Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-07-18

contracted so ns to draw my heals mn
toward my body. spent my time both
day and night in sitting pos IRE. Two
young men, Que from the LIST Ohio repi.
ment, named Dursi, the other, WIN. Hnw-
ell, ol my company, took all the care of
me that they could. They washed ME In
cold water twice day for about four
weeks, but still grew worse until nj my
lriends gave me up 70 die. The hnrdest
Thought thnt / had to bear was that of ell.
img an unknown grave. My friends made
arrangements to wrap my body ina rubber
blanket and bury me in the slough and II
they were lucky enough TO get home to let
my friends there know how aud where they
had disposed Of my remains. When this
wus all fully arranged, Catholic. priest
came into the little shed where | WIS half
lying aud half sitting and asked him II
lie could get ME II quart OF good vinegar.
He said that he could, and would bring 1t
to me the next morning. He left me, and
sunk into kind Of slupor out OF which
| was aroused by my friend Howell who
had been over to the south gate III search
OF news, and had got letter for ME from
my father. Here, Win" said he, here
Is word from home" II was the lirst that
l had received while in prison. As |
B'NbSNh Wv CT tHNt Ntll kUOWu llillu WI lnkt
II tremor seized my whole frame until |
shook ns though had the ague Finally
| mustered courage enough to read it and
from IL learned that my brother, who was
wounded at the battle OF Chcknmaguh,
WIS about we'll and that my fathers folks
were NIL In good health but lamcning
over my unfortunate condition. Alter
had read the letter to my two friends,
iInwall lnnE oil al aud sutl Will
believe yOn will ont live this ID Com
federucy vet" The next morning, sure
enough, the Catholic priest brought the
vinegar and got hold OF lew Irish pota.
toes which l scraped very fine and put
them into the vinegar, aud after the mix
ture had stood about an hour | began to
eat it, taking nboGt tablespoonful about
every hour; the effect was beyond dcscrip-
ton. The vinegar and potatoes worked
like charm and / soOu got better, but not
entirely well until the next summer after
got home. A few days after | became
able to walk about, one Of the boys from
my own company died, lie was carried
to the south gate until the next morning,
at which time the negroes came to haul
out the dead to be buried. On the aftel-
noon Of the day that he died, saw Wirz
aud got permission 10 go and see the Young
man buried, which was the first and only
lime that | went to the Andersonville
grave yard. Ii / should give candid, ,
truthful description ut what | saw and
heard that morning, it would he discredit
ed. Nevertheless, / will try it. Three
negroes with heavy Government wagon
and SIX mules came inside the stock ade !;
the cover was taken off the wagon. One
negro remained in the wagon while the
other two took their position among the
dead men on the ground, one taking hold
ot dead man by the hair and the other
by the heels aud they would throw him
into the wagon aud the other darkey
would place them in so as to get as many
IN 1T time Ms possible. The negroes were
about half drunk and kept up chant all
the time, singing" Now we're hot and now
we're cold three d-d fools hot on Ii
qu0r." An old rebel sergeant, North
CJrolinlan, told me that the negroes coul ld
not stand to do the work unless they were
under the influence of whiskey. | man.
aged TO get my cumrade put on top of the
first load, and followed along behind the
wagon, two darkeyS walking along with
me while the other darkey drove the team
When we came to the place OF internIent
one OF the darkeys took his place in the
trench, the other two on the wagon and
after removing the cover from the wagon
they resumed their little chant, "Now
we're hot aud now we're cold, three d---d
fools hot on liquor" and began to throw
the dead bodies into the ditch, the other
darkey placing them side by side. Their,
were other negroes there, some digging
the ditch and some covering the dead bod.
les. returned from that funeral sick at
heart aud it was several days before | got
rid OF the effects OF that sight.