Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-09-26

[. W
fal con6dsnce, TIM semethis9 w e
iis apne in this netter, osnev.1e 49, .
proper ststemcnt Of the iacss - ~ 'ua! -
necessary 10 secure redress o. 'ne grew
ances complained OF. l.
s. The above has been read to each dc,
tachment by its respective sergeant, ana
been oyprored by the men, who have u"dn.-
mousiy authorized each sergeant to sign 1t
az will and deed Of the whole.
sxreAcr FROM TIE STATEMENT or ALoNzo
BARRows, VERMONT CAVALRY.
Andersonville, now SO notorious, is here
after TO be a word Of greater reproach and
Of greater stigma than the Libby or Castle
Thunder, or even Belle Isle itself Here
the prisoners, sick and well, were huddle'
out of the cars, and the terrible s,ockade
stood before them. Up to this point for
miles the cars ran through densely pine
wooded country, and even here, with the
exception Of the ground cleared for the
stockadc, all was lofty pnewood on every
side, gloomy, impenetrable, and as sickcn-
ng to the heart az the despairing thoughts
could make it-thoughts too suggestive OF
inc poet hnes over the entrance 10 his H.
ierno-''AU ye rho sater here teace ho1e be-
hind" Andersonville, before the war, was
known only To the travellers on the railroad
by name, marked by a log house, the only
freak on the vast continuity Of shade
since then it has been chosen on account Of
rs rcmoteness from the contending lines
oeing in the centre Of Georg,a-as prison,
Or Golgotha, for Union prisoners. Here a
clearing in the deep pine wood was made
first Of fifteen acres, and afterwards, as til,
lumber Of prisoners increased, extended to
.en acres more. The stockade is rough
1ut strong construction oil pine wood, ob
ong in shape, and having inside its outer
l,ilts-that is, within twenty OF the outer
surrounding fence (hiteen feet high)-an
other open space or palisading. This twenty
Get space between is the dead line
anne TOO sadly realized every day By tn
slouqhfer Of Union sotdieys--in the immota
ttoa Of those unconscious u the prohsbittvs
I'D tie penaity. and often az tie fate q
many ,eho accept tie doom q disohedience q
{ r.t,ej' from. tie sto~ agony Of t.t'n.
death.
mo this stocSade, within space 0
bout eighteen acres, were penncd together
hen our informant escaped from it h,
nh oil August last-from thirty five to fort
housana. rittout n hat, or tent, or shed 4
shieM Men from IKE harning SIN or shtlteY
fran III jittieSs storm. Thousands o. thes'
.icums are oEMl-NAkED and HALF
STARVED, aGd suc.i ,cr.i5ie ELECTS av'
unr accumulated su'icilngs had upon
nen that MANY HUNDREDS HAVE BE
soME BGKEfT OF RE son. Mr.. Bar
fan.
ni,a ol the appeal OF these men; sitting
n standing, THEIR HEADS ARE AL
WAYS BOW ED UPON THEIR BREASTS
HEIR HAIR MATTED. THEIR FINGERS
CROOKED, THEIR BARE ARMS, HANDs
AND FEET EVACUATED. Their manne
~ moving about, and The unnatural silcnc,
which most of them maintain, have lci
them But A SEMBLANCE OF HUMANE
iY.' The sad, sad condition into which
these unfortunatcs have talicn-aua man,
Of them were remembered as the mos
cheerful and daring men in camp and tiel'
has a terribly depressing effect upon al
the others. The deaths, on an average
amount to seventy-tive or eighty day, til
in.becile furnishing q Larye quota, the princi
pal disease TO which almost all succumb be
ing dysentery. This IS brought Oh from
the coarse corn flour which is doled ont /,
them, great numbers having to eat tn
dough made from this flour and the sickcu
lug water which runs through the centre o
the camp, raw the facilities for maxim,
bread in the bakc-housc being barely sufii
Gent to supply tie small allowance to two
thirds of the camp a1lay. Salt is also yer,
sparingly and capriciously served out, IA!
most every third day the few grains permit
ted being withheld from them ~. watel
is fruitful en,rao Of their suffering. 4
small brook runs through the centre of tn
camp, broad margins Of swamp lying OF
either side. Into this brook all the water
from the bake house or cook house i
thrown; the rebels wash clothes in it, an,
much Of the refuse Of he camp finds its wa,
TO it, inJtctiag the ,caters sciM disease an,
ataM.
STATEMENT OF A RELEASED PRISONER.
The following is the statement Of p,is
oner recently released from Andcrsonville
1t was given under oath bv an INTEL gent
honcst-appearing soldier, and is believe,
not to be exaggerated in the least:
from Danvillc we went to Andersonviile
We were nearly starved to death. We ha,
no shelter they stole our blankets, money
coffee, and everything We were complete
robbed. On the road down some of III
officers made the mel take the rings of
their fingers. Most of the men at Ander
soavilic arc nearly naked. Tcey steal tn,
clothing off your back. They stole m,
shirt-the only one had. They made IN,
take it off. Some Of the men had no cloth
ing excepta meal bag with hole cut fol
their head, and others for their arms, thei
clothing having been all stolen. We hae
no shelter what yer from sun, rain or cold
and no covering at night.
Fully one-nalf are sick with maignan
diarrhea and scuryy of the worst and mos
loathsome kind. There are thirty -fou1
Thousand six hundred and seventy two pr;s
oners there, and FROM EIGHTY TO ONE
HUNDRED AND FORTY-FINE ARE DY
ING DAILY. WE FIND THEM LYING
DEAD ALI. OVER THE CAMP IN THE
MORNING. The hospital department i:
outside the stockade, with few tents, bu,
most of the ground is without bed or she
ter IN rgconS, IS y general rule, ar,
ANA, ald 90 wat tncv can. but they hav,
no IN III me, and very little means Of dong
foi the sick.
ANOTHER STATEMENT
Another statement of a returned prisoner
l. as follows:
Capt. Wirtz, post captain of Anderson
vile, who has charge Of the prisoners at The
Confederate State prison, Camp Sumter
Andersonville, Ca, is brutal monster
When the men come to the camp, worn out
and weary, they are Kept in the hot sun
and it they attempt to sit down, or go aside
to answer the calls fnature, he orders them
to be shot, and it is often done. His usual