The National tribune., 1883-03-08
TIE EDITORS TABLE,
A Glance at the Contents of The
Tribune'S Mail.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE /:

| 10 the EtiltOr NATIONAL 1RIBUNE:
In THE TRIBUNE of February 8th Comrade R. P
Black of Baker City, gives his of the ori-
gin Of the spring. lie either be trying make
people believe that the spring was providential
affair solely for the benefit OF the prisoners, else
his memory must be badly ut fault.
was prisoner at AndersonvIlle early in May,
and the water in the little creek that passed through
the stockadc, that helped make the swamp, was
most of the time unfit for drinking purposes SO it
caused us to look out for water fit for the purpose
The sldchlll south of the swamp, near the swamp,
was somewhat marshy, and water Uozed out for
distance along the slope just above the level
OF the swamp, showing that water could be had by
digging. | scooped small place for the water to
settle in, where qIenced my thirst many times
before the spring was finally opened, and presume
others did the same; but after the stockade became
| thickiy populated, every available spot of dry
ground was occupied, well places that were
not so dry, and continued tranpng over the wet
places hardened tine crust. So, naturally enough
the water sought the only vent possible which
was where the first excavation had been made, and
then some of the prisoners occupying the ground
nearest the spring borrowed a spade to dig it out,
and thus made quite a Sood-slZed spring. Indeed,
they monopoliZed the of the water and made
1t private property, that we We're then compelled
to adopt other means TO procure a supply. We
accordingly set about digging wells. The one
was Interested in was thirty-iive feet deep and
contained about eighteen inches of water. Our
we-rope consisted of thongs of leather from boot
legs, suspeuders and belt-otraps, contributed by
each one Interested, according to his means, and
welbucI<et was an old tin pail that would hold
about gallon Ut had seen better days, for the tin
bottom had been out and replaced it with a
pail first used to haul out th; dirt and after
wards tie water. 1t answered the purpose admi-
rably.
But this is not the subject had in view when
commenced to write. | intended to critcise Com
rade Blacks statements about tunne!ing. Now, the
spring was about hundred feet from the dead
line on the west side and few wards from the
creek, which was near the center before the stock
ade was enlarged, and the water ran from west to-
wards the east The enlargement was made on the
north end.
He says: g We dug tunnels from the inside of the
stockade to where these artillery guns We're, near
Nirzs headquarters. large enough for ten or fifteen
men" Now, would like to have him tell the dis
tance to- the place where those gums were and what
done with all thst dirt. l Will not pretend TO
say, but it long distance top of the ground.
Perhaps he took short underneath. Then he
says We also had tunnels to near where the guns
stood, near the north gate Now, the guns were
not so very near the north gate, for we could see
the guns from the north side over the stOckade,
which WAS twenty feet high, and the Ell was not
very steep, either. He also says I'VE dug more
from the head OF the swamp into the stockadc,
about one-qUarter of the way from the brook to
the north gate, and mined ali the dirt for nearly
seventy feet along the stockade,' &c. lie must
surely have had wet time; for the low; wet l;,::d
reached for more than half the distance to the
north gate, and the spring t:Ie south side of
the creek; consequently, lie would have to dig
entirely under the swamp [ recoileCt the big
flood i'll July, but recolicct also that the spring
was there long before recolicct tco, that the
force of the water toppled quite stretch of
the stockade on the west side, and made much
larger gap where IT made It's cXIt. | ut first con-
tcmplated swimming for freedom, but the risk of
life and limb was toe great, considering the con-
diton of the stream; for there had been appro-
priation voted to make it navi9able since the
prison authorities hGd feilcd timber rrOmiscuOuSly
on that side of the stockade, So for fear of being
wrecked did not attempt the yoyage-l did not
want to tear myself away from friends 30 abruptly.
] don't think there any tunneiinE done the
east side, and therefore give the water some
credit for the force it possessed This plan OF exca
waiting along the stocfade was discussed, well
many other projects but none of them very
practicable under the circumstances In conciu-
| wi Ish tn ia nf ln mn pu
and prisoners-that if the plan bad been put into
execution, the place to have done the excavating
would not have been i'll that swamp, when it would
have been so much more practicable on dry ground.
/ should like to hear other prisoner give his
views. THEo. G. DAVIS,
Late Lieut.. Co. +, 33th Ill. Vols.