The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-10-24

a0d run across the line, Whe0 tney were
Immediately shot. One cold night a
convalescent patient went to fire which
the guard lad made inside the enclosure,
to warm himself, and although guard
was stationed inside, one from the outside
shot him through the knee. His leg was
amputated, but he died the next day.
The rains in that country are not like
our northern showers, but come IN food,
and the hospital was frequently flooded
three inches deep, running over our pa
tients who lay upon the ground, half OF
them without blankets.
The nurses who took care of our sick
were mostly cur own men, detailed from
the stockade. Their own privations had
made them selfish and hardened, and |
soon discovered that many of them were
robbing the SICK of half their meagre por-
tion Of food. They would take the -four
issued, and cook it for half, and then
cook up their half and sell it to the poor
wretcbes for p cts for biscuit. l soon
put stop to this practice in my wards,
by sending the cooks back to the sfockade.
They also made practice Of stealing the
blankets and clothing of the dead aud
selling them to the rebel soldiers. This,
also, I succeeded in stopping. Every
rag of clothing left on the dead bodies
was stripped from them by the rebel un.
dertakers, SO that anything useful We took
for our sick. All little things which
might be priced by their friends, I en-
deavored to preserve, but | was forced to
leave them when [ escaped Of the
treatment of the prisoners in the stock
ade, knew only what [ was told By the
patients admitted from there, but if the
half of that was true, it was horrible. OF
the 1000 prisoners sent from Plymouth,
over one third had died up to the Sd OF
October, and from the 1st of June up to
the 9th of October, 11,600 had died in
the hospital.
Of my own treatment l have little
complaint to make. I was allowed to %
outside the Hospital for mile, and was
enabled to obtain many luxuries, which
others were unable to get. l could fire..
quently smuggle in articles for the sick
which were contraband.
Major Boyle of the 1st coiored Carolina
regiment, formerly of the 18th Mass
Regt. who was captured at the battle Of
Olustee, was, at the time I arrived at
Andersonville, IN the stockade, wounded
/ in the leg, but because he was an Officer
in negro regiment was refused all med
ical treatment. Learning his situation
made application to the medical director
to admit him to my ward, and received
reluctant consent. Not a rebel surgeon
would look at him He was wounded il
the aukle, and portion of the shattered
bone was in the flesh. After removing
this, he rapidly recovered and when
left was so far conValescent as to contem
plate escape.
There were many officers Of negro Reg
iments in the prison, disguised as privates
as they received better treatment, giving
in fictitious names. To this manner the
fate of many will never be known to theil
friends.
/ Among the many dangers TO which our
prisoners were exposed not the least was
the cupidity of our own soldiers. The
thieves and bounty jumpers which were
sent out so numerOusly in 1868 DO moi
forget their old habits when in the army
and the privations of a prisoners life i:
not calculated to make them any more
regardful of "mine and thine, than when
( plying their vocation at home. In the
early part of the summer, there were a
large number Of these miserable wretches
sent to Andersonville from Belle Island,
and when they arrived they were almost
destitute Of clothes, and all the comforts
of life, and they soon set abou. replenish-
ing their tattered wardrobes bv robbing
their fellow prisoners, and finally they
went so far as to murder the newly arrived
prisoners to possess themselves of the
money and valuables which were upon
them. Several persons were found mur-
dered-their throats cut from ear to ear,
and their bodies stripped.
The prisoners finally held mass meet
ing aud appointed a delegation to wait
upon the officer in command, and ask his
permission to organize Court of j ustice,
and subject the guilty parties to trial and
punishment. This was accorded to them.
and about 80 of the suspected parties
were arrested, and in the tent of one of
IL
with their throats cut from ear to ear,
concealed beneath the blankets and straw.
The parties were tried and 6 of them
sentenced to be hung, and gallows was
erected within the stockade, and they
suffered the penalty for their inhunan
crimes. Several others were sent to the
chain gang. This efectually put stop
to this thieving and murder.
Ranonino tiraS ,p5 .;,I- of Al. IT,