The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-07-20
IFor the News.
SOUTHERN PRISON-PENS.
Experience of anAnderson-
Vile Prisoner i'm Dixie.
NO. XVII.


eat. You might wander around over the prison in
any direction, and you would see little squads OF
men lying or sitting on the ground, and one would
be telling the rest how his mother, wife or sister
made a certain kind of pudding; how she would
season it the amount of fruit she would put in
how long it took to boil it; and the cream and
sugar, spice and nutmeg required to make 1t appe-
tizing.
The audience would listen with rapt attention,
and each In turn would tell his little tale. About
the time the third or fourth man would get to the
middle of story, about some tempting article OF
diet some fellow on the outskirts of the circIe'
that couldn't stand any more, would yell out, 'dry
up over there! Shut your mouth! Do yeu want
to starve me to death?" and for short time quiet
would be restored in that quarter, but soon the
conversation would spring up again in anew place,
and the same old story would be gone over, of how
home ''grub" was manufactured.
Tobacco was scarce article. But few could get
it. The Plymouth prisoners could buy some, and
others would trade half their rations of corn bread
for a small piece of the weed. After the issuing
of ratons in the evening, you could hear men sing
ing out, "whos got ration of tobacco for ration
of corn bread?" and some one would take the
would go to supply his appetite for the weed.
About the last of June small party OF new
prisoners were admitted into our prison. One of
them, sergeant, had some money on his person.
and of the raiders discovered it, and after he
had laid down to sleep he was attacked and an at
tempt made to rob him. He defended himself as
well as he could, and in the struggle was cut and
gashed fearfully. His clothes were bloody, and in
that condition he presented himself at the gate
next morning and called for Capt. wurz.
When the Captain made his appearance and saw
the condition of the man, he seemed to compre-
hend the situation. and Immediately issued orders
to the prisoners TO organize and arrest every raider
in the prison, send them ont, and he would have
them tried, and, if found guilty; he would hang
them. In order to impress US with the Importance
of the matter, he said he wouldn't give mouth
full to eat until the order was obeyed.
The prisoners organized in bands of IS to 100
men, each band under leader, and with clubs and
anything that would do to fight with, commenced
attack on the raiders stronghold. They resist
ed with stubborn determination, and hard q
fought battle as ever l saw fought. In one part of
the prison the raiders had all collected in the north
west corner, and prepared to defend themselves
under the leadership of man named Morsby.
"Limber Jim," chief of our police force, marched
his squads together and attacked the raiders. In
a short time they were fighting all over an acre
of ground. and you could hear men shouting and
cursing and begging in every direction. The fight
lasted about 20 minutes. The dust was SO thick
you couldn't distinguish anybody but short dis
tance. The result was, the police overpowered the
raiders and captured about so of their leaders,
amongst them Morsby.
They were marched outside of the gates and
placed in the stocks to await their trial jury of
twelve men was impaneled from amongst the pris-
oners to try them, and several of the most able
lawyers in the prison were selected to prosecute
the case. Counsel was also procured for the raid
ers.
Capt. Wurz gave us to understand that he would
not take any part in the proceedings further than
to have the sentences carried out if the accused
were found guilty of murder. 1t was intended to
give them fair showing for their lives, and to the
best of my knowledge the trial was conducted i'm
partially. 1t lasted two weeks, and at the end of
that time seven were found guilty of murder and
to be hanged, and the balance were
found guilty of lesser crimes, such as robbing,
stealing ana such ike onenseS.
They were all placed in the stocks and kept over
night. In the morning we learned that Capt.
Wurz was going to turn all back into the prison
with the exception of the seven found guilty of
murder.
The prospect of living again with such fellows
was not pleasant to the prisoners, and they con-
cluded to give the raiders warm reception as
they came through the gates. So they prepared
themselves with sticks and tough, wiry roots dug
out of the slough, and those who could get neither
shut up their fists la Heenan, and formed two
lines clear across the prison, facing inward, FORM
ing lane about six or eight feet wide.
1t was apparent to an observer that the raiders
would have to run the gauntlet. The crowd
formed in behind the lines SO thick that it would
be impossible for any of the poor fellows to es-
cape. The gates were thrown open and they COM
menced filing in. There were about fifty of them,
and as they entered the lane they discovered that
they must take a threshing. The guards pushed
them through the gate, and our boys began to
strike and pelt them. They started down between
the lines in q run, but several were knocked down
and one man was killed. They all got terrible
beating, and perhaps learned that "the way of the
transgressor is hard"
The police force organized themselves into
regulator" squad, and kept up regular patrol,
all through the night. They organized a court
elected Judge, established a whipping post, and
devised other means of punishment to suit the Of
fense. The judge appointed man to do the fog
ging, and then in order to give the police and
officers strength to execute the laws, they voted
themselves double rations. As the Confederstes
would not issue extra rations, the officers took
their share out of the whole amount before they
were distributed, and then divided what was left.
1t was generally believed that the officers extra
rations were just three sizes The system soon led
to corruption, and parties worked into positions
that were not worthy to fill them. A class of men
finally got control of the prison who were but very
little superior to the raiders themselves. Never
theless the reform did some good. Every day
somebody underwent punishment for theft, and it
was mostly at the whipping-post, as that was the
quickest way to dispose of culprit.
Another mode of punishment was to take the
culprit and tie pole his shoulders then tie
his up to the pole in outstretched position,
and make him march back and forward 20 PAGES
each way.
One day a report came to us, that Gen. Fitzpatrick
was coming to take Andersonville, and we were
looking for him every day. The prisoners had
agreed among themselves that if Fitzpatrick at
tackled the rebel forces around us we would go on
of that pen instanter.
About this time cargo Of provisions arrived at
the station from the North, and all our boys fiat
tered themselves that they would get some news
from home and something good to eat. Some Of
them had received clothing and provisions in the
Spring and be it said to the credit of Capt. WuSz
the boxes were delivered on that occasion to the
parties they were sent to. Cy. Barrett, Isaiah
Clark, and several other Highland county boys re-
ceived tokens of love in the shape of provisions,
clothing. &C., and all expected to be treated the
same way this time.
don't know how we heard that the provisions
had come, but we were apprised of the fact in
some way. The next morning after they were re-
ceived the rebel soldiers brushed up and about 10
O'Clock A. NJ men, women and children began to
collect around the station, and after they had all
arrived the boxes were loaded up and hauled to a
convenient shade near the prison, where we could
all plainly see the proceedings. The boxes were
opened and then with heartless jests and jeers all
the little decaces that had been packed up for us
so carefully by our dearest friends were ruthlessly
taken and devoured before our eyes! Oh, how
could any mother, sister wife, take part in such
a carnival! Could one spark of a Christian spirit
exist in those who could bear to see the poor,
needy, hungry, half-stsrved, half-naked men that
these things were intended for, and have the hard
ness of heart thus cruelty to taunt them in their
misery?
ITO be continued