Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-06-09

he did not think il was right TO do so he laughed
and said that two or three yanks had been shot
that way. They shot two more after that in the
same way.
They took us out on Monday morning to slarl
for Andersonville, they told US we would die
faster there than in the field and IL we were
lousy the climate would shake them off We
stopped at several stations on the way and
were insulted at every place We were called
yankee sons Of BIS aud laughed at. They
said if we lived to get home they guessed we
would never come back again. We were
seventeen days on the route to Andersonville.
We stopped one night al Charlotte. They ordered
u7 out Of the cars on lot Our sergeant asked
that the sick and wounded be permitted to stay
in the cars, they refused the request and said
that their orders from headquarters was to
require all to get out; it rained very hard all
night. The cars stood there all night, and we
remained outside guarded. Tho next morning
we were ordered in the cars, coored man
came along with bag of corn, our boys made a
raid on the corn, when the guards beat them off.
Some OF US got q handful and were glad of IL
as we were in n starving condition They put
eighty In one car, they would say crowd in you
yankee sons Of b.--s, or will put the bayonet
in you, they kept us going night and day, with
out anything TO eat. The bottom Of the car was
all covered with COW manure. However, We
were too much crowded to sit down. Whenever
they expected raid, they had US going night
and day from Andersonyille to Charleston prison.
and from there TO Florence. They had me in
seven different prisons while was prisoner,
period of seven months We arrived at Anler
sonville on Sunday morning. | looked across
at the prison and asked a citizen if that was the
place we were to go. lie said yes, that was the
place where they put yanks, and that they were
dying at the rate Of from fifty to hundred
day. | asked him the oause of it. and whether it
was fever, he said no, it was the good grub and
water that they got. At this jHncture, a guard
came up and ordered him off was there from
the 29th of May until sometime in September,
We counted of when We got in prison. man
came to me and asked me how / would like to
mesa with him and two others, said | was
willing TO do so, but Lam sorry to have to- say
that they all died Two of them had families.
They told me they were from the State of Maine
aud two had farms there. The last one that
died, named Merrill, was the only one left out
of four expected soon to follow them, but
thank God got out as safe as | did. l never
saw so much fighting as did there, 1t appeared
to me that the men were 30 ravenOus with
hunger that they beat each other for their food.
l have seen our men looking about to see man
near dead SO as to carry him out, in order to
get wood. They would fight for the job some
times.
Our men would dig tunnels and get off every
morning. They would have roll call, and what
ever hundred the missing men we're out of, the re-
mainder would not get anything to eat until they
would tell where the tunnel was. have known
them to be two or three days before they would
discover it, All we got was meal, beans aud rice,
and, once in a while, fresh beef, about two
ounces at time, or salt horse crawling with
maggois When we drew cooked beans, we had
to 20 to the creek and shell them, the bugs would
swim on the water. have seen our men, after
q heavy rain, go to the hollow and eat beans
that other men had digested. Some went blind,
some crazy, some cut their throats, some went
over the dead line and begged to be shot, for
they were starving to death Some Of our men
said that they treated us as well as the rebels
could afford, but that was not true, for those
that had greenbacks could 60 to the prison gate
and buy butter eggs, -four onions, sweet
potatoes and turnips Wagon loals of bread
came for those that had money, but those like
myeelf had to starSe or eat tho peeings ofturnips
and potatoes, and cabbage leaves that 9th ers
threw away. ! have soen men eating green
sorrel and ohawing bones to satisfy their hunger.
have seen rebels at the prison gate, after
market was over, have some half rotten potatoes
and small turnips that they could not sell, call
the yanks and throw them handfuls at q time,
and laugh hearty to see them scramble for them
The echo OF nights of the coughing of $4,000
prisoners and their groaning was equal to the
report of the musketry at the battle of the
Wilderness. Orders would come in to day to
have oil the sick up at the prison gate on to-
morrow morning. When the drum would beat,
about an acre Of ground would be covered With
the sick and wounded. Seurvy, darrhal, cold
on the breast, and starvation caused the death
of thousands. When we had them all carried
up to the gate, rebel would come in and order
the yanks to be carried back to their quarters,
for they had no medicine for them. The next
morning the dead wagon as they call it, was
ordered in to haul out the dead They would
load them on as we do cord wood | made
inquiry what they done with the corpses, The
information that got was, that they had big
square hole dug aud that they threw them in
any how and every way, very little dirt was
placed on them, and heard our men say that
got out after wood, that the dogs were roofing
up the dead bodies.
When the wagons came in Mt Andersonville
with rations they had to be guarded for fear of a
raid. A poor prisoner that had served nearly
three years in our army, went to the wagon to
get handful Of crumbs after the loaves were
given out. The rebel quartermaster struck him
and knocked him down, He told him he would
not thus abuse him if he were we'll, whereupon,
he beat him In a cruel manner. H had to he
carried to the Hospital. John Buckley was his
name. made inquiry about Buckley after
wards several times ! was told that he died
from the effects Of the maltreatment he received
from the rebel quartermaster.
Our sergeants were all ordered up to head
quarters on the reception of the news that
Stoneman was about to make raid, and in
formed that if we kept still, they would treat us
like prisoners but if we undertook to break out,
they would fire on US. Seven or eight white
a Ill oil In, ghn t,o
orders given ii they seen us standing in crowd
to fire on us. The artillery was put at the four
corners of the prison, about suudOwn they fired
over the prison. The line of battle was formed
at the corner Of the prison. Our boys COM
menoed hurrahing and cheering, and they COM
menced to fire the artillery. Acres of wood
land had been cut down to keep our cavalry
from getting through. The sad news came to
us that stoneman was captured.
They moved US from there to Florence, for
fear our cavalry would re-capture us Hun
dreds we're left behind who could not be moved.
They told US that we were to be exchanged.
They got dispatch on the way that the Flor
once prison was not finished, and the Yanks were
laying outside that they had made raid to
get off, and several had been shot.
We we're left at Charleston IN the race course
yard the citizens brought us something to eat,
but they were informed that they would not be
permitted to give it to US.
Several of our men were shot otdown, that were
not within two feet of the dead line, by young
guards who did not look to be more than sixteen
or seventeen years Of ago the rumor was, that
they got thirty-day furough for shooting q
Yankee.
We were at Charleston, as near as can guess,
three or four weeks. They took us from there
to Florence. They told us they we're going to
put negroes TO guard u.s. There was a rebel
villain there who treated us brutally they call
ed him Davis Whlo our men stood inside Of
the dead line, talking to their guard, trying to
| trade n knife or q comb, or poCket-book for