Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-20
The HORRORS OF ANDERSON
VILE.
Suffering and Abuse of Union Prisoners
Narrative Of a Chicago Soldier.

90 H'ueoteu, says the chicago Irl-
Guns to DR.. BENZ. Woodward, Sanitary
inspector at Nashville. Tenn, for the fol.
lowing narrative. made TO him by Ser.
Seant Thomas WEST. Co. ID. 18th Illinois,
" oAi'a5o boy. cad recently escaped from
-Nat ersonviilc. GA The narrative is in
'he sergeant's own words:
NASHVILLE. Sept. 9th, 1864.
| am second sergeant Of company D.
ISL Regiment Illinois Infantry. | was
captured May 18th. 1861. by Col. Pat,er-
SOL, Of Gen. Rol,ly's command. at Mali.
son Station. Alabama, together with sixtv
others OF my regiment, While with Pat.
t-T>oh's command. | received very kind
treatment. This. however. did not last
long as all tho prisoners. upon arriving
az Iupeio. Miss. were turned over to For
'eSts command. Here commenced our
7aistoT;unes; everything in the shape Of
clothing hat cCverel our bodies was taken
from us except our pants, which alone
eofoted our nakcdness. In this condition
Ne we-c takaa 20 Cahaba on the Alabama
liver. Here We also received vcr7 kind
TO eat After two weeks confinement in
thls prison. formed plan of escape
With Z Twin Wales. also of tn, 18th: so
aecof Ing to arrangements made the day
previous. We silently crept from oar hunks
u, eight O'Clock in the evening, scaling
the brick wall of the prison without being
discovered although the guards were with,
= two feet Of Us when we reachod tho
ground. We then proceeded as noiseless.
" ss possible 20 the privy which was
ABOUT lVV yards distant. Here we found
some uifhcuity IN passing a fire made Of
pi;ch pine, which exposed us TO three
guards, providing they were attending 10
,hei' duty. We passed the fire unnoriced
anu gained the privy. where nc common.
eea Operations IN reckless manner
tearing up the floor in order TO get below
All this work was done quicker than
can write 1t. Wales again took the lead.
following. After passing under the
prIvy we came to the outer stockade. which
we climbed with little difficulty. We then
made the best of our way through town.
taxing direct northern corrse. Tbs,
night we walked 30 miles. avoiding all
roads and keeping in tie cornfelds. In
tie morning while We were still walking.
heard the sound of a horn and made
known the fact to Wales. The sonnd.
however, being distant. we passed unno-
ticed- We pushed on more rapidly. We
mad not 3ona more than half mile when
We beard the horn again, and as it was
then daylight we concluded to rest in
thick underground for two hours. We
then heard the yelping of hounds and the
whistllng, who. we had every reason to
Deiiese, were on our track. We went on
again very fast fol- about two miles When
VIC were compelled to take to tree, the
"oloodhoun'ls" being close at our heels
ana It was we'll we did, for no sooner bad
we got ZIP than fifteen bloodhoan,is came
ny to The tree, some passing without seelrg
Us. In minute an old citizen male his
appearance. saying: "Ho. Hol we have
you at last, YOU Yankee sons of b--s."-
Soon he wac joined by 1--WE Others, anil the
one who appeared to lead them SAYS,
81 anks come down. | want my hound to
taste la'lFee Hood" | refused to come
down if he intended letting his hounds
bite me. Tie then became perfectly fero-
clous, swearing death should be our lot if
We did not come down. L came down, the
hounds watching every movement.
reached the ground only to be torn to pie
ees by the hounds. Bleeding, l was car
RED into farm house near by, and re-
manned there some three hours When
we We're taken back to Cahaba. 1 re-
NAMED IN prison at Cahaba about two
weeks, gaining fast my strength, and re-
arm frs. h. l.
the dogs. | concluded to start for Sher-
mans army again. | did so on or about
he 9th Of June. Wales being with me-
This time we bribed the guards. but only
proceeded twelve miles before we were ia
ken. | got away two times afterward,
when Capt. Henderson, commanding the
prison, concluded to send ME to Anderson
ville.s | arrived at Andersonvile on or
aoout the 18th Of June. Here | found
$4,000 men in an open field of eighteen
acres, withOat any shelter. save a few
blankets that some were lucky enough to
bring in the gate.
The first thing that met my eyes was
about seventy five fires, and dead rren who
we're perfectly rotten. After looking all
over the stockade, failed TO find q place
ID stay. Death stared me in the face ON
every hand. There was without friend
in the world, save my partner-to say
nothing about sleep. which must naturally
come some time. But, God helps them
who help themselves. l soon found q
man belonging to my regiment He says.
"Tom,nI am glad to see you; bat, God
help you, for, in my opinion, your doom
is sealed" / knew well what he alluded
10. Int laughed it of, telling him that an
exchanges would soon take place. and then
we would all be safe. He did all he could
for me. showing me place to stay. /
made several attempts to escape, but fail
ed. and consequently remained there from
the 18th of June till Hoods failure before
atlanta, when the rebs hustled US towards
Charleston, S. c., in order to keep Sher-
man from capturing US. l will now re-
ate some incidents while in the Georgia
Bull Pen" But, however, before going
further. viii say TO those who don't be-
lieve my statement, If there be any, that
"exaggeration is beyond the reach of any
,vritor In the World !" Rations arc ;ssrad