The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-10
ANDERSONVILLE'S HORRORS.
What an Official Confederate Inspector
Said of the Famous Prison Pen.
Cruelties Put Upon Northern Soldiers in the
Place From Which Dabney Graduated to
Pass on Pension Claims Of Union Men.

appointment of DR. Dabney as Pension Examin-
or at Washington, has revived interest in the
Andersonville horrors, Dabney being one of the
guards whose duty it WAS to ''pick Off the sick
Union soldier prisoners who approached too near
the dead line"
Following is a confederate confession OF the
horrors and barbarities that prevailed at Ander-'
sonville, it being the official report of Col D.
Chandler to Col. R. H. Chiffon, assistant adju-
tant and inspector general g. S. A., Richmond:
ANDERsoNvILhE, Aug 5, 1861
CoI. r. II. Chiffon Assistant Adjutant and inspect
or-general q. A. A. Richmond.
Colouel-Having in obedience to instructions
OF % July ulto carefully inspected the prison
for federal prisoners of war and post at this
place. / respectfully submit the following re.
port:
The federal prisoners of war are confined
within stockade, fifteen feet high, of roughly
hewr. pine logs, about eight inches in diameter,
inserted five feet IN the ground, inclosing, in
GLIDING the recent extensions, an area of 540X260
yards. railing around the inside of the stock
AIDE, and about twenty feet from it, constitutes
the dead line" beyond which the prisoners are
not allowed TO pass, and abo1t three and a half
acres near the center of the inclosure reducing
the available present area to about twenty three
and a half acres. which gives somewhat less
than six square feet to each prisoner. Even this
is being constantly reduced by the additions ts
their number.
small stream passes from west to east
through the Enclosure at about 100 yards from
the southern limit, furnishes the only water for
washing accessible TO the prisoners. Some regi-
ments of the guards, the bakery and cook -house
being placed on the rising ground bordering the
stream before it enters the prison, renders the
water nearly unfit for use before it reaches the
prisoners
This is now being remedied in part by the re-
moval OF the cook house. Under pressure OF
their necessities the prisoners have dug numer.
Gus wells within the inclosure from which they
obtain an ample supply of water TO drink OF
good quality Excepting the edges of this
stream the soil is sandy and easily drained, but
from thirty to fifty yards on each side of it the
ground is a muddy marsh, totally unfit for occu.
patton, and, having been constantly used asa
sink since the prison first established. it ID
now in shocking condition, and cannot fail to
breed pesteuce. An effort is being made by
Captain Wirz, commanding prison, to fill up the
marsh and construct sluce-the upDer end ia
be used for bathing, etc. and the lower as
sink-but the difficulty OF procuring lumber and
tools very much retards the work and threatens
to stop 1t.
No shelter whatever, nor materials for con-
structing any, have been provided by the prison
authorities and the grounds being entirely bare
Of trees. none is within reach Of the prisoners,
nor has it been possible, from the overcrowded
state OF the Enclosure, to arrange the camp with
any system. Each man has been permitted to
protect himself as best he can by stretching his
blankets, or whatever he may have, above him
on such sticks as he can procure, matches of pine,
whatever his ingenuity may suggest and his
cleverness supply. OF other shelter there is and
has been none. The whole number of prisoners
is divided into messes of 30 and subdivisions OF
ninety men, each under sergeant of their own
number and selection. and but one C. S. officer.
Captain Wirz IS assigned the supervision and
control of the whole. In consequence of thia
fact, and the absence of all regularity in the
prison grounds, and there being no barracks or
tents there and can be no regulations esrab-
lished for the police consideration for the
health comfort and sanitary condition of those
within the incIosure.' None are practicable un-
der existing circumstances. In evidence of thet
condition I would cite the fact that numbers
have been found murdered by their comrades,
forts to provide for their own safety, a
court organized among themselves by authority
of General Winder, commanding the post,
granted on their own application, has tried a
large number Of their fellow-prisoners and sem
fenced six to be hanged which sentence was
duly executed by themselves, within the stock
ade, with the sanction of the post commander.
His order in the case has been forwarded by him
to the War Department.
There is no medical attendance furnished
within the stockade Small quantities of medi.
cine are placed In the hands of certain prisonera
of each squad division, and the sick are di.
rected to be brought out by the sergeants OF
squads daily at 'sick-calr to the medical officers
VINO attend at the gate. The crowd at these
times is so great only the strongest can get ac-
cess to the doctors. the weaker ones being una
BILE to force their way through the press, and the
hospital accommodations are so limited that
though the beds tso-called have all, or nearly
all, two occupants each, large numbers who
would otherwise be received are necessarily sent
back to the stockade. Many-twenty yester-
day-are carted out daily, who died from un-
known causes, and whom the medical officers
have never seen. The dead are hauled out daily
49, l..
their hands in many instances being mutilated
with an axe in the removal of any fngerr rings
they may have.
The sanitary condition Of the prisoners is as
wretched as can be-the principal causes of NOR
tally being scurvy and chronic diarrhna-the
percentage of the former being disDroportionate-
~ large among those brought from Belle Isle.
Nothing seems to have been done, and but little
if any, effort made to arrest it by procuring pro-
per food. The ration is one-third pound bacon
and one-q quarter pound unbolted corn meal, with
fresh beef at rare intervals and occasionally
rice When to be obtained-very seldom-a
small quantity OF moiasses Is substituted for the
meat ration. little weak vnegar-unfit for
use-has sometimes been issued. The arrange.
ment for cooking and baking have been wholly
inadequate and though additions are now being
completed, it will still be impossible to cook for
the whole number of prisoners. Raw ratione
have to be issued to very large proportion, who
are evidently unprovided with proper utensils
and furnished so limited supply of fuel they
are compelled to dig with their hands in the
filthy mud before mentioned for roots, ETC. No
trap or clothing has been issued.
After inquiry, am confident that, by slight
exerti0ns, green corn or other antiscorbutics
could be easily obtained Herewith / hand tive
reports of Chief Surgeon White to which
would respectfully call your attention. The
present hospital arrangements are only intended
for the accommodation Of the sick of ten thou
sand men, and totally insufficient, both in char
acter and extent for the present needs, the mum.
Der OF prisoners being now more than threa
times as great the number of cases requiring
medical treatment is in an increased ratio. 1t ia
impossible to state the number of sick, many
dying within the stockaie whom the medical
officers never see or hear of till their remains
are brought out for interment The rate of
death has steadily increased from 81 40 per
cent during the month of March last year to 62
40 per cent. in July. OF the medical officers