joined my comrades of the -10th Wis. There is something peculiar about the feelings of old soldiers -towards each other. Two years before these men were nothing to me. I had -never seen them until I joined the regiment at Milwaukee. But what a -change those two years had wrought. We had camped together on the tented -field and lain side by side in the bivouac. We had touched elbows on -those long, weary marches through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and -Georgia, had stood shoulder to shoulder in many hard fought battles, and -now we are companions in Southern prisons. They were not as -kind-hearted, nor as intelligent as Billings but there was the feeling -of comradeship which no persons on earth understand as do old soldiers. - -The “majah” in charge of Prison No. 1 was a man by the name of Charley -Brady, a southern gentleman from Dublin or some other seaport of the -“Green Isle,” and to his credit, I will say, he was a warm hearted Irish -gentlemen. I do not call to mind any instance where he was unnecessarily -harsh or cruel, but on the other hand, he was kind and pleasant in his -manner and in his personal intercourse with us treated us as though we -were human beings in marked contrast with the treatment of the prison -officials who were genuine Southerners brought up under the influences -of that barbarous institution, slavery. - -Perhaps some of my readers who were confined in Prison No. 1 will not -agree with me in my estimate of Charley Brady, but if they will stop a -moment and consider, they will remember that our harsh treatment came -from the guards who were a separate and distinct institution in prison -economy, or was the result of infringement of prison rules. - -About a week after my arrival in No. 1 some of the prisoners on the -lower floor were detected in the attempt to tunnel out. They had gone -into the basement and started a tunnel with the intention of making -their escape. They were driven up and distributed on the other three -floors. This gave us about two hundred and thirty men to a floor and -left us about eight square feet to the person. - -About this time the cook-house was completed and we had a radical change -of diet. There were twelve large kettles, set in arches, in which our -meat and soup were cooked. Before proceeding farther let me say, that -the cooking was done here for 3,500 men. - -Our soup was made by boiling the meat, then putting in cabbages, or “cow -peas” or “nigger peas,” or stock peas, (just suit yourself as to the -name, they were all one and the same) and filling up AD LIBITUM with -water. The prisons first served were usually best served for if the -supply was likely to fall short a few pails full of Dan River water -supplied the deficiency. - -Our allowance was a bucket of soup to sixteen men, enough of it, such as -it was, for the devil himself never invented a more detestable compound -than that same “bug soup.” The peas from which this soup was made were -filled with small, hard shelled, black bugs, known to us as pea bugs. -Their smell was not unlike that of chinch bugs but not nearly as strong. -Boil them as long as we might, they were still hard shelled bugs. The -first pails full from a kettle contained more bugs, the last ones -contained more Dan River water, so that it was Hobson’s choice which end -of the supply we got. - -(I notice there is considerable inquiry in agricultural papers as to -these same cow peas whether they are good feed for stock. My experience -justifies me in expressing the opinion that you “don’t have” to feed -them to stock, let them alone and the bugs will consume them.) - -Our supply of shorts bread was discontinued and corn bread substituted. -This was baked in large pans, the loaves being about two and a half -inches in thickness. This bread was made by mixing meal with water, -without shortening or lightening of any kind. It was baked in a very hot -oven and the result was a very hard crust on top and bottom of loaf, and -raw meal in the center. - -The water-closets of the four prisons, which surrounded the square, were -drained into the canal already mentioned, and as the drains discharged -their filth into the canal up stream from us, we were compelled to drink -this terrible compound of water and human excrement, for we procured our -drinking and cooking water from this same canal. - -The result of this kind of diet and drink was, that almost every man was -attacked with a very aggravated form of camp diarrhea, which in time -became chronic. Many poor fellows were carried to their graves, and many -more are lingering out a miserable existence to-day as a result of -drinking that terrible hell-broth. And there was no excuse for this, for -not more than ten rods north of the canal was a large spring just in the -edge of Dan River, which would have furnished water for the whole city -of Danville. The guards simply refused to go so far. - -Some of the men attempted to make their escape while out to the -water-closet at night. One poor fellow dropped down from the side of the -cook-house, which formed part of the enclosure, and fell into a large -kettle of hot water. This aroused the guard and all were captured on the -spot. This occurred before the cook-house had been roofed over. - -So many attempts were made to escape, that only two were allowed to go -out at a time after dark. The effect of this rule can be partly imagined -but decency forbids me to describe it. Suffice it to say that with -nearly seven hundred sick men in the building it was awful beyond -imagination. - -We resorted to almost every expedient to pass away time. We organized -debating clubs and the author displayed his wonderful oratorical powers -to the no small amusement of the auditors. Well, I have this -satisfaction, it did them no hurt and did me a great deal of good. - -Two members of my regiment worked in the cook-house during the day, -returning to prison at night. They furnished our mess with plenty of -beef bones. Of these we manufactured rings, tooth picks and stilettos. -We became quite expert at the business, making some very fine articles. -Our tools were a common table knife which an engineer turned into a saw, -with the aid of a file, a broken bladed pocket knife, a flat piece of -iron and some brick-bats. The iron and brick were used to grind our -bones down to a level surface. - -We also procured laurel root, of which we manufactured pipe bowls. -Carving them out in fine style, I made one which I sold for six dollars -to a reb, but I paid the six dollars for six pounds of salt. - -I hope my readers will remember the saw-knife described above, as it -will be again introduced in a little scene which occurred in -Andersonville. - -Some one of our mess had the superannuated remains of a pack of cards, -greasy they were and dog-eared, but they served to while away many a -weary hour. One evening our old German who wanted “zult,” entertained us -with a Punch and Judy show. The performance was good, but I failed to -appreciate his talk. - -But what we all enjoyed most was the singing. There was an excellent -quartette in our room and they carried us back to our boyhood days by -singing such songs as, “Home, Sweet Home,” “Down upon the Swanee River,” -and “Annie Laurie.” When they sang patriotic songs all who could sing -joined in the chorus. We made that old rebel prison ring with the -strains of “The Star Spangled Banner,” “Columbia’s the Gem of the -Ocean,” and the like. The guards never objected to these songs and I -have caught the low murmur of a guard’s voice as he joined in “Home, -Sweet Home.” But when we sang the new songs which had come out during -the war, such as, “Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!” and the “Battle Cry of -Freedom,” they were not so well pleased. - -We use to tease them by singing, - - “We will hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree, - As we go marching on.” - -And— - - “We are springing to the call from the east and from the west, - Shouting the battle cry of freedom, - And we’ll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love the best, - Shouting the battle-cry of freedom.” - -About that time a guard would call out. “Yo’, Yanks up dah, yo’ stop dat -kyind of singing or I’ll shoot.” “Shoot and be dammed.”— - -“For we’ll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love the best, &c.” -would ring out loud and clear for an answer, and then BANG would go the -guard’s gun, answered by a yell of derision from the prison. - -We suffered very much from cold that winter at Danville for we had no -fire. It is true we had a stove and some green, sour gum wood was -furnished but it would not burn, and then we made some weak and futile -attempts to burn stone coal but it was a failure. The proportions were -not right, there was not coal enough to heat the stone, and so we went -without fire. - -For bedding, I had an oil-cloth blanket and my “pard” had a woolen -blanket. But an oil-cloth blanket spread on a hard floor, does not “lie -soft as downy pillows are.” It did seem as though my hips would bore a -hole through the floor. - -One day a rebel officer with two guards came in and ordered all the men -down from the third and fourth floors, then stationing a guard at the -stairs, he ordered them to come up, two at a time. - -I was in no hurry this time to see what was going on, so I awaited -further developements. Soon after the men had commenced going up, a note -fluttered down from over head. I picked it up, on it was written, “They -are searching us for money, knives, watches and jewelry.” Word was -passed around and all who had valuables began to secrete them. I had -noticed that this class of fellows were expert at finding anything -secreted about the clothing, so I tried a plan of my own. Taking my -money I rolled it up in a small wad and stuffed it in my pipe. I then -filled my pipe with tobacco, lit it and let it burn long enough to make -a few ashes on top, then let it go out. Then I went up stairs with my -haversack. The robbers took my knife and fork, but did not find my -money. - -A Sergeant of a Kentucky Regiment saved a gold watch by secreting it in -a loaf of bread. Lucky fellow, to be the owner of a whole loaf of bread. - -Small-pox broke out among us shortly after our arrival at Danville. -Every day some poor fellow was carried out, and sent off to the pest -house up the river. - -About the 17th of December, a Hospital Steward, one of our men, came in -and told us he had come in to vaccinate all of us who desired it. I had -been vaccinated when a small boy, but concluded I would try and see if -it would work again. It did. Many of the men were vaccinated as the -Steward assured them that the virus was pure. Pure! Yes, so is -strychnine pure. It was pure small-pox virus, except where it was -vitiated by the virus of a disease, the most loathsome and degrading of -any known to man, leprosy alone excepted. We were inoculated and not -vaccinated. On the 26th I was very sick, had a high fever and when the -surgeon came around I was taken out to the Hospital. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - “Blow, blow, ye winds, with heavier gust! - And freeze thou bitter-biting frost! - Descend, ye chilly, smothering snows! - Not all your rage, as now united shows - More hard unkindness, unrelenting, - Vengeful malice unrepenting, - Than heaven illumined man on brother man bestows!” - Burns. - - -After I left the prison, I was marched around to three other prisons and -waited outside while the Surgeon went through them to visit the sick. It -was a damp, chilly day, and I was so sick and tired and my bones ached -so badly that I was compelled to lie down upon the cold, wet, stone -sidewalk, while the Surgeon went through the prisons. But all things -earthly have an end, so did that Surgeon’s visits, and I was at last -marched to the Hospital. - -Here allow me to describe the Hospital buildings. There were four of -them; three stood on the hill at the south part of the city, the fourth -was on the banks of the river, near the Richmond Railroad bridge. They -were about 40×120 feet and two stories high, with a hall running the -whole length, dividing them into wards, each building contained four -wards. They were erected in 1862 for the use of the wounded in the -celebrated Peninsular Campaign. - -To the rear of the north hospital building was the pest-house, a defunct -shoe shop, in which convalescent shoemakers, who were soldiers in the -rebel army, worked for the benefit of the C. S. A. To the rear of the -center building was the cook-house and eating room, where convalescents -took their meals, and to the rear of the cook-house stood the dead -house, where the dead were placed prior to burial. To the rear of the -south building was the bakery, where all the bread of the hospital and -prisons was baked. This arrangement brought the three hospital buildings -in a line, while the bakery, dead house and pest-house were in a line to -the rear. A line of guards paced their beats around the whole. - -I supposed when I was sent to the hospital that I had fever of some -kind, but in two days the soreness of my throat and the pustules on my -face and hands told the story too plainly, that the inoculation of a few -days before was doing its work. I was down with a mild form of -small-pox, varioloid, the doctors called it, but a Tennessee soldier -pronounced it a case of the “Very O Lord.” I was taken from the hospital -to the pest-house and laid on a straw pallet. My clothes were taken from -me and sent to the wash-house and I was given a thin cotton shirt and a -thin quilt for a covering. - -The pest-house was but a slim affair, being built for summer use. It -stood upon piles four feet high, was boarded up and down without battens -and as the lumber was green when built, the cracks were half an inch in -width at this time. - -January 1st, 1864, was a terribly cold day. The Rebel Steward thinking -we were not getting air enough, opened two windows in the ward I was in -and then toasted himself at a good fire in another ward. I was -charitably inclined and wished from the bottom of my heart that that -Steward might have the benefit of a hot fire, both here and hereafter. - -I nearly froze to death that day. My limbs were as cold as those of a -corpse, but relief came about nine o’clock that night in the shape of a -pint of hot crust coffee which I placed between my feet until all the -heat had passed into my limbs, which, with constant rubbing, thawed me -out. - -Our rations at the hospital consisted of a slice of wheat bread and a -half pint of thick beef soup, this was given us twice a day. - -After staying in the pest-house a week a suit of clothes was given me -and I was sent to Hospital No. 3, which had been turned into a small-pox -hospital. Nearly forty per cent. of the Danville prisoners had small-pox -yet the death rate was not high from that disease; diarrhea and scurvy -were the deadly foes of the prisoners, and swept them off as with a -besom. - -After I had regained strength I entered into an agreement with half a -dozen others to attempt an escape. Our plan was to get into a ditch -which was west of the dead house, crawl down that past the guard into a -ravine, and then strike for the Blue Ridge Mountains, thence following -some stream to the Ohio River. But the moon was at the full at the time -and we were compelled to wait for a dark night. There is an old saying -that a “watched pot never boils,” so it was in our case; before a dark -night came we were sent back to prison. - -Exchange rumors were current at this time. We talked over the good times -we would have when we got back into “God’s country.” We swore eternal -abstinence from bug soup and corn bread, and promised ourselves a -continual feast of roast turkey, oysters, beefsteak, mince pies, warm -biscuit and honey, but here came a difference of opinion, some voted for -mashed potatoes and butter, others for baked potatoes and gravy. There -were many strong advocates of each dish. The mashed potatoe men affirmed -that a man had no more taste than an ostrich who did not think that -mashed potatoes and butter were ahead of anything else in that line; -while the baked potatoe men sneeringly insinuated that the mashed -potatoe men’s mothers or wives did not know how to bake potatoes just to -the proper yellow tint, nor make gravy of just the right consistency and -richness. The question was never settled until it was settled by each -man selecting his own particular dish after months more of starvation. - -There was restiveness among the men all the time, hunger and nakedness -were telling upon their spirits as well as their health. I lay it down -as a maxim that if you want to find a contented and good natured man, -you must select a well fed and comfortably clothed man. Philosophize as -much as you will upon the subject of diet but the fact remains that we -are all more or less slaves:—to appetite. - -During the month of December a number of the prisoners in No. 3 -attempted a jail delivery by crawling out through the drain of the -water-closet. They were detected however and most of them captured and -returned to prison. Among those who got away was John Squires, of Co. -K., 10th Wis. He had part of a rebel uniform and managed to keep clear -of the Home guards for a number of days, but was finally captured and -returned to prison. But this did not discourage him. He had finished out -his uniform while at large and was ready to try it again at the first -opportunity. But Johnny was no Micawber who waited for something to turn -up; he made his own opportunities. One day he took his knife and -unscrewed the “catch” of the door lock and walked out, as he passed -through the door he turned to his fellow prisoners and remarked “Now -look he’ah yo’ Yanks, if yo’ don’t have this flo’ah cleaned when I git -back yo’ll git no ration to-day.” Then turning he saluted the guard, -walked down stairs, saluted the outer guard, walked across the square, -over the bridge, passing two guards, past where a number of rebel -soldiers were working on a fort and on to “God’s Country” where he -arrived after weeks of wandering and hunger and cold in the Blue Ridge -Mountains and the valleys of West Virginia:—another case of “cheek.” - -One day a rebel Chaplain came into our prison and preached to us. He -informed us with a great deal of circumlocution that he was Chaplain of -a Virginia Regiment, that he was a Baptist minister, and that his name -was Chaplain. He then proceeded to hurl at our devoted heads some of the -choicest selections of fiery extracts, flavored with brimstone to be -found in the Bible. In his concluding prayer he asked the Lord to -forgive us for coming into the South to murder and burn and destroy and -rob, at the same time intimating that he, himself, could not do it. I -suppose he felt better after he had scorched us and we felt just as -well. He would have had to preach to us a long time before he could have -made us believe that there was a worse place than rebel prisons. - -One source of great discomfort, yea, torture, was body lice, -“grey-backs,” in army parlance. They swarmed upon us, they penetrated -into all the seams of our clothing. They went on exploring expeditions -on all parts of our bodies, they sapped the juices from our flesh, they -made our days, days of woe, and our nights, nights of bitterness and -cursing. We could not get hot water, our unfailing remedy in the army. -Our only resource was “skirmishing.” This means stripping our clothes -and hunting them out:—and crushing them. - -On warm days it was a common sight to see half of the men in the room -with their shirts off, skirmishing. - -One day, a number of Reb. citizens came in to see the “Yanks.” Among -them was a large finely built young man. He was dressed in the height of -fashion and evidently belonged to the F. F. V.’s. We were skirmishing -when they came in, and young F. F. V. strutted through the room, with -his head up, like a Texas steer in a Nebraska corn field. His nose and -lips suggested scorn and disgust. Thinks I, “my fine lad I’ll fix you.” -Just as he passed me I threw a large “Grey-back” on his coat; many of -the prisoners saw the act, and contributed their mite to the general -fund, and by the time young F. F. V. had made the circuit of the room, -he was well stocked with Grey-backs. It is needless to add he never -visited us again. - -Scurvy and diarrhea were doing their deadly work even at Danville. These -diseases were due, largely, to causes over which the rebels had control. - -Dr. Joseph Jones, a bitter rebel, professor of Medical Chemistry, at the -Medical College in Augusta, was sent by the Surgeon General of the -Confederate army, to investigate and report upon the cause of the -extreme mortality in Andersonville. He attributed scurvy to a lack of -vegetable diet and acids. Diarrhea and dysentery, he said, were caused -by the filthy conditions by which we were surrounded, polluted water, -and the fact that the meal from which our bread was made was not -separated from the husk. - -There have been many stories told with relation to this meal; let me -make some things plain, and then there will not be the apparent -contradiction, that there is at present in the public mind. - -The difference in opinion arises from the different interpretations of -the word “husk.” - -A true northern man understands husk to mean;—the outer covering of the -ear of corn; while a southerner, or Middle States, man calls it a -“shuck.” - -The husk referred to by Dr. Jones, would be called by a northerner, the -“hull,” or bran. His meaning was that it was unsifted. - -The fetid waters of the canal, the unsifted corn meal made into half -baked bread, and a lack of vegetables and acids, together with the rigid -prison rules, which resulted in filth, and stench, beyond description, -were the prime causes of the great mortality at Danville. During the -five months in which I was confined at Danville, more than 500 of 4,200 -prisoners died, or about one in eight. - -Our clothing too, was getting old, many of the men had no shoes, others -were almost naked. Our government sent supplies of food and clothing to -us, but they were subjected to such a heavy toll that none of the food, -and but little of the clothing ever reached us, and what little was -distributed to our men was soon traded to the guards for bread, or rice, -or salt. I never received a mouthful of food, or a stitch of clothing -which came through the lines. - -In February reports came to us that the Confederate government was -building a large prison stockade somewhere down in Georgia, and that we -were to be removed to it; that our government had refused to exchange -prisoners, and that we were “in for it during the war.” - -About the 1st of April 1864 the prisoners in one of the buildings were -removed. The prison officials said they had gone to City Point to be -exchanged, but one of the guards told us they had gone to Georgia. But -we soon found out the truth of the matter for on the 15th we were all -taken from No. 1 and put on board the cars. We were stowed in at the -rate of sixty prisoners, and four guards to a car. - -The lot of my mess fell to a car which had been used last, for the -conveyance of cattle. No attempt had been made to clean the car and we -were compelled to kick the filth out the best we could with our feet. - -Our train was headed toward Richmond and the guards swore upon their -“honah” that we were bound for City Point to be exchanged. - - - A LETTER FROM COMRADE DEXTER LANE. - -Since the foregoing chapter was printed in THE PEOPLE’S PRESS, we have -received the following endorsement of the story from a comrade who knows -HOW IT WAS by a personal experience. - - EDITOR. - MERTON, MINN., March 26, ’89. - - Editor PEOPLE’S PRESS: - - I have been much interested in perusing a series of articles published - in THE PEOPLE’S PRESS from the pen of Hon. W. W. Day, Lemond, giving - reminiscences of army life, what he saw and experienced while held a - prisoner of war in various prisons in the South during the late - Rebellion. I confess an additional interest, perhaps, in the story - above the casual reader from the fact that I, too, was a guest of the - southern chivalry from Sept. 20th, 1863, until the May following. In - company with the boys of the 124th Ohio, I attended that Chickamauga - Picnic. There were no girls to cast a modifying influence over the - Johnnies, or any one else. As early as the morning of the 19th, - something got crooked producing no little confusion and excitement, - which increased as the hours wore away, up to the afternoon of the - following day, when suddenly it seemed that that whole corner of - Georgia was turned into one grand pandemonium. Everything that could - be gotten loose was let loose, many a boy got hurt that day badly. - Some bare-footed gyrating, thing got onto my head, worked in under the - hair, and twitched me down. It brought about a quiescence quicker than - any dose of morphia I ever swallowed, and I have eaten lots of it - since that time; I can feel its toes to-day. - - Time passed, night was approaching, when several Johnnies approached, - one of whom came up to where I was sitting on the ground, and spoke to - me. The man was a blamed poor talker, but I understood fully what was - wanted, and acquiesced promptly. The outcome of which was, I was - toddled off to Atlanta; from thence to Richmond and Danville, Va. I - make no attempt to write of my own personal adventures, or prison - experience. Much of it, with but few exceptions, as well as the - experience of thousands of others, may be gleaned from the papers of - Comrade Day. For a time I owned and occupied a chalk mark, as my bed, - on the same floor with Comrade Day at Danville, and I wish to say, - what he has written of the rebel management of those prisons, both at - Richmond and Danville, the general treatment of prisoners, rations, in - kind, quantity, quality, manner of cooking, &c., &c., are the COLD - FACTS. Many incidents and happenings which he refers to in his - narrative came to my own personal observation, and as related by him - accord fully with my recollections of them at the time of their - occurrence. In fact I heartily endorse, as being substantially true, - every word of the Comrade’s Prison experiences, except, perhaps, his - reference to Belle Isle. I think his statement there imbibes a little - of the imaginary, when he characterizes the place as a literal “hell - on earth.” Where did he get his facts? That’s the puzzle. No matter, - if he were there—It is a small matter however, and may be true after - all. I know something of Belle Isle, but have only this to say, if the - emperor of the infernal regions, who is said to reign below the great - divide, has a hole anywhere in his dominions, filled with souls that - are undergoing pains and miseries equaling those to which our boys - were subjected on Belle Isle, I pray God I may escape it. - - DEXTER LANE. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - EN ROUTE TO ANDERSONVILLE. - - “Tis a weary life this— - Vaults overhead and gates and bars around me, - And my sad hours spent with as sad companions, - Whose thoughts are brooding o’er their own mischances, - Far, far too deeply to take part in mine.” - —Scott. - -As the train pulled out of Danville that morning, our hopes began to -rise in proportion to the distance we placed between ourselves and our -late prison. - -We had now been in the Confederate prisons seven months, and we had high -hopes that our guards were telling us the truth, for once. - -I am not prepared to say that the people of the South are not as -truthful as other people; but I will say, that truth was a commodity, -which appeared to be very scarce with our guards. - -When we left the Danville prison, we took with us, contrary to orders, a -wooden bucket belonging to my mess. - -The way we stole it out of prison was this. One of the men cut a number -into each stave, then knocked off the hoops and took it down, dividing -hoops, staves and bottom among us, these we rolled up in our blankets -and keeping together we entered the same car. After the train had -started we unrolled our blankets, took out the fragments of bucket, and -set it up again. This was a very fortunate thing for us, as it furnished -us a vessel in which to procure water on that long and dreary trip. - -Nothing of note occurred until we reached Burkeville Junction, near the -scene of the collapse of the Confederacy. Here we were switched off from -the Richmond road on to the Petersburg road. Some of us who were least -hopeful considered this a bad omen; others argued that it was all right, -as we could take cars from Petersburg to City Point. Among the latter -class were some men who had been prisoners before, and were supposed to -know more than the rest of us about the modes of exchange. We therefore -said no more and tried hard to believe that all would end well. - -We arrived at Petersburg a little before midnight. We were immediately -marched across the Appomattox River bridge into Petersburg. As we were -marching along I noticed a large building, which I recognized as one I -had seen the previous November, while we were marching through this -place on our way to Richmond. I told the boys we were going to the -Weldon Depot, the right direction for the South. The hopeful ones still -insisted that it was all right, but I could not see it that way. But the -question was soon settled, for we arrived at the Weldon Depot in a short -time. How our hearts sank within us as we came to the low sheds and -buildings, which form the Station of the Petersburg and Weldon R. R. -Heretofore during the day, “God’s Country,” and home had seemed very -near to us, but now all these hopes were suddenly dashed to the ground, -and dark despair, like a black pall, enshrouded us. I believe that most -of us wished that dark, rainy night, that it had been our fate to have -fallen upon the field of battle, and received a soldier’s burial. - -Those of us who had read Shakspere could have exclaimed with Hamlet.— - - “To be, or not to be, that is the question: - Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer - The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, - Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, - And, by opposing end them—To die—to sleep, - No more; and by a sleep, to say we end - The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks - That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation - Devoutedly to be wished. To die,—to sleep;— - To sleep! perchance to dream, aye there’s the rub; - For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, - When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, - Must give us pause, there’s the respect, - That makes calamity of so long a life; - For who would bear the whips and scorn of time, - The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, - The pangs of misprized love, the law’s delay, - The insolence of office, and the spurns - That patient merit of the unworthy takes, - When he himself might his quietus make - With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear, - To grunt and sweat under a weary life: - But that the dread of something after death, - The undiscovered country, from whose bourn - No traveller returns, puzzled the will; - And makes us rather bear those ills we have, - Than fly to others that we know not of? - Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;” - -The all-wise Being has placed within us all, an instinctive dread of -death; had it not been so, I fear many poor, miserable, hopeless, -prisoners would have gone out of their misery by the suicide’s route. - -Morning came and we were in North Carolina. We took the same route back -as far as Augusta, Ga., that we had taken when on our way to Richmond, -the autumn previous. - -We suffered extremely on the way. We were not allowed to get off the -cars for any purpose whatever, except to change cars. The guards brought -us water in the bucket we had purloined from Danville. They were not -particular where they procured it. They supplied us from the handiest -place whether it was the water tank at a station, or from a stagnant -pond or ditch by the side of the R. R. track. - -The reader can imagine that such water was rank poison. The water in the -ditches of the Carolina swamps was loaded with decayed vegetable matter; -slimy snakes and filthy water reptiles crawled and swam in it, and taken -all together it was not much better than the fetid waters of the -Danville canal. - -Our guards, after leaving Petersburg told us we were on our way to a new -prison which had been made at Andersonville, Ga. They cheered us -somewhat, by saying it was a large stockade, and that we would have -plenty of room, wood and water, and more rations. Anything seemed better -than Danville to us, and visions of a camp with tents for shelter, good -water, more and better food, and opportunity to exercise, floated -through our minds, and we thought that our situation would be more -tolerable. - -From Augusta we went to Macon, thence to Andersonville, where we arrived -on the 22d of April 1864. - -Andersonville is in Sumter county, Georgia, sixty-four miles southwest -of Macon, on the Macon & Albany Railroad. The country through all that -region is a sandy barren, interspersed with swamps which were filled -with rank growths of timber, vines and semi-tropical shrubbery. - -They were the home of serpents, and reptiles of all kinds indigenous to -that latitude, and of many kinds of wild animals. The land was rolling -but could not be called hilly. - -The timber was mostly southern, or pitch pine, with the different -varieties of gum. In the swamps, cypress abounded, from the branches of -which the grey, or Spanish moss hung like the beard of a Brobdignagian -giant, through which the wind sighed and soughed most dismally. - -My impression, received at the time I was in prison, was, that it was -the most God-forsaken country I ever beheld, with the exception of the -rice swamps of South Carolina. South Carolina however, had a history -running back to Revolutionary times, while that portion of Georgia had -no history, but has acquired one which will last as long as the history -of the Spanish Inquisition. And yet at this time, Southern Georgia is -redeemed somewhat, by being the location of Thomasville, the winter -resort of some of our citizens. - -The Prison Pen, or Stockade, was located about three-fourths of a mile -east of the station, on the opposing face of two slight hills, with a -sluggish swampy, stream running through it from west to east and -dividing the prison into two unequal parts, the the northern, being the -larger part. - -The Stockade was in the form of a parallelogram, being longest from -north to south. I estimated that it was fifty rods east and west, by -sixty rods north and south and that it contained eighteen acres, but -from this must be subtracted the land lying between the Dead-line and -Stockade, and the swamp land lying each side of the little stream, known -to us as “Deadrun,” leaving, according to my estimate, twelve acres -available for the use of the prisoners. - -The author of “Andersonville” gives the area of the prison as sixteen -acres and the amount available for prisoners twelve acres. - -Dr. Jones, in his report, gives the area as seventeen acres, but does -not intimate that part of it was not available, so that his estimate of -the number of square feet to each prisoner, is nearly one-third too -high. - -The Stockade was built of hewn timbers, twenty-four feet in length, set -in the ground side by side, to a depth of six feet, leaving the walls of -the Stockade eighteen feet high. The guards stood upon covered platforms -or “pigeon roosts” outside of, and overlooking the Stockade. - -Not far from the northwest, and southwest corners, on the west side, -were the north and south gates. These were made double, by building a -small stockade outside of each gate, which was entered by another gate, -so that when prisoners or wagons entered the stockade they were first -admitted to small stockade, then the gate was closed, after which they -were admitted to the main stockade. - -These small stockades were anterooms to the main prison, and were for -the purpose of preventing a rush by the prisoners. - -Outside of the main stockade the rebels built another stockade, at a -distance of about ten rods. This was for the double purpose of -preventing a “break” of the prisoners and to prevent tunnelling. - -This second stockade was built of round timbers set in the ground six -feet and stood twelve feet above the ground. - -Outside of this second stockade a third one was started, but was not -completed when I left. This was for protection against “Uncle Billy -Sherman’s Bummers.” - -Commanding each corner of the stockade was a fort, built a sufficient -distance to give the guns a good range. These four forts mounted all -told eighteen guns of light artillery, as I was informed, and had a -general rush been made, they would have slaughtered us as though we were -a flock of pigeons. - -The cook-house was built on low ground on the border of a small stream -which ran through the stockade, and west from it. - -The guards camp was west and southwest, from the southern portion of the -stockade. - -West from the south gate Gen. Winder had his head-quarters, also the -guard house and Wirz’ quarters. - -About a quarter of a mile north of the stockade was the cemetery, then a -sandy barren, with occasional jack pine growing. - -I have now given the reader a general description of the Prison Pen, or -Stockade, of Andersonville, as seen from the outside. - -I will now attempt to give a view of the inside, as seen during five -months confinement. - -Upon our arrival at Andersonville on the 22d of April, we were halted at -Gen. Winder’s quarters and registered by name, rank, company, and -regiment. I will give the reader the form as written, in the case of one -of my tent mates who died at Charleston, S. C. the following October. - -GEORGE W. ROUSE, Co. D. 10th Wisconsin Inf.—16-3. - -Which meant that he was assigned to the 3d company and 16 detachment. - -Wirz had originated a very clumsy and unmilitary organization of the -prisoners. He had organized them into companies of ninety men and -assigned three companies to a detachment. At the head of these companies -and detachments was a sergeant. For convenience in dividing rations, we -subdivided these companies into squads, or messes, each mess electing -their own sergeant. As at Richmond and Danville I was elected sergeant -of my mess at Andersonville. - -We were marched into the north gate and assigned grounds on the east -side of the prison, next to the Dead-line, and near the swamp on the -north side. - -We were not subjected to the searching process at Winder’s -head-quarters, as most of the prisoners were. I suppose we were not a -promising looking crowd. Had we been searched, the rebs would have found -nothing but rags and graybacks. - -Thus we were turned into the Prison Pen of Andersonville, like a herd of -swine, with the chance to “root hog or die.” No shelter was furnished -us; no cooking utensils provided; no wood, nothing but a strip of barren -yellow sand, under a hot sun. - -The situation did not look inviting. Our dream was not realized. We had -fresh air it is true, for the air had not become contaminated then. We -had room for exercise, for 5,000 men do not look very much crowded on -twelve acres, it takes 33,000 men to cover that amount of space in good -shape according to the views of Winder and Wirz; but somehow it did not -seem homelike. There was a wonderful paucity of the conveniencies, the -necessities, to say nothing of the luxuries of life. - -About 4,000 men had been sent here during the months of February and -March, from Libby and Belle Isle, and 1,000 from Danville, about two -weeks before us. First come, first served, was the rule here. The first -settlers who “squatted” in Andersonville found plenty of wood and brush -and with these had, with true Yankee ingenuity and industry, constructed -very fair houses, or hovels rather. But they had used up all the -building material, had not left a brush large enough for a riding whip, -they had left us nothing but sand and a miserable poor article of that. - -But the gods were propitious, and the next day we had the privilege of -going out under guard, and picking up material for a house. Rouse and -myself brought in material enough to fix us up in good shape. We secured -a number of green poles about an inch thick, some of these we bent like -the hoops of a wagon cover, sticking the ends in the ground. Then we -fastened other poles transversely on them fastening them with strips of -bark. We used a U. S. blanket for a roof or cover. The sides we thatched -with branches of the long leaved pitch pine. In a few hours we had a -very fair shelter. - -I think the settlers in western Minnesota and Dakota must be indebted to -Andersonville prisoners for the idea of “dugouts.” When we arrived here, -we found many of the unfortunate prisoners from Belle Isle who had no -“pup tent” or blanket to spare, had provided themselves warm quarters by -burrowing into the ground. They had dug holes about the size of the head -of a barrel at the surface of the ground and gradually enlarged as they -dug down, until they were something the shape of the inside of a large -bell. These dugouts were four or five feet deep and usually had two -occupants. These gophers were hard looking specimens of humanity. They -had built fires in their holes, out of pitch pine; over this they had -done their cooking, and over this they had crooned during the cold -storms of March; they had had some bacon, but no soap, and the mixture -of lamp black from the pine, and grease from the bacon, had disfigured -them beyond the recognition of their own mothers. Their hair was long -and unkempt, and filled with lamp black until it was so stiff that it -stuck out like “quills of the fretful porcupine.” Their clothes were in -rags, yes in tatters. They were shoeless, hatless, and usually coatless. -They looked more like the terrible fancies of Gustave Dore than like -human beings. And yet these poor boys were originally fair-haired, -fair-skinned, blue-eyed, loyal, brave sons of fathers and mothers who -were in easy circumstances, and in many cases wealthy; who would have -shed their hearts’ last drop of blood, for that poor boy, if it would -have been of any avail. Or they were husbands to fair women, and fathers -to sweet blue-eyed children, who were waiting for husband and papa, to -come home. - -Alas! those fathers and mothers, those wives and children are waiting -yet, yea and shall wait until the sea, and the graves at Andersonville, -give up their dead. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - - WINDER AND WIRZ. - - “Lady Anne. Foul devil, for God’s sake hence, and trouble us not; - For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, - Filled it with cursing cries, and deep exclaims. - If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, - Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.” - —King Richard, III. - Shakspere. - -The man who had charge of the prison at Andersonville, and who was -responsible for the barbarities practiced there, more than any other -man, was Gen. John H. Winder. - -I had not the honor(?) of a personal acquaintance with that fiend in -human shape, but Comrade John McElroy of the 16 Illinois Cavalry, the -author of “Andersonville,” gives his readers a description of the man. I -quote from that work. - - “There rode in among us, a few days after our arrival, an old man - whose collar bore the wreathed stars of a Major General. Heavy white - locks fell from beneath his slouched hat, nearly to shoulders. Sunken - gray eyes too dull and cold to light up, marked a hard, stony face, - the salient features of which was a thin lipped, compressed mouth, - with corners drawn down deeply—the mouth which seems the world over to - be the index of selfish, cruel, sulky malignance. It is such a mouth - as has the school boy—the coward of the play ground, who delights in - pulling off the wings of flies. It is such a mouth as we can imagine - some remorseless inquisitor to have had—that is, not an inquisitor - filled with holy zeal for what he mistakenly thought the cause of - Christ demanded, but a spleeny, envious, rancorous shaveling, who - tortured men from hatred of their superiority to him, and sheer love - of inflicting pain. - - The rider was John H. Winder, Commissary General of Prisoners, - Baltimorean renegade and the malign genius to whose account should be - charged the deaths of more gallant men than the inquisitors of the - world ever slew by the less dreadful rack and wheel. It was he who in - August could point to three thousand and eighty-one new made graves - for that month, and exultingly tell his hearer that he was “doing more - for the Confederacy than twenty regiments.” - - His lineage was in accordance with his character. His father was that - General William H. Winder, whose poltroonery at Bladensburg, in 1814 - nullified the resistance of the gallant Commodore Barney, and gave - Washington to the British. - - The father was a coward and incompetent; the son, always cautiously - distant from the scene of hostilities, was the tormentor of those whom - fortunes of war and the arms of brave men threw into his hands.“ - -Of his personal appearance I have no recollection, but the above is a -true picture of his character. He filled a place in the Confederacy -which no brave officer of equal rank would have accepted. Hill, -Longstreet, Early, Polk, Hardee, even Forrest and Mosby would have -spurned with contempt an offer of assignment to the position occupied by -the cowardly John H. Winder. - -Of Captain Henry Wirz I can write of my own knowledge. In personal -appearance he was about five feet nine or ten inches in height, slightly -built with stooping shoulders. He had a small peaked head, small -twinkling eyes, grisly, frowsy whiskers, and the general contour of his -features and expression of eyes reminded one of a rodent. - -In character he was pusillanimous, vindictive, mean and irritable to -those beneath him, or who had the misfortune to be in his power; while -to his superiors he was humble and cringing, an Uriah Heep; a person who -would “Crook the pregnant hinges of his knee, that thrift might follow -fawning.” - -As a specimen of the contemptible meanness of these two persons, I was -told by a prisoner who attempted to escape, but was recaptured and put -in the stocks, that while at their head-quarters he saw a large -dry-goods box nearly full of letters written by prisoners to their -friends; and by friends to them, which had accumulated, and which they -had neglected to forward or distribute. The paper upon which some of -these letters was written, and the envelope in which it was enclosed had -cost the prisoner, perhaps, his last cent of money, or mouthful of food. -The failure to receive those letters had deprived many a mother or wife -of the last chance to hear from a loved one, or a prisoner of his last -chance to hear from those he loved more than life itself. - -Wirz was Commandant of the inner prison and in this capacity, had charge -of calling the roll, organization of prisoners, issuing rations, the -sanitary condition of the prison, the punishment of prisoners; in fact -the complete control of the inner prison. - -Winder had control of all the guards, could control the amount of -rations to be issued, make the rules and regulations of the prison, and -had, in fact, complete control of the whole economy of the prison; all -men and officers connected therewith being subordinate to him. - -Wirz’ favorite punishment for infringement of prison rules, was the -chain-gang, and stocks. Sometimes twelve or fifteen men were fastened -together by shackles attached to a long chain. These unfortunate men -were left to broil in a semi-tropical sun, or left to shiver in the dews -and pelting rains, without shelter as long as Wirz’ caprice or malignity -lasted. The stocks were usually for punishment of the more flagrant -offenses, or when Wirz was in his worst humor. - -Just below my tent, two members of a New York regiment put up a little -shelter. They always lay in their tent during the day, but at night one -might see a few men marching away from their “shack” carrying haversacks -full of dirt, and emptying them along the edge of the swamp. One morning -the tent was gone, and a hole in the ground marked the spot, and told -the tale of their route, which was underground through a tunnel. About 8 -o’clock in the morning Wirz came in accompanied by a squad of soldiers, -and a gang of negroes armed with shovels, who began to dig up the -tunnel. I went to Wirz and asked him what was up. He was always ready to -“blow” when he thought he could scare anybody, so he replied, “By Gott, -tem tamned Yanks has got oudt alrety, but nefer mints, I prings tem pack -all derights; I haf sent te ploothounts after dem. I tell you vat I -does, I gifs any Yank swoluf hours de shtart, undt oaf he gits avay, all -deright; put oaf I catches him I gif him hell.” Some one offered to take -the chances. “Allderights.” said he, “you come to de nort cate in der -mornick undt I lets you co.” - -The next day we heard that the blood-hounds had found the trail of the -escaped prisoners, but that all but one had been foiled by cayenne -pepper, and that one, was found dead with a bullet hole in his head. We -never heard from our New York friends and infer that that they got to -“God’s Country.” - -Many attempts were made to tunnel out that summer, but so far as I know -that was the only successful one. All sorts of ways were resorted to, -the favorite way being to start a well and dig down ten or twelve feet, -then start a tunnel in it near the surface of the ground. By this means -the fresh dirt would be accounted for, as well digging was within the -limits of the prison rules. But before the “gopher-hole,” as the tunnels -were called by the western boys, was far advanced, a gang of negroes -appeared upon the scene and dug it up. We always believed there were -spies among us. Some thought the spies were some of our own men who were -playing traitor to curry favor with Wirz. Others believed Wirz kept -rebel spies among us. I incline to the former opinion. - -Among those who were suspected was a one-legged soldier named Hubbard. -He hailed from Chicago and was a perfect pest. He was quarrelsome and -impudent and would say things that a sound man would have got a broken -head for saying. His squawking querulous tones, and hooked nose secured -for him the name of “Poll Parrott.” He was a sort of privileged -character, being allowed to go outside, which caused many to believe he -was in league with Wirz, though I believe there was no direct proof of -it. One day he came to where I was cooking my grub and wanted me to take -him in. He said all his comrades were down on him and called him a spy, -and he could not stand it with them. As a further inducement he said he -could go out when he had a mind, and get wood and extra rations, which -he would divide with me. I consulted my “pard” and we agreed to take him -in. He then asked me to cook him some dinner, and gave me his frying-pan -and some meat. While I was cooking his dinner he commenced finding fault -with me, upon which I suggested that he had better do his own cooking. -He then showered upon my devoted head some of the choicest epithets -found in the Billingsgate dialect, he raved and swore like a mad-man. I -was pretty good natured naturally, and besides I pitied the poor -unfortunate fellow, but this presuming on my good nature a little too -much, I fired his frying-pan at his head and told him to “get”; and he -“got.” - -Two days afterwards he went under the Dead-line and began to abuse the -guard, a member of an Alabama regiment, who ordered him to go back, or -he would shoot him. “Poll” then opened on the guard in about the same -style as he had on me, winding up by daring the guard to fire. This was -too much and the guard fired a plunging shot, the ball striking him in -the chin and passing down into his body, killing him instantly. - -A few days before this, a “fresh fish,” or “tender foot,” as the cow -boys would call him nowadays, started to cross the swamp south of my -tent. In one place in the softest part of the swamp the railing which -composed the Dead-line was gone, this man stepped over where the line -should have been, and the guard fired at him but he fired too high and -missed his mark, but the bullet struck an Ohio man who was sitting in -front of a tent near mine. He was badly, but not fatally wounded, but -died in a few days from the effects of gangrene in his wound. - -The author of “Andersonville” makes a wide distinction between the -members of the 29th Alabama and the 55th Georgia regiments, which -guarded us, in relation to treatment of prisoners, claiming that Alabama -troops were more humane than the Georgia “crackers.” This was -undoubtedly true in this instance, but I am of the opinion that state -lines had nothing to do with the matter. - -The 29th Alabama was an old regiment and had been to the front and seen -war, had fired at Yankees, and had been fired at by Yankees in return; -they had no need to shoot defenseless prisoners in order to establish -the enviable reputation of having killed a “damned Yank;” while the 55th -Georgia was a new regiment, or at least one which had not faced the -music of bullets and shells on the field of battle, they had a -reputation to make yet, and they made one as guards at Andersonville, -but the devil himself would not be proud of it, while the 5th Georgia -Home Guards, another regiment of guards, was worse than the 55th. - -In making up the 5th Geo. H. G. the officers had “robbed the cradle and -the grave,” as one of my comrades facetiously remarked. - -Old men with long white locks and beards, with palsied, trembling limbs, -vied with boys, who could not look into the muzzles of their guns when -they stood on the ground, who were just out of the sugar pap and -swaddling clothes period of their existence, in killing a Yank. It was -currently reported that they received a thirty days furlough for every -prisoner they shot; besides the distinguished “honah.” - -In marked contrast with these two Georgia regiments was the 5th Georgia -regulars. This regiment guarded us at Charleston, S. C., the following -September, and during our three weeks stay at that place I have no -recollection of the guards firing on us, although we were camped in an -open field with nothing to prevent our escape but sickness, starvation, -and a thin line of guards of the 5th Ga. regulars. But this regiment too -had seen service at the front. They had been on the Perryville Campaign, -had stood opposed to my regiment at the battle of Perryville and had -received the concentrated volleys of Simonson’s battery and the 10th -Wisconsin Infantry, and in return had placed 146 of my comrades HORS DE -COMBAT. They had fought at Murfresboro and Chickamauga, at Lookout and -Missionary Ridge and had seen grim visaged war in front of Sherman’s -steadily advancing columns in the Atlanta campaign. Surely they had -secured a record without needlessly shooting helpless prisoners. - -I believe all ex-prisoners will agree with me, that FIGHTING regiments -furnished humane guards. - -For the purpose of tracking escaped prisoners, an aggregate of seventy -blood-hounds were kept at Andersonville. They were run in packs of five -or six, unless a number of prisoners had escaped, in which case a larger -number were used. They were in charge of a genuine “nigger driver” whose -delight it was to follow their loud baying, as they tracked fugitive -negroes, or escaped Yanks through the forests and swamps of southern -Georgia. - -These blood-hounds were trained to track human beings, and with their -keen scent they held to the track as steadily, relentlessly as death -itself; and woe betide the fugitive when overtaken, they tore and -lacerated him with the blood-thirsty fierceness of a Numidian lion. - -These willing beasts and more willing guards were efficient factors in -the hands of Winder and Wirz in keeping in subjection the prisoners -entrusted to their care. But these are outside forces. Within the wooden -walls of that prison were more subtile and enervating forces at work -than Georgia militia or fierce blood-hound. - -Diarrhea, scurvy and its concomitant, gangrene, the result of -insufficient and unsuitable food and the crowded and filthy state of the -prison, were doing their deadly work, swiftly, surely and relentlessly. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - “Ghost. I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word - Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy young blood; - Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres; - Thy knotted and combined locks to part, - And each particular hair to stand on end, - Like quills upon the fretful porcupine.” - —Hamlet. - - -The cook-house, which I have already spoken of, had a capacity for -cooking rations for 10,000 men. Our rations consisted, during the latter -part of April and through May, of about a pound of corn bread, of about -the same quality as that at Danville, a piece of meat about the size of -two fingers, and a little salt per day. This was varied by issuing rice -or cow peas in the place of meat, but meat and rice, or peas, were never -issued together. We had no more bug soup, nor soup of any kind from the -cook-house. We got our bugs in the peas, so that we were not entirely -destitute of meat when we had peas. The rice was filled with weevil, so -that that too, was stronger, if not more nutritious. But when our -numbers were increased by the prisoners who had been captured at Dalton, -Resaca, Alatoona, New Hope Church and Kenesaw, from Sherman’s army, and -from the Wilderness, from Meade’s army, our numbers had far outgrown the -capacity of the cook-house and our rations were issued to us raw. - -Then commenced real, downright misery and suffering. These men were -turned into the prison after being robbed of everything of value, -without shelter, without cooking utensils, without wood, except in the -most meager quantities, and in most cases without blankets. - -Raw meal, raw rice and peas, and no dish to cook them in, and no wood to -cook them with, and yet there were thousands of acres of timber in sight -of the prison, and these men would have been too glad to cut their own -wood and bring it into the prison on their shoulders. But this would -have been a luxury, and Winder did not furnish prisoners with luxuries. -There was an abortive attempt made at cooking more rations, by cooking -them less, and the result was, meal simply scalded and called “mush,” -and rice not half cooked, and burned black wherever it touched the -kettle it was boiled in. - -The effects of this unwholesome, half cooked, and in thousands of cases -raw diet, was an increase of diarrhea, and dysentery, and scurvy. - -In thousands of cases of scurvy where scorbutic ulcers had broken out, -gangrene supervened and the poor prisoner soon found surcease of pain, -and misery, and starvation, in the grave. Amputation of a limb was not a -cure for these cases; new scorbutic ulcers appeared, again gangrene -supervened, and death was the almost inevitable result. - -The prison was filled with sick and dying men, indeed well men were the -exception, and sick men the rule. The hospital was filled to -overflowing; the prison itself, was a vast hospital, with no physicians, -and no nurses. - -Thousands of men had become too sick and weak to go to the sinks to -stool, and they voided their excrement in little holes dug near their -tents. The result of this was, a prison covered with maggots, and the -air so polluted with the foul stench, that it created an artificial -atmosphere, which excluded malaria, and in a country peculiarly adapted -to malarial diseases, there were no cases of Malarial, Typhus or Typhoid -fevers. - -Your true Yankee is an ingenious fellow, and is always trying to better -his situation. Many cooking dishes were manufactured by the prisoners -out of tin cans, pieces of sheet iron, or car roofing, which had been -picked up on the road to prison. - -Knives and spoons were made from pieces of hoop iron, and a -superannuated oyster or fruit can, was a whole cooking establishment, -while a tin pail or coffee pot caused its owner to be looked upon as a -nabob. - -Fortunately for myself I was joint owner with six men of my company, of -a six quart tin pail. This we loaned at times to the more unfortunate, -thus helping them somewhat in their misery. Besides this mine of wealth, -I had an interest in the wooden bucket purloined from the Danville -prison, and as Sergeant of the mess, it was in my care. To this bucket I -owe, in a great measure, my life; for I used it for a bath tub during my -confinement in Andersonville. - -Another cause of suffering was the extreme scarcity of water. When the -Richmond and Belle Isle prisoners arrived in Andersonville in February -and March, they had procured their water from Dead-run; but by the time -our squad arrived this little stream had become so polluted that it was -not fit for the wallowing place of a hog. - -Our first work after building a shelter was to procure water. We first -dug a hole in the edge of the swamp, but this soon became too warm and -filthy for use, so we started a well in an open space in front of my -tent, and close to the Dead-line. We found water at a depth of six feet, -but it was in quicksand and we thought our well was a failure; but again -luck was on our side. One of the prisoners near us, had got hold of a -piece of board while marching from the cars to the prison, this he -offered to give us in exchange for stock in our well. - -We completed the bargain, and with our Danville sawknife cut up the -board into water-curbing, which we sank into the quicksand, thus -completing a well which furnished more water than any well in the whole -prison. - -To the credit of my mess, who owned all the right, title and interest, -in and to this well, I will say, we never turned a man away thirsty. -After we had supplied ourselves, we gave all the water the well would -furnish to the more unfortunate prisoners who lived on the hill, and who -could procure no water elsewhere. - -After we had demonstrated the fact that clean water could be procured -even in Andersonville, a perfect mania for well digging prevailed in -prison; wells were started all over, but the most of them proved -failures for different reasons, some were discouraged at the great -depth, others had no boards for water-curbing, and their wells caved in, -and were a failure. There were, however, some wells dug on the hill, to -a depth of thirty or forty feet. They furnished water of a good quality, -but the quantity was very limited. - -The digging of these deep wells was proof of the ingenuity and daring of -the prisoners. The only digging tool was a half canteen, procured by -unsoldering a canteen. The dirt was drawn up in a haversack, or bucket, -attached to a rope twisted out of rags, from the lining of coat sleeves -or strips of shelter tents. The well diggers were lowered into, and -drawn out of, the wells by means of these slight, rotten ropes, and yet, -I never heard of an accident as a result of this work. - -But the wells were not capable of supplying one-fourth of the men with -water. Those who had no interest in a well, and could not beg water from -those who had, were compelled to go to Dead-run for a supply. - -A bridge crossed this stream on the west side of the prison, and here -the water was not quite so filthy as farther down stream. This bridge -was the slaughter pen of the 55th Georgians, and the 5th Georgia Home -Guards. - -Here the prisoners would reach under the Dead-line to procure clean -water, and the crack of a Georgian’s musket, was the prisoner’s death -knell. - -During the early part of August Providence furnished what Winder and -Wirz refused to furnish. After a terrible rain storm, a spring broke out -under the walls of the stockade about ten or fifteen rods north of this -bridge. Boards were furnished, out of which a trough was made which -carried the water into the prison. The water was of good quality, and of -sufficient quantity to have supplied the prisoners, could it have been -saved by means of a tank or reservoir. This was the historical -“Providence Spring” known and worshiped by all ex-Andersonville -prisoners. - -The same rain storm which caused Providence Spring to break out, gullied -and washed out the ground between our well and the stockade to a depth -of four feet, and so saturated the ground that the well caved in. We -were a sad squad of men, as we gathered around the hole where our hopes -of life were buried, for without pure water, we knew we could not -survive long in Andersonville. - -Two days after the accident to our well, we held a legislative session, -and resolved ourselves into a committee of the whole, on ways and means -to restore our treasure. No one could think of any way to fix up the -well, boards were out of the question, stones there were none, and -barrels:—we had not seen a barrel since we left “God’s Country.” As -chairman, ex-officio, of the committee, I proposed that we steal a board -from the Dead-line. This was voted down by the committee as soon as -proposed, the principle was all right, but the risk was too great; death -would be the penalty for the act. The committee then rose and the -session was adjourned. After considering the matter for a time, I -resolved to steal a board from the Dead-line at any risk. I then -proceeded to mature a plan which I soon put into execution. One of my -“pards,” Rouse, had a good silver watch, I told him to go up to the -Dead-line in front of the first guard north of our tent, and show his -watch, and talk watch trade with the guard. I sent Ole Gilbert, my other -pard, to the first guard south, with the same instructions, but minus a -watch. I kept my eyes on the guards and watched results; soon I saw that -my plan was working. I picked up a stick of wood and going to a post of -the Dead-line, where one end of a board was nailed, I pried off the end -of the board, but O horror! how it squealed, it was fastened to a pitch -pine post with a twelve penny nail and when I pried it loose, it -squeaked like a horse fiddle at a charivari party. I made a sudden dive -for my tent, which was about sixteen feet away, and when I had got under -cover I looked out to see the result. The guards were peering around to -see what was up, their quick ears had caught the sound, but their dull -brain could not account for the cause. - -After waiting until the guards had become again interested in the -mercantile transaction under consideration, I crawled out of my tent and -as stealthily as a panther crawled to my board again. This time I caught -it at the loose end, and with one mighty effort I wrenched it from the -remaining posts, dropped it on the ground, and again dove into my tent. - -The guards were aroused, but not soon enough to see what had been done, -and I had secured a board twenty feet long by four inches wide, lumber -enough to curb our well. - -Another meeting of the mess was held, the saw-knife was brought out, the -board, after great labor, was sawed up, and our well was restored to its -usefulness. - -This same storm, which occurred on the 12th of August, was the cause of -a quite an episode in our otherwise dull life in prison. It was one of -those terrible rains which occur sometimes in that region, and had the -appearance of a cloud-burst. The rain fell in sheets, the ground in the -prison was completely washed, and much good was done in the way of -purifying this foul hole. The rapid rush of water down the opposing -hills, filled the little stream, which I have called Dead-run, to -overflowing, and as there was not sufficient outlet through the -stockade, for the fast accumulating water, the pressure became so great -that about twenty feet of the stockade toppled and fell over. - -Thousands of prisoners were out looking at the downfall of our prison -walls and when it went over we sent up such a shout and hurrah that we -made old Andersonville ring. - -But the rebel guard had witnessed the break as well as we. The guard -near the creek called out “copeler of the gyaad! post numbah fo’teen! -hurry up, the stockade is goin to h—l.” The guards, about 3,000 in -number, came hurrying to the scene and formed line of battle to prevent -a rush of prisoners, while the cannoneers in the forts sprang to their -guns. We saw them ram home the charges in their guns, then we gave -another shout, when BANG went one of the guns from the south-western -fort, and we heard a solid shot go shrieking over our heads. It began to -look as though the Johnies were going to get the most fun out of this -thing after all. Just at this time Wirz came up to the gap and shrieked, -“co pack to your quarters, you tammed Yanks, or I vill open de cuns of -de forts on you.” - -I needed no second invitation after that shot went over our heads, and I -hurried to my quarters and laid low. I don’t think I am naturally more -cowardly than the average of men, but that shot made me tired. I was -sick and weak and had no courage, and knew Winder and Wirz so well that -I had perfect faith that they would be only too glad of an excuse to -carry out the threat. - -But let us go back to the month of May. Soon after my arrival, there was -marched into the prison about two thousand of the finest dressed -soldiers I ever saw. Their uniforms were new and of a better quality -than we had ever seen in the western army. They wore on their heads -cocked hats, with brass and feather accompaniments. Their feet were shod -with the best boots and shoes we had seen since antebellum days, their -shirts were of the best “lady’s cloth” variety, and the chevrons on the -sleeves of the non-commissioned officers coats, were showy enough for -members of the Queen’s Guards. - -Poor fellows, how I pitied them. The mingled look of surprise, horror, -disgust, and sorrow that was depicted on their faces as they marched -between crowds of prisoners who had been unwilling guests of the -Confederacy for, from four to nine months, told but too plainly how our -appearance affected them. As they passed along the mass of ragged, -ghastly, dirt begrimed prisoners, I could hear the remark, “My God! have -I got to come to this?” “I can’t live here a month,” “I had rather die, -than to live in such a place as this,” and similar expressions. I say -that I pitied them, for I knew that the sight of such specimens of -humanity as we were, had completely unnerved them, that their blood had -been chilled with horror at sight of us, and that they would never -recover from the shock; and they never did. - -Yes they had to come to this; many of them did not live a month, and not -many of those two thousand fine looking men ever lived to see “God’s -Country” again. - -These were the “Plymouth Pilgrims.” They were a brigade, composed of the -85th New York, the 101st and 103d Pennsylvania, 16th Connecticut, 24th -New York Battery, two companies of Massachusetts heavy artillery and a -company of the 12th New York cavalry. - -They were the garrison of a fort at Plymouth, North Carolina, which had -been compelled to surrender, on account of the combined attack of land -and naval forces, on the 20th day of May, 1864. - -Some of the regiments composing this band of Pilgrims had “veteranized” -and were soon going home on a veteran furlough when the attack was made, -but they came to Andersonville instead. - -Their service had been most entirely in garrisons, where they had always -been well supplied with rations and clothing, and exempt from hard -marches and exposures, and as a natural sequence, were not as well -fitted to endure the hardships of prison life, as soldiers who had seen -more active service. - -They were turned into the prison without shelter, and they did not seem -to think they could, in any way, provide one; without cooking utensils, -and they thought they must eat their food raw. They began to die off in -a few days after their arrival, they seemed never to have recovered from -their first shock. - -Comrade McElroy tells in “Andersonville,” a pathetic story of a -Pennsylvanian who went crazy from the effects of confinement. He had a -picture of his wife and children and he used to sit hour after hour -looking at them, and sometimes imagined he was with them serving them at -the home table. He would, in his imagination, pass food to wife and -children, calling each by name, and urging them to eat more. He died in -a month after his entrance. - -I observed a similar case near my quarters. One of this same band came -to our well for a drink of water which we gave him. He was well dressed, -at first, but seemed to be a simple-minded man. Day after day he came -for water, sometimes many times a day. Soon he began to talk -incoherently, then to mutter something about home and food. One day his -hat was gone; the next day his boots were missing, and so on, day after -day, until he was perfectly nude, wandering about in the hot sun, by -day, and shivering in the cold dews at night, until at last we found him -one morning lying in a ditch at the edge of the swamp,—dead. - -God only knows how many of those poor fellows were chilled in heart and -brain, at their first introduction to Andersonville. - -The coming of the Pilgrims into prison was the beginning of a new era in -its history. Before they came, there was no money among the prisoners, -or so little as to amount to nothing; but at the time of their surrender -they had been paid off, and those who had “veteranized” had been paid a -veteran bounty, so that they brought a large sum of money into prison. - -The reader may inquire how it was that they were not searched, and their -money and valuables taken from them by Winder and Wirz? It is a natural -inquiry, as it was the only instance in the record of Andersonville, so -far as I ever heard, when such rich plunder escaped those commissioned -robbers. The reason they escaped robbery of all their money, clothing, -blankets and good boots and shoes, was, they had surrendered with the -agreement that they should be allowed to keep all their personal -belongings, and in this instance the Confederate authorities had kept -their agreement. - -Thus several thousand dollars were brought into prison, and the old -prisoners were eager to get a share. All sorts of gambling devices were -used, the favorite being the old army Chuc-a-luck board. When these men -came in, the old prisoners had preempted all the vacant land adjoining -their quarters, and they sold their right to it, to these tender-feet -for large sums, for the purpose of putting up shelters on. This they had -no right to do, but the Pilgrims did not know it. - -As the money began to circulate, trade began to flourish. Sutler, and -soup stands sprung up all over the prison, where vegetables and soup -were sold at rates that would seem exorbitant in any other place than -the Confederacy. The result of all this gambling and trading, together -with another cause which I will mention, was, that the Pilgrims were -soon relieved of all their money, and then began to trade their -clothing. Thus these well supplied, well dressed prisoners were soon -reduced to a level with the older prisoners; but there was a -compensation in this, as well as in nature, for what the former lost the -latter gained and they were the better off by that much. - -The supplies of vegetables and food which were sold by the sutlers and -restaurateurs, were procured of the guards at the gate, they purchasing -of the “Crackers” in the vicinity, causing a lively trade to flourish, -not only in prison, but with the surrounding country. