Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-01
THE WRIT TRIAL.

day, DR.. A, W. Bartows, having heretofore
been sworn, further testified that the Ande-
sonyille prisoners were arrested for buying
green corn, which the guard took away from
them. Corn is an ant-scorbutic in cases Of
scufvy, and ia useful diet. The slops Of
the cook house were thrown into the streams
which ran through the prison, the exhaations
from which were horrible and very unhealthy;
besides the streams oyeihowed, owing to the
dams, rendering the premises still more intol-
cradle. Human bodies sometimes lay I'M
buried for three days. The stencil was ter
rible, sensbly affecting the atmosphere, and
was worse than that from any dissecliug
room complaints Of these things were fire.
quently made in high quarters. Dead men
we're in the morning frequently found among
the living. The largest number Of deaths IN
the stockade for one day, in August, 1864,
WAS 207. The witness found Capt. WIZ IN
charge Of the prison when he went there
A the time he made his escape, rations we've
cut off from the entire number of 10000
prisoners for an entire day, owing to the
alleged ohenses of few others. The wit
ness remembered that WIZ said to him that
he (Wirs) was Of more service 70 the conied
crate government than any OF the poor rebels
at the 'front.'
Gross eramined by Mr.. Baker. Was
medical student at Amherst, Mass, on the
breaking out Of the war, and had been Ii
censed since. He was mustered out on the
TN December last. The witness had never
seen our men in the army wearing ball and
chain, nor had he seen them punished in any
other way than by detention in the guard
guard house. He had seen men in our hos
pitfalls affected with syphilis, but none of the
cases were so bad as those at Andersonville.
Our cases were primary, while those in the
rebel prison were secondary as general
thing. The cross questioning was continued
to show that the rebel ospitals were def
oient Of medical remedies.
The Court then, al p. m, took recess
until o'clock.
Ga the re-assembling Of the Court the
oross-examination OF DR.. Barrows was resum-
ed The questions and answers were numer-
Gus on the point involving the treatment OF
disease.
he Court Intercepted the witness, who
said the bel force at Andersonville was be-
tween 5000 and 5000 men. The fuel for
them WAS cut by a large force Of colored men.
There were axes enough to supply our men
for like purpose. The witness gave as his
honest opinion that if there had been proper
food, clothing, quarters and other necessary
supplies, from rs to 80 per cent Of the deaths
might have been prevented. In the dispen-
sary be had seen supplies, which had come
by the way Of Richmond, such as dried beef
SAY 200 or 800 lbs, md some Bologna sau-
'sages. He saw several boxes Of clothing at
the depos nobody in his ward saw anything
Of the clothing once or twice a little Of the
dried beef was brought in, but it did not af-
ford each man in he ward hall an ounce.
Robert II. Kellogg was sworn. He said he
was captured at Plymouth, n. c., and with
about 400 more prisoners was taken to A nder-
sonville. This was the Sd OF May, 1861
! The only other persons there at the time were
those who had been brought from Belle Isle,
! Libby Prison and other points. They were
ragged and destitute of clothing Many were
nearly naked and totally unprovlded with
shelter, except blankets. The men were
mere skeletons.
The prison appeared crowded, though thou
sands were brought there afetwald the men
were in filthy condition there was poor
opportunity to keep clean; there was very
little soap; the nights were cool when he
first went there, but as the season advanced
the weather became intensely hot; there were
twenty-one rainy days in the month of June !;
the prisoners were not supplied regularly or
sufficiently with fuel; sometimes d squad
would be allowed to go out and bring in pine
roots to make a fire sometimes the rations
were furnished raw with no wood to cook (;
the penalty of trespassing upon the dead line
was death he saw man who was shO, for
TINS cause by the sentlnels II any one cross
ed from the prison to the swamp he would
be shot at once he stepped to the brook to
wash his hands when the sentinel fred at
him; the piece missed and he soon got out OF
the reach of danger. The witness said he
did not remember whether the man shot for
drawing water out Of the brook was killed
that day or not. The quantity as well as the
| quality OF the Tations was IRE gular; some
days they got nothing at all ; some day 5
short allowance, and on Others there was
full quantity, such as they were thirty-two
out of the squad of ninety to which he was
attached were unable to stand when ordered
to form in line by the sergeant Their in
ability to do so arose principally from scuvy
and dlarrhea.
Their limbs were contracted and therefore
they could not keep their feet. The brook
running through tie prison was exceedingly
filthy. The surface Of it was covered with
/ grease. The twenty-fourth New York bat
cry, captured at Plymouth, were nearly ami
hilated at this prison.
The commission adjourned until Monday.
AN Inch OF RAIN-lhe last weakly re-