Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-09-13

"aitiug TO pc carried out IN regard to re-
moving the dead, four men were assigned to
shat duty and IN return they were allowed to
bring In wood, which, if they chose. thew
could sell inside for dollar: the men be-
came so hardened that they would say,
That's rght-sell off dead man for wood; !"
the water passing through the camp was
nlthy generally, and not good to drink at
Tunes those who had wells gave him drink:
at times they would not, and were SO rude
that be would drink the stream water rather
than DE abused; he had seen onions sold for
20, 5O and Is cents each; the effect of this
treatment was to demoralize the men; some
became ldlotlc; the nearer the stockade the
clearer was the water; some men would 90
over the dead line where it was broken,
without knowing it, and they not been
warmed, would have been shot; hounds
were kept there to hunt and recapture those
who attempted to escape; prisoners We're
allowed to go out In certain numbers to col
lect wood; the witness told his comrades
that the first time he got out of the stockade
he would try and escape; he made the at
tempt and was hunted but not Immediately
found he lay concealed an hour or two, and
heard the yelping hounds in the distance
then nearer; they came 50 close as actually
to rub his nose, and then made a circle
around him until the hunters came up ); the
with him; the soldier said the old Captain
told him to make the dogs tear him (the
witness j but having once been prisoner
himself, he felt for those who were in that
condition when witness was brought before
Capt. Wirz the latter asked the soldier why
he did not make the dogs tear him, when
he replied, Il guess the dogs hurt him
enough" Wirz then ordered the witness to
be taken back to the stockade. The seurvy
was the general disease some of the men
would be Obliged to crawl, and others toy
walk on crutches; he thought that in Sep
tember or October last a large number of
stockade to work outside on building said
to be desigted for hospital if the same
number Of men had been employed in cut
ting wood they might have built comforta.
BILE quarters the men would have been
glad OF chance to cut wood the men being
fed on insufficient food and sorgum and mo-
lasses. they took sick and died in front of
the building; the number was large; they
died in cords. ~-
The Court-What do you mean by cords
Witness-I mean that if they had been
piled up like wood, they would have made
several cords.
Cross examined by Mr. Baker-The wit
ness has seen maggots in the food and had
NdStlCu tiiCtli Uu III tflC SUTCltu
maggots, too, were in sores and in such
way not fit to describe; the swamp was filled
with maggots occasioned by the filth of the
men who could not reach the sink; one
night while the men were being removed to
another prison one of them fell down; the
witness heard Capt Wirz swearing; being
night he could not see the blow, but yet he
knew of the occurrence.
l.. ID. Brown, captured at Plymouth and
taken to Andersonville, testified that on or
about the 18th of May, 1864, having written
a letter to his parents and being about to
take it to the letter-box, he saw cripple
Capt WirZ; the captain came; the man
asked him to let him go out: the Captain
never answered but turned to the sentinel
and said ''Shoot the one-legged Yankee
devil" The shot was fired and part of
the mans head was blown off, he died in
a few minutes; the blood hounds were taken
round every morning. Capt Wirz riding
with them on horseback in company with
the keeper; the witness had seen man
who had been lacerated by these dogs when
he went to Andersonville his watch and $l75
in money were taken from him, and for one
day the prisoners were deprived OF food
until they had arrested about 300 men who
from starvation had made raid on the |
supply wagons.
JACOB B. Brown, brother of the for
mer witness, and late prisoner at Ander |
sonville, testified that on the 9th of July,
1864, he saw Wirz in the sentry box; when
man came beyond the dead line to get
water, Wirz ordered that he be shot down;
the sentinel hred and killed him, the bullet
taxing effect In the head the witness men
toned another case for similar reason !;
the ball which was fred took effect in the |
man, S breast; he did not see the man die, |
but had no doubt the wound was fatal; he |
had heard men threatened by Capt. Wirz
the latter said if the men did not fall into |
the ranks, they would be shot down: the |
men accordingly hurried into the ranks the |
witness stated cases where the prisoners |
were deprived of rations from the lst to the |
4th of July, 1864.
DR.. j. G. Roy, (rebel) being examined by |
Assistant Judge Advocate Hosmer, testified |
that he was on duty at Andersonville he |
was under the immediate charge of DIR. Ste
venson; the hospital was in deplorable
condition, there not being asufiiclent supply
o1 tents and hunks there We're no cumforts; |
he was told that there were between 10000
andI35, 900 prisoners there; he did not find
much difficulty in obtaining medicines, ex-
cepting few OF the rarer articles the men
presented the most horrible specimens OF
humanity he ever saw; large number OF
them were affected with the worst forms OF
scurvy he attributed the sickness to long
confinement, exposure and absence of the
comforts of life; there were maggots IN the
swamp near the hospital, the malaria from
which had most fatal affect upon the pa
tients the insects or white ants with wings,
were such as result from decayed animal
and segetable matter they were so sonumerous
that it was dangerous for man to open has |
mouth at sundown The witness heard that