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - - THE RAIDERS. - - “There must be government in all society— - Bees have their Queen, and stag herds have their leader; - Rome had her Consuls, Athens had her Archons, - And we, sir, have our Managing Committee.” - -In the southern portion of the prison, bordering the swamp, there was -domiciled the worst specimens of humanity I ever knew. An acquaintance -with them would almost convince any thinking man that there was -something in Darwin’s theory of the developement of species. If that -theory is tenable, then I should argue these men had been developed from -hyenas, and not very far, or well developed either. They wore the -outward semblance of men, but retained the cowardly, blood-thirsty, -sneaking, thievish nature of the hyena. These were the Andersonville -“Raiders;” and a worse set of men never lived,—in America, at least. - -These men were from the slums of New York City and Brooklyn. I never -knew what their record as soldiers was, but as prisoners they were the -terror of all decent men. They congregated together, were organized into -semi-military organization, had their officers from captains down, and -in squads made their raids upon the peaceable prisoners, who were -possessed of anything which excited their cupidity. - -The Plymouth Pilgrims furnished a rich harvest for these miscreants, who -spotted them, marking their sleeping places, and in the dead hour of the -night robbed them of whatever they possessed; or if any of the Pilgrims -ventured into their haunts by day, they were knocked down and robbed by -daylight. - -While the raiders were constantly at war with others, they were not -always at peace among themselves. Their favorite weapon with others was -a stick; but they settled their difficulties of a domestic character -with their fists. - -Sometimes one of the small fry among these Raiders, would venture out on -his own hook, and pilfer any little article he could find in a sick -man’s tent. One day a member of my mess caught one of these fellows -stealing a tin cup from a sick man; he immediately gave chase and caught -him, then we held a drumhead court martial and sentenced him to have his -head shaved. - -Now I do not suppose there was a razor among the thirty-three thousand -men that were in Andersonville at the time; notwithstanding this -drawback, the sentence of the court was carried out with a pocket knife. -It made the fellow scowl some, but the executioner managed to saw his -hair off after a fashion. - -Another of these Raiders got his just punishment while trying to rob a -half-breed Indian, a member of the Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. The -raider attempted to steal the Indian’s boots from under his head, when -the descendant of King Phillip plunged a knife into the hoodlum, killing -him dead on the spot. - -A number of murders had been committed by these Raiders, and robberies -innumerable, when matters were brought to a focus one day in the early -part of July, by Lieutenant Davis, then in command of the Prison vice -Wirz who was sick, declaring that no more rations would be issued until -these men were given up. - -He had no need to threaten us;—we were willing to give them up;—we had -no earthly use for them. Give them up? yes; and pay boot, to get rid of -them. But it required a man of nerve to lead in the arrest of these -desperadoes. It was no child’s play, as there were between four and five -hundred of them, and to arrest the leaders meant “business.” That man -was found in the person of Sergeant Leroy L. Key, of the 16th Illinois -Cavalry, who was ably seconded by a tall, lithe, young fellow known as -“Limber Jim,” a member of the 67th Illinois. - -To the efforts of these two men, the prisoners at Andersonville were -indebted, more than any other men, for the comparative peace and -security of the prison after the 11th of July. - -Key was the head, and furnished the brains, of the organization known, -at first, as the “Regulators,” afterward as the “Prison Police.” Limber -Jim was second in command, and first in a fight. - -These two men organized a force of men in the southwest corner of the -stockade, from the best material which could be found. It needed strong -brave men for the work in hand; for these Raiders were strong, athletic -men, and desperate characters, and the Regulators must need face the -lion in his den. - -On the 3d of July Key at the head of the Regulators, armed with clubs, -made a charge on the Raiders, who had been expecting the attack and were -prepared. I was standing on the north side of the swamp, and was in good -position to see the fight. - -Key, followed by Limber Jim, led the charge; for a few minutes the -spectators could tell nothing of how the Regulators were faring. The air -was filled with clubs, which were descending on men’s heads, shoulders -and arms. The fighting mass surged, and swayed, and finally the Raiders -broke and ran; and then the spectators set up such a shout as must have -cheered Key and his brave men. - -That day and the next, the Regulators arrested one hundred and -twenty-five of the worst characters among the Raiders. Davis gave Key -the use of the small stockade at the north gate, as a prison in which to -hold them for trial. - -He then organized a Court Martial, consisting of thirteen sergeants, -selected from among the latest arrivals, in order to guard against bias. -The trial was conducted as fairly as was possible, considering their -ignorance of law. Technicalities counted for naught, facts, well -attested, influenced that court. - -The trial resulted in finding six men guilty of murder; and the sentence -was hanging. - -The names of the six condemned men were, John Sarsfield, William -Collins, alias “Mosby,” Charles Curtis, Patrick Delaney, A. Muir and -Terrence Sullivan. - -These men were heavily ironed, and closely guarded, while the remaining -one hundred and nineteen were returned to the prison, and compelled to -run a gauntlet of men armed with clubs and fists, who belabored them -unmercifully, as they were passed through one by one. - -The sentence of the court martial was executed on these six men on the -11th of July. A gallows was erected in the street leading from the south -gate, and the culprits marched in under a Confederate guard, to a hollow -square which surrounded the scaffold, and was formed by Key’s brave -Regulators, where they were turned over to Limber Jim. - -These desperadoes were terribly surprised when they found they were to -be hung. They imagined the court martial was a farce, intended to scare -them. Imagine their disappointment when they were marched to the -gallows, and turned over to the cool, but resolute and firm Key, and the -fiery Limber Jim, whose brother had been murdered by one of the number. -They found that it was no farce but real genuine tragedy, in which they -were to act an important part. - -When they realized this, they began to beg for mercy, but they had shown -no mercy, and now they were to receive no mercy. They then called upon -the priest, who attended them, to speak in their behalf; but the -prisoners would have none of it, but called out “hang them.” - -When they found there was no mercy in that crowd of men whom they had -maltreated and robbed, and whose comrades and friends they had murdered, -they resigned themselves to their fate; all but Curtis who broke from -the guard of Regulators and ran through the crowd, over tents, and -across Dead-run into the swamp where he was recaptured and taken back. - -They were then placed upon the platform, their arms pinioned, meal sacks -were tied over their heads, the ropes adjusted around their necks, and, -at a signal given by Key, the trap was sprung and they were launched -into eternity, all but Mosby, who being a heavy man broke his rope. He -begged for his life, but it was of no avail. Limber Jim caught him -around the waist and passed him up to another man; again the noose was -adjusted and he, too, received his reward for evil doing. - -The execution of these men was witnessed by all the prisoners who were -able to get out of their tents, and it is needless to add, was approved -by them, all except the Raiders. Besides the prisoners, all the rebels -who were on duty outside, found a position where they could witness the -scene. The Confederate officers, apprehensive of a stampede of the -prisoners, took the precaution to keep their men under arms, and the -guns in the forts were loaded, the fuses inserted in the vents and No. 4 -stood with lanyard in hand ready to suppress an outbreak. - -The hanging of these men had a very salutary effect upon the other evil -doers in the prison. - -Heretofore we had had no organization; we were a mob of thirty-three -thousand men, without law, and without officers. Each mess had its own -laws and each man punished those who had offended him; that is, if he -could. But now this band of thugs was broken up and their leaders -hanged. The Regulators were turned into a police force, with the gallant -Limber Jim as chief, and henceforth order prevailed among the prisoners -at Andersonville. - -The reader will readily see, from reading what I have written in this -chapter, that our sufferings did not all proceed from the rebels. - -Almost twenty-five years have elapsed since those scenes were enacted, -the hot passion engendered by the cruelties of prison life, have -measurably cooled, and as I am writing this story, I am determined to -“hew to the line let the chips fall where they will,” and with a full -understanding of what I say, I affirm that many of the prisoners -suffered more cruelly, at the hands of their comrades, than they did -from the rebels themselves. - -There was among the Pilgrims, a fiend by the name of McClellan, a member -of the 12th New York cavalry, who kicked, and abused, and maltreated the -poor weak prisoners who got in his way in a manner which deserved the -punishment meted out to the six Raiders. He had charge of delivering the -rations inside of the prison, and if some poor starved boy, looking for -a crumb got in his way he would lift him clear off from the ground with -the toe of his huge boot. - -One day while the bread wagon was unloading, I saw a boy not more than -eighteen years old who had become so weak from starvation, and so -crippled by scurvy that he could not walk, but crawled around on his -hands and knees, trying to pick up some crumbs which had fallen from the -bread; he happened to get in McClellan’s way, when that brute drew back -his foot and gave the poor fellow a kick which sent him several feet, -and with a monstrous oath, told him to keep out of his way. This was -only one instance among thousands of his brutality, yet with all his -meanness I never heard him charged with dishonesty. - -The rebels had a way of punishing negroes, which was most exquisite -torture. From my quarters in the prison I witnessed the punishment of a -negro by this method one day. He was stripped naked and then laid on the -ground face downward, his limbs extended to their full length, then his -hands and feet were tied to stakes. A burly fellow then took a paddle -board full of holes, and applied it to that part of the human anatomy in -which our mothers used to appear to be so much interested, when they -affectionately drew us across their knee, and pulled off their slipper. - -The executioner was an artist in his way, and he applied that paddle -with a will born of a determination to excel, and the way that poor -darkey howled and yelled was enough to soften a heart of stone. - -This mode of punishment was adopted by the prison police afterward, in -cases of petty larceny, and I do not think the patient ever needed a -second dose of that medicine, for there was a blister left to represent -every separate hole in the paddle, and the patient was obliged for -several days, like the Dutchman’s hen, to sit standing. - -I would recommend this treatment to the medical fraternity, as a -substitute for cupping; as the cupping and scarifying are combined in -one operation, and I think there is no patent on it. - -The battle of Atlanta was fought on the 22d day of July, and we received -the news of the victory in a few days afterward from prisoners who were -captured on that day. Our hopes began to revive from this time. We -thought we could begin to see the “beginning of the end.” Besides this -we had a hope that Sherman would send a Corps of Cavalry down to rescue -us. The rebels seem to have some such thoughts running through their -minds, as the following copy of an order, issued by General Winder, -testifies. - - “Headquarters Military Prison, - - Andersonville, Ga., July 27, 1864. - - The officers on duty and in charge of the Battery of Florida Artillery - at the time will, upon receiving notice that the enemy has approached - within seven miles of this post, open upon the stockade with grape - shot, without reference to the situation beyond the line of defense. - - JOHN H. WINDER. - Brigadier General Commanding.“ - -This order was issued at the time Gen. Stoneman with his cavalry was -trying to capture Macon. Winder, in his cowardice, supposed he might -attempt to rescue the prisoners at Andersonville. - -This order, when interpreted, means that when the officers in the forts -which guarded the prison, should hear that any of the Federal troops -were approaching within seven miles of the prison, they were to open on -us with grape shot. A simple rumor by some scared native would have -precipitated that catastrophe. - -Just think of it, twenty-four cannons loaded with grape shot opened on -sick defenseless men, not for any offense they had committed, but -because Winder would rather see us slaughtered than rescued. - -Further, the order says, “without reference to the situation beyond -these lines of defense.” This simply means that they were to pay no -attention to the attacking party, but to slaughter us. - -If the records of the Infernal Regions could be procured, I do not -believe a more hellish order could be found on file. - -We heard of Stoneman’s raid and hoped, and yet feared, that he would -come. We knew that the foregoing order had been issued, and yet we hoped -the artillerymen would not find time to carry it out. - -We would have liked, O so much, to have got hold of Winder and Wirz, and -that Georgia Militia, there would have been no need of a stockade to -hold them. - -O, how weary we became of waiting. It seemed to us that home, and -friends, and the comforts, and necessities of life, were getting -further, and further away, instead of nearer, that we could not stand -this waiting, and sickness, and misery, and living death much longer. - -The more we thought of these things, the more discouraged we became, and -I believe these sad discouraging thoughts helped to prostrate many a -poor fellow, and unfit him to resist the effects of his situation and -surroundings, and hastened, if it was not the immediate cause of death. - -Chaplain McCabe, who was a prisoner in Libby Prison, has a lecture -entitled “The bright side of Prison life.” If there was a bright side to -Andersonville, I want some particular funny fellow, who was confined -there for five or six months, to come around and tell me where it was, -for I never found it, until I found the OUTside of it. - -We heard of the fall of Atlanta, which occurred on the 2d of September, -and had we known the song then, we would have sang those cheering words -written and composed by Lieutenant S. H. M. Byers, while confined in a -rebel prison at Columbia, South Carolina. - - I. - - “Our camp-fire shone bright on the mountains - That frowned on the river below, - While we stood by our guns in the morning - And eagerly watched for the foe; - When a rider came out from the darkness, - That hung over mountain and tree, - And shouted “boys up and be ready, - For Sherman will march to the Sea.” - - II. - - Then cheer upon cheer, for bold Sherman - Went up from each valley and glen, - And the bugles re-echoed the music - That came from the lips of the men; - For we knew that the Stars on our banner - More bright in their splendor would be, - And that blessings from North-land would greet us - When Sherman marched down to the sea. - - - III. - - Then forward, boys, forward to battle - We marched on our wearisome way, - And we stormed the wild hills of Resaca - God bless those who fell on that day: - Then Kenesaw, dark in its glory, - Frowned down on the flag of the free; - But the East and the West bore our standards, - And Sherman marched on to the sea. - - - IV. - - Still onward we pressed, till our banner - Swept out from Atlanta’s grim walls, - And the blood of the patriot dampened - The soil where the traitor flag falls: - But we paused not to weep for the fallen, - Who slept by each river and tree, - Yet we twined them a wreath of the laurel - As Sherman marched down to the sea. - - - V. - - Oh, proud was our army that morning, - That stood where the pine proudly towers, - When Sherman said, “boys you are weary; - This day fair Savannah is ours!” - Then sang we a song for our chieftain, - That echoed o’er river and lea, - And the stars in our banner grew brighter - When Sherman marched down to the sea.” - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - - CLOSE QUARTERS. - - “HAMLET. I have of late lost all my mirth, foregone all custom of - exercises; and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition, that - this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this - most excellent canopy, the air, look you,—this brave o’er hanging - firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it - appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of - vapors.” - - SHAKSPERE. - -The great influx of prisoners during the month of May and early part of -June, from the armies of Sherman and Meade, increased our numbers to -more than thirty thousand prisoners. These were crowded upon the small -space of twelve acres, or more than two thousand five hundred men to the -acre. This would allow thirty-one square feet to each man, or a piece of -ground five feet by six feet, on which to build his tent and perform all -the acts and offices of life. Indeed we were crowded in so thickly that -it was impossible for the prison officials to find room for us to “fall -in” for roll call, for more than three weeks. - -In the latter part of June, however, an addition of nine acres was -built, which gave us more room, but did not remove the filth and -excrements which had accrued in the older part of the prison. The -building on of an addition to the prison was a God-send in two ways, it -gave more room, and the old north line of stockade was cut down for -fuel. The new part was finished one afternoon and a gap made in the old -stockade through which the prisoners passed to their new quarters. After -dark a raid was made on the old part, and before morning every timber -was down, and men who had been compelled to eat their food, at best half -cooked, were now supplied with wood. - -The old part of the prison had become so foul, as a result of the -sickness and crowded state of the prisoners, that it surpassed all -powers of description or of imagination. The whole swamp bordering upon -Dead-run, was covered to a depth of several inches with human -excrements, and this was so filled with maggots that it seemed a living -moving mass of putrifying filth. The stench was loathsome and sickening -to a degree that surpasses description. With the crowded state of the -prison, the filthy surroundings, and the terrible atmosphere which -covered the prison like a cloud, it is no wonder that men sickened and -died by the thousands every month. - -These terrible surroundings made the prisoners depressed and gloomy in -spirits, and made them more susceptible to the attacks of disease. - -The bodies of those who died were carried to the south gate, with their -name, company, and regiment written on a slip of paper and pinned to -their breast. Here they were laid in the Dead-house, outside of the -Stockade. From the Dead-house they were carted in wagons to the -Cemetery, and buried in trenches four feet in depth. They were thrown -into the wagons, like dead dogs, covered with filth and lice. After the -wagons had hauled away all the dead bodies, they were loaded with food -for the prisoners in the Stockade. This was done without any attempt at, -or pretense of cleaning in any way. I shall leave the reader to imagine -how palatable that food was after such treatment. - -The monotony of prison life was sometimes relieved by finding among the -prisoners an old acquaintance of boyhood days. Many of the western men -were born and educated in the East, and it was no uncommon thing for -them to find an old chum among the eastern soldiers. - -One day as I was cooking my rations some one slapped me on the shoulder -and exclaimed, “Hello Bill!” Looking up I saw standing before me, an old -schoolmate from Jamestown, New York, by the name of Joe Hall. It was a -sad re-union; we had both been in prison more than nine months, he on -Belle Isle, and I in Danville. We had both been vaccinated and had great -scorbutic ulcers in our arms, but he, poor fellow, had gangrene which -soon ate away his life. A few weeks afterwards he went out to the prison -hospital, where he died in a few days, and now a marble slab in the -Cemetery at Andersonville with this inscription. - - Joseph Hall, Company E. 9th N. Y. Cav. - -marks the last resting place of one of my boyhood friends. Poor Joe. - -A few days after Joe’s visit to me, he introduced me to another -Jamestown boy, a member of the 49th New York Infantry, by the name of -Orlando Hoover, or “Tip” as he was called. He had re-inlisted during the -winter previous and had been home on a veterans furlough, where he had -visited some of my old friends. He told me how some of the old gray -haired men had declared they would enlist for the purpose of releasing -the prisoners, that there was great indignation expressed by many loyal -northern men, because our government did not take some measures to -release us from our long confinement. - -“Tip” had good health in Andersonville, as he did not stay there more -than two months, but when we arrived at Florence I went to his -detachment to see him, and his “pard” told me that he had jumped from -the cars, and that the guards had shot him, while on their way up from -Charleston. A little more than two months afterward, I carried the news -to his widowed mother, and sisters. - -One of my comrades, Nelson Herrick, of Company B, 10th Wisconsin, had -scratched his leg slightly with his finger nail, this had grown into a -scorbutic ulcer, at last gangrene supervened upon it, and one of the -best men in the 10th Wisconsin was carried to the cemetery. - -All the terrible surroundings made me sad and gloomy, but did not take -from me my determination to live. I knew that if I lost hope, I would -lose life, and I was determined that I would not die on rebel soil—not -if pure grit would prevent it. But one day in August I ate a small piece -of raw onion which gave me a very severe attack of cholera morbus, which -lasted me two days. I began to think that it was all up with me, but -thanks to the kindness of my “pards”, Rouse and Ole, I pulled through -and from that day began to get better of dysentery and scurvy with which -I was afflicted. I was so diseased with scurvy, that my nether limbs -were so contracted that I was obliged to walk on my tiptoes, with the -aid of a long cane held in both hands. My limbs were swollen and of a -purple color. My gums were swollen and purple and my teeth loose and -taken altogether I looked like a man who had got his ticket to the -cemetery. None of my comrades believed I could live, so they told me -afterward, but I never had a doubt of my final restoration to home and -friends, except in those two days in which I suffered with cholera -morbus. - -Of the comrades of my regiment with whom I had been associated in -prison, Nelson Herrick, Joseph Parrott, Ramey Yoht, and Wallace Darrow -of company B, had died from the effects of diarrhea and scurvy, and -Corporal John Doughty of my company had died from the effects of a -gunshot wound, received from a guard at Danville, while looking out of a -window. - -Of those names I remember at this date, who were in Andersonville, Joe -Eaton of Company A, stood the prison life very well, he being one of the -few who kept up his courage and observed, as well as possible, the laws -of health. - -John Burk of my company, seemed to wear well in this terrible place, on -account of a strong constitution and his unflinching grit, which was of -a quality like a Quinebaug whetstone. Corporal J. E. Webster, and E. T. -Best, Sergeant Ole Gilbert, G. W. Rouse, and myself of my company, and -Sergeant Roselle Hull of Company B, were alike afflicted with dysentery -and scurvy, and each had a large scorbutic ulcer on his arm. Friend -Cowles of Company B. had also succumbed to the terrible treatment of the -rebels, and had been laid to rest. - -To add to our suffering we were exposed to the terrible heat of that -semi-tropical climate. There was not a tree left on the ground, not a -bush, nothing for shade, but our little tents and huts. The sun at noon -was almost vertical, and he poured down his rays with relentless fury on -our unprotected heads. The flies swarmed about and on us by day and the -mosquitoes tormented us by night. There was no rest, no comfort, no -enjoyment, and only a tiny ray of hope for us. - -Amid all this terrible misery and suffering, there were a few who kept -their faith in God, and did not curse the authors of their misery. -Conspicuous among these was a band of Union Tennesseans who were -quartered near me. They held their prayer meetings regularly, and -occasionally one of their number would deliver an exhortation. The faith -of those men was of the abiding kind. They were modern Pauls and Silases -praying for their jailors. I too had a faith, but not of the same -quality as theirs. My faith was in a climate where overcoats would not -be needed, and that our tormentors would eventually find it. - -We had no intercourse with the guards, and could get no newspapers, -hence all the news we got was from the “tenderfeet” when they arrived. -But the news we did get after Sherman and Grant began the advance, was -of a cheering kind, and we had strong hopes of the ultimate success of -the Union cause. I cannot imagine what the result, so far as we were -concerned, would have been, had Sherman and Grant failed in their great -undertakings. Without any hope to cheer us, we must have all been -sacrificed in the arms of the Moloch of despair. - -One day in August a squad of Union Tennessee Cavalry was brought in. We -tried in vain to find out what Sherman was doing, and how large an army -he had. They only knew that they had been captured while on picket duty, -and that Sherman had a “powathful lahge ahmy.” - -Your ordinary Southerner of those days, had a profound and an abiding -ignorance of numbers. They were to him what pork is to a Jew, an unclean -thing. He had no use for them, and would at a venture accept ten -thousand dollars, as a greater sum than a million, for the reason that -it took more words to express the former, than the latter sum. - -In the winter of 1862, while Mitchell’s Division was camped at Bacon -Creek, Ky., we had a picket post on a plantation owned by a man named -Buckner, a cousin of the rebel General S. B. Buckner, he was, or -professed to be, a Union man. He went down to Green River on one -occasion to visit Buell’s army. On his return I asked him how many -soldiers General Buell had? “I can’t just say,” he replied, “but theys a -powahful lot of em.” “Yes but how many thousand?” said I. “Well I wont -be right suah, but theys a heap moah than a right smart chance of em,” -was as near an approach to numbers as I could induce him to express. - -Geography is on the same catalogue with Arithmetic. While marching from -Shepardsville to Elizabethtown, in 1861 we camped for the night on -Muldraugh’s Hill, near the spot where President Lincoln was born. After -we had “broke ranks” I went with others to a farm house not far away to -procure water. A middle aged man met us, and after granting us -permission to get water from his well, he asked me, “what regiment is -that?” I told him it was the 10th Wisconsin. “Westconstant, -Westconstant, let me see is Westconstant in Michigan?” inquired he. - -After the battle of Chickamauga, while we were at McLaw’s Division -Hospital, our Surgeon took charge of a rebel soldier lad not more than -sixteen years of age, who in addition to a severe wound, was suffering -from an attack of fever. One morning the surgeon went to him and asked, -“how are you this morning my boy?” “Well I feel a heap bettah, but I’m -powahful weak yet, doctah,” was his reply. - -Notwithstanding these people know nothing of numbers, or of Geography, -or of Orthography and not much of any ology, or ism, yet they are good -riders, good marksmen, good card players, good whiskey drinkers, and -barring the troubles which grew out of the “late unpleasantness” and -“moonshining” they are in the main kind-hearted people to the whites. - -These remarks apply to the poorer class of whites in the time of the -war. I understand there has been much improvement since that time, in -some respects, there was certainly room for it. - -But the trusty unfailing friend of the Union soldier, the caterer and -guide of the escaped prisoner, the one on whom he could depend under -any, and all circumstances was the negro. The poor black man knew that -“Massy Lincum’s sogers” were solving a problem for them which had -remained unsolved for more than two hundred years. They knew that the -success of the Union arms meant the freedom of the slaves, and they -always worshipped a Federal soldier. Any prisoner who escaped from rebel -prisons, and succeeded in reaching the Union lines, owes his success to -the negroes for without their friendly aid in the way of furnishing -food, and pointing out the way, and in most instances acting as guide, -they could never have succeeded. He was never so poor but that he would -furnish food for a fugitive prisoner and the night was never so dark but -that he would guide him on his way, usually turning him over to a friend -who would run him to the next station on the “underground railroad.” - -The negro was, on his part, the innocent cause of much trouble, for -speculate and explain as much as you will, he was the cause of the war. -On his account the exchange of prisoners was suspended and he was, at -once, the cause of nearly all our trouble, and our only friend. I said -our only friend, I mean in a general sense, for there was a class of -men, though small in numbers, who never forgot the men of their own -faith. There was never a prison so dark and filthy but that a Catholic -priest would enter it, and there was never a dying prisoner so lousy and -besmeared, but that he would administer the consolations of the church -to him in the hour of his extremity. - -In fact Catholic priests were the only ministers, I ever heard of, who -entered the prison at Andersonville to give the consolations of their -religion to dying men. I do not wish to be understood as finding fault -because this was so, for Rebel ministers would not and Union ministers -could not, enter that prison. And, indeed, we did not want the -ministrations of those Rebel preachers. What little experience we had -had with them had convinced us that they would take advantage of their -position to insult us on account of our loyalty to our flag. Not so with -the Catholic priest. He knew nothing of race, color, or politics when -dying men were considered. In his zeal for his church Rebel and Union -were alike to him, and in any place where a Catholic was to be found, -there a Catholic priest would find his way, and offer the sacraments of -his church to the dying. I can honor them for their zeal and courage, -although I cannot accept the dogmas of their church. - -Dr. Jones, in his report, speaks of the inhuman treatment of the nurses -to the sick. This may have been true of the nurses in the hospital. They -were detailed from among the prisoners in the stockade, not on account -of any fitness for the duty, but because of favor. They cared nothing -for the sick. They were after the extra rations which were allowed to -men who were working outside the stockade, and for the clothing which -fell into their hands in one way and another. - -Inside of the stockade there were no nurses for the sick, except such -voluntary care as one comrade bestowed upon another. In cases where men -of the same company or regiment were associated together the sick man so -far as I observed, was cared for as well as the circumstances would -admit of. But what could these men do for each other? There was no -medicine to be had for love or money. The surgeons prescribed sumac -berries for scurvy, and black-berry root for diarrhea and dysentery. -Little luxuries, such as fruits, jellies, and farinaceous compounds were -unknown in that place. A comrade could only cook the corn meal, and -bring a dish of water, and assist his friend to stool and when he died -pin a little slip of paper on his breast with his name, company and -regiment written on it, and assist in carrying him to the Dead-house, -and then hope that some one would do as well by him. - -Ye who growl, and snarl, and find fault with everything and everybody, -when you do not feel well, will do well to stop and think how those poor -men suffered and then thank God, and your friends, that your condition -is so much better than theirs was. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - - MORTALITY AT ANDERSONVILLE. - - “Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs; - Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes - Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth. - Let’s choose executors, and talk of wills: - And yet not so,—for what can we bequeath, - Save our deposed bodies to the ground?” - KING RICHARD II. - -The number of prisoners confined in the Andersonville prison, all told, -was forty-five thousand six hundred and thirteen. Of these twelve -thousand nine hundred and twelve died there, or in other words two men -out of every seven who were confined in that prison died there, and the -average length of time of imprisonment was only four months. - -That this was largely due to causes within the control of the -Confederate authorities I propose to show by the sworn testimony of one -of their own men who was in a position to know, and speak -authoritatively. - -On the 6th day of August 1864 Surgeon Joseph Jones, of the Confederate -army, was detailed by the Surgeon General to proceed to Andersonville, -and investigate and report, upon the phenomena of the diseases -prevailing there. His visit was not for the benefit of the prisoners, -but for purely scientific purposes. His report, from which I quote, -tells a story of such as no prisoner could tell, for, if any were -qualified to make such investigation and report, they had no opportunity -to do so. - -These extracts from the above mentioned report are taken from -“Andersonville,” a book which I wish every civilized person in the world -could read. This report was part of the testimony offered and accepted -at the trial of Wirz, and is now on file in the office of the Judge -Advocate General of the United States, at Washington. - - - “MEDICAL TESTIMONY.” - -(Transcript from the printed testimony at Wirz Trial, pages 618 to 639, -inclusive). - - “Dr. Joseph Jones for the prosecution. - - By the Judge Advocate: - - Question. Where do you reside? - - Answer. In Augusta, Georgia. - - Ques. Are you a graduate of any medical college? - - Ans. Of the University of Pennsylvania. - - Ques. How long have you been engaged in the practice of medicine? - - Ans. Eight years. - - Ques. Has your experience been as a practitioner, or rather as an - investigator of medicine as a science? - - Ans. Both. - - Ques. What position do you hold now? - - Ans. That of Medical Chemist in the Medical College of Georgia, at - Augusta. - - Ques. How long have you held your position in that college? - - Ans. Since 1858. - - Ques. How were you employed during the Rebellion? - - Ans. I served six months in the early part of it as a private in the - ranks, and the rest of the time in the medical department. - - Ques. Under the direction of whom? - - Ans. Under the direction of Dr. Moore, Surgeon General. - - Ques. Did you, while acting under his direction, visit Andersonville, - professionally? - - Ans. Yes Sir. - - Ques. For the purpose of making investigations there? - - Ans. For the purpose of prosecuting investigations ordered by the - Surgeon General. - - Ques. You went there in obedience to a letter of instructions? - - Ans. In obedience to orders which I received. - - Ques. Did you reduce the results of your investigations to the shape - of a report? - - Ans. I was engaged at that work when General Johnston surrendered his - army. - - (_A document being handed to witness._) - - Ques. Have you examined this extract from your report and compared it - with the original? - - Ans. Yes sir, I have. - - Ques. Is it accurate? - - Ans. So far as my examination extended, it is accurate. - - The document just examined by witness was offered in evidence, and is - as follows: - - _Observations upon the diseases of the Federal prisoners, confined - in Camp Sumter, Andersonville, in Sumter county, Georgia, instituted - with a view to illustrate chiefly the origin and causes of hospital - gangrene, the relations of continued and malarial fevers, and the - pathology of camp diarrhea and dysentery, by Joseph Jones Surgeon P. - A. C. S. Professor of Medical Chemistry in the Medical College of - Georgia, at Augusta, Georgia._ - - Hearing of the unusual mortality among the Federal prisoners - confined at Andersonville, Georgia, in the month of August, 1864, - during a visit to Richmond, Va., I expressed to the Surgeon General, - S. P. Moore, Confederate States of America, a desire to visit Camp - Sumter, with the design of instituting a series of inquiries upon - the nature and causes of the prevailing diseases. Small pox had - appeared among the prisoners, and I believed that this would prove - an admirable field for the establishment of its characteristic - lesions. The condition of Peyer’s glands in this disease was - considered as worthy of minute investigation. It was believed that a - large body of men from the northern portion of the United States, - suddenly transported to a warm Southern climate, and confined upon a - small portion of land, would furnish an excellent field for the - investigation of the relations of typhus, typhoid and malarial - fevers.” - - Then follows a letter of introduction to the Surgeon in charge at - Andersonville, and a letter to Gen. Winder asking permission to visit - the Inner Prison, and an order of Winder granting permission. The - report then proceeds. - - “_Description of the Confederate States Military Prison Hospital at - Andersonville, Number of prisoners, physical condition, food, - clothing, habits, moral condition, diseases._ - - The Confederate Military Prison at Andersonville, Ga., consists of a - strong Stockade, twenty feet in height, enclosing twenty-seven - acres. The Stockade is formed of strong pine logs, firmly planted in - the ground. The main Stockade is surrounded by two other similar - rows of pine logs, the middle stockade being sixteen feet high, and - the outer twelve feet. These are intended for offense and defense. - If the inner stockade should at any time be forced by the prisoners, - the second forms another line of defense; while in case of an - attempt to deliver the prisoners by a force operating upon the - exterior, the outer line forms an admirable protection to the - Confederate troops, and a most formidable obstacle to cavalry or - infantry. - - The four angles of the outer line are strengthened by earth-works - upon commanding eminences, from which the cannon, in case of an - outbreak among the prisoners, may sweep the entire enclosure; and it - was designed to connect these works by a line of rifle pits, running - zigzag, around the outer stockade; those rifle pits have never been - completed. The ground enclosed by the innermost stockade lies in the - form of a parallelogram the larger diameter running almost due north - and south. This space includes the northern and southern opposing - sides of two hills, between which a stream of water runs from west - to east. The surface soil of these hills is composed chiefly of sand - with varying admixtures of clay and oxide of iron. The clay is - sufficiently tenacious to give a considerable degree of consistency - to the soil. The internal structure of the hills, as revealed by the - deep wells, is similar to that already described. The alternate - layers of clay and sand, as well as oxide of iron, which form, in - its various combinations a cement to the sand, allow of extensive - tunneling. The prisoners not only constructed numerous dirt huts - with balls of clay and sand, taken from the wells which they have - excavated all over those hills, but they have also, in some cases, - tunneled extensively from these wells. The lower portion of these - hills, bordering on the stream, are wet and boggy from the constant - oozing of water. The stockade was built originally to accommodate - only ten thousand prisoners, and included at first seventeen acres. - Near the close of the month of June the area was enlarged by the - addition of ten acres. The ground added was on the northern slope of - the largest hill. - - Within the circumscribed area of the stockade the Federal prisoners - were compelled to perform all the offices of life—cooking, washing, - the calls of nature, exercise and sleeping. - - During the month of March the prison was less crowded than at any - subsequent time, and the average space of ground to each prisoner - was only 98.7 feet, or less than seven square yards. The Federal - prisoners were gathered from all parts of the Confederate States - east of the Mississippi, and crowded into the confined space, until - in the month of June, the average number of square feet of ground to - each prisoner was only 33.2 or less than four square yards. These - figures represent the condition of the stockade in a better light - even than it really was; for a considerable breadth of land along - the stream, flowing from west to east between the hills, was low and - boggy, and was covered with the excrement of the men, and thus - rendered wholly uninhabitable, and in fact useless for every purpose - except that of defecation. - - The pines and other small trees and shrubs, which originally were - scattered sparsely over these hills, were, in a short time, cut down - and consumed by the prisoners for firewood, and no shade tree was - left in the entire enclosure of the stockade. With their - characteristic industry and ingenuity, the Federals constructed for - themselves small huts and caves, and attempted to shield themselves - from the rain and sun and night damps and dew. But few tents were - distributed to the prisoners, and those were in most cases torn and - rotten. In the location and arrangement of these tents and huts no - order appears to have been followed; in fact, regular streets appear - to be out of the question in so crowded an area; especially too, as - large bodies of prisoners were from time to time added suddenly - without any previous preparations. The irregular arrangement of the - huts and imperfect shelters were very unfavorable for the - maintenance of a proper system of police. - - The police and internal economy of the prison was left almost - entirely in the hands of the prisoners themselves; the duties of the - Confederate soldiers acting as guards being limited to the - occupation of boxes or lookouts ranged around the stockade at - regular intervals, and to the manning of the batteries at the angles - of the prison. Even judicial matters pertaining to themselves, as - the detection and punishment of such crimes as theft and murder - appear to have been, in a great measure, abandoned to the prisoners. - - A striking instance of this occurred in the month of July, when the - Federal prisoners within the stockade tried, condemned, and hanged - six (6) of their own number, who had been convicted of stealing, and - of robbing and murdering their fellow prisoners. They were all hung - upon the same day, and thousands of the prisoners gathered around to - witness the execution. The Confederate authorities are said not to - have interfered with these proceedings. In this collection of men - from all parts of the world, every phase of human character was - represented; the stronger preyed upon the weaker, and even the sick - who were unable to defend themselves were robbed of their scanty - supplies of food and clothing. Dark stories were afloat, of men, - both sick and well, who were murdered at night, strangled to death - by comrades for scant supplies of clothing or money. - - I heard a sick and wounded Federal prisoner accuse his nurse, a - fellow prisoner of the United States army, of having stealthily, - during his sleep, inoculated his wounded arm with gangrene, that he - might destroy his life and fall heir to his clothing. - - * * * * * - - The large number of men confined in the stockade soon, under a - defective system of police, and with imperfect arrangements, covered - the surface of the low grounds with excrements. The sinks over the - lower portions of the stream were imperfect in their plan and - structure, and the excrements were, in large measure, deposited so - near the border of the stream as not to be washed away, or else - accumulated upon the low boggy ground. The volume of water was not - sufficient to wash away the feces, and they accumulated in such - quantities in the lower portion of the stream as to form a mass of - liquid excrement. Heavy rains caused the water of the stream to - rise, and as the arrangements for passage of the increased amounts - of water out of the stockade were insufficient, the liquid feces - overflowed the low grounds and covered them several inches, after - subsidence of the waters. The action of the sun upon this putrefying - mass of excrements and fragments of bread and meat and bones excited - most rapid fermentation and developed a horrible stench. - Improvements were projected for the removal of the filth and for the - prevention of its accumulation, but they were only partially and - imperfectly carried out. As the forces of the prisoners were reduced - by confinement, want of exercise, improper diet, and by scurvy, - diarrhea, and dysentery, they were unable to evacuate their bowels - within the stream or along its banks, and the excrements were - deposited at the very doors of their tents. The vast majority - appeared to lose all repulsion to filth, and both sick and well - disregarded all the laws of hygiene and personal cleanliness. The - accommodations for the sick were imperfect and insufficient. - - From the organization of the prison, February 24th, 1864, to May - 22d, the sick were treated within the stockade. In the crowded - condition of the stockade, and with the tents and huts clustered - thickly around the hospital, it was impossible to secure proper - ventilation or to maintain the necessary police. The Federal - prisoners also made frequent forays upon the hospital stores and - carried off the food and clothing of the sick. The hospital was on - the 22d of May removed to its present site without the stockade, and - five acres of ground covered with oaks and pines appropriated to the - use of the sick. - - The supply of medical officers has been insufficient from the - foundation of the prison. - - The nurses and attendants upon the sick have been most generally - Federal prisoners, who in too many cases appear to have been devoid - of moral principle, and who not only neglected their duties, but - were also engaged in extensive robbing of the sick. - - From the want of proper police and hygienic regulations alone it is - not wonderful that from February 24th to September 21st, 1864, nine - thousand four hundred and seventy-nine deaths nearly one third of - the entire number of prisoners, should have been recorded. I found - the stockade and hospital in the following condition during my - pathological investigations, instituted in the month of September, - 1864: - - Stockade, Confederate States Military Prison. - - At the time of my visit to Andersonville a large number of Federal - prisoners had been removed to Millen, Savannah, Charleston and other - parts of the Confederacy, in anticipation of an advance of General - Sherman’s forces from Atlanta, with the design of liberating their - captive brethren: however, about fifteen thousand prisoners remained - confined within the limits of the stockade and Confederate States - Military Prison Hospital. - - In the stockade, with the exception of the damp low lands bordering - the small stream, the surface was covered with huts, and small - ragged tents and parts of blankets and fragments of oil-cloth, - coats, and blankets stretched upon sticks. The tents and huts were - not arranged according to any order, and there was in most parts of - the enclosure scarcely room for two men to walk abreast between the - tents and huts. - - * * * * * - - Each day the dead from the stockade were carried out by their fellow - prisoners and deposited upon the ground under a bush arbor just - outside the southwestern gate. From thence they were carried in - carts to the burying ground, one quarter of a mile northwest of the - prison. The dead were buried without coffins, side by side, in - trenches four feet deep. - - The low grounds bordering the stream were covered with human - excrements and filth of all kinds, which in many places appeared to - be alive with working maggots. An indescribable sickening stench - arose from these fermenting masses of human filth. - - There were near five thousand seriously ill Federals in the stockade - and Confederate States Military Prison Hospital, and the deaths - exceeded one hundred per day, and large numbers of the prisoners who - were walking about, and who had not been entered upon the sick - reports, were suffering from severe and incurable diarrhea, - dysentery and scurvy. The sick were attended almost entirely by - their fellow prisoners, appointed as nurses, and as they received - but little attention, they were compelled to exert themselves at all - times to attend to the calls of nature, and hence, they retained the - power of moving about to within a comparatively short period of the - close of life. Owing to the slow progress of the diseases most - prevalent, diarrhea and chronic dysentery, the corpses were as a - general rule emaciated. - - I visited two thousand sick within the stockade, lying under some - long sheds which had been built at the northern portion for - themselves. At this time only one medical officer was in attendance, - whereas at least twenty medical officers should have been employed. - - * * * * * - - Scurvy, diarrhea, dysentery, and hospital gangrene were the - prevailing diseases. I was surprised to find but few cases of - malarial fever, and no well marked cases either of typhus or typhoid - fever. The absence of the different forms of malarial fever may be - accounted for on the supposition that the artificial atmosphere of - the stockade, crowded densely with human beings and loaded with - animal exhalations, was unfavorable to the existence and action of - malarial poison. The absence of typhoid and typhus fevers amongst - all the causes which are supposed to generate these diseases, - appeared to be due to the fact that the great majority of these - prisoners had been in captivity in Virginia, at Belle Island, and in - other parts of the Confederacy for months, and even as long as two - years, and during this time they had been subjected to the same bad - influences, and those who had not had these fevers before either had - them during their confinement in Confederate prisons or else their - systems, from long exposure were proof against their action. - - The effects of scurvy were manifested on every hand, and in all its - various stages, from the muddy pale complexion, pale gums, feeble, - languid muscular motions, lowness of spirits, and fetid breath, to - the dusky, dirty leaden complexion, swollen features, spongy purple, - livid, fungoid, bleeding gums, loose teeth, œdematous limbs, covered - with livid vibices and petechiae, spasmodically flexed, painful and - hardened extremities, spontaneous hemorrhages from mucous canals, - and large, ill conditioned, spreading ulcers covered with a dark - purplish fungus growth. I observed that in some cases of scurvy the - parotid glands were greatly swollen, and in some instances to such - an extent as to preclude entirely the power to articulate. In - several cases of dropsy of the abdomen and lower extremities - supervening upon scurvy, the patients affirmed that previously to - the appearance of the dropsy they had suffered with profuse and - obstinate diarrhea, and that when this was checked by a change of - diet, from Indian corn bread baked with the husk, to boiled rice, - the dropsy appeared. The severe pains and livid patches were - frequently associated with swellings in various parts, and - especially in the lower extremities, accompanied with stiffness and - contractions of the knee joints and ankles, and often with a burning - feel of the parts, as if lymph had been effused between the - integuments and apeneuroses, preventing the motion of the skin over - the swollen parts. Many of the prisoners believed that the scurvy - was contagious, and I saw men guarding their wells and springs, - fearing lest some man suffering with scurvy might use the water and - thus poison them. I observed also numerous cases of hospital - gangrene and of spreading scorbutic ulcers, which had supervened - upon slight injuries. The scorbutic ulcers presented a dark purple - fungoid, elevated surface, with livid swollen edges, exuded a thin, - fetid sanious fluid, instead of pus. Many ulcers which originated - from the sorbutic condition of the system appeared to become truly - gangrenous, assuming all the characteristics of hospital gangrene. - - From the crowded condition, filthy habits, bad diet, and dejected - depressed condition of the prisoners, their systems had become so - disordered that the smallest abrasion of the skin from the rubbing - of a shoe, or from the effects of the sun, or from the prick of a - splinter, or from scratching or a mosquito bite, in some cases took - on rapid and frightful ulceration and gangrene. The long use of salt - meat, ofttimes imperfectly cured, as well as the most total - deprivation of vegetables and fruit, appeared to be the chief cause - of scurvy. I carefully examined the bakery and the bread furnished - the prisoners, and found that they were supplied almost entirely - with corn bread from which the husk had not been separated. This - husk acted as an irritant to the alimentary canal, without adding - any nutriment to the bread. As far as my examination extended no - fault could be found with the mode in which the bread was baked; the - difficulty lay in the failure to separate the husk from the corn - meal. I strongly urged the preparation of large quantities of soup - made from the cow and calves heads with the brains and tongues to - which a liberal supply of sweet potatoes and vegetables might have - been advantageously added. The material existed in abundance for the - preparation of such soup in large quantities with but little - additional expense. Such aliment would have been not only highly - nutritious, but it would also have acted as an efficient remedial - agent for the removal of the scorbutic condition. The sick within - the stockade lay under several long sheds which were originally - built for barracks. These sheds covered two floors which were open - on all sides. The sick lay upon the bare boards, or upon such ragged - blankets as they possessed, without, as far as I observed, any - bedding or even straw. - - * * * * * - - The haggard, distressed countenances of these miserable, complaining - dejected, living skeletons, crying for medical aid and food, and - cursing their Government for its refusal to exchange prisoners, and - the ghastly corpses with their glazed eyeballs staring up into - vacant space, with the flies swarming down their open grinning - mouths, and over their ragged clothes infested with numerous lice, - as they lay amongst the sick and dying formed a picture of helpless, - hopeless misery which it would be impossible to portray by words or - by the brush. A feeling of disappointment and even resentment on - account of the action of the United States Government upon the - subject of exchange of prisoners, appeared to be widespread, and the - apparent hopeless, nature of the negotiations for some general - exchange of prisoners appeared to be a cause of universal regret and - deep and injurious despondency. I heard some of the prisoners go so - far as to exonerate the Confederate Government from any charge of - intentionally subjecting them to a protracted confinement, with its - necessary and unavoidable sufferings in a country cut off from all - intercourse with foreign nations, and sorely pressed on all sides, - whilst on the other hand they charged their prolonged captivity upon - their own Government, which was attempting to make the negro equal - to the white man. Some hundreds or more of the prisoners had been - released from confinement in the stockade on parole, and filled - various offices as clerks, druggists, carpenters, etc., in the - various departments. These men were well clothed and presented a - stout and healthy appearance, and as a general rule, they presented - a much more robust and healthy appearance than the Confederate - troops guarding the prisoners. - - * * * * * - - The entire grounds are surrounded by a frail board fence, and are - strictly guarded by Confederate soldiers, and no prisoner, except - the paroled attendants, is allowed to leave the grounds except by a - special permit from the commandant of the interior of the prison. - - The patients and attendants, near two thousand in number, are - crowded into this confined space and are but poorly supplied with - old and ragged tents. Large numbers of them were without any bunks - in the tents, and lay upon the ground, ofttimes without even a - blanket. No beds or straw appeared to have been furnished. The tents - extend to within a few yards of the small stream, the eastern - portion of which, as we have before said, is used as a privy and is - loaded with excrements; and I observed a large pile of corn bread, - bones, and filth of all kinds, thirty feet in diameter and several - feet in height, swarming with myriads of flies, in a vacant space - near the pots used for cooking. Millions of flies swarmed over - everything and covered the faces of the sleeping patients, and - crawled down their open mouths and deposited their maggots in the - gangrenous wounds of the living and in the mouths of the dead. - - Mosquitoes in great numbers also infested the tents, and many of the - patients were so stung by these pestiferous insects, that they - resembled those suffering from a slight attack of the measles. - - The police and hygiene of the hospital were defective in the - extreme; the attendants, who appeared in almost every instance to - have been selected from the prisoners, seemed to have, in many - cases, but little interest in the welfare of their fellow captives. - The accusation was made that the nurses, in many cases, robbed the - sick of their clothing, money, and rations, and carried on a - clandestine trade with the paroled prisoners and confederate guards - without the hospital enclosure, in the clothing, effects of the - sick, dying, and dead Federals. They certainly appeared to neglect - the comfort and cleanliness of the sick intrusted to their care in a - most shameful manner, even after making due allowances for the - difficulties of the situation. Many of the sick were literally - encrusted with dirt and filth and covered with vermin. - - When a gangrenous wound needed washing, the limb was thrust out a - little from the blanket, or board, or rags upon which the patient - was laying, and water poured over it, and all the putrescent matter - allowed to soak into the ground floor of the tent. The supply of - rags for dressing wounds was said to be very scant, and I saw the - most filthy rags which had been applied several times, and - imperfectly washed, used in dressing wounds. Where hospital gangrene - was prevailing, it was impossible for any wound to escape contagion - under these circumstances. The result of the treatment of wounds in - the hospital were of the most unsatisfactory character, from this - neglect of cleanliness, in the dressings and wounds themselves, as - well as from various other causes which will be more fully - considered. I saw several gangrenous wounds filled with maggots. I - have frequently seen neglected wounds among Confederate soldiers - similarly affected; and as far as my experience extends these worms - destroy only the dead tissues and do not injure specially the well - parts. I have even heard surgeons affirm that a gangrenous wound - which had been thoroughly cleansed by maggots, healed more rapidly - than if it had been left to itself. This want of cleanliness on the - part of the nurses appeared to be the result of carelessness and - inattention, rather than of malignant design, and the whole trouble - can be traced to the want of proper police and sanitary regulations - and to the absence of intelligent organization and division of - labor. - - The abuses were in large measure due to the almost total absence of - system, government, and rigid, but wholesome sanitary regulations. - In extenuation of these abuses it was alleged by the medical - officers that the Confederate troops were barely sufficient to guard - the prisoners, and that it was impossible to obtain any number of - experienced nurses from the Confederate forces. In fact the guard - appeared to be too small, even for the regulation of the internal - hygiene and police of the hospital. - - The manner of disposing of the dead was also calculated to depress - the already desponding spirits of these men, many of whom have been - confined for months, and even for nearly two years in Richmond and - other places, and whose strength had been wasted by bad air, bad - food, and neglect of personal cleanliness. - - The dead-house is merely a frame covered with old tent cloth and a - few brushes, situated in the south-western corner of the hospital - grounds. When a patient dies, he is simply laid in the narrow street - in front of his tent, until he is removed by Federal negroes - detailed to carry off the dead; if a patient dies during the night - he lies there until morning, and during the day, even the dead were - frequently allowed to remain for hours in these walks. In the - dead-house the corpses lie upon the bare ground, and were in most - cases covered with filth and vermin. - - * * * * * - - The cooking arrangements are of the most defective character. Five - large iron pots similar to those used for boiling sugar cane, - appeared to be the only cooking utensils furnished by the hospital - for the cooking of nearly two thousand men; and the patients were - dependent in great measure upon their own miserable utensils. They - were allowed to cook in the tent doors and in the lanes, and this - was another source of filth, and another favorable condition for the - generation and multiplication of flies and other vermin. - - The air of the tents was foul and disagreeable in the extreme, and - in fact the entire grounds emitted a most nauseous and disgusting - smell. I entered nearly all the tents and carefully examined all the - cases of interest, and especially the cases of gangrene, upon - numerous occasions, during the prosecution of my pathological - inquiries at Andersonville, and therefore enjoyed every opportunity - to judge correctly of the hygiene and police of the hospital. - - There appeared to be absolute indifference and neglect on the part - of the patients of personal cleanliness; their persons and clothing, - in most instances, and especially of those suffering with gangrene - and scorbutic ulcers, were filthy in the extreme and covered with - vermin. It was too often the case that patients were received from - the Stockade in a most deplorable condition. I have seen men brought - in from the stockade in a dying condition, begrimed from head to - foot with their own excrements, and so black from smoke and filth - that they resembled negroes rather than white men. That this - description of the stockade and hospital has not been overdrawn, - will appear from the reports of the surgeons in charge, appended to - this report. - - * * * * * - - - CONCLUSIONS. - - 1st. The great mortality among the Federal prisoners confined in the - military prison at Andersonville was not referable to climatic - causes, or to the nature of the soil and waters. - - 2d. The chief causes of death were scurvy and its results and bowel - affections, chronic and acute diarrhea and dysentery. The bowel - affections appear to have been due to the diet, the habits of the - patients, the depressed, dejected state of the nervous system and - moral and intellectual powers, and to the effluvia arising from - decomposing animal and vegetable filth. The effects of salt meat, - and an unvarying diet of corn meal, with but few vegetables, and - imperfect supplies of vinegar and syrup, were manifested in the - great prevalence of scurvy. This disease, without doubt, was also - influenced to an important extent in its origin and course by the - foul animal emanations. - - 3d. From the sameness of the food and form, the action of the - poisonous gases in the densely crowded and filthy stockade and - hospital, the blood was altered in its constitution, even before the - manifestation, of actual disease. In both the well and the sick red - corpuscles were diminished; and in all diseases uncomplicated with - inflammation, the fibrous element was deficient. In cases of - ulceration of the mucous membrane of the intestinal canal the - fibrous element of the blood was increased; while in simple - diarrhea, uncomplicated with ulceration, it was either diminished or - else remained stationary. Heart clots were very common, if not - universally present, in cases of ulceration of the intestinal mucous - membrane, while in the uncomplicated cases of diarrhea and scurvy, - the blood was fluid and did not coagulate readily, and the heart - clots and fibrous concretions were almost universally absent. From - the watery condition of the blood, there resulted various serous - effusions into the pericardium, ventricles of the brain, and into - the abdomen. In almost all the cases which I examined after death, - even the more emaciated, there was more or less serous effusion into - the abdominal cavity. In cases of hospital gangrene of the - extremities, and in cases of gangrene of the intestines, heart clots - and fibrous coagulations were universally present. The presence of - those clots in the cases of hospital gangrene, while they were - absent in the cases in which there was no inflammatory symptoms, - sustains the conclusion that hospital gangrene is a species of - inflammation, imperfect and irregular though it may be in its - progress, in which the fibrous element and coagulation of the blood - are increased, even in those who are suffering from such a condition - of the blood, and from such diseases as are naturally accompanied - with a decrease in the fibrous constituent. - - 4th. The fact that hospital gangrene appeared in the stockade first; - and originated spontaneously without any previous contagion, and - occurred sporadically all over the stockade and prison hospital, was - proof positive that this disease will arise whenever the conditions - of crowding, filth, foul air and bad diet are present. The - exhalations from the hospital and stockade appeared to exert their - effects to a considerable distance outside of these localities. The - origin of hospital gangrene among these prisoners appeared clearly - to depend in great measure upon the state of the general system - induced by diet, and various external noxious influences. The - rapidity of the appearance and action of the gangrene depended upon - the powers and state of the constitution, as well as upon the - intensity of the poison in the atmosphere, or upon the direct - application of poisonous matter to the wounded surface. This was - further illustrated by the important fact that hospital gangrene, or - a disease resembling it in all essential respects, attacked the - intestinal canal of patients laboring under ulceration of the - bowels, although there was no local manifestations of gangrene upon - the surface of the body. This mode of termination in cases of - dysentery was quite common in the foul atmosphere of the Confederate - States Military Hospital in the depressed, depraved condition of the - system of these Federal prisoners. - - 5th. A scorbutic condition of the system appeared to favor the - origin of foul ulcers which frequently took on true hospital - gangrene. Scurvy and hospital gangrene frequently existed in the - same individual. In such cases, vegetable diet, with vegetable - acids, would remove the scorbutic condition without curing the - hospital gangrene. From the results of the existing war for the - establishment of the independence of the Confederate States, as well - as from the published observations of Dr. Trotter, Sir Gilbert - Blane, and others of the English navy and army, it is evident that - the scorbutic condition of the system, especially in crowded ships - and camps, is the most favorable to the origin and spread of foul - ulcers and hospital gangrene. As in the present case of - Andersonville, so also in past times when medical hygiene was almost - entirely neglected, those two diseases were almost universally - associated in crowded ships. In many cases is was very difficult to - decide at first whether the ulcer was a simple result of scurvy or - of the action of the prison or hospital gangrene, for there was - great similarity in the appearance of the ulcers in the two - diseases, so commonly have these two diseases been combined in their - origin and action, that the description of scorbutic ulcers, by many - authors evidently includes also many of the prominent - characteristics of hospital gangrene. This will be rendered evident - by an examination of the observations of Dr. Lind and Sir Gilbert - Blane upon scorbutic ulcers. - - 6th. Gangrenous spots followed by rapid destruction of tissue - appeared in some cases where there had been no known wound. Without - such well established facts, it might be assumed that the disease - was propagated from one patient to another. In such a filthy and - crowded hospital as that of the Confederate States Military Prison - at Andersonville, it was impossible to isolate the wounded from the - sources of actual contact of the gangrenous matter. The flies - swarming over the wounds and over filth of every kind. The filthy, - imperfectly washed and scanty supplies of rags, and the limited - supply of washing utensils, the same wash-bowl serving for scores of - patients, were sources of such constant circulation of the - gangrenous matter that the disease might rapidly spread from a - single gangrenous wound. The fact already stated, that a form of - moist gangrene, resembling hospital gangrene, was quite common in - this foul atmosphere, in cases of dysentery, both with and without - the existence of the disease upon the entire surface not only - demonstrates the dependence of the disease upon the state of the - constitution, but proves in the clearest manner that neither the - contact of the poisonous matter of gangrene, nor the direct action - of the poisonous atmosphere upon the ulcerated surface is necessary - to the developement of the disease. - - 7th. In this foul atmosphere amputation did not arrest hospital - gangrene, the disease almost invariably returned. Almost every - amputation was followed finally by death, either from the effects of - gangrene or from the prevailing diarrhea or dysentry. Nitric acid - and escharotics generally in this crowded atmosphere, loaded with - noxious effluvia, exerted only temporary effects; after their - application to the diseased surfaces, the gangrene would frequently - return with redoubled energy; and even after the gangrene had been - completely removed by local and constitutional treatment, it would - frequently return and destroy the patient. As far as my observation - extended, very few of the cases of amputation for gangrene - recovered. The progress of these cases was frequently very - deceptive. I have observed after death the most extensive - disorganization of the structures of the stump, when during life - there was but little swelling of the part, and the patient was - apparently doing well. I endeavored to impress upon the medical - officers the view that in this disease treatment was almost useless, - without an abundant supply of pure, fresh air, nutritious food, and - tonics and stimulants. Such changes, however, as would allow of the - isolation of the cases of hospital gangrene appeared to be out of - the power of the medical officers. - - 8th. The gangrenous mass was without true pus, and consisted chiefly - of broken-down, disorganized structures. The reaction of the - gangrenous matter in certain stages was alkaline. - - 9th. The best, and in truth the only means of protecting large - armies and navies, as well as prisoners, from the ravages of - hospital gangrene, is to furnish liberal supplies of well cured - meat, together with fresh beef and vegetables, and to enforce a - rigid system of hygiene. - - 10th. Finally, this gigantic mass of human misery calls loudly for - relief, not only for the sake of suffering humanity, but also on - account of our own brave soldiers now captives in the hands of the - Federal Government. Strict justice to the gallant men of the - Confederate Armies, who have been or who may be, so unfortunate as - to be compelled to surrender in battle, demands that the Confederate - Government should adopt that course which will best secure their - health and comfort in captivity; or at least, leave their enemies - without a shadow of an excuse for any violation of the rules of - civilized warfare in the treatment of prisoners.” - - (End of witnesses’ testimony.) - - -This was the testimony of a scientific medical officer, who was so -thoroughly a rebel that he served as a private for six months in the -Confederate army, and yet so humane as to condemn the barbarous -treatment imposed on helpless men by such fiends as Winder and Wirz. - -Let me call the readers particular attention to a few points in the -testimony of Dr. Jones. - -First. As to his charge of filthiness. He states the truth, as any -ex-Andersonville prisoner too well knows, but he does not inform his -Government as to the cause. He does not say that these men were turned, -like so many swine, into the stockade, after being robbed of everything -of value. That no cooking utensils were furnished, that not an ounce of -soap was issued to the prisoners after May 1st, 1864. But he does tell -us that water was scarce, and filthy beyond the power of description, he -does tell how these men became dispirited by long confinement, by bad -diet and worse drink, and by their filthy surroundings, and by the -constant presence of death. What wonder that men under all these -discouraging circumstances soon fell to the level of brutes? And yet all -were not so filthy; all did not lose their instincts of manhood, but -through all these discouraging surroundings, observed, as well as -possible under the circumstances, the laws of health. Were it not so -this story would never have been written. - -Second. He speaks of hearing some of the prisoners exonerate the -Confederate Government, and lay all the blame of their continued -imprisonment on the Federal Government. There is too much truth in this -statement to be pleasant to us as patriots, but let us see if these men -were wholly to blame in this matter. - -We had heard all sorts of discouraging rumors for the last ten months. -The rebels had told us that Lincoln would not exchange prisoners unless -the negroes were put upon the same basis as whites. That was just and -honorable in the Government, but it was death to us. The fact is that of -all the forty-five thousand prisoners that I saw in Andersonville there -were not to exceed a half dozen negroes, and they were officers’ -waiters. The rebels did not take negroes prisoners who were captured in -arms, they killed them on the spot, and we knew it, but perhaps our -Government did not. - -For my own part I never exonerated Confederates for the part they took -in cases where they might have done better. It is true that they could -not furnish us such a quality of food as our Government furnished -Confederate prisoners, but the excuse that they had not enough for their -own soldiers is too flimsy as shown by the supplies that Sherman’s men -found in Georgia on that famous “March to the Sea” after we had been -removed from Andersonville. And even if they were short of food, they -had enough pure air and water, and enough land so that we need not have -been compelled to drink our own filth, nor breathe the foul effluvia -arising from the putrefaction of our excrements, nor be crowded at the -rate of thirty-three thousand men on twelve acres of ground, as we were -at Andersonville. There was wood enough so that men need not have been -compelled to eat corn meal raw. There was no valid excuse for robbing -men of their little all and then turning them into those prisons, to -live or die, as best they could. - -When we come to the part our Government took in this matter it is simply -this; General Grant was of the opinion that we could perform our duty as -soldiers better in those prisons than we could if exchanged. Exchange -meant giving a fat rebel soldier, ready to take the field, for a yankee -skeleton ready for the hospital or the grave. Considered as a military -measure I admit it was right; but considered from a humanitarian point, -it was simply hellish. - -Do you wonder that we thought our Government had forgotton, or did not -care for us? And yet when the crucial test came, when life and liberty, -food and clothing, were offered us at the price of our loyalty to our -Government, our reply was “no, we will let the lice carry us out through -the cracks, before we will take the oath of allegiance to the -Confederacy, we will accept death but not dishonor.” - -Don’t blame us if we were discouraged and disheartened, if we did growl -at, and find fault with, a government which we imagined had deserted us -in the hour of our greatest need; we were true and loyal after all, and -if you had been placed in the same condition you would have done just -the same. - -Third. Dr. Jones in speaking of those prisoners who were paroled and -were at work on the outside of the stockade says: “These men were well -clothed, and presented a stout and healthy appearance, and as a general -rule they presented a much more robust appearance than the Confederate -troops guarding them.” - -Why not? they had plenty of exercise, good water, fresh air, and enough -food so that they could purchase their good clothes with the surplus -which accrued after their own wants had been satisfied. They were -naturally more robust men than those Home Guards, and their situation -had enabled them to keep in a normal condition. Had the prisoners in the -stockade received the same treatment as the paroled men who were at work -outside of the stockade, they would have presented the same robust -appearance, but that stockade and those guards could not have held us -and the rebels knew it. - -I have introduced the report of Dr. Jones for the benefit of a class of -persons who are inclined to doubt the statements of ex-prisoners, and I -submit that he tells a more terrible story than any of us can tell. