The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-20
SToCKADE No. s., !
On GREENWOOD & AUGUSTA r. R., :
EDr,,,,yrr NJ G n Dot 90

SrocKADE No. s.,
On GREENWOOD & AUGUSTA R. R.,
EDGEFIELD Co., S. c., Oct. %.
|. To the Pubic. So many horrible
charges of cruelty and brutality towards
the convicts ct work on the Greenwood
and Augusta Railroad have lately been
published in the newspapers, that the
undersigned Board of Directors of said
Road feel it due to the public, to them
selves and to the employees of the Road,
to make the following plain statement of
facts:
1t is sadly true that during the little
over two years that the convicts have
been at work on our Road, about half of
those we had in charge have died, but it
is also true, that about half of all their
deaths occurred the five next succeeding
months of the present year, dating from
April 20, 1879, when we received our last
batch of convicts from the Penitentiary,
and we are sorry to have to add, that we
now believe most of them died of scurvy,
although undoubtedly very many of the
dead convicts likewise had syphilis and
other chronic diseases.
At each of hestockades established on
our Road every reasonable effort has been
made by the Board to provide for the
comfort and health of the convicts con-
sistent with their safe-keeping. Every
stockade has had good spring or we'll of
pure water A. large yard has been en-
closed for exercise of the sick; commo-
dious prison pens have been erected, an
other separate structure for hospital has
been built, still another cabin for COM
missary stores put up, another for guard
house, yet another for the superinten-
dent, besides two large tents for various
uses. A bountiful supply of bacon, corn
bread, peas and such other vegetables as
could be had in the neighborhood have
been the usual diet of the we'll convicts,
but they have also had potatoes, onions,
sugar, molasses, turnips, collards, etc., by
the barrel or wagon load, and lemons by
the box, while flour, rice, chickens, milk
and other delicacies have been furnished
the sick in large Quantities, both by the
company and BY the neighboring citizens.
Many and many a box of tobacco has
been served to the we'll convicts and
whiskey has been freely administered to
the sick ones, especially since we ascer-
tanned, on the 10Th day of August last,
that they had scurvy, since which time
they have also been supplied literally
with ripe fruit, vegetables, fresh meats,
pure apple vinegar, potatoes, &c. Par
ticular care and attention have also been
given to the cooking, and regular diplo-
matized practicing physician Nhas been
employed to attend to. the sick at each
stockade. Cleanliness of. person, quar-
ters, night-tubs, etc., has been studiously
observed. An abundance of medicine,
shoes, clothing. blankets, etc., have al
ways been kept on hand, except once or
twice in summer when we have been
little short of clothing and shoes, but
during the present year each of our con-
victs has had three suits of clothes.
The convicts may have been pressed
somewhat hard at times to finish partic-
ular jobs of work, but ordinarily they
have not been over-worked, and have
oftener worked less than ten hours day
than they have worked the full ten hours.
AS rule they have never had less than
an hour for dinner and rest in winter,
and from two to four hours in summer,
according to the length of the day or the
heat of the weather. The superinten-
dent, everseers and guards have never
abused the convicts habitually or even in
particular instances to our collective or
individual knowledge, and some one or
more of the; directors, who reside at short
intervals all along the line of road. have
almost daily, and frequently several times
day, either visited the stockade where
the convicts were kept for the time or the
railroad where they were at work. No
one but the super utendent or head over
seer has been peri tilted to infict punish
ment, and they onl with strap, and if
scars are to be found on the heads or per-
sons of any of the convicts we have had
in charge las is alleged by some of the
newspapers, we unqualiiedly deny that
they have been inflicted by our en-
ployees, except, perhaps, in one or two
instances, for an attempt to revolt or
escape. Yet, although such has been
our general treatment, the sickness and
mortality, as before stated, has been very
great, especially during last summer and
spring. That scurvy was the most fatal
disease hardly admits of doubt, and al
though we had the best medical attention
in the neighborhood of each stockade,
and although numerous country physi-
clans visited each of the stockades-No.
3, and 5, where nearly all the deaths
have occurred-yet we were not informed
of the presence of scurvy until the 18th
August last, when it was discovered in
most of the convicts by medical COM
mittee consisting of Drs. ]. O.. Maxwell,
G. M. Burkhalter and S. G. Merriwether.
That it was scurvy which produced most
of the mortality is proven by the fact
that as soon as the prisoners were treated
and dieted for scuryy, there was almost
an instantaneous change for the better,
and only one death has occurred from
disease at this stocEade during the last
month, and only two other deaths as we
are informed have happened among the
twenty-five convicts returned by US to the
penitentiary on the 26th September,
nearly all which twenty-five were rapidly
convalescing at the time of their depart
ure for Columbia.
The scurvy of course was greatly ag-
gravatcd during the past summer by the
almost universal and protracted drought
in this part of the State, preventing US
from supplying the convicts with the
fresh vegetables they would have other
wise received. On the Sth day of April
last our company received seventy-fve
convicts from the penitentiary avithom
any medical examination by our surgeon,
and that many of those convicts, as we
are informed, were afflicted with syphilis,
dropsy, general debility or other consti-
tutional diseases, which rendered them
unfit for grading railroad, and made
them easy victims for the ravages of dis
ease. Although our written contract
called for seventy-five table bodied" con-
victs, yet we received seven under fifteen
years Of age, and others having syphilis,
enilpnsv etr We do not nharra tbat