The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-09-02
IDAHO WORLD.
ANDERsoNv1LLE PRISON oUTDoNE.

A correspondent of the Atlanta (Georgia)
Constitutionalist says:
give you the following as facts told to me
by prisoner, who was pent up at Camp Doug
las 90 months. His statements can be sus-
tanned by any number of witnesses: :,
Incident No. lin midsummer, 1864, 1t
was exceedingly hot within the rock walls or
the prison in Chicago, known as Camp Douglas
Indeed, taken in connection with the qualty
and quantity of food the Confederate prisoners
were forced to accept, together with their gen gen
eral treatment it was as mucn as tne healtl-
lest of them could do to lve,-vast NUMBERS
of them died. In this condition of affairs, the
moor bow. probably 20 years old, nearly ex-
bausted with hunger and disease, with the YER
min all over him, in fact, in q most pitiable
condition. was leaning over an old empty
"hard tack" barrel trying to reach some
bones which some of the boys had picked ut
was supposed he intended making soup of the
bones). his head and shoulders in the barrel,
when stout, wel-fed, Federal lieutenant,
named Farocion, as well as my informant can
remember, but nicknamed "Old Bull" walked
deliberately up to within four or five feet OF
him, and with his revolver shot him through
the heart. The poor boy fell over into the
tions of the body, and he was dead.
Incident No. 2.-The arrangements tor the
prisoners to cook whatever of food there was
for them was very poor. A long ditch, about
two feet deep and four feet wide, was cut just
in front of the line of the barracks, not more
than two feet from the door On the opposite
side Of the ditch from the barracks, and just
in front of each door, was sort OF fireplace
dug in the earth. My informant tells me that
he was standing one morning III the door OF
his prison, when he saw a young man, the
prisoner belonging to the 62d North Carolina
regiment, come out of the door OF the prison
next to his (my intormant) with coal OF fire
in his hands preparatory TO building up hre,
upon which to roast his rations when my IN
formant saw an officer draw his revolver aud
deliberately shoot the poor fellow through the
head. scattering his brains on the ground. The
voung North Carolina soldier fell over with his
face in the fire he was making, aud was dead
My informant stepped out to raise him from
the ground, when he was told by the Federal
"If YOU put your hand on him | will blow
your id brains out"
Incident No. 3-During this very hot season
the prison was infested with all manner OF dis
ease, aud many of the soldiers (prlsoners) were
wounded when captured; hence the number
of deaths ranged from 10 TO % per day Al
this iuncture some little matter had occurred
among the prisoners creating dlSpleasure with
the officers of the guard. About 10 o'clock
one day 200 men, taking them as they come,
regardless of the sick and wounded, were or
dered out in the broiling hot SUM- % were
marched to the front, facing southwark, ~
others marched up just behind the first 80,
with the toes of the rear rank against the
heels of the front rank, and So on until the
1900 were in position, when the order, "clost
up, front rank stand firm was given aud
Obeyed until the | 200 men were almost one
solid mass of suffering human beings. In that
tiresome, packed, restless, horrid condition
they stood, waiting TO hear their doom. Al
length Lieutenant Farocian cold Bul') tn,
hero of incident No. |, stepped forward and
read the order of the day These 1000 mrl
were to stand in the condition | have just de
scribed II hours, perfectly motionleSs-wert
neither to sit down, turn around; IN fact move
during the whole II hours. Considering the
condition, physically, the men were in. aud tht
pature of the order, OF course it was wei
known the order could not be obryed. In or
der to enforce this unreasonable punishment Z
strong guard was posted around the prisoners
perhaps the sentinels We're not more than eight
feet apart. The orders to the guard Were
that in every case where one or more Of the
prisoners moved in the least to fire, iudscrim
inately, into the mass When the prisoners
had been standing about two hours one OF th'
sick men tainted and fell when volley atte
volley was fired into the mass OF prisoners
There were three killed outright and severa
wounded Query; Did AndersonvlIle excee,
this? Has Lieutenant Farocion been sen
along with Captain Wirz!