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - - PROGRESS OF THE WAR. - - “The news has flown frae mouth to mouth, - The North for ance has bang’d the South”; - SCOTT. - -While we were waiting, and hoping, and starving, and dying at -Andersonville our armies were fast solving the problem of the Rebellion. -Jeff Davis had tired of the policy of General Joseph E. Johnson, who was -in command of the army which confronted Sherman, and about the middle of -July relieved him of his command and appointed Hood to his place. - -Johnson’s policy during the Atlanta campaign had been that of defense. -Davis was in favor of aggressive warfare. He believed in driving the -invaders from the sacred soil of the South. A grand idea surely, but -then, the invaders had a word to say in that matter; they had come to -stay, and Jeff Davis’ manifestoes had no terrifying effect upon them. -Hood immediately assumed the aggressive and on the 2lst of July came out -from behind his entrenchments and attacked Sherman. - -On the 22d the battle of Atlanta was fought, in which General McPherson -was killed. The command of the army of the Tennessee then fell upon -General John A. Logan for a few days, when he was superseded by General -O. O. Howard. There has been much criticism upon this act of General -Sherman. Logan had assumed command of the army of the Tennessee upon the -death of McPherson, during a hotly contested battle, and he had fought -the battle to a successful termination. He had fought his way from -colonel of a regiment, to Major General commanding an Army Corps, and -temporarily commanding an army. He had shown the highest type of -military ability shown by any volunteer officer, and yet he was -compelled to give place to a transplanted officer from the army of the -Potomac. - -Logan and his friends felt this deeply, but with true patriotic -instincts he, and they, continued to fight for the cause of Liberty and -Union. No satisfactory reason has ever been given for this act of -injustice on the part of General Sherman, but it is hinted that it was -because Logan was not a graduate of West Point. The action of General -Sherman in this matter is all the more inexplicable when we compare the -stupendous failure of Howard at Chancellorsville, but little more than a -year before, with the signal success of Logan at Atlanta on the 22d of -July. But time brings its revenge. Howard has passed into comparative -obscurity. We hear of him occasionally as a lecturer before a Chautauqua -Society in some small town or city, “only this and nothing more,” while -John A. Logan went down to his grave, loved and revered, as the highest -representative of the American Volunteer soldier. His name is inscribed -on the imperishable roll of fame by the side of the names of Sheridan, -Thomas, and Hancock. - -But the victory of the Federals at the battle of Atlanta did not include -the surrender of the city. Sherman sent a cavalry corps under General -Stoneman to capture Macon, Ga. In this he failed, but he destroyed -considerable property, including railroad, rolling stock, bridges and -supplies and seriously threatened Macon, giving Winder, at -Andersonville, a terrible scare, which resulted in the General Order -which I have copied in a previous chapter. Sherman finding that Atlanta -was not to be captured without a fight more serious than he cared to -risk, moved by the flank to Jonesboro south of Atlanta, thus cutting off -the supplies for Atlanta. On the 1st of September he moved his army up -to within twenty miles of Atlanta, and on the 2d General Slocum moved -his forces into that city. - -Great was the rejoicing all over the North when the news was flashed -over the wires that Sherman had captured the “Gate City” of the South, -and a corresponding feeling of gloom settled down upon the Southern -people when they found that Hood, with the assistance of the counsels of -Beauregard, could not cope with “Uncle Billy” and his veterans. - -In the meantime the army under General Grant had not been idle. On May -3d and 4th the army of the Potomac moved from its camp on the north of -the Rapidan and commenced a campaign which was destined to result in the -downfall of the capital of the Confederacy, and ultimately of the -Confederacy itself. In the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, -North Anna and Cold Harbor, our forces showed the aggressive spirit -inspired by their great leader, ably seconded by Meade, Hancock, the -lamented Sedgwick, Warren, Wright and Burnside. While the Confederate -forces under their favorite leader Lee, with his Lieutenants, Anderson. -Early and Hill, resisted the inroads of the Federal forces with a -bravery born of a determination to die in the visionary “last ditch.” - -But superior numbers, coupled with equal bravery and ability, are bound -to win in the end and on the 15th of June 1864 Grant’s army was before -Petersburg with a determination to pound the Rebels into submission. - -If the battle of Atlanta caused fear and trembling among the rebs at -Andersonville, the fall of that city caused a perfect panic among them. - -On the 3d of September a train load of one thousand men was shipped away -from the prison, and each day after that saw the exodus of a like -number, until all who were able to walk to the station had been shipped -to more secure points. Some were sent to Millen and Savannah, Ga., and -some to Charleston, and Columbia, South Carolina. - -During the latter part of August long sheds with an upper and lower -floor, and open at the sides, had been built in the northern portion of -the stockade. The carpenters who performed the labor of building these -sheds or barracks, as they were called, were of our own numbers. They -received as compensation for their labor an extra ration of food, and -they thought themselves lucky to get a chance to work for their board, -as indeed, they were. - -On the 5th Ole Gilbert, Rouse, and myself left our quarters near the -swamp, and moved into the sheds. We gave up our well with regret, as it -had proved to be a great blessing to us, but September had come, and -soon the storms of the autumnal equinox would be upon us, and our little -tent, made of a ragged blanket and pine boughs, would but poorly shelter -us from the storm. - -We took up our quarters on the upper floor, with no straw for bedding, -nothing between our skeleton like bodies and the floor but a piece of -ragged blanket. We suffered terribly for the lack of bedding, our -protruding hip bones could not possibly reconcile themselves to the hard -floor and we were rolling about continually trying to find some part of -our anatomy that would fit a pine board, but we never found it. But we -did find a little purer air than we found down by the excrement burdened -swamp, the foul gases arising from decomposing human excrements -fermenting in a hot sun were not quite so strong and nauseous and -besides we had a little more room. Day by day the thinning process went -on, there being two strong powers at work to accomplish the task, death -and the trains of cars. - -I have never been quite satisfied with the tables of mortality published -with reference to Andersonville. Dr. Jones in his report, gives the -number who died between Feb. 24th and September 21st, 1864, as nine -thousand four hundred and seventy-nine. McElroy gives twelve thousand -nine hundred and twelve as the whole number that died during the time -Andersonville was used as a prison. - -I think both statements are far below the truth although I have only -parole testimony to prove my position. While on the way from -Andersonville to Charleston, I overheard a private conversation between -two prisoners upon the subject of the number of deaths at Andersonville. -One of them claimed to be the Hospital Steward who kept the records at -that place, and he told his companion that he had a copy of the death -record and that twelve thousand six hundred and twenty odd had died up -to the date of leaving the prison, which was Sept. 11th. and that he -intended to carry the copy through the lines with him when he was -exchanged. One of the prisoners who was paroled in December following -did have a copy of the register and showed it at the office of the War -Department in Washington, it was not returned to him and he afterward -stole it from the office, was arrested and imprisoned for the theft and -was finally liberated through the intercession of Miss Clara Barton, -“the soldiers’ friend.” The man was a member of a Connecticut regiment, -whose name I cannot recall, but I think was Ingersoll, though I would -not pretend to be positive. I think the official records show a total of -nearly fourteen thousand deaths in Andersonville. All the evidence -attainable both from Federal and Confederate sources prove that about -one third of all the men who entered the gates of Andersonville died -there, and when we come to add to that number those who died in other -prisons, and on the way home, and whose death is directly traceable to -that prison, we will find that fully one-half of the forty-five thousand -Andersonville prisoners never reached home. - -If the king of Denmark could exclaim, “O, my offense is rank, it smells -to heaven,” what shall we say of the men who are guilty of the -barbarities of Andersonville? How far will their offense smell? By a -fair computation more than twenty thousand men were,— - - “Cut off even in the blossom of their sins, - Unhouseled, disappointed, unanel’d; - No reckoning made, but sent to their account - With all their imperfections on their heads: - O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!” - -Rest comrades, rest in your graves on the sandy hillside of -Andersonville. The dank and the mould have consumed your bodies and they -have returned to the dust from whence they came; but a day of reckoning -will surely come. When the last trump shall sound and the dead shall -come forth from their graves, and stand before the Great White Throne, -where will your murderers be found? Surely they will call upon the rocks -and mountains to fall on them and hide them them from the face of Him -who sitteth upon the Throne and judgeth the Earth in righteousness. - -It is impossible for any person endowed with the common feelings and -instincts of humanity to understand, much less to explain, the character -of Winder and Wirz. How any person in this enlightened age could be -guilty of the cruelties and barbarities practiced by those two ghouls -surpass all attempts at explanation. I am of the opinion that the -majority of the people of the South were ignorant of the full extent of -the horrors of the Southern Military Prisons. I am led to this -conclusion by the fact, that, except upon the questions of slavery and -war, they were a kind and generous hearted people, generally speaking, -as much so, at least, as any community of people of like extent. And for -the further reason that not many of them had access to the inside of -those prisons, and they would naturally believe the report of interested -Confederates, sooner than the reports of interested Federals, -particularly, as they had no intercourse with prisoners themselves, -except in isolated cases. And still further, all escaped prisoners, who -were recaptured and returned to prison spoke highly of the kind -treatment of the middle and upper classes, only complaining of the -treatment of the lower classes or “Clay Eaters.” But somebody knew of -these barbarities and cruelties and somebody was responsible for Winder -and Wirz holding their positions, and that after a full investigation -and report upon the subject by competent men. That SOMEBODY was Jeff -Davis and his cabinet. - -The members of the Confederate Congress were aware of the treatment of -Federal prisoners and some of the members of that congress cried out -against it, in their places. But Jeff Davis ruled the South with a rod -of iron. He was the head and front, the great representative of the -doctrine of States Rights, which, interpreted by Southern Statesmen, -meant the right of a state to separate itself from the General -Government, peaceably if possible, by force of arms if need be. And yet -when Governor Brown, of Georgia, carried this doctrine to its logical -conclusion by withdrawing the Georgia troops from the Confederate -armies, to repel the invasion of Sherman and harvest a crop for the use -of his army, Davis, in public speeches, intimated that Governor Brown -was a traitor. - -President Davis and his cabinet knew of the atrocities of Winder and -Wirz, and their ilk, and connived at them by keeping the perpetrators in -place and power. Winder was a renegade Baltimorean who had received a -military education at the expense of the United States government, but -being too cowardly to accept a position in the field where his precious -carcass would be exposed to danger, he accepted from his intimate -friend, Jeff Davis, the office of Provost Marshal General, in which -position he was a scourge and a curse to the rebels themselves. Becoming -too obnoxious to the people of Richmond, Davis, at last, appointed him -Commissary General of prisoners, in which capacity he had charge of all -the Federal prisoners east of the Mississippi river. - -The antecedents of Wirz are not known. McElroy, who has investigated the -subject of Southern Prisons deeper than any man of my knowledge, has -arrived at the conclusion that he was probably a clerk in a store before -the war of the Rebellion. He arrives at his conclusion logically, for he -asserts that Wirz could count more than one hundred. - -That Davis and his cabinet knew of the terrible treatment bestowed upon -the Federal prisoners at Andersonville, we have abundant proof. The -following extract from the report of Colonel D. T. Chandler, of the -Rebel War Department, who was sent to inspect Andersonville, was copied -from “Andersonville.” The report is of date August 5th, 1864, and is as -follows: “My duty requires me respectfully to recommend a change in the -officer in command of the post, Brigadier General John H. Winder, and -the substitution in his place of some one who unites both energy and -good judgment with some feelings of humanity and consideration for the -welfare and comfort as far as is consistent with their safe keeping of -the vast number of unfortunates placed under his control; some one who, -at least, will not advocate DELIBERATELY and in cold blood, the -propriety of leaving them in their present condition until their number -is sufficiently reduced by death to make the present arrangements -suffice for their accomodation, and who will not consider it a matter of -self laudation and boasting that he has never been inside of the -stockade—a place the horrors of which it is difficult to describe, and -which is a DISGRACE TO CIVILIZATION—the condition of which he might by -the exercise of a little energy and judgment, even with the limited -means at his command, have considerably improved.” - -In his examination touching this report, Colonel Chandler says: - -“I noticed that General Winder seemed very indifferent to the welfare of -the prisoners, indisposed to do anything, or to do as much as I thought -he ought to do, to alleviate their sufferings. I remonstrated with him -as well as I could, and he used that language which I reported to the -Department with reference to it—the language stated in the report. When -I spoke of the mortality existing among the prisoners, and pointed out -to him that the sickly season was coming on, and that it must -necessarily increase unless something was done for their relief—the -swamp, for instance, drained, proper food furnished, and in better -quality, and other sanitary suggestions which I made to him—he replied -to me that he thought it was better to see half of them die than to take -care of the men.” - -This report proves two points. First that we had been living in -Andersonville during the HEALTHY season, God save the mark, and second -that Jeff Davis knew of the situation through his War Minister. But -Davis was in favor of having the prisoners receive the terrible -treatment to which they were subjected. He had, through his Commissary -General of Prisoners, made demands upon the Federal Government in the -matter of the exchange of prisoners, which no government possessing any -self respect could entertain. He demanded an exchange of prisoners in -bulk, that is, the Federal Government to give all the Confederate -prisoners it held in exchange for all the Federal prisoners the -Confederate Government held. The unfairness of such a proposition will -be readily seen when the reader is informed that at that time the -Federals held about twice as many prisoners as did the Confederates. - -The Federal proposition was to exchange man for man and rank for rank. -To this the Davis Government would not accede. Then followed the terrors -of Andersonville and Florence of which hell itself in its palmiest days -could not furnish a duplicate. - -I am well aware that I have not expressed the same opinion as other -authors, ex-prisoners, upon the subject of the complicity of the whole -people of the South in these prison horrors, but the most of these -authors wrote a short time subsequent to the close of the war, and while -their blood was still hot upon the subject; and I confess that it has -taken nearly a quarter of a century for my blood to cool sufficiently to -arrive at the conclusions I have expressed in this chapter and which I -candidly believe are correct. - -To my comrades who were prisoners let me say, our present motto is: -“FIAT JUSTITIA, RUAT COELUM.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - - GOOD BYE ANDERSONVILLE. - -As related in the preceding chapter the fall of Atlanta, and the fear of -rescue had obliged the Confederates to remove the prisoners from -Andersonville to a safer place. - -On the 11th of September the detachment to which I belonged was ordered -out. We gladly left the pen and saw the ponderous gates close behind us. -No matter to us where we went, we believed we had nothing to lose and -much to gain. If we were to be exchanged, which we doubted, then good -bye to all these terrible scenes of want and suffering. If another -prison pen was our destination, then we hoped it would not be so foul -and disease laden as the one we left, and in any case we had left Winder -and Wirz and we knew that though we were to rake the infernal regions -with a fine comb, we could not find worse jailors. With thoughts like -these running through our minds we dragged our weak and spiritless -bodies to the station, where we got into a train of freight cars as best -we could. Our train was headed toward Macon and there was much -speculation as to our destination. Somehow a rumor had got into -circulation that a cartel of exchange had been agreed upon by the -commissioners of the two governments and that Savannah was to be the -point of exchange. But we had been deceived so many times that we had -taken a deep and solemn vow to not believe anything in exchange until we -were safely transferred to our own lines; and this vow we kept -inviolate. - -Soon after passing Macon we entered the territory over which Stoneman’s -Cavalry had raided a few weeks before. Burned railroad trains and depots -marked the line of his march. At one place where our train stopped for -wood and water one of the guards was kind enough to allow some of the -men to get off the train and secure a lot of tin sheets which had -covered freight cars prior to Stoneman’s visit. These sheets of tin were -afterward made into pails and square pans by a tinner who was a member -of an Illinois regiment, with no other tools than a railroad spike and a -block of wood. - -Two brothers, members of an Indiana regiment, and coopers by trade, made -a large number of wooden buckets, or “piggins” while in Andersonville, -and their kit of tools consisted of a broken pocket knife and a table -knife, supplemented by borrowing our saw knife. With a table knife or a -railroad spike and a billet of wood, we would work up the toughest sour -gum, or knottiest pitch pine stick of wood which could be procured in -the Confederacy. Time was of no consequence, we had an overstocked -market in that commodity and anything that would serve to help rid -ourselves of the surplus was a blessing. - -Time solved the question of our destination. We went to Augusta again so -that Savannah was out of the question. Then we crossed over into South -Carolina, after which the point was raised whether it was to be Columbia -or Charleston. Many of us were of the opinion that Charleston was the -point and that we were to be placed under fire of our own guns, as many -prisoners had been heretofore, the rebels hoping thereby to deter our -forces from firing into the city. Time passed and we arrived at -Branchville. Here is the junction of the Columbia road with the Augusta -and Charleston road, we took the Charleston track and arrived in -Charleston about eleven o’clock p. m. having been two days on the road. - -After leaving the cars we were formed in line, and, as we were marching -away from the depot, a huge shell from one of Gilmore’s guns exploded in -an adjoining block. We were getting close to “God’s country,” only a -shell’s flight lying between us and the land of the Stars and Stripes. -We were marched just out of the city and camped on the old Charleston -race track. - -In the morning we were allowed to go for water, accompanied by guards. -before night all the wells in the vicinity were exhausted, and we were -obliged to resort to well digging for a supply. Fortunately we found -water at a depth of only four feet. The water was slightly brackish, but -as we had been kept on short rations of salt it was rather agreeable -than otherwise. Before dark there were more than fifty wells dug in camp -and we had water in abundance. - -Day after day brought train load after train load of prisoners from -Andersonville until there were about seven thousand prisoners in camp at -this place. There was no stockade, no fence, nothing but a living wall -of guards around us, and that living wall of infantrymen aided and -abetted by a healthy, full grown battery of artillery, that was all. - -Our rations here were of fair quality but small in quantity, consisting -of a pint of corn meal, a little sorghum syrup and a teaspoonful of salt -once in two days. Meat of any kind was not issued, from this time on it -was relegated to the historic past. The weather was pleasant, the days -not too hot and the nights not too cool. About nine o’clock a sea breeze -would spring up which felt to us, after having lived in the furnace-like -atmosphere of Andersonville, like a breeze from the garden of the Gods. -About nine o’clock in the evening a land breeze would set in and would -blow until sunrise then die away to give place to the sea breeze. I used -to sit up till midnight drinking in the delightful air and watching the -track of the great shells thrown by the “Swamp Angel” battery. Gilmore -gave Charleston no rest day nor night. The “Hot bed of Secession” got a -most unmerciful pounding. The whole of the lower part of the city was a -mass of ruins, the upper part was then receiving the attention of our -batteries on James Island. It was a grand sight at night to watch the -little streak of fire from the fuse of those three hundred pound shells -as it rose higher and higher toward the zenith and having reached the -highest point of the arc, to watch it as it sped onward and downward -until suddenly a loud explosion told that its time was expired and the -sharp fragments were hurled with an increased velocity down into the -devoted city. Sometimes a shell would not explode until it had made its -full journey and landed among the buildings or in the streets and then -havoc and destruction ensued. The most of the people lived in bomb -proofs, which protected them from the fragments of the shells which -exploded in the air, but were not proof against those which exploded -after striking. - -A little episode occurred one day that created quite a panic among both -prisoners and guards. Suddenly and without warning, a large solid shot -came rolling and tumbling through camp, from the north; this was -followed by another, and then another. This was getting serious. What -the Dickens was the matter? Where did these shots come from? were -questions that any and all of us, could and did ask, but none could -answer. But in this case, the rebel guard and officers, were in danger -as well as Yanks, and a courier was dispatched in hot haste to inquire -into the why and wherefore. It turned out that a rebel gunboat, on the -Cooper River, was practicing at a target and we were getting the benefit -of it. - -Here at Charleston we were on historic ground. Just a few miles to the -east of us Colonel Moultrie defended a palmetto fort manned by five -hundred brave and loyal South Carolinans, against the combined land and -naval forces of Sir Henry Clinton, and Sir Peter Parker, on the 28th of -June 1776, and with his twenty-six cannons compelled the fleet to -retire. There upon the palmetto bastion of old Fort Moultrie, the brave -young Sergeant Jasper supported the Stars and Stripes under a terrible -fire, and earned for himself an undying fame. Here and in this vicinity, -Moultrie, Pickens, Pinckney, Lee, Green, Lincoln and Marion earned a -reputation which will last as long as American history shall endure. -But, alas, here too, is material for a history which does not reflect -much credit on the descendants of those brave and loyal men. South -Carolina was the first State to adopt an ordinance of Secession, Nov -20th, 1860. - -Here in Charleston Harbor, on the 9th of January 1861, the descendants -of those revolutionary heroes, from the embrazures of fort Moultrie, and -Castle Pinckney, fired upon the Star of the West, a United States vessel -sent with supplies for the brave Anderson, who was cooped up within the -walls of Fort Sumter. From these same forts, on the 12th of April, was -fired the guns which compelled the surrender of Fort Sumter, and was the -beginning of hostilities in the War of the Rebellion. And all this -trouble had grown out of a political doctrine promulgated by an eminent -South Carolinan, John C. Calhoun. - -But with all their bad reputation as Secessionists, the South Carolinans -treated us with more kindness than did the citizens of any other States. -I never heard a tantalizing or insulting word given by a South Carolina -citizen or soldier to a prisoner. In the matter of low meanness, the -Georgia Crackers and Clay Eaters earned the blue ribbon. - -On the 1st of October the detachment to which I belonged, was marched to -the cars, and we were sent to Florence, one hundred miles north of -Charleston on the road to Columbia. On our route, we had passed over -ground made sacred by Revolutionary struggles. At Monk’s Corners, the -14th of April 1780, a British force defeated an American force. In the -swamps of the Santee and Pedee Rivers General Francis Marion hid his -men, and from them he made his fierce raids upon tories and British. -Marion is called a “partisan leader,” in the old histories, but I -suspect that in this year of grace, he would be called a “Bushwacker,” -or “Guerrilla” leader. It makes a good deal of difference which side men -are fighting on, about the name they are called. We arrived at the -Florence Stockade in the afternoon and were marched in and assigned our -position in the northeast corner, the entrance being on the west side. - -The Florence Stockade was about two or three miles below Florence, and -half or three-quarters of a mile east of the railroad. It was built upon -two sides of a small stream which ran through it from north to south, -was nearly square in shape, and contained ten or twelve acres of land. -It was built of rough logs set in the ground and was sixteen or eighteen -feet high. There was no such dead line as at Andersonville, a shallow -ditch marking the limits. The greatest number of prisoners confined here -during the time of my imprisonment, was eleven thousand. In some -respects our situation was better than at Andersonville. We had new -ground upon which to live. We were rid of the terrible filth and stench, -we were not so badly crowded, and we had more wood with which to cook -our food. - -The Post Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel Iverson, of the 5th Georgia, was -an easy going, but not altogether bad man, except that he was possessed -of an ungovernable temper, and when irritated, would commit acts of -which he was, no doubt, ashamed when his pulse assumed a normal -condition. Lieutenant Barrett, Adjutant of the 5th Georgia, was to -Florence what Wirz was to Andersonville. He was a red headed fiery -tempered, cruel, and vindictive specimen of the better educated class of -Southerners. It seemed to be his delight to to torture and maltreat the -prisoners. If there was a single redeeming trait in his character, the -unfortunate men who were under his care, never by any chance stumbled -onto it. His favorite punishment was to tie the offender up by the -thumbs so tightly that his toes barely touched the ground, and have him -in this condition for an hour or two at a time. The tortures of such a -punishment were indescribable. The victim would suffer the tortures of -the damned, and when let down would have to be carried to his quarters -by his comrades. - -The prisoners were organized into squads of twenty, these into companies -of a hundred, and these into detachments of a thousand. As stated before -my detachment was assigned a position in the northeast corner of the -Stockade. When we arrived there was plenty of wood, small poles, and -brush in the Stockade, and our first work after selecting our ground, -was to secure an abundant supply. - -My old “pard” Rouse, had died at Charleston, Ole Gilbert belonged to -another detachment and did not come in the same train load with me, so I -joined Joe Eaton, Wash. Hays and Roselle Hull, of my regiment, in -constructing a shelter, or house, if you please. We first set crotches -in the ground and laid a strong pole on them, then we leaned other poles -on each side against this pole in the form of a letter A. This was the -frame work of our house, which, as will be seen, consisted entirely of -roof. On this frame work we placed brush, covering the brush with -leaves, and the whole with a heavy layer of dirt. This was an -exceedingly laborious job on account of the lack of suitable tools. Our -poles were cut with a very dull hatchet and our digging done with tin -plates. After we had constructed a shelter, our next work was to wall up -the gables. This was done with clay made up into adobes. We could not -build more than a foot in a day as we were obliged to wait for our walls -to dry sufficiently to bear their own weight. We had taken great pains -to make a warm rain proof hut, as we had arrived at the conclusion that -we were destined to remain in prison until the close of the war. - -Those prisoners who arrived later were not so fortunate in the matter of -wood. The early settlers had taken possession of all of that commodity -leaving others to look out for themselves. But the later arrivals made -haste to secure poles for the purpose of erecting their tents and huts, -that is, those who had blankets to spare for roofs; but many were -compelled to dig diminutive caves in the banks which marked the boundary -of the narrow valley through which ran the little stream of water. - -Wood was procured from the immense pine forests in the vicinity. Details -of our own numbers, chopped the wood, and others carried it on their -shoulders a distance of half to three quarters of a mile, receiving as -compensation an extra ration of food. In the matter of wood Iverson was -more humane than was Winder, but in the matter of rations it was the -same old story, just enough to keep soul and body together, provided a -pint of corn meal, two spoonfuls of sorghum syrup and a half teaspoonful -of salt daily would furnish sufficient adhesive power to accomplish that -result. - -There was rather better hospital accommodations here for the sick, than -at Andersonville, but at the best it was miserably poor and -insufficient. The worst cases had been left behind, but the stockade was -soon full of men so sick as to be unable to care for themselves. The -terrible treatment at Andersonville was telling on the men after they -had changed to a more healthy location, and into less filthy -surroundings. - -Soon the fall rains set in and the cold winds, which penetrated to our -very marrow through the rags with which we were but partly covered, -warned us that winter was approaching. We tried hard to keep up our -courage amidst all these discouraging circumstances, but it was a -sickly, weakly sort of courage. Cheerful, we could not be, even the most -religiously inclined were sad and despondent. I am convinced that -cheerfulness depends and must depend on outward circumstances as well as -on an inward state of mind. Why not? We were men not angels, material -beings, not spirits; we were subject to the same appetites and passions -to which we, and others are subject, under better circumstances. -Starvation, privation, misery and torture had not purged from us the -longings, the hungerings and thirstings after the necessaries, the -conveniences, yes, the luxuries of life, but on the contrary, had -increased them ten fold. How was this to terminate? Would our Government -set aside the military policy of the Commander of the army, and take a -more humane view of the question? Would the Confederates, already driven -to extremes to furnish supplies for their own men, at length yield and -give us up, to save expense? or, must we still remain to satisfy the -insatiate greed of the Moloch of war? were questions we could and did -ask ourselves and each other, but there was found no man so wise as to -be able to answer them. Time, swift-footed and fleeting, to the -fortunate, but laggard, and slow, to us, could alone solve these -questions, and after hours of discussion, to Time we referred them. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - - NAKED AND COLD AND HUNGRY.—SHERMAN. - - “‘Sherman’s dashing Yankee boys will never reach the coast!’ - So the saucy rebels said, and ’twas a handsome boast, - Had they not forgot alas! to reckon with the host, - While we were marching through Georgia. - So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train, - Sixty miles in latitude three hundred to the main; - Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain, - While we were marching through Georgia.” - -During the Summer, and up to the last of October, the condition of our -clothing had been more a matter of indecency than of actual sufferings. -But when the fall rains set in and the cold winds began to blow, then we -felt the need of good clothing. About this time a very limited supply of -clothing was issued to the more destitute. This was some of the clothing -which the United States Government furnished for the benefit of the -prisoners, but which was of more benefit to the rebels than to us. It is -very clear that our Government was a victim of misplaced confidence in -sending supplies of food and clothing through the rebel lines for our -benefit. These supplies were mostly used by the rebels for their own -benefit, and our Government aided the rebellion by that much. - -My clothing was old when I was taken prisoner, having been worn through -the Chickamauga campaign, and while I was in the hospital at Danville -some one had, without my consent, traded me worse clothing, so that by -this time I was a spectacle for men perhaps, but hardly for angels and -women. Shirt, I had none, my coat was out at the elbows and was minus -buttons, my pants were worn to shreds, fore and aft, and looked like -bifurcated dish rags. My drawers had been burned at Andersonville with -their rich burden of lice, while my shoes looked like the breaking up of -a hard winter, and yet I was too much of a dude to get clothes from -Barrett. How the cold winds did play hide and seek through my rags; how -my skeleton frame did shiver, and my scurvy loosened teeth rattle and -clatter, as “gust followed gust more furiously” through the tattered -remains of what was once a splendid uniform. Evidently something had got -to be done or I should, like a ship in a storm, be scudding around with -bare poles. My first remedy was patching. With all my varied and useful -accomplishments, I had become quite expert with a needle, (a small sized -darning needle) and I felt perfectly competent to fix up my -unmentionables, provided I could find patches and thread. I was in the -condition of the Irishman who wanted to “borry tobaccy and a pipe, I -have a match of me own, sorr,” but those to whom I applied for patches -and thread, were like an Irishman of my company by the name of Mike -Callahan. I went to him one day as he sat smoking his “dhudeen.” Said I, -“Mike, can you give me a chew of tobacco?” “I cannot sorr,” puff-puff “I -don’t use it myself.” “Well have you got any smoking tobacco?” said I. -“I have sorr,” puff—puff—puff—“joost phat will do meself,” was his -reply. After looking around for a time, I found an old oil cloth -knapsack which I cut up into appropriate patches. Ole Gilbert had a -piece of home-made cotton cloth, this we raveled and used for thread -with which to patch my pants. This shift answered to keep out the wind, -but when I sat down, Oh my! it seemed like sitting on an iceberg and -holding the North Pole in my lap. - -After the prisoners had all arrived at Florence, I changed my quarters -to those of five comrades of my own company, Gilbert, Berk, Gaffney, -Webster and Best. We had very fair quarters and were provided with two -blankets for the six. One day as we were talking over the subject of -exchange, we all came to the conclusion that we were in for it during -the war, and I was instructed to write to the Wisconsin Sanitary -Commission for clothing and other supplies. The letter was duly received -and was published in the Milwaukee Sentinel. The following is a copy of -the letter: - - “Florence, S. C., Oct. 8th, 1864. - - Secretary of Wis. State Sanitary Commission. - - Sir:—There are six members of the 10th Wis. Infantry here together, - who were captured at the battle of Chickamauga. We are destitute of - clothing, and as defenders of our country, we apply to you for aid, - hoping you will be prompt in relieving, in a measure, our necessities. - Please send us a box containing blankets, underclothing, shirts and - socks in particular, and we stand very much in need of shoes; but I - don’t know as they are in your line of business. - - “We would also like stationery, combs, knives, forks, spoons, tin - cups, plates and a small sized camp kettle, as our rations are issued - to us raw; also thread and needles. We all have the scurvy more or - less and I think dried fruit would help us very much by the acid it - contains,—you cannot send us medicine as that is contraband. We would - like some tobacco and reading matter. If there is anything more that - you can send, it will be very acceptable. - - “We should not apply to you were we not compelled, and did we not know - that you are the destitute soldiers’ friend. You will please receive - this in the same spirit in which it is sent, and answer accordingly, - and you will have the satisfaction of feeling that you have done - something to relieve the wants of those who went out at the - commencement of the war, to vindicate the rights of our country. - - Direct to Wm. W. Day and Joseph Eaton, prisoners of war, Florence, S. - C., via. Flag of Truce, Hilton Head. - - Yours, &c., - - WM. W. DAY. - - P. S. I forgot to mention soap—a very essential article.” - -At the same time I wrote to my wife in Wisconsin and to my brother in -New York, for a box but instructed them that if there was any prospect -of an immediate exchange, they were not to send them. I believe some of -the other boys sent home for boxes also. We knew that the chances were -very much against our ever seeing the boxes if sent, as we knew that -many boxes sent to Andersonville were kept and their contents used by -the rebel guards, yet I hoped that out of the three I might possibly get -one. When the letters sent to my wife and brother reached their -destination, they commenced the preparation of boxes, but before they -were complete news of exchange reached them and the boxes were not sent. -But during the spring of 1865, after I had settled in Minnesota, and -after the capture of Richmond, I received a letter from the General in -command of our forces, at that place, informing me that there was a box -there directed to me and asking for instructions as to its disposal. I -replied to him that it was a box sent to me by the Wisconsin Sanitary -Commission, and was intended for me as a soldier, that I was now a -civilian, and had no claim on it, and directed him to turn it over to -the hospital. - -Right here I wish to express my appreciation of the Sanitary Commission. -In all the loyal States they did a grand work of mercy and charity, ably -seconding the efforts of the Government in caring for sick and destitute -soldiers. In fact they performed a work which the Government could not -perform. They furnished lint and bandages, canned and dried fruits, -vegetables and luxuries of all descriptions for the wounded and sick -soldiers, thus giving them to feel that in all their hardships and -sufferings they were not forgotton by the kind loyal women of the North, -God bless them. It was the ladies of the Sanitary Commission of -Milwaukee who established the first Soldiers’ Home, on West Water -street, and which has grown into the National Soldiers’ Home near that -city. They were ably seconded by the Christian Commission, which sent -not only supplies but men and women to the field of war, to distribute -supplies and act in the capacity of nurses in the hospitals. The wife of -the Hon. John F. Potter, of the 1st Congressional District, of -Wisconsin, worked in the hospitals at Washington until she contracted a -fever and died, as much a martyr for her country as any soldier upon the -field of battle. Governor Harvey, of Wisconsin, lost his life at -Pittsburg Landing, where he had gone to aid the wounded soldiers. His -wife took up the work, thus rudely broken by her husband’s death, and -carried it on until peace came like a benison upon the land. - -All over the North, loyal men and women gave of their time and money for -the relief of their Nation’s defenders, and to-day deserve, and receive, -the thanks of the “boys who wore the blue.” - -Sometime in the month of November, a rumor was circulated that an -exchange had been agreed upon, between the two Governments, and that -Savannah was the point agreed upon for the exchange. But while we were -hopeful that this might be true, we were doubtful. That story had been -told so many times that it had become thin and gauzy from wear. In a few -days, however, a lot of prisoners came in who reported that an exchange -of sick had actually been in progress, but that the near approach of -Sherman’s army had discontinued it, until another point could be agreed -upon. - -Here was news with a vengeance. We had been told that Sherman would be -annihilated, that he could never reach the coast, and here came the news -that his army was not only all right, but was almost to the coast. And -further that our Government was still making efforts for our relief. -“Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and here for the first time, -we had reasonable grounds for hope. - -On the 25th of September General Hood had got into General Sherman’s -rear and started north. But Sherman had anticipated just such a move and -had provided for it by sending one division to Chattanooga, and another -division to Rome, Ga. On the 29th Sherman sent Thomas back to -Chattanooga and afterward to Nashville. - -General Sherman then divided his army into two wings. The right wing in -command of General O. O. Howard, and the left wing in command of General -Slocum. Hood had started out to return a Roland for an Oliver. Forrest -was operating in Tennessee and Kentucky, and menacing the States north -of the Ohio river. Hood’s plan was to join him and while Sherman was -living upon short commons in Georgia, his army would be reveling in the -rich spoils of Northern States. The idea was a good one, the point was -to carry it out. - -On the fifth of October Hood destroyed a considerable length of railroad -north of Atlanta. Sherman, from a high point, saw the railroad burning -for miles. At Alatoona General Corse had a small force, among his troops -was the 4th Minnesota, which earned a record, in the defense of that -mountain pass which will go down to the ages yet to come, in the history -of the war. From the heights of Kenesaw, Sherman’s signal officer read a -dispatch, signaled from a hole in the block-house at Alatoona; “I am -short a cheek bone and part of an ear, but we can whip all hell yet. - - CORSE, - Com’d’g.” - -Tradition says that Sherman signaled “hold the fort, I am coming,” but I -believe Sherman denies this. At any rate, the fact that Corse did hold -the fort, and that he knew from the signal corps on Kenesaw that Sherman -was coming to his aid, gave rise to the thoughts that inspired the -writer of the little poem, “Hold the fort, for I am coming.” - -Sherman strengthened Thomas by sending Stanley with the 4th corps and -ordering Schofield with the Army of the Ohio to report to him. On the 2d -of November General Grant approved Sherman’s plan of the campaign to the -sea, and on the 10th he started back to Atlanta. The real march to the -sea commenced on the 15th. Howard with the right wing and cavalry, went -to Jonesboro and Milledgeville, then the capital of Georgia. Slocum with -the left wing went to Stone Mountain to threaten Augusta. - -The people of the South became frantic when they found Sherman had cut -loose. They could not divine his movements. He threatened one point and -when the enemy had been drawn thither for its protection, he threatened -another point. Frantic appeals were made for the people to turn out and -drive the invader from the soil. They took the cadets from the Military -College and added them to the ranks of the Militia. They went so far as -to liberate the convicts from the State Prison, on promise that they -would join the army. But Sherman moved along leisurely, at the rate of -fifteen miles a day, burning railroad bridges and destroying miles upon -miles of track. The Southern papers, from which we had received the news -at Florence, pictured the army as in a most deplorable condition. Saying -the army was all broken up and disorganized, and was each man for -himself, making his way to the sea coast to seek the protection of the -navy. Some of these papers reached the North and the news was copied -into the Northern papers and spread like wildfire, creating a great deal -of uneasiness in the minds of those who had friends in that army. - -General Grant, in his Memoirs, speaking of this matter, says: “Mr. -Lincoln seeing these accounts, had a letter written asking me if I could -give him anything that he could say to the loyal people that would -comfort them. I told him there was not the slightest occasion for alarm; -that with 60,000 such men as Sherman had with him, such a commanding -officer as he, could not be cut off in the open country. He might -possibly be prevented from reaching the point he had started out to -reach, but he would get through somewhere and would finally get to his -chosen destination; and even if worst came to worst he could return -north. I heard afterwards of Mr. Lincoln’s saying to those who would -inquire of him as to what he thought about the safety of Sherman’s army, -that Sherman was all right; ‘Grant says they are safe with such a -General, and that if they cannot get out where they want to they can -crawl back by the hole they went in at.’” - -The right and left wings were to meet at Millen with the hope of -liberating the prisoners at that place, but they failed, the prisoners -having been previously removed, but Wheeler’s Rebel cavalry had a pretty -severe engagement with the Union cavalry at that place which resulted in -Wheeler’s being driven toward Augusta, thus convincing the people that -Augusta was the objective point. The army reached Savannah on the 9th of -December, and on the 10th the siege of that place commenced. On the -night of the 21st the rebels evacuated the city and it fell into -Sherman’s hands. - -The whole march had been a pleasure excursion, when compared with the -Atlanta campaign. The rebels could never muster a sufficient force of a -quality to retard the march of the army. All their boasting of -annihilation was simply wind. The fact was they were completely -nonplussed, they did not know where he intended to go until he was -within striking distance of Savannah. Every morning a squad of men from -each command started out under command of an officer, and at night -returned with wagons loaded with the best in the land. Hams, hogs, -beeves, turkeys and chickens, sweet potatoes, corn meal and flour, rice -and honey were gathered for food, and the bummers usually captured teams -to haul the provisions in with. - -My friend O. S. Crandall, of the 4th Minnesota, who was on this march, -tells a joke on himself which I will repeat. A brother bummer by the -name of Ben Sayers, had made a discovery of some honey while the two -were on a picket post. Sayers told Crandall that if he would stand guard -in his place he would fill his canteen with honey. To this Crandall -agreed and when the relief came around told the officer of the guard -that he would stand Sayers’ relief. Sayers filled his canteen full of -honey as agreed and all was lovely; honey on hard-tack, honey on dough -gods, honey on flapjacks, was in Oscar’s dreams that night as he lay -peacefully sleeping beneath the bright moon in southern Georgia. But the -next day the sun came out hot and the honey granulated and would not -come out. Oscar had evidently got a white elephant on his hands; that -honey could not be persuaded to come out, and he was choking with -thirst. Seeing a comrade with a canteen he thus accosted him: “Say pard, -give me a drink.” - -Tother Feller.—“Why don’t you drink out of your own canteen?” - -Oscar.—“I can’t. I’ve got it full of honey and it’s candied.” - -T. F.—“Why, you poor, miserable, innocent, blankety blanked fool, if you -don’t know any better than that you may go thirsty. I won’t give you any -water.” - -Oscar.—“Say pard, how will you trade canteens?” - -T. F.—“Even.” - -Oscar.—“It’s a whack.” - -And Oscar never got his canteen filled with honey again during the -remainder of the war. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - - VALE DIXIE. - - “Breathes there a man with soul so dead, - Who never to himself hath said, - This is my own, my native land! - Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned, - As home his footsteps he hath turned, - From wandering on a foreign strand! - If such there breathe, go, mark him well; - For him no Minstrel rapture swell; - High though his titles, proud his name, - Boundless his wealth as wish can claim; - Despite those titles, power and pelf, - The wretch, concentrated all in self, - Living, shall forfeit all renown, - And, doubly dying, shall go down - To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, - Unwept, unhonored and unsung.” - The Lay of the last Minstrel. - Scott. - -During the time of our stay at Charleston, the rebel officers had made -great efforts to induce the prisoners to take the oath of allegiance to -the Confederacy, promising good treatment, good pay, good clothing, a -large bounty and service in a bomb proof position in return. If men had -stopped to think, these promises carried with them abundant proof of -their own falsity. Where was the evidence of good treatment, judging of -the future by the past? What did good pay and large bounties amount to -when it took two hundred dollars of that good pay and large bounty to -buy a pair of boots? And the good clothing, yes they could clothe them -with the uniforms stripped from their dead comrades upon the battlefield -or stolen from the supplies sent to the prisoners. - -But, lured by these specious promises, about a hundred and twenty-five -prisoners went out one day and, as we supposed, took the oath. They were -marched away cityward in the morning, but before night they returned. We -saluted them on their return with groans and hisses and curses. They -reported that they were to be sent to James Island to throw up -earth-works in front of the rebel lines. This they refused to do, and -they were returned to prison. - -At Florence another effort was made to recruit men. The rebels wanted -foreigners for the army, and artisans of all kinds particularly -blacksmiths, shoemakers, carpenters and machinists for their shops. Many -of our artisans went out thinking they would get a chance to work for -food and clothing by simply giving their parole of honor they would not -attempt to escape. But the rebs insisted that they must take the oath of -allegiance. A few took the required oath, but most of the boys returned -to prison, and most heartily anathematized the men who had the impudence -and presumption to suppose that they would be guilty of taking the oath -of allegiance to such a rotten, hell-born thing as the Southern -Confederacy. - -There was a great deal of discussion among the prisoners at the time -about the question of the moral right of a man to take the oath of -allegiance to save his life. It was argued on one side that our -government had left us to rot like dogs, to shift for ourselves and that -as winter was coming on and there was no prospect of exchange, a man had -a perfect right to take the oath and save his life. On the other side it -was argued that we had taken a solemn oath to support the government of -the United States and not to give aid or comfort to any of its enemies; -that war was hard at best, and that when we took the oath we knew that -imprisonment was a probability just as much as a battle was a -probability; that we had just as much right to refuse to fight and to -turn traitor upon the battle field as we had in prison. - -For my own part life was dear to me but it was dear on account of my -friends; and supposing I should take the oath and save my life; the war -would soon be over and when peace came and all my comrades had returned -to their homes, where would my place be? Could I ever return to my -friends with the brand of traitor upon me? Never. I would die, if die I -must; but die true to the flag I loved and honored, and for which I had -suffered so long. Right here we adopted the prisoners’ motto, “Death, -but not dishonor.” - -Soon after changing my quarters I succeeded in securing a position on -the police force. Another of my tent mates was equally fortunate, so we -had a little extra food in our tent. My health had been slowly improving -ever since I left Andersonville, and with returning health came a -growing appetite. We resorted to all sorts of expedients to increase the -supplies of our commissariat. Ole Gilbert was a natural mechanic and he -made spoons from some of the tin which he had procured near Macon; these -were traded for food or sold for cash, and food purchased with the -money. One day he traded three spoons for a pocket knife with an ivory -faced handle. The ivory had been broken but I fished the remains of an -old ivory fine comb out of my pockets and he repaired the handle of the -knife with it. We sent it outside by one of the boys who had a job of -grave digging, and who sold it for ten dollars, Confederate money. With -this money we bought a bushel of sweet potatoes of the sutler at the -gate, and then we resolved to fill up once more before we died. We baked -each of us two large corn “flap jacks” eight inches across and half an -inch thick. We then boiled a six quart pail full of sweet potatoes and -after that made the pail full of coffee out of the bran sifted from our -meal, and then scorched. This was equal to three quarts of food and -drink to each one of us, but it only stopped the chinks. - -I then proposed to double the dose which we did, eating and drinking six -quarts each within two hours. Of course it did not burst us but it -started the hoops pretty badly, and yet we were hungry after that. It -seemed impossible to hold enough to satisfy our hunger; every nerve, and -fiber and tissue in our whole system from head to foot, was crying out -for food, and our stomachs would not hold enough to supply the demand, -and it took months of time and untold quantities of food to get our -systems back to normal condition. - -There are many ex-prisoners who claim that Florence was a worse prison -than Andersonville. I did not think so at the time I was there, but -those who remained there during the winter no doubt suffered more than -they did at Andersonville, on account of the cold weather; but at the -best it was a terrible place, worthy to be credited to the hellish -designs of Jeff Davis and Winder, aided by the fiend Barrett. At one -time Barrett, with some recruiting officers, came into prison -accompanied by a little dog. Some of the prisoners, it is supposed, -beguiled the dog away and killed him; for this act Barrett deprived the -whole of the prisoners of their rations for two days and a half. - -About the 4th of December some surgeons came in and selected a thousand -men from the worst cases which were not in the hospital. It was said -they were to be sent through our lines on parole. Then commenced an -earnest discussion upon the situation. My comrades and I thought we were -getting too strong to pass muster. How we wished we had not improved so -much since leaving Andersonville. We were getting so fat we would -actually make a shadow, that is if we kept our clothes buttoned up. -After considering the question pro and con we came to the conclusion -that we had better not build up any hopes at present. If we were so -lucky as to get away, all right. If not we would have no shattered hopes -to mourn over. - -On the 6th another thousand was selected and sent away. This looked like -business; this was no camp rumor started by nobody knew who, but here -were surgeons actually selecting feeble men and sending them through the -gates, and they did not return. - -The 8th came and in the afternoon the 9th thousand was called up for -inspection. I went out to the dead line where the inspection was going -on to see what my chances probably were. The surgeons were sending out -about every third or fourth man. The 9th and 10th thousand were -inspected and then came the 11th, to which I belonged. I went to my tent -and told the boys I was going to try my chances, “but,” I added, “keep -supper waiting.” I took my haversack with me, leaving my blanket, which -had fallen to me as heir of Rouse, and went to the dead line and fell in -with my hundred, the 8th. After waiting impatiently for a while I told -Harry Lowell, the Sergeant of my hundred, that I was going down the line -to see what our chances were. It was getting almost dark, the surgeons -were getting in a hurry to complete their task and were taking every -other man. I went back and told Harry I was going out, I felt it in my -bones. This was the first time I had entertained a good healthy, well -developed hope, since I arrived in Richmond, more than a year previous. - -The 6th hundred was called, then the 7th and at last the 8th. We marched -down to our allotted position with limbs trembling with excitement. That -surgeon standing there so unconcernedly, held my fate in his hands. He -was soon to say the word that would restore me to “God’s Country,” to -home and friends, or send me back to weary months of imprisonment. - -My turn came. “What ails you?” the surgeon asked. - -“I have had diarrhea and scurvy for eight months,” was my reply, and I -pulled up the legs of my pants to show him my limbs, which were almost -as black as a stove. He passed his hands over the emaciated remains of -what had once been my arms and asked, “When is your time of service -out?” “It was out the 10th of last October,” said I. - -“You can go out.” - -That surgeon was a stranger to me. I never saw him before that day nor -have I seen him since, but upon the tablet of my memory I have written -him down as FRIEND. - -I did not wait for a second permission but started for the gate. - -Just as I was going out some of my comrades saw me and shouted, “Bully -for you Bill; you’re a lucky boy!” and I believed I was. After passing -outside I went to a tent where two or three clerks were busy upon rolls -and signed the parole. Before I left Harry Lowell joined me and together -we went into camp where rations of flour were issued to us. After dark -Harry and I stole past the guard and went down to the gravediggers’ -quarters where we were provided with a supper of rice, sweet potatoes -and biscuits. I have no doubt that to-day I should turn up my nose at -the cooking of that dish, for the sweet potatoes and rice were stewed -and baked together, but I did not then. After supper John Burk baked our -flour into biscuits, using cob ashes in the place of soda; after which -we stole back into camp. - -Not a wink of sleep did we get that night. We had eaten too much supper -for one thing, and besides our prison day seemed to be almost ended. We -were marched to the railroad next morning, but the wind was blowing so -hard that we were not sent away, as the vessels could not run in the -harbor at Charleston. - -Just before night a ration of corn meal was issued to us and I have that -ration yet. About ten o’clock that night we were ordered on board the -cars and away we went to Charleston, where we arrived soon after -daylight. We debarked from the cars and were marched into a vacant -warehouse on the dock, where we remained until two o’clock p. m. when we -were marched on board a ferry boat. The bells jingled, the wheels began -to revolve and churn up the water and we are speeding down the harbor. -All seems lovely as a June morning, when lo, we are ordered to heave to -and tie up to the dock. We were marched off from the boat and up a -street. It looked as though the Charleston jail was our destination, -instead of that long wished for God’s Country. - -It seemed that the last train load had not been delivered on account of -the high winds, and that we were to wait our turn. But we were soon -countermarched to the boat and this time we left Charleston for good and -all. - -My thoughts were busy as our boat was steadily plowing her way down the -harbor to the New York, our exchange commissioner’s Flag Ship, which lay -at anchor about a mile outside of Fort Sumter. To my left and rear Fort -Moultrie and Castle Pinkney stood in grim silence. Away to the front and -left, upon that low, sandy beach, are some innocent looking mounds, but -those mounds are the celebrated “Battery Bee” on Sullivans Island. To my -right are the ruins of the lower part of Charleston. Away out to the -front and right stands Fort Sumter in “dim and lone magnificence.” To -the right of Fort Sumter is Morris Island and still farther out to sea -is James Island. What a scene to one who has had a deep interest in the -history of his country from the time of its organization up to and -including the war of the rebellion. Here the revolutionary fathers stood -by their guns to maintain the independence of the Colonies. Here their -descendants had fired the first gun in a rebellion inaugurated to -destroy the Union established by the valor, and sealed with the blood of -their sires. Misguided, traitorous sons of brave, loyal fathers. Such -thoughts as these passed through my mind as we steamed down the harbor -to the New York, but it never occurred to me that the waters through -which our boat was picking her way, was filled with deadly torpedoes, -and that the least deviation from the right course would bring her in -contact with one of these devilish engines and we would be blown out of -water. - -But look! what is that which is floating so proudly in the breeze at the -peak of that vessel? - - “’Tis the Star Spangled Banner, oh! long may it wave, - O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” - -Yes it is the old Stars and Stripes, and just underneath them on the -deck of that vessel is “GOD’S COUNTRY,” that we have dreamed of and -wished for so many long weary months. - -My friends, do you wonder that the tears ran unbidden down our wan and -ghastly cheeks? That with our weak lungs and feeble voices we tried to -send a welcome of cheers and a tiger to that dear old flag? It was not a -loud, strong cheer, such as strong men send up in the hour of victory -and triumph; no the rebels had done their work too well for that, but it -was from away down in the bottom of our hearts, and from the same depths -came an unuttered thanks-giving to the Great Being who had preserved our -lives to behold this glorious sight. - -Our vessel steamed up along side the New York and made fast. A gang -plank was laid to connect the two vessels, and at 4 o’clock, December -10th, 1864, I stepped under the protection of our flag and bade a long -and glad farewell to Dixie. - -After we had been delivered on board the New York we were registered by -name, company and regiment, and then a new uniform was given us and -then—can it be possible, a whole plate full of pork and hard-tack, and a -quart cup of coffee. And all this luxury for one man! Surely our stomach -will be surprised at such princely treatment. After receiving our supper -and clothing we were sent on board another vessel, a receiving ship, -which was lashed to the New York. Here we sat down on our bundle of -clothes and ate our supper. If I was to undertake to tell how good that -greasy boiled pork and that dry hard-tack and that muddy black coffee -tasted, I am afraid my readers would laugh, but try it yourself and see -where the laugh comes in. After supper we exchanged our dirty, lousy -rags for the new, clean, soft uniform donated to us by Uncle Sam. - -This was Saturday night. Monday morning we are on the good ship United -States as she turns her prow out of Charleston harbor. We pass out over -the bars and we are upon the broad Atlantic. Wednesday morning about 4 -o’clock we heave to under the guns of the Rip Raps, at the entrance of -Chespeake Bay, and reported to the commandant. The vessel is pronounced -all right, and away we go up the bay. We reach Annapolis at 10 p. m. and -are marched to Cottage Grove Barracks. Here we get a good bath, well -rubbed in by a muscular fellow, detailed for the purpose. I began to -think he would take the grime and dirt off from me if he had to take the -cuticle with it. We exchanged clothing here and were then marched to -Camp Parole, four miles from Annapolis. Here we were paid one month’s -pay together with the commutation money for clothing and rations which -we had not drawn during the period of our imprisonment. On the 24th I -received a furlough and started for the home of my brother in western -New York, where I arrived on the 26th, and here ends my story. - - - CONCLUSION. - -Of all the men who had charge of of prisoners and who are responsible -for their barbarous treatment, only one was ever brought to punishment. -“Majah” Ross was burned in a hotel at Lynchburg, Va., in the spring of -1866. General Winder dropped dead while entering his tent at Florence, -S. C., on the 1st of January, 1865. - -“Majah” Dick Turner, Lieutenant Colonel Iverson and Lieutenant Barret -have passed into obscurity, while Wirz was hanged for his crimes. That -Wirz richly deserved his fate, no man who knows the full extent of his -barbarities, has any doubt, and yet it seems hard that the vengeance of -our Government should have been visited upon him alone. The quality of -his guilt was not much different from that of many of prison commandants -but the fact that he had a greater number of men under his charge -brought him more into notice. Why should Wirz, the tool, be punished -more severely than Jeff Davis and Howell Cobb? They were responsible, -and yet Wirz hung while they went scot free. - -I have frequently noticed that if a man wanted to escape punishment for -murder he must needs be a wholesale murderer, your retail fellows fare -hard when they get into the clutches of the law. If a man steals a sack -of flour to keep his family from starvation, he goes to jail; but if he -robs a bank of thousands of dollars in money and spends it in riotous -living, or in an aggressive war against what is known as the “Tiger,” -whether that Tiger reclines upon the green cloth, or roams at will among -the members of Boards of Trade or Stock Exchange, or is denominated a -“Bull” or a “Bear” in the wheat ring, why he simply goes to Canada. - -Surely Justice is appropriately represented as being blindfolded, and I -would suggest that she be represented as carrying an ear trumpet, for if -she is not both blind and deaf she must be extremely partial. - -Reader, if I have succeeded in amusing or instructing you, I have partly -accomplished my purpose in writing this story. Partly I say, for I have -still another object in view. - -The description I have given of the prisons in which I was confined is -but a poor picture of the actual condition of things. It is impossible -for the most talented writer to give an adequate description. But I have -told the truth as best I could. I defy any man to disprove one material -statement, and I fall back upon the testimony of the rebels themselves, -to prove that I have not exaggerated. These men suffered in those -prisons through no fault of their own. The fortunes of war threw them -into the hands of their enemies, and they were treated as no civilized -nation ever treated prisoners before. They were left by their Government -to suffer because that Government believed they would best subserve its -interests by remaining there, rather than to agree to such terms as the -enemy insisted upon. - -General Grant said that one of us was keeping two fat rebels out of the -field. Now if this is true why are not the ex-prisoners recognized by -proper legislation? All other classes of men who went to the war and -many men and women who did not go, are recognized and I believe that -justice demands the recognition of the ex-prisoners. I make no special -plea in my own behalf. I suffered no more than any other of the -thousands who were with me, and not as much as some, but I make the plea -in behalf of my comrades who I know suffered untold miseries for the -cause of the Union, and yet who amidst all this suffering and privation, -spurned with contempt the offers made by the enemy of food, clothing and -life itself almost, at the cost of loyalty. Their motto then was, “Death -but not dishonor.” But their motto now is, “Fiat justicia, ruat coelum.” -Let justice be done though the heavens fall. - -Since writing a description of the prison life in Andersonville, I came -across the following account of a late visit to the old pen, by a member -of the 2d Ohio, of my brigade. It is copied from the National Tribune, -and I take the liberty to use it to show the readers of these articles -how much the place has changed in twenty-five years. - - THE AUTHOR. - - ANDERSONVILLE, GA. - - The Celebrated Prison and Cemetery Revisited. - - EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: - - Having recently made a trip to Andersonville, Ga., I thought a brief - discription of the old prison and cemetery might be of interest to the - readers of your paper. I left the land of ice, sleet and snow March - 26, 1888, taking Pullman car over Monon route via Louisville and - Nashville, arriving at Bowling Green, Ky., 100 miles south of - Louisville, at noon on March 27. Peach trees were in bloom and wild - flowers were to be seen along the route. Nearing Nashville we passed - through the National Cemetery. The grounds are laid out nicely and - neatly kept and looked quite beautiful as we passed swiftly by. - Leaving Nashville, I called a halt, took a brief look over the once - bloody battlefield of Stone River. I then passed through Murfreesboro - and Tullahoma. At Cowen’s Station I stopped for supper. This is the - place where the dog leg-of mutton soup was dished up in 1863. - - At Chattanooga I visited Lookout Mountain; then went to the graves of - my comrades, the Mitchel raiders, that captured the locomotive and - were hanged at Atlanta. The graves are in a circle in the National - Cemetery. For the information of their friends I will give the number - of their graves as marked on headstones: - - J. J. Andrews. 