Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-04-21
Florence, S. C.

RET the depot, took the cars and went
,te Florence. We arrived there just at dan
g. When we got on the cars we did n
tb know where we were going; but '
l. soon found out-anotber bull pen-ar
or were discouraged enough, for b c
al thought they were going to be parole
m dead certain. When the cars wou
of stop the boys would get leave of ii
OF guard to get off and get stick of WOO
le They had been without so much the
ii did not like TO see a stick wasted. Whe
we got off the cars most every man ha
= stick of wood big enough TO do hi
J. cooking a week. we lay in a field tn
is first night with strong infantry guar
around US and cavalry picket out sid
of that. The next morning we were pu
inside the stockade with ten tbousanc
others. Just before we got TO the gat,
saw rail down in the ditch | threv
away my wood and picked up the rail-
This we split into strips to fasten up on
blankets. When the first two or thre,
thousand went in, it was pretty much al
woods, but they had got the timber near
ly all used up building houses. Wha
was not used up in this way was either
cut up for wood, or claimed by somebody
We asked the boys how they Jared P
They said we should find out soon enough
worse than Andersonville some said
For week or two we did fare hard.
Tuesday, October 9th, we got six spoon
fuls OF beans and two of meal. Some
days we did not get so much as that; we
seldom ever got meat of any kind. Tn a
little while we had all the stumps cut
down, wood had got scarce. The nights
here were very frosty. Sometimes we
would have to lay awake all night and
SILVER and shake. We could not get
wood enough to keep fires. Ice froze
an inch and half thick
Many that had TO lay without blankets.
frOze their feet, and some froze to death.
The inside of the pen was a great deal
like Ardersonville. There was big
mud hole through the centre through
which the brook run we had to get our
water out Of this brook. We had to
wade through mud in wet weather some
lines knee deep to get to the brook. II
vas very good water. The greatest
nuisance here was, not wild hogs, but
Wild lice, bat they were too easily tanned +;
here was any quantity of them. They
eemed to come out Of the ground. We
sed to take off our clothes every day and
ften twice day and look them over
nd murder them without mercy. We
ould not keep them off entirely. Many
OF weak or lazy and neglected to look
heir clothes over for perhaps a week.
heir clothes were completely covered.
There were probably thousands that died
IN account of these fellows. They were
'lten as large as kernel of wheat
There were several kinds; one kind was
white, another black, and another kind
was blood red; these belonged to the
'loodsucker breed. They would get into
mems hair and whiskers, and eat them
and whiskerless. They de. |
prived us Of much sleep, by diminishing
On our backs; they often charged bay
onet. But | don't like to dwell upon
such crawling subject. ] was not 50
healthy here, as at Andersonville. On
he goth of October, George Dewey, and
myself went 10 the hospital, but the &C
were so much poorer there
han at the stockade, that we went back
he next day. All the hospital there was
was crotches stuck into the ground and
poles laid across and pine brush leaned
against the poles, Our raiions were no
better than in the stockade; we did not
get any medicine. The boys were dying
fthere by the hundreds. Henry Good
III of Bloomington, died there Tuesday
he 18th Of October, and Lewis Frost, a
ew days after. Martin Guild went there
ometime in November, and we never
leard from him afterwards. We sup
'osed him to be dead, but have heard
ince that he is not. Afterwards the
ospital was moved inside the stockade.
nd barracks were built, and they GOT
etter rations, and medicine once in
lille. Sam Parker, Of Co. II. went t
shing in the creek Sunday, October 10. a
nd caught mud turtle and ate it. lie S
as taken sick soon after, and died the il
9TH went to the hospital again the Il
9TH of November. We got loaf OF 1t
cad about six inches square, and a pint c.
rice soup every day, and medicine b
cry other day. The conveniences were CT
.or for they had not as vet got the hos. is