The National tribune., 1883-01-04
TYLER PRISON.
Brief but Interesting Sketch Of the Anderson
Vile OF Texas.

Brief but Interesting Sketch Of the Anderson
vile Of Texas.
DR. Jno C. Tressel, Co B. Ninety-Sixtb Ohio
vols, now a resident Of Cleveland, o., who was
confined ut Camp Ford near Tyler Texas, gives
the following rs his experience ia that Southern
prison pen; The prison was situated about
four miles north of Tyler, Texas, On II side hill
along the main road leading to Tyler. The
prisoners were abundantly supplied with pure
spring water, which issued out OF the side hill
just outside of the stoCkade. As regards the
treatment we received, there is no complaint to
make against the rebel government in paTticu-
lar, but the oliIcars and men in charge, with
the exception Of Col. Allen, were tyrauts, abus-
ing and knocking down the prisoners Oh the
least prOyOcatiOn, and sometimes without any
ut all. The greatest fear we had was during
night time. when some one of the guards would
shoot into camp, all the rest following suit,
killing men prOmisCuously claiming as their
defense that all attempt to break out was the
cause Of their shooting. AGn would be shot
down while walking near the dead-ine. IN
one instance good and plOus man Was shot
while sitting near the dead-Iine and discussing
with a cOmrade the merits Of a sermon heard
that evening When we asked for justice In this
case we were promised that the guard should be
CouTt-martiaed, and, if found guilty, punished.
The result of the cOurt-martIal was that the
boy tor he was but I6 years old, was promoted
a Yank. No doubt he wrote with many EN-
bellishments to his loving mother how he had
killed one of the hated Yanks, brave boy y
and his defense was that the Yankee swOre at
him, while the facts Of the case were simply
this: the words God Almighty, and Jesus
were frequently used in discussing the sermon
heard that night, and he used that excuse to
claim that they were swearing at him. The
poor victim of rebel bravery Southern chiv-
alryD lived in the greatest agony from 10
o'clock IN the evening until 8 next m0rSng,
when death relieved his suffering. We made
three attempts to dig-out. Once the elements
themselves were against US, as q heavy rain
cayed in our tunnel just as it was completed.
The second time about three hundred escaped
the first night, but the hounds were set on
their tracks and five or six were brought back;
the rest were either torn to pieces by the dogs
or were shot in their tracks by their pursuers.
The third attempt to dig-Out we were betrayed,
and had TO give it up. Then we planned
another method which we carried on success
fully for about six weeks without discovery,
when again we were betrayed by the same per-
son, mere boy, who, to get an extra bite to
eat, served the rebels as a spy. The method
employed was for two men to lay in the bottom
OF a cart used to carry cut the refuse and filth
of the camp and cover themselves with pieces
of blankets when their comrades, whose turn
would come next, would cover them with dirt
and filth of the camp, and then haul them
about mile from camp, when the whole would
be dumped. The driver taking no notice of
the men, would 20 back for another load, they
remaining under the pile until dark, when
they would scatter, every man for himself, to
try and reach our lines 200 miles distant at the
nearest point Some few got through; the
rest were never heard of again. Our fare con
sisted of pint of corn meal day per man,
and If the mill broke down, which often
happened, we were issued pint of shelled corn
When meat was issued we got pounds to 10
men. No salt could be got for any price The
death rate was about 40 per day out of 1000
prisoners"