The National tribune., 1882-12-28
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.

MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
October eth, 1865.
DIR. Joseph Jones for the prosecution.
Examined by the Judgc-Advocate:
Question. W here do you reside" Answer. In
Augusta, Georgia.
e. Are you a graduate of any medical college {?
A OF the University of Pennsylvania.
q. flow long have you been engaged in the prac-
tiCe of medicine? A. Eight years.
q. Has your experience been as practitioner,
or rather an investigator of medicine as Il
science" A. Both.
q. What position do you hold now? A. That of
medical chemist in the Medical College of Georgia,
at Augusta.
q. How long have you held your position in that
College? A. Since 1875.
q. How were you employed during the rebel
lion? \. served six months in the early part of
it private in the ranks and the rest of the time
in the medical department
q. Under the direction of whom a Under the
direction of DR. Moore, eon-General.
q. Did you, while acting under his direction
visit AndersOnvilie professionally: A. Yes, sir
q. For the purpose of making Investigations
there? 4. For the purpose of prosecuting lnvestl-
cations ordered by the SurgeOn-General
q. You went there i'll obedience to letter of
instructions? a. In obedience to orders which L
received.
q. Did you reduce the result of your investiga-
tioIIs to the shape of "A report: A. / was engaged
at that work when General Johnston surrendered
his army
[ a. document being handed to witness
q. Have you examined this extract from your
report and compared it with the original? A. Yes
sir; have
q. Is ii accurate? A. So far as my examination
extended il l. accurate.
The document lust examined by witness was
offered i'll evidence and the substance Is as follows
Hearing OF the unusual mortality among the
Federal prisoners confined at AndcrSOnvIIe, ga,
in the month of August 1851, during a visit to
Richmond, Va, | expressed to the SurgeOn-Gcn-
eral Is u. MoOreJ Confederate states of America,
IL desire to visit Camp sumter, with the design of
lnstitut,ng a series of inquiries INTO the nature
ana causes of the prevailing diseases. Smallpox
had appeared among the prisoners and L belle ed
"a
establishment OF its characteristic LESSONS. The
condition of Pcyers glands in this disease was
considered as worthy of minute investigation. II
was believed that a large body of men from the
Northern portion of the United States suddenly
transported to IA warm Southern climate and CON
fined upon IL small portion of land, would furnish
excellent field for the investigation of the rcla
tions of typhus typhoid aud nlularial fevers. The
SUrgeOn-GeuCral of the Confederate states of
America furnished me with the following letter of
introduction to the surgeon III charge OF the Con-
cdCrate States military prison at Andeisonvle. Ga
linen follows the necessary letters OF lntroHuc-
ton, and the orders to admit hum III the stockade,
signed by General Winder ana Captain WIrz.
He then gives his observations as follows:
\ DESCRIPTION OF TIE PRISON.
The confederate military prison at Anderson
vile, Ga consists OF strOng stOckade, twenty
feet i'll height. enclosing twcnty-scvCn acres. The
stockade Is formed OF strong pine logs. firmly
planted i'll the ground. The main stockade Is
rounded by two other similar rows of pine logs,
the middle stockade being sixteen feet high aud
the outer twelve feet. These intended for
oticnse and defense. If the inner stockade should
at any time be forced by the prisoners. the second
forms another line of defense; while in case of an
attempt to deliver the prisoners by force operat
ing upon the exterior, the outer line forms ad-
mIrabc protection to the confederate troops, and
most formidable obstacle to- cavalry or infantry.
The four angles of the outer line are strengthened
by carthworks upon commanding emncnces from
which the cannon, in case of an Outl reak among
the prisoners, may sweep the entire enclosure;
and it was designed 10 connect these works by
line of rIile-pIts running zigzaG around the outer
dada 10
pleted. Ihc ground enclosed by the iunermOst
stOckade lies in the form OF parallellOgum, the
larger diameter running almost due north and
south. This space includes the northern and
southern opposing sides of two hills, between
which str, of water runs from west to east.
The surface soil of these hills is composed chiefly
of sand, with varying admi XtUreS of clay and oxide
of iron. The clay Is sufficiently tenacious to give
Il considerable degree OF consistency to the soil.
The internal structure of the hills, revealed by
the deep wells Is similar to that already described
The alternate layers of clay and sand. as we'll rs
the oxide of iron which forms iii its various COM
binAtlons cement to the sand, allow OF extensive
tunnelinS. The prisoners not only constructed
numerous drt-huS with balls of clay and sand
taken from the wells which they have exCtvated
all over those hills, but they have also i'll some
cases tunuelled extensively from these wells. The
lower portion of these hills, bordering the
stream, are wet ana boGgy from the constant ooz-
ing of water. The stockade was built originally
to accommodate only 10000 prisoners and in
cluded at first seventeen acres Near the close of
the month of June the area was enlarged by the
addition of ten acres. The ground added WAS
situated on the northern slope of the largest hill
Here he gives IA table showing the density of the
population of the prison at different periods. In
March it was 9S.7 square feet to each prisoner
III August 35.7.
IT'S HORRORS DETAILED.
He continues follows Within the circum-
scribed of the siockade the Federal pris-
oners were compelled to perform all the offices
of hte-cOoking, washing, the calls of nature
exercise and sleeping. During the month of
March the prison was less crowded than at any
subsequent time, and then the average space of
ground to each prisoner only 9S7 feet, or less
than seven square yards. The Federal prisoners
were gathered from all parts of the Confederate
States east of the Mississippi and crowded into the
confined space until, in the month of June, the
average number of square feet of ground only
;S.2 or less than -four square yards These figures
represent the condition of the sockade in better
light than it really for considerable breadth
OF land along the stream flowing from west To
east between the hills, low and bo@gy, and
was covered with the eNcrement of the men. and
thus rendered wholly uuiuha bitable and in fact
useless for every purpose except that of defecatiOn
he pines and other small trees and shrubs, which
originally We're 81 ttcred spar-ely over these hills,
were in short time cut down aud consumed by
the prisoners for firewood, and no shade tree was
left III the entire enclosure of the stockadc. With
their characteristic industry and ingenuity the
Federals constructed for themselves small hUts
and caves, and attempted to shield themselves
from the rain and sun and night elamps and dew.
But few tents were distributed to the prisoners
and those were in most cases torn and rotten. In
the location and arrangement of these tents and
hutS NO order appears to have been followed; i'll
appear IIlc question
III crowded an area, especially, too, large
bodies of prisoners were from time to time added
suddenly, without any previous preparation. The
irregular arrangement of the huts and imperfect
shelters very mfavOrabc for the maintenance
of proper system of police. The police and in
ternal economy OF the prison was left almost en-
tirely in the hands OF the prisoners themselves
the duties of the confederate soldiers acting as
guards being limited To the occupation of the
boxes or ioOkouts ranged around the Stockade at
regular intervals and the manning Cf the bate
res at the angles of the prison. Even judicial mat
ters pertaining to themselves the detection and
punishment of such crimes theft and murder |
appear to have been III a great measure abandoned
to the prisoners. A striking instance of this oc- |
Cured i'll the month Of July, when the Federal /
prisoncrs within the stockade tried. condemned. !