The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-01

the poor emaciated, ghostly looking crea.
lures, as they passed by scarcely able Ia
drag one foot after the other, their eyes
sunk deep, aye, in very many instances
deaths cold fingers could be traced
easily in the haggard face and skeleton
form.
About ~ o'clock the company was
marched up to the long barn building
already alluded TO, There being one Of
these to each division, and entered the
door in single file. Instead of meat ON
the tables there appeared tin cups; each
man stood directly opposite one. The
cups were filled with the meanest kind of
greasy slop- water, with few beans at tn
oottom and lots Of wool straws floating
OIL top this vas called soup. I SUPPOSE
the doSged cooks boiled the water, threw
in few beans, and then shook a veal
oone over the pot, sufficiently near TO
scald Off little wool and grease. Eor
several days could not touch the truck.
1r 9ut aiter awhile was oblige to come TO it.
Inc rations were certainly not enough
LOT one square meal to hearty eater. A
nall loaf of bread or from five 20 ak
soua crackers, small chunk Of meat not
rs large as your fist by great deal, and
one cup OF greasy water called soup!
a morning or two after my arrival, Just
as had left the tent to answer to "reviile,"
my attention was attracted 10 what ap-
Peared 10 DE man wrapped in blanket
Tying between two tents. Naturally
concluding that he was sick, walked
thcre, and was about to raise the blanket
ana inquire what was the matter, when
q seedy-looking fellow said: "Aint you
!ust cGme een?' l answered yes.
wen" he said, II thought so; that is
only the body of a Johnnie that went up
last night and the boys in his tent have
rolled him out side; the litter corps will
be along directly and take him of.
When you have been here as long as l
have you will get used to that sort of
thing" And his words were verified, for
remained there long enough to see
many fellow lying just like that one.
Inc water was heavily charged with
copperas, so much so that if allowed TO
stand in vessel for an hour or two a
thick scum Of that mineral would be
found covering the top. Even this water
was scarce. The pumps were kept going
so continuously that the water did not
have time to spring. heard one c: the
surgeons say every autopsy disclosed the
TACT that the intestines were perfectly
black. DiarrhGa and dysentery prevail
cd to an alarming extent, and carried off
hundreds. l have seen men eat rats
time and again, and heard them say that
the flesh was good During very heavy
rains these creatures would be driven from
their holes, chased by crowds Of men
until caught, skinned, partially cooked
and eaten. Occasionally Northern ladies
would drive though the pen accom- panied
by. the officers in charge to look at the
prisoners. Very often dispatches were
tackled on the bulletin board, and thou
sands would congregate to read or hear
them read, but the accounts always told
OF Federal victories and Confederate
defeats, SO that no confidence was placed
IN them. Thousands of the prisoners
could not read, and have read dispatch
aloud time after time to fresh hearers.
The negro troops used to curse and swear
at the prisoners fearfully. The. did not
hesitate to shoot into the Pen night after
night, and there being so many crowded
together some one would be sure to be
hit. There was no redress, so we had to
grin and bear it.
a very ingenious fellow made clock
out of bones collected around the yard,
having n canteen for the frame. It kept
very good time, and was sold to q North
ern visitor for twenty dollars.
A number of incidents could be added
to this already extended account, and l
will conclude by saying that the front in
Dixie was far preferable to imprisonment
IN Point Lookout, "Maryland, my Mary
land"