The National tribune., 1883-01-04
PRISON EXPERIENCES,
Little Red Caps Revelations Concern
ing AnderSOnVille Horrors.
[ContiRued from losl 1reek. ]

| we were subjected there, and I well remember
| that when l returned home and told hOyK one
| after the other, my comrades had died OF star
| vatiOn and disease, some of the neighhors be-
| came very indignant because they thought
/ was representing matters as worse than they
really were, and thereby causing needless
sorrow and anguish to their friends and reia-
tions. But to return to Professor Jones. Fur
thor on in his testimony he says:
''The supply of medical officers has been INSULT
cient from the foundation of the prison. IN the
stockadc with the exception OF the damp lowl1nds
bordering the small stream the surface was covered
with hut5 and small ragged tents and parts
of blankets and fragments OF OiicOth coats and
blankets, stretched upon sticks. The tents and
huts were not arranged according 90 any order and
there was, in most parts Of tine enclosure scarcely
room for two men to walk abreast between the
tents and huts. There were nearly 5000 seriously
i'll TederalS in the stOckude and confederate states
military prison hospital, and the deaths exceeded
tuO per day and large numbers of the prisoners VINO
| We're walking about. and who had not been entered
upon the sick reports, were suffering from severe
/ and lucurable GlarTnaaa, dEscntary and scurFE.
visited 1900 sick within the stocl5ade lying Un-
der some long sheds, which had been built ut
the northern portion for themselves. At this
time only medical officer in attendance,
whereas at least twenty medical officers should
| have been employed. 1t the time Of my visit to
Audcrsonville large numbers OF Federal prisoners
had been removed TO Ailcn. savannah, Charleston,
and other parts Of the coutedergcy in anticipation
of an advance OF General ShcrmanS forces from
Atlanta with the design Of EhcratlGg their captive
brethren. However. about 5000 prisoners re
mained confined within the limits of the stoclsade
and confederate states military prison hospital.
A PLACE OF HORRORS.
Aftergiving q Iongand detailed description of
the various diseases that came under his OBJ
servatiOn, he says:
"Thc haggarl, distressed countenancez of these
miserable, complaining detected, living skeletons,
crying for medical aid and food, and CIT=iuE their
Government for Its refusal 70 exchange prisoners,
and the ghastly corpscs with their glazed cyCmil5
staring up into vacant space, with tine flies
ing down their open and griuninG mouths. and
over their Ttggcd clothes. infested with numerous
lice they lay amongst the SEX and dying,
formed u picture Of helpless, hopeless misery which
it would be impossible TO portray by words or by
the brush. The manner o. dispOSlng OF the dead
was also calculated to dePres5 the already despond-
( ing spirits OF these men, Tnuny of whom had been
confined ior months and even for nearly two years,
/ m richmond and other places anu whose stitlStl
had been wasted by bad sir, bad food and neglect
OF personal cleanliness. The Gead-hOuSc Ir merely
q frame covered with Old tcut-clOth and Il few
bushes situated iii Che southwestern corner OF the
hospital grounds. When n patient dies, Inc is
simply laid in the narrow street in front Of MS tent
until he Is removed by Federal negroes detailed TO
carry oil the dead; u a patient dies olif!l& ti'e
night he lies there until morning. and during the
day even the dead were frequently allowed 20 re
main for hours III these walks. In thc oedu-uOu1c
the cOrpses lie upon the bare ground, and were IN
most cases covered with filth and vermIn. The
cooking arrangements of most defective char
acter Five large iron pots, similar 10 those used
for boiling sugar cane, appeared to be the only
cooking utensils furnished by the hospital for the
patients were dependent in great measure upon
their own miserable utensils They We're allowed
to cook in the tentdoorS and in the lanes and this
was another source OF hlth ana another favorable
condition for the generation ana multiplication oil
flies and other vcUmiu. The air OF the tents was
foul and dsagrecablc in the extreme and in fact the
entire grounds emitted most naUseoIs2ud gust
ing smell. 1 entered nearly all the tents and care
fully examined the eases OF interest and e@pccLiuy
the cases of Gangreue, upon numerous occasions
during the prosecution Of my pathological inquiries
at Andersouviile and therefore, enjoyed every Cp-
pOrtunlty to Judge correctly Of the hygiene ana ponce
otthe hospital There appeared TO be
Indifference and neglect on the part OF the patients
OF their personal cleanliness; their persons and
clothing in most instances. and especially of those
suffering with gaugFene and scorbutic ulcers, were
filthy in the extreme and covered with Verfnlu
1t was too often the that patients received
from the stOckade In most deplorable condition.
