The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-09-07
For the News.
SOUTHERN PRISON-PENS.
Experience of anAnderson-
Vile Prisoner i'm Dixie.
NO. X x 1 I.

The rebels at last commenced building barracks
at the east end of the prison Just inside Of the
''dead line" They were built out of poles covered
with planks. The barracks extended clear across
the end of the prison. They were open. but Afford
ed some shelter from the rain and sun. All the
worst cases among the sick were taken there, and
a detail of prisoners was made, to take care of
them.
When say to take care of the sick, 1 suppose
that's what is implied but the character of the men
so detailed was horrible. A worse set of brutes
couldn't have been found anywhere. They didn't
take care of any body except themselves. They
drew double rations for experimenting the sick
out of the amount issued to all, and as far as 1
could that about the extent of their labors.
But am anticipating my narrative, so l will go
back to the spring.
Our tent was up, and we were spending the most
of our time lying on our backs. The heas, mus
quitoes and vermin were striving for the mastery,
and sometimes thought they would succeed. Co
hagon traded something to another prisoner and got
a couple of onions and as was in the family put
our rations together, and gathered wood from some
source, can't now remember where, but I know
that we got little handful somewhere. We put
q gallon and half, filed it up with water, and
built fire under it. Cohagon got pepper pod,
though where he obtained such luxury don't re-
member; but the pepper pod went into the kettle
and was boiled with the soup, and that was the first
food that ate that seemed to do me any good.
The onions and pepper improved my condition, and
felt at least 90 per cent. better Immediately. i
shall always believe that the medicinal qualities of
onions, pepper and potatoes in seurvy are not sp-
preciated as they should be.
About this time became possessed of the ANAL
fortune of 5; ;.50-the first money l had owned In
six months When my friend Isaiah Clark, went to
the Hospital, he left me long hafgallon tin fruit
can one that had been sent to Andersonvile all the
way from Highland county, early in the spring.
Clark had kept it to keep his rations in, and he
presented It to me. II was indeed a valuable gift
in such place.
There were 1T that time several timers In the
prison. and there was ademand for vessels to cook
in Those timers would take two of those long tin
cans and common pie pan, and make a bucket out
of the three. The timers saw st work made
bucket ont of the materials described an the only
tools he had to work with and old dirk knife,
and round club to hammer the edges down with,
to the Plymouth men for nine dollars! One of the
timers saw my can and offered me sl.5o for it.
took him up very quick and he bought another, and
then procured pie pan of somebody else for bot
tom. and in a short time it was converted into
bucket, under circumstances that can't be apprec-
ated by the uninitated.
The money l received was expended for few
sweet potatoes and onions. 1t didn't buy many,
but fully believe it saved my life- divided with
my two companions, but poor fellows they were too
far gone to be saved
The nurses were taking some of the sickest men
to the barracks, and Cohagon and Smith wanted to
go there. We called on some of the nurses to
help US, but received no satisfaction. One day
the surgeon passed and 1 called to him to send us
to the barracks. He promised to send US, but neg
lected it. The next day DR.. Mudd passed close to
where we were lying. called to him to get US some
medicine. He came near TO where we were and
said, "Boys, can't get you any medicine. The
rebel authorities issue hardly any. We send for
10 days allowance and only get enough for days.
would do better if I could. see all this misery
around me, but am powerless I" prevent it".
saw that the DR.. was a tender-hearted man
and ventured to ask favor of him. L asked him
to have US moved over to the barracks. He said
ne would do that, and called some help, and we
were removed. When we got to the barracks we
found that the comfort we had expected there was
all in the Imagination. The nurses, as said before,
were a class of men without any principle, or sym
pathy for human suffering.
My two comrades gradually grew worse. 1 was
getting better. endeavored to encourage them to
try and live. Their answer was, 'if we could only
hope as you hope" Both of them told me they e1-
pected to die in that prison-thst there was no ex
change for them except in death.
One day when was trying to rouse them up, Co.
hagon handed me leather pouch that he had carri-
ed all through the prison. He seid ''Here, Frsiz-
er, take this pouch. 1t has my dear girls picture,
q few letters and mule bone that eat the meat
off. Take them home with you, go to Cincinnati,
and hunt up my friends. Tell them that poor Joe
died in Andersonville, and died thinking of friends
at home"
Smith sank rapidly and was removed to the Hos
pital, and died in a few days. Cohagon was also
sinking. There was nobody but myself that knew
anything about him, and had formed his acquain-
tance in prison. could Just walk about in q half
bent position, and attempted to wait on him. We
had hard plank floor to lie on, and our hips were
worn almost through. / couldn't lie but few
minutes on one side until would have to turn owe
| saw many poor fellows whose hip-bones had worn
through the skin and who were suffering untold
misery.
As soon as the nurses saw one Of the sick men