The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-06-22
,lace, followed by terrible suffering


Often scurvy sores would become
gangrenous, and naggots would
crawl from the flesh, and pass from
the bowels, and, under the tortures
Of slow death, the body would be-
come, in part, putrid before death.
In this manner died q corporal,
an old, esteemed, and pious man of
my squad. Many moro died in
much the same manner. Tho corpor-
nj especially had his reason and sem
ses clear, after most Of his body was
in putrid state. In many other
cases. persons wasted to mere skele .
tons by starvation aud disease, un-
able to help themselves, died by in
ches the most terrible OF deaths,
with not n particle Of medicine, or n
hand lifted by those in charge OF the
prison for their relief, medical assis-
tance could not be had.
Wirze often said, ho would like to
kill every yankee in his charge.
There was q small brook, which
run almost through the centre OF
the camp, on each side OF this bro ok
there was swamp. This swamp
was used as sink by the prisoners,
and was putrid with corruption of
human offil. The stencil polluted
and pervaded the whole atmosphere
of the prison.
When a prisoner was fortunate
enough to get breath Of air out.
side the prison, it seemed like
now development Of creation, so
different was il from tho poisonous
vapors inhaled from this cesspool
with which the prison air was reek-
ing. During the day the sun dra nix
up the most noxious OF these vapors,
but in the night the terrible
niasm and stencil pervaded the at
mosphere almost to suffocation.
In July, it became apparent that,
unless something was done to abate
the horrible nuisance, the whole
camp would be swept away by some
terrible epidemic engendered by the
niasm. Impellod by apprehensions
for the safety of themselves and the
troops the rebs had stationed around
camp, on guard, the rebel authors
ties of the prison furnished the nec-
essary impliments to the prisoners,
who filed about half an acre of the
worst of tho sink with earth exca.
ted from the hillside. The space
thus filed in was occupied, alnos,
to tine very verge Of the sink, by
the pris ,ners, gathered here for the
convenience Of the place, and fol
obtaining water.
Men, reduced by starvation ant
disease, would drag themselves t.
this locality, to lie down and uncar-
cd for, almost unoticed.
have counted fifteen dead bod
les in one morning near this sink
where they had died during th'
night. l have seen forty or fft,
men in q dying condition, who
with their little remaining strength
had dragged themselves to thii
place for its convenience, and, un.
able to get back again, were exposed
in the sun, often without food, unit
death relieved them of their untolt
misery. Frequently, on passing
them, some were found reduced tc
idiocy, and many unable to srticu'
ulate, would stretch forth their vast
cd hands in piteous supplication fol
food and water, or point to theil
lips, their glazed eyes presenting
that staring fixednoss which imme-
diately proceeds death.
On some the flesh would be drop
ping from their bones, the effects oI
scurvy 10 others little of humanity
remained in their wasted forms, but
skin drawn over their bones.
Nothing ever before seen in a civi.
lized country, could give a person
an adequateid idea of the physical con-
dirton to which disease, starvation,
and exposure reduced these noble
union soldiers.
IL was indeed q miracle, that men
could retain life 30 long as to be re-
duced to the skeleton condition oi