Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-12-17

ated 8 miles up the Dan river from
the city, where I remained until about
the middle Of February, when we were
ordered back to prison. There had been
900 deaths at the hospital while I was
there.
We were now marched to the depot,
and started south. no one knew whittier
By their preparations, II was surmised
Gen. Grant was going to give them work
to do, as all able-bodied men, who had
been guarding prisoners, were sent TO
Gen Lees army, and their places filled by
young boys and old men with crutch or
cane in one hand and shot gun in the
other We passed through Greensboro,
Raleigh, Charlotte, Columbia, Auguata,
Mellen and Macon, and brought up g days
after leaving Danville, at Andersonville,
and were turned into the pen, or stock.
ade, where we could roam at our own
pleasure. We were not crowded at first,
but others soon arrived, one of whom
died the next day, Feb. 90, "a, name,
Jacob II. Swarner," Co. H, I'd N. Y:
Cav. Grave, marked No. l.. From that
time, our numbers grew very rapidly
until we were so crowded we had scarce
room to rum around-but our ranks soon
thinned! The death rate was fearful!
Our Northern boys could not endure the
confinement, and filth, and misery of
Southern prison pen. 80 to 1873, every "a
hours, gave up the struggle. During the
hot months Of July and August, there were
more prisoners than at any other time,
$4,000. A SIX mule team and two negroes
were kept busy carrying the dead to the
cemetery, about three-fourths of a mile
northeast of south gate of the prison,
and they put on % at load, as you see
pork coming to market here. 1t kept 25
men busy digging and covering up graves.
They dug a trench, 6 feet wide, 2 feet
deep, and about 200 feet long, and placed
them as close together as possible, from
1870 to 100 in a trench, and covered them
up. If they came late with load, the
bodies were thrown on the ground in
pile, and left till morning. The scurvy
was making sad havoc with the prisoners;
seven had died in my tent, and all the
rest had it, This sad state of things con-
tinued until Nov, 1854 When Sherman
was breaking things" at Atlanta, they
commenced shipping us away. Some to
Columbia. Florence, and Savanna.
We were stopped at Millen, where we re-
NAMED 81 days. Here we had an cleo
ton for President, and Abraham Lincoln
had large majority. The Rebels were
so incensed that we had another fast
day. When Sherman started on his
''march to the sea-" they put SIS of us in
a Car, locked the door, and started US for
Savanna. We were 26hours on the road,
with no rations. When we arrived at
Savanna, Fitzpatrick had captured Millen.
only "a hours behind. After his lecture
here in Austin, few years ago, he fold
me he was so sure of liberating US, he did
not take the precaution he should have
DONE Had he divided his forces. and
sent part toward Savanna, below Mil
len, he would have taken all of us. When
we arrived at Savanna there were three
dead men in my car. = AS soon as the car
was unlocked, got out and asked the
Captain in charge if he had not forgotten
us, or if he intended to starve US to death.
The boys were very hungry, and I want
ed the three dead men disposed of. He
sent me to pile of crackers, In sacks,
and told me to take one sack to my car,
and bring back the empty sack. I con-
tinued to do this until I had carried and
emptied eight, when he came and stopped
me. One sack only was intended for
each car. I also made two sacks IN the
transaction, enough to make nice new
suit of clothes, which I wore to Vicks-
burg. Instead of being exchanged here,
as we expected, we were again put in the
cars, and started South, on the Gulf Road.
We were two days and two nights in
reaching our destination, place called
Blackshear, SO miles from Savanna, in a
dense pine forest, three miles from the
r. r. Here they kept us two weeks.
Sherman had taken Savanna. and Kill
patrick was raiding down in our vicinity;
when they got scared, and put us on the
cars again, and started US southwest, to
the. end of the road. to place called
Thomasville, 200 miles from Savanna.
Here we remained 2 weeks, when they
started us again, no one knew whittier.
But at the end of or 10 days we came
to Albany, 40 miles below Andersonville.
This march will always be remembered
as the most severe in all my experience.
All we're bare-footed, and scant of cloth
ing with no blankets. The nights were
bitter cold. Our rations were horrible.
and to this day its terriers come back to
me with such force can scarcely con-
coive how ever endured them. The
number who died on this march will
never be known-on earth. The guards
showed us no mercy. A pack of hounds
was kept on the TANKS all the way. Es-
cape was utterly impossible. Had one
escaped the vigilance of the guards, star.
Walton whould have soon finished HIM
in that barren desolate country, dense
pine wilderness.
On arriving at Albany, Christmas eve,