The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-07-08
THE TRAITOR OF THE PRISON.

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THE TRAITOR OF THE PRISON.
I seldom recall those sorrowful prison
days. My Andersonville experience now
seems like an unpleasant dream, por-
tions of which only are clearly remem.
bered. From that dream several char
aoters stand out prominently. Wirz,
tall and cadaverous, with his fashily-
trimmed gray uniform and immense
watch-chain; the rebel Sergeant, whose
peculiar pride incited him to cover his
"butternu" jacket with Federal but
tons, and who strutted among us thus
"embellished" with the air of prince;
the little boy who came in the prison
with the gunboatmen, and who died and
was laid out 80 beautifully by; the big
hearted sailor; the strong chief of the
Regulators" and lastly, the "one-
legged man."
He came among us in the hot weather Of
'64, when the prison mortality was very
great, and the ''tresh fish" were dying by
scores, He walked with q rude crutch,
and stopped ever and anon and danced a
most ridiculous step for the edification
of the old prisoners who crowded each
side OF the main street on the lookout
for familiar faces In the newly arrived
crowd. He Immediately attracted at
tention, and became u general fayorite.
l was never able to learn how he, with
one leg completely off, came to be placed
in the prison-pen. He was not by any
means communicative in regard to his
previous career.
He had a very large share of the i'm
pudence that characterlZes SO many
cripples who take their helpless condition
as license for their impertinence, and
acted and talked about as he pleased
without fear and molestation. l saw
him once executing his inimitable dance
with Wirz as spectator. The grim
Swede actually smiled. l asked him
once, in very respectful way, how he
came to be in Anders0nville. Putting
his mouth close to my ear, he said, with
an air OF mock secrecy, "I jumped over
The stockade one night when no one was
looking-don'tyou say anything aboutit; I;
they may put me out If you do" That,
L believe, was about as tangible as any
information he ever gave in regard to
his capture.
1t was while the able-bodied prisoners
were holding secret meetings ami per-
fecting a grand plan OF escape, that the
stockade to act in some capacity or other
for the rebel officers outside. The day
before the great attenpt at escape was
to have been put in execution the fol-
lowing notice was c0nspicuously posted
near the south gate OF the prlson:
'.Whereas, 1t having come to the ears
of the authorities that q plot is being
laid to effect tue escape OF the priso oners
confined in this stockade, hereby give
notice that upon the slightest intimation
OF such rash action shall open upon the
prisoners with grape and canister with
all the guns upon the forts. leave it
with yourselves to judge OF the havoc
such a course would create. WIRz,
"Major Commanding"
There had been treachery somew here.
Suspicion pointed to the ene-legged man.
What dreadful crime that act OF
treachery seemed to us then! Poor, suf-
fering souls, living month after month
in misery, completely debarred from all
comforts, and subjected to insult, disease
and death in awful forms; no wonder
the "regulatorso swere to tear the often.
der limo from limb should he have the
temerity to again come within the stock
ade. Looking at the matter now, after
lapse OF ten years, that then considered
act Of treachery assumes the unmistak-
able form of deed of humanity.
/ shudder when think what would
have been the consequences II that at
tempt at escape had been made. The
big guns on the forts which commanded
the twin slopes OF the prison were kept
charged with grape and canister, and
were placed at the most effective range
for that terrible species of shot. A few
OF The strongest might have succeeded
in getting safely away, but what of the
hundreds of helpless ones who were un-
able to rise to their feet2 The project
was selfish as well as rash one, and
it may be that the inf0rmer was self
sacrificing humanitarian, who risked his
existence to save the lives OF thousands.
One morning, some time after the es.
cape bubble had burst, there was a mad
rush Of regulators" for the south gate,
The one-legged man had incurred the
displeasure OF Wirz, and had been or
dered back to the pen. The heavy gate
swung back and the poor fellow hobbled
into the dead line, followed by Wirz and
a subordinate. He had on neither coat,
hat nor shoes, his clothes consisting of a
pair Of faded blue pants and a red fan
mel shirt. He stopped in the dead line,
midway between the expectant, unpity-
ing regulators, and the gate.
The sentinel on the stockade fboye
cooked his piece and ordered him to move
on. The poor wretch turned to Wirz
with a look Of painful entreaty, but that
stony-hearted official merely pointed to
the swaying mass OF exasperated Fed
erals inside, turned on bis heel, went
out and closed the gate behind him. The
doomed informer ventured one more look
at his fellow-prisoners, but imme ediately
withdrew his gaze. He read in their
stern, unyielding faces, an intimation of
a terrible fate should he trust himself
among them. All along the dead line.
haggard, misery-marked faces were
turned towards him, some with pity,
many with indifference, but the greatest
with scorn and hate.
The sentinel .leveled his gun aud DR.
dered him for the last time to move on.
He saw he stood between two deaths:
and his only alternative was to choose
between them. Darling a look OF bitter
defiance at the regulators, be turned to-
ward the sentinel, andsteadying himself
upon his battered crutch, he sayagely
barred his breast and told him to ire.
The next instant the cruel bullet sped.
and carrying away In its slanting course
i part OF his chin, buried itself in his
breast. He fell upon his crutch, there
were few oonvulsive struggles, and tie
,ne-legged man OF Andersonviile was no
more. f~es,se.s
Honesty-A wdsherwoman buying a
lozen new Observation-Disclosures.