12992. Citizen of Kentucky. - - William Campbell. 11,180. Citizen of Kentucky. - - Samuel Slaven. 11176. Co. G, 33d Ohio. - - S. Robinson. 11177. Co. G, 33d Ohio. - - G. D. Wilson. 11178. Co. B, 2d Ohio. - - Marion Ross. 11179. Co. A, 2d Ohio. - - Perry G. Shadrack. 11181. Co. K, 2d Ohio. - - John Scott. 11182. Co. K, 21st Ohio. - - Leaving here, I passed over a continuous battle field to Atlanta. - Official records show that from Chattanooga to Atlanta, inclusive, - more than 85,000 men were killed and wounded and more than 30,000 - captured from Sept. 15, 1863, to Sept. 15, 1864. Arriving at - Andersonville, I found the same depot agent in charge that was here in - war times. His name is M. P. Suber; he is 76 years old, and has been - agent here 31 years. Geo. Disher, who was a conductor, and handled the - prisoners to and from the stockade, is still connected with the road. - I arrived at 2 o’clock, and after eating my first square meal in this - place (although I had been a boarder here 12 months), I started out to - hunt up my old stamping-ground. The stockade is about half a mile east - of depot. Here it was the 40,000 Northern soldiers were confined like - cattle in a pen. This prison was used from February, 1864, to April - 1865—14 months. - - The stockade was formed of strong pine logs, firmly planted in the - ground and about 20 feet high. The main stockade was surrounded by two - other rows of logs, the middle one 16 feet high, the outer one 12 - feet. It was so arranged that if the inner stockade was forced by the - prisoners, the second would form another line of defense, inclosing 27 - acres. The great stockade has almost entirely disappeared. It is only - here and there that a post or little group of posts are to be seen. - These have not all rotted away, but have been split into rails to - fence the grounds. The ground is owned by G. W. Kennedy, a colored - man. Only a small portion of the ground can be farmed. The swamp, in - which a man would sink to his waist, still occupies considerable - space. In crossing the little brackish stream I knelt down and took a - drink, without skimming off the graybacks, as of old. Passing on, not - far from the north gate I came to Providence Spring, that broke forth - on the 12th or 13th of August, 1864. The spring is surrounded by a - neat wood curbing, with a small opening on the lower side, through - which the water constantly flows. Not the slightest trace is left of - the dead-line. - - The holes which the prisoners dug with spoons and tin cups for water - and to shelter from sun and rain are still to be seen, almost as - perfect as when dug. Also the tunnels that were made with a view to - escape are plain to be seen. Relics of prison life are still being - found—bits of pots, kettles, spoons, canteen-covers, and the like. I - had no trouble in locating my headquarters on the north slope. You can - imagine my feelings as I walked this ground over again after 24 years, - thinking of the suffering and sorrow of those dark days. Visions of - those living skeletons would come up before me with their haggard, - distressed countenances, and will follow me through life. - - A half mile from the prison-pen is the cemetery. Here are buried the - 13,714 that died a wretched death from starvation and disease. The - appearance of the cemetery has been entirely changed since war days. - Then it was an old field. The trenches for the dead were dug about - seven feet wide and 100 yards long. No coffins were used. The twisted, - emaciated forms of the dead prisoners were laid side by side, at the - head of each was driven a little stake on which was marked a number - corresponding with the number of the body on the death register. The - register was kept by one of the prisoners, and 12,793 names are - registered, with State, regiment, company, rank, date of death and - number of grave. Only 921 graves lack identification. I found 35 of my - regiment numbered, and quite a number whom I knew had died there lie - with the unknown. The head boards have been taken away, and - substantial white marble slabs have been erected in their places. The - stones are of two kinds. For the identified soldiers the stones are - flat, polished slabs, three feet long, (one-half being under ground), - four inches thick and 12 inches wide. On the stone is a raised shield, - and on this is recorded the name, rank, state and number. For the - unknown the stone is four inches square and projects only five inches - above the ground. The rows of graves are about 10 or 12 feet apart. - There are a few stones that have been furnished by the family or - friends of the dead. Aside from the few, so many stones alike are - symbolic of a similar cause and an equal fate. The cemetery covers 25 - acres, inclosed by a brick wall five feet high. The main entrance is - in the center of the west side. In the center of a diamond-shaped plot - rises a flagstaff, where the Stars and Stripes are floating from - sunrise to sunset. The cemetery presents a beautiful appearance. The - grounds are nicely laid out and neatly kept, under the supervision of - J. M. Bryant, who lives in a nice brick cottage inside the grounds. - - I will close by quoting one inscription from a stone erected by a - sister to the memory of a brother. - - “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the - sun light on them, nor any heat. - - “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and - shall lead them unto living fountains of water; and God shall wipe - away all tears from their eyes.” - - —Rev., VII: 16, 17. - -The writer of the above article was a prisoner of war over 19 months, -was captured at the battle of Chickamauga Sept. 20, 1863; delivered to -the Union lines April, 1865, and was aboard the ill-fated steamer -Sultana. - -Would like to know if any comrade living was imprisoned this long.—A. C. -BROWN, Co. I, 2d Ohio, Albert Lea, Minn. - - -[Illustration: American Flag] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - - Printed Corrected Page - PRINCIPLE PRINCIPLE. iii of a PRINCIPLE. - Tennesse Tennessee 2 from the Tennessee - or of 2 the command of Gen. - evacution evacuation 2 evacuation of that - Aid Aide 2 an Aide came dashing - throught through 2 went through brush - and and which had 3 which had knocked the - the the the 4 Starkweather’s on the - side side, 5 canteen by his side, - discription description 8 reader a description - heterogenous heterogeneous 8 in a heterogeneous - sorgum sorghum 10 gallon of sorghum - heavey heavy 10 wheezing like a heavy - Appomatox Appomattox 11 across the Appomattox - Said said 15 “What?” said the - Novvember November 15 until November - on an 15 was an old one and - we me 17 farther let me say, - returing returning 18 returning to prison - maching marching 18 we go marching on. - bole hole 19 hole through the - innoculated inoculated 19 We were inoculated - innoculation inoculation 20 inoculation of a few - K. K., 21 Squires, of Co. K., - his his his 22 In his concluding - Yanks.” “Yanks.” 22 to see the “Yanks.” - V V. 22 F. F. V.’s. We were - cattle, cattle. 23 conveyance of cattle. - kind kind, 24 kind, quantity - coutrary contrary 25 contrary to orders, - way way. 25 see it that way. But - laws law’s 26 the law’s delay, - have. have, 26 those ills we have, - Petersberg Petersburg 26 leaving Petersburg - animals animals. 26 wild animals. The - Deadline Dead-line 27 the Dead-line and - the the the 27 the form as written, - Inf Inf. 27 10th Wisconsin Inf. - subivided subdivided 28 we subdivided these - pine pine. 28 leaved pitch pine. - Parrott Parrott. 31 “Poll Parrott.” He - Georia Georgia 32 5th Georgia regulars. - qualiity quality 33 the same quality as - Mead’s Meade’s 33 from Meade’s army - cannoniers cannoneers 36 while the cannoneers - Connecticut Connecticut, 36 16th Connecticut, - preemted preempted 37 had preempted - law,and law, and 40 law, and without - particuular particular 42 want some particular - sea. sea.” 42 down to the sea.” - succumed succumbed 45 had also succumbed - war, war. 45 the time of the war. - alke alike 46 were alike to him - is, is 46 your condition is - examination, extended examination extended, 48 examination extended - sattered scattered 49 were scattered - his his his 50 destroy his life - petechiae petechiae, 51 petechiae, - survy scurvy 52 scurvy was contagious - ulsers ulcers 52 Many ulcers which - gangreneous gangrenous 52 truly gangrenous - orginally originally 52 were originally built - hight height 53 height, swarming with - maggots, maggots. 54 with maggots. I - poissonous poisonous 55 of the poisonous - inflamatory inflammatory 55 inflammatory symptoms - dysentry dysentery 56 in cases of dysentery - dysentry dysentery 56 diarrhea or dysentry - Savaunah Savannah 64 and that Savannah - allowed allow 64 kind enough to allow - p. m p. m. 65 eleven o’clock p. m. - tea spoonful teaspoonful 65 a teaspoonful of salt - Andersonsville Andersonville 66 as at Andersonville - letdown would have let down would have 67 let down would have - sorgham sorghum 67 sorghum syrup and a - t’was ’twas 68 and ’twas a handsome - conpetent competent 69 perfectly competent - joost “joost 69 puff—puff—puff—“joost - Richmond. Richmond, 70 capture of Richmond, - haman human 70 eternal in the human - Tennesee Tennessee 71 in Tennessee - provisons provisions 72 the provisions in - wont won’t 72 I won’t give you - offiers officers 73 the rebel officers - they they they 73 thinking they would - grim grime 77 the grime and dirt - Febuary February 79 was used from Febuary - mames names 79 names are registered - rank; rank, 80 the name, rank, state - thrist thirst 80 thirst any more; - -A number of spelling irregularities have been retained from the printed -edition. - -The form of quotations has been retained from the printed edtition. - -The corrections in the Errata have been applied. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Fifteen Months in Dixie, by William W. 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text-align: left; } - </style> - </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fifteen Months in Dixie, by William W. Day - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Fifteen Months in Dixie - My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons - -Author: William W. Day - -Release Date: January 21, 2016 [EBook #50991] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIFTEEN MONTHS IN DIXIE *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Lisa Anne Hatfield and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div> - <h1 class='c000' title='Fifteen'></h1> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='c003'>FIFTEEN MONTHS</span></div> - <div><span class='c004'>IN DIXIE</span></div> - <div class='c001'>——OR——</div> - <div class='c001'><span class='c005'>MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN</span></div> - <div><span class='c005'>REBEL PRISONS.</span></div> - <div class='c006'>A Story of the Hardships, Privations and Sufferings of</div> - <div>the “Boys in Blue” during the late</div> - <div>War of the Rebellion.</div> - <div class='c006'>——BY——</div> - <div class='c001'><span class='c005'>W. W. DAY,</span></div> - <div class='c001'><span class='c005'>A PRIVATE OF 60. D. 10TH REGIMENT</span></div> - <div class='c001'>WISCONSIN VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.</div> - <div class='c001'><span class='xsmall'>OWATONNA, MINN.</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>THE PEOPLE’S PRESS PRINT.</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>1889.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div>To my Comrades</div> - <div>who, like myself, were so</div> - <div>unfortunate as to have suffered the</div> - <div>horrors of a living death in the Prison Pens of the</div> - <div>South, and who, through all their hardships, privations, and</div> - <div>sufferings, remained loyal to our FLAG, and to my beloved Wife,</div> - <div>who suffered untold tortures of mind begotten by anxiety</div> - <div>on account of the uncertainty of my fate, for</div> - <div>fifteen long, weary, months,——this</div> - <div>work is dedicated in</div> - <div>F. C. & L.</div> - <div>by</div> - <div>THE AUTHOR.</div> - <div class='c002'>COPYRIGHT, 1889,</div> - <div><span class='xsmall'>BY</span></div> - <div>W. W. DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>PREFACE.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>I have sometimes been in doubt whether a preface was necessary to this -work; but have decided to write one, for the reason that in a preface the -author is permitted to give the reader a “peep behind the scenes,” as he is -not permitted to do in the body of the book. Since the commencement of the -publication of this story, in a serial form, a few very good people have been -so kind as to tell me, that it is “too late in the day” to write upon the subject -of Rebel Prisons. My answer is: it is never too late to tell the story of -what patriotic men suffered in the defence of Constitutional liberty, and of -the Union of States, which union was cemented by the blood of our Revolutionary -sires. It is never too late to tell the story of,—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Man’s unhumanity to man.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>It is never too late to tell the truth, although the truth may be sharper -than a two-edged sword. It is never too late to inspire our young men to -love, and venerate, and defend, the Flag of their Country; to tell them how -their fathers suffered in support of a <span class='fss'>PRINCIPLE</span><a id='tn003'></a>. No, it is not too late to tell -this story, and I have no apologies to offer any man, living or dead, for telling -it. But, while I have no apologies to offer, I deem an explanation in -order.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Since I commenced writing this Story I have felt the want of a liberal -education as I never felt it before. For, to tell the exact truth, I never enjoyed -the advantages of any school of higher grade than the common district -school of thirty years ago. Therefore, kind reader,—you who have enjoyed -the advantages of better schools, and a more liberal education,—when you -find a mistake in this book, one which can not be laid at the door of the -printer, kindly, and for “Sweet Charity’s Sake,” overlook it; for I assure you -I would be thus kind to you under similar circumstances.</p> - -<div class='c010'>W. W. DAY.</div> - -<p class='c011'>Lemond, Minnesota, September, 1889.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='8%' /> -<col width='91%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <th class='c012'>Page.</th> - <th class='c013'></th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch01'>CHAPTER I.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec01-1'>Introduction</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_2'>2</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec01-2'>The Battle of Chickamauga</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_5'>5</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Captured</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch02'>CHAPTER II.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_6'>6</a></td> - <td class='c013'>The Field Hospital</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td> - <td class='c013'>A trip over the battle field</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td> - <td class='c013'>The Atlanta Prison Pen</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></td> - <td class='c013'>The “Engine Thieves”</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_10'>10</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec02-5'>Onward to Richmond</a></td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch03'>CHAPTER III.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_12'>12</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec03-1'>Libby Prison</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_13'>13</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Scott’s Building</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_15'>15</a></td> - <td class='c013'>“Zult”</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch04'>CHAPTER IV.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_16'>16</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec04-1'>Danville Prison</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Bug Soup</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_18'>18</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Patriotic Songs</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_19'>19</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Searched—Small-pox</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch05'>CHAPTER V.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td> - <td class='c013'>The “Very O Lord”</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_21'>21</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Escape of Johney Squires</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_22'>22</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Skirmishing</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch06'>CHAPTER VI.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_25'>25</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec06-1'>En Route to Andersonville</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_27'>27</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Description of Andersonville</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_28'>28</a></td> - <td class='c013'>“Dugouts” and “Gophers”</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch07'>CHAPTER VII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_29'>29</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec07-1'>Winder and Wirz</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_31'>31</a></td> - <td class='c013'>“Poll Parrot”</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_32'>32</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Georgia Home “Gyaards”</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch08'>CHAPTER VIII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Insufficient and poor quality of rations.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_34'>34</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Digging Wells</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_35'>35</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Providence Spring</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_35'>35</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Stealing a board from the dead line</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_36'>36</a></td> - <td class='c013'>A break in the stockade</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_36'>36</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Plymouth Pilgrims</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch09'>CHAPTER IX.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_38'>38</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec09-1'>The Raiders</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_39'>39</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Capture and hanging of the raiders</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Spanking</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch10'>CHAPTER X.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_42'>42</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec10-1'>Close quarters</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_43'>43</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Joe Hall and “Tip” Hoover</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_46'>46</a></td> - <td class='c013'>The Negro. Catholic Priest</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch11'>CHAPTER XI.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_47'>47</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec11-1'>Mortality at Andersonville Dr. Jones’ report</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_57'>57</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Remarks on Dr. Jones’ report</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch12'>CHAPTER XII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_59'>59</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec12-1'>Progress of the war</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_59'>59</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Tribute to Logan</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td> - <td class='c013'>New quarters</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Number of deaths in Andersonville</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_62'>62</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Jeff Davis</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch13'>CHAPTER XIII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_64'>64</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec13-1'>Good-bye Andersonville</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Arrival at Charleston</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_66'>66</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Historic Ground</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_66'>66</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Florence</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch14'>CHAPTER XIV.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_68'>68</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec14-1'>Naked and cold and hungry, Sherman</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_69'>69</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Letter to Wisconsin Sanitary Commission.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_70'>70</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Tribute to the Sanitary Commission.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_72'>72</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Honey</td> - </tr> - <tr><td> </td></tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'></td> - <td class='c014'><a href='#ch15'>CHAPTER XV.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec15-1'>Vale Dixie</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_74'>74</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Exchange Commenced</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_75'>75</a></td> - <td class='c013'>My turn comes</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_77'>77</a></td> - <td class='c013'>Homeward bound</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c012'><a href='#Page_77'>77</a></td> - <td class='c013'><a href='#sec15-5'>Conclusion</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='errata' class='c007'>ERRATA.</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>On page <a href='#err012'>3</a>, 23d line, 1st column, for -“right” read regiment.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On page <a href='#err171'>74</a>, 16th line, for “adopt” -read adopted.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On page <a href='#err171-2'>74</a>, 23d line, for “slowing” -read slowly.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On page <a href='#err172'>74</a>, 2d column, 2d paragraph, -10th line, for “regions” read -designs.</p> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c001' /> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span><span class='c005'>FIFTEEN MONTHS IN DIXIE,</span></div> - <div class='c001'>OR</div> - <div class='c001'><span class='c015'>MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE</span></div> - <div><span class='c015'>IN REBEL PRISONS.</span></div> - <div class='c006'>BY W. W. DAY.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c016'><a id='ch01'></a></p> - -<h3 id='sec01-1' class='c017'>INTRODUCTION.</h3> - -<p class='c018'>On the 12th day of April, 1861, in -Charleston Harbor, a shot was fired -whose echo rang round the world. -The detonation of that cannon, fired -at Fort Sumter, reverberated from -the pine-clad hills and rock-bound -coast of Maine across the continent to -the placid waters of the Pacific, thrilling -the hearts of the freemen of the -north and causing the blood, inherited -from Revolutionary sires, to course -through their veins with maddening -speed. That cannon was fired by -armed rebellion at freedom of person, -freedom of speech, freedom of the -press, and the Union of States. That -echo roused those freemen to a resolution -to do and to die, if need be, -for the maintenance of the Union, -and the supremacy of law.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The outbreak of the rebellion -found the writer, then a little past -majority, on a farm near a little village -in Wisconsin. I was just married, -had put in my spring crop and -when the first call was made for -troops, was not situated so that I -could leave home, but on the 10th of -October following I enlisted in Co. D. -10th Wis. Inf. Vols.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As this is to be a history of prison -life, it is not my purpose to write a -history of my regiment but a short -sketch is proper in order to give the -reader a fair understanding of my -capture.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The 10th left Camp Holton, near -Milwaukee, about the middle of Nov. -1861. We went by railway via Chicago, -Indianapolis and Evansville to -Louisville, Ky., thence to Shepherdsville, -thence to Elizabethtown, where -we were assigned to Sill’s Brigade of -Mitchell’s Division. Wintered at -Bacon Creek and on the 11th of Feb. -1862, marched with Buell’s army to -the capture of Bowling Green. Buell’s -army and part of Grant’s army arrived -almost simultaneously at Nashville, -Tenn. Grant with his forces -proceeded to Pittsburg Landing, Buell -to Murfreesboro. After Buell with -the greater part of his army had -marched to Grant’s support, Mitchell’s -Division marched on Huntsville, -Ala., capturing that place together -with about 500 prisoners, 12 engines -and a large amount of rolling stock, -the property of the Memphis & -Charleston R. R.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The 10th guarded the M. & C. R. R. -from Huntsville to Stevenson, the -junction of the M. & C. and the Nashville -& Chattanooga R. R. during the -summer of ’62.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Early in September we commenced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>that famous retreat from the <a id='tn010'></a>Tennessee -to the Ohio, and to show the -reader how famous it was to those -who participated in it, I will say we -averaged twenty-four miles per day -from Stevenson, Ala., to Louisville, -Ky. On the 8th of October, supported -Simonson’s battery at the Battle of -Perryville, losing 146, killed and -wounded out of 375 men. Our colors -showing the marks of forty-nine rebel -bullets, in fact they were torn into -shreds. Dec. 31st, ’62 and Jan. 1st -and 2nd, ’63, in the Battle of Stone’s -River, or Murfreesboro.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The army of the Cumberland, then -under command <a id='tn010-2'></a>or Gen. Rosecrans, -was divided into four army corps. -The 14th, under Gen. Thomas, was in -the center. The 20th, under Gen. A. -McD. McCook, on the right. The -21st, under Gen. Crittenden, on the -left and the Reserve Corps, under -Gen. Gordon Granger, in supporting -distance in the rear.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We remained at Murfreesboro until -June 23rd, ’63, when the whole army -advanced against Bragg, who was -entrenched at Tullahoma, drove him -out of his entrenchments, across the -mountains and Tennessee River into -Chattanooga and vicinity. Here commenced -a campaign begun in victory -and enthusiasm, and ending at Chickamauga -in disaster and gloom, but -not in absolute defeat.</p> - -<h3 id='sec01-2' class='c017'>THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.</h3> - -<p class='c018'>Rosecrans showed fine strategic -ability in maneuvering Bragg out of -Tennessee without a general engagement, -but he made a serious and almost -fatal mistake after he had -crossed the Tennessee River with his -own army. He should have entrenched -at Chattanooga and kept his army -well together. Instead of doing so, -he scattered his forces in a mountainous -country. Crittenden’s Corps followed -the north bank of the Tennessee -to a point above Chattanooga, there -crossed the river flanking Chattanooga -on the east and cutting the -railroad south, thus compelling the -<a id='tn010-3'></a>evacuation of that place.</p> - -<p class='c009'>McCook crossed two ranges of -mountains to Trenton, while Thomas -with his corps still remained at -Bridgeport, on the Tennessee, and -Granger was leisurely marching down -from Nashville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the reorganization of the Army -of the Cumberland in Oct. ’62, our -Brigade was called 1st Brig. of 1st -Div., 14th Corps. The Brigade was -commanded by Col. Scribner of the -38th Indiana. The Division was commanded -through the Perryville and -Murfreesboro campaigns by Gen. -Rousseau, but through the Chickamauga -campaign by Gen. Absalom -Baird, now Inspector General of the -Army.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I shall not attempt to give an historical -or official description of the Battle -of Chickamauga, but a description -as seen from the standpoint of a private -soldier.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 18th of September our Division -was bivouacked at Maclamore’s -Cove, a few miles from Lee & Gordon’s -Mills. Heavy skirmishing had -been going on all day at Lee & Gordon’s -Mills and Rossville between -Crittenden and McCook’s forces and -those of the enemy. About 4 <span class='fss'>P. M.</span>, -the “Assembly” sounded and we “fell -in” and commenced our march for -the battlefield. At dark my Regt. was -thrown out as flankers. We marched -until 10 o’clock along the banks of a -small creek while on the opposite side -of the creek a similar line of the enemy -marched parallel with us. We -reached Crawfish Springs about 10 <span class='fss'>P. -M.</span>, here we took the road again and -continued our march until sunrise on -the morning of the 19th when we -halted and prepared breakfast. Before -we had finished our breakfast we -heard a terrible roar and crash of -musketry to our front, which was east. -This was the opening of the battle of -Chickamauga. Immediately afterward -an <a id='tn011'></a>Aide came dashing up to -Lieut. Col. Ely, commanding 10th -Wis. We were ordered to fall in and -load at will. Then the order was -given “forward, double quick, march,” -and forward we went <a id='tn011-2'></a>through brush, -over rocks and fallen trees, keeping -our alignment almost as perfect as -though we were marching in review. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>Very soon we began to hear the sharp -“fizt and ping” of bullets, a sound already -familiar to our ears for we -were veterans of two years service, -and then we began to take the Johnies -in “out of the wet.” Forward, -and still forward, we rushed all the -time firing at the enemy who was -falling back. After advancing nearly -a mile in this manner we found the -enemy, en masse, in the edge of a corn -field. Our Division halted, the skirmishers -fell back into line and the -business of the day commenced in -deadly earnest. We were ordered to -lie down and load and fire at will. -Reader, I wish I had the ability to -describe what followed. Not more -than twenty-five rods in front of us -was a dense mass of rebs who were -pouring in a shower of bullets that -fairly made the ground boil. To the -rear of my <a id='err012'></a>regiment was a section of -Loomis’ 1st Mich. Battery which was -firing double shotted canister over our -heads. How we did hug the ground, -bullets from the front like a swarm of -bees, canister from the rear screeching -and yelling like lost spirits in -deepest sheol. But this could not last -long, mortal man could not stand such -a shower of lead while he had willing -legs to carry him out of such a place.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The rebels soon found a gap at the -right of my Regt. and began to pour in -past our right flank. I was lying on -the ground loading and firing fast as -possible when I saw the rebels charging -past our right, with their arms at -a trail, looking up I discovered that -there was not a man to the right of -me in the Regt. I did not wait for -orders but struck out for the rear in a -squad of one. I could not see a man -of my regiment so I concluded to -help support the battery, accordingly -I rushed up nearly in front of one of -the guns just as they gave the Johnies -twenty pounds of canister. That -surprised me. I found I was in the -wrong place, twenty pounds of canister -fired through me was liable to lay me -up, so I filed left and came in front of -the other gun just as the men were -ready to fire. They called out to me -to hurry as they wanted to fire, facing -the gun and leaning over to the right -I called to them to fire away and they -did fire away with a vengeance. After -this things seem mixed up in my -mind. I remember getting to the -rear of that gun, of hearing the bullets -whistling, of seeing the woods -full of rebs, of thinking I shall get -hit yet, of trying to find a good place -to hide and finally of stumbling and -falling, striking my breast on my -canteen, and then oblivion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>How long I remained unconscious -I never knew, probably not long, but -when I came to my understanding the -firing had ceased in my immediate -vicinity except now and then a scattering -shot. I started again for the -rear and had not gone more than a -quarter of a mile before I found Gen. -Baird urging a lot of stragglers to -rally and protect a flag which he was -holding. Here I found Capt. W. A. -Collins and several other men of my -Company. When he saw me he asked -me if I was hurt. I told him “no, not -much, I had a couple of cannons fired -in my face and fell on my canteen <a id='tn013'></a>which -had knocked the breath out of me -but that I would be all right in a little -while.” He then told me I had better -go to the rear to the hospital. To -this I objected, telling him that I had -rather stay with the “boys.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>We then marched to the rear and -halted in a corn field. The stragglers -from the regiment began to come in -and the brigade was soon together -again, but we did no more fighting -that day. But just before night we -were marched to the front and -formed in line of battle. About 8 -o’clock in the evening Johnson’s Division -attempted to relieve another -division in our front, Wood’s, I think -it was, when the latter division poured -a galling fire into the former, supposing -they were rebels. Some of the -balls came through the ranks of the -10th, whereupon Company K opened -fire without orders and a sad mistake -it proved for it revealed our position -and a rebel battery opened on us with -shells. To say that they made it -lively for us is to say but part of the -truth. The woods were fairly ablaze -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>with bursting shells. The way they -hissed and shrieked and howled and -crashed was trying to the nerves of a -timid man.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After the firing had ceased we were -marched a short distance to the rear -and bivouacked for the night. I laid -down by a fire but “tired nature’s -sweet restorer” did not visit me that -night. I had received a terrible -shock during the day. We had been -whipped most unmercifully. The 1st -Division of the 14th Corps had turned -its back on the enemy for the first -time, that day; and, too, there was -to-morrow coming, and what would -it bring? Do coming events cast their -shadows before? Perhaps they do, -at any rate the thoughts of all these -things passing through my mind made -me pass a sleepless night.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Sunday morning, September 20th, -came. The same sun that shone -dimly through the hazy atmosphere -which surrounded the battlefield of -Chickamauga, and called those tired -soldiers to the terrible duties of another -day of battle, shone brightly -upon our dear ones at home, calling -them to prepare for a day of rest and -devotion, and while they were wending -their way to church to offer up a -prayer, perhaps, in our behalf, their -way enlivened by the sweet sounds of -the Sabbath bells, we were marching -to the front to meet a victorious and -determined foe, our steps enlivened -by the thundering boom of the murderous -cannon, the sharp rattle of -musketry and the din and roar of -battle, together with the shrieks and -groans of our wounded and dying -comrades. What a scene for a Sabbath -day? But I am moralizing, I -must on with my story.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our division formed in line of battle -on a ridge, with Scribner’s Brigade -in the center, Starkweather’s on <a id='tn014'></a>the -right and King’s on the left. -Soon the rebels came up the ascent at -the charge step. We wait until they -are in short range then we rise from -behind our slight entrenchments and -pour such a well directed volley into -their ranks that they stagger for a -moment, but for a moment only, and -on they come again returning our fire, -then the batteries open on them and -from their steel throats belch forth -iron hail and bursting shells, while -we pour in our deadly fire of musketry. -They halt! <span class='sc'>They break</span>! -THEY RUN! Those heroes of -Longstreet’s, they have met their -match in the hardy veterans of the -west. Three times that day did we -send back the rebel foe. In the -meantime McCook and Crittenden -had not fared so well. Bragg had -been reinforced by Longstreet, Joe -Johnson and Buckner, so that he had -a much larger force then did Rosecrans.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Shortly after noon Bragg threw such -an overwhelming force upon those -two corps that they were swept from -the field and driven toward Chattanooga, -carrying Rosecrans and staff -with them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here it was that Thomas, with the -14th Corps, reinforced by Granger, -earned the title of “The Rock of -Chickamauga.” Holding fast to the -base of Missionary Ridge he interposed -those two corps between the -corps of McCook and Crittenden and -the enemy, giving them time to escape -up the valley toward Chattanooga.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But to return to my division. Three -times that day did we repel the charge -of the enemy, but the fourth time -they came in such numbers and with -such impetuosity that they fairly -lifted us out of our line. When we -broke for the rear I started out with -Capt. Collins, but he was in light -marching order, while I was encumbered -with knapsack, gun and accoutrements, -and he soon left me behind.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When I left the line I fired my gun -at the enemy, and as I retreated I -loaded it again, on the run, all but the -cap. When Capt. Collins left me I -began to look for some safe place and -seeing a twenty-four pounder battery, -with a Union flag, I started toward it. -They were firing canister at the time -as I supposed, at the enemy, but they -fell around me so thickly that they -fairly made the sand boil. I began to -think it was a rebel battery with a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>Union flag as a decoy, so I filed right -until I got out of range.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Soon after getting out of range of -the battery I came across a dead rebel -and noticing a canteen by his side<a id='tn016'></a>, -I stooped, picked it up and shook it -and found that it was partly filled -with water. This was a Godsend -for I had been without water all day. -The canteen was covered with blood, -but, oh, how sweet and refreshing -that water tasted. Here I threw -away my knapsack to facilitate my -flight. I soon came to a wounded -rebel who begged of me to give him -a drink of water. I complied with -his request and again started out for -Chattanooga. I had gone but a short -distance before I saw a soldier beckoning -to me, supposing by the uniform -that he was a member of the -2nd Ohio. I approached within a short -distance of him, when the following -colloquy took place:</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reb,—“He’ah yo Yank, give me -yo’ah gun.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Yank,—“Not by a thundering sight, -the first thing I learned after I enlisted -was to keep my gun myself.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reb,—“Give me yo’ah gun, I say.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Yank,—“Don’t you belong to the -2nd Ohio?”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reb,—“No, I belong to the 4th Mississippi. -Give me yo’ah gun.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>At the same time pointing his gun -point blank at my breast.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Yank,—“The devil you do.” At -the same time handing him my gun -for, you will remember, I had loaded -my gun but had not capped it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I think I hear some of my readers -say “you was vulgar.” No, I was -surprised and indignant and I submit -that I expressed my feelings in as -concise language as possible. Consider -the situation, I was in the woods, -it was nearly dark, I supposed I had -found a friend but there was a good -Enfield rifle pointing at me, not ten -feet away, in that gun was an ounce -ball, behind that ball was sufficient -powder to blow it a mile, on the gun -was a water-proof cap, warranted to -explode every time, and behind the -whole was a Johnny who understood -the combination to a nicety. The fact -was, he had the drop on me, I handed -him my gun and he threw it into a -clump of bushes.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While he was disposing of my case -another Union soldier crossed his -guard beat, for he was one of Longstreet’s -pickets. He called to him to -halt but the soldier paying no attention -to him, he brought his gun to an -aim and again called, “halt or I’ll -shoot yo.” “Don’t shoot the man for -God’s sake, he is in your lines,” said -I, and while Johnny was paying his -addresses to the other soldier, I gave -a jump and ran like a frightened deer. -Around the clump of brush I sped, -thinking, “now for Chattanooga.” -“Hello, Bill! Where you going?” -“Oh, I had got started for Chattanooga, -but I guess I will go with you,” -and I ran plump into a squad of men -of my company and regiment under -guard.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Men, styling themselves statesmen, -have stood up in their places in the -halls of Congress and called prisoners -of war “Coffee Coolers” and “Blackberry -Pickers.” I give it up. I cannot -express my opinion, adequately, -of men who will so sneer at and belittle -brave men who have fought -through two days of terrible battle, -and only yielded themselves prisoners -of war because they were surrounded -and overpowered, as did those men at -Chickamauga.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Battle of Chickamauga was -ended and that Creek proved to be -what its Indian name implies, a “river -of death.” The losses on the Union -side were over 17,000, and on the -Confederate side over 22,000.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I said in the introduction that the -Chickamauga campaign did not end -in absolute defeat. And, although -we were most unmercifully whipped, -I still maintain that assertion, Gen. -Grant to the contrary, notwithstanding. -Rosecrans saved Chattanooga -and that was the bone of contention, -the prime object of the campaign. -But it was a case similar to that of an -Arkansas doctor, who when asked -how his patients, at a house where he -was called the night before, were getting -on replied: “Wall, the child is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>dead and the-ah mother is dead, but -I’ll be dogoned if I don’t believe I’ll -pull the old man through all right.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch02' class='c007'>CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c006'> - <div><span class='c019'>A PRISONER OF WAR.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Woe came with war and want with woe;</div> - <div class='line in2'>And it was mine to undergo</div> - <div class='line'>Each outrage of the rebel foe:”—</div> - <div class='line in12'>Rokeby, canto 5, verse 18.</div> - <div class='c010'>Scott.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>When I had thus unceremoniously -run into the lion’s mouth, I surrendered -and was marched with my comrades -a short distance to Gen. Humphrey’s -headquarters and placed under guard.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I then began to look around among -the prisoners for those with whom I -was acquainted.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Among others, I found Lieut. A. E. -Patchin and Geo. Hand of my company, -both wounded. Having had -considerable experience in dressing -wounds, at Lieut. Patchin’s request, I -went to Gen. Humphrey and obtained -written permission to stay with him -(Patchin) and care for him. Patchin, -Hand and myself were then marched -off about half a mile to a field hospital, -on a small branch or creek, as we -would say.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Seating Patchin and Hand by a fire, -I procured water and having satisfied -our thirst, I proceeded to dress their -wounds. We sat up all night, not -having any blankets, and all night -long the shrieks and groans of -wounded and dying men pierced our -ears.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the morning I went to a rebel -surgeon and procured a basin, a -sponge, some lint and bandages, and -after dressing the wounds of my patients, -I took such of the wounded -rebels in my hands as my skill, or lack -of skill, would permit me to handle.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I worked all the forenoon relieving -my late enemies and received the -thanks and “God bless you, Yank,” -from men who had, perhaps the day -before, used their best skill to kill -me. Who knows but that a bullet -from my own gun had laid one of -those men low?</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the afternoon those of the -wounded Union prisoners who could -not walk were placed in wagons and -those who could, under guard and we -were taken to McLaw’s Division hospital, -on Chickamauga Creek.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the way to the hospital we -passed over a portion of the battlefield. -While marching along I heard -the groans of a man off to the right -of the road, I called the guard’s attention -to it and together we went to -the place from whence the sound proceeded; -there, lying behind a log, we -found a wounded Union soldier. He -begged for water saying he had not -tasted a drop since he was wounded on -the 19th, two days before. He was shot -in the abdomen and a portion of the -caul, about four inches in length, protruded -from the wound. I gave him -water, and the guard helped me to -carry him to the wagon. His name -was Serg. James Morgan, of some -Indiana Regiment, the 46th, I think. -He lived five days. I cared for him -while he lived. One morning I went -to see him and found him dead. I -searched his pockets and found his -Sergeant’s Warrant and a photograph -of his sister, with her name and post-office -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>address written upon it. These -I preserved during my fifteen months -imprisonment and sent to her address -after I arrived in our lines. I received -a letter from her thanking me for -preserving those mementoes of her -brother; also for the particulars of -his death. I also received a letter -from Capt. Studebaker, Morgan’s -brother-in-law, and to whose company -Morgan belonged, dated at Jonesboro, -N. C., May 1865, in which he said that -my letter gave the family the first -news of the fate of Morgan.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We arrived at the hospital just before -night and I proceeded to make -my patients as comfortable as possible. -There were at this place 120 -wounded Union soldiers besides several -hundred wounded Confederates. -Our quarters were the open air. These -wounded men lay scattered all around, -in the garden, the orchard, by the -roadside, any and every where.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The first night here I sat up all -night building fires, carrying water -for the wounded and dressing their -wounds. Besides myself, there was -a surgeon of an Illinois Battery and -James Fadden, of the 10th Wis., who -had a scalp wound, to care for these -poor men, and a busy time we had. -I assisted the surgeon in performing -amputations, besides my other duties.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The rebels seemed to think we -could live without food as they issued -but three days rations to us in eleven -days.</p> - -<p class='c009'>How did we live? I will tell you. -On both sides of us was a corn field but -the rebels had picked all the corn but -we skirmished around and found an -occasional nubbin which we boiled, -then shaved off with a knife, making -the product into mush. Besides this, -we found a few small pumpkins and -some elder berries, these we stewed -and divided among the men.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About a week after we arrived here, -I applied to the rebel surgeon in -charge for permission to kill some of -the cattle, which were running at -large, telling him that our men were -starving. He replied that he could -do nothing for us, that he had not -enough rations for his own men, that -he could not give me permission to -kill cattle, as Gen. Bragg had issued -orders just before the battle authorizing -citizens to shoot any soldier, Reb -or Yank, whom they found foraging. -But he added that he would not “give -me away” if I killed one. I took the -hint, and hunting up an Enfield rifle -the Union surgeon and I started -out for beef. We went into the -corn field to the east of us where there -were quite a number of cattle, and -selecting a nice fat three-year-old -heifer, I told the doctor that I was -going to shoot it. He urged me not -to shoot so large an animal as the citizens -would shoot us for it, and wanted -me to kill a yearling near by. I told -him “we might just as well die for -an old sheep as a lamb,” and fired, -killing the three-year-old. You -ought to have seen us run after I -fired. Great Scott! How we skedaddled. -Pell mell we went, out of -the corn field, over the fence, and into -the brush. There we lay and watched -in the direction of two houses, but -seeing no person after a while we -went back to our game. It did not -take long to dress that animal and -taking a quarter we carried it back to -the hospital. We secured the whole -carcass without molestation and then -proceeded to give our boys a feast. -We ate the last of it for breakfast the -next morning. After this feast came -another famine. I tried once more -to find a beef, but found instead two -reb citizens armed with shot guns. I -struck out for tall timber. Citizens -gave me chase but I eluded them by -dodging into the canebrakes which -bordered the creek, thence into the -creek down which I waded, finally getting -back to the hospital minus my -gun.</p> - -<p class='c009'>You may be sure that I did not try -hunting after this little episode.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Rosecrans and Bragg had just before -this made arrangements for the -exchange of wounded prisoners. Our -hospitals were at the Cloud Farm, five -miles north-west from us, and Crawfish -Springs, five miles south of Cloud -Farm.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The next morning I secured an old -<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>rattle-bones of a horse and went over -to the Cloud Farm for rations. I -reported to the Provost Marshal on -Gen. Bragg’s staff, and not being able -to procure any rations here, he sent a -cavalryman with me as a safe guard. -We went down to Crawfish Springs, -where I procured a sack full of hard -tack and returned to the hospital.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I traveled fifteen miles that day -over the battlefield. Such a sight as -I there saw I hope never to see again. -This was eleven days after the battle -and none of our dead had been buried -then; in fact, the most of our brave -men who fell at Chickamauga were -not buried until after the battle of -Missionary Ridge and the country -had come in possession of the Union -forces. The sight was horrible. -There they lay, those dead heroes, -just as they fell when stricken with -whistling bullet, or screaming canister, -or crashing shell.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some of them had been stripped of -their clothing, all were badly decomposed. -The stench was beyond my -power to tell, or yours to imagine. -Taken all together it was the most -horrible scene the eye of man ever -rested upon.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Let me try to give the reader a <a id='tn023'></a>description -of what I saw that day. -When I first reached the battlefield -my attention was attracted to a number -of horsemen dressed in Federal -uniforms. These were evidently -rebel cavalrymen who had dressed -themselves in the uniforms of our -dead soldiers. In every part of the -field was evidence of the terrible -havoc of war. Bursted cannons, broken -gun carriages, muskets, bayonets, -accoutrements, sabres, swords, canteens, -knapsacks, haversacks, sponges, -rammers, buckets, broken wagons, -dead horses and dead men were mixed -and intermingled in a <a id='tn023-2'></a>heterogeneous -mass.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Fatigue parties of rebel soldiers -and negroes were gleaning the fruits -of the battlefield.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In one place I saw cords of muskets -and rifles piled up in great ricks like -cord-wood. The harvest was a rich -one for the Confederacy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In one place I saw more than twenty -artillery horses, lying as they had -fallen, to the rear of the position of a -Rebel battery, showing the fierce and -determined resistance of the Union -soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At another place, near where my -regiment breakfasted on the morning -of the 19th, a Union battery had -taken position, it was on the Chattanooga -road and to the rear was heavy -timber. Here the trees were literally -cut down by cannon shots from a -Rebel battery. Some of the trees -were eighteen or twenty inches in -diameter. Havoc, destruction, ruin -and death reigned supreme. In some -places, where some fierce charge had -been made, the ground was covered -with the dead. Federal and Confederate -lay side by side just as they had -fallen in their last struggle. But -why dwell on these scenes? They -were but a companion piece to just -such scenes on a hundred other battlefields -of the civil war.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We remained at the Chickamauga -hospital for three weeks. Then all -who could ride in wagons were carried -to Ringgold, where we took the cars -for Atlanta. Many of the wounded -had died and we had buried them -there on the banks of the “River of -Death.” I presume they have found -sepulture at last in the National Cemetery, -at Chattanooga, along with the -heroes of Lookout Mountain and Missionary -Ridge. Peace to their ashes. -They gave all that men can give, their -lives, for their country, and we gave -them the best gifts of comrades, -honor and a soldier’s grave.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At Ringgold some ladies came into -the cars and distributed food to our -party. It was a kindly but unexpected -act, and we appreciated it the -more as we were nearly starved. We -traveled all night and arrived at -Atlanta about 11 o’clock <span class='fss'>A. M.</span> the -next day. We were removed to the -“Pen” and here I was introduced to -the “Bull Pens” of the South.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Prison Pen here was small, -being used only as a stopping place -for prisoners en route for Richmond. -The enclosure was made of boards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>and was twelve feet in height. On two -sides were barracks which would -shelter probably five hundred men. -In the center was a well of good -water. The guards were on the platforms -inside and nearly as high as the -fence.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The next day after our arrival the -Commandant of the Prison put me in -charge of twenty-one wounded officers. -These officers elected me nurse, -commissary general, cook and chambermaid -of the company.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our rations were of fair quality but -of very limited quantity. A fund was -raised and entrusted to me with instructions -to purchase everything in -the line of eatables that I could get.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here we found Gen. Neal Dow, -sometimes called the father of the -“Maine Law.” He had been taken -prisoner down near the Gulf and was -on his way to Richmond for exchange.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here we also found Lieut. Mason, -of the 2nd Ohio Infantry, and he, too, -had a history. In the latter part of -April 1862, Gen. Mitchell sent a detail -of twenty-one men, members of the -2nd, 21st and 33rd Ohio and a Kentuckian, -named Andrews, I believe, -on a raid into Central Georgia, with -instructions to capture a locomotive, -then proceed north to Chattanooga, -and to destroy railroads and burn -bridges on the way. They left us at -Shelbyville, Tennessee, and went on -their perilous errand, while we -marched to the capture of Huntsville, -as narrated in the introduction.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These men were the celebrated -“Engine Thieves” and their story is -told by one of their number, in a book -entitled, “Capturing a Locomotive.” -They left our brigade in pairs, traveling -as citizens to Chattanooga, thence -by rail to Marietta, where they assembled, -taking a return train. The -train halted at a small station called -Big Shanty, and while the conductor, -engineer and train men were at breakfast, -they uncoupled the train, taking -the engine, tender and two freight -cars and pulled out for Chattanooga. -All went lovely for a time but after -running a few hours they began to -meet wild trains which had been -frightened off from the M. & C. R. R. -by the capture of Huntsville. This -caused them much delay but Andrews, -the leader, was plucky and -claiming that he had a train load of -ammunition for Chattanooga he contrived -at last to get past these trains -and again sped onward.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the meantime the conductor at -Big Shanty discovered his loss. Taking -with him the engineer, and two -officials of the road, they started out -on foot in pursuit of the fugitive -train. They soon found a hand-car -which they took, and forward they -went in the race, a hand-car in pursuit -of a locomotive. Luck favored -the pursuers, they soon found an engine, -the Yonah, on a Spur road, and -with steam up, this they pressed into -the service and away they go. This -time locomotive after locomotive. -They pass the blockade of wild trains -and on they go. As they round a -curve they see, away ahead, the -smoke of the fugitive train. The -engineer pulls the throttle wide open -and on they go as never went engine -before. But the fugitives discover -the pursuers, and at the next curve -they stop, pull up a rail and put it on -board their train, and then away with -the speed of a hurricane. But they -have pulled up the rail on the wrong -side of the track and the pursuing -engine bumps across the ties and on -they come. Then the fugitives stop -and pull up another rail and take it -with them. The pursuers stop at the -break in the road, take up a rail in -the rear of their engine, lay it in -front and then away in pursuit they -go. The fugitives throw out ties -upon the track, but the Yonah -pushes them off as though they were -splinters. Then the fugitives set fire -to a bridge but the Yonah dashes -through fire and on, ever on, like a -sleuth hound it follows the fugitives. -Rocks, trees and houses seem to be -running backward, so swift is the -flight. But the wood is gone, the oil -is exhausted, the journals heat, the -boxes melt and the fugitive engine -dies on the track.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But our heroes jump from the train -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>and take to the woods. They are -pursued with men and blood-hounds, -are captured and thrown into prison -and treated as brigands. Some die, -some are hanged, some are exchanged -and some make their escape. Lieut. -Mason was of the last named class. He -was promoted to a 1st Lieutenancy, -fought at Chickamauga in my brigade -and was taken prisoner and identified -as one of the engine thieves, and held -for trial. He told me this story -seated upon a sixty pound ball, which -was attached to his ankle by a ten -foot chain.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Besides the Federal prisoners, there -were in this prison a number of Union -men from the mountains of East -Tennessee and Northern Georgia. -They were conscripted into the Confederate -army, but refused to take -the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We arrived at Atlanta on the 12th -of October 1863, and on the 18th we -were put on board of the cars and -started for Richmond.</p> - -<h3 id='sec02-5' class='c017'>ONWARD TO RICHMOND.</h3> - -<p class='c018'>Leaving Atlanta on the 18th, we -reached Augusta early on the morning -of the 19th. There had been -heavy rains and as the railroad track -was washed out ahead, we were compelled -to wait here until the track was -repaired. We were put into a cotton -shed and a guard stationed around us.</p> - -<p class='c009'>No rations had been issued to us -since leaving Atlanta. It seemed to -be part of the duty of the officer in -charge to <span class='fss'>FORGET</span> to feed us, and I -never saw a man more attentive to -duty than he was, in that respect. -However, I procured a pass from him, -and with a guard, went down town to -buy food for my squad of wounded -officers. I found bread in one place -at a dollar a loaf and at another place -I bought a gallon of <a id='tn027'></a>sorghum syrup. -As my guard and I were looking -around for something else to eat, we -met a pompous old fellow who halted -us and asked who we were. I told -him that I was a prisoner of war with -a Confederate guard looking for a -chance to buy something to eat for -wounded soldiers. “I will see to -this,” said he. “I will know if these -Northern robbers and vandals are to -be allowed to desecrate the streets of -Augusta.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>I could never find out what the people -of Augusta lived on during the -war. I could not find enough food -for twenty-two men, but I imagine -that old fellow lived and grew fat on -his dignity.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Shortly after my return to the cotton -shed a company of Home guards, -composed of the wealthy citizens of -Augusta, marched up and posted a -guard around us, relieving our train -guard.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The company was composed of the -wealthy men of the city, too rich to -risk their precious carcasses at the -front, but not too much of gentlemen -to abuse and starve prisoners of war. -They did not allow any more “Yanks” -to desecrate their sacred streets that -day.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Morning came and we bade a long, -but not a sad, farewell to that Sacred -City. We crossed the Savannah -River into the sacred soil of South -Carolina. Hamburg, the scene of the -Rebel Gen. Butler’s Massacre of -negroes during Ku-Klux times, lies -opposite Augusta.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Onward we went, our old engine -puffing and wheezing like a <a id='tn028'></a>heavy -horse, for by this time the engines on -Southern railroads began to show the -need of the mechanics who had been -driven north by the war. Along in -the afternoon of the 21st, while we -were yet about 60 miles from Columbia, -S. C., the old engine gave out -entirely and we were compelled to -wait for an engine from Columbia. -We arrived at Columbia sometime in -the night and as we were in passenger -cars we did not suffer a great deal of -fatigue from our long ride. On the -morning of the 22d as our train was -leaving the depot a car ran off the -track which delayed us until noon. -While the train men were getting the -car back on the track, I went with a -guard down into the city to buy rations, -but not a loaf of bread nor an -ounce of meat could I procure.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Columbia was a beautiful city. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>never saw such flower gardens and -ornamental shrubbery as I saw there, -but you may be sure that I did not -cry when I heard that it was burned -down. I don’t know whether any -of those brutes who refused to sell me -bread for starving, wounded men, -were burned or not, if they were, they -got a foretaste of their manifest -destiny.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We arrived at Raleigh, N. C., on -the morning of the 23rd. Here we -had rations issued to us, consisting of -bacon and hard tack, and of all the -<span class='fss'>HARD</span> tack I ever saw, that was the -hardest. We could not bite it, neither -could we break it with our hands -until soaked in cold water.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At Weldon, on the Roanoke River, -we laid over until the morning of the -24th. Here we had a chance to wash -and rest and we needed both very -much.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We reached Petersburg, Va., during -the night of the 24th and were marched -from the Weldon depot through -the city and across the <a id='tn029'></a>Appomattox -River to the Richmond depot, where -we waited until morning.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Midday found us within sight of -Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As the train ran upon the long -bridge which crosses the James River -at the upper part of the Falls, we -looked to our left, and there, lying -peacefully in that historic river, was -Belle Isle, a literal hell on earth. A -truthful record of the sufferings, the -starvation and the misery imposed -by the Confederates upon our helpless -comrades at that place, would cause -a blush of shame to suffuse the cheek -of a Comanche chief.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Arrived on the Richmond side, we -dragged our weary bodies from the -cars, and forming into line, were -marched down a street parallel with -the river. I suppose it was the main -business street of the city. Trade -was going on just as though there -was no war in progress.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As we were marching past a tall -brick building a shout of derision saluted -our ears, looking up we saw a -number of men, clad in Confederate -gray, looking at our sorry company -and hurling epithets at us, which -were too vile to repeat in these pages. -This was the famous, or perhaps infamous -is the better word, Castle -Thunder. It was a penal prison of -the Confederacy and within its dirty, -smoke begrimed walls were confined -desperate characters from the Rebel -army, such as deserters, thieves and -murderers, together with Union men -from the mountains of Virginia and -East Tennessee, and Union soldiers -who were deemed worthy of a worse -punishment than was afforded in the -ordinary military prisons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Many stories are told of the dark -deeds committed within the walls of -that prison. It is said that there were -dark cells underneath that structure, -not unlike the cells under the Castle -of Antonia, near the Temple in Jerusalem, -as described in Ben Hur, into -which men were cast, there to remain, -never to see the light of day or -breathe one breath of pure air until -death or the fortunes of war released -them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The horrors of the Spanish Inquisition -in the middle ages were repeated -here. Men were tied up by their -thumbs, with their toes barely touching -the floor, they were bucked and -gagged and tortured in every conceivable -way, and more for the purpose -of gratifying the devilish hatred -of their jailors, then because they -had committed crimes.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On we march past Castle Lightning, -a similar prison of unsavory reputation, -to Libby Prison, which opened -its ponderous doors to receive us. -But I will reserve a description of -this prison for another chapter.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span> - <h2 id='ch03' class='c007'>CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec03-1' class='c017'>LIBBY PRISON.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“They entered:—’twas a prison-room</div> - <div class='line in2'>Of stern security and gloom,</div> - <div class='line'>Yet not a dungeon;”—</div> - <div class='c010'>The Lady of the Lake,</div> - <div class='c010'>Scott.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Libby Prison, up to this time, was -the most noted and notorious prison -of the South. It was a large building -two stories high on its north or front -side, and three stories high on its -south or rear side, being built on land -sloping toward the James River.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The building had been used before -the war as a store for furnishing ship -supplies.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The upper story was used as a prison -for officers. The second story -was divided into three rooms. The -east room was a hospital, the middle, -a prison for private soldiers and the -west room was the office of the prison -officials. The lower story was -divided into cook room, storage rooms -and cells. It was down in one of -these storage rooms, that Major -Straight’s party started their famous -tunnel. Over the middle door was -painted</p> - -<table class='table1' summary=''> - <tr> - <td class='btt c020'></td> - <td class='btt blt c021'>THOMAS LIBBY & SON.</td> - <td class='btt blt c020'></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c020'></td> - <td class='blt c021'></td> - <td class='blt c020'></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='bbt c020'></td> - <td class='bbt blt c021'>Ship Chandlers and Grocers.</td> - <td class='bbt blt c020'></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class='c009'>Across the west end of the building -the same sign was painted in large -letters.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Before we entered the prison, all -the commissioned officers were separated -from us and sent up into the -officers rooms and we were registered -by name, rank, company and regiment -by a smart little fellow dressed -in a dark blue uniform. This was -“Majah” Ross, a refugee from Baltimore, -whose secession sympathies -took him into Richmond but not into -the active part of “wah.” He was a -subordinate of “Majah Tunnah,” the -notorious Dick Turner, known and -cursed by every prisoner who knows -anything of Libby Prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There seemed to be no person of -lower rank than “Majah” in the Confederate -service. I think the ranks -must have been filled with them while -“Cunnels” acted as file closers. O, -no, I am mistaken. I did hear afterward -of “Coplers of the Gyaard,” but -then, they were only fighting men, -while these “Majahs” and “Cunnels” -were civilians acting as prison sergeants.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Soon after our entrance into the -Prison we heard some of our officers -calling from the room over our heads. -They had been appraised of our arrival -by the officers who came with us. -I went to a hole in the back part of -the room and heard my name called -and was told by the officer speaking -to come up on the stairs. There was -a broad stairway leading from our -floor up to the floor overhead, but the -hatchway was closed. I went up on -the stairs as requested. A narrow -board had been pried up and, looking -up, I saw Captain Collins whom I had -not seen since we left the line of battle -together on that eventful 20th of -September. To say that we were -rejoiced to see each other is to say -but little. Questions were asked as -to the whereabouts of different comrades, -as to who was dead and who -alive, and, last but not least, “was I -hungry?” Hungry! Poor, weak word -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>to express the intense gnawing at my -stomach. Hungry! Yes, from head -to foot, every nerve and fiber of my -system was hungry. He gave me a -handful of crackers, genuine crackers, -not hard tack with B. C. marked upon -them, but crackers. Some of the -readers of this sketch were there and -know all about it. Those of you who -were never in a rebel prison can never -imagine how good those crackers -tasted. One man who was there and -witnessed the above, and who was -making anxious inquiries for comrades, -was Lieutenant G. W. Buffum, -of the 1st Wisconsin Regiment, now -the Hon. George W. Buffum, of Clinton -Falls Township, Steele county, -Minnesota. Ask him whether I was -hungry or not.