Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-02-16
AndersonYine.


mopy Of one who suffered in Anderson
vile. JEFF Davis and bis confederatea
have rot bad justice meted out to them
in this world. If it we're possible they
would deny away the cruelties Of the
South, in the interest of human degrs-
dation. Hundreds of thousands will
render stronger testimony than this
communication contains, under the light
of the judgment day. But to the let
ter
SIR: As l was prisoner of the wal
for eighteen months, my experiences
and observation may have some weight
in determining the following questions,
which have been raised BY the recent
speech of Mr., Blaine
First. Were Union prisoners cruelty
treated in Southern prisons
Second. Ii cruelty treated, vas it the
necessary resul: of circumstances or oi
hatred
To take up the FIRST proposition, say
that were cruelty and inhumanly treat
ed. Men we're shot down BY the rebel
guards repeatedly, three cases Of which
l was eyewitness to, and many more
came under my notice. One poor fel-
low | was watching, while on his way
to the doctor, entirely worn out by
hunger aud starvation, and so debilita-
ted that be used the 'sdead-line" IS .
means OF support while on his way, was
shot by the guard because be touched
the rail forming or designating the
"dead line." Another, thinking to air
an old army blanket of which be was
the fortunate possessor, was shot down
by the guard, the blanket falling on him
in such a way as to cover the upper
part of his chest and face, but although
covered in this manner, the rising and
falling of the chest in the throes OF
death was plainly seen By US, but we
dare no. 90 to his assistance, the guards
on each side vf the one who had dis
charged his rife, leveling their rifles at
US and threatening to shoot any one
who would go near the dying man. The
other case was that of man lifting
some water out of the swampy creek or
marsh running through the centre Of
the prison at Andersonvills. AT the
headwater Of this creek the rebel guard
had located their cook house, and as a
consequence the water which passed to
US for drinking, cooking, and all other
purposes, was covered BY a scum Of
grease. Now there was = rock jutting
out of the water and on . line with the
dead line. The scum floating on the
surface of the water would break at
this rock, making the water appear
cleaner there than anywhere else, and
our men would naturally try to lift it a,
that spot; and it was while doing so 1
saw the third man shot. Many were
shot here for the same reason but |
speak of what l was eyewitness to only.
To enumerate the different acts OF cru
city, or even the different kinds Of
cruelty practiced on US, would make
this article too long for a newspaper
paragraph, SO | will con6ne myself to
one more. One day our usual rations
were not sent into the stockade. The
men, although starved, bravely awaited
the time until the rebels should see fit
to send US yicfuals. The second day
passed as the frst-no victuals yet
not a mouihful Of anything to break
our fast with during two entire days.
Nor was the end yet; 1t was not until
the evening of the third day that our
inhuman jailors sent US food.
Now for a consideration of the Sec
ond proposition: Was this cruelty the
necessary result of circumstance, or
was it hatred | Ianswer, it was hatred.
Did the poor, emaeiated man threaten
the peace of our iailors that they should
shoot him down or did the poor man,
intent only on airing his rermin-covered
blanket, show any insuoordination by
bis act to call for his life, or tie others
lifting the water, Did that act rem
der them dangerous, that they should
be shot down like mad dogss No. the
answer can be found in the fact that
these guards knew their masters inren-
tons towards us, and knew also that as
they carried them out they should be
rewarded. They put in the miserable,
false plea that their reason for not feed
ing US properly was because they did
not have it to give us. Why, at any
time, during the three days alluded to
hat We were kept without food we
could, BY going to the top of the bill on
either side of the prison, and looking
thence over the stockade to the hollow
beyond, see the victuals that were in
.ende6 for us, rottiBg in the suD, and
when they were at last sent US, the
neat was putrid, green, and running
With maggots, the eating of which
,aused a great many deaths. The NOR
ali;y there was fearful, two carts haul
ne almost necessarily from the stock