The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-08-12
ANDERSONVILLE.
A Comraie TELLS Wha; lie Suffered In the Terrible
Prison

To THE EDITOR: At the battle of Rogers
vile. Tenn, Nov. G, 1863, between Gen. Car
teT's command Of the Ninth Corps and de-
tachment Of COafedeTates, of whom Gems.
White aud Nash commanded portion, / was
captured aud taken to Belle Island remained
there until shout Feb. 20, 1861 from Belle
Island went 70 Libby, and remained there a
short time. About the 25th Of February, 1864,
/ was taken TO Andersonville via Charleston by
railroad. We were detained at Charleston a
few days on account of the stoCkade not being
completed at Andersonyille. When completed
we were taken into that famous prison. Myself,
in company with part of the 1tL Ohio, began
our stay there the latter days OF February,
1861. The company to which / belonged was
Co. Of the I'd Tenn, Capt. VIM. G. Cairns. lt
may be proper to state here that the 9Th Ohio
and I'd Tenn. were in the same brigade at the
battle of ROgersgille, they being the only two
regiments that participated III the fight. After
arriving at Andcrsonville we were Immediately
taken 10 quarters, which were built in the form
of square by hewn pine logs being stuck on
end about ID feet high above ground.
In company with John Gibbs, Jas. Andrews,
John Hicks, John Digs, Charley Huckeby,
Thos. Scruggs and Harve Baker was messed
in one of these pens, and remained for IL
months. Our diet consisted OF what we called
"cOrn-hObby," made out Of cOTncOb husks and
corn ground up and mixed with water. One
small piece of this, not over one-half pound in
weight, once a day constituted our whole
amount of rations Our water, or rather sub
stitute for water, we obtained from brook
which ran through our part OF the stockade.
This water was filthy beyond description be-
ing mixed with all manner of dirt from differ
ent sources. Among other articles of diet we
got occasionally were wOrmy beans ard decayed
meat; the latter, however, very rarely, but
about as often as we desired, as IL was next to
impossible to retain il on the stomach. Our
mainstay was the traditional "corn- hobby"
which after months and months of incarcera-
ton grew to have a ghastly sameness, which
was only relieved by the thought of complete
starvation if the supply ran short Circum-
stances alter cases at times, but in this instance
they Modified completely any tendency We
may have had toward fIstidiousness.
When we slept, or rather tried TO sleep, we
slept Oh the bare ground, one blanket TO seven
men. The covering of our stockade was in
sufficient TO turn rain, and during the cold
nights of Winter we Were miserable-indeed, a
wretched, desperate set OF starving men. This
state OF things, alternated by the deadly heat of
the Summer of 1864, when our condition was
even more depiorable on account of the body lice
(gTaybacks) which hatched in innumerable
thousands in the sand, continued for IL months
During this period Of misery and Tretchedness
five OF my messmatcs died, so that only myself
anu two others live TO recount our awful expe-
rience. Their names are Chas. Huekeby and
John Hicks When at this day look back and
recall the horrible things that were there daily
enacted and the untold wretchGdness OF the
thousands and thousands of brave men who
sacrificed life and health and strength, won
der how any could have survived TO relate the
others fate. CHASTITY as have been all the tales
of wo and agony endured and suffered in that
hideous, monstrous and foul prison pen, have
never read one in which the incidents have
been OverdTawn or exaggerated in the slightest
degree. The half has never been nor can never
be toid.-lsAAC DREW, Co. G, I'd Tenn, Clear
mont, 10.