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While we were talking together -some one called out the name of some -comrade. No answer was given. -Again the name was called and just -at that instant “Majah” Ross stepped -into the room. Down went the strip -of board and we vacated those stairs -in one time and one motion. But the -“Majah” had caught that name, or -one similar to it, and he too became -desirous of interviewing that individual. -He called the name over and -over again, but no response; finally -becoming exasperated, he swore, with -a good, round Confederate oath, that -he would not issue us any rations -until that man was trotted out. The -man could not be found and little -Ross kept his word for two days, then, -not being able to find him, he issued -rations to us. Hungry, did you say? -Reader just think of it, we were living -on less than half rations all the -time and then to have them all cut -off for forty-eight hours, was simply -barbarous, and all to satisfy the -whim, or caprice, of a little upstart -rebel who was not fit to black our -shoes. Yes, it makes me mad yet. -Do you blame me?</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thinking back upon Libby to-day, -I think it was the best prison I was -in:—That comparison does not suit -me, there was no <span class='fss'>BEST</span> about it. I -will say, it was not so <span class='fss'>BAD</span> as any of -the others I was in.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was a hydrant in the room, -also a tank in which we could wash -both our bodies and our clothes, soap -was furnished, and cleanliness, as -regards the prison, was compulsory. -We scrubbed the floor twice a week -which kept it in good condition.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But when we come to talk about -food, there was an immense, an overpowering -lack of that. The quality -was fair, in fact good, considering that -we were not particular. But as the -important question of food or no food, -turned upon the whims and caprices -of Dick Turner and Ross, we were -always in doubt as to whether we -would get any at all.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I remained in Libby Prison a week -when I was removed, with others, to -Scott’s building, an auxilliary of Libby. -There were four prison buildings -which were included in the economy -of Libby Prison. Pemberton, nearly -opposite to Libby, on the corner of -15th and Carey streets, I think that -is the names of those streets. Another -building, the name of which I -did not learn, north of Pemberton on -15th street, and Scott’s building opposite -the last mentioned building.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These three buildings were tobacco -factories and the presses were standing -in Scott’s when I was there.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The rations for all four prisons -were cooked in the cook-house at -Libby. The same set of officers had -charge of all of them, so that, to all -intents and purposes they were one -prison, and that prison, Libby.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Heretofore I had escaped being -searched for money and valuables, but -one day a rebel came up and ordered -all Chickamauga prisoners down to -the second floor. I did not immediately -obey his orders and soon there -was much speculation among us as to -what was wanted. Some were of the -opinion that there was to be an exchange -of Chickamauga prisoners. -Others thought they were to be removed -to another prison. To settle -the question in my own mind I went -down. I had not got half way down -the stairs before I found what the -order meant, for there standing in -two ranks, open order, were the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>Chickamauga boys, a rebel to each -rank, searching them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I had but little money. Not enough -to make them rich, but the loss of it -would make me poor indeed. I immediately -formed my plan and as -quickly acted upon it. Going down -the stairs, I passed to the rear of the -rear rank, down past the rebel robbers, -up in front of the front rank, and so -on back upstairs, past the guard. I -discovered then and there, that a little -“cheek” was a valuable commodity -in rebel prisons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We were divided into squads, or -messes, of sixteen for the purpose of -dividing rations.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I was elected Sergeant of the mess -to which I belonged, and from that -time until my release had charge of a -mess.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our rations were brought to us by -men from our own prison and divided -among the Sergeants of messes, who -in turn divided it among their respective -men. Each man had his -number and the bread and meat were -cut up into sixteen pieces by the Sergeant, -then one man turned his back -and the Sergeant pointing to a piece, -asked “whose is this?” “Number -ten.” “Whose is this?” “Number -three,” and so on until all had been -supplied. Our rations, while in Richmond, -consisted of a half pound of -very good bread and about two ounces -of very poor meat per day. Sometimes -varied by the issue of rice in -the place of meat. Sometimes our -meat was so maggoty that it was -white with them, but so reduced were -we by hunger that we ate it and -would have been glad to get enough, -even of that kind.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To men blessed with an active -mind and body, the confinement of -prison life is exceeding irksome, even -if plenty of food and clothing, with -good beds and the luxuries of life, are -furnished them, but when their -food is cut down to the lowest limit -that will sustain life, and of a quality -at which a dog, possessed of any self -respect, would turn up his nose in -disgust, with a hard floor for a bed, -with no books nor papers with which -to feed their minds, with brutal men -for companions, with no change of -clothing, with vermin gnawing their -life out day after day, and month -after month, it is simply torture.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Time hung heavy on our hands. We -got but meagre news from the front -and this came through rebel sources, -and was so colored in favor of the -rebel army, as to be of little or no -satisfaction to us. The news that -Meade had crossed the Rapidan, or -had recrossed the Rapidan, had become -so monotonous as to be a standing -joke with us. Our first question -to an Army of the Potomac man in -the morning would be, “has Meade -crossed the Rapidan yet this morning?” -This frequently led to a skirmish -in which some one usually got a -bloody nose.</p> - -<p class='c009'>News of exchange came frequently -but exchange did not come. Somebody -would start the story that a -cartel had been agreed upon, then -would come a long discussion upon -the probabilities of the truth of the -story. The rebels always told prisoners -that they were going to be exchanged -whenever they moved them -from one point to another. This kept -the prisoners quiet and saved extra -guards on the train.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While we were at Richmond we had -no well concerted plan for killing -time for we were looking forward -hopefully to the time when we should -be exchanged, but we learned at last -to distrust all rumors of exchange and -all other promises of good to us for -hope was so long deferred that our -hearts became sick.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We were too much disheartened to -joke but occasionally something would -occur which would cause us to laugh. -It would be a sort of dry laugh, more -resembling the crackling of parchment -but it was the best we could afford -under the circumstances and had to -pass muster for a laugh.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day salt was issued to us and -nothing but salt. I suppose “Majah” -Turner thought we could eat salt and -that would cause us to drink so much -water that it would fill us up. A German, -who could not talk English, was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>not present when the salt was divided. -He afterward learned that salt had -been issued and went to the Sergeant -of his mess and called, “zult, zult.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>“What?” <a id='tn038'></a>said the Sergeant.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Zult, zult.” said Dutchy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“O, salt! The salt is all gone. All -been divided. Salt ausgespiel,” says -the Sergeant.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Zult, zult!” says Duchy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Go to h—l” says the Sergeant.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Var ish der hell?” And then we -exploded.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I remained in Richmond until <a id='tn038-2'></a>November -24th, when I, with 699 other -prisoners was removed to Danville, -Va.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We were called out before daylight -in the morning. Each man taking -with him his possessions. Mine consisted -of an old oil-cloth blanket, and -a haversack containing a knife and -fork and tin plate, also one day’s rations. -We formed line and marched -down 15th street to Carey, and up -Carey street a few blocks, then across -the wagon bridge to the Danville depot. -Here we were stowed in box -cars at the rate of seventy prisoners -and four guards in each car. A little -arithmetical calculation will show the -reader that each of us had a fraction -over three square feet at our disposal. -Stock buyers now-a-days allow sixty -hogs for a car load, and with larger -cars than we had. Don’t imagine, -however, that I am instituting any -comparison between a car load of -hogs and a car load of prisoners:—it -would be unjust to the hogs, so far as -comfort and cleanliness go.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our train pulled out from the depot, -up the river, past the Tredegar Iron -Works, and on toward Danville. Our -“machine” was <a id='tn039'></a>an old one and leaked -steam in every seam and joint. Sometimes -the track would spread apart, -then we would stop and spike it down -and go ahead. At other times the old -engine would stop from sheer exhaustion, -then we would get out and walk -up the grade, then get on board and -away again. Thus we spent twenty-four -hours going about one hundred -and fifty miles. During the night -some of the prisoners jumped from -the cars and made their escape, but I -saw them two days afterward, bucked -and gagged, in the guard-house at -Danville.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span> - <h2 id='ch04' class='c007'>CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec04-1' class='c017'>DANVILLE PRISON.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“So within the prison cell,</div> - <div class='line in2'>We are waiting for the day</div> - <div class='line'>That shall come to open wide the iron door,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And the hollow eye grows bright,</div> - <div class='line'>And the poor heart almost gay,</div> - <div class='line in2'>As we think of seeing home and friends once more.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>We arrived at Danville on the -morning of November 25th, and were -directly marched into prison No. 2. -There were six prison buildings here, -all tobacco factories. Nos. 1, 2, 3 and -4 being on the public square. Nos. 2 -and 3 being on the west side. No. 1 -on the north side adjoining a canal, -and No. 4 on the south side. The -other prisons were in other parts of -the city.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In each prison was confined 700 -men. Each building was three stories -high with a garret, making four -floors in each prison. Thus we had -175 men on each floor. The prisons -were, as near as I can guess, 30×60 -feet so that we had an average of ten -and one-third square feet to each man -or a little more than a square yard -apiece.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our rations at first consisted of a -half pound of bread, made from -wheat shorts and about a quarter of a -pound of pork or beef. The quality -was fair.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I had for a “chum,” or “pard,” -from the time I arrived at Atlanta -until I came to Danville, an orderly -Sergeant, of an Indiana Regiment, by -the name of Billings. He was a -graduate of an Eastern College and at -the time he enlisted left the position -of Principal of an Academy in Indiana. -He was one of nature’s noblemen, -intelligent, brave, true-hearted -and generous to a fault. I was very -much attached to him as he was a genial -companion far above the common -herd. But after I had been in Danville -about a week, I learned that -there were a number of the comrades -of my company in Prison No. 1. So -I applied for, and obtained, permission -to move over to No. 1. I parted with -Billings with regret. I have never -seen him since and know nothing of -his fate, but I imagine he fell a victim -to the hardships and cruelties of -those prisons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I found, when I arrived in No. 1, -not only members of my own company -but a number of men from Company -B of my regiment. We were quartered -in the south-east corner on the -second floor. Nearly opposite where -I was located comrade Dexter Lane, -then a member of an Ohio regiment, -now a citizen of Merton, Steele county, -Minnesota, had his quarters. We -were strangers at that time but since -then have talked over that prison life -until we have located each other’s -position, and feel that we are old -acquaintances.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I think I did not feel so lonesome -after I joined my comrades of the -10th Wis. There is something peculiar -about the feelings of old soldiers -towards each other. Two years before -these men were nothing to me. -I had never seen them until I joined -the regiment at Milwaukee. But -what a change those two years had -wrought. We had camped together -on the tented field and lain side by -side in the bivouac. We had touched -elbows on those long, weary marches -through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>and Georgia, had stood shoulder -to shoulder in many hard fought battles, -and now we are companions in -Southern prisons. They were not as -kind-hearted, nor as intelligent as -Billings but there was the feeling of -comradeship which no persons on -earth understand as do old soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The “majah” in charge of Prison -No. 1 was a man by the name of -Charley Brady, a southern gentleman -from Dublin or some other seaport of -the “Green Isle,” and to his credit, I -will say, he was a warm hearted Irish -gentlemen. I do not call to mind any -instance where he was unnecessarily -harsh or cruel, but on the other hand, -he was kind and pleasant in his manner -and in his personal intercourse -with us treated us as though we were -human beings in marked contrast -with the treatment of the prison officials -who were genuine Southerners -brought up under the influences of -that barbarous institution, slavery.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Perhaps some of my readers who -were confined in Prison No. 1 will -not agree with me in my estimate of -Charley Brady, but if they will stop a -moment and consider, they will remember -that our harsh treatment -came from the guards who were a -separate and distinct institution in -prison economy, or was the result of -infringement of prison rules.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About a week after my arrival in -No. 1 some of the prisoners on the -lower floor were detected in the attempt -to tunnel out. They had gone -into the basement and started a tunnel -with the intention of making -their escape. They were driven up -and distributed on the other three -floors. This gave us about two hundred -and thirty men to a floor and -left us about eight square feet to the -person.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About this time the cook-house was -completed and we had a radical -change of diet. There were twelve -large kettles, set in arches, in which -our meat and soup were cooked. Before -proceeding farther let <a id='tn043'></a>me say, -that the cooking was done here for -3,500 men.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our soup was made by boiling the -meat, then putting in cabbages, or -“cow peas” or “nigger peas,” or stock -peas, (just suit yourself as to the name, -they were all one and the same) and -filling up <span class='fss'>AD LIBITUM</span> with water. -The prisons first served were usually -best served for if the supply was likely -to fall short a few pails full of Dan -River water supplied the deficiency.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our allowance was a bucket of soup -to sixteen men, enough of it, such as -it was, for the devil himself never invented -a more detestable compound -than that same “bug soup.” The -peas from which this soup was made -were filled with small, hard shelled, -black bugs, known to us as pea bugs. -Their smell was not unlike that of -chinch bugs but not nearly as strong. -Boil them as long as we might, they -were still hard shelled bugs. The first -pails full from a kettle contained more -bugs, the last ones contained more -Dan River water, so that it was Hobson’s -choice which end of the supply -we got.</p> - -<p class='c009'>(I notice there is considerable inquiry -in agricultural papers as to -these same cow peas whether they -are good feed for stock. My experience -justifies me in expressing the opinion -that you “don’t have” to feed them to -stock, let them alone and the bugs -will consume them.)</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our supply of shorts bread was discontinued -and corn bread substituted. -This was baked in large pans, the -loaves being about two and a half -inches in thickness. This bread was -made by mixing meal with water, -without shortening or lightening of -any kind. It was baked in a very -hot oven and the result was a very -hard crust on top and bottom of loaf, -and raw meal in the center.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The water-closets of the four prisons, -which surrounded the square, -were drained into the canal already -mentioned, and as the drains discharged -their filth into the canal up -stream from us, we were compelled -to drink this terrible compound of -water and human excrement, for we -procured our drinking and cooking -water from this same canal.</p> - -<p class='c009'><span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>The result of this kind of diet and -drink was, that almost every man -was attacked with a very aggravated -form of camp diarrhea, which in -time became chronic. Many poor -fellows were carried to their graves, -and many more are lingering out a -miserable existence to-day as a result -of drinking that terrible hell-broth. -And there was no excuse for this, for -not more than ten rods north of the -canal was a large spring just in the -edge of Dan River, which would have -furnished water for the whole city of -Danville. The guards simply refused -to go so far.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some of the men attempted to make -their escape while out to the water-closet -at night. One poor fellow -dropped down from the side of the -cook-house, which formed part of the -enclosure, and fell into a large kettle -of hot water. This aroused the -guard and all were captured on the -spot. This occurred before the cook-house -had been roofed over.</p> - -<p class='c009'>So many attempts were made to -escape, that only two were allowed -to go out at a time after dark. The -effect of this rule can be partly imagined -but decency forbids me to -describe it. Suffice it to say that -with nearly seven hundred sick men -in the building it was awful beyond -imagination.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We resorted to almost every expedient -to pass away time. We organized -debating clubs and the author -displayed his wonderful oratorical -powers to the no small amusement of -the auditors. Well, I have this satisfaction, -it did them no hurt and did -me a great deal of good.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Two members of my regiment -worked in the cook-house during the -day, <a id='tn045'></a>returning to prison at night. They -furnished our mess with plenty of beef -bones. Of these we manufactured -rings, tooth picks and stilettos. We -became quite expert at the business, -making some very fine articles. Our -tools were a common table knife -which an engineer turned into a saw, -with the aid of a file, a broken bladed -pocket knife, a flat piece of iron and -some brick-bats. The iron and brick -were used to grind our bones down to -a level surface.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We also procured laurel root, of -which we manufactured pipe bowls. -Carving them out in fine style, I -made one which I sold for six dollars -to a reb, but I paid the six dollars for -six pounds of salt.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I hope my readers will remember -the saw-knife described above, as it -will be again introduced in a little -scene which occurred in Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some one of our mess had the superannuated -remains of a pack of cards, -greasy they were and dog-eared, but -they served to while away many a -weary hour. One evening our old -German who wanted “zult,” entertained -us with a Punch and Judy -show. The performance was good, -but I failed to appreciate his talk.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But what we all enjoyed most was -the singing. There was an excellent -quartette in our room and they carried -us back to our boyhood days by -singing such songs as, “Home, Sweet -Home,” “Down upon the Swanee -River,” and “Annie Laurie.” When -they sang patriotic songs all who -could sing joined in the chorus. We -made that old rebel prison ring with -the strains of “The Star Spangled -Banner,” “Columbia’s the Gem of the -Ocean,” and the like. The guards -never objected to these songs and I -have caught the low murmur of a -guard’s voice as he joined in “Home, -Sweet Home.” But when we sang -the new songs which had come out -during the war, such as, “Glory! -Glory! Hallelujah!” and the “Battle -Cry of Freedom,” they were not so -well pleased.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We use to tease them by singing,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“We will hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree,</div> - <div class='line'>As we go <a id='tn046'></a>marching on.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>And—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“We are springing to the call from the east and from the west,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Shouting the battle cry of freedom,</div> - <div class='line'>And we’ll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love the best,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Shouting the battle-cry of freedom.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>About that time a guard would call -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>out. “Yo’, Yanks up dah, yo’ stop dat -kyind of singing or I’ll shoot.” -“Shoot and be dammed.”—</p> - -<p class='c009'>“For we’ll hurl the rebel crew from -the land we love the best, &c.” -would ring out loud and clear for an -answer, and then <span class='fss'>BANG</span> would go the -guard’s gun, answered by a yell of -derision from the prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We suffered very much from cold -that winter at Danville for we had no -fire. It is true we had a stove and -some green, sour gum wood was furnished -but it would not burn, and -then we made some weak and futile -attempts to burn stone coal but it -was a failure. The proportions were -not right, there was not coal enough -to heat the stone, and so we went -without fire.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For bedding, I had an oil-cloth -blanket and my “pard” had a woolen -blanket. But an oil-cloth blanket -spread on a hard floor, does not “lie -soft as downy pillows are.” It did -seem as though my hips would bore a -<a id='tn047'></a>hole through the floor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day a rebel officer with two -guards came in and ordered all the -men down from the third and fourth -floors, then stationing a guard at the -stairs, he ordered them to come up, -two at a time.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I was in no hurry this time to see -what was going on, so I awaited further -developements. Soon after the -men had commenced going up, a note -fluttered down from over head. I -picked it up, on it was written, “They -are searching us for money, knives, -watches and jewelry.” Word was -passed around and all who had valuables -began to secrete them. I had -noticed that this class of fellows were -expert at finding anything secreted -about the clothing, so I tried a plan -of my own. Taking my money I -rolled it up in a small wad and stuffed -it in my pipe. I then filled my pipe -with tobacco, lit it and let it burn -long enough to make a few ashes on -top, then let it go out. Then I went -up stairs with my haversack. The -robbers took my knife and fork, but -did not find my money.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A Sergeant of a Kentucky Regiment -saved a gold watch by secreting -it in a loaf of bread. Lucky fellow, -to be the owner of a whole loaf of -bread.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Small-pox broke out among us -shortly after our arrival at Danville. -Every day some poor fellow was carried -out, and sent off to the pest house -up the river.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About the 17th of December, a Hospital -Steward, one of our men, came -in and told us he had come in to vaccinate -all of us who desired it. I had -been vaccinated when a small boy, -but concluded I would try and see if -it would work again. It did. Many -of the men were vaccinated as the -Steward assured them that the virus -was pure. Pure! Yes, so is strychnine -pure. It was pure small-pox -virus, except where it was vitiated -by the virus of a disease, the most -loathsome and degrading of any -known to man, leprosy alone excepted. -We were <a id='tn048'></a>inoculated and not vaccinated. -On the 26th I was very sick, -had a high fever and when the surgeon -came around I was taken out to -the Hospital.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span> - <h2 id='ch05' class='c007'>CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c006'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Blow, blow, ye winds, with heavier gust!</div> - <div class='line in2'>And freeze thou bitter-biting frost!</div> - <div class='line'>Descend, ye chilly, smothering snows!</div> - <div class='line in2'>Not all your rage, as now united shows</div> - <div class='line'>More hard unkindness, unrelenting,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Vengeful malice unrepenting,</div> - <div class='line'>Than heaven illumined man on brother man bestows!”</div> - <div class='c010'>Burns.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>After I left the prison, I was -marched around to three other prisons -and waited outside while the Surgeon -went through them to visit the -sick. It was a damp, chilly day, and -I was so sick and tired and my bones -ached so badly that I was compelled -to lie down upon the cold, wet, stone -sidewalk, while the Surgeon went -through the prisons. But all things -earthly have an end, so did that Surgeon’s -visits, and I was at last marched -to the Hospital.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here allow me to describe the Hospital -buildings. There were four of -them; three stood on the hill at the -south part of the city, the fourth was -on the banks of the river, near the -Richmond Railroad bridge. They -were about 40×120 feet and two -stories high, with a hall running the -whole length, dividing them into -wards, each building contained four -wards. They were erected in 1862 -for the use of the wounded in the -celebrated Peninsular Campaign.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To the rear of the north hospital -building was the pest-house, a defunct -shoe shop, in which convalescent -shoemakers, who were soldiers in the -rebel army, worked for the benefit of -the C. S. A. To the rear of the center -building was the cook-house and -eating room, where convalescents -took their meals, and to the rear of -the cook-house stood the dead house, -where the dead were placed prior to -burial. To the rear of the south -building was the bakery, where all the -bread of the hospital and prisons was -baked. This arrangement brought -the three hospital buildings in a line, -while the bakery, dead house and -pest-house were in a line to the rear. -A line of guards paced their beats -around the whole.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I supposed when I was sent to the -hospital that I had fever of some -kind, but in two days the soreness of -my throat and the pustules on my face -and hands told the story too plainly, -that the <a id='tn051'></a>inoculation of a few days -before was doing its work. I was -down with a mild form of small-pox, -varioloid, the doctors called it, but a -Tennessee soldier pronounced it a -case of the “Very O Lord.” I was -taken from the hospital to the pest-house -and laid on a straw pallet. My -clothes were taken from me and sent -to the wash-house and I was given a -thin cotton shirt and a thin quilt for -a covering.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The pest-house was but a slim -affair, being built for summer use. -It stood upon piles four feet high, was -boarded up and down without battens -and as the lumber was green when -built, the cracks were half an inch in -width at this time.</p> - -<p class='c009'>January 1st, 1864, was a terribly -cold day. The Rebel Steward thinking -we were not getting air enough, -opened two windows in the ward I -was in and then toasted himself at a -good fire in another ward. I was -charitably inclined and wished from -the bottom of my heart that that -Steward might have the benefit of a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>hot fire, both here and hereafter.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I nearly froze to death that day. -My limbs were as cold as those of a -corpse, but relief came about nine -o’clock that night in the shape of a -pint of hot crust coffee which I placed -between my feet until all the heat -had passed into my limbs, which, -with constant rubbing, thawed me -out.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our rations at the hospital consisted -of a slice of wheat bread and a -half pint of thick beef soup, this was -given us twice a day.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After staying in the pest-house a -week a suit of clothes was given me -and I was sent to Hospital No. 3, -which had been turned into a small-pox -hospital. Nearly forty per cent. -of the Danville prisoners had small-pox -yet the death rate was not high -from that disease; diarrhea and -scurvy were the deadly foes of the -prisoners, and swept them off as with -a besom.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After I had regained strength I -entered into an agreement with half -a dozen others to attempt an escape. -Our plan was to get into a ditch -which was west of the dead house, -crawl down that past the guard into -a ravine, and then strike for the Blue -Ridge Mountains, thence following -some stream to the Ohio River. But -the moon was at the full at the time -and we were compelled to wait for a -dark night. There is an old saying -that a “watched pot never boils,” so -it was in our case; before a dark night -came we were sent back to prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Exchange rumors were current at -this time. We talked over the good -times we would have when we got -back into “God’s country.” We -swore eternal abstinence from bug -soup and corn bread, and promised -ourselves a continual feast of roast -turkey, oysters, beefsteak, mince pies, -warm biscuit and honey, but here -came a difference of opinion, some -voted for mashed potatoes and butter, -others for baked potatoes and gravy. -There were many strong advocates of -each dish. The mashed potatoe men -affirmed that a man had no more taste -than an ostrich who did not think -that mashed potatoes and butter -were ahead of anything else in that -line; while the baked potatoe men -sneeringly insinuated that the mashed -potatoe men’s mothers or wives did -not know how to bake potatoes just -to the proper yellow tint, nor make -gravy of just the right consistency -and richness. The question was -never settled until it was settled by -each man selecting his own particular -dish after months more of starvation.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was restiveness among the -men all the time, hunger and nakedness -were telling upon their spirits as -well as their health. I lay it down as -a maxim that if you want to find a -contented and good natured -man, you must select a well -fed and comfortably clothed man. -Philosophize as much as you will -upon the subject of diet but the fact -remains that we are all more or less -slaves:—to appetite.</p> - -<p class='c009'>During the month of December a -number of the prisoners in No. 3 attempted -a jail delivery by crawling -out through the drain of the water-closet. -They were detected however -and most of them captured and returned -to prison. Among those who -got away was John Squires, of Co. K.<a id='tn053'></a>, -10th Wis. He had part of a rebel -uniform and managed to keep clear -of the Home guards for a number of -days, but was finally captured and -returned to prison. But this did not -discourage him. He had finished out -his uniform while at large and was -ready to try it again at the first opportunity. -But Johnny was no Micawber -who waited for something to turn -up; he made his own opportunities. -One day he took his knife and unscrewed -the “catch” of the door lock -and walked out, as he passed through -the door he turned to his fellow prisoners -and remarked “Now look he’ah -yo’ Yanks, if yo’ don’t have this -flo’ah cleaned when I git back yo’ll -git no ration to-day.” Then turning -he saluted the guard, walked down -stairs, saluted the outer guard, walked -across the square, over the bridge, -passing two guards, past where a -number of rebel soldiers were working -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>on a fort and on to “God’s Country” -where he arrived after weeks of -wandering and hunger and cold in -the Blue Ridge Mountains and the -valleys of West Virginia:—another -case of “cheek.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day a rebel Chaplain came into -our prison and preached to us. He -informed us with a great deal of circumlocution -that he was Chaplain of -a Virginia Regiment, that he was a -Baptist minister, and that his name -was Chaplain. He then proceeded to -hurl at our devoted heads some of -the choicest selections of fiery extracts, -flavored with brimstone to be -found in the Bible. In <a id='tn054'></a>his concluding -prayer he asked the Lord to -forgive us for coming into the South -to murder and burn and destroy and -rob, at the same time intimating that -he, himself, could not do it. I suppose -he felt better after he had -scorched us and we felt just as well. -He would have had to preach to us a -long time before he could have made -us believe that there was a worse -place than rebel prisons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One source of great discomfort, yea, -torture, was body lice, “grey-backs,” -in army parlance. They swarmed -upon us, they penetrated into all the -seams of our clothing. They went -on exploring expeditions on all parts -of our bodies, they sapped the juices -from our flesh, they made our days, -days of woe, and our nights, nights of -bitterness and cursing. We could not -get hot water, our unfailing remedy in -the army. Our only resource was -“skirmishing.” This means stripping -our clothes and hunting them out:—and -crushing them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On warm days it was a common -sight to see half of the men in the -room with their shirts off, skirmishing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day, a number of Reb. citizens -came in to see the <a id='tn054-2'></a>“Yanks.” Among -them was a large finely built young man. -He was dressed in the height of fashion -and evidently belonged to the F. -F. V<a id='tn054-3'></a>.’s. We were skirmishing when -they came in, and young F. F. V. -strutted through the room, with his -head up, like a Texas steer in a Nebraska -corn field. His nose and lips -suggested scorn and disgust. Thinks -I, “my fine lad I’ll fix you.” Just as he -passed me I threw a large “Grey-back” -on his coat; many of the prisoners saw -the act, and contributed their mite to -the general fund, and by the time -young F. F. V. had made the circuit -of the room, he was well stocked with -Grey-backs. It is needless to add he -never visited us again.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Scurvy and diarrhea were doing -their deadly work even at Danville. -These diseases were due, largely, to -causes over which the rebels had control.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Dr. Joseph Jones, a bitter rebel, -professor of Medical Chemistry, at -the Medical College in Augusta, was -sent by the Surgeon General of the -Confederate army, to investigate and -report upon the cause of the extreme -mortality in Andersonville. He attributed -scurvy to a lack of vegetable -diet and acids. Diarrhea and dysentery, -he said, were caused by the filthy -conditions by which we were surrounded, -polluted water, and the fact -that the meal from which our bread -was made was not separated from the -husk.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There have been many stories told -with relation to this meal; let me -make some things plain, and then -there will not be the apparent contradiction, -that there is at present in -the public mind.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The difference in opinion arises -from the different interpretations of -the word “husk.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>A true northern man understands -husk to mean;—the outer covering -of the ear of corn; while a southerner, -or Middle States, man calls it a -“shuck.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>The husk referred to by Dr. Jones, -would be called by a northerner, the -“hull,” or bran. His meaning was -that it was unsifted.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The fetid waters of the canal, the -unsifted corn meal made into half -baked bread, and a lack of vegetables -and acids, together with the rigid -prison rules, which resulted in filth, -and stench, beyond description, were -the prime causes of the great mortality -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>at Danville. During the five -months in which I was confined at -Danville, more than 500 of 4,200 prisoners -died, or about one in eight.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our clothing too, was getting old, -many of the men had no shoes, others -were almost naked. Our government -sent supplies of food and clothing to -us, but they were subjected to such a -heavy toll that none of the food, and -but little of the clothing ever reached -us, and what little was distributed to -our men was soon traded to the -guards for bread, or rice, or salt. I -never received a mouthful of food, or -a stitch of clothing which came -through the lines.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In February reports came to us that -the Confederate government was -building a large prison stockade somewhere -down in Georgia, and that we -were to be removed to it; that our -government had refused to exchange -prisoners, and that we were “in for it -during the war.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>About the 1st of April 1864 the -prisoners in one of the buildings were -removed. The prison officials said -they had gone to City Point to be -exchanged, but one of the guards told -us they had gone to Georgia. But we -soon found out the truth of the -matter for on the 15th we were all -taken from No. 1 and put on board -the cars. We were stowed in at the -rate of sixty prisoners, and four -guards to a car.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The lot of my mess fell to a car -which had been used last, for the -conveyance of cattle<a id='tn057'></a>. No attempt -had been made to clean the car and -we were compelled to kick the filth -out the best we could with our feet.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our train was headed toward Richmond -and the guards swore upon -their “honah” that we were bound for -City Point to be exchanged.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span> -<h3 class='c017'>A LETTER FROM COMRADE DEXTER LANE.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c018'>Since the foregoing chapter was -printed in <span class='sc'>The People’s Press</span>, we -have received the following endorsement -of the story from a comrade -who knows <span class='fss'>HOW IT WAS</span> by a personal -experience.</p> - -<div class='c022'><span class='sc'>Editor.</span></div> -<div class='c022'><span class='sc'>Merton, Minn.</span>, March 26, ’89.</div> -<p class='c023'>Editor <span class='sc'>People’s Press</span>:</p> - -<p class='c023'>I have been much interested in perusing -a series of articles published in -<span class='sc'>The People’s Press</span> from the pen of -Hon. W. W. Day, Lemond, giving reminiscences -of army life, what he -saw and experienced while -held a prisoner of war in -various prisons in the South during -the late Rebellion. I confess an additional -interest, perhaps, in the story -above the casual reader from the fact -that I, too, was a guest of the southern -chivalry from Sept. 20th, 1863, -until the May following. In company -with the boys of the 124th Ohio, I -attended that Chickamauga Picnic. -There were no girls to cast a modifying -influence over the Johnnies, or -any one else. As early as the morning -of the 19th, something got crooked -producing no little confusion and excitement, -which increased as the -hours wore away, up to the afternoon -of the following day, when suddenly -it seemed that that whole corner of -Georgia was turned into one grand -pandemonium. Everything that -could be gotten loose was let -loose, many a boy got hurt that day -badly. Some bare-footed gyrating, -thing got onto my head, worked in -under the hair, and twitched me -down. It brought about a quiescence -quicker than any dose of morphia I -ever swallowed, and I have eaten lots -of it since that time; I can feel its -toes to-day.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Time passed, night was approaching, -when several Johnnies approached, -one of whom came up to -where I was sitting on the ground, -and spoke to me. The man was a -blamed poor talker, but I understood -fully what was wanted, and acquiesced -promptly. The outcome of -which was, I was toddled off to Atlanta; -from thence to Richmond and -Danville, Va. I make no attempt to -write of my own personal adventures, -or prison experience. Much of it, -with but few exceptions, as well as -the experience of thousands of others, -may be gleaned from the papers of -Comrade Day. For a time I owned -and occupied a chalk mark, as my -bed, on the same floor with Comrade -Day at Danville, and I wish to say, -what he has written of the rebel -management of those prisons, both at -Richmond and Danville, the general -treatment of prisoners, rations, in -kind<a id='tn060'></a>, quantity, quality, manner of -cooking, &c., &c., are the <span class='fss'>COLD FACTS</span>. -Many incidents and happenings which -he refers to in his narrative came to -my own personal observation, and as -related by him accord fully with my -recollections of them at the time of -their occurrence. In fact I heartily -endorse, as being substantially true, -every word of the Comrade’s Prison -experiences, except, perhaps, his reference -to Belle Isle. I think his statement -there imbibes a little of the imaginary, -when he characterizes the -place as a literal “hell on earth.” -Where did he get his facts? That’s -the puzzle. No matter, if he were -there—It is a small matter however, -and may be true after all. I know -something of Belle Isle, but have only -this to say, if the emperor of the infernal -regions, who is said to reign -below the great divide, has a hole -anywhere in his dominions, filled with -souls that are undergoing pains and -miseries equaling those to which our -boys were subjected on Belle Isle, I -pray God I may escape it.</p> -<div class='c022'><span class='sc'>Dexter Lane.</span></div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span> - <h2 id='ch06' class='c007'>CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec06-1' class='c017'>EN ROUTE TO ANDERSONVILLE.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line in2'>“Tis a weary life this—</div> - <div class='line'>Vaults overhead and gates and bars around me,</div> - <div class='line in2'>And my sad hours spent with as sad companions,</div> - <div class='line'>Whose thoughts are brooding o’er their own mischances,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Far, far too deeply to take part in mine.”</div> - <div class='c010'>—Scott.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>As the train pulled out of Danville -that morning, our hopes began to -rise in proportion to the distance we -placed between ourselves and our late -prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We had now been in the Confederate -prisons seven months, and we had -high hopes that our guards were telling -us the truth, for once.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I am not prepared to say that the -people of the South are not as truthful -as other people; but I will say, -that truth was a commodity, which -appeared to be very scarce with our -guards.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When we left the Danville prison, -we took with us, <a id='tn062'></a>contrary to orders, -a wooden bucket belonging to my -mess.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The way we stole it out of prison -was this. One of the men cut a number -into each stave, then knocked off -the hoops and took it down, dividing -hoops, staves and bottom among us, -these we rolled up in our blankets and -keeping together we entered the same -car. After the train had started we -unrolled our blankets, took out the -fragments of bucket, and set it up -again. This was a very fortunate -thing for us, as it furnished us a vessel -in which to procure water on that -long and dreary trip.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Nothing of note occurred until we -reached Burkeville Junction, near the -scene of the collapse of the -Confederacy. Here we were -switched off from the Richmond -road on to the Petersburg -road. Some of us who were least -hopeful considered this a bad omen; -others argued that it was all right, as -we could take cars from Petersburg -to City Point. Among the latter class -were some men who had been prisoners -before, and were supposed to -know more than the rest of us about -the modes of exchange. We therefore -said no more and tried hard to -believe that all would end well.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We arrived at Petersburg a little -before midnight. We were immediately -marched across the Appomattox -River bridge into Petersburg. As we -were marching along I noticed a large -building, which I recognized as one -I had seen the previous November, -while we were marching through this -place on our way to Richmond. I told -the boys we were going to the Weldon -Depot, the right direction for the -South. The hopeful ones still insisted -that it was all right, but I could not -see it that way<a id='tn063'></a>. But the question was -soon settled, for we arrived at the -Weldon Depot in a short time. How -our hearts sank within us as we came -to the low sheds and buildings, which -form the Station of the Petersburg -and Weldon R. R. Heretofore during -the day, “God’s Country,” and home -had seemed very near to us, but now -all these hopes were suddenly dashed -to the ground, and dark despair, like -a black pall, enshrouded us. I believe -that most of us wished that dark, -rainy night, that it had been our fate -to have fallen upon the field of battle, -and received a soldier’s burial.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Those of us who had read Shakspere -could have exclaimed with -Hamlet.—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“To be, or not to be, that is the question:</div> - <div class='line'>Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer</div> - <div class='line'>The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,</div> - <div class='line'>Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,</div> - <div class='line'>And, by opposing end them—To die—to sleep,</div> - <div class='line'>No more; and by a sleep, to say we end</div> - <div class='line'>The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks</div> - <div class='line'>That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation</div> - <div class='line'>Devoutedly to be wished. To die,—to sleep;—</div> - <div class='line'>To sleep! perchance to dream, aye there’s the rub;</div> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,</div> - <div class='line'>When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,</div> - <div class='line'>Must give us pause, there’s the respect,</div> - <div class='line'>That makes calamity of so long a life;</div> - <div class='line'>For who would bear the whips and scorn of time,</div> - <div class='line'>The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,</div> - <div class='line'>The pangs of misprized love, the <a id='tn064'></a>law’s delay,</div> - <div class='line'>The insolence of office, and the spurns</div> - <div class='line'>That patient merit of the unworthy takes,</div> - <div class='line'>When he himself might his quietus make</div> - <div class='line'>With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear,</div> - <div class='line'>To grunt and sweat under a weary life:</div> - <div class='line'>But that the dread of something after death,</div> - <div class='line'>The undiscovered country, from whose bourn</div> - <div class='line'>No traveller returns, puzzled the will;</div> - <div class='line'>And makes us rather bear those ills we have<a id='tn064-2'></a>,</div> - <div class='line'>Than fly to others that we know not of?</div> - <div class='line'>Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The all-wise Being has placed within -us all, an instinctive dread of death; -had it not been so, I fear many poor, -miserable, hopeless, prisoners would -have gone out of their misery by the -suicide’s route.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Morning came and we were in -North Carolina. We took the same -route back as far as Augusta, Ga., -that we had taken when on our way -to Richmond, the autumn previous.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We suffered extremely on the way. -We were not allowed to get off the -cars for any purpose whatever, except -to change cars. The guards brought -us water in the bucket we had purloined -from Danville. They were -not particular where they procured -it. They supplied us from the handiest -place whether it was the water -tank at a station, or from a stagnant -pond or ditch by the side of the R. R. -track.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The reader can imagine that such -water was rank poison. The water -in the ditches of the Carolina swamps -was loaded with decayed vegetable -matter; slimy snakes and filthy water -reptiles crawled and swam in it, and -taken all together it was not much -better than the fetid waters of the -Danville canal.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our guards, after leaving <a id='tn064-3'></a>Petersburg -told us we were on our way to a -new prison which had been made at -Andersonville, Ga. They cheered us -somewhat, by saying it was a large -stockade, and that we would have -plenty of room, wood and water, and -more rations. Anything seemed -better than Danville to us, and visions -of a camp with tents for shelter, -good water, more and better food, and -opportunity to exercise, floated through -our minds, and we thought that our -situation would be more tolerable.</p> - -<p class='c009'>From Augusta we went to Macon, -thence to Andersonville, where we -arrived on the 22d of April 1864.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Andersonville is in Sumter county, -Georgia, sixty-four miles southwest of -Macon, on the Macon & Albany Railroad. -The country through all that -region is a sandy barren, interspersed -with swamps which were filled with -rank growths of timber, vines and -semi-tropical shrubbery.</p> - -<p class='c009'>They were the home of serpents, -and reptiles of all kinds indigenous -to that latitude, and of many kinds of -wild animals<a id='tn065'></a>. The land was rolling -but could not be called hilly.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The timber was mostly southern, -or pitch pine, with the different varieties -of gum. In the swamps, cypress -abounded, from the branches of -which the grey, or Spanish moss -hung like the beard of a Brobdignagian -giant, through which the wind -sighed and soughed most dismally.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My impression, received at the time -I was in prison, was, that it was the -most God-forsaken country I ever -beheld, with the exception of the -rice swamps of South Carolina. South -Carolina however, had a history running -back to Revolutionary times, -while that portion of Georgia had no -history, but has acquired one which -will last as long as the history of the -Spanish Inquisition. And yet at this -time, Southern Georgia is redeemed -somewhat, by being the location of -Thomasville, the winter resort of -some of our citizens.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Prison Pen, or Stockade, was -located about three-fourths of a mile -east of the station, on the opposing face -of two slight hills, with a sluggish -swampy, stream running through it -from west to east and dividing the -prison into two unequal parts, the -the northern, being the larger part.</p> - -<p class='c009'><span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>The Stockade was in the form of a -parallelogram, being longest from -north to south. I estimated that it -was fifty rods east and west, by sixty -rods north and south and that it contained -eighteen acres, but from this -must be subtracted the land lying -between the <a id='tn066'></a>Dead-line and Stockade, -and the swamp land lying each side of -the little stream, known to us as -“Deadrun,” leaving, according to my -estimate, twelve acres available for -the use of the prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The author of “Andersonville” -gives the area of the prison as sixteen -acres and the amount available -for prisoners twelve acres.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Dr. Jones, in his report, gives the -area as seventeen acres, but does not -intimate that part of it was not available, -so that his estimate of the -number of square feet to each prisoner, -is nearly one-third too high.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Stockade was built of hewn -timbers, twenty-four feet in length, -set in the ground side by side, to a -depth of six feet, leaving the walls of -the Stockade eighteen feet high. The -guards stood upon covered platforms -or “pigeon roosts” outside of, and -overlooking the Stockade.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Not far from the northwest, and -southwest corners, on the west side, -were the north and south gates. -These were made double, by building -a small stockade outside of each gate, -which was entered by another gate, -so that when prisoners or wagons entered -the stockade they were first admitted -to small stockade, then the -gate was closed, after which they were -admitted to the main stockade.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These small stockades were anterooms -to the main prison, and were for -the purpose of preventing a rush by -the prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Outside of the main stockade the -rebels built another stockade, at a -distance of about ten rods. This was -for the double purpose of preventing -a “break” of the prisoners and to prevent -tunnelling.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This second stockade was built of -round timbers set in the ground six -feet and stood twelve feet above the -ground.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Outside of this second stockade a -third one was started, but was not -completed when I left. This was for -protection against “Uncle Billy Sherman’s -Bummers.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Commanding each corner of the -stockade was a fort, built a sufficient -distance to give the guns a good -range. These four forts mounted all -told eighteen guns of light artillery, -as I was informed, and had a general -rush been made, they would have -slaughtered us as though we were a -flock of pigeons.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The cook-house was built on low -ground on the border of a small -stream which ran through the stockade, -and west from it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The guards camp was west and -southwest, from the southern portion -of the stockade.</p> - -<p class='c009'>West from the south gate Gen. -Winder had his head-quarters, also -the guard house and Wirz’ quarters.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About a quarter of a mile north of -the stockade was the cemetery, then -a sandy barren, with occasional jack -pine growing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I have now given the reader a general -description of the Prison Pen, or -Stockade, of Andersonville, as seen -from the outside.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I will now attempt to give a view -of the inside, as seen during five -months confinement.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Upon our arrival at Andersonville -on the 22d of April, we were halted at -Gen. Winder’s quarters and registered -by name, rank, company, and -regiment. I will give the reader the -<a id='tn067'></a>form as written, in the case of -one of my tent mates who died at -Charleston, S. C. the following October.</p> - -<p class='c009'><span class='small'><span class='sc'>George W. Rouse</span>, Co. D. 10th Wisconsin -Inf<a id='tn067-2'></a>.—16-3.</span></p> - -<p class='c009'>Which meant that he was assigned -to the 3d company and 16 detachment.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Wirz had originated a very clumsy -and unmilitary organization of the -prisoners. He had organized them -into companies of ninety men and assigned -three companies to a detachment. -At the head of these companies -and detachments was a sergeant. -For convenience in dividing rations, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>we <a id='tn068'></a>subdivided these companies into -squads, or messes, each mess electing -their own sergeant. As at Richmond -and Danville I was elected sergeant -of my mess at Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We were marched into the north -gate and assigned grounds on the east -side of the prison, next to the Dead-line, -and near the swamp on the -north side.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We were not subjected to the -searching process at Winder’s head-quarters, -as most of the prisoners -were. I suppose we were not a -promising looking crowd. Had we -been searched, the rebs would have -found nothing but rags and graybacks.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thus we were turned into the Prison -Pen of Andersonville, like a herd of -swine, with the chance to “root hog -or die.” No shelter was furnished -us; no cooking utensils provided; no -wood, nothing but a strip of barren -yellow sand, under a hot sun.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The situation did not look inviting. -Our dream was not realized. We had -fresh air it is true, for the air had not -become contaminated then. We had -room for exercise, for 5,000 men do not -look very much crowded on twelve -acres, it takes 33,000 men to cover that -amount of space in good shape according -to the views of Winder and -Wirz; but somehow it did not seem -homelike. There was a wonderful -paucity of the conveniencies, the -necessities, to say nothing of the luxuries -of life.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About 4,000 men had been sent here -during the months of February and -March, from Libby and Belle Isle, -and 1,000 from Danville, about two -weeks before us. First come, first -served, was the rule here. The first -settlers who “squatted” in Andersonville -found plenty of wood and brush -and with these had, with true Yankee -ingenuity and industry, constructed -very fair houses, or hovels rather. -But they had used up all the building -material, had not left a brush large -enough for a riding whip, they had -left us nothing but sand and a miserable -poor article of that.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the gods were propitious, and -the next day we had the privilege of -going out under guard, and picking up -material for a house. Rouse and myself -brought in material enough to fix -us up in good shape. We secured a -number of green poles about an inch -thick, some of these we bent like the -hoops of a wagon cover, sticking the -ends in the ground. Then we fastened -other poles transversely on them -fastening them with strips of bark. -We used a U. S. blanket for a roof or -cover. The sides we thatched with -branches of the long leaved pitch pine<a id='tn069'></a>. -In a few hours we had a very fair -shelter.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I think the settlers in western Minnesota -and Dakota must be indebted -to Andersonville prisoners for -the idea of “dugouts.” When we -arrived here, we found many of the -unfortunate prisoners from Belle Isle -who had no “pup tent” or blanket to -spare, had provided themselves warm -quarters by burrowing into the -ground. They had dug holes about -the size of the head of a barrel at the -surface of the ground and gradually -enlarged as they dug down, until they -were something the shape of the inside -of a large bell. These dugouts -were four or five feet deep and usually -had two occupants. These gophers -were hard looking specimens of humanity. -They had built fires in their -holes, out of pitch pine; over this they -had done their cooking, and over this -they had crooned during the cold -storms of March; they had had some -bacon, but no soap, and the mixture -of lamp black from the pine, and -grease from the bacon, had disfigured -them beyond the recognition of their -own mothers. Their hair was long -and unkempt, and filled with lamp -black until it was so stiff that it stuck -out like “quills of the fretful porcupine.” -Their clothes were in rags, yes -in tatters. They were shoeless, hatless, -and usually coatless. They -looked more like the terrible fancies -of Gustave Dore than like human -beings. And yet these poor boys -were originally fair-haired, fair-skinned, -blue-eyed, loyal, brave sons -of fathers and mothers who were in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>easy circumstances, and in many -cases wealthy; who would have shed -their hearts’ last drop of blood, for -that poor boy, if it would have been -of any avail. Or they were husbands -to fair women, and fathers to sweet -blue-eyed children, who were waiting -for husband and papa, to come home.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Alas! those fathers and mothers, -those wives and children are waiting -yet, yea and shall wait until the sea, -and the graves at Andersonville, give -up their dead.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch07' class='c007'>CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec07-1' class='c017'>WINDER AND WIRZ.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Lady Anne. Foul devil, for God’s sake hence, and trouble us not;</div> - <div class='line'>For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell,</div> - <div class='line'>Filled it with cursing cries, and deep exclaims.</div> - <div class='line'>If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,</div> - <div class='line'>Behold this pattern of thy butcheries.”</div> - <div class='c010'>—King Richard, III.</div> - <div class='c010'>Shakspere.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The man who had charge of the -prison at Andersonville, and who was -responsible for the barbarities practiced -there, more than any other man, -was Gen. John H. Winder.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I had not the honor(?) of a personal -acquaintance with that fiend in human -shape, but Comrade John McElroy of -the 16 Illinois Cavalry, the author of -“Andersonville,” gives his readers a -description of the man. I quote from -that work.</p> - -<p class='c023'>“There rode in among us, a few -days after our arrival, an old man -whose collar bore the wreathed stars -of a Major General. Heavy white -locks fell from beneath his slouched -hat, nearly to shoulders. Sunken gray -eyes too dull and cold to light up, -marked a hard, stony face, the salient -features of which was a thin lipped, -compressed mouth, with corners -drawn down deeply—the mouth which -seems the world over to be the index -of selfish, cruel, sulky malignance. It -is such a mouth as has the school boy—the -coward of the play ground, who -delights in pulling off the wings of -flies. It is such a mouth as we can -imagine some remorseless inquisitor -to have had—that is, not an inquisitor -filled with holy zeal for what he -mistakenly thought the cause of -Christ demanded, but a spleeny, envious, -rancorous shaveling, who tortured -men from hatred of their superiority -to him, and sheer love of inflicting -pain.</p> - -<p class='c023'>The rider was John H. Winder, -Commissary General of Prisoners, -Baltimorean renegade and the malign -genius to whose account should -be charged the deaths of more gallant -men than the inquisitors of the world -ever slew by the less dreadful rack -and wheel. It was he who in August -could point to three thousand and -eighty-one new made graves for that -month, and exultingly tell his hearer -that he was “doing more for the -Confederacy than twenty regiments.”</p> - -<p class='c023'>His lineage was in accordance with -his character. His father was that -General William H. Winder, whose -poltroonery at Bladensburg, in 1814 -nullified the resistance of the gallant -Commodore Barney, and gave Washington -to the British.</p> - -<p class='c023'>The father was a coward and incompetent; -the son, always cautiously -distant from the scene of hostilities, -was the tormentor of those whom -fortunes of war and the arms of -brave men threw into his hands.“</p> - -<p class='c009'>Of his personal appearance I have -no recollection, but the above is a true -picture of his character. He filled a -place in the Confederacy which no -brave officer of equal rank would have -accepted. Hill, Longstreet, Early, -Polk, Hardee, even Forrest and Mosby -would have spurned with contempt -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>an offer of assignment to the -position occupied by the cowardly -John H. Winder.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Of Captain Henry Wirz I can write -of my own knowledge. In personal -appearance he was about five feet -nine or ten inches in height, slightly -built with stooping shoulders. He -had a small peaked head, small twinkling -eyes, grisly, frowsy whiskers, and -the general contour of his features -and expression of eyes reminded one -of a rodent.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In character he was pusillanimous, -vindictive, mean and irritable to -those beneath him, or who had the -misfortune to be in his power; while -to his superiors he was humble and -cringing, an Uriah Heep; a person who -would “Crook the pregnant hinges of -his knee, that thrift might follow -fawning.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>As a specimen of the contemptible -meanness of these two persons, I was -told by a prisoner who attempted to -escape, but was recaptured and put in -the stocks, that while at their head-quarters -he saw a large dry-goods box -nearly full of letters written by prisoners -to their friends; and by friends -to them, which had accumulated, and -which they had neglected to forward -or distribute. The paper upon which -some of these letters was written, -and the envelope in which it was enclosed -had cost the prisoner, perhaps, -his last cent of money, or mouthful -of food. The failure to receive those -letters had deprived many a mother -or wife of the last chance to hear from -a loved one, or a prisoner of his last -chance to hear from those he loved -more than life itself.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Wirz was Commandant of the inner -prison and in this capacity, had -charge of calling the roll, organization -of prisoners, issuing rations, the -sanitary condition of the prison, the -punishment of prisoners; in fact the -complete control of the inner prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Winder had control of all the guards, -could control the amount of rations to -be issued, make the rules and regulations -of the prison, and had, in fact, -complete control of the whole economy -of the prison; all men and officers -connected therewith being subordinate -to him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Wirz’ favorite punishment for infringement -of prison rules, was the -chain-gang, and stocks. Sometimes -twelve or fifteen men were fastened -together by shackles attached to a -long chain. These unfortunate men -were left to broil in a semi-tropical -sun, or left to shiver in the dews and -pelting rains, without shelter as long -as Wirz’ caprice or malignity lasted. -The stocks were usually for punishment -of the more flagrant offenses, or -when Wirz was in his worst humor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just below my tent, two members -of a New York regiment put up a -little shelter. They always lay in -their tent during the day, but at night -one might see a few men marching -away from their “shack” carrying -haversacks full of dirt, and emptying -them along the edge of the swamp. -One morning the tent was gone, and -a hole in the ground marked the spot, -and told the tale of their route, which -was underground through a tunnel. -About 8 o’clock in the morning Wirz -came in accompanied by a squad of -soldiers, and a gang of negroes armed -with shovels, who began to dig up the -tunnel. I went to Wirz and asked -him what was up. He was always -ready to “blow” when he thought he -could scare anybody, so he replied, -“By Gott, tem tamned Yanks has got -oudt alrety, but nefer mints, I prings -tem pack all derights; I haf sent te -ploothounts after dem. I tell you -vat I does, I gifs any Yank swoluf -hours de shtart, undt oaf he gits avay, -all deright; put oaf I catches him I -gif him hell.” Some one offered to take -the chances. “Allderights.” said he, -“you come to de nort cate in der -mornick undt I lets you co.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>The next day we heard that the -blood-hounds had found the trail of the -escaped prisoners, but that all but one -had been foiled by cayenne pepper, -and that one, was found dead with a -bullet hole in his head. We never -heard from our New York friends and -infer that that they got to “God’s -Country.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Many attempts were made to tunnel -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>out that summer, but so far as I know -that was the only successful one. All -sorts of ways were resorted to, the -favorite way being to start a well and -dig down ten or twelve feet, then -start a tunnel in it near the surface of -the ground. By this means the fresh -dirt would be accounted for, as well -digging was within the limits of the -prison rules. But before the “gopher-hole,” -as the tunnels were called by -the western boys, was far advanced, a -gang of negroes appeared upon the -scene and dug it up. We always -believed there were spies among us. -Some thought the spies were some of -our own men who were playing traitor -to curry favor with Wirz. Others -believed Wirz kept rebel spies among -us. I incline to the former opinion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Among those who were suspected -was a one-legged soldier named Hubbard. -He hailed from Chicago and -was a perfect pest. He was quarrelsome -and impudent and would say -things that a sound man would have -got a broken head for saying. His -squawking querulous tones, and -hooked nose secured for him the -name of “Poll Parrott<a id='tn075'></a>.” He was a -sort of privileged character, being -allowed to go outside, which caused -many to believe he was in league -with Wirz, though I believe there -was no direct proof of it. One day -he came to where I was cooking my -grub and wanted me to take him in. -He said all his comrades were down on -him and called him a spy, and he -could not stand it with them. As a -further inducement he said he could -go out when he had a mind, and get -wood and extra rations, which he -would divide with me. I consulted -my “pard” and we agreed to take him -in. He then asked me to cook him -some dinner, and gave me his frying-pan -and some meat. While I was -cooking his dinner he commenced -finding fault with me, upon which I -suggested that he had better do his -own cooking. He then showered -upon my devoted head some of the -choicest epithets found in the Billingsgate -dialect, he raved and swore -like a mad-man. I was pretty good -natured naturally, and besides I pitied -the poor unfortunate fellow, but this -presuming on my good nature a little -too much, I fired his frying-pan at his -head and told him to “get”; and he -“got.