The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-07-06
IFor. the News.
SOUTHERN PRISON-PES.
Experience of an Anderson
Vile Prisoner in Dixie.
NO. x VI,

NO.. XVI.
Our raiders were now getting more
p troublesome. They were robbing
, men every night, and few men had
: been killed by them. 1t was almost
! past endurance. Men were knocked
: down and robbed in broad daylight.
: Parties called on Capt. Wurz for pro
lection. The answer came back, s;if
you can't get along with one anotf .r,
how de difel do you expect fhe
> South to git along NIT youl ..sas.si ct
!. was a brusier, and we knockss H. &
6 fder. 4sg
A big project was set on foot
about this time to hberate all the
prisoners in the pen. An organiza-
ton was effected and officers ap-
pointed to carry out the plans.
There were 5000 men in the plot,
and Major General, Brigadier Gen
eral, Generals, Colonels, and Cap
tains, all placed in their respective
positions. The wood that we had
received was whitfield into respecta-
bic sized clubs, and boot loops were
cut into straps to fasten the clubs to
the mems wrists.
A party of sappers and miners set
to work to tunnel aud undermine the
stockade, so that when it was as
saulted large portion of it could be
thrown down at once. The plan was
to get everything ready for action,
and at given signal to make one
grand rush for the part of the stock
ade that was undermined, throw it
down, capture the regiment guard
ing us, take the artillery, consisting
Of three IL Founders, march to
Americus, 7 miles south, where we
had learned that 5000 stand of arms
were kept, arm as many men as pos
sible, and march to Mobile.
Our prison was guarded by about
1000 men, but the day before the
time set for our liberation, our pris-
on was thrown into CONSERVATION by
seeing about three regiments of
Johnnies disembark at the station
and prepare to go into camp, and
that wasn't all. About dozen piec-
es of artillery were unloaded and
hauled up on high piece of ground,
overlooking our prison. They were
loaded with grape and canister, and
some Notifications were thrown up
around them. 1t was all a mystery, |
and very untimely occurrence, and
made our clubs look very small.
The mystery was soon explained
by our being informed that our plot
was discovered, and warned that if
any demonstrations were made, we
would be moved down like grass.
They planted fag-poles about so
yards back from the gates, and then
warned us that if there was any col
lection of men north of the poles or
between them the and gate, they would
throw a shell in our midst!
These threats put an end to our
plot. Detectives were put to work
to ferret out the traitor that inform
ed on us. We knew there was a
traitor somewhere, and woe be to
him if found. He was finally sun-
earthed, and confessed that he told
Capt Wurz for a plug of tobacco
The enraged men took him to an
old well about so feet deep, tied
rope around his neck, and the other
end around rail that was placed
across the top of the well, and were
just in the act of pitching him in
head foremost, when q squad of reb-
ell soldiers was double-quicked
through the gate, and with fixed
bayonets charged the mob, rescued
the poor devil, and marched him out
side the prison. He was frightened
almost to death, and probably three
rations of corn bread and plug of
tobacco wouldn't have been any
temptation for him to tell again.
The 18th of June rolled around,
but no exchange. The time was
prolonged until the first of July.
Sickness was on the increase. The
sun was getting almost directly over
head, and would burn us through /
our shirts. On the whole the con
dition of the men was deplorable.
The Hospital accommodations we're
very poor. A few canvas tents on
the outside of the prison was the
amount of it. They were full, and
could only admit enough each morn
ing to fill up the places vacated by
death the previous night. Some
nights so men would die in the Hos
pital, and in the morning there
would be 500 applicants to fill their
places.
The manner of getting out of the
prison into the Hospital was one Of
the most inconvenient conceivable.
All applicants were required to be at
the northwest gate at 9 A. NJ every
morning, and in order to accommo-
date them there was an enclosure
inst outside of the GATE To Law the