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

day, and wh,n at last they found
their hopes aud faith disappointed,
sunk into despondcncy from which
nothing could arouso them, and
died.
Rumors and statements OF OK.
change were 30 frequently made and
backed by evidence which looked
plausible, that the prisoners were
expoctant aud despondent by turns
during July aud August.
These two months wero tho most
terrible Of any experienced by the
general prisoners. Nine thousand
were said to have diod during that
space of time, wonderful mortality.
ono day in August, no loss than
ono hundred and sixty prisoners
died, and the average was over a
hundred daily. From the LIST OF
Feb. to the 10th of September,
twelve thousand Federal Soldiers,
prisoners OF war, were carried from
tho prison to the dead mans trench
and tho felon's burial.
Many Of tho deaths woro hasten.
ed by despondency. After m usual
excitement about exchange, fol.
lowed by disappointment, deaths
were tho most frequent.
Extreme heat, during July md
August, was often followed by days
dark with intermittent showers
On one occasion, during such a Pc
riod, the ground WAS rendered 30
hot by the intense rays of the sun as
to blister my foot by mere csptaot.
This period OF heat was followed
by lain in such quantities as in q
few hours to cause freshet. which
swept away the stockade where the
brook entered, and loft tho prison E;
ard also swept away portions on the
north. .west side, by tho flowing OF
the water down the hillside.
Wretched creatures all over the
prison were crawling out OF holes 10
the ground, in which they had bur
rowed, half drowned with tho wator
which had suddenly filed them can
teens, plates, bits OF wood, blankets,
spoons, pals, and hats, were swept
away down the hillside, tho prison.
ers frantically rushing after their de-
sertiLg goods and habitations.
The only washing somo poor fol-
lows got was on such an occasion.
II was curious to observe the differ
ent manner in which various indivi-
duals accepted of such o dispensa-
ton. Some laughed, others sworo,
and abused fate, many screamed,
and cried as if mad, while still othors
orouched in the rian, or saw the
whole scene unmoved, as il gazing
on panorama with which they had
no concern.
sat at such times crouching in
the rain. my body bent up in man.
ner to bring my knees. stomach. and
head in close proximity. between
which were folded and placed my
jacket and ragged blankot,-my back
exposed to tho rain, forming o kind
of roof to keop these valuables from
the wet.
But all in vain such an effort
Tho force Of tho rain, running down
the hillside, continually upset me,
by undermining tho sand beneath
my feet, until at last losing my
blanket and philosophy, miserable
and grotesque as others, | went
rushing and pitching after my tin
pail and blanket, caught up, and
carried away by the torrent.
Large forces were thrown out to
protect the portions Of stockadt
swept away by the food, and keer
the prisoners from desperate at.
tempts at escape. All night under
arms these forces wero kept in fight
ing position until tho rain stop.
ped, aud the stockade was repair
cd.
Night and day artillery was man
ned, which commanded the broker
portions of the stockade, and every
precaution taken against the escap,
Of prisoners. One great good re-
suited from this freshet. On the
hill.side where the stockade had
been broken away, a spring was dis
lowered, which supplied an abund-
ance of pure water TO rs poor
wretches, greatly in contrast with
the filthy stream which had been
our only supply during the sum.
mer.
Shortly after the foreOo;no, avar,