Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-04-28

| SuCn taSeSs III. Woulu pS alteuueu with
the most intense pain. At other times
I it would be in the mouth, and the gums
would become separated from the teeth,
and finally they would drop out alto
gether, and not tooth be left in the
jaw. | have seen hundreds of cases in
this disease, where the men have dctu-
dily siQrrcd to death, because they were
unable to eat the coarse food that was
furnished them by the Confederates. M
! The blood of the men, generally, was in
such an impure state that the least break
of the skin would be almost sure to lead
/ to a gangrenous sore, and many ampu-
tations were performed In consequence.
/ Under the influence of q scorching sun,
the entire upper surface of the foot
would become blistercd; these would
break, leaving the flesh exposed, and
having nothing to dress 1t with, gan
CREME was inevitable, and this would be
followed by the loss Of the foot, if not
the larger portion Of the limb. The
amputations would average rs many as
half dozen every day, and know not
a single instance of recovery from them.
"Some became the victims of total
blindness, occasioned by constant expo
sure to the heat of the sun, and its action
upon the nervous system. .....
"In addition to these things, there
were also cases of extreme suffering,
without number, caused by the use of
bad vaccine matter. Whether the rcb-
els did this Intentionally ornot, we cam
not say, but it certainly became II mel
lanchOiy fact among us. | remember the
fsad condition of a man who had 1t break
out under his arm and eat into his vi
tails, and the opening was so large as to
almost admit a mans hand. :. y
" In the month of August alone near
ly three thousand died" Fl .s..5 o..
4 From this same author we might give
page after page, detailing the horrid
misery OF our men from starvation, filth,
and brutality in every shape and form,
\ but we forbear. Shields refused to be
vaccinated with the impure matter al
luded to in the above extract, and tho
I the rebels must have known that it was
almost certain death to be inoculated
with the poisonous virus, they insisted
upon his submitting to the operation
Shields detcrminedly refused, when they
Iput upon him q thirty-two pound ball
and chain, which soon after he succeed
ed in saving Off with an old case-knife.
The officers threatened to put the ball
on him again, but for some reason did
not. No doubt his tirmness in refusing
to be vaccinated saved his life.
On the 18th of September Shields was
removed to Florence, South Carolina, a
place but little better than Anderson
Vile. At this prison the daily ration
was pint of meal, sometimes little
salt was given out with it, but not often.
J The men considered themselves fortu-
nate if they Were able to occasionally
catch rat or dog to cook up, for these
! were considered among the luXurics.
Shields renamed at Florence until
: the 18th of February last, when he was
sent to Goldsboro. On reaching the lat
ter place his party were ordered to Will
: mington for the purpose OF being cx-
changed. Mr.. Shields was at the latter
place when General SchOfield made the
e demand for the surrender Of the city,
: When it became certain that the place
could not be held the rebels commenced
sending their prisoners back to Colds
boro. Shields determined to make an
, effort 70: his liberty, and was successful.
, The prisoners We're allowed to go fol
water, and Shields picked up an old
l camp kettle, which had no bottom i'm it
| and started out ostcnsibly for this pur
, pose. There was good deal of hurry
; and buriy among the rebels in cOnsC.
. quence OF the near advance of our for.
: ces, so that upon reaching the well Mr.
, Shields was enabled to keep right on by
it without being noticed. lie kept
right ahead ut sober pace, still carry
ing the kettle, until he met an old col
ored woman, of whom he inquired as
he passed, without stopping, (becausc
had he stopped 10 talk to "nigger "
! suspicion would have Immediately at
: tached to him. if she could tell him
where there were any Union folks. In
very quiet way, without apparently
noticing him, she directed hirn to GER
tain house, to which he went, and
marching directly i'm he told the lady OF
the house who he was and what he was
there for. Mrs. Leslie, for that was the
noble woman's name, secreted and fed
him for several days, until our troops
took tie place, when he went and re-
ported to General Schoneld, who sent
him to Annapolis, Maryland, and from
there he was sent to Davenport in this
State, and thence home.
MIR. Shields stood his captivity re-
markab|y well. His general health is
tolcrably good, though he is yet weak
from the starvation process. The suf-
fering he has endured, and the scenes
of misery ne has witnessed, cannot be
portrayed in words, and though we did
not ask him, we will venture to assert
that general amnesty would meet
with but little favor from him. .,..
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