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Two days afterwards he went under -the Dead-line and began to abuse the -guard, a member of an Alabama regiment, -who ordered him to go back, -or he would shoot him. “Poll” then -opened on the guard in about the -same style as he had on me, winding -up by daring the guard to fire. This -was too much and the guard fired a -plunging shot, the ball striking him -in the chin and passing down into his -body, killing him instantly.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A few days before this, a “fresh -fish,” or “tender foot,” as the cow -boys would call him nowadays, started -to cross the swamp south of my tent. -In one place in the softest part of the -swamp the railing which composed -the Dead-line was gone, this man -stepped over where the line should -have been, and the guard fired at him -but he fired too high and missed his -mark, but the bullet struck an Ohio -man who was sitting in front of a -tent near mine. He was badly, but -not fatally wounded, but died in a few -days from the effects of gangrene in -his wound.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The author of “Andersonville” -makes a wide distinction between the -members of the 29th Alabama and -the 55th Georgia regiments, which -guarded us, in relation to treatment -of prisoners, claiming that Alabama -troops were more humane than -the Georgia “crackers.” This was -undoubtedly true in this instance, but -I am of the opinion that state lines -had nothing to do with the matter.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The 29th Alabama was an old regiment -and had been to the front and -seen war, had fired at Yankees, and -had been fired at by Yankees in -return; they had no need to shoot defenseless -prisoners in order to establish -the enviable reputation of having -killed a “damned Yank;” while the -55th Georgia was a new regiment, or -at least one which had not faced the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>music of bullets and shells on the field -of battle, they had a reputation to -make yet, and they made one as -guards at Andersonville, but the devil -himself would not be proud of it, -while the 5th Georgia Home Guards, -another regiment of guards, was -worse than the 55th.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In making up the 5th Geo. H. G. -the officers had “robbed the cradle -and the grave,” as one of my comrades -facetiously remarked.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Old men with long white locks and -beards, with palsied, trembling limbs, -vied with boys, who could not look -into the muzzles of their guns when -they stood on the ground, who were -just out of the sugar pap and swaddling -clothes period of their existence, -in killing a Yank. It was currently -reported that they received a thirty -days furlough for every prisoner they -shot; besides the distinguished “honah.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>In marked contrast with these two -Georgia regiments was the 5th <a id='tn077'></a>Georgia regulars. -This regiment guarded us -at Charleston, S. C., the following -September, and during our three -weeks stay at that place I have no -recollection of the guards firing on us, -although we were camped in an open -field with nothing to prevent our escape -but sickness, starvation, and a -thin line of guards of the 5th Ga. -regulars. But this regiment too had -seen service at the front. They had -been on the Perryville Campaign, had -stood opposed to my regiment at the -battle of Perryville and had received -the concentrated volleys of Simonson’s -battery and the 10th Wisconsin -Infantry, and in return had placed -146 of my comrades <span class='fss'>HORS DE COMBAT</span>. -They had fought at Murfresboro and -Chickamauga, at Lookout and Missionary -Ridge and had seen grim visaged -war in front of Sherman’s steadily -advancing columns in the Atlanta -campaign. Surely they had secured -a record without needlessly shooting -helpless prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I believe all ex-prisoners will agree -with me, that <span class='fss'>FIGHTING</span> regiments -furnished humane guards.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For the purpose of tracking escaped -prisoners, an aggregate of seventy -blood-hounds were kept at Andersonville. -They were run in packs of five -or six, unless a number of prisoners -had escaped, in which case a larger -number were used. They were in -charge of a genuine “nigger driver” -whose delight it was to follow their -loud baying, as they tracked fugitive -negroes, or escaped Yanks through -the forests and swamps of southern -Georgia.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These blood-hounds were trained to -track human beings, and with their -keen scent they held to the track as -steadily, relentlessly as death itself; -and woe betide the fugitive when -overtaken, they tore and lacerated -him with the blood-thirsty fierceness -of a Numidian lion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These willing beasts and more willing -guards were efficient factors in -the hands of Winder and Wirz in -keeping in subjection the prisoners -entrusted to their care. But these -are outside forces. Within the wooden -walls of that prison were more subtile -and enervating forces at work than -Georgia militia or fierce blood-hound.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Diarrhea, scurvy and its concomitant, -gangrene, the result of insufficient -and unsuitable food and the crowded -and filthy state of the prison, were -doing their deadly work, swiftly, -surely and relentlessly.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span> - <h2 id='ch08' class='c007'>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c006'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Ghost. I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word</div> - <div class='line'>Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy young blood;</div> - <div class='line'>Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres;</div> - <div class='line'>Thy knotted and combined locks to part,</div> - <div class='line'>And each particular hair to stand on end,</div> - <div class='line'>Like quills upon the fretful porcupine.”</div> - <div class='c010'>—Hamlet.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>The cook-house, which I have already -spoken of, had a capacity for -cooking rations for 10,000 men. Our -rations consisted, during the latter -part of April and through May, of -about a pound of corn bread, of about -the same <a id='tn080'></a>quality as that at Danville, -a piece of meat about the size of two -fingers, and a little salt per day. This -was varied by issuing rice or cow peas -in the place of meat, but meat -and rice, or peas, were never issued -together. We had no more bug soup, -nor soup of any kind from the cook-house. -We got our bugs in the peas, so -that we were not entirely destitute of -meat when we had peas. The rice -was filled with weevil, so that that -too, was stronger, if not more nutritious. -But when our numbers were -increased by the prisoners who had -been captured at Dalton, Resaca, -Alatoona, New Hope Church and Kenesaw, -from Sherman’s army, and -from the Wilderness, from <a id='tn080-2'></a>Meade’s -army, our numbers had far outgrown -the capacity of the cook-house and -our rations were issued to us raw.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Then commenced real, downright -misery and suffering. These men -were turned into the prison after being -robbed of everything of value, without -shelter, without cooking utensils, -without wood, except in the most -meager quantities, and in most cases -without blankets.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Raw meal, raw rice and peas, and -no dish to cook them in, and no wood -to cook them with, and yet there -were thousands of acres of timber in -sight of the prison, and these men -would have been too glad to cut their -own wood and bring it into the prison -on their shoulders. But this would -have been a luxury, and Winder did -not furnish prisoners with luxuries. -There was an abortive attempt made -at cooking more rations, by cooking -them less, and the result was, meal -simply scalded and called “mush,” -and rice not half cooked, and burned -black wherever it touched the kettle -it was boiled in.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The effects of this unwholesome, -half cooked, and in thousands of cases -raw diet, was an increase of diarrhea, -and dysentery, and scurvy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In thousands of cases of scurvy where -scorbutic ulcers had broken out, gangrene -supervened and the poor prisoner -soon found surcease of pain, and -misery, and starvation, in the grave. -Amputation of a limb was not a cure -for these cases; new scorbutic ulcers -appeared, again gangrene supervened, -and death was the almost inevitable -result.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The prison was filled with sick and -dying men, indeed well men were the -exception, and sick men the rule. -The hospital was filled to overflowing; -the prison itself, was a vast hospital, -with no physicians, and no nurses.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thousands of men had become too -sick and weak to go to the sinks to -stool, and they voided their excrement -in little holes dug near their -tents. The result of this was, a prison -covered with maggots, and the air so -polluted with the foul stench, that it -created an artificial atmosphere, -which excluded malaria, and in a -country peculiarly adapted to malarial -diseases, there were no cases of -Malarial, Typhus or Typhoid fevers.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Your true Yankee is an ingenious -<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>fellow, and is always trying to better -his situation. Many cooking dishes -were manufactured by the prisoners -out of tin cans, pieces of sheet iron, -or car roofing, which had been picked -up on the road to prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Knives and spoons were made from -pieces of hoop iron, and a superannuated -oyster or fruit can, was a whole -cooking establishment, while a tin -pail or coffee pot caused its owner to -be looked upon as a nabob.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Fortunately for myself I was joint -owner with six men of my company, -of a six quart tin pail. This we -loaned at times to the more unfortunate, -thus helping them somewhat in -their misery. Besides this mine of -wealth, I had an interest in the -wooden bucket purloined from the -Danville prison, and as Sergeant of -the mess, it was in my care. To this -bucket I owe, in a great measure, my -life; for I used it for a bath tub during -my confinement in Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Another cause of suffering was the -extreme scarcity of water. When -the Richmond and Belle Isle prisoners -arrived in Andersonville in February -and March, they had procured their -water from Dead-run; but by the -time our squad arrived this little -stream had become so polluted that it -was not fit for the wallowing place of -a hog.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our first work after building a shelter -was to procure water. We first -dug a hole in the edge of the swamp, -but this soon became too warm and -filthy for use, so we started a well in -an open space in front of my tent, and -close to the Dead-line. We found -water at a depth of six feet, but it -was in quicksand and we thought our -well was a failure; but again luck -was on our side. One of the prisoners -near us, had got hold of a piece of -board while marching from the cars -to the prison, this he offered to give -us in exchange for stock in our well.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We completed the bargain, and -with our Danville sawknife cut up -the board into water-curbing, which -we sank into the quicksand, thus -completing a well which furnished -more water than any well in the -whole prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To the credit of my mess, who -owned all the right, title and interest, -in and to this well, I will say, we -never turned a man away thirsty. -After we had supplied ourselves, we -gave all the water the well would -furnish to the more unfortunate prisoners -who lived on the hill, and who -could procure no water elsewhere.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After we had demonstrated the fact -that clean water could be procured -even in Andersonville, a perfect -mania for well digging prevailed in -prison; wells were started all over, -but the most of them proved failures -for different reasons, some were discouraged -at the great depth, others -had no boards for water-curbing, and -their wells caved in, and were a failure. -There were, however, some -wells dug on the hill, to a depth of -thirty or forty feet. They furnished -water of a good quality, but the quantity -was very limited.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The digging of these deep wells was -proof of the ingenuity and daring of -the prisoners. The only digging tool -was a half canteen, procured by unsoldering -a canteen. The dirt was -drawn up in a haversack, or bucket, -attached to a rope twisted out of rags, -from the lining of coat sleeves or strips -of shelter tents. The well diggers -were lowered into, and drawn out of, -the wells by means of these slight, -rotten ropes, and yet, I never heard of -an accident as a result of this work.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the wells were not capable of -supplying one-fourth of the men with -water. Those who had no interest in -a well, and could not beg water from -those who had, were compelled to go -to Dead-run for a supply.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A bridge crossed this stream on the -west side of the prison, and here the -water was not quite so filthy as farther -down stream. This bridge was the -slaughter pen of the 55th Georgians, -and the 5th Georgia Home Guards.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here the prisoners would reach under -the Dead-line to procure clean -water, and the crack of a Georgian’s -musket, was the prisoner’s death -knell.</p> - -<p class='c009'>During the early part of August -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>Providence furnished what Winder -and Wirz refused to furnish. After -a terrible rain storm, a spring broke -out under the walls of the stockade -about ten or fifteen rods north of this -bridge. Boards were furnished, out -of which a trough was made which -carried the water into the prison. -The water was of good quality, and of -sufficient quantity to have supplied -the prisoners, could it have been -saved by means of a tank or reservoir. -This was the historical “Providence -Spring” known and worshiped by all -ex-Andersonville prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The same rain storm which caused -Providence Spring to break out, -gullied and washed out the ground -between our well and the stockade to -a depth of four feet, and so saturated -the ground that the well caved in. -We were a sad squad of men, as we -gathered around the hole where our -hopes of life were buried, for without -pure water, we knew we could not -survive long in Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Two days after the accident to our -well, we held a legislative session, -and resolved ourselves into a committee -of the whole, on ways and -means to restore our treasure. No -one could think of any way to fix up -the well, boards were out of the question, -stones there were none, and barrels:—we -had not seen a barrel since -we left “God’s Country.” As chairman, -ex-officio, of the committee, I -proposed that we steal a board from -the Dead-line. This was voted down -by the committee as soon as proposed, -the principle was all right, but the -risk was too great; death would be the -penalty for the act. The committee -then rose and the session was adjourned. -After considering the matter -for a time, I resolved to steal a -board from the Dead-line at any risk. -I then proceeded to mature a plan -which I soon put into execution. -One of my “pards,” Rouse, had a good -silver watch, I told him to go up to -the Dead-line in front of the first -guard north of our tent, and show his -watch, and talk watch trade with the -guard. I sent Ole Gilbert, my other -pard, to the first guard south, with -the same instructions, but minus a -watch. I kept my eyes on the guards -and watched results; soon I saw that -my plan was working. I picked up -a stick of wood and going to a post of -the Dead-line, where one end of a -board was nailed, I pried off the end -of the board, but O horror! how it -squealed, it was fastened to a pitch -pine post with a twelve penny nail -and when I pried it loose, it squeaked -like a horse fiddle at a charivari party. -I made a sudden dive for my -tent, which was about sixteen feet -away, and when I had got under -cover I looked out to see the result. -The guards were peering around to -see what was up, their quick ears had -caught the sound, but their dull brain -could not account for the cause.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After waiting until the guards had -become again interested in the mercantile -transaction under consideration, -I crawled out of my tent and as -stealthily as a panther crawled to my -board again. This time I caught it -at the loose end, and with one mighty -effort I wrenched it from the remaining -posts, dropped it on the ground, -and again dove into my tent.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The guards were aroused, but not -soon enough to see what had been -done, and I had secured a board -twenty feet long by four inches wide, -lumber enough to curb our well.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Another meeting of the mess was -held, the saw-knife was brought out, -the board, after great labor, was -sawed up, and our well was restored -to its usefulness.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This same storm, which occurred -on the 12th of August, was the cause -of a quite an episode in our otherwise -dull life in prison. It was one of -those terrible rains which occur -sometimes in that region, and had -the appearance of a cloud-burst. The -rain fell in sheets, the ground in the -prison was completely washed, and -much good was done in the way of -purifying this foul hole. The rapid -rush of water down the opposing hills, -filled the little stream, which I have -called Dead-run, to overflowing, -and as there was not sufficient outlet -through the stockade, for the fast -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>accumulating water, the pressure became -so great that about twenty feet -of the stockade toppled and fell over.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thousands of prisoners were out -looking at the downfall of our prison -walls and when it went over we sent -up such a shout and hurrah that we -made old Andersonville ring.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the rebel guard had witnessed -the break as well as we. The guard -near the creek called out “copeler of -the gyaad! post numbah fo’teen! -hurry up, the stockade is goin to -h—l.” The guards, about 3,000 in -number, came hurrying to the scene -and formed line of battle to prevent a -rush of prisoners, while the <a id='tn086'></a>cannoneers -in the forts sprang to their guns. -We saw them ram home the charges -in their guns, then we gave another -shout, when <span class='fss'>BANG</span> went one of the -guns from the south-western fort, and -we heard a solid shot go shrieking -over our heads. It began to look as -though the Johnies were going to get -the most fun out of this thing after -all. Just at this time Wirz came up -to the gap and shrieked, “co pack to -your quarters, you tammed Yanks, or -I vill open de cuns of de forts on -you.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>I needed no second invitation after -that shot went over our heads, and I -hurried to my quarters and laid low. -I don’t think I am naturally more -cowardly than the average of men, -but that shot made me tired. I was -sick and weak and had no courage, -and knew Winder and Wirz so well -that I had perfect faith that they -would be only too glad of an excuse -to carry out the threat.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But let us go back to the month of -May. Soon after my arrival, there -was marched into the prison about -two thousand of the finest dressed -soldiers I ever saw. Their uniforms -were new and of a better quality than -we had ever seen in the western army. -They wore on their heads cocked -hats, with brass and feather accompaniments. -Their feet were shod -with the best boots and shoes we had -seen since antebellum days, their -shirts were of the best “lady’s cloth” -variety, and the chevrons on the -sleeves of the non-commissioned officers -coats, were showy enough for -members of the Queen’s Guards.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Poor fellows, how I pitied them. -The mingled look of surprise, horror, -disgust, and sorrow that was depicted -on their faces as they marched between -crowds of prisoners who had -been unwilling guests of the Confederacy -for, from four to nine months, -told but too plainly how our appearance -affected them. As they passed -along the mass of ragged, ghastly, -dirt begrimed prisoners, I could hear -the remark, “My God! have I got to -come to this?” “I can’t live here a -month,” “I had rather die, than to -live in such a place as this,” and similar -expressions. I say that I pitied -them, for I knew that the sight of -such specimens of humanity as we -were, had completely unnerved them, -that their blood had been chilled with -horror at sight of us, and that they -would never recover from the shock; -and they never did.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Yes they had to come to this; many -of them did not live a month, and not -many of those two thousand fine looking -men ever lived to see “God’s -Country” again.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These were the “Plymouth Pilgrims.” -They were a brigade, composed -of the 85th New York, the 101st -and 103d Pennsylvania, 16th Connecticut<a id='tn087'></a>, -24th New York Battery, two -companies of Massachusetts heavy -artillery and a company of the 12th -New York cavalry.</p> - -<p class='c009'>They were the garrison of a fort -at Plymouth, North Carolina, which -had been compelled to surrender, on -account of the combined attack of -land and naval forces, on the 20th day -of May, 1864.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Some of the regiments composing -this band of Pilgrims had “veteranized” -and were soon going home on a -veteran furlough when the attack -was made, but they came to Andersonville -instead.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Their service had been most entirely -in garrisons, where they had always -been well supplied with rations and -clothing, and exempt from hard -marches and exposures, and as a natural -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>sequence, were not as well fitted -to endure the hardships of prison life, -as soldiers who had seen more active -service.</p> - -<p class='c009'>They were turned into the prison -without shelter, and they did not -seem to think they could, in any way, -provide one; without cooking utensils, -and they thought they must eat -their food raw. They began to die -off in a few days after their arrival, -they seemed never to have recovered -from their first shock.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Comrade McElroy tells in “Andersonville,” -a pathetic story of a Pennsylvanian -who went crazy from the -effects of confinement. He had a picture -of his wife and children and he -used to sit hour after hour looking at -them, and sometimes imagined he -was with them serving them at the -home table. He would, in his imagination, -pass food to wife and children, -calling each by name, and urging -them to eat more. He died in a -month after his entrance.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I observed a similar case near my -quarters. One of this same band -came to our well for a drink of water -which we gave him. He was well -dressed, at first, but seemed to be a -simple-minded man. Day after day -he came for water, sometimes -many times a day. Soon he began to -talk incoherently, then to mutter -something about home and food. One -day his hat was gone; the next day -his boots were missing, and so on, day -after day, until he was perfectly nude, -wandering about in the hot sun, by -day, and shivering in the cold dews -at night, until at last we found him -one morning lying in a ditch at the -edge of the swamp,—dead.</p> - -<p class='c009'>God only knows how many of those -poor fellows were chilled in heart -and brain, at their first introduction -to Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The coming of the Pilgrims into -prison was the beginning of a new era -in its history. Before they came, -there was no money among the prisoners, -or so little as to amount to -nothing; but at the time of their surrender -they had been paid off, and -those who had “veteranized” had -been paid a veteran bounty, so that -they brought a large sum of money -into prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The reader may inquire how it was -that they were not searched, and -their money and valuables taken from -them by Winder and Wirz? It is a -natural inquiry, as it was the only -instance in the record of Andersonville, -so far as I ever heard, when -such rich plunder escaped those commissioned -robbers. The reason they -escaped robbery of all their money, -clothing, blankets and good boots and -shoes, was, they had surrendered -with the agreement that they should -be allowed to keep all their personal -belongings, and in this instance the -Confederate authorities had kept -their agreement.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Thus several thousand dollars were -brought into prison, and the old prisoners -were eager to get a share. All -sorts of gambling devices were used, -the favorite being the old army -Chuc-a-luck board. When these men -came in, the old prisoners had <a id='tn089'></a>preempted -all the vacant land adjoining their -quarters, and they sold their right to -it, to these tender-feet for large sums, -for the purpose of putting up shelters -on. This they had no right to do, -but the Pilgrims did not know it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>As the money began to circulate, -trade began to flourish. Sutler, and -soup stands sprung up all over the -prison, where vegetables and soup -were sold at rates that would seem -exorbitant in any other place than -the Confederacy. The result of all -this gambling and trading, together -with another cause which I will mention, -was, that the Pilgrims were -soon relieved of all their money, and -then began to trade their clothing. -Thus these well supplied, well dressed -prisoners were soon reduced to a level -with the older prisoners; but there -was a compensation in this, as well -as in nature, for what the former lost -the latter gained and they were the -better off by that much.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The supplies of vegetables and food -which were sold by the sutlers and -restaurateurs, were procured of the -guards at the gate, they purchasing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>of the “Crackers” in the vicinity, -causing a lively trade to flourish, not -only in prison, but with the surrounding -country.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch09' class='c007'>CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec09-1' class='c017'>THE RAIDERS.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“There must be government in all society—</div> - <div class='line'>Bees have their Queen, and stag herds have their leader;</div> - <div class='line'>Rome had her Consuls, Athens had her Archons,</div> - <div class='line'>And we, sir, have our Managing Committee.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>In the southern portion of the -prison, bordering the swamp, there -was domiciled the worst specimens -of humanity I ever knew. An acquaintance -with them would almost -convince any thinking man that there -was something in Darwin’s theory of -the developement of species. If that -theory is tenable, then I should argue -these men had been developed from -hyenas, and not very far, or well developed -either. They wore the outward -semblance of men, but retained -the cowardly, blood-thirsty, sneaking, -thievish nature of the hyena. These -were the Andersonville “Raiders;” -and a worse set of men never lived,—in -America, at least.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These men were from the slums of -New York City and Brooklyn. I -never knew what their record as soldiers -was, but as prisoners they -were the terror of all decent men. -They congregated together, were organized -into semi-military organization, -had their officers from captains -down, and in squads made their raids -upon the peaceable prisoners, who -were possessed of anything which excited -their cupidity.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Plymouth Pilgrims furnished -a rich harvest for these miscreants, -who spotted them, marking their -sleeping places, and in the dead hour -of the night robbed them of whatever -they possessed; or if any of the -Pilgrims ventured into their haunts -by day, they were knocked down and -robbed by daylight.</p> - -<p class='c009'>While the raiders were constantly -at war with others, they were not -always at peace among themselves. -Their favorite weapon with others -was a stick; but they settled their -difficulties of a domestic character -with their fists.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Sometimes one of the small fry -among these Raiders, would venture -out on his own hook, and pilfer any -little article he could find in a sick -man’s tent. One day a member of -my mess caught one of these fellows -stealing a tin cup from a sick man; -he immediately gave chase and -caught him, then we held a drumhead -court martial and sentenced him -to have his head shaved.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Now I do not suppose there was a -razor among the thirty-three thousand -men that were in Andersonville -at the time; notwithstanding this -drawback, the sentence of the court -was carried out with a pocket knife. -It made the fellow scowl some, but -the executioner managed to saw his -hair off after a fashion.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Another of these Raiders got his -just punishment while trying to rob -a half-breed Indian, a member of the -Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. The -raider attempted to steal the Indian’s -boots from under his head, when the -descendant of King Phillip plunged a -knife into the hoodlum, killing him -dead on the spot.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A number of murders had been -committed by these Raiders, and robberies -innumerable, when matters were -brought to a focus one day in the -early part of July, by Lieutenant -Davis, then in command of the Prison -vice Wirz who was sick, declaring -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>that no more rations would be issued -until these men were given up.</p> - -<p class='c009'>He had no need to threaten us;—we -were willing to give them up;—we -had no earthly use for them. Give -them up? yes; and pay boot, to get rid -of them. But it required a man -of nerve to lead in the arrest of -these desperadoes. It was no child’s -play, as there were between four and -five hundred of them, and to arrest -the leaders meant “business.” That -man was found in the person of Sergeant -Leroy L. Key, of the 16th Illinois -Cavalry, who was ably seconded -by a tall, lithe, young fellow known -as “Limber Jim,” a member of the -67th Illinois.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To the efforts of these two men, the -prisoners at Andersonville were indebted, -more than any other men, for -the comparative peace and security of -the prison after the 11th of July.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Key was the head, and furnished -the brains, of the organization known, -at first, as the “Regulators,” afterward -as the “Prison Police.” Limber -Jim was second in command, and first -in a fight.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These two men organized a force of -men in the southwest corner of the -stockade, from the best material -which could be found. It needed -strong brave men for the work in -hand; for these Raiders were strong, -athletic men, and desperate characters, -and the Regulators must need -face the lion in his den.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 3d of July Key at the head -of the Regulators, armed with clubs, -made a charge on the Raiders, who -had been expecting the attack and -were prepared. I was standing on -the north side of the swamp, and was -in good position to see the fight.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Key, followed by Limber Jim, led -the charge; for a few minutes the -spectators could tell nothing of how -the Regulators were faring. The air -was filled with clubs, which were descending -on men’s heads, shoulders -and arms. The fighting mass surged, -and swayed, and finally the Raiders -broke and ran; and then the spectators -set up such a shout as must have -cheered Key and his brave men.</p> - -<p class='c009'>That day and the next, the Regulators -arrested one hundred and twenty-five -of the worst characters among the -Raiders. Davis gave Key the use of -the small stockade at the north gate, -as a prison in which to hold them for -trial.</p> - -<p class='c009'>He then organized a Court Martial, -consisting of thirteen sergeants, selected -from among the latest arrivals, -in order to guard against bias. The -trial was conducted as fairly as was -possible, considering their ignorance -of law. Technicalities counted for -naught, facts, well attested, influenced -that court.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The trial resulted in finding six men -guilty of murder; and the sentence -was hanging.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The names of the six condemned -men were, John Sarsfield, William -Collins, alias “Mosby,” Charles Curtis, -Patrick Delaney, A. Muir and -Terrence Sullivan.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These men were heavily ironed, -and closely guarded, while the remaining -one hundred and nineteen -were returned to the prison, and compelled -to run a gauntlet of men armed -with clubs and fists, who belabored -them unmercifully, as they were -passed through one by one.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The sentence of the court martial -was executed on these six men on the -11th of July. A gallows was erected -in the street leading from the south -gate, and the culprits marched in -under a Confederate guard, to a hollow -square which surrounded the -scaffold, and was formed by Key’s -brave Regulators, where they were -turned over to Limber Jim.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These desperadoes were terribly -surprised when they found they were -to be hung. They imagined the court -martial was a farce, intended to scare -them. Imagine their disappointment -when they were marched to the gallows, -and turned over to the cool, but -resolute and firm Key, and the fiery -Limber Jim, whose brother had been -murdered by one of the number. -They found that it was no farce but -real genuine tragedy, in which they -were to act an important part.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When they realized this, they began -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>to beg for mercy, but they had shown -no mercy, and now they were to receive -no mercy. They then called -upon the priest, who attended them, -to speak in their behalf; but the prisoners -would have none of it, but -called out “hang them.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>When they found there was no -mercy in that crowd of men whom -they had maltreated and robbed, and -whose comrades and friends they had -murdered, they resigned themselves -to their fate; all but Curtis who broke -from the guard of Regulators and ran -through the crowd, over tents, and -across Dead-run into the swamp -where he was recaptured and taken -back.</p> - -<p class='c009'>They were then placed upon the -platform, their arms pinioned, meal -sacks were tied over their heads, the -ropes adjusted around their necks, -and, at a signal given by Key, the -trap was sprung and they were -launched into eternity, all but -Mosby, who being a heavy man broke -his rope. He begged for his life, but -it was of no avail. Limber Jim -caught him around the waist and -passed him up to another man; again -the noose was adjusted and he, too, -received his reward for evil doing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The execution of these men was -witnessed by all the prisoners who -were able to get out of their tents, -and it is needless to add, was approved -by them, all except the Raiders. -Besides the prisoners, all the -rebels who were on duty outside, -found a position where they could -witness the scene. The Confederate -officers, apprehensive of a stampede -of the prisoners, took the precaution -to keep their men under arms, and -the guns in the forts were loaded, the -fuses inserted in the vents and No. 4 -stood with lanyard in hand ready to -suppress an outbreak.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The hanging of these men had a -very salutary effect upon the other -evil doers in the prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Heretofore we had had no organization; -we were a mob of thirty-three -thousand men, without <a id='tn095'></a>law, and without -officers. Each mess had its own -laws and each man punished those -who had offended him; that is, if he -could. But now this band of thugs -was broken up and their leaders -hanged. The Regulators were turned -into a police force, with the gallant -Limber Jim as chief, and henceforth -order prevailed among the prisoners -at Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The reader will readily see, from -reading what I have written in this -chapter, that our sufferings did not all -proceed from the rebels.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Almost twenty-five years have -elapsed since those scenes were enacted, -the hot passion engendered by -the cruelties of prison life, have -measurably cooled, and as I am writing -this story, I am determined to -“hew to the line let the chips fall -where they will,” and with a full understanding -of what I say, I affirm -that many of the prisoners suffered -more cruelly, at the hands of their -comrades, than they did from the -rebels themselves.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was among the Pilgrims, a -fiend by the name of McClellan, a -member of the 12th New York cavalry, -who kicked, and abused, and -maltreated the poor weak prisoners -who got in his way in a manner which -deserved the punishment meted out -to the six Raiders. He had charge -of delivering the rations inside of the -prison, and if some poor starved boy, -looking for a crumb got in his way he -would lift him clear off from the -ground with the toe of his huge boot.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day while the bread wagon was -unloading, I saw a boy not more than -eighteen years old who had become -so weak from starvation, and so crippled -by scurvy that he could not walk, -but crawled around on his hands and -knees, trying to pick up some crumbs -which had fallen from the bread; he -happened to get in McClellan’s way, -when that brute drew back his foot -and gave the poor fellow a kick which -sent him several feet, and with a -monstrous oath, told him to keep out -of his way. This was only one instance -among thousands of his brutality, -yet with all his meanness I never -heard him charged with dishonesty.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The rebels had a way of punishing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>negroes, which was most exquisite -torture. From my quarters in the -prison I witnessed the punishment of -a negro by this method one day. He -was stripped naked and then laid on -the ground face downward, his limbs -extended to their full length, then his -hands and feet were tied to stakes. -A burly fellow then took a paddle -board full of holes, and applied it to -that part of the human anatomy in -which our mothers used to appear to -be so much interested, when they affectionately -drew us across their -knee, and pulled off their slipper.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The executioner was an artist in his -way, and he applied that paddle with -a will born of a determination to excel, -and the way that poor darkey -howled and yelled was enough to -soften a heart of stone.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This mode of punishment was -adopted by the prison police afterward, -in cases of petty larceny, and -I do not think the patient ever needed -a second dose of that medicine, for -there was a blister left to represent -every separate hole in the paddle, -and the patient was obliged for -several days, like the Dutchman’s hen, -to sit standing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I would recommend this treatment -to the medical fraternity, as a substitute -for cupping; as the cupping and -scarifying are combined in one operation, -and I think there is no patent -on it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The battle of Atlanta was fought -on the 22d day of July, and we received -the news of the victory in a -few days afterward from prisoners -who were captured on that day. Our -hopes began to revive from this time. -We thought we could begin to see -the “beginning of the end.” Besides -this we had a hope that Sherman -would send a Corps of Cavalry down -to rescue us. The rebels seem to -have some such thoughts running -through their minds, as the following -copy of an order, issued by General -Winder, testifies.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div>“Headquarters Military Prison,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c022'>Andersonville, Ga., July 27, 1864.</div> - -<p class='c023'>The officers on duty and in charge -of the Battery of Florida Artillery at -the time will, upon receiving notice -that the enemy has approached within -seven miles of this post, open upon -the stockade with grape shot, without -reference to the situation beyond the -line of defense.</p> - -<div class='c022'><span class='sc'>John H. Winder.</span></div> -<div class='c022'>Brigadier General Commanding.“</div> - -<p class='c009'>This order was issued at the time -Gen. Stoneman with his cavalry was -trying to capture Macon. Winder, in -his cowardice, supposed he might -attempt to rescue the prisoners at -Andersonville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This order, when interpreted, -means that when the officers in the -forts which guarded the prison, -should hear that any of the Federal -troops were approaching within seven -miles of the prison, they were to open -on us with grape shot. A simple -rumor by some scared native would -have precipitated that catastrophe.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just think of it, twenty-four cannons -loaded with grape shot opened -on sick defenseless men, not for any -offense they had committed, but because -Winder would rather see us -slaughtered than rescued.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Further, the order says, “without -reference to the situation beyond -these lines of defense.” This simply -means that they were to pay no attention -to the attacking party, but to -slaughter us.</p> - -<p class='c009'>If the records of the Infernal Regions -could be procured, I do not believe -a more hellish order could be -found on file.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We heard of Stoneman’s raid and -hoped, and yet feared, that he would -come. We knew that the foregoing -order had been issued, and yet we -hoped the artillerymen would not find -time to carry it out.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We would have liked, O so much, -to have got hold of Winder and Wirz, -and that Georgia Militia, there would -have been no need of a stockade to -hold them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>O, how weary we became of waiting. -It seemed to us that home, and -friends, and the comforts, and necessities -of life, were getting further, -and further away, instead of nearer, -that we could not stand this waiting, -and sickness, and misery, and living -death -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>much longer.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The more we thought of these -things, the more discouraged we became, -and I believe these sad discouraging -thoughts helped to prostrate -many a poor fellow, and unfit him to -resist the effects of his situation and -surroundings, and hastened, if it was -not the immediate cause of death.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Chaplain McCabe, who was a prisoner -in Libby Prison, has a lecture -entitled “The bright side of Prison -life.” If there was a bright side to -Andersonville, I want some <a id='tn099'></a>particular -funny fellow, who was confined -there for five or six months, to come -around and tell me where it was, for -I never found it, until I found the -<span class='fss'>OUT</span>side of it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We heard of the fall of Atlanta, -which occurred on the 2d of September, -and had we known the song then, -we would have sang those cheering -words written and composed by Lieutenant -S. H. M. Byers, while confined -in a rebel prison at Columbia, South -Carolina.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='c025'>I.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Our camp-fire shone bright on the mountains</div> - <div class='line'>That frowned on the river below,</div> - <div class='line'>While we stood by our guns in the morning</div> - <div class='line'>And eagerly watched for the foe;</div> - <div class='line'>When a rider came out from the darkness,</div> - <div class='line'>That hung over mountain and tree,</div> - <div class='line'>And shouted “boys up and be ready,</div> - <div class='line'>For Sherman will march to the Sea.”</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='c025'>II.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Then cheer upon cheer, for bold Sherman</div> - <div class='line'>Went up from each valley and glen,</div> - <div class='line'>And the bugles re-echoed the music</div> - <div class='line'>That came from the lips of the men;</div> - <div class='line'>For we knew that the Stars on our banner</div> - <div class='line'>More bright in their splendor would be,</div> - <div class='line'>And that blessings from North-land would greet us</div> - <div class='line'>When Sherman marched down to the sea.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='c026'>III.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Then forward, boys, forward to battle</div> - <div class='line'>We marched on our wearisome way,</div> - <div class='line'>And we stormed the wild hills of Resaca</div> - <div class='line'>God bless those who fell on that day:</div> - <div class='line'>Then Kenesaw, dark in its glory,</div> - <div class='line'>Frowned down on the flag of the free;</div> - <div class='line'>But the East and the West bore our standards,</div> - <div class='line'>And Sherman marched on to the sea.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='c026'>IV.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Still onward we pressed, till our banner</div> - <div class='line'>Swept out from Atlanta’s grim walls,</div> - <div class='line'>And the blood of the patriot dampened</div> - <div class='line'>The soil where the traitor flag falls:</div> - <div class='line'>But we paused not to weep for the fallen,</div> - <div class='line'>Who slept by each river and tree,</div> - <div class='line'>Yet we twined them a wreath of the laurel</div> - <div class='line'>As Sherman marched down to the sea.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='c026'>V.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>Oh, proud was our army that morning,</div> - <div class='line'>That stood where the pine proudly towers,</div> - <div class='line'>When Sherman said, “boys you are weary;</div> - <div class='line'>This day fair Savannah is ours!”</div> - <div class='line'>Then sang we a song for our chieftain,</div> - <div class='line'>That echoed o’er river and lea,</div> - <div class='line'>And the stars in our banner grew brighter</div> - <div class='line'>When Sherman marched down to the sea.<a id='tn100'></a>”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch10' class='c007'>CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec10-1' class='c017'>CLOSE QUARTERS.</h3> - -<p class='c027'>“<span class='sc'>Hamlet.</span> I have of late lost all my mirth, -foregone all custom of exercises; and, indeed, -it goes so heavily with my disposition, that -this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a -sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, -the air, look you,—this brave o’er hanging -firmament, this majestical roof fretted with -golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to -me than a foul and pestilent congregation of -vapors.”</p> -<div class='c028'><span class='sc'>Shakspere.</span></div> - -<p class='c009'>The great influx of prisoners during -the month of May and early part -of June, from the armies of Sherman -and Meade, increased our numbers to -more than thirty thousand prisoners. -These were crowded upon the small -space of twelve acres, or more than -two thousand five hundred men to -the acre. This would allow thirty-one -square feet to each man, or a -piece of ground five feet by six feet, -on which to build his tent and perform -all the acts and offices of life. -Indeed we were crowded in so thickly -that it was impossible for the prison -officials to find room for us to “fall -in” for roll call, for more than three -weeks.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the latter part of June, however, -an addition of nine acres was built, -which gave us more room, but did -not remove the filth and excrements -which had accrued in the older part -of the prison. The building on of an -addition to the prison was a God-send -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>in two ways, it gave more room, -and the old north line of stockade -was cut down for fuel. The new part -was finished one afternoon and a gap -made in the old stockade through -which the prisoners passed to their -new quarters. After dark a raid was -made on the old part, and before -morning every timber was down, and -men who had been compelled to eat -their food, at best half cooked, were -now supplied with wood.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The old part of the prison had become -so foul, as a result of the sickness -and crowded state of the prisoners, -that it surpassed all powers of -description or of imagination. The -whole swamp bordering upon Dead-run, -was covered to a depth of several -inches with human excrements, and -this was so filled with maggots that -it seemed a living moving mass of -putrifying filth. The stench was -loathsome and sickening to a degree -that surpasses description. With the -crowded state of the prison, the filthy -surroundings, and the terrible atmosphere -which covered the prison like a -cloud, it is no wonder that men sickened -and died by the thousands every -month.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These terrible surroundings made -the prisoners depressed and gloomy -in spirits, and made them more susceptible -to the attacks of disease.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The bodies of those who died were -carried to the south gate, with their -name, company, and regiment written -on a slip of paper and pinned to -their breast. Here they were laid in -the Dead-house, outside of the Stockade. -From the Dead-house they were -carted in wagons to the Cemetery, -and buried in trenches four feet in -depth. They were thrown into the -wagons, like dead dogs, covered with -filth and lice. After the wagons had -hauled away all the dead bodies, they -were loaded with food for the prisoners -in the Stockade. This was done -without any attempt at, or pretense -of cleaning in any way. I shall leave -the reader to imagine how palatable -that food was after such treatment.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The monotony of prison life was -sometimes relieved by finding among -the prisoners an old acquaintance of -boyhood days. Many of the western -men were born and educated in the -East, and it was no uncommon thing -for them to find an old chum among -the eastern soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day as I was cooking my rations -some one slapped me on the -shoulder and exclaimed, “Hello Bill!” -Looking up I saw standing before me, -an old schoolmate from Jamestown, -New York, by the name of Joe Hall. -It was a sad re-union; we had both -been in prison more than nine months, -he on Belle Isle, and I in Danville. -We had both been vaccinated and had -great scorbutic ulcers in our arms, -but he, poor fellow, had gangrene -which soon ate away his life. A few -weeks afterwards he went out to the -prison hospital, where he died in a -few days, and now a marble slab in -the Cemetery at Andersonville with -this inscription.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='small'>Joseph Hall, Company E. 9th N. Y. Cav.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>marks the last resting place of one of -my boyhood friends. Poor Joe.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A few days after Joe’s visit to me, -he introduced me to another Jamestown -boy, a member of the 49th New -York Infantry, by the name of Orlando -Hoover, or “Tip” as he was called. -He had re-inlisted during the winter -previous and had been home on a -veterans furlough, where he had visited -some of my old friends. He told -me how some of the old gray haired -men had declared they would enlist -for the purpose of releasing the prisoners, -that there was great indignation -expressed by many loyal northern -men, because our government did -not take some measures to release us -from our long confinement.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Tip” had good health in Andersonville, -as he did not stay there more -than two months, but when we arrived -at Florence I went to his detachment -to see him, and his “pard” told -me that he had jumped from the cars, -and that the guards had shot him, -while on their way up from Charleston. -A little more than two months -afterward, I carried the news to his -widowed mother, and sisters.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One of my comrades, Nelson Herrick, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>of Company B, 10th Wisconsin, -had scratched his leg slightly with -his finger nail, this had grown into a -scorbutic ulcer, at last gangrene supervened -upon it, and one of the best -men in the 10th Wisconsin was carried -to the cemetery.</p> - -<p class='c009'>All the terrible surroundings made -me sad and gloomy, but did not take -from me my determination to live. -I knew that if I lost hope, I would -lose life, and I was determined that I -would not die on rebel soil—not if -pure grit would prevent it. But one -day in August I ate a small piece of -raw onion which gave me a very severe -attack of cholera morbus, which -lasted me two days. I began to think -that it was all up with me, but thanks -to the kindness of my “pards”, Rouse -and Ole, I pulled through and from -that day began to get better of dysentery -and scurvy with which I was afflicted. -I was so diseased with scurvy, -that my nether limbs were so -contracted that I was obliged to walk -on my tiptoes, with the aid of a long -cane held in both hands. My limbs -were swollen and of a purple color. -My gums were swollen and purple and -my teeth loose and taken altogether I -looked like a man who had got his -ticket to the cemetery. None of my -comrades believed I could live, so they -told me afterward, but I never had a -doubt of my final restoration to home -and friends, except in those two days -in which I suffered with cholera -morbus.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Of the comrades of my regiment -with whom I had been associated in -prison, Nelson Herrick, Joseph Parrott, -Ramey Yoht, and Wallace Darrow -of company B, had died from -the effects of diarrhea and scurvy, -and Corporal John Doughty of my -company had died from the effects of -a gunshot wound, received from a -guard at Danville, while looking out -of a window.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Of those names I remember at this -date, who were in Andersonville, Joe -Eaton of Company A, stood the prison -life very well, he being one of the -few who kept up his courage and observed, -as well as possible, the laws of -health.</p> - -<p class='c009'>John Burk of my company, seemed -to wear well in this terrible place, on -account of a strong constitution and -his unflinching grit, which was of a -quality like a Quinebaug whetstone. -Corporal J. E. Webster, and E. T. -Best, Sergeant Ole Gilbert, G. W. -Rouse, and myself of my company, -and Sergeant Roselle Hull of Company -B, were alike afflicted with dysentery -and scurvy, and each had a large scorbutic -ulcer on his arm. Friend Cowles -of Company B. had also <a id='tn105'></a>succumbed -to the terrible treatment of the -rebels, and had been laid to rest.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To add to our suffering we were -exposed to the terrible heat of that -semi-tropical climate. There was not -a tree left on the ground, not a bush, -nothing for shade, but our little tents -and huts. The sun at noon was -almost vertical, and he poured down -his rays with relentless fury on our -unprotected heads. The flies swarmed -about and on us by day and the -mosquitoes tormented us by night. -There was no rest, no comfort, no enjoyment, -and only a tiny ray of hope -for us.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Amid all this terrible misery and -suffering, there were a few who kept -their faith in God, and did not curse -the authors of their misery. Conspicuous -among these was a band of -Union Tennesseans who were quartered -near me. They held their -prayer meetings regularly, and occasionally -one of their number would deliver -an exhortation. The faith of -those men was of the abiding kind. -They were modern Pauls and Silases -praying for their jailors. I too had a -faith, but not of the same quality as -theirs. My faith was in a climate -where overcoats would not be -needed, and that our tormentors -would eventually find it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We had no intercourse with the -guards, and could get no newspapers, -hence all the news we got was from -the “tenderfeet” when they arrived. -But the news we did get after Sherman -and Grant began the advance, -was of a cheering kind, and we had -strong hopes of the ultimate success -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>of the Union cause. I cannot imagine -what the result, so far as we were concerned, -would have been, had Sherman -and Grant failed in their great -undertakings. Without any hope to -cheer us, we must have all been sacrificed -in the arms of the Moloch of -despair.</p> - -<p class='c009'>One day in August a squad of Union -Tennessee Cavalry was brought in. -We tried in vain to find out what -Sherman was doing, and how large an -army he had. They only knew that -they had been captured while on picket -duty, and that Sherman had a -“powathful lahge ahmy.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Your ordinary Southerner of those -days, had a profound and an abiding -ignorance of numbers. They were to -him what pork is to a Jew, an unclean -thing. He had no use for them, and -would at a venture accept ten thousand -dollars, as a greater sum than a -million, for the reason that it took -more words to express the former, -than the latter sum.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the winter of 1862, while Mitchell’s -Division was camped at Bacon -Creek, Ky., we had a picket post on -a plantation owned by a man named -Buckner, a cousin of the rebel General -S. B. Buckner, he was, or professed -to be, a Union man. He went down -to Green River on one occasion to -visit Buell’s army. On his return I -asked him how many soldiers General -Buell had? “I can’t just say,” he -replied, “but theys a powahful lot of -em.” “Yes but how many thousand?” -said I. “Well I wont be right suah, -but theys a heap moah than a right -smart chance of em,” was as near an -approach to numbers as I could induce -him to express.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Geography is on the same catalogue -with Arithmetic. While marching -from Shepardsville to Elizabethtown, -in 1861 we camped for the night on -Muldraugh’s Hill, near the spot where -President Lincoln was born. After -we had “broke ranks” I went with -others to a farm house not far away -to procure water. A middle aged -man met us, and after granting us -permission to get water from his well, -he asked me, “what regiment is -that?” I told him it was the 10th -Wisconsin. “Westconstant, Westconstant, -let me see is Westconstant -in Michigan?” inquired he.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After the battle of Chickamauga, -while we were at McLaw’s Division -Hospital, our Surgeon took charge of -a rebel soldier lad not more than sixteen -years of age, who in addition to -a severe wound, was suffering from -an attack of fever. One morning the -surgeon went to him and asked, “how -are you this morning my boy?” “Well -I feel a heap bettah, but I’m powahful -weak yet, doctah,” was his reply.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Notwithstanding these people know -nothing of numbers, or of Geography, -or of Orthography and not much of -any ology, or ism, yet they are good riders, -good marksmen, good card players, -good whiskey drinkers, and barring -the troubles which grew out of -the “late unpleasantness” and “moonshining” -they are in the main kind-hearted -people to the whites.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These remarks apply to the poorer -class of whites in the time of the war<a id='tn107'></a>. -I understand there has been much -improvement since that time, in some -respects, there was certainly room for -it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the trusty unfailing friend of -the Union soldier, the caterer and -guide of the escaped prisoner, the one -on whom he could depend under any, -and all circumstances was the negro. -The poor black man knew that -“Massy Lincum’s sogers” were solving -a problem for them which had remained -unsolved for more than two -hundred years. They knew that the -success of the Union arms meant the -freedom of the slaves, and they always -worshipped a Federal soldier. -Any prisoner who escaped from rebel -prisons, and succeeded in reaching -the Union lines, owes his success to -the negroes for without their friendly -aid in the way of furnishing food, and -pointing out the way, and in most instances -acting as guide, they could -never have succeeded. He was never -so poor but that he would furnish -food for a fugitive prisoner and the -night was never so dark but that he -would guide him on his way, usually -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>turning him over to a friend who -would run him to the next station on -the “underground railroad.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>The negro was, on his part, the innocent -cause of much trouble, for -speculate and explain as much as you -will, he was the cause of the war. On -his account the exchange of prisoners -was suspended and he was, at once, -the cause of nearly all our trouble, -and our only friend. I said our only -friend, I mean in a general sense, -for there was a class of -men, though small in numbers, who -never forgot the men of their own -faith. There was never a prison so -dark and filthy but that a Catholic -priest would enter it, and there was -never a dying prisoner so lousy and -besmeared, but that he would administer -the consolations of the church -to him in the hour of his extremity.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In fact Catholic priests were the -only ministers, I ever heard of, who -entered the prison at Andersonville -to give the consolations of their religion -to dying men. I do not wish to -be understood as finding fault because -this was so, for Rebel ministers would -not and Union ministers could not, -enter that prison. And, indeed, we -did not want the ministrations of -those Rebel preachers. What little experience -we had had with them had -convinced us that they would take -advantage of their position to insult -us on account of our loyalty to our -flag. Not so with the Catholic priest. -He knew nothing of race, color, or politics -when dying men were considered. -In his zeal for his church Rebel -and Union were <a id='tn108'></a>alike to him, and in -any place where a Catholic was to be -found, there a Catholic priest would -find his way, and offer the sacraments -of his church to the dying. I can -honor them for their zeal and courage, -although I cannot accept the -dogmas of their church.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Dr. Jones, in his report, speaks of -the inhuman treatment of the nurses -to the sick. This may have been true -of the nurses in the hospital. They were -detailed from among the prisoners -in the stockade, not on account of any -fitness for the duty, but because of -favor. They cared nothing for the -sick. They were after the extra rations -which were allowed to men who were -working outside the stockade, and -for the clothing which fell into their -hands in one way and another.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Inside of the stockade there were no -nurses for the sick, except such voluntary -care as one comrade bestowed -upon another. In cases where men -of the same company or regiment -were associated together the sick man -so far as I observed, was cared for as -well as the circumstances would admit -of. But what could these men -do for each other? There was no -medicine to be had for love or money. -The surgeons prescribed sumac berries -for scurvy, and black-berry root -for diarrhea and dysentery. Little -luxuries, such as fruits, jellies, and -farinaceous compounds were unknown -in that place. A comrade could only -cook the corn meal, and bring a dish -of water, and assist his friend to stool -and when he died pin a little slip of -paper on his breast with his name, -company and regiment written on it, -and assist in carrying him to the -Dead-house, and then hope that some -one would do as well by him.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Ye who growl, and snarl, and find -fault with everything and everybody, -when you do not feel well, will do -well to stop and think how those poor -men suffered and then thank God, and -your friends, that your condition is<a id='tn109'></a> -so much better than theirs was.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span> - <h2 id='ch11' class='c007'>CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec11-1' class='c017'>MORTALITY AT ANDERSONVILLE.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs;</div> - <div class='line'>Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes</div> - <div class='line'>Write sorrow on the bosom of the earth.</div> - <div class='line'>Let’s choose executors, and talk of wills:</div> - <div class='line'>And yet not so,—for what can we bequeath,</div> - <div class='line'>Save our deposed bodies to the ground?”</div> - <div class='c010'><span class='sc'>King Richard II.</span></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>The number of prisoners confined -in the Andersonville prison, all told, -was forty-five thousand six hundred -and thirteen. Of these twelve thousand -nine hundred and twelve died -there, or in other words two men out -of every seven who were confined in -that prison died there, and the average -length of time of imprisonment -was only four months.</p> - -<p class='c009'>That this was largely due to causes -within the control of the Confederate -authorities I propose to show by the -sworn testimony of one of their own -men who was in a position to know, -and speak authoritatively.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 6th day of August 1864 Surgeon -Joseph Jones, of the Confederate -army, was detailed by the Surgeon -General to proceed to Andersonville, -and investigate and report, upon the -phenomena of the diseases prevailing -there. His visit was not for the benefit -of the prisoners, but for purely -scientific purposes. His report, from -which I quote, tells a story of such as -no prisoner could tell, for, if any were -qualified to make such investigation -and report, they had no opportunity -to do so.</p> - -<p class='c009'>These extracts from the above -mentioned report are taken from -“Andersonville,” a book which I wish -every civilized person in the world -could read. This report was part of -the testimony offered and accepted at -the trial of Wirz, and is now on file -in the office of the Judge Advocate -General of the United States, at -Washington.</p> - -<h3 class='c017'>“MEDICAL TESTIMONY.”</h3> - -<p class='c018'><span class='small'>(Transcript from the printed testimony at -Wirz Trial, pages 618 to 639, inclusive).</span></p> - -<p class='c023'>“Dr. Joseph Jones for the prosecution.</p> - -<p class='c023'>By the Judge Advocate:</p> - -<p class='c023'>Question. Where do you reside?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Answer. In Augusta, Georgia.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Are you a graduate of any -medical college?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Of the University of Pennsylvania.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. How long have you been -engaged in the practice of medicine?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Eight years.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Has your experience been -as a practitioner, or rather as an investigator -of medicine as a science?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Both.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. What position do you hold -now?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. That of Medical Chemist in -the Medical College of Georgia, at -Augusta.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. How long have you held -your position in that college?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Since 1858.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. How were you employed -during the Rebellion?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. I served six months in the -early part of it as a private in the -ranks, and the rest of the time in the -medical department.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Under the direction of -whom?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Under the direction of Dr. -Moore, Surgeon General.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Did you, while acting under -his direction, visit Andersonville, -professionally?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Yes Sir.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. For the purpose of making -investigations there?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. For the purpose of prosecuting -investigations ordered by the -Surgeon General.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. You went there in obedience -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>to a letter of instructions?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. In obedience to orders which -I received.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Did you reduce the results -of your investigations to the shape of -a report?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. I was engaged at that work -when General Johnston surrendered -his army.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div><span class='small'>(<i>A document being handed to witness.</i>)</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Have you examined this -extract from your report and compared -it with the original?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. Yes sir, I have.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ques. Is it accurate?</p> - -<p class='c023'>Ans. So far as my <a id='tn113'></a>examination -extended, it is accurate.</p> - -<p class='c027'>The document just examined by -witness was offered in evidence, and -is as follows:</p> - -<p class='c029'><i>Observations upon the diseases of the -Federal prisoners, confined in Camp -Sumter, Andersonville, in Sumter county, -Georgia, instituted with a view to illustrate -chiefly the origin and causes of hospital -gangrene, the relations of continued and -malarial fevers, and the pathology of camp -diarrhea and dysentery, by Joseph Jones -Surgeon P. A. C. S. Professor of Medical -Chemistry in the Medical College of Georgia, -at Augusta, Georgia.</i></p> - -<p class='c029'>Hearing of the unusual mortality -among the Federal prisoners confined -at Andersonville, Georgia, in the -month of August, 1864, during -a visit to Richmond, Va., I expressed -to the Surgeon General, S. P. Moore, -Confederate States of America, a desire -to visit Camp Sumter, with the -design of instituting a series of inquiries -upon the nature and causes of -the prevailing diseases. Small pox -had appeared among the prisoners, -and I believed that this would prove -an admirable field for the establishment -of its characteristic lesions. -The condition of Peyer’s glands in -this disease was considered as worthy -of minute investigation. It was -believed that a large body of men -from the northern portion of the -United States, suddenly transported -to a warm Southern climate, and confined -upon a small portion of land, -would furnish an excellent field for -the investigation of the relations of -typhus, typhoid and malarial fevers.”</p> - -<p class='c023'>Then follows a letter of introduction -to the Surgeon in charge at Andersonville, -and a letter to Gen. Winder -asking permission to visit the -Inner Prison, and an order of Winder -granting permission. The report -then proceeds.</p> - -<p class='c029'>“<i>Description of the Confederate States -Military Prison Hospital at Andersonville, -Number of prisoners, physical condition, -food, clothing, habits, moral condition, -diseases.