/ have seen men brought in from the stOcSade IN =
dying condition, begrimed from head to foot with
their own eXcrements and so black from smoke
and filth that they resembled negroes rather than
white men"
Professor Jones closes rs follows:
Finally this gigantic mass of human misery
calls loudly for relief moi only for the sake OF suf
fering humanity, but also on account of our own
Federal Government. Strict Justice to the gallant
men of the confederate armies. who have been or
surrender in battle demands shat the confederate
government should adopt that course which VIII
best their health and comfort in captivity,
or mt least leave their enemies without shadow Of
for any violation Of the rules of civilized
warfare in the treatment of prisoners
THE MAXIMUM MORTALITY.
The greatest number of deaths in any one
day is reported to have occurred on the 23d of
August, when the total number was one hun
drcd and tWcnty-seven, Or one man every
eleven minutes; but l think this statement
must be incorrect. I remember that it was
currently reported that on one day in August
the deaths exceeded two hundred. At this time
the dead-hOuse was cleared ont every evening,
and some Of the boys counted over two hum
dred dead lying in a row.
was still living at this time with Wirz and
his family. His two step-daUghters, Susan and
Cornelius. seemed TO be very fond oiIuy COM
pauy. | had learned to play cards while in the
army, and as they were acquainted with some
Of the games We used 10 play together ire
QUeutly | had learned q number of tricks
with cards, and they were q great source
of amusement. They were good singers, by
the way, and Susan Taught me popular songs.
One day ! took n fine gold ring from Cumeja5
finger and though she always declared ! must
give ii back to her | never did so. / lost it at
Camp Parole, Annapolis Maryland, after my
return. Captain Richard Winder, / rc-
member, also frequently came ont to Nirzs
house in the evenings and sang and played the
guitar. Cora Wirz lost q pet rabbit about tlls
time, and we made arrangements to bury it
with great ceremony. At the conclusion of the
something and she gave way 10 perfect tor
rent of abuse, calling ne all kinds OF blue
belIied Yankees" This, rs with her father,
seemed to be her pet phrase when she was
angry. One evening General NInder came
home with Wirz. As they rode up To the gate
old Wirz remarked: General, this Is a Httlo
Yankee from Maryland" Winder, turning 10
me inquired: Where are you from. sir?'
' Maryland" ! replied. "Are you not ashamed
of yourself said nc, coming as You do from
Southern State, to be in toe Federal amy
And his aspect was SO fierce and fOrbiddlng that
] feared he would strike me with his coWhldc
During my stay at WIrZ's home l succeeded in
getting a fresh supply of clothing. | feared the
temper Of old Wirz, and did not know what
day he might fly into Il rage and turn
me back into the stocIade. | had become
well acquainted with Mrs. Baa5, the wife
OF the gentleman who owned the house. and
she had kindly furnished me with lodging
| told her OF the condition Of my clothing
and we soon set about replacing it. / managed
to smugglo in some meal sacks from the cook
house and she washed them and made them
up into pants and shirts tOrme. / then secured
a little box sufficiently largo enough to hold
them, and she fixed it up, so that was pre-
pared for another siege. l always believed
that Mr.. and 3Irs. Baas were Union people, and
indeed. the old gentleman, who had been con-
scrintcd into the Georgia reserves and was
guarding the stOckadc, told me one day that he
was a thorough Union man, and hoped for the
success of the Federal army; but at the same
time cautioned me not TO betray him.
TRAINING THE BLOoD-HoUNDs.