The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-02-03
ANDERSONVILLE.

ANDERSONVILLE.
A Story from the Last Man who left the
Prison.
81 was the last man to leave Ander-
sonville prison. I locked the main gate,
and took the key-this is it." Suiting
the action to the word he unrolled from
its wrappings of tissue paper the rusty
key that might have been doing duty
upon the lock of some freedman's smoke
house instead of lying for:ten years as a
relic.
,"You see," said the old man, whom we
will call Mr.. Cook, (holding his true
name at the service of any one who may
desire to learn it, 81 was on duty up
there at Andersonville for the last eigb-
teen months of the war, issuing rations,
and having them cooked for both the
prisoners and the guards. When the
Feder.ls began sending out cavalry raids
to cut our railroads and liberate prison.
ers, it became necessary to select per-
nlanent post in some part of the South
least liable to sudden inroads. In fact,
the Dahlgren raid, that came so near get
ting into Richmond, freeing the Libby
and Belle Isle prisoners, and burning the
town, determined the Confederate Gov
ernment to move the bulk of the prison
ers at once. Gen. Winder, being the
only officer of his rank at Richmond at
the time who could be spared from active
service, was sent South with instructions
tn select suitable place for general
depot fer prisoners. He was about the
worst man for the mission, but he chose
Andersonville, and think his choice was
good. It was the safest place from raids
in the South--the enemy never got there
until after the war; it was high, dry,
and healthy, neither too cold nor too hot,
at a distance from any large town, and
in region abounding with wood, water
and farm produce"
Reporter-Which benefited the guards
but not the prisoners?
"You are mistaken. Most of the pris-
oners had some m0ney-or jewelry which
they could sell at fabulous prices and
you know few cents in greenbacks were
worth dollars in Confederate-$20 for 81.
Turnips and sweet potatoes sold for 81
per bushel in greenbacks, or $40 in our
money. Then good many of the farm
ers of the country used to send wagon
loads of vegetables, &C., to be given the
prisoners"
Reporter-How about the "Pen ?"
''The PEN was an enclosure of twen-
ty-seven acres, surrounded by high
stockade made of pine logs, set in the
ground as closely as possible, with mar
row walkway on top for the sentinels to
overlook the interior. 1t was oblong
in shape-a parallelogram-enclosing a
small valley ike an amph;theatre, with
stream of water running through it."
Reporter-And the prisoners had to
drink this sluggish water2
"No-that is another of the many lies.
There were two springs inside the PEN
One bold, strong flow of good water,
which emptied from the side of the hill
into a long trough-like horse trough
so that fifty men could drink, or fill
their canteens at one time. If you doubt
it, 20 and examine the place. The branch
that ran through the PEN instead of
being a sluggish stream, was often so
strong that it washed away the lower end
of the stockade, and we had to stand
guard around the break for days. The
stream was meant to be used for washing
purposes, but when the place filled up
much faster than was expected, it began
to be used rs sewer, and so many men
trod it into muck. Then when man
got sick, medicines were scarce. The
Government finally offered to receive any
medicines or clothes, and let the Federal
surgeons come with them to attend to
their sick, but no notice was taken of the
offer till five months after it was first
made"
Reporter-What kind of rations were
issued?
Precisely the same in quality and
quantity as all the guards and employees
of the post received; and that was q
good deal better than Lees army were
getting. / remember when the soldiers
in Virginia were getting one-fourth of a
pound of meat and pint of meal per
day, we issued half pound of meat, a
pint of meal, peas, rice, &C., to the pris-
oners. In fact, there was an act of Con.
gress requiring that all prisoners should
receive the same fare in quantity and
quality as our soldiers. But the Yankees,
being accustomed to splendid rations of
meat, bread, vegetables, coffee, sugar, &C.,
couldn't believe our boys were marching
and fighting on such hard fare, but
thought they were purposely starved"
Reporter-Were not part of their ra-
tions stolen?
elbow could they be, when all the
cooks we're paroled prisoners? I had the
issuing of rations myself, and assure
you used to increase the allowance all
+ could-giving down weight, and that
sort of thing-for Ireally pitied the poor
fellows-though there was about as much
complaint among the guards as the pris-
oners. There were a few of Gen. Win
der's Baltimore "Plugs" around the place
for while, who may have pilfered small
quantities, but not more than they could
eat. The trouble was, the prisoners,
finding themselves carried long distance
into the heart of the South, soon become
despondent, homesick, utterly careless
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