The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-12
AnderSOnville TerrOrs,
Written for the Washington journal.

In answer to the call some time ago
for written testimonials by Union
soldiers of what they saw and suffer-
ed in rebel prisons, a soldier has given
us a long and painful statement of his
experience. Some of it is too shock
ing to print, but the whole accords
well with other statements which have
been made:
"While do not intend to describe
one half of what sufferings have seen
and experienced, l will state some
things that have seen in that south
ern ''paradise.' I was one of the
veterans under Gen. Sherman, and was
wounded and taken prisoner while
out on a heavy skirmish line near
kennesaw mountain, and was carried
off the field by some men of the Goth
Mississippi. At Atlanta my bloody
clothes were taken off, rolled up in a
bundle and marked, and placed in a
separate shanty kept for such purposes.
About this time the confederates were
getting disguised with Gen. Johnson's
continually falling back, and Gen.
Hood took command.
| He ordered every Yankee immedi-
ately to Andersonville many of the
men were not fit to be handled at all,
with their wounds. Several deaths
occurred as the men were fetched from
the hospital up to the cars, my clothes
| were returned to me, stiff and hard
with blood and full of maggots, and in
this way was started. Several new
deaths occurred on the train. AS we
arrived at Andersonville we could look
at the prison some distance down in Il
ravine or valley.
A dense fog or steam rose up heaven
ward from it, and the air was perfum-
ed with terrible sickening stencil.
We went to Crypt. Wirtz's headquarters
which were little southwest of the
crowded prison, and rather higher, so
that we could see into the interior,
and it resembled an ant-hill in the
latest of summer. We were soon ready
to be admitted into that place of
horror.
A spectacle met our eyes which is
impossible to describe. Before us
were forms, once erect and stalwart,
now nothing but crawling skeletons
covered with'filth, rags, and vermin.
The glittering sand at our feet was
alive with countless vermin. And we
saw scenes of unutterable horror.
This brook or swamp. was filled to
the depth of foot, or over with un.
imaginable filth, and only through the
waters of this brook could the prison
Eers obtain aught to quench their thirst.
No shelter was provided for us,
and every decent article of clothing
had been stripped from us by the rebel
authorities. They cursed me with my
blood-stained clothes as ID Lincoln
hireling, because I had nothing worth
taking.
My wounds were discharging mat
ter and blood all the time we were
subject to the scorching heat reflected
from the Georgia sand, with the sun
pouring down upon it. Heavy tim
bered country surrounded the stock
ade, and not a breath of wind penetra-
ted the pen. Maggots were in my
wounds, also at this time.
Death was our most frequent visitor.
We became so accustomed to it, that
it lost all it's solemnities. Yet in our
wretched condition some of us enjoyed
a blessing which the rebels could not
deprive us of communion with the
Father of us all. We often heard from
Captain Wirtz' lips, "The damned
Yankees pray too much !"
In September we were visited by a
terrible drenching rain which will be
long remembered by the $500 inmates
of the pen. Cruel as it seemed, pelt-
ing on stiffened limbs, and fostering
wounds, it was a kind providence,
which washed many of our terrors
away into the swamp, and swelled the
dirty little creek to the size of river,
and undermined the stockade. The
gaps made by it, however, were soon
filled with rebs with baynots to keep
the skeletons in.
The sultry, sickly season of Septem-
Der came on, and death rioted among