The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-09-22
THE UNION. 6 J0URNAL,
The Barbaritiss of Wir---T Testimony Of q
- Rebel hospital Nurse,

~.
II there be any psuon who. through sym.
patty with the rebellion, think the govern
msnt has selected witnesses mort willing 10
ses.ify % an scounpl.sion Of horrors, let
them read the following statement made to
the editor Of the Chattanooga Gazette By .
Mrs. E. NJ. Warren, who served as nurse and
matrou in tic lrsbsl5 hospitals 10 Georgia
throughout the sntiru= periud=of=t tho rsbsi'
lion: -oor az svuJ,
She visited the sick, wounded and prison
ems, hat her heart -so.-sickeued. =xfut-shc
saw in that foul den. that she turned away,
She saw hale clad living skeletons, devoid OF
shoes and stockings. standing upon the frosty
ground. and occasionally iilt their feet, and
wrap them in thes 7tattered rags that hung
about their peron. and press their feat close
to the, body, Tor the warmth to shield them
FROM the frost. - - ...n M,
Groups Of men could DO seen lowered over
and around green pine wood FREE with their
faces and persons NJ blackend with the SCOT
oi the pine wood smoke that they appeared
like negroes. Other men conld be seen en-.
gagged IN carrying The dead bodies from the
straw yinll..,s Of the den, stacking them up
at the sntnnco, to be carried away Tor inter
ment without cofins, or friends or comrades
90 follow the corpse TO its resting place, o..
Inhuinaa wretches were there. clad in
gray, with muskets. overlooking these sad
and solemn movements of the dead, and
should one of the prisoners engaged in NOV
ing the dead. fail under the weight Imposed
upon him. the wretches in gray would prick
with their bayonets and curse them Tor ne.
elect of duty And mot unirequently tho
bodies of soldiers were, carried away for in
terment before lille was extinct. .,...,., ,s,,.
Other bodies were carried pat with wisps
Of straw in either hand, grasped in the last
agonies of death. rri 7LE e. sslt ] :1.lal 81
She further stated that while in company
with several ladies'. she saw Wirz, ut which
time she addressed him aud demonstrated
ugains. such inhuman treatment Of thepris.
oners under his command. The coll0quy
terminated by her calling Wirz a .Dutch
monster" Wirz replied by saying that .'sey;
eral ladies ut Andersonville had recently
very mysteriously lett tho town for making
similar expressions. and you may, 90 IN tho
same way = you persist persist 10 making such e1'
:, Mrs. Warren became frightened at this re-
mark of Wirz, and left the town tho follow.
ing morning. and went direct to Albany.
Doherty county, Georgia, where she entered
the hospital as matron. $50.
On or about the 18th Of December the
prisoners Of Andersonyille were moved to Al.
bany in consequence Of an expected advance
Of the federal cavalry. 60 NJ. ,...3
The prisoners remained at this place three
weeks, with barely sufficient food to sustain
life. in consequence Of which many OF them
became 81 weak and faint that they could
not walk. .........g. -.,,
At the close Of the time stated above the
prisoners were ordered to return to Anderson.
Vile. Those that could not march did not
fall in when SO ordered, but remained in
camp. Wirz ordered the camp to be fired,
and many a poor, sick, iaint prisoner was
burned to death. .'s1 WIN. .' ..'ntt