The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-09-14

"e~ S"yVy' AZ sui
case, however, after We got beyonc
the stockade, on the outside, W,
ran into sandy soil, where our mis-.
fortunes began,
Two Of us we're digging in th,
daytime, when, low, and behold, the
tunnel caved in, in our rear, and Of.
foctually cut or our retreat into tn,
stockade. Gradually il commenced
falling upon us. fillingour ears, eyes
and mouths with dirt.
There seemed TO be no roleas,
from our critical condition, excop,
by digging upward, which we com,
menced TO do with foar aud tromb
ling, as that operation was always
attended with Danger of being buried
alive.
Suddenly, down camo mass o.
earth above us, which did not az we
anticipated, bury us 30 deep, but
that We scrambled out OF IL, shriok.
ing With terror. Tho rebel guard
ut that time, coming around with the
relief, rescued us from our awful
condition--tho only time I was ever
glad to SEQ rebel, or have his as.
sisiance.
During the last OF August, rude
barracks we're in process OF con.
struction in tho upper portion OF the
now stockade. This looked like
preparations for o winter soiourn,
and gave us but little comfort, as
these buildings consisted Of roofs
only, on upright posts, aud thore
was no prospect OF moro than few
being accommodated by these frail
shanties.
On the weary, weary, dreadful
days dragged slowly along, amid
suffering and death in prison. Sep
tember came Over fifty OF my
comrades had died since the term OF
their Imprisonment began, which
WAS not 30 large in proportion to
their number, as occurred in othor
companies captured at tho same time
with ourselves.
The majority OF our mass or squad
were veierans-strong mon, inured
to hardships and exposure by pro.
vious experience In camp and the
field. Scarcely any Of my company
died until after the middle Of July
The month Of August, swept them
away by the hundreds. In that month
an epidemic Of dysentory broke out
in camp, and could not DO controlled
by tho crude medicines the rebels
bad in store to treat sick. The only
astrinsont wo had wa9 macorated d
white oak bark. Ono pound of thi,
We would add to q oamp-kettleful oi
water, boil it for ten minutes, ther
when cool, we would give about Q
tables spoonful evory two hours
This was all the medicine we had al
our command TO allay tho dreadful
scourgs that disease makes whom il
appears in the form Of On epidemic
Poor boys! Noble fellows | As
recall their names, memory bring
each face, pale with prison suffering
before me. | cannot have but great
or faith in human nature from hav
ing known thom. Dear comrades
endeared to mo by many sufferings
guilty of no crimes theirs was
death Of lingering torture, to which
in comparison, the devices OF the in
QUESTION would have been mercy.
Victims OF o relentless hatred
which has not ceased with the war
your namoless, crowded graves do
the prison burial-ground, ant
point solemn moral TO tho barbari
ties enacted at Andersonvill the bel
holes Of rebeldom.
To-day, when the men of Georgi,
ask the rights they formerly exercis
cd, aud among them the right of ex
Gliding the negro from the ballot
box. ! wonder, wether those patrio
bones do not start from their crowd
cd, shallow graves to bear testimon,
that, while living, every public op
inion, aud every white man Of that
locality banded with blood -hound
to prevent their escape. forming q
net work Of vigilance through which
IL was almost an impossibility Il
break, and their only dependence
Was in the blacks,-the uniouis I
alone Of that section. .--who harbor
cd them when IL was peril to thei
lives, and gave them Of their food
when they bad but q bare subsis
tence for themselves.