The National tribune., 1882-08-26

Sept. 2sG-If history should be ransaclled
for the names of celebrated prisoners, what a
remarkable list would be presented. How
many illustrious persons have known the
pangs of captivity, though starvation may
not have been included among their suffer
ings. Tasso, Cervantes, Mary Queen of
Scots, Columbus, Captain John Smith Of
Virginia, John Bunyan, Napoleon ], the
Man of the Iron Mask, and even Cesar, =" the
foremost man of all the world" tasted the
bitterness or the inconvenience Of captivity.
There is no situation so vile and ignomini-
Gus as that Of prisoner. Men who are not
fit to clean his boots may order him about
with arrogance and insult Captain John
Smith was 4 prisoner among the Turks, and
Caesar was the captive of band of pirates,
and each was treated far better than we are.
The fictitious incarceration Of the Count of
Monte Christie gave Dumas theme, and l
remember reading touching poem by Mrs.
Hemans, wherein she pictures lOng-impris-
oned knight far up in gloomy tower, vainly
endeavoring to attract the attention Of his
companions in-aTms, who, ignorant of his
near presence, are marching past beneath in
all the gladnSss and pomp of successful war.
Caesar had the consolation OF returning and
crucifying his captors, a pleasure that will
probably he denied to us. These ideas have
been suggested TO me by the partial perusal
of bulky " Life Of Napoleon" by Abbott,
which fellow prisoner has kindly loaned
me, without exacting the usual toll of so
many Spoonsful OF meal. 1t has diverted my
mind exceedingly. l have been chiefly in
terested in reading of the horrors Of the
French retreat from Russia. Man was
made to mourn" wrote the poet. Mourn"
is not strong enough; the word "groan"
should be substituted.
SEPT. 29h-We drew good rations last
night, consisting Of pint of meal, a pint of
cooked rice, end half a pint of molasseS per
man, 10 do for twenty-four hours. For sup
per l had a quart Of mush and mOlasses.
What royal dish it seemed. l know that
my appetite is perverted, for / now intend,
when / reach home TO celebrate my liberia
ton by cooking and eating about three
quarts of mush made from well-sifted meal,
with pint Of molaSses and quart of milk
stirred in. Some of the messes drew molas-
ses which had almost fermented into rum.
and it is reported that several cases of in
toxication occurred / was feyerish last
night owing TO having exposed myself too
much TO the sun yesterday We now have
plenty of fuel and plenty of room for exer-
cise for more than two-thirds of the prison
l,o, left Gn ac4i az haf
are about 5000 of us remaining in Ander-
sonville. The rate of mortality, however, is
steadily increasing. We still have hopes
that the prisoners who have departed have
really gone home, and in view of our posi-
BILE removal in the same direction several
hundred men have volunteered to remain
and take care of the sick men in the sheds
until they, too, are homeward bound. This
is a remarkable circumstance, and l attrib-
ute it TO the fact that we are no longer
crowded together like beasts of the field,
and that under the sunshine of hope we are
growing more humane.
Sent. 30h.-When this stockade was so
terribly overcrowded, and when pure water
was absolutely beyond the reach Of most us,
large spring burst out of the ground near
the western dead-line, and poured cool,
bountiful stream in the direction of the
swamp. It was Immediately placed under
police protection, and at all hours long file
of men could be seen, each awaiting his turn
to lill his cup or canteen at the miraculous
fountain. Now that more than 10000 pris-
oners have gone, there is little difficulty in
procuring good water. Many prisoners
hailed this wonderful spring as an judica-
tion that the Almighty beheld and pitied
our miseries. Other prisoners, however, con-
tended that if the Almighty knew or cared
what was taking place at AndersOnville he
would not have contented himself with max
ing a small hole in the ground, but would
have wiped the whole State of Georgia from
the face of the earth. Many infidels have
been made here.
October 1st.-Men are dying around us
faster than ever Wirz has turned philan-
thropist He has had some trouble lately
with civilian sutler inside the stOcl,ade
Probably the sutler refused to divide. At
all events, Wirz rode into the prison to-day,
ana mating IN IrGnt OF crowd Oh prisoners,
gave them permission to plunder the shop.
An immediate and energetic raid ensued, and
one big prisoner was so grateful TO Wirz that
he kicked the sutler every step of the way to
the north gate. l saw the fun but got none
Of the spOils Whenever one of our wealthy
men steps up to sutler shop and buys an
apple or sweet potato, and peels it, two or
three starving wretches watch with eager
eyes till the pairing falls to the ground, and
then snatch and scramble for it. There are
men in this prison who are perfectly content
ed They have plenty of money, plenty to
eat, good tents TO sleep in, ana expect lots of
back pay when they finally reach the Union
lines. Generally they have been engaged in
selling food TO the other prisoners, and their
relations with The rebels have been extremely
amicable. ! have often thought that many
of them are spies over our conspiracies and
movements. One of the most dreaded dis
orders prevalent here is the gangrene, and a
horrible story is in circulation to the effect
that one prisoner, at night, inoculated the
wounded arm of another with gangrene mat
ter, in order TO cause his death and thereby
secure his clothing and an old rotten blanket