The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-11-02

', ~. W, LII y 1tCDAI wv LII
rough but true-hearted soldier lavished
upon me. In a certain sense he saved my life,
for had l been compelled to remain within the
stoc1ade it is more than likely that l should
have fallen victim to disease or famine. The
Twenty sixth Alabama was succeeded by de-
tachment of Georgia reserves, consisting of
three or four regiments Of mere boys and old
men unfit for active service. They had pro-
found contempt for all Yankees, and we soon
learned the meaning Of "mans inhumanity
to man"
fully expected as I have said, to be ordered
back into the stOckade, but before the Alabama
boys embarked on the train, Commander Wirz
sent for me. When Iarrived at his headquarters
l found there 4 lad of sixteen, who had been
brough out of the prison in dying condition.
He was member of a Tennessee regiment, and
was already so much exhausted that he could
scarcely artiCulatc q word. His feeble pulse
indicated that life was fast cbbing away, and, in
company with young fellow attached to head
quarters was directed TO sit up with him dur
ing the night. Poor fellow! he died before NOR
ming. Doubtless some fond mother was at that
turn, and for aught | know she may not have
learned to this day of the sad fate which bcfell
him. In the morning we had the body removed
to the dead-house, and as soon as a grave could
be dug he was buried. This dcad-hOuse was
constructed of pine brush, and merely served
to protect the dead from the rays of the sun,
which, even at this season of the year, were
intolerable. 1t was not large enough, how
ever, to hold all the corpses that were conveyed
thithcr, and | have frequently seen the half
naked bodies Of my comrades lying exposed on
the bare ground, as if they were so many dead
horses.
FRESH ARRIVALS.
Up to this time none but prisoners of long
standing had arrived at Andcrsonyille. They
were mainly soldiers who had been captured at
Gettysburg or Chckamauga, or Mine Run, and
among them were a few cavalrymen. During
the winter there had been a practical cessation
of hostilities, and the two cOntcnding armies
had been waiting quietly until the return Of
fair weather should make the resumption Of
active operations possible. The first dctach-
ment of fresh captives arrived about the middle
of March. They numbered zoo, and had been
gobbled up by the cOnfederates ut the bat
tie of Olustee, Fla, on the Goth of February.
Some 200 of them were negroes, and had be-
longed to the Eighth United States regulars and
the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts, volunteers The
major Of the Eighth reguars-a white officer
had been captured with them, and instead of
sending him to Macon or Columbia, where as a
rule, officers of the Union army were taken,
the confcderates had consigned him to Ander-
sOnviIle along with the enlisted men. He had
been severely wounded at the battle of Olustee
and left on the field but, although the cOnfcd-
crates knew the grave character of his injuries
they refused him medical attendance, and
no surgeon was permitted even to examine,
much less to dress his wound. l was told
that while he was lying helpless in a stock
car, on the way to AnderSonville, rebel officer
rode up and deliberately discharged his pistol
at him several times, fortunately, however,
without hitting him. The rebels dubbed him
the "negro officer" and treated him with the
most fiendish cruelty. 1t seemed to be part
of their policy to visit such of our officers as
were in command of cOlOred troops with special
indignites. The major was quite young man.
aud a gentleman of education and refinement
and l am glad to say that after the lapse of n
few weeks Of much suffering in accordance
with an order from Gen. Winder he was re-
moved from Andersonville in company with
several officers, to Macon. Do not mag
inc, however, that this removal was prompted
by any considerations Of humanity On the
contrary, the sole reason therefor was the
fear which constantly possessed the confed-
crates that the officers would use their in
fluence to organize n desperate attack by the
prisoners upon the guards which would neces-
sarily have been attended with great bloodshed
on both sides. They knew well the character
of the sufferings which their captives were
compelled to endure, the state of despair into
which they had been plunged, and the spirit
of recklessness which was rampant..within the
stockade. 1t is needless for me to say that the
wounded negro soldiers Jared even worse than
their major. No attention whatever was given
to their wounds, and the confedcrates seemed
to think no punishment too severe to be in
hicted upon them. They were organized into
squad by themselves, and taken out of the
prison every day to perform such work as the
cOnfcderatcs chose to exact from them. A
white sergeant, also prisoner was put in COM
mand of the squad, and even he was visited
with the dislike which the rebels manifested
on all occasions, not only towards the negroes,
but to their officers, He was standing one day
in the ncighborhood of the gate, awaiting
orders, when one of the guards, without any
provocation whatever, deliberately placed the
muzzle of his gun against his stomach and
pulled the trigger! The sergeant fell to the
ground, dead. Occurrences like this, however,
were becoming so common that they were the
subject only of passing remark.
To be continued
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