</i></p> - -<p class='c029'>The Confederate Military Prison at -Andersonville, Ga., consists of a -strong Stockade, twenty feet in -height, enclosing twenty-seven acres. -The Stockade is formed of strong -pine logs, firmly planted in the -ground. The main Stockade is surrounded -by two other similar rows -of pine logs, the middle stockade -being sixteen feet high, and the outer -twelve feet. These are intended for -offense and defense. If the inner -stockade should at any time be forced -by the prisoners, the second forms -another line of defense; while in case -of an attempt to deliver the prisoners -by a force operating upon the exterior, -the outer line forms an admirable -protection to the Confederate -troops, and a most formidable obstacle -to cavalry or infantry.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The four angles of the outer line -are strengthened by earth-works upon -commanding eminences, from which -the cannon, in case of an outbreak -among the prisoners, may sweep the -entire enclosure; and it was designed -to connect these works by a line of -rifle pits, running zigzag, around the -outer stockade; those rifle pits have -never been completed. The ground -enclosed by the innermost stockade -lies in the form of a parallelogram -the larger diameter running almost -due north and south. This space includes -the northern and southern -opposing sides of two hills, between -which a stream of water runs from -west to east. The surface soil of -these hills is composed chiefly of -sand with varying admixtures of clay -and oxide of iron. The clay is sufficiently -tenacious to give a considerable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>degree of consistency to the soil. -The internal structure of the hills, as -revealed by the deep wells, is similar -to that already described. The alternate -layers of clay and sand, as well -as oxide of iron, which form, in its -various combinations a cement to the -sand, allow of extensive tunneling. -The prisoners not only constructed -numerous dirt huts with balls of clay -and sand, taken from the wells which -they have excavated all over those -hills, but they have also, in some -cases, tunneled extensively from these -wells. The lower portion of these -hills, bordering on the stream, are -wet and boggy from the constant oozing -of water. The stockade was built -originally to accommodate only ten -thousand prisoners, and included at -first seventeen acres. Near the close -of the month of June the area was -enlarged by the addition of ten acres. -The ground added was on the northern -slope of the largest hill.</p> - -<p class='c029'>Within the circumscribed area of -the stockade the Federal prisoners -were compelled to perform all the -offices of life—cooking, washing, the -calls of nature, exercise and sleeping.</p> - -<p class='c029'>During the month of March the -prison was less crowded than at any -subsequent time, and the average -space of ground to each prisoner was -only 98.7 feet, or less than seven -square yards. The Federal prisoners -were gathered from all parts of the -Confederate States east of the Mississippi, -and crowded into the confined -space, until in the month of June, the -average number of square feet of -ground to each prisoner was only 33.2 -or less than four square yards. These -figures represent the condition of the -stockade in a better light even than -it really was; for a considerable -breadth of land along the stream, -flowing from west to east between -the hills, was low and boggy, and was -covered with the excrement of the -men, and thus rendered wholly uninhabitable, -and in fact useless for -every purpose except that of defecation.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The pines and other small trees and -shrubs, which originally were <a id='tn115'></a>scattered -sparsely over these hills, were, in a -short time, cut down and consumed -by the prisoners for firewood, and no -shade tree was left in the entire enclosure -of the stockade. With their -characteristic industry and ingenuity, -the Federals constructed for themselves -small huts and caves, and -attempted to shield themselves from -the rain and sun and night damps and -dew. But few tents were distributed -to the prisoners, and those were in -most cases torn and rotten. In the location -and arrangement of these tents -and huts no order appears to have -been followed; in fact, regular streets -appear to be out of the question in so -crowded an area; especially too, as -large bodies of prisoners were from -time to time added suddenly without -any previous preparations. The irregular -arrangement of the huts and imperfect -shelters were very unfavorable -for the maintenance of a proper -system of police.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The police and internal economy of -the prison was left almost entirely in -the hands of the prisoners themselves; -the duties of the Confederate -soldiers acting as guards being limited -to the occupation of boxes or -lookouts ranged around the stockade -at regular intervals, and to the manning -of the batteries at the angles of -the prison. Even judicial matters -pertaining to themselves, as the detection -and punishment of such -crimes as theft and murder appear to -have been, in a great measure, abandoned -to the prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c029'>A striking instance of this occurred -in the month of July, when the Federal -prisoners within the stockade -tried, condemned, and hanged six (6) -of their own number, who had been -convicted of stealing, and of robbing -and murdering their fellow prisoners. -They were all hung upon the same -day, and thousands of the prisoners -gathered around to witness the execution. -The Confederate authorities -are said not to have interfered with -these proceedings. In this collection -of men from all parts of the world, -every phase of human character was -represented; the stronger preyed upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>the weaker, and even the sick who -were unable to defend themselves -were robbed of their scanty supplies -of food and clothing. Dark stories -were afloat, of men, both sick and -well, who were murdered at night, -strangled to death by comrades for -scant supplies of clothing or money.</p> - -<p class='c029'>I heard a sick and wounded Federal -prisoner accuse his nurse, a fellow -prisoner of the United States army, -of having stealthily, during his sleep, -inoculated his wounded arm with -gangrene, that he might destroy <a id='tn117'></a> -his life and fall heir to his clothing.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>The large number of men confined -in the stockade soon, under a defective -system of police, and with imperfect -arrangements, covered the surface -of the low grounds with excrements. -The sinks over the lower portions of -the stream were imperfect in their -plan and structure, and the excrements -were, in large measure, deposited -so near the border of the stream -as not to be washed away, or else accumulated -upon the low boggy -ground. The volume of water was -not sufficient to wash away the feces, -and they accumulated in such quantities -in the lower portion of the -stream as to form a mass of liquid -excrement. Heavy rains caused the -water of the stream to rise, and as -the arrangements for passage of the -increased amounts of water out of -the stockade were insufficient, the -liquid feces overflowed the low -grounds and covered them several -inches, after subsidence of the waters. -The action of the sun upon this -putrefying mass of excrements and -fragments of bread and meat and -bones excited most rapid fermentation -and developed a horrible stench. -Improvements were projected for the -removal of the filth and for the prevention -of its accumulation, but they -were only partially and imperfectly -carried out. As the forces of the -prisoners were reduced by confinement, -want of exercise, improper diet, -and by scurvy, diarrhea, and dysentery, -they were unable to evacuate -their bowels within the stream or -along its banks, and the excrements -were deposited at the very doors of -their tents. The vast majority appeared -to lose all repulsion to filth, -and both sick and well disregarded all -the laws of hygiene and personal -cleanliness. The accommodations for -the sick were imperfect and insufficient.</p> - -<p class='c029'>From the organization of the -prison, February 24th, 1864, to May -22d, the sick were treated within the -stockade. In the crowded condition -of the stockade, and with the tents -and huts clustered thickly around the -hospital, it was impossible to secure -proper ventilation or to maintain the -necessary police. The Federal prisoners -also made frequent forays upon -the hospital stores and carried off the -food and clothing of the sick. The -hospital was on the 22d of May removed -to its present site without the -stockade, and five acres of ground -covered with oaks and pines appropriated -to the use of the sick.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The supply of medical officers has -been insufficient from the foundation -of the prison.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The nurses and attendants upon the -sick have been most generally Federal -prisoners, who in too many cases appear -to have been devoid of moral -principle, and who not only neglected -their duties, but were also engaged in -extensive robbing of the sick.</p> - -<p class='c029'>From the want of proper police and -hygienic regulations alone it is not -wonderful that from February 24th -to September 21st, 1864, nine thousand -four hundred and seventy-nine deaths -nearly one third of the entire number -of prisoners, should have been recorded. -I found the stockade and -hospital in the following condition -during my pathological investigations, -instituted in the month of September, -1864:</p> - -<p class='c029'>Stockade, Confederate States Military -Prison.</p> - -<p class='c029'>At the time of my visit to Andersonville -a large number of Federal -prisoners had been removed to Millen, -Savannah, Charleston and other parts -of the Confederacy, in anticipation -of an advance of General Sherman’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>forces from Atlanta, with the design -of liberating their captive brethren: -however, about fifteen thousand prisoners -remained confined within the -limits of the stockade and Confederate -States Military Prison Hospital.</p> - -<p class='c029'>In the stockade, with the exception -of the damp low lands bordering the -small stream, the surface was covered -with huts, and small ragged tents and -parts of blankets and fragments of -oil-cloth, coats, and blankets stretched -upon sticks. The tents and huts -were not arranged according to any -order, and there was in most parts of -the enclosure scarcely room for two -men to walk abreast between the -tents and huts.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>Each day the dead from the stockade -were carried out by their fellow -prisoners and deposited upon the -ground under a bush arbor just outside -the southwestern gate. From -thence they were carried in carts to -the burying ground, one quarter of a -mile northwest of the prison. The -dead were buried without coffins, side -by side, in trenches four feet deep.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The low grounds bordering the -stream were covered with human excrements -and filth of all kinds, which -in many places appeared to be alive -with working maggots. An indescribable -sickening stench arose from -these fermenting masses of human -filth.</p> - -<p class='c029'>There were near five thousand seriously -ill Federals in the stockade -and Confederate States Military -Prison Hospital, and the deaths exceeded -one hundred per day, and large -numbers of the prisoners who were -walking about, and who had not been -entered upon the sick reports, were -suffering from severe and incurable -diarrhea, dysentery and scurvy. The -sick were attended almost entirely by -their fellow prisoners, appointed as -nurses, and as they received but little -attention, they were compelled to -exert themselves at all times to -attend to the calls of nature, and -hence, they retained the power of -moving about to within a comparatively -short period of the close of life. -Owing to the slow progress of the -diseases most prevalent, diarrhea and -chronic dysentery, the corpses were -as a general rule emaciated.</p> - -<p class='c029'>I visited two thousand sick within the -stockade, lying under some long sheds -which had been built at the northern -portion for themselves. At this time -only one medical officer was in attendance, -whereas at least twenty -medical officers should have been employed.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>Scurvy, diarrhea, dysentery, and -hospital gangrene were the prevailing -diseases. I was surprised to find but -few cases of malarial fever, and no -well marked cases either of typhus or -typhoid fever. The absence of the -different forms of malarial fever may -be accounted for on the supposition -that the artificial atmosphere of the -stockade, crowded densely with -human beings and loaded with animal -exhalations, was unfavorable to the -existence and action of malarial -poison. The absence of typhoid and -typhus fevers amongst all the causes -which are supposed to generate these -diseases, appeared to be due to the -fact that the great majority of these -prisoners had been in captivity in -Virginia, at Belle Island, and in other -parts of the Confederacy for months, -and even as long as two years, and -during this time they had been subjected -to the same bad influences, and -those who had not had these fevers -before either had them during their -confinement in Confederate prisons -or else their systems, from long exposure -were proof against their -action.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The effects of scurvy were manifested -on every hand, and in all its -various stages, from the muddy pale -complexion, pale gums, feeble, languid -muscular motions, lowness of -spirits, and fetid breath, to the dusky, -dirty leaden complexion, swollen features, -spongy purple, livid, fungoid, -bleeding gums, loose teeth, œdematous -limbs, covered with livid vibices -and petechiae<a id='tn120'></a>, spasmodically flexed, -painful and hardened extremities, -spontaneous hemorrhages from mucous -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>canals, and large, ill conditioned, -spreading ulcers covered with a dark -purplish fungus growth. I observed -that in some cases of scurvy the parotid -glands were greatly swollen, and -in some instances to such an extent -as to preclude entirely the power to -articulate. In several cases of dropsy -of the abdomen and lower extremities -supervening upon scurvy, the -patients affirmed that previously to -the appearance of the dropsy they -had suffered with profuse and obstinate -diarrhea, and that when this was -checked by a change of diet, from -Indian corn bread baked with the -husk, to boiled rice, the dropsy appeared. -The severe pains and livid -patches were frequently associated -with swellings in various parts, and -especially in the lower extremities, -accompanied with stiffness and contractions -of the knee joints and ankles, -and often with a burning feel of -the parts, as if lymph had been -effused between the integuments and -apeneuroses, preventing the motion -of the skin over the swollen parts. -Many of the prisoners believed that -the <a id='tn121'></a>scurvy was contagious, and I saw -men guarding their wells and springs, -fearing lest some man suffering with -scurvy might use the water and thus -poison them. I observed also numerous -cases of hospital gangrene and -of spreading scorbutic ulcers, which -had supervened upon slight injuries. -The scorbutic ulcers presented a dark -purple fungoid, elevated surface, with -livid swollen edges, exuded a thin, -fetid sanious fluid, instead of pus. -Many <a id='tn121-2'></a>ulcers which originated from -the sorbutic condition of the system -appeared to become truly <a id='tn121-3'></a>gangrenous, -assuming all the characteristics -of hospital gangrene.</p> - -<p class='c029'>From the crowded condition, filthy -habits, bad diet, and dejected depressed -condition of the prisoners, -their systems had become so disordered -that the smallest abrasion of -the skin from the rubbing of a shoe, -or from the effects of the sun, or -from the prick of a splinter, or from -scratching or a mosquito bite, in -some cases took on rapid and frightful -ulceration and gangrene. The -long use of salt meat, ofttimes imperfectly -cured, as well as the most -total deprivation of vegetables and -fruit, appeared to be the chief cause -of scurvy. I carefully examined the -bakery and the bread furnished the -prisoners, and found that they were -supplied almost entirely with corn -bread from which the husk had not -been separated. This husk acted as -an irritant to the alimentary canal, -without adding any nutriment to the -bread. As far as my examination -extended no fault could be found -with the mode in which the bread -was baked; the difficulty lay in the -failure to separate the husk from the -corn meal. I strongly urged the preparation -of large quantities of soup -made from the cow and calves heads -with the brains and tongues to which -a liberal supply of sweet potatoes and -vegetables might have been advantageously -added. The material existed -in abundance for the preparation -of such soup in large quantities -with but little additional expense. -Such aliment would have been not -only highly nutritious, but it would -also have acted as an efficient remedial -agent for the removal of the -scorbutic condition. The sick within -the stockade lay under several long -sheds which were <a id='tn122'></a>originally built for -barracks. These sheds covered two -floors which were open on all sides. -The sick lay upon the bare boards, or -upon such ragged blankets as they -possessed, without, as far as I observed, -any bedding or even straw.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>The haggard, distressed countenances -of these miserable, complaining -dejected, living skeletons, crying for -medical aid and food, and cursing -their Government for its refusal to -exchange prisoners, and the ghastly -corpses with their glazed eyeballs -staring up into vacant space, with the -flies swarming down their open grinning -mouths, and over their ragged -clothes infested with numerous lice, -as they lay amongst the sick and dying -formed a picture of helpless, hopeless -misery which it would be impossible -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>to portray by words or by -the brush. A feeling of disappointment -and even resentment on -account of the action of the -United States Government upon -the subject of exchange of prisoners, -appeared to be widespread, and -the apparent hopeless, nature of the -negotiations for some general exchange -of prisoners appeared to be a -cause of universal regret and deep -and injurious despondency. I heard -some of the prisoners go so far as to -exonerate the Confederate Government -from any charge of intentionally -subjecting them to a protracted -confinement, with its necessary and -unavoidable sufferings in a country -cut off from all intercourse with foreign -nations, and sorely pressed on -all sides, whilst on the other hand -they charged their prolonged captivity -upon their own Government, -which was attempting to make the -negro equal to the white man. Some -hundreds or more of the prisoners -had been released from confinement -in the stockade on parole, and filled -various offices as clerks, druggists, -carpenters, etc., in the various departments. -These men were well clothed -and presented a stout and healthy -appearance, and as a general rule, they -presented a much more robust and -healthy appearance than the Confederate -troops guarding the prisoners.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>The entire grounds are surrounded -by a frail board fence, and are strictly -guarded by Confederate soldiers, and -no prisoner, except the paroled attendants, -is allowed to leave the -grounds except by a special permit -from the commandant of the interior -of the prison.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The patients and attendants, near -two thousand in number, are crowded -into this confined space and are but -poorly supplied with old and ragged -tents. Large numbers of them were -without any bunks in the tents, and -lay upon the ground, ofttimes without -even a blanket. No beds or straw -appeared to have been furnished. -The tents extend to within a few -yards of the small stream, the eastern -portion of which, as we have -before said, is used as a privy and is -loaded with excrements; and I observed -a large pile of corn bread, -bones, and filth of all kinds, thirty -feet in diameter and several feet in -<a id='tn124'></a>height, swarming with myriads of -flies, in a vacant space near the pots -used for cooking. Millions of flies -swarmed over everything and covered -the faces of the sleeping patients, and -crawled down their open mouths and -deposited their maggots in the gangrenous -wounds of the living and in -the mouths of the dead.</p> - -<p class='c029'>Mosquitoes in great numbers also infested -the tents, and many of the -patients were so stung by these pestiferous -insects, that they resembled -those suffering from a slight attack -of the measles.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The police and hygiene of the hospital -were defective in the extreme; -the attendants, who appeared in almost -every instance to have been -selected from the prisoners, seemed -to have, in many cases, but little interest -in the welfare of their fellow -captives. The accusation was made -that the nurses, in many cases, robbed -the sick of their clothing, money, and -rations, and carried on a clandestine -trade with the paroled prisoners and -confederate guards without the hospital -enclosure, in the clothing, effects -of the sick, dying, and dead Federals. -They certainly appeared to neglect -the comfort and cleanliness of the -sick intrusted to their care in a most -shameful manner, even after making -due allowances for the difficulties of -the situation. Many of the sick were -literally encrusted with dirt and filth -and covered with vermin.</p> - -<p class='c029'>When a gangrenous wound needed -washing, the limb was thrust out a -little from the blanket, or board, or -rags upon which the patient was laying, -and water poured over it, and all -the putrescent matter allowed to soak -into the ground floor of the tent. -The supply of rags for dressing -wounds was said to be very scant, -and I saw the most filthy rags which -had been applied several times, and -imperfectly washed, used in dressing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>wounds. Where hospital gangrene -was prevailing, it was impossible for -any wound to escape contagion under -these circumstances. The result of -the treatment of wounds in the hospital -were of the most unsatisfactory -character, from this neglect of cleanliness, -in the dressings and wounds -themselves, as well as from various -other causes which will be more fully -considered. I saw several gangrenous -wounds filled with maggots<a id='tn125'></a>. I -have frequently seen neglected -wounds among Confederate soldiers -similarly affected; and as far as my -experience extends these worms destroy -only the dead tissues and do not -injure specially the well parts. I -have even heard surgeons affirm that -a gangrenous wound which had been -thoroughly cleansed by maggots, -healed more rapidly than if it had -been left to itself. This want of -cleanliness on the part of the nurses -appeared to be the result of carelessness -and inattention, rather than of -malignant design, and the whole -trouble can be traced to the want of -proper police and sanitary regulations -and to the absence of intelligent organization -and division of labor.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The abuses were in large measure -due to the almost total absence of -system, government, and rigid, but -wholesome sanitary regulations. In -extenuation of these abuses it was -alleged by the medical officers that -the Confederate troops were barely -sufficient to guard the prisoners, and -that it was impossible to obtain any -number of experienced nurses from -the Confederate forces. In fact the -guard appeared to be too small, even -for the regulation of the internal -hygiene and police of the hospital.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The manner of disposing of the -dead was also calculated to depress -the already desponding spirits of -these men, many of whom have been -confined for months, and even for -nearly two years in Richmond and -other places, and whose strength had -been wasted by bad air, bad food, and -neglect of personal cleanliness.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The dead-house is merely a frame -covered with old tent cloth and a few -brushes, situated in the south-western -corner of the hospital grounds. -When a patient dies, he is simply -laid in the narrow street in front of -his tent, until he is removed by Federal -negroes detailed to carry off the -dead; if a patient dies during the -night he lies there until morning, -and during the day, even the dead -were frequently allowed to remain -for hours in these walks. In the -dead-house the corpses lie upon the -bare ground, and were in most cases -covered with filth and vermin.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<p class='c029'>The cooking arrangements are of -the most defective character. Five -large iron pots similar to those used -for boiling sugar cane, appeared to -be the only cooking utensils furnished -by the hospital for the cooking -of nearly two thousand men; and the -patients were dependent in great -measure upon their own miserable -utensils. They were allowed to cook -in the tent doors and in the lanes, and -this was another source of filth, and -another favorable condition for the -generation and multiplication of flies -and other vermin.</p> - -<p class='c029'>The air of the tents was foul and -disagreeable in the extreme, and in -fact the entire grounds emitted a -most nauseous and disgusting smell. -I entered nearly all the tents and -carefully examined all the cases of -interest, and especially the cases of -gangrene, upon numerous occasions, -during the prosecution of my pathological -inquiries at Andersonville, -and therefore enjoyed every opportunity -to judge correctly of the hygiene -and police of the hospital.</p> - -<p class='c029'>There appeared to be absolute indifference -and neglect on the part of -the patients of personal cleanliness; -their persons and clothing, in most -instances, and especially of those suffering -with gangrene and scorbutic -ulcers, were filthy in the extreme and -covered with vermin. It was too -often the case that patients were received -from the Stockade in a most -deplorable condition. I have seen -men brought in from the stockade in -a dying condition, begrimed from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>head to foot with their own excrements, -and so black from smoke and -filth that they resembled negroes -rather than white men. That this -description of the stockade and hospital -has not been overdrawn, will -appear from the reports of the surgeons -in charge, appended to this -report.</p> - -<hr class='c030' /> - -<h3 class='c017'>CONCLUSIONS.</h3> - -<p class='c031'>1st. The great mortality among -the Federal prisoners confined in the -military prison at Andersonville was -not referable to climatic causes, or to -the nature of the soil and waters.</p> - -<p class='c029'>2d. The chief causes of death -were scurvy and its results and bowel -affections, chronic and acute diarrhea -and dysentery. The bowel affections -appear to have been due to the diet, -the habits of the patients, the depressed, -dejected state of the nervous -system and moral and intellectual -powers, and to the effluvia arising -from decomposing animal and vegetable -filth. The effects of salt meat, -and an unvarying diet of corn meal, -with but few vegetables, and imperfect -supplies of vinegar and syrup, -were manifested in the great prevalence -of scurvy. This disease, without -doubt, was also influenced to an important -extent in its origin and course -by the foul animal emanations.</p> - -<p class='c029'>3d. From the sameness of the -food and form, the action of the <a id='tn127'></a>poisonous -gases in the densely crowded -and filthy stockade and hospital, the -blood was altered in its constitution, -even before the manifestation, of -actual disease. In both the well and -the sick red corpuscles were diminished; -and in all diseases uncomplicated -with inflammation, the fibrous -element was deficient. In cases of -ulceration of the mucous membrane -of the intestinal canal the fibrous -element of the blood was increased; -while in simple diarrhea, uncomplicated -with ulceration, it was either -diminished or else remained stationary. -Heart clots were very common, -if not universally present, in cases of -ulceration of the intestinal mucous -membrane, while in the uncomplicated -cases of diarrhea and scurvy, -the blood was fluid and did not coagulate -readily, and the heart clots and -fibrous concretions were almost universally -absent. From the watery -condition of the blood, there resulted -various serous effusions into the pericardium, -ventricles of the brain, and -into the abdomen. In almost all the -cases which I examined after death, -even the more emaciated, there was -more or less serous effusion into the -abdominal cavity. In cases of hospital -gangrene of the extremities, -and in cases of gangrene of the intestines, -heart clots and fibrous coagulations -were universally present. The -presence of those clots in the cases of -hospital gangrene, while they were -absent in the cases in which there -was no <a id='tn128'></a>inflammatory symptoms, sustains -the conclusion that hospital -gangrene is a species of inflammation, -imperfect and irregular though it may -be in its progress, in which the fibrous -element and coagulation of the blood -are increased, even in those who are -suffering from such a condition of the -blood, and from such diseases as are -naturally accompanied with a decrease -in the fibrous constituent.</p> - -<p class='c029'>4th. The fact that hospital gangrene -appeared in the stockade first; -and originated spontaneously without -any previous contagion, and occurred -sporadically all over the stockade -and prison hospital, was proof -positive that this disease will arise -whenever the conditions of crowding, -filth, foul air and bad diet are present. -The exhalations from the hospital -and stockade appeared to exert their -effects to a considerable distance outside -of these localities. The origin -of hospital gangrene among these -prisoners appeared clearly to depend -in great measure upon the state of -the general system induced by diet, -and various external noxious influences. -The rapidity of the appearance -and action of the gangrene depended -upon the powers and state of -the constitution, as well as upon the -intensity of the poison in the atmosphere, -or upon the direct application -of poisonous matter to the wounded -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>surface. This was further illustrated -by the important fact that hospital -gangrene, or a disease resembling it -in all essential respects, attacked the -intestinal canal of patients laboring -under ulceration of the bowels, although -there was no local manifestations -of gangrene upon the surface of -the body. This mode of termination -in cases of dysentery was quite common -in the foul atmosphere of the -Confederate States Military Hospital -in the depressed, depraved condition -of the system of these Federal -prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c029'>5th. A scorbutic condition of the -system appeared to favor the origin -of foul ulcers which frequently took -on true hospital gangrene. Scurvy -and hospital gangrene frequently existed -in the same individual. In such -cases, vegetable diet, with vegetable -acids, would remove the scorbutic -condition without curing the hospital -gangrene. From the results of the -existing war for the establishment of -the independence of the Confederate -States, as well as from the published -observations of Dr. Trotter, Sir Gilbert -Blane, and others of the English -navy and army, it is evident that the -scorbutic condition of the system, especially -in crowded ships and camps, -is the most favorable to the origin -and spread of foul ulcers and hospital -gangrene. As in the present case of -Andersonville, so also in past times -when medical hygiene was almost entirely -neglected, those two diseases -were almost universally associated in -crowded ships. In many cases is was -very difficult to decide at first -whether the ulcer was a simple result -of scurvy or of the action of the -prison or hospital gangrene, for there -was great similarity in the appearance -of the ulcers in the two diseases, -so commonly have these two diseases -been combined in their origin and -action, that the description of scorbutic -ulcers, by many authors evidently -includes also many of the -prominent characteristics of hospital -gangrene. This will be rendered -evident by an examination of the observations -of Dr. Lind and Sir Gilbert -Blane upon scorbutic ulcers.</p> - -<p class='c029'>6th. Gangrenous spots followed by -rapid destruction of tissue appeared -in some cases where there had been -no known wound. Without such -well established facts, it might be -assumed that the disease was propagated -from one patient to another. -In such a filthy and crowded hospital -as that of the Confederate States -Military Prison at Andersonville, it -was impossible to isolate the wounded -from the sources of actual contact of -the gangrenous matter. The flies -swarming over the wounds and over -filth of every kind. The filthy, imperfectly -washed and scanty supplies -of rags, and the limited supply of -washing utensils, the same wash-bowl -serving for scores of patients, were -sources of such constant circulation -of the gangrenous matter that the -disease might rapidly spread from a -single gangrenous wound. The fact -already stated, that a form of moist -gangrene, resembling hospital gangrene, -was quite common in this foul -atmosphere, in cases of <a id='tn130'></a>dysentery, -both with and without the existence -of the disease upon the entire surface -not only demonstrates the dependence -of the disease upon the state of the -constitution, but proves in the clearest -manner that neither the contact -of the poisonous matter of gangrene, -nor the direct action of the poisonous -atmosphere upon the ulcerated surface -is necessary to the developement -of the disease.</p> - -<p class='c029'>7th. In this foul atmosphere amputation -did not arrest hospital gangrene, -the disease almost invariably -returned. Almost every amputation -was followed finally by death, either -from the effects of gangrene or from -the prevailing diarrhea or <a id='tn130-2'></a>dysentry. -Nitric acid and escharotics generally -in this crowded atmosphere, loaded -with noxious effluvia, exerted only -temporary effects; after their application -to the diseased surfaces, the -gangrene would frequently return -with redoubled energy; and even -after the gangrene had been completely -removed by local and constitutional -treatment, it would frequently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>return and destroy the patient. -As far as my observation extended, -very few of the cases of amputation -for gangrene recovered. -The progress of these cases was frequently -very deceptive. I have observed -after death the most extensive -disorganization of the structures of -the stump, when during life there -was but little swelling of the part, -and the patient was apparently doing -well. I endeavored to impress upon -the medical officers the view that in -this disease treatment was almost -useless, without an abundant supply -of pure, fresh air, nutritious food, -and tonics and stimulants. Such -changes, however, as would allow of -the isolation of the cases of hospital -gangrene appeared to be out of the -power of the medical officers.</p> - -<p class='c029'>8th. The gangrenous mass was without -true pus, and consisted chiefly of -broken-down, disorganized structures. -The reaction of the gangrenous matter -in certain stages was alkaline.</p> - -<p class='c029'>9th. The best, and in truth the only -means of protecting large armies and -navies, as well as prisoners, from the -ravages of hospital gangrene, is to -furnish liberal supplies of well cured -meat, together with fresh beef and -vegetables, and to enforce a rigid -system of hygiene.</p> - -<p class='c029'>10th. Finally, this gigantic mass -of human misery calls loudly for relief, -not only for the sake of suffering -humanity, but also on account of our -own brave soldiers now captives in -the hands of the Federal Government. -Strict justice to the gallant men of -the Confederate Armies, who have -been or who may be, so unfortunate -as to be compelled to surrender in -battle, demands that the Confederate -Government should adopt that course -which will best secure their health -and comfort in captivity; or at least, -leave their enemies without a shadow -of an excuse for any violation of the -rules of civilized warfare in the treatment -of prisoners.”</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div>(End of witnesses’ testimony.)</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c008'>This was the testimony of a scientific -medical officer, who was so -thoroughly a rebel that he served as -a private for six months in the Confederate -army, and yet so humane as -to condemn the barbarous treatment -imposed on helpless men by such -fiends as Winder and Wirz.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Let me call the readers particular -attention to a few points in the testimony -of Dr. Jones.</p> - -<p class='c009'>First. As to his charge of filthiness. -He states the truth, as any ex-Andersonville -prisoner too well knows, but -he does not inform his Government -as to the cause. He does not say that -these men were turned, like so many -swine, into the stockade, after being -robbed of everything of value. That -no cooking utensils were furnished, -that not an ounce of soap was issued -to the prisoners after May 1st, 1864. -But he does tell us that water was -scarce, and filthy beyond the power of -description, he does tell how these -men became dispirited by long confinement, -by bad diet and worse -drink, and by their filthy surroundings, -and by the constant presence of -death. What wonder that men under -all these discouraging circumstances -soon fell to the level of -brutes? And yet all were not so -filthy; all did not lose their instincts -of manhood, but through all these -discouraging surroundings, observed, -as well as possible under the circumstances, -the laws of health. Were it -not so this story would never have -been written.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Second. He speaks of hearing some -of the prisoners exonerate the Confederate -Government, and lay all the -blame of their continued imprisonment -on the Federal Government. -There is too much truth in this statement -to be pleasant to us as patriots, -but let us see if these men were -wholly to blame in this matter.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We had heard all sorts of discouraging -rumors for the last ten months. -The rebels had told us that Lincoln -would not exchange prisoners unless -the negroes were put upon the same -basis as whites. That was just and -honorable in the Government, but it -was death to us. The fact is that of -all the forty-five thousand prisoners -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>that I saw in Andersonville there -were not to exceed a half dozen -negroes, and they were officers’ waiters. -The rebels did not take negroes -prisoners who were captured in arms, -they killed them on the spot, and we -knew it, but perhaps our Government -did not.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For my own part I never exonerated -Confederates for the part they -took in cases where they might have -done better. It is true that they -could not furnish us such a quality of -food as our Government furnished -Confederate prisoners, but the excuse -that they had not enough for their -own soldiers is too flimsy as shown -by the supplies that Sherman’s men -found in Georgia on that famous -“March to the Sea” after we had -been removed from Andersonville. -And even if they were short of food, -they had enough pure air and water, -and enough land so that we need not -have been compelled to drink our own -filth, nor breathe the foul effluvia arising -from the putrefaction of our excrements, -nor be crowded at the rate -of thirty-three thousand men on -twelve acres of ground, as we were at -Andersonville. There was wood -enough so that men need not have -been compelled to eat corn meal raw. -There was no valid excuse for robbing -men of their little all and then -turning them into those prisons, to -live or die, as best they could.</p> - -<p class='c009'>When we come to the part our -Government took in this matter it is -simply this; General Grant was of the -opinion that we could perform our -duty as soldiers better in those prisons -than we could if exchanged. Exchange -meant giving a fat rebel soldier, -ready to take the field, for a -yankee skeleton ready for the hospital -or the grave. Considered as a military -measure I admit it was right; -but considered from a humanitarian -point, it was simply hellish.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Do you wonder that we thought -our Government had forgotton, or -did not care for us? And yet when -the crucial test came, when life and -liberty, food and clothing, were offered -us at the price of our loyalty to -our Government, our reply was “no, -we will let the lice carry us out -through the cracks, before we will -take the oath of allegiance to the -Confederacy, we will accept death -but not dishonor.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Don’t blame us if we were discouraged -and disheartened, if we did -growl at, and find fault with, a government -which we imagined had -deserted us in the hour of our greatest -need; we were true and loyal after -all, and if you had been placed in the -same condition you would have done -just the same.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Third. Dr. Jones in speaking of -those prisoners who were paroled and -were at work on the outside of the -stockade says: “These men were -well clothed, and presented a stout -and healthy appearance, and as a general -rule they presented a much more -robust appearance than the Confederate -troops guarding them.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Why not? they had plenty of exercise, -good water, fresh air, and -enough food so that they could purchase -their good clothes with the surplus -which accrued after their own -wants had been satisfied. They were -naturally more robust men than those -Home Guards, and their situation -had enabled them to keep in a normal -condition. Had the prisoners in the -stockade received the same treatment -as the paroled men who were -at work outside of the stockade, -they would have presented the same -robust appearance, but that stockade -and those guards could not have held -us and the rebels knew it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I have introduced the report of Dr. -Jones for the benefit of a class of -persons who are inclined to doubt the -statements of ex-prisoners, and I submit -that he tells a more terrible -story than any of us can tell.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span> - <h2 id='ch12' class='c007'>CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec12-1' class='c017'>PROGRESS OF THE WAR.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“The news has flown frae mouth to mouth,</div> - <div class='line'>The North for ance has bang’d the South”;</div> - <div class='c010'><span class='sc'>Scott.</span></div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>While we were waiting, and hoping, -and starving, and dying at Andersonville -our armies were fast solving the -problem of the Rebellion. Jeff Davis -had tired of the policy of General -Joseph E. Johnson, who was in command -of the army which confronted -Sherman, and about the middle of -July relieved him of his command -and appointed Hood to his place.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Johnson’s policy during the Atlanta -campaign had been that of defense. -Davis was in favor of aggressive warfare. -He believed in driving the invaders -from the sacred soil of the -South. A grand idea surely, but then, -the invaders had a word to say in that -matter; they had come to stay, and -Jeff Davis’ manifestoes had no terrifying -effect upon them. Hood immediately -assumed the aggressive -and on the 2lst of July came out from -behind his entrenchments and attacked -Sherman.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 22d the battle of Atlanta -was fought, in which General McPherson -was killed. The command -of the army of the Tennessee then -fell upon General John A. Logan for a -few days, when he was superseded -by General O. O. Howard. There has -been much criticism upon this act of -General Sherman. Logan had assumed -command of the army of the -Tennessee upon the death of McPherson, -during a hotly contested battle, -and he had fought the battle to a successful -termination. He had fought -his way from colonel of a regiment, -to Major General commanding an -Army Corps, and temporarily commanding -an army. He had shown -the highest type of military ability -shown by any volunteer officer, and -yet he was compelled to give place -to a transplanted officer from the -army of the Potomac.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Logan and his friends felt this -deeply, but with true patriotic instincts -he, and they, continued to -fight for the cause of Liberty and -Union. No satisfactory reason has -ever been given for this act of injustice -on the part of General Sherman, -but it is hinted that it was because -Logan was not a graduate of -West Point. The action of General -Sherman in this matter is all the -more inexplicable when we compare -the stupendous failure of Howard at -Chancellorsville, but little more than -a year before, with the signal success -of Logan at Atlanta on the 22d of -July. But time brings its revenge. -Howard has passed into comparative -obscurity. We hear of him occasionally -as a lecturer before a Chautauqua -Society in some small town or -city, “only this and nothing more,” -while John A. Logan went down to -his grave, loved and revered, as the -highest representative of the American -Volunteer soldier. His name is -inscribed on the imperishable roll of -fame by the side of the names of -Sheridan, Thomas, and Hancock.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But the victory of the Federals at -the battle of Atlanta did not include -the surrender of the city. Sherman -sent a cavalry corps under General -Stoneman to capture Macon, Ga. In -this he failed, but he destroyed considerable -property, including railroad, -rolling stock, bridges and supplies -and seriously threatened Macon, -giving Winder, at Andersonville, a -terrible scare, which resulted in the -General Order which I have copied -in a previous chapter. Sherman finding -that Atlanta was not to be captured -without a fight more serious -than he cared to risk, moved by the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>flank to Jonesboro south of Atlanta, -thus cutting off the supplies for Atlanta. -On the 1st of September he -moved his army up to within twenty -miles of Atlanta, and on the 2d General -Slocum moved his forces into -that city.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Great was the rejoicing all over the -North when the news was flashed over -the wires that Sherman had captured -the “Gate City” of the South, and a corresponding -feeling of gloom settled -down upon the Southern people when -they found that Hood, with the assistance -of the counsels of Beauregard, -could not cope with “Uncle -Billy” and his veterans.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the meantime the army under -General Grant had not been idle. On -May 3d and 4th the army of the Potomac -moved from its camp on the -north of the Rapidan and commenced -a campaign which was destined to -result in the downfall of the capital -of the Confederacy, and ultimately of -the Confederacy itself. In the battles -of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, -North Anna and Cold Harbor, our -forces showed the aggressive spirit -inspired by their great leader, ably -seconded by Meade, Hancock, the -lamented Sedgwick, Warren, Wright -and Burnside. While the Confederate -forces under their favorite leader -Lee, with his Lieutenants, Anderson. -Early and Hill, resisted the inroads -of the Federal forces with a bravery -born of a determination to die in the -visionary “last ditch.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>But superior numbers, coupled -with equal bravery and ability, are -bound to win in the end and on the -15th of June 1864 Grant’s army was -before Petersburg with a determination -to pound the Rebels into submission.</p> - -<p class='c009'>If the battle of Atlanta caused fear -and trembling among the rebs at -Andersonville, the fall of that city -caused a perfect panic among them.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 3d of September a train -load of one thousand men was shipped -away from the prison, and each day -after that saw the exodus of a like -number, until all who were able to -walk to the station had been shipped -to more secure points. Some were -sent to Millen and Savannah, Ga., and -some to Charleston, and Columbia, -South Carolina.</p> - -<p class='c009'>During the latter part of August -long sheds with an upper and lower -floor, and open at the sides, had been -built in the northern portion of the -stockade. The carpenters who performed -the labor of building these -sheds or barracks, as they were called, -were of our own numbers. They -received as compensation for their -labor an extra ration of food, and -they thought themselves lucky to get -a chance to work for their board, as -indeed, they were.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 5th Ole Gilbert, Rouse, and -myself left our quarters near the -swamp, and moved into the sheds. -We gave up our well with regret, as -it had proved to be a great blessing -to us, but September had come, and -soon the storms of the autumnal -equinox would be upon us, and our -little tent, made of a ragged blanket -and pine boughs, would but poorly -shelter us from the storm.</p> - -<p class='c009'>We took up our quarters on the -upper floor, with no straw for bedding, -nothing between our skeleton -like bodies and the floor but a piece -of ragged blanket. We suffered terribly -for the lack of bedding, our protruding -hip bones could not possibly -reconcile themselves to the hard floor -and we were rolling about continually -trying to find some part of our -anatomy that would fit a pine board, -but we never found it. But we did -find a little purer air than we found -down by the excrement burdened -swamp, the foul gases arising from -decomposing human excrements fermenting -in a hot sun were not quite -so strong and nauseous and besides -we had a little more room. Day by -day the thinning process went on, -there being two strong powers at -work to accomplish the task, death -and the trains of cars.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I have never been quite satisfied -with the tables of mortality published -with reference to Andersonville. -Dr. Jones in his report, gives -the number who died between Feb. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>24th and September 21st, 1864, as nine -thousand four hundred and seventy-nine. -McElroy gives twelve thousand -nine hundred and twelve as the -whole number that died during the -time Andersonville was used as a -prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I think both statements are far below -the truth although I have only -parole testimony to prove my position. -While on the way from Andersonville -to Charleston, I overheard a private -conversation between two prisoners -upon the subject of the number of -deaths at Andersonville. One of them -claimed to be the Hospital Steward -who kept the records at that place, -and he told his companion that he -had a copy of the death record and -that twelve thousand six hundred -and twenty odd had died up to the -date of leaving the prison, which was -Sept. 11th. and that he intended to -carry the copy through the lines with -him when he was exchanged. One -of the prisoners who was paroled in -December following did have a copy -of the register and showed it at the -office of the War Department in -Washington, it was not returned to -him and he afterward stole it from -the office, was arrested and imprisoned -for the theft and was finally liberated -through the intercession of Miss -Clara Barton, “the soldiers’ friend.” -The man was a member of a Connecticut -regiment, whose name I -cannot recall, but I think was Ingersoll, -though I would not pretend to be -positive. I think the official records -show a total of nearly fourteen thousand -deaths in Andersonville. All the -evidence attainable both from Federal -and Confederate sources prove that -about one third of all the men who -entered the gates of Andersonville -died there, and when we come to add -to that number those who died in -other prisons, and on the way home, -and whose death is directly traceable -to that prison, we will find that fully -one-half of the forty-five thousand -Andersonville prisoners never -reached home.</p> - -<p class='c009'>If the king of Denmark could exclaim, -“O, my offense is rank, it -smells to heaven,” what shall we say -of the men who are guilty of the barbarities -of Andersonville? How far -will their offense smell? By a fair -computation more than twenty -thousand men were,—</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Cut off even in the blossom of their sins,</div> - <div class='line'>Unhouseled, disappointed, unanel’d;</div> - <div class='line'>No reckoning made, but sent to their account</div> - <div class='line'>With all their imperfections on their heads:</div> - <div class='line'>O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Rest comrades, rest in your graves -on the sandy hillside of Andersonville. -The dank and the mould have -consumed your bodies and they have -returned to the dust from whence -they came; but a day of reckoning -will surely come. When the last -trump shall sound and the dead shall -come forth from their graves, and -stand before the Great White Throne, -where will your murderers be found? -Surely they will call upon the rocks -and mountains to fall on them and -hide them them from the face of -Him who sitteth upon the Throne -and judgeth the Earth in righteousness.</p> - -<p class='c009'>It is impossible for any person -endowed with the common feelings -and instincts of humanity to understand, -much less to explain, the character -of Winder and Wirz. How any -person in this enlightened age could -be guilty of the cruelties and barbarities -practiced by those two ghouls -surpass all attempts at explanation. -I am of the opinion that the majority -of the people of the South were ignorant -of the full extent of the horrors -of the Southern Military Prisons. I -am led to this conclusion by the fact, -that, except upon the questions of -slavery and war, they were a kind -and generous hearted people, generally -speaking, as much so, at least, as any -community of people of like extent. -And for the further reason that not -many of them had access to the inside -of those prisons, and they would -naturally believe the report of interested -Confederates, sooner than the -reports of interested Federals, particularly, -as they had no intercourse -with prisoners themselves, except in -isolated cases. And still further, -all escaped prisoners, who were recaptured -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>and returned to prison spoke -highly of the kind treatment of the -middle and upper classes, only complaining -of the treatment of the lower -classes or “Clay Eaters.” But -somebody knew of these barbarities -and cruelties and somebody was responsible -for Winder and Wirz holding -their positions, and that after a -full investigation and report upon the -subject by competent men. That -<span class='fss'>SOMEBODY</span> was Jeff Davis and his -cabinet.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The members of the Confederate -Congress were aware of the treatment -of Federal prisoners and some -of the members of that congress -cried out against it, in their places. -But Jeff Davis ruled the South with a -rod of iron. He was the head and -front, the great representative of the -doctrine of States Rights, which, interpreted -by Southern Statesmen, -meant the right of a state to separate -itself from the General Government, -peaceably if possible, by force of arms -if need be. And yet when Governor -Brown, of Georgia, carried this doctrine -to its logical conclusion by -withdrawing the Georgia troops from -the Confederate armies, to repel the -invasion of Sherman and harvest a -crop for the use of his army, Davis, -in public speeches, intimated that -Governor Brown was a traitor.</p> - -<p class='c009'>President Davis and his cabinet -knew of the atrocities of Winder and -Wirz, and their ilk, and connived at -them by keeping the perpetrators in -place and power. Winder was a renegade -Baltimorean who had received -a military education at the expense -of the United States government, but -being too cowardly to accept a position -in the field where his precious -carcass would be exposed to danger, -he accepted from his intimate friend, -Jeff Davis, the office of Provost Marshal -General, in which position he -was a scourge and a curse to the -rebels themselves. Becoming too -obnoxious to the people of Richmond, -Davis, at last, appointed him -Commissary General of prisoners, in -which capacity he had charge of all -the Federal prisoners east of the -Mississippi river.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The antecedents of Wirz are not -known. McElroy, who has investigated -the subject of Southern Prisons -deeper than any man of my knowledge, -has arrived at the conclusion -that he was probably a clerk in a -store before the war of the Rebellion. -He arrives at his conclusion logically, -for he asserts that Wirz could count -more than one hundred.</p> - -<p class='c009'>That Davis and his cabinet knew of -the terrible treatment bestowed upon -the Federal prisoners at Andersonville, -we have abundant proof. The -following extract from the report of -Colonel D. T. Chandler, of the Rebel -War Department, who was sent to -inspect Andersonville, was copied -from “Andersonville.” The report -is of date August 5th, 1864, and is as -follows: “My duty requires me respectfully -to recommend a change in -the officer in command of the post, -Brigadier General John H. Winder, -and the substitution in his place of -some one who unites both energy and -good judgment with some feelings of -humanity and consideration for the -welfare and comfort as far as is consistent -with their safe keeping of the -vast number of unfortunates placed -under his control; some one who, at -least, will not advocate <span class='fss'>DELIBERATELY</span> -and in cold blood, the propriety of -leaving them in their present condition -until their number is sufficiently -reduced by death to make the present -arrangements suffice for their -accomodation, and who will not consider -it a matter of self laudation and -boasting that he has never been inside -of the stockade—a place the -horrors of which it is difficult to -describe, and which is a <span class='fss'>DISGRACE -TO CIVILIZATION</span>—the condition of -which he might by the exercise of -a little energy and judgment, even -with the limited means at his command, -have considerably improved.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>In his examination touching this -report, Colonel Chandler says:</p> - -<p class='c009'>“I noticed that General Winder -seemed very indifferent to the welfare -of the prisoners, indisposed to do -anything, or to do as much as I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>thought he ought to do, to alleviate -their sufferings. I remonstrated with -him as well as I could, and he used -that language which I reported to -the Department with reference to it—the -language stated in the report. -When I spoke of the mortality existing -among the prisoners, and pointed -out to him that the sickly season was -coming on, and that it must necessarily -increase unless something was -done for their relief—the swamp, for -instance, drained, proper food furnished, -and in better quality, and -other sanitary suggestions which I -made to him—he replied to me that -he thought it was better to see half -of them die than to take care of the -men.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>This report proves two points. First -that we had been living in Andersonville -during the <span class='fss'>HEALTHY</span> season, God -save the mark, and second that Jeff -Davis knew of the situation through -his War Minister. But Davis was in -favor of having the prisoners receive -the terrible treatment to which they -were subjected. He had, through his -Commissary General of Prisoners, -made demands upon the Federal -Government in the matter of the exchange -of prisoners, which no government -possessing any self respect -could entertain. He demanded an -exchange of prisoners in bulk, that is, -the Federal Government to give all -the Confederate prisoners it held in -exchange for all the Federal prisoners -the Confederate Government -held. The unfairness of such a proposition -will be readily seen when the -reader is informed that at that time -the Federals held about twice as -many prisoners as did the Confederates.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Federal proposition was to -exchange man for man and rank for -rank. To this the Davis Government -would not accede. Then followed the -terrors of Andersonville and Florence -of which hell itself in its palmiest -days could not furnish a duplicate.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I am well aware that I have not -expressed the same opinion as other -authors, ex-prisoners, upon the subject -of the complicity of the whole people -of the South in these prison horrors, -but the most of these authors wrote -a short time subsequent to the close -of the war, and while their blood was -still hot upon the subject; and I confess -that it has taken nearly a quarter -of a century for my blood to cool -sufficiently to arrive at the conclusions -I have expressed in this chapter -and which I candidly believe are -correct.</p> - -<p class='c009'>To my comrades who were prisoners -let me say, our present motto is: -“<span class='fss'>FIAT JUSTITIA, RUAT COELUM</span>.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span> - <h2 id='ch13' class='c007'>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec13-1' class='c017'>GOOD BYE ANDERSONVILLE.</h3> - -<p class='c018'>As related in the preceding chapter -the fall of Atlanta, and the fear of -rescue had obliged the Confederates -to remove the prisoners from Andersonville -to a safer place.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 11th of September the -detachment to which I belonged was -ordered out. We gladly left the pen -and saw the ponderous gates close -behind us. No matter to us where -we went, we believed we had nothing -to lose and much to gain. If we were -to be exchanged, which we doubted, -then good bye to all these terrible -scenes of want and suffering. If -another prison pen was our destination, -then we hoped it would not be -so foul and disease laden as the one -we left, and in any case we had left -Winder and Wirz and we knew that -though we were to rake the infernal -regions with a fine comb, we could -not find worse jailors. With thoughts -like these running through our minds -we dragged our weak and spiritless -bodies to the station, where we got -into a train of freight cars as best we -could. Our train was headed toward -Macon and there was much speculation -as to our destination. Somehow -a rumor had got into circulation that -a cartel of exchange had been agreed -upon by the commissioners of the -two governments and that <a id='tn147'></a>Savannah -was to be the point of exchange. But -we had been deceived so many times -that we had taken a deep and solemn -vow to not believe anything in exchange -until we were safely transferred -to our own lines; and this vow -we kept inviolate.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Soon after passing Macon we entered -the territory over which Stoneman’s -Cavalry had raided a few weeks -before. Burned railroad trains and -depots marked the line of his march. -At one place where our train stopped -for wood and water one of the guards -was kind enough to <a id='tn148'></a>allow some of -the men to get off the train and -secure a lot of tin sheets which had -covered freight cars prior to Stoneman’s -visit. These sheets of tin were -afterward made into pails and square -pans by a tinner who was a member -of an Illinois regiment, with no other -tools than a railroad spike and a -block of wood.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Two brothers, members of an Indiana -regiment, and coopers by trade, -made a large number of wooden -buckets, or “piggins” while in Andersonville, -and their kit of tools consisted -of a broken pocket knife and -a table knife, supplemented by borrowing -our saw knife. With a table -knife or a railroad spike and a billet -of wood, we would work up the -toughest sour gum, or knottiest pitch -pine stick of wood which could be -procured in the Confederacy. Time -was of no consequence, we had an -overstocked market in that commodity -and anything that would serve to -help rid ourselves of the surplus was -a blessing.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Time solved the question of our -destination. We went to Augusta -again so that Savannah was out of -the question. Then we crossed over -into South Carolina, after which the -point was raised whether it was to -be Columbia or Charleston. Many of -us were of the opinion that Charleston -was the point and that we were -to be placed under fire of our own -guns, as many prisoners had been -heretofore, the rebels hoping thereby -to deter our forces from firing into -the city. Time passed and we -arrived at Branchville. Here is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>junction of the Columbia road with -the Augusta and Charleston -road, we took the Charleston -track and arrived in Charleston -about eleven o’clock <a id='tn149'></a>p. m. having -been two days on the road.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After leaving the cars we were -formed in line, and, as we were -marching away from the depot, a -huge shell from one of Gilmore’s -guns exploded in an adjoining block. -We were getting close to “God’s country,” -only a shell’s flight lying between -us and the land of the Stars and -Stripes. We were marched just out -of the city and camped on the old -Charleston race track.</p> - -<p class='c009'>In the morning we were allowed to -go for water, accompanied by guards. -before night all the wells in the -vicinity were exhausted, and we -were obliged to resort to well digging -for a supply. Fortunately we found -water at a depth of only four feet. -The water was slightly brackish, but -as we had been kept on short rations -of salt it was rather agreeable than -otherwise. Before dark there were -more than fifty wells dug in camp and -we had water in abundance.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Day after day brought train load -after train load of prisoners from -Andersonville until there were about -seven thousand prisoners in camp at -this place. There was no stockade, -no fence, nothing but a living wall of -guards around us, and that living -wall of infantrymen aided and abetted -by a healthy, full grown battery -of artillery, that was all.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our rations here were of fair quality -but small in quantity, consisting of -a pint of corn meal, a little sorghum -syrup and a <a id='tn149-2'></a>teaspoonful of salt once -in two days. Meat of any kind was -not issued, from this time on it was relegated -to the historic past. The weather -was pleasant, the days not too hot -and the nights not too cool. -About nine o’clock a sea breeze -would spring up which felt to us, -after having lived in the furnace-like -atmosphere of Andersonville, like a -breeze from the garden of the Gods. -About nine o’clock in the evening a -land breeze would set in and would -blow until sunrise then die away to -give place to the sea breeze. I used to -sit up till midnight drinking in the -delightful air and watching the track -of the great shells thrown by the -“Swamp Angel” battery. Gilmore -gave Charleston no rest day nor night. -The “Hot bed of Secession” got a -most unmerciful pounding. The -whole of the lower part of the city -was a mass of ruins, the upper part -was then receiving the attention of -our batteries on James Island. It -was a grand sight at night to watch -the little streak of fire from the fuse -of those three hundred pound shells -as it rose higher and higher toward -the zenith and having reached -the highest point of the arc, to watch -it as it sped onward and downward -until suddenly a loud explosion told -that its time was expired and the -sharp fragments were hurled with an -increased velocity down into the devoted -city. Sometimes a shell would -not explode until it had made its full -journey and landed among the buildings -or in the streets and then havoc -and destruction ensued. The most of -the people lived in bomb proofs, which -protected them from the fragments -of the shells which exploded in the -air, but were not proof against those -which exploded after striking.</p> - -<p class='c009'>A little episode occurred one day -that created quite a panic among both -prisoners and guards. Suddenly and -without warning, a large solid shot -came rolling and tumbling through -camp, from the north; this was followed -by another, and then another. -This was getting serious. What the -Dickens was the matter? Where did -these shots come from? were questions -that any and all of us, could and -did ask, but none could answer. But -in this case, the rebel guard and officers, -were in danger as well as Yanks, -and a courier was dispatched in hot -haste to inquire into the why and -wherefore. It turned out that a rebel -gunboat, on the Cooper River, was -practicing at a target and we were -getting the benefit of it.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here at Charleston we were on historic -ground. Just a few miles to the -east of us Colonel Moultrie defended -a palmetto fort manned by five hundred -brave and loyal South Carolinans, -against the combined land and naval -forces of Sir Henry Clinton, and Sir -Peter Parker, on the 28th of June -1776, and with his twenty-six cannons -compelled the fleet to retire. There -upon the palmetto bastion of old -Fort Moultrie, the brave young Sergeant -Jasper supported the Stars and -Stripes under a terrible fire, and -earned for himself an undying fame. -Here and in this vicinity, Moultrie, -Pickens, Pinckney, Lee, Green, Lincoln -and Marion earned a reputation -which will last as long as American -history shall endure. But, alas, here -too, is material for a history which -does not reflect much credit on the -descendants of those brave and loyal -men. South Carolina was the first -State to adopt an ordinance of Secession, -Nov 20th, 1860.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here in Charleston Harbor, on the -9th of January 1861, the descendants -of those revolutionary heroes, from -the embrazures of fort Moultrie, and -Castle Pinckney, fired upon the Star -of the West, a United States vessel -sent with supplies for the brave Anderson, -who was cooped up within the -walls of Fort Sumter. From these -same forts, on the 12th of April, was -fired the guns which compelled the -surrender of Fort Sumter, and was -the beginning of hostilities in the -War of the Rebellion. And all this -trouble had grown out of a political -doctrine promulgated by an eminent -South Carolinan, John C. Calhoun.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But with all their bad reputation as -Secessionists, the South Carolinans -treated us with more kindness than -did the citizens of any other States. -I never heard a tantalizing or insulting -word given by a South Carolina -citizen or soldier to a prisoner. In the -matter of low meanness, the Georgia -Crackers and Clay Eaters earned the -blue ribbon.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 1st of October the detachment -to which I belonged, was marched -to the cars, and we were sent to -Florence, one hundred miles north of -Charleston on the road to Columbia. -On our route, we had passed over -ground made sacred by Revolutionary -struggles. At Monk’s Corners, the 14th -of April 1780, a British force defeated -an American force. In the swamps -of the Santee and Pedee Rivers General -Francis Marion hid his men, and -from them he made his fierce raids -upon tories and British. Marion is -called a “partisan leader,” in the old -histories, but I suspect that in -this year of grace, he would be -called a “Bushwacker,” or “Guerrilla” -leader. It makes a good deal of difference -which side men are fighting -on, about the name they are called. -We arrived at the Florence Stockade -in the afternoon and were marched in -and assigned our position in the northeast -corner, the entrance being on the -west side.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Florence Stockade was about -two or three miles below Florence, -and half or three-quarters of a mile -east of the railroad. It was built upon -two sides of a small stream which -ran through it from north to south, -was nearly square in shape, and contained -ten or twelve acres of land. It -was built of rough logs set in the -ground and was sixteen or eighteen -feet high. There was no such dead -line as at <a id='tn152'></a>Andersonville, a shallow -ditch marking the limits. The greatest -number of prisoners confined here -during the time of my imprisonment, -was eleven thousand. In some respects -our situation was better than at -Andersonville. We had new ground -upon which to live. We were rid of -the terrible filth and stench, we were -not so badly crowded, and we had -more wood with which to cook our -food.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The Post Commandant, Lieutenant -Colonel Iverson, of the 5th Georgia, -was an easy going, but not altogether -bad man, except that he was -possessed of an ungovernable temper, -and when irritated, would commit -acts of which he was, no doubt, ashamed -when his pulse assumed a normal -condition. Lieutenant Barrett, -Adjutant of the 5th Georgia, was to -Florence what Wirz was to Andersonville. -He was a red headed fiery -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>tempered, cruel, and vindictive specimen -of the better educated class of -Southerners. It seemed to be his delight -to to torture and maltreat the -prisoners. If there was a single redeeming -trait in his character, the unfortunate -men who were under his -care, never by any chance stumbled -onto it. His favorite punishment was -to tie the offender up by the thumbs -so tightly that his toes barely touched -the ground, and have him in this condition -for an hour or two at a time. -The tortures of such a punishment -were indescribable. The victim would -suffer the tortures of the damned, and -<a id='tn153'></a>when let down would have to be carried -to his quarters by his comrades.