The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-06-15
[For the News.
SOUTHERN PRISON-PENS.
Experience of an anderson
Vile Prisoner i'm Dixie.
NO. XIV.

The officers in command of the
prison, and forces guarding it, were
Capt. Wurz and Lieut.. J. B. Davis.
Wurz was German, and had at one
time been sergeant in the q. S.
army. He deserted and enlisted in
the Confederate ranks and was pro-
noted to Captain for his patriotisml
From what 1 could see of him he was
not a very pleasant companion even
to his best friends, and he was un-
mistakably tyrant to those in his
power.
Lieut.. Davis was an American, and
was heartless and cold. You need
expect no sympathy from him. He
carried his head to one side, and his
very looks were repulsive and over
bearing. Many of the surviving
prisoners no doubt remember him,
and I presume not gratefully, as but
few, if any, kind acts could be placed
to his credit.
There was another party that play
ed a conspicuous part in the guard
ing of the prisoners. I allude to a
pack of 6lood-h0u'ads, about 25 in
number. They were kept there to
track "Yankees" that had the audac-
ity and shrewdness to make their
escape. They were tracked and
hunted down, brought back and put
in the stocks, or a so pound ball
chained to their ancles, or sent to
"Castle Thunder" and put In the
dungeon. One of these three pun
ishments was the certain result OF
trying to get away.
They took the hounds and made
a circuit around the stockade every
morning, and if any of the boys had
escaped during the night the dogs
would catch the trail nine times out
of ten, and in few hours, or some
times days, would be the means OF
returning the poor fellows to a worse
life than they lived before.
1t was considered a very serious
crime to attempt to escape, and was
punished accordingly; but that did
not prevent the boys from trying to
get away, and with one exception
they all took the same plan-which
naeF to tunnel under the etockndc.
Some would start their tunnel so or
100 feet inside of the "dead line,
and dig under the stockade and come
out so feet on the other side. 1t
took days and weeks to accomplish
the undertaking, but the boys were
cheered up by the hope that they
might gain their liberty.
They couldn't work in..the daytime,
as they would be discovered, so they
slept in the daytime and dug at night
They had to carry the dirt out and
throw it in the branch, which fire.
quently led to detection by the
guards, and then Capt. Wurz would
send squad to hunt for the tunnel.
They were generally unsuccessful In
finding the entrance, as some fellow
would lay over the mouth, but it was
soon discovered that there must be
some new plan adopted to dispose
of the dirt.
The Yankees being cunning,
scheming kind of race, it was but
short time until they matured a plan
for defeating Capt Wurz and his
sharp-eyed Lieutenant. The water
we had to drink was warm and i'm
pure. The Confederate camp was
situated above us on the branch, and
all the filth and impurities necessa
rily resulting from such a condition
of things were washed down through
our pen to be used by us. so our
bows commenced to dig wells near
the edge of the swamp, and got for
their pains some very good water,
bnt not sufficient for the wants of
all, but it led to others digging wells
| further up on the hill, and q great