New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-22

was exhausted, and the prisoners had not
where to 10y their heads. On the outside
of the stocksde, sentry-boxes., about fifty
feet apart, commanded surveillance Of the
entire field: On the inside width Of fifteen
feet was staked off and defined by . single
rail nailed down upon the posts. This
formed the dead-line, and to step within the
enclosure was to sink under fire of the
guards. Mr.. Garlick sta es that it was .
common boast of the rebels in command
that the guards who had shot down their
mon for stepping beyond the fatal mark,
were honored with furloughs for thirty
days. This was so we'll understood. that
every time some poor fellow accidentally
trespaseed upon the forbidden ground and
was killed, the prisoners would remind
their keepers Of another case for reward.
The rations were scarcely sufficient to keep
body and soul together. They consisted of
corn mush, bread of unsifted corn meal,
and every now and then . relish in the
shape of bit Of meat of the size of two
fingers or bit Of sweet potato, The loaves
of bread, each about eight inches long and
six inches wide, were divided into four
pieces, and this, with the scaut ration of
mush, served st about four O'Clock every
afternoon, was all that each received, and
it required careful outstanding, in most
cases. to appease the hunger of the prison
ers. Good livers gradually declined under
such close regimen, and, unsheltered and
uncared for, many brave soldier died of
hunger and exposure and was carted out
and dumped into the long ditch outside Of
the Enclosure.
The rebels were not we'll provided with
medical stores, and were therefore unable
to care for the sick. Thus exposure and
starvation decimated the number of prison
ers to q frighttul extent. Especially during
the months Of July and August, when the
sun was hottest. the mortality through
these sources was great, Mr. Garlick says
fully thirty-three per cent, as stated by Mr..
blaine. The waters of the stream was rem
dered foul by the DRAWINGS of the commits
sary department, and, altogether, the place
was one of the most dreadful OF the rebel
prisons. Wirz the keeper of the prison,
was harsh and cruel in his intercourse with
the prisoners. The least provocation would
cause this tiend of the war to draw his re-
yOlyer and shoot the offender down on the
spot. During Kilpatrick's raid on Macon
the prisoners we're ordered into line anu
every fifth man selected to be in readiness
for call. 1t was afterward said that it was
the design to march out every fifth soldier
and shoot him in retaliation for slaughter
of Confederate officers. During Kiipat
rick's raid guns we're planted in each cor.
ner of the stOckade and shells were fired
over 1t as q warning that the rebels were
prepared for any uprising ON the part o.
| the prisoners.
MI. Garlick's sufferings we're intense. and
when he left the prison for Charleston hi
| legs were fairly drawn up under his body
| by scurvy, the result of insufficient nour
| ishment and exposure. But he considered
himself fortunate to escape the rigOrs of thu
prison pen, even as partial wreck. in view
Of the sutferings of hundreds of his com
| rades.
Mr.. Garlick visited Camp Douglas, neal
| Chicago, after his release. and found tina
| the rebels were under shelter, fairly clothed
and with sufficient supplies and medica
treatment. Camp Douglas was far BETTE
than any of the rebel prisons he had beer
in, and the rebels were as we'll served a.
the BOYS in blue who were in charge o
them. Mr.. Garlick spoke without feeling
of resentment, ana his plain, unembellishe,
statement OF his experiences at Anderson
vile may appear somewhat tame in com
parison with other and more highly wrough
pictures of the horrors of Andersonvllie
but his experiences fully demonstrate tina
the rebels we're guilty of criminal careless
ness. with a view to defamation of the Cniol
forces at any hazard, and to the everlas'
ing shame of the "chivslric South. Nj
| raukee Sentinel