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The prisoners were organized into -squads of twenty, these into companies -of a hundred, and these into detachments -of a thousand. As stated -before my detachment was assigned a -position in the northeast corner of the -Stockade. When we arrived there -was plenty of wood, small poles, and -brush in the Stockade, and our first -work after selecting our ground, was -to secure an abundant supply.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My old “pard” Rouse, had died at -Charleston, Ole Gilbert belonged to -another detachment and did not come -in the same train load with me, so I -joined Joe Eaton, Wash. Hays and -Roselle Hull, of my regiment, in constructing -a shelter, or house, if you -please. We first set crotches in the -ground and laid a strong pole on them, -then we leaned other poles on each -side against this pole in the form of a -letter A. This was the frame work -of our house, which, as will be seen, -consisted entirely of roof. On this -frame work we placed brush, covering -the brush with leaves, and the -whole with a heavy layer of dirt. -This was an exceedingly laborious job -on account of the lack of suitable -tools. Our poles were cut with a very -dull hatchet and our digging done with -tin plates. After we had constructed -a shelter, our next work was to wall -up the gables. This was done with -clay made up into adobes. We could -not build more than a foot in a day -as we were obliged to wait for our -walls to dry sufficiently to bear their -own weight. We had taken great -pains to make a warm rain proof hut, -as we had arrived at the conclusion -that we were destined to remain in -prison until the close of the war.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Those prisoners who arrived later -were not so fortunate in the matter -of wood. The early settlers had -taken possession of all of that commodity -leaving others to look out for -themselves. But the later arrivals -made haste to secure poles for the -purpose of erecting their tents and -huts, that is, those who had blankets -to spare for roofs; but many were -compelled to dig diminutive caves in -the banks which marked the boundary -of the narrow valley through which -ran the little stream of water.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Wood was procured from the immense -pine forests in the vicinity. -Details of our own numbers, chopped -the wood, and others carried it on -their shoulders a distance of half to -three quarters of a mile, receiving as -compensation an extra ration of -food. In the matter of wood Iverson -was more humane than was Winder, -but in the matter of rations it was -the same old story, just enough to -keep soul and body together, provided -a pint of corn meal, two spoonfuls of -<a id='tn154'></a>sorghum syrup and a half teaspoonful -of salt daily would furnish sufficient -adhesive power to accomplish that -result.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was rather better hospital accommodations -here for the sick, than -at Andersonville, but at the best it was -miserably poor and insufficient. The -worst cases had been left behind, -but the stockade was soon full of men -so sick as to be unable to care for themselves. -The terrible treatment at Andersonville -was telling on the men after -they had changed to a more healthy -location, and into less filthy surroundings.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Soon the fall rains set in and the -cold winds, which penetrated to our -very marrow through the rags with -which we were but partly covered, -warned us that winter was approaching. -We tried hard to keep up our -courage amidst all these discouraging -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>circumstances, but it was a sickly, -weakly sort of courage. Cheerful, -we could not be, even the most -religiously inclined were sad and -despondent. I am convinced that -cheerfulness depends and must depend -on outward circumstances as well -as on an inward state of mind. Why -not? We were men not angels, material -beings, not spirits; we were subject -to the same appetites and passions -to which we, and others are -subject, under better circumstances. -Starvation, privation, misery and torture -had not purged from us the longings, -the hungerings and thirstings -after the necessaries, the conveniences, -yes, the luxuries of life, but on -the contrary, had increased them ten -fold. How was this to terminate? -Would our Government set aside the -military policy of the Commander of -the army, and take a more humane -view of the question? Would the -Confederates, already driven to extremes -to furnish supplies for their -own men, at length yield and give us -up, to save expense? or, must we -still remain to satisfy the insatiate -greed of the Moloch of war? were -questions we could and did ask ourselves -and each other, but there was -found no man so wise as to be able -to answer them. Time, swift-footed -and fleeting, to the fortunate, but -laggard, and slow, to us, could alone -solve these questions, and after hours -of discussion, to Time we referred -them.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='ch14' class='c007'>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec14-1' class='c017'>NAKED AND COLD AND HUNGRY.—SHERMAN.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘Sherman’s dashing Yankee boys will never reach the coast!’</div> - <div class='line'>So the saucy rebels said, and <a id='tn158'></a>’twas a handsome boast,</div> - <div class='line'>Had they not forgot alas! to reckon with the host,</div> - <div class='line'>While we were marching through Georgia.</div> - <div class='line'>So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train,</div> - <div class='line'>Sixty miles in latitude three hundred to the main;</div> - <div class='line'>Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain,</div> - <div class='line'>While we were marching through Georgia.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>During the Summer, and up to the -last of October, the condition of our -clothing had been more a matter of -indecency than of actual sufferings. -But when the fall rains set in and -the cold winds began to blow, then -we felt the need of good clothing. -About this time a very limited supply -of clothing was issued to the more -destitute. This was some of the -clothing which the United States Government -furnished for the benefit of -the prisoners, but which was of more -benefit to the rebels than to us. It -is very clear that our Government -was a victim of misplaced confidence -in sending supplies of food and clothing -through the rebel lines for our -benefit. These supplies were mostly -used by the rebels for their own -benefit, and our Government aided -the rebellion by that much.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My clothing was old when I was -taken prisoner, having been worn -through the Chickamauga campaign, -and while I was in the hospital at -Danville some one had, without my -consent, traded me worse clothing, so -that by this time I was a spectacle -for men perhaps, but hardly for -angels and women. Shirt, I had none, -my coat was out at the elbows and -was minus buttons, my pants were -worn to shreds, fore and aft, and -looked like bifurcated dish rags. My -drawers had been burned at Andersonville -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>with their rich burden of -lice, while my shoes looked like the -breaking up of a hard winter, and yet -I was too much of a dude to get -clothes from Barrett. How the cold -winds did play hide and seek through -my rags; how my skeleton frame did -shiver, and my scurvy loosened teeth -rattle and clatter, as “gust followed -gust more furiously” through the tattered -remains of what was once a -splendid uniform. Evidently something -had got to be done or I should, -like a ship in a storm, be scudding -around with bare poles. My first -remedy was patching. With all my -varied and useful accomplishments, -I had become quite expert with a -needle, (a small sized darning needle) -and I felt perfectly <a id='tn160'></a>competent to fix -up my unmentionables, provided I -could find patches and thread. I was -in the condition of the Irishman -who wanted to “borry tobaccy and a -pipe, I have a match of me own, sorr,” -but those to whom I applied for -patches and thread, were like an Irishman -of my company by the name of -Mike Callahan. I went to him one -day as he sat smoking his “dhudeen.” -Said I, “Mike, can you give me a -chew of tobacco?” “I cannot sorr,” -puff-puff “I don’t use it myself.” “Well -have you got any smoking tobacco?” -said I. “I have sorr,” puff—puff—puff—<a id='tn160-2'></a>“joost -phat will do meself,” was his -reply. After looking around for a -time, I found an old oil cloth knapsack -which I cut up into appropriate -patches. Ole Gilbert had a piece of -home-made cotton cloth, this we -raveled and used for thread with -which to patch my pants. This shift -answered to keep out the wind, but -when I sat down, Oh my! it seemed -like sitting on an iceberg and holding -the North Pole in my lap.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After the prisoners had all arrived -at Florence, I changed my quarters -to those of five comrades of -my own company, Gilbert, -Berk, Gaffney, Webster and Best. -We had very fair quarters and were -provided with two blankets for the -six. One day as we were talking over -the subject of exchange, we all came -to the conclusion that we were in for -it during the war, and I was instructed -to write to the Wisconsin Sanitary -Commission for clothing and other -supplies. The letter was duly received -and was published in the -Milwaukee Sentinel. The following -is a copy of the letter:</p> - -<div class='c022'>“Florence, S. C., Oct. 8th, 1864.</div> -<p class='c023'>Secretary of Wis. State Sanitary -Commission.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Sir:—There are six members of the -10th Wis. Infantry here together, who -were captured at the battle of Chickamauga. -We are destitute of clothing, -and as defenders of our country, we -apply to you for aid, hoping you will be -prompt in relieving, in a measure, -our necessities. Please send us a box -containing blankets, underclothing, -shirts and socks in particular, and we -stand very much in need of shoes; but -I don’t know as they are in your line -of business.</p> - -<p class='c023'>“We would also like stationery, -combs, knives, forks, spoons, tin cups, -plates and a small sized camp kettle, -as our rations are issued to us raw; -also thread and needles. We all have -the scurvy more or less and I think -dried fruit would help us very much -by the acid it contains,—you cannot -send us medicine as that is contraband. -We would like some tobacco -and reading matter. If there is anything -more that you can send, it will -be very acceptable.</p> - -<p class='c023'>“We should not apply to you were -we not compelled, and did we not -know that you are the destitute -soldiers’ friend. You will please -receive this in the same spirit in -which it is sent, and answer accordingly, -and you will have the satisfaction -of feeling that you have done -something to relieve the wants of -those who went out at the commencement -of the war, to vindicate the -rights of our country.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Direct to Wm. W. Day -and Joseph Eaton, prisoners of war, -Florence, S. C., via. Flag of Truce, -Hilton Head.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div> Yours, &c.,</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='c022'><span class='sc'>Wm. W. Day</span>.</div> - -<p class='c023'>P. S. I forgot to mention soap—a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>very essential article.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>At the same time I wrote to my -wife in Wisconsin and to my brother -in New York, for a box but instructed -them that if there was any prospect -of an immediate exchange, they -were not to send them. I believe -some of the other boys sent home for -boxes also. We knew that the chances -were very much against our ever -seeing the boxes if sent, as we knew -that many boxes sent to Andersonville -were kept and their contents -used by the rebel guards, yet I hoped -that out of the three I might possibly -get one. When the letters sent to my -wife and brother reached their destination, -they commenced the preparation -of boxes, but before they -were complete news of exchange -reached them and the boxes were not -sent. But during the spring of 1865, -after I had settled in Minnesota, and -after the capture of Richmond<a id='tn162'></a>, I -received a letter from the General in -command of our forces, at that place, -informing me that there was a box -there directed to me and asking for -instructions as to its disposal. I -replied to him that it was a box sent -to me by the Wisconsin Sanitary -Commission, and was intended for -me as a soldier, that I was now a -civilian, and had no claim on it, and -directed him to turn it over to the -hospital.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Right here I wish to express my -appreciation of the Sanitary Commission. -In all the loyal States they did -a grand work of mercy and charity, -ably seconding the efforts of the -Government in caring for sick and -destitute soldiers. In fact they performed -a work which the Government -could not perform. They furnished -lint and bandages, canned and dried -fruits, vegetables and luxuries of all -descriptions for the wounded and sick -soldiers, thus giving them to feel that -in all their hardships and sufferings -they were not forgotton by the kind -loyal women of the North, God bless -them. It was the ladies of the Sanitary -Commission of Milwaukee who -established the first Soldiers’ Home, -on West Water street, and which has -grown into the National Soldiers’ -Home near that city. They were -ably seconded by the Christian Commission, -which sent not only supplies -but men and women to the field of -war, to distribute supplies and act in -the capacity of nurses in the hospitals. -The wife of the Hon. John F. -Potter, of the 1st Congressional District, -of Wisconsin, worked in the -hospitals at Washington until she -contracted a fever and died, as much a -martyr for her country as any soldier -upon the field of battle. Governor -Harvey, of Wisconsin, lost his life at -Pittsburg Landing, where he had -gone to aid the wounded soldiers. -His wife took up the work, thus rudely -broken by her husband’s death, -and carried it on until peace came -like a benison upon the land.</p> - -<p class='c009'>All over the North, loyal men and -women gave of their time and money -for the relief of their Nation’s defenders, -and to-day deserve, and -receive, the thanks of the “boys who -wore the blue.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Sometime in the month of November, -a rumor was circulated that an -exchange had been agreed upon, between -the two Governments, and that -Savannah was the point agreed upon -for the exchange. But while we were -hopeful that this might be true, we -were doubtful. That story had been -told so many times that it had become -thin and gauzy from wear. In a few -days, however, a lot of prisoners -came in who reported that an exchange -of sick had actually been in -progress, but that the near approach -of Sherman’s army had discontinued -it, until another point could be agreed -upon.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Here was news with a vengeance. -We had been told that Sherman -would be annihilated, that he could -never reach the coast, and here came -the news that his army was not only -all right, but was almost to the coast. -And further that our Government -was still making efforts for our relief. -“Hope springs eternal in the <a id='tn163'></a>human -breast,” and here for the first time, -we had reasonable grounds for hope.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the 25th of September General -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>Hood had got into General Sherman’s -rear and started north. But Sherman -had anticipated just such a move and -had provided for it by sending one -division to Chattanooga, and another -division to Rome, Ga. On the 29th -Sherman sent Thomas back to Chattanooga -and afterward to Nashville.</p> - -<p class='c009'>General Sherman then divided his -army into two wings. The right wing -in command of General O. O. Howard, -and the left wing in command of -General Slocum. Hood had started -out to return a Roland for an Oliver. -Forrest was operating in <a id='tn164'></a>Tennessee -and Kentucky, and menacing the -States north of the Ohio river. Hood’s -plan was to join him and while -Sherman was living upon short commons -in Georgia, his army would be -reveling in the rich spoils of Northern -States. The idea was a good one, -the point was to carry it out.</p> - -<p class='c009'>On the fifth of October Hood -destroyed a considerable length of -railroad north of Atlanta. Sherman, -from a high point, saw the railroad -burning for miles. At Alatoona General -Corse had a small force, among -his troops was the 4th Minnesota, -which earned a record, in the defense -of that mountain pass which will go -down to the ages yet to come, in the -history of the war. From the heights -of Kenesaw, Sherman’s signal officer -read a dispatch, signaled from a hole -in the block-house at Alatoona; “I -am short a cheek bone and part of an -ear, but we can whip all hell yet.</p> - -<div class='c032'><span class='sc'>Corse</span>, </div> -<div class='c032'>Com’d’g.”</div> - -<p class='c009'>Tradition says that Sherman signaled -“hold the fort, I am coming,” -but I believe Sherman denies this. -At any rate, the fact that Corse did -hold the fort, and that he knew from -the signal corps on Kenesaw that -Sherman was coming to his aid, gave -rise to the thoughts that inspired the -writer of the little poem, “Hold the -fort, for I am coming.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Sherman strengthened Thomas by -sending Stanley with the 4th corps -and ordering Schofield with the Army -of the Ohio to report to him. On the -2d of November General Grant -approved Sherman’s plan of the -campaign to the sea, and on the 10th -he started back to Atlanta. The real -march to the sea commenced on the -15th. Howard with the right wing -and cavalry, went to Jonesboro and -Milledgeville, then the capital of -Georgia. Slocum with the left wing -went to Stone Mountain to threaten -Augusta.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The people of the South became -frantic when they found Sherman -had cut loose. They could not divine -his movements. He threatened one -point and when the enemy had been -drawn thither for its protection, he -threatened another point. Frantic -appeals were made for the people to -turn out and drive the invader from -the soil. They took the cadets -from the Military College and added -them to the ranks of the Militia. -They went so far as to liberate the -convicts from the State Prison, on -promise that they would join the -army. But Sherman moved along -leisurely, at the rate of fifteen miles a -day, burning railroad bridges and -destroying miles upon miles of track. -The Southern papers, from which we -had received the news at Florence, -pictured the army as in a most deplorable -condition. Saying the army -was all broken up and disorganized, -and was each man for himself, making -his way to the sea coast to seek -the protection of the navy. Some of -these papers reached the North and -the news was copied into the -Northern papers and spread like wildfire, -creating a great deal of uneasiness -in the minds of those who had -friends in that army.</p> - -<p class='c009'>General Grant, in his Memoirs, -speaking of this matter, says: “Mr. -Lincoln seeing these accounts, had a -letter written asking me if I could give -him anything that he could say to -the loyal people that would comfort -them. I told him there was not the -slightest occasion for alarm; that -with 60,000 such men as Sherman had -with him, such a commanding officer -as he, could not be cut off in the open -country. He might possibly be -prevented from reaching the point -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>he had started out to reach, but he -would get through somewhere and -would finally get to his chosen destination; -and even if worst came to -worst he could return north. I -heard afterwards of Mr. Lincoln’s -saying to those who would inquire -of him as to what he thought about -the safety of Sherman’s army, that -Sherman was all right; ‘Grant says -they are safe with such a General, -and that if they cannot get out where -they want to they can crawl back -by the hole they went in at.’”</p> - -<p class='c009'>The right and left wings were to -meet at Millen with the hope of liberating -the prisoners at that place, -but they failed, the prisoners having -been previously removed, but Wheeler’s -Rebel cavalry had a pretty -severe engagement with the Union -cavalry at that place which resulted -in Wheeler’s being driven toward -Augusta, thus convincing the people -that Augusta was the objective point. -The army reached Savannah on the -9th of December, and on the 10th the -siege of that place commenced. -On the night of the 21st the rebels -evacuated the city and it fell into -Sherman’s hands.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The whole march had been a pleasure -excursion, when compared with -the Atlanta campaign. The rebels -could never muster a sufficient force -of a quality to retard the march of -the army. All their boasting of -annihilation was simply wind. The -fact was they were completely -nonplussed, they did not know where -he intended to go until he was within -striking distance of Savannah. Every -morning a squad of men from each -command started out under command -of an officer, and at night returned -with wagons loaded with the best in -the land. Hams, hogs, beeves, -turkeys and chickens, sweet potatoes, -corn meal and flour, rice and honey -were gathered for food, and the -bummers usually captured teams to -haul the <a id='tn167'></a>provisions in with.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My friend O. S. Crandall, of the 4th -Minnesota, who was on this march, -tells a joke on himself which I will -repeat. A brother bummer by the -name of Ben Sayers, had made a -discovery of some honey while the -two were on a picket post. Sayers -told Crandall that if he would stand -guard in his place he would fill his -canteen with honey. To this Crandall -agreed and when the relief came -around told the officer of the guard -that he would stand Sayers’ relief. -Sayers filled his canteen full of honey -as agreed and all was lovely; honey -on hard-tack, honey on dough gods, -honey on flapjacks, was in Oscar’s -dreams that night as he lay peacefully -sleeping beneath the bright moon -in southern Georgia. But the next -day the sun came out hot and the -honey granulated and would not -come out. Oscar had evidently got -a white elephant on his hands; that -honey could not be persuaded to come -out, and he was choking with thirst. -Seeing a comrade with a canteen he -thus accosted him: “Say pard, give -me a drink.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Tother Feller.—“Why don’t you -drink out of your own canteen?”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Oscar.—“I can’t. I’ve got it full of -honey and it’s candied.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>T. F.—“Why, you poor, miserable, -innocent, blankety blanked fool, if -you don’t know any better than that -you may go thirsty. I <a id='tn167-2'></a>won’t give you -any water.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Oscar.—“Say pard, how will you -trade canteens?”</p> - -<p class='c009'>T. F.—“Even.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Oscar.—“It’s a whack.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>And Oscar never got his canteen -filled with honey again during the -remainder of the war.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span> - <h2 id='ch15' class='c007'>CHAPTER XV.</h2> -</div> - -<h3 id='sec15-1' class='c017'>VALE DIXIE.</h3> - -<div class='lg-container-b c001'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Breathes there a man with soul so dead,</div> - <div class='line'>Who never to himself hath said,</div> - <div class='line'>This is my own, my native land!</div> - <div class='line'>Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned,</div> - <div class='line'>As home his footsteps he hath turned,</div> - <div class='line'>From wandering on a foreign strand!</div> - <div class='line'>If such there breathe, go, mark him well;</div> - <div class='line'>For him no Minstrel rapture swell;</div> - <div class='line'>High though his titles, proud his name,</div> - <div class='line'>Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;</div> - <div class='line'>Despite those titles, power and pelf,</div> - <div class='line'>The wretch, concentrated all in self,</div> - <div class='line'>Living, shall forfeit all renown,</div> - <div class='line'>And, doubly dying, shall go down</div> - <div class='line'>To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,</div> - <div class='line'>Unwept, unhonored and unsung.”</div> - <div class='c010'>The Lay of the last Minstrel.</div> - <div class='c010'>Scott.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>During the time of our stay at -Charleston, the rebel <a id='tn169'></a>officers had made -great efforts to induce the prisoners -to take the oath of allegiance to the -Confederacy, promising good treatment, -good pay, good clothing, a large -bounty and service in a bomb proof -position in return. If men had -stopped to think, these promises -carried with them abundant proof of -their own falsity. Where was the -evidence of good treatment, judging -of the future by the past? What did -good pay and large bounties amount -to when it took two hundred dollars -of that good pay and large bounty to -buy a pair of boots? And the good -clothing, yes they could clothe them -with the uniforms stripped from their -dead comrades upon the battlefield or -stolen from the supplies sent to the -prisoners.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But, lured by these specious promises, -about a hundred and twenty-five -prisoners went out one day and, as -we supposed, took the oath. They -were marched away cityward in the -morning, but before night they -returned. We saluted them on their -return with groans and hisses and -curses. They reported that they were -to be sent to James Island to throw up -earth-works in front of the rebel lines. -This they refused to do, and they -were returned to prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>At Florence another effort was -made to recruit men. The rebels -wanted foreigners for the army, and -artisans of all kinds particularly blacksmiths, -shoemakers, carpenters and -machinists for their shops. Many of -our artisans went out thinking <a id='tn170'></a>they -would get a chance to work for -food and clothing by simply giving -their parole of honor they would not -attempt to escape. But the rebs -insisted that they must take the oath -of allegiance. A few took the -required oath, but most of the boys -returned to prison, and most heartily -anathematized the men who had the -impudence and presumption to suppose -that they would be guilty of -taking the oath of allegiance to such -a rotten, hell-born thing as the Southern -Confederacy.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There was a great deal of discussion -among the prisoners at the time -about the question of the moral right -of a man to take the oath of allegiance -to save his life. It was argued -on one side that our government had -left us to rot like dogs, to shift for -ourselves and that as winter was -coming on and there was no prospect -of exchange, a man had a perfect -right to take the oath and save -his life. On the other side it was -argued that we had taken a solemn -oath to support the government of the -United States and not to give aid or -comfort to any of its enemies; that -war was hard at best, and that when -we took the oath we knew that imprisonment -was a probability just as -much as a battle was a probability; -that we had just as much right to -refuse to fight and to turn traitor -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>upon the battle field as we had in -prison.</p> - -<p class='c009'>For my own part life was dear to me -but it was dear on account of my -friends; and supposing I should take -the oath and save my life; the war -would soon be over and when peace -came and all my comrades had -returned to their homes, where would -my place be? Could I ever return to -my friends with the brand of traitor -upon me? Never. I would die, if die -I must; but die true to the flag I -loved and honored, and for which I -had suffered so long. Right here we -<a id='err171'></a>adopted the prisoners’ motto, “Death, -but not dishonor.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>Soon after changing my quarters I -succeeded in securing a position on -the police force. Another of my -tent mates was equally fortunate, so -we had a little extra food in our tent. -My health had been <a id='err171-2'></a>slowly improving -ever since I left Andersonville, and -with returning health came a growing -appetite. We resorted to all sorts -of expedients to increase the supplies -of our commissariat. Ole Gilbert -was a natural mechanic and he made -spoons from some of the tin which -he had procured near Macon; these -were traded for food or sold for cash, -and food purchased with the money. -One day he traded three spoons for a -pocket knife with an ivory faced -handle. The ivory had been broken -but I fished the remains of an old -ivory fine comb out of my pockets -and he repaired the handle of the -knife with it. We sent it outside by -one of the boys who had a job of -grave digging, and who sold it for -ten dollars, Confederate money. With -this money we bought a bushel of -sweet potatoes of the sutler at the -gate, and then we resolved to fill up -once more before we died. We baked -each of us two large corn “flap jacks” -eight inches across and half an inch -thick. We then boiled a six quart -pail full of sweet potatoes and after -that made the pail full of coffee out -of the bran sifted from our meal, and -then scorched. This was equal to -three quarts of food and drink to -each one of us, but it only stopped -the chinks.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I then proposed to double the dose -which we did, eating and drinking -six quarts each within two hours. Of -course it did not burst us but it started -the hoops pretty badly, and yet we -were hungry after that. It seemed -impossible to hold enough to satisfy -our hunger; every nerve, and fiber -and tissue in our whole system from -head to foot, was crying out for food, -and our stomachs would not hold -enough to supply the demand, and it -took months of time and untold quantities -of food to get our systems back -to normal condition.</p> - -<p class='c009'>There are many ex-prisoners who -claim that Florence was a worse -prison than Andersonville. I did not -think so at the time I was there, but -those who remained there during the -winter no doubt suffered more than -they did at Andersonville, on account -of the cold weather; but at the best -it was a terrible place, worthy to be -credited to the hellish <a id='err172'></a>designs of Jeff -Davis and Winder, aided by the fiend -Barrett. At one time Barrett, with -some recruiting officers, came into -prison accompanied by a little dog. -Some of the prisoners, it is supposed, -beguiled the dog away and killed him; -for this act Barrett deprived the -whole of the prisoners of their rations -for two days and a half.</p> - -<p class='c009'>About the 4th of December some -surgeons came in and selected a -thousand men from the worst cases -which were not in the hospital. It -was said they were to be sent through -our lines on parole. Then commenced -an earnest discussion upon the situation. -My comrades and I thought -we were getting too strong to pass -muster. How we wished we had not -improved so much since leaving -Andersonville. We were getting so -fat we would actually make a shadow, -that is if we kept our clothes -buttoned up. After considering the -question pro and con we came to the -conclusion that we had better not -build up any hopes at present. If we -were so lucky as to get away, all -right. If not we would have no -shattered hopes to mourn over.</p> - -<p class='c009'><span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>On the 6th another thousand was -selected and sent away. This looked -like business; this was no camp -rumor started by nobody knew who, -but here were surgeons actually -selecting feeble men and sending -them through the gates, and they did -not return.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The 8th came and in the afternoon -the 9th thousand was called up for -inspection. I went out to the dead -line where the inspection was going -on to see what my chances probably -were. The surgeons were sending -out about every third or fourth man. -The 9th and 10th thousand were inspected -and then came the 11th, to -which I belonged. I went to my -tent and told the boys I was going to -try my chances, “but,” I added, “keep -supper waiting.” I took my haversack -with me, leaving my blanket, -which had fallen to me as heir of -Rouse, and went to the dead line and -fell in with my hundred, the 8th. After -waiting impatiently for a while I told -Harry Lowell, the Sergeant of my -hundred, that I was going down the -line to see what our chances were. -It was getting almost dark, the surgeons -were getting in a hurry to -complete their task and were taking -every other man. I went back and -told Harry I was going out, I felt it -in my bones. This was the first time -I had entertained a good healthy, well -developed hope, since I arrived in -Richmond, more than a year previous.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The 6th hundred was called, then -the 7th and at last the 8th. We -marched down to our allotted position -with limbs trembling with excitement. -That surgeon standing there -so unconcernedly, held my fate in his -hands. He was soon to say the word -that would restore me to “God’s -Country,” to home and friends, or -send me back to weary months of -imprisonment.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My turn came. “What ails you?” -the surgeon asked.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“I have had diarrhea and scurvy -for eight months,” was my reply, and -I pulled up the legs of my pants to -show him my limbs, which were -almost as black as a stove. He passed -his hands over the emaciated -remains of what had once been my -arms and asked, “When is your time -of service out?” “It was out the 10th -of last October,” said I.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“You can go out.”</p> - -<p class='c009'>That surgeon was a stranger to me. -I never saw him before that day nor -have I seen him since, but upon the -tablet of my memory I have written -him down as <span class='fss'>FRIEND</span>.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I did not wait for a second permission -but started for the gate.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just as I was going out some of my -comrades saw me and shouted, “Bully -for you Bill; you’re a lucky boy!” and -I believed I was. After passing -outside I went to a tent where two -or three clerks were busy upon rolls -and signed the parole. Before I left -Harry Lowell joined me and together -we went into camp where rations of -flour were issued to us. After dark -Harry and I stole past the guard and -went down to the gravediggers’ quarters -where we were provided with a -supper of rice, sweet potatoes and -biscuits. I have no doubt that to-day -I should turn up my nose at the -cooking of that dish, for the sweet -potatoes and rice were stewed and -baked together, but I did not then. -After supper John Burk baked our -flour into biscuits, using cob ashes in -the place of soda; after which we -stole back into camp.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Not a wink of sleep did we get that -night. We had eaten too much supper -for one thing, and besides our -prison day seemed to be almost ended. -We were marched to the railroad -next morning, but the wind was -blowing so hard that we were not -sent away, as the vessels could not -run in the harbor at Charleston.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Just before night a ration of corn -meal was issued to us and I have that -ration yet. About ten o’clock that -night we were ordered on board the -cars and away we went to Charleston, -where we arrived soon after daylight. -We debarked from the cars and were -marched into a vacant warehouse on -the dock, where we remained until -two o’clock p. m. when we were -marched on board a ferry boat. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>bells jingled, the wheels began to -revolve and churn up the water and -we are speeding down the harbor. -All seems lovely as a June morning, -when lo, we are ordered to heave to -and tie up to the dock. We were -marched off from the boat and up a -street. It looked as though the -Charleston jail was our destination, -instead of that long wished for God’s -Country.</p> - -<p class='c009'>It seemed that the last train load -had not been delivered on account of -the high winds, and that we were to -wait our turn. But we were soon -countermarched to the boat and this -time we left Charleston for good and -all.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My thoughts were busy as our boat -was steadily plowing her way down -the harbor to the New York, our -exchange commissioner’s Flag Ship, -which lay at anchor about a mile -outside of Fort Sumter. To my left -and rear Fort Moultrie and Castle -Pinkney stood in grim silence. Away -to the front and left, upon that low, -sandy beach, are some innocent -looking mounds, but those mounds are -the celebrated “Battery Bee” on -Sullivans Island. To my right are -the ruins of the lower part of Charleston. -Away out to the front and -right stands Fort Sumter in “dim and -lone magnificence.” To the right of -Fort Sumter is Morris Island and still -farther out to sea is James Island. -What a scene to one who has had a -deep interest in the history of his -country from the time of its organization -up to and including the war of -the rebellion. Here the revolutionary -fathers stood by their guns to -maintain the independence of the -Colonies. Here their descendants had -fired the first gun in a rebellion -inaugurated to destroy the Union -established by the valor, and sealed -with the blood of their sires. Misguided, -traitorous sons of brave, loyal -fathers. Such thoughts as these -passed through my mind as we -steamed down the harbor to the New -York, but it never occurred to me -that the waters through which our -boat was picking her way, was filled -with deadly torpedoes, and that the -least deviation from the right course -would bring her in contact with one -of these devilish engines and we -would be blown out of water.</p> - -<p class='c009'>But look! what is that which is -floating so proudly in the breeze at -the peak of that vessel?</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“’Tis the Star Spangled Banner, oh! long may it wave,</div> - <div class='line'>O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c009'>Yes it is the old Stars and Stripes, -and just underneath them on the -deck of that vessel is “<span class='sc'>God’s -Country</span>,” that we have dreamed of -and wished for so many long weary -months.</p> - -<p class='c009'>My friends, do you wonder that the -tears ran unbidden down our wan and -ghastly cheeks? That with our weak -lungs and feeble voices we tried to -send a welcome of cheers and a tiger -to that dear old flag? It was not a -loud, strong cheer, such as strong -men send up in the hour of victory -and triumph; no the rebels had done -their work too well for that, but it -was from away down in the bottom -of our hearts, and from the same -depths came an unuttered thanks-giving -to the Great Being who had -preserved our lives to behold this -glorious sight.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Our vessel steamed up along side -the New York and made fast. A -gang plank was laid to connect the -two vessels, and at 4 o’clock, December -10th, 1864, I stepped under the -protection of our flag and bade a long -and glad farewell to Dixie.</p> - -<p class='c009'>After we had been delivered on -board the New York we were registered -by name, company and regiment, -and then a new uniform was -given us and then—can it be possible, -a whole plate full of pork and hard-tack, -and a quart cup of coffee. And -all this luxury for one man! Surely -our stomach will be surprised at such -princely treatment. After receiving -our supper and clothing we were sent -on board another vessel, a receiving -ship, which was lashed to the New -York. Here we sat down on our -bundle of clothes and ate our supper. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>If I was to undertake to tell how -good that greasy boiled pork and that -dry hard-tack and that muddy black -coffee tasted, I am afraid my readers -would laugh, but try it yourself and -see where the laugh comes in. After -supper we exchanged our dirty, lousy -rags for the new, clean, soft uniform -donated to us by Uncle Sam.</p> - -<p class='c009'>This was Saturday night. Monday -morning we are on the good ship -United States as she turns her prow -out of Charleston harbor. We pass -out over the bars and we are upon -the broad Atlantic. Wednesday -morning about 4 o’clock we heave to -under the guns of the Rip Raps, at -the entrance of Chespeake Bay, and -reported to the commandant. The -vessel is pronounced all right, and -away we go up the bay. We reach -Annapolis at 10 p. m. and are marched -to Cottage Grove Barracks. Here we -get a good bath, well rubbed in by a -muscular fellow, detailed for the purpose. -I began to think he would take -the <a id='tn178'></a>grime and dirt off from me if he -had to take the cuticle with it. We -exchanged clothing here and were -then marched to Camp Parole, four -miles from Annapolis. Here we -were paid one month’s pay together -with the commutation money for -clothing and rations which we had -not drawn during the period of our -imprisonment. On the 24th I received -a furlough and started for the home -of my brother in western New York, -where I arrived on the 26th, and here -ends my story.</p> - -<h3 id='sec15-5' class='c017'>CONCLUSION.</h3> - -<p class='c018'>Of all the men who had charge of -of prisoners and who are responsible -for their barbarous treatment, only -one was ever brought to punishment. -“Majah” Ross was burned in a hotel -at Lynchburg, Va., in the spring of -1866. General Winder dropped dead -while entering his tent at Florence, -S. C., on the 1st of January, 1865.</p> - -<p class='c009'>“Majah” Dick Turner, Lieutenant -Colonel Iverson and Lieutenant Barret -have passed into obscurity, while -Wirz was hanged for his crimes. That -Wirz richly deserved his fate, no man -who knows the full extent of his -barbarities, has any doubt, and yet it -seems hard that the vengeance of our -Government should have been visited -upon him alone. The quality of his -guilt was not much different from -that of many of prison commandants -but the fact that he had a greater -number of men under his charge -brought him more into notice. Why -should Wirz, the tool, be punished -more severely than Jeff Davis and -Howell Cobb? They were responsible, -and yet Wirz hung while they -went scot free.</p> - -<p class='c009'>I have frequently noticed that if a -man wanted to escape punishment for -murder he must needs be a wholesale -murderer, your retail fellows fare -hard when they get into the clutches -of the law. If a man steals a sack -of flour to keep his family from starvation, -he goes to jail; but if he robs -a bank of thousands of dollars in -money and spends it in riotous living, -or in an aggressive war against what -is known as the “Tiger,” whether -that Tiger reclines upon the green -cloth, or roams at will among the -members of Boards of Trade or Stock -Exchange, or is denominated a “Bull” -or a “Bear” in the wheat ring, why -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>he simply goes to Canada.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Surely Justice is appropriately represented -as being blindfolded, and I -would suggest that she be represented -as carrying an ear trumpet, for if -she is not both blind and deaf she -must be extremely partial.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Reader, if I have succeeded in -amusing or instructing you, I have -partly accomplished my purpose in -writing this story. Partly I say, for -I have still another object in view.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The description I have given of the -prisons in which I was confined is -but a poor picture of the actual condition -of things. It is impossible for -the most talented writer to give an -adequate description. But I have -told the truth as best I could. I defy -any man to disprove one material -statement, and I fall back upon the -testimony of the rebels themselves, -to prove that I have not exaggerated. -These men suffered in those prisons -through no fault of their own. The -fortunes of war threw them into the -hands of their enemies, and they -were treated as no civilized nation -ever treated prisoners before. They -were left by their Government to -suffer because that Government -believed they would best subserve its -interests by remaining there, rather -than to agree to such terms as the -enemy insisted upon.</p> - -<p class='c009'>General Grant said that one of us -was keeping two fat rebels out of the -field. Now if this is true why are -not the ex-prisoners recognized by -proper legislation? All other classes -of men who went to the war and -many men and women who did not -go, are recognized and I believe that -justice demands the recognition of -the ex-prisoners. I make no special -plea in my own behalf. I suffered -no more than any other of the thousands -who were with me, and not as -much as some, but I make the plea -in behalf of my comrades who I know -suffered untold miseries for the cause -of the Union, and yet who amidst -all this suffering and privation, -spurned with contempt the offers -made by the enemy of food, clothing -and life itself almost, at the cost of -loyalty. Their motto then was, -“Death but not dishonor.” But -their motto now is, “Fiat justicia, ruat -coelum.” Let justice be done though -the heavens fall.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Since writing a description of the -prison life in Andersonville, I came -across the following account of a late -visit to the old pen, by a member of -the 2d Ohio, of my brigade. It is -copied from the National Tribune, -and I take the liberty to use it to -show the readers of these articles -how much the place has changed in -twenty-five years.</p> - -<div class='c032'><span class='sc'>The Author.</span></div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div>ANDERSONVILLE, GA.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c024'> - <div>The Celebrated Prison and Cemetery Revisited.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c023'><span class='sc'>Editor National Tribune</span>:</p> - -<p class='c023'>Having recently made a trip to -Andersonville, Ga., I thought a brief -discription of the old prison and cemetery -might be of interest to the -readers of your paper. I left the land -of ice, sleet and snow March 26, 1888, -taking Pullman car over Monon route -via Louisville and Nashville, arriving -at Bowling Green, Ky., 100 miles -south of Louisville, at noon on March -27. Peach trees were in bloom and -wild flowers were to be seen along the -route. Nearing Nashville we passed -through the National Cemetery. The -grounds are laid out nicely and neatly -kept and looked quite beautiful as -we passed swiftly by. Leaving Nashville, -I called a halt, took a brief look -over the once bloody battlefield of -Stone River. I then passed through -Murfreesboro and Tullahoma. At -Cowen’s Station I stopped for supper. -This is the place where the dog leg-of -mutton soup was dished up in 1863.</p> - -<p class='c023'>At Chattanooga I visited Lookout -Mountain; then went to the graves of -my comrades, the Mitchel raiders, that -captured the locomotive and were -hanged at Atlanta. The graves are in -a circle in the National Cemetery. -For the information of their friends -I will give the number of their -graves as marked on headstones:</p> - -<p class='c023'>J. J. Andrews. 12992. Citizen of -Kentucky.</p> - -<p class='c023'>William Campbell. 11,180. Citizen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>of Kentucky.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Samuel Slaven. 11176. Co. G, 33d -Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>S. Robinson. 11177. Co. G, 33d -Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>G. D. Wilson. 11178. Co. B, 2d -Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Marion Ross. 11179. Co. A, 2d Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Perry G. Shadrack. 11181. Co. K, -2d Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>John Scott. 11182. Co. K, 21st Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c023'>Leaving here, I passed over a continuous -battle field to Atlanta. Official -records show that from Chattanooga -to Atlanta, inclusive, more than -85,000 men were killed and wounded -and more than 30,000 captured from -Sept. 15, 1863, to Sept. 15, 1864. Arriving -at Andersonville, I found the -same depot agent in charge that was -here in war times. His name is M. -P. Suber; he is 76 years old, and has -been agent here 31 years. Geo. Disher, -who was a conductor, and handled -the prisoners to and from the stockade, -is still connected with the road. -I arrived at 2 o’clock, and after eating -my first square meal in this place -(although I had been a boarder here -12 months), I started out to hunt up -my old stamping-ground. The stockade -is about half a mile east of depot. -Here it was the 40,000 Northern soldiers -were confined like cattle in a -pen. This prison was used from <a id='tn184'></a>February, -1864, to April 1865—14 months.</p> - -<p class='c023'>The stockade was formed of strong -pine logs, firmly planted in the ground -and about 20 feet high. The main -stockade was surrounded by two -other rows of logs, the middle one 16 -feet high, the outer one 12 feet. It -was so arranged that if the inner -stockade was forced by the prisoners, -the second would form another line -of defense, inclosing 27 acres. The -great stockade has almost entirely -disappeared. It is only here and -there that a post or little group of -posts are to be seen. These have not -all rotted away, but have been split -into rails to fence the grounds. The -ground is owned by G. W. Kennedy, -a colored man. Only a small portion -of the ground can be farmed. The -swamp, in which a man would sink to -his waist, still occupies considerable -space. In crossing the little brackish -stream I knelt down and took a drink, -without skimming off the graybacks, -as of old. Passing on, not far from -the north gate I came to Providence -Spring, that broke forth on the 12th -or 13th of August, 1864. The spring -is surrounded by a neat wood curbing, -with a small opening on the lower -side, through which the water -constantly flows. Not the slightest -trace is left of the dead-line.</p> - -<p class='c023'>The holes which the prisoners dug -with spoons and tin cups for water -and to shelter from sun and rain are -still to be seen, almost as perfect as -when dug. Also the tunnels that -were made with a view to escape are -plain to be seen. Relics of prison -life are still being found—bits of pots, -kettles, spoons, canteen-covers, and -the like. I had no trouble in locating -my headquarters on the north slope. -You can imagine my feelings as I -walked this ground over again after -24 years, thinking of the suffering and -sorrow of those dark days. Visions of -those living skeletons would come up -before me with their haggard, distressed -countenances, and will follow -me through life.</p> - -<p class='c023'>A half mile from the prison-pen is -the cemetery. Here are buried the -13,714 that died a wretched death -from starvation and disease. The appearance -of the cemetery has been -entirely changed since war days. -Then it was an old field. The trenches -for the dead were dug about seven -feet wide and 100 yards long. No -coffins were used. The twisted, -emaciated forms of the dead prisoners -were laid side by side, at the head of -each was driven a little stake on -which was marked a number corresponding -with the number of the body -on the death register. The register -was kept by one of the prisoners, and -12,793 <a id='tn185'></a>names are registered, with -State, regiment, company, rank, date -of death and number of grave. Only -921 graves lack identification. I found -35 of my regiment numbered, and -quite a number whom I knew had -died there lie with the unknown. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>The head boards have been taken -away, and substantial white marble -slabs have been erected in their -places. The stones are of two kinds. -For the identified soldiers the stones -are flat, polished slabs, three feet long, -(one-half being under ground), four -inches thick and 12 inches wide. On -the stone is a raised shield, and on -this is recorded the name, rank<a id='tn186'></a>, state -and number. For the unknown the -stone is four inches square and projects -only five inches above the -ground. The rows of graves are about -10 or 12 feet apart. There are a few -stones that have been furnished by -the family or friends of the dead. -Aside from the few, so many stones -alike are symbolic of a similar cause -and an equal fate. The cemetery -covers 25 acres, inclosed by a brick -wall five feet high. The main entrance -is in the center of the west -side. In the center of a diamond-shaped -plot rises a flagstaff, where -the Stars and Stripes are floating from -sunrise to sunset. The cemetery -presents a beautiful appearance. -The grounds are nicely laid out and -neatly kept, under the supervision of -J. M. Bryant, who lives in a nice -brick cottage inside the grounds.</p> - -<p class='c023'>I will close by quoting one inscription -from a stone erected by a sister -to the memory of a brother.</p> - -<p class='c023'>“They shall hunger no more, neither -<a id='tn187'></a>thirst any more; neither shall the sun -light on them, nor any heat.</p> - -<p class='c023'>“For the Lamb which is in the -midst of the throne shall feed them, -and shall lead them unto living fountains -of water; and God shall wipe -away all tears from their eyes.”</p> -<div class='c022'>—Rev., VII: 16, 17.</div> - -<p class='c009'>The writer of the above article was -a prisoner of war over 19 months, -was captured at the battle of Chickamauga -Sept. 20, 1863; delivered to the -Union lines April, 1865, and was -aboard the ill-fated steamer Sultana.</p> - -<p class='c009'>Would like to know if any comrade -living was imprisoned this long.—<span class='sc'>A. -C. Brown</span>, Co. I, 2d Ohio, Albert Lea, -Minn.</p> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/flag.png' alt='American Flag' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c006' /> -</div> -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table2' summary=''> - <tr> - <th class='c033'>Printed</th> - <th class='c033'>Corrected</th> - <th class='c012'>Page</th> - <th class='c034'></th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'><span class='fss'>PRINCIPLE</span></td> - <td class='c033'><span class='fss'>PRINCIPLE</span>.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn003'>iii</a></td> - <td class='c034'>of a <span class='fss'>PRINCIPLE</span>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Tennesse</td> - <td class='c033'>Tennessee</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn010'>2</a></td> - <td class='c034'>from the Tennessee</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>or</td> - <td class='c033'>of</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn010-2'>2</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the command of Gen.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>evacution</td> - <td class='c033'>evacuation</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn010-3'>2</a></td> - <td class='c034'>evacuation of that</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Aid</td> - <td class='c033'>Aide</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn011'>2</a></td> - <td class='c034'>an Aide came dashing</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>throught</td> - <td class='c033'>through</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn011-2'>2</a></td> - <td class='c034'>went through brush</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>and and</td> - <td class='c033'>which had</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn013'>3</a></td> - <td class='c034'>which had knocked the</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>the the</td> - <td class='c033'>the</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn014'>4</a></td> - <td class='c034'>Starkweather’s on the</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>side</td> - <td class='c033'>side,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn016'>5</a></td> - <td class='c034'>canteen by his side,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>discription</td> - <td class='c033'>description</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn023'>8</a></td> - <td class='c034'>reader a description</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>heterogenous</td> - <td class='c033'>heterogeneous</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn023-2'>8</a></td> - <td class='c034'>in a heterogeneous</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>sorgum</td> - <td class='c033'>sorghum</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn027'>10</a></td> - <td class='c034'>gallon of sorghum</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>heavey</td> - <td class='c033'>heavy</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn028'>10</a></td> - <td class='c034'>wheezing like a heavy</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Appomatox</td> - <td class='c033'>Appomattox</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn029'>11</a></td> - <td class='c034'>across the Appomattox</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Said</td> - <td class='c033'>said</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn038'>15</a></td> - <td class='c034'>“What?” said the</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Novvember</td> - <td class='c033'>November</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn038-2'>15</a></td> - <td class='c034'>until November</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>on</td> - <td class='c033'>an</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn039'>15</a></td> - <td class='c034'>was an old one and</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>we</td> - <td class='c033'>me</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn043'>17</a></td> - <td class='c034'>farther let me say,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>returing</td> - <td class='c033'>returning</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn045'>18</a></td> - <td class='c034'>returning to prison</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>maching</td> - <td class='c033'>marching</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn046'>18</a></td> - <td class='c034'>we go marching on.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>bole</td> - <td class='c033'>hole</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn047'>19</a></td> - <td class='c034'>hole through the</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>innoculated</td> - <td class='c033'>inoculated</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn048'>19</a></td> - <td class='c034'>We were inoculated</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>innoculation</td> - <td class='c033'>inoculation</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn051'>20</a></td> - <td class='c034'>inoculation of a few</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>K.</td> - <td class='c033'>K.,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn053'>21</a></td> - <td class='c034'>Squires, of Co. K.,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>his his</td> - <td class='c033'>his</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn054'>22</a></td> - <td class='c034'>In his concluding</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Yanks.”</td> - <td class='c033'>“Yanks.”</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn054-2'>22</a></td> - <td class='c034'>to see the “Yanks.”</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>V</td> - <td class='c033'>V.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn054-3'>22</a></td> - <td class='c034'>F. F. V.’s. We were</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>cattle,</td> - <td class='c033'>cattle.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn057'>23</a></td> - <td class='c034'>conveyance of cattle.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>kind</td> - <td class='c033'>kind,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn060'>24</a></td> - <td class='c034'>kind, quantity</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>coutrary</td> - <td class='c033'>contrary</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn062'>25</a></td> - <td class='c034'>contrary to orders,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>way</td> - <td class='c033'>way.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn063'>25</a></td> - <td class='c034'>see it that way. But</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>laws</td> - <td class='c033'>law’s</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn064'>26</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the law’s delay,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>have.</td> - <td class='c033'>have,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn064-2'>26</a></td> - <td class='c034'>those ills we have,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Petersberg</td> - <td class='c033'>Petersburg</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn064-3'>26</a></td> - <td class='c034'>leaving Petersburg</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>animals</td> - <td class='c033'>animals.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn065'>26</a></td> - <td class='c034'>wild animals. The</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Deadline</td> - <td class='c033'>Dead-line</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn066'>27</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the Dead-line and</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>the the</td> - <td class='c033'>the</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn067'>27</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the form as written,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Inf</td> - <td class='c033'>Inf.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn067-2'>27</a></td> - <td class='c034'>10th Wisconsin Inf.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>subivided</td> - <td class='c033'>subdivided</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn068'>28</a></td> - <td class='c034'>we subdivided these</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>pine</td> - <td class='c033'>pine.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn069'>28</a></td> - <td class='c034'>leaved pitch pine.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Parrott</td> - <td class='c033'>Parrott.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn075'>31</a></td> - <td class='c034'>“Poll Parrott.” He</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Georia</td> - <td class='c033'>Georgia</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn077'>32</a></td> - <td class='c034'>5th Georgia regulars.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>qualiity</td> - <td class='c033'>quality</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn080'>33</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the same quality as</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Mead’s</td> - <td class='c033'>Meade’s</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn080-2'>33</a></td> - <td class='c034'>from Meade’s army</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>cannoniers</td> - <td class='c033'>cannoneers</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn086'>36</a></td> - <td class='c034'>while the cannoneers</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Connecticut</td> - <td class='c033'>Connecticut,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn087'>36</a></td> - <td class='c034'>16th Connecticut,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>preemted</td> - <td class='c033'>preempted</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn089'>37</a></td> - <td class='c034'>had preempted</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>law,and </td> - <td class='c033'>law, and</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn095'>40</a></td> - <td class='c034'>law, and without</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>particuular</td> - <td class='c033'>particular</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn099'>42</a></td> - <td class='c034'>want some particular</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>sea.</td> - <td class='c033'>sea.”</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn100'>42</a></td> - <td class='c034'>down to the sea.”</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>succumed</td> - <td class='c033'>succumbed</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn105'>45</a></td> - <td class='c034'>had also succumbed</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>war,</td> - <td class='c033'>war.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn107'>45</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the time of the war.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>alke</td> - <td class='c033'>alike</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn108'>46</a></td> - <td class='c034'>were alike to him</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>is,</td> - <td class='c033'>is</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn109'>46</a></td> - <td class='c034'>your condition is</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>examination, extended</td> - <td class='c033'>examination extended,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn113'>48</a></td> - <td class='c034'>examination extended</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>sattered</td> - <td class='c033'>scattered</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn115'>49</a></td> - <td class='c034'>were scattered</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>his his</td> - <td class='c033'>his</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn117'>50</a></td> - <td class='c034'>destroy his life</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>petechiae</td> - <td class='c033'>petechiae,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn120'>51</a></td> - <td class='c034'>petechiae,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>survy</td> - <td class='c033'>scurvy</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn121'>52</a></td> - <td class='c034'>scurvy was contagious</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>ulsers</td> - <td class='c033'>ulcers</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn121-2'>52</a></td> - <td class='c034'>Many ulcers which</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>gangreneous</td> - <td class='c033'>gangrenous</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn121-3'>52</a></td> - <td class='c034'>truly gangrenous</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>orginally</td> - <td class='c033'>originally</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn122'>52</a></td> - <td class='c034'>were originally built</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>hight</td> - <td class='c033'>height</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn124'>53</a></td> - <td class='c034'>height, swarming with</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>maggots,</td> - <td class='c033'>maggots.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn125'>54</a></td> - <td class='c034'>with maggots. I</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>poissonous</td> - <td class='c033'>poisonous</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn127'>55</a></td> - <td class='c034'>of the poisonous</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>inflamatory</td> - <td class='c033'>inflammatory</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn128'>55</a></td> - <td class='c034'>inflammatory symptoms</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>dysentry</td> - <td class='c033'>dysentery</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn130'>56</a></td> - <td class='c034'>in cases of dysentery</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>dysentry</td> - <td class='c033'>dysentery</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn130-2'>56</a></td> - <td class='c034'>diarrhea or dysentry</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Savaunah</td> - <td class='c033'>Savannah</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn147'>64</a></td> - <td class='c034'>and that Savannah</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>allowed</td> - <td class='c033'>allow</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn148'>64</a></td> - <td class='c034'>kind enough to allow</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>p. m</td> - <td class='c033'>p. m.</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn149'>65</a></td> - <td class='c034'>eleven o’clock p. m.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>tea spoonful</td> - <td class='c033'>teaspoonful</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn149-2'>65</a></td> - <td class='c034'>a teaspoonful of salt</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Andersonsville</td> - <td class='c033'>Andersonville</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn152'>66</a></td> - <td class='c034'>as at Andersonville</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>letdown would have</td> - <td class='c033'>let down would have</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn153'>67</a></td> - <td class='c034'>let down would have</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>sorgham</td> - <td class='c033'>sorghum</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn154'>67</a></td> - <td class='c034'>sorghum syrup and a</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>t’was</td> - <td class='c033'>’twas</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn158'>68</a></td> - <td class='c034'>and ’twas a handsome</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>conpetent</td> - <td class='c033'>competent</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn160'>69</a></td> - <td class='c034'>perfectly competent</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>joost</td> - <td class='c033'>“joost</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn160-2'>69</a></td> - <td class='c034'>puff—puff—puff—“joost</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Richmond.</td> - <td class='c033'>Richmond,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn162'>70</a></td> - <td class='c034'>capture of Richmond,</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>haman</td> - <td class='c033'>human</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn163'>70</a></td> - <td class='c034'>eternal in the human</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Tennesee</td> - <td class='c033'>Tennessee</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn164'>71</a></td> - <td class='c034'>in Tennessee</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>provisons</td> - <td class='c033'>provisions</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn167'>72</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the provisions in</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>wont</td> - <td class='c033'>won’t</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn167-2'>72</a></td> - <td class='c034'>I won’t give you</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>offiers</td> - <td class='c033'>officers</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn169'>73</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the rebel officers</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>they they</td> - <td class='c033'>they</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn170'>73</a></td> - <td class='c034'>thinking they would</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>grim</td> - <td class='c033'>grime</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn178'>77</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the grime and dirt</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>Febuary</td> - <td class='c033'>February</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn184'>79</a></td> - <td class='c034'>was used from Febuary</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>mames</td> - <td class='c033'>names</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn185'>79</a></td> - <td class='c034'>names are registered</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>rank;</td> - <td class='c033'>rank,</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn186'>80</a></td> - <td class='c034'>the name, rank, state</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c033'>thrist</td> - <td class='c033'>thirst</td> - <td class='c012'><a href='#tn187'>80</a></td> - <td class='c034'>thirst any more;</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class='c009'>A number of spelling irregularities have been retained from the printed edition.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The form of quotations has been retained from the printed edtition.</p> - -<p class='c009'>The corrections in the <a href='#errata'>Errata</a> have been applied.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Fifteen Months in Dixie, by William W. 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