The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-07-08
IN THIS FOUL ATMOSPHERE

amputation did not arrest hospital gangrene.
Almost every amputation was finally followed
by death. 4 = This gigantic mass of
human misery calls loudly for relief not only
for the sake of suffering humanity, but also
on account of our own brave soldiers now
captives in the hands of the Federal Govern
ment." Such was the confederate states
military prison hospital" at Andersonville,
as depicted by distinguished sOuthemer.
Subsequently the building of a hospital
stockade was commenced at the southern end
Of the prison pen, the dimensions Of which
were to be 925 by 400 feet, and it was to
contain two wells and eleven open sheds, but
it was never completed. Between the grave
yard and the prison was the bloodhound
hut, the headquarters of q pack of hounds
with which escaped prisoners were hunted
down. The standing order Of Wirz was that
no escaped prisoners were to be brought
back" The most of them were brought
back, nevertheless, but a great many of them
were torn to pieces. by these terOciOuS dogs
The railroad station consisted of couple Of
dozen shops, cabins and houses and, strange
" enough, the spire of church arose among
the cluster. Near the railroad track was an
Officers pen "a small affair designed sim
: ply for the temporary detainment Of captur-
cd commissioned officers. Not far from it
were two large two-stOTy- y-and-a-half hospit-
ais where Howell CObb's "white-coated
militia" were tenderly cared for when sick.
The creek from which we chiefly obtained
our drinking water flowed through the mill
Tia camp before reaching u.s. and carried
away their oiial. According to rebel statis-
tics the number of prisoners at Anderson
vile during March, 1864, was 4 1853, of whom
2s3 died; the number during April was
9,j77, of whom 5J2 died the number during
May, 1S,45l, Of whom III died the num-
Der during June, 2G 3G7, Of whom ,202 died !;
the number during July, 31,G7S, of whom
1.742 died; the number during August 81, :
603, Of whom 3, ,07G died. the number during
September, 8,2l8, of whom $3.50 died; the
number during October, 4 20S, of whom ,505
died; the number during November, 1853,
Of whom 425 died. The increase of prison
crs during the summer was not so much due
to fresh captures as to their arrival from
other prisons Andersonville was being
made grand prison depot. The decrease in
the fall was by reason Of alarm at the move
ments Of Sherman-prisOners being sent to
Charleston and other points. The greatest
number Of prisoners ever in the stockade was
on August Sth, when rations were issued to
33,l14 1t is probable that the actual num-
/ Der Of deaths was not always recorded. The
greatest mortality occurred one day in Au-
+ gust, when 2G7 men died. During Septem-
/ her every third man in the stockade died
/ during October the mortality was even
worse. personally witnessed these fearful
/ scenes, and sought to perpetuate realistic
memory of them in the following rude lines
ANDERSONVILLE.
/ They were men no more!
Erutalized by hunger's gnawing fangs,
| They swarmcd upon the foul earth like vermin,
/ or sunk upon their Shiny beds and died,
| And rottcd where they fell; corruption bred
! 4 pestilcnce, and to escape il
! Some burrowcd in The earth like beasts.
! And by the trcacherous sands buried.
Diseases Of all strangest forms prevailed,
/ Nor art nor rgery there To bar
/ Their gorgon growth; all subtle taints that lurlS
| Within the richest and the purest blood
| Were famed to intense and vengeful being,
And devoured the lean and livid flesh.