The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-07

was id nice looking thread, but put it
back into the pocket very much to the re-
lief of the owner. The prisoners were
then taken to Belle Island, where they re-
NAMED about ten days, and were then
transferred to Camp Sumter, at Anderson
vile, Ga. Our cavalry had been raiding
through that country few days previous,
and had cut the Richmond and Danville
Railroad, 90 they were taken by the way
OF Lynehburg. They stopped one day at
that point, and receiving two days. rations,
were marched on foot the remaining dis
tance- between eighty and ninety miles
to Danville. CA ration consisted of small
corn dodger and about half q pound of
bacon.)
The Sergeant relates the following in
cident, which occurred on the march. be-
tween Lynchburg and Danville. They
had halted at little town for few mo-
ments to procure water, and when q great
crowd assembled to gaze upon the extra
ordinary sight-many of them never hav-
ing seen live Yankee-and of course, the
darkies were out in full force. The Ser
geant overheard the following remark
"Wy, lor massa, desc men look jus like
de rebs; got not horns at ALL"
At Camp Sumter, in Andersonville, the
prisoners were divided into detachments
of three hundred men each, with Ser
geant for each detachment, called Hun
dred Sergeant, whose business it was to
call the roll every morning and form his
men in line, for the purpose Of receiving
rations. These detachments numbered
about 112, making the number of prison
ers between $4,000 and 900.
The rations here consisted of nearly one
quart of corn meal, about quarter of q
pound of bacon, and at rare intervals
once or twice week-half q pint of
beans.
The stockade in which they were con-
fined was made by placing logs over
twenty y-feet long in an upright position.
About fifteen feet from this, on the inside,
a row of posts was set,' about four feet
high, with poles nailed along the top,
which was called the .--
"DRAD LINE"
A stream of water ran directly through
the camp, and, OF course, was crossed in
two places by this "dead line" and the
Sergeant says he has often seen men, who
came down to the stream to get water
near the prescribed boundary, while stoop-
ing to dip up water with their cups, fall
from weakness and exhaustion, and acci-
dently falling with few inches of their
bodies exposed beyond the pole, would be
shot dead where they fell. He once saw
man shot dead by the guard who was
scuffling with oomrsde, and happened to
fall under this pole which constituted the
"dead line." On one occasion of this
kind, he overheard the author of the das-
tardly deed hail comrade with, 81 say,
Bill, I've got thirty days. furlough now,
shure; for I've jist shot my regular Yank. :"
The excuse for this cruel regulation was,
that the prisoners were likely to escape by
scaling the walls, or burrowing their way
out, by digging under the stookade; in
fact, great many did burrow out, COM
mencing in their tents, fifteen feet from
from the walls, and having no tools, ex-
cept common table knives. Such were
almost invariably recaptured, as the dis
tance was over 200 miles to our lines. The
poor fellows, on being brought back, were
usually compelled to wear ball and chain
for the rest of their term.
As an additional precaution, forts were
built on three sides of the camp, and fif-
teen cannon planted thereon, all bearing
directly upon the enclosure.
The date of Mr.. Mays arrival was the
10th of July-and on the day following
he witnessed the execution of six of our
men, who were hung in the camp. The
particulars OF this sad affair have been
published in all the papers. These
six were the ringleaders of q band
of hardened, blood thirsty wretches who
systematically plundered their comrades
throughout the camp, and when any re-
sistance was shown, the poor fellow was
beaten to death with clubs, and buried be-
meath the tents of the murderers. After
this dreadful example, comparative order
and quiet reigned.
THE DRATHS
in camp were numbered from 80 to 100
daily. Twenty Of the prisoners-having
given their parole not to go farther than
one mile from the camp-were detailed to
dig trenches, into which our poor fellows
were tumbled, one hundred in each trench.
If man died with decent suit of clothes
on, they were stripped off and he was
pitched into the "dead cart" with nothing
on but his shirt. Although in the midst
of a forest, with an unlimited supply Of
wood within sight, their rations of wood
were so small that they could only cook
their scanty rations of food by clubbino
together, and six or eight cooking at one
fire. One rule of the camp was that when
when a man was discovered dead fonr mon
were allowed to carry him out at the oase .s.
and each one was permitted to bring Rscl,
one stick of wood. John saws he has
seen three or four knock downs over a dv0 .0
ing man, to decide who should havs tSo
privilege of carrying him out, in order o to
secure the prize of little stick of fire