New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-26
OUR ANDERSONVILLE PRISONERS.
n "a. Ed:tey Of The y. Y Tribune.

aeon no account anywhere frOm.an eyewitness uese
% give your readers statement of some facts Inc ex
change is still progressing though but slowly ADou'
fOOO of the 10 600 have been received ara anceust An
napois. The feet IS vessels, anchored OF Fort
ROYAL. oJ miles from Point Venus in the savannah
River where the exchange is being effected He nag
,bio New. York Col Musord's, The Eliza HaDcox, aud
the Geo Leary, were employed as lighters 10 heaN!
steamers that could not run up the shallow Savannah
and this furnished IN opportunity to those on board
these vessels to look into and behold wOndlous Things
cut Of Rebel prisons.
TO describe the wrotchoducss and misery. the HIN
sEd starvation Is more than can do There is some
thing about this suffering that cannot reach the inu
through tie medium Of words. The lndlsha'ioh'
mingled with strange kind of pity one feels Is NOT 10
easily described The suffering OF or prisoners sur
passes anything am sure ever witnessed ID any Iaho'
either Christian or barbarian, unless mey DC TEE III
auiSion At first we were disposed 10 blame our Uo!s
for their filth and blacknoss. 1t was tlieut 10 tel
whether we were receiving white men or negroes from
outward appearances. Bat when we heard ther Story
and the story of the dead line" how IT cut them OIL
from ell resources the matter made plain We BE-
Ieved their story FOR It was one and essentially the same
thing ont Of every month On receiving our men, We at
tempted 10 make them comfortable and clean and save as
many as possible although alarming per cent and
viii die. They dying from causes that run back to
that living he'll upon earth the Andc-sonvie stockade
Here is an actual case multiply it ly 800. walking
skeleton, yea mean il, sk.ltoa how il had life,
sannot tell hut am sure it was skeleton and
nothing more once, I shoald Think a large and
healthy man. now diseased as much as skin and bones
could be-fltby-noksd as when it came into tic world
speaks: Chaplain, sn IN bad condition. SO
thought and in the name Of Godand the u : Christian
Commission" gave him clothing. say multiply this
cf.e by 5000 with this exceptions may be sor1e Of the
Door boys have some part Of Old garment upon them
aud So il is abundanty tenanted by other creatures
than human. But nultitudcs are positively naked
Stripped Of everything Of vauc TO the crcAy they were
turned into stockadcd field. something as farmers
turn sheep into lot and there they were left without
the least shelter with nothing TO o upon but the earth
itself and with the poorest iCod imaginable; so poor
that dare not undertake 10 describe ii here "a the
soldiers speak of it, lest il should not he believed The
mind must be aided by the actual presence Of these
men, sc they came into hands in order 10 believe
one half they say. Our very swine fare better than
they Jared for we give ten some Lind Of litter anu
shelter, and enough TO eat. Inside Of this stockade at
Andersonyille and within few yards OF it, runs line
or slender rail. called the "deal line" Whoever.
whether from accident ignorance or any ether cause
should so much as put his hand upon it, instantly
=
damned Yankee could have Through Of thirty
days was told that one Rebel on picket managed 10
shoot strsn Of our soldiers. New prisoners coming in
ignorant of rules and half dead common target.
SO that out Of thirtyhree thousand prisoners from
cause and another, mostly from starvation, was
assured by every who opened his mouth upon the
subject that ten thousand ard sore said thirteen
thousand, died in a little five months. and all this
in single prison. and that rot Libby Belle Island
but simply Andersonville, Georgia
Ask, If you win. why these men did not keep clear.
They sOemDly affirm that shot for no greater
crune than going 10 the brook running through their
iuclosure to wash A Rebel, brought up a yrant, and
confessedly reckless OF human life, would want only
very small pTctext to shoot "YauEce if he was snx-
ious for farougb. There is sin another feature to
this prison. Tie most eonsummatc Hcanness is prac
tced in influencing E.n to Join the Rebel ranks.
cannot now speak Of particulars but lies concerning
our Government were eommoG-that II had giycnup the
conflict and consequently left them 20 care for them
seyestsrecis if they did not enlist they should be shot
sdrcdon; if they would Join their army they should
he well cared and promoted that under one nfn-
ence and another It is confidently believed that from
three 10 five thousand have enlisted from the prisoners.
state these things upon tie unanimous authority Of The
soldiers returning; need not say that they are Nehe
ment in thsir ordinations aud touching IN their art
less statements.
A leaf from nv diary Zone poor fellow now on
our main deck. merely skin ard bones, tells his story
and Il is enough TO make the hardest heart weep for
Joy that we have such brave, true accomplishing and
glorious young Nearly at tie point Of starvation,
lie piled daily TO recant and 90 over 10 the enemy
but day by day his answer was fIm che had tufered
for his country and he could die orit." Glorious spirit
Shall We not in some way do these brave souls jus.
ticei As write tie air rings with patriotic songs;
that new revival song "Tbe Union Forever" Rally
roGDd the Flag boys" and "1hree Cheers for the Red
White aud Blue" And groans for. tie Old bull pen"
Of Ardersonyille 1 never was known TO shout, bat
really feel like it tonight God bless these noble boys
Pen cannot describe the scene here the einaeated,
The lame the sick and wounded and vet every man has
lie soul Of prince. They have been tested and as
Christ when tempted Of the deyn so have they come
of more than conqueTors. They unpolluted as to
their frmness and loyalty. However, n sadness comes
over me when think Of the tens Of thousands still le
behind, literally 10 perish by inches in those southern
e" COuld these poor fellows be seen by every North
ern man Just they come into our hands ] am sure
there would be further aeed of bountes but al in
dignant and outraged people would rise as one man TO
forever extingpsh that power by which such c.uetes
are perpetTated
During the hot weather as m6ry as 10 Lave died in
day, in single camp. and the poor fellows living In
THEN own filth, with none to LIT them out OF it, became
alive with yermn which actually ale away parts Of tie
system, especially in cases Of diarrhea while yet the
poor fellow had life.
Heels statement coming from Belle Island in re.
spect TO food They solemny affirm that they were
reduced TO such point of star, alton that dog ca,
was perfect luxury The dog Of q Rebel Captain