The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-10
4 Voice from AndersOnyilie.

EDS. JEFF: In your issue of Feb. 25,
fortunates that fell into the hands of
those who tried to destroy this Govern
ment of ours / will state that | was a
member of the 57th Ohio Infantry, Com
pany /, and on July %, 1864, was cap
tured by the Confederates and taken to
Audersonville. am not positive as to
who was in command; he ranked as a
captain, and some said it was Wirz. He
was very Overbearing man, waving his
sword over the heads of the prisoners,
cursing and threatening them. We were
taken inside the stockade, a miserable
place, full of filth, maggots and lice
We went to the west side of the prison,
on the south side of the marsh; we were
three or four rods from the dead line"
Post No. "a, on the stockade, was right
to the west of us. The dead line" was
about twenty feet from the stockade.
Iwish could depict the suffering there;
starvation was no stranger / assure you
There were 125 to 275 deaths per day,
first caused by starvation and then by
disease, and then death claimed its vic
tim. And then to make the situation
more horrible, at different times, while
I was there saw the guards shoot those
that were insane from starvation and
sickness. These men, in their delirium
would wander across the dead line" as
their sane comrades did not dare to res
cue them, and in as many as three in.
stances | saw such unfortunates shot
down. The guards cared not who they
shot, and in many instances managed to
shoot men who were inside the ''dead
line" through wanton sport. Then they
-, and other foul names, and tell
them that they would learn them to dis
obey orders Sometimes these crazy
men, thus shot down, were left to welter
in their blood, with no one to aid them
in their last extremity. 1t seemed to me
that it would have been n great Sratifi-
cation could they have had father,
mother, sister or brother, or some kind
friend to close their eyes in death. But
alas, our friends were out of reach. We
knew that we had friends, who were
waiting, with anxious hearts, 10 hear of
our release from the cruel practices of
those rebel demons, but they were pow
erless to assist us
But to return to our distressed condi-
ton. East and west, across the prison,
ran ravine watered by spring that
the prison. East of the prison, n short
distance, was the cook house, from which
was issued bountiful supply of half
baked corn bread, fly blowed beef, and a
variety of other notions, after the same
manner. without salt. No wonder that
many of the prisoners who at first, were
stout and rugged, sickened, and that
many died Others were disabled for
duty.
But | must return TO the suffering.
More closely along the line, on about
half the length east and west. was erect
ed the privy. Along in front of this
lay the emaciated and weak men who
Were unable to get away-dying and
dead. often passed along that ravine
and saw the dead and dying. Some had
Just breathed their last, while others
were gasping in their last agonies. Some
were pleading for help from their com.
rades and in their agony would cry, 81 am
10 death" Often my mind
wanders back to those scenes. and their
cries again seem to ring in my ears
Often, after going to the place where we
got our water, which was conducted into
the prison by a trough, and after fillinga
small vessel. would start back to my
quarters, and OH my way would be greet
ed with the piteous appeal, so, part
ner Just give me this little mug of wa
ter" | used to frequently empty my
vessel two or three times on such occa-
sions. l had often felt the pangs of
hunger before my sojourn at Anderson
Vile, or thought had, but there learn
"a that ''a' irt a faint idea of the ter
ribie !..ean.ng of the word. l often
walked around. until l could walk no
more, wishing could get something to
Eat. Weary and dissatisfied 1 would sit
Dr. lie down, only to mediate over what
he future had in store for us.
Thanks to the God who was too wise
q err and too good to do wrong, in sixty |
lays after my capture l was taken out |
md brought back TO Rough and Ready i
md exchanged. Many that were with
is there have since that time died; but |
am glad there are still enough left to |
pear testimony to the horrible atrocities |
,racticed at Andersonvillc. | was ex-
hanged Sept. %, 1864. l have given
ny statement as near as my limited |
of the case will admit. l
nay, perhaps. give another sketch in the
uture, but for the present must close.
Yours Truly. JOHN MoREHART.
p. S.-Jefferson Davis may write as
many letters as he pieases, but the sur
ivors of Andersonvilie, and other rr bel
-, f;..- -r,.l, l,sc