The National tribune., 1888-02-23
ANDERSO VILE.
ClosIng seenes In tlat 81 Prison.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Before the
rebel Gen. Hood started Oh his march to Nash
VILE the prisoners were all removed from An
Jacksonville to Savannah, and from there dis
tributed to places of safety. Seven OF eight
thousand were placed in the stockade ut Millen,
but were soon removed TO get them out OF the
way of Gen. Sherman's army. Some were sent to
Florence, S. c., and 4,0G0 were taken to Black
shear, so miles southwest of Savannah, and
placed In camp, where they remained for four
weeks While in camp here the boys got in
the habit of running the guard-line on dark
nights, some with the hope of getting away, and
others only to get fresh air and to do some
foraging, and would return in day or two.
Each guard kept fire of pine knots burning
during the night Toward morning when the
guards become sleepy and careless, dozen or
so of the prisoners would take a position In
readiness near one side of the guard-line when
one of their number would make break and
disappear in the darkness, when every gun in
reach would be discharged, and then the others
would follow their leader.
The Union troops had now closed in around
Savannah, and the order came before daylight
one morning to get ready to move Some of
the boys thought now was good opportunity
to make their escape, and struck the rather
novel idea of
BURYING THEMSELVES ALIVE
by getting their comrades to cover them with
pine leaves, Of which there were large quanti-
ties 1t would have worked well had not some
awkward guard stumbled onto one of them.
Then they set the camp on fire, and amid the
boots and yells of the guard they emerged with
their hair and clothing on fire and almost
suffocated with the smoke.
At IL o'clock at night we reached Thomas
vile, nice town 100 miles due south of An
Jacksonville, where we remained for three weeks.
Here they put a large force of negroes at work
Il n ifdl,o Inc Int bafn
pleted we we're started on the march to Albany,
where there was railroad running north to
Fort Valley. We had go miles to march through
dense pine forest, and on the first days march
ehivalrous young blood appeared on the
scene with a cooked revolver in hand, and pro-
ceeded to brutally kick every sick and tired
prisoner that fell out of line. On the fourth
day it turned cold and the ground was frozen.
Many of the prisoners were baTefooted and
hatless and their clothing consisted of the re-
mains of shirt and pair Of pants, the legs and
arms of which were off to the knees and
elbows But no matter, they were crowded at
the point of the bayonet through streams of
ice-cold water and mud, with feet cracked and
| bleeding.
When Albany was reached we went into box
cars and reached AndersonYille at 10 o'clock
on the morning of Christmas, 1864. TO say that
no preparation had been made for comfort,
would not be doing the authorities justice !;
they had actually plowed the ground that we
were to occupy, presumably to
GET RID OF THE eRAYBAcKs.
I think all who were there at that time will
} long remember that unhappy Christmas Day.
| A cold rain set in and continued all day and
] night and until noon the next day, when it
/ turned colder and strong wind blew until
the next morning. Wood was furnished in
small quantities for three or four weeks, after
oil II
der guard once in Is days, to gather up broken
limbs of the trees that had been cut down to
| build the stockade. We often had to 20 mile
or more to get anything that we could carry.
During the Winter the number Of prisoners
was increased to 5000 by the arrival Of " fresh
fish," mostly men captured at Nashville.
Early in March 3 number of the guards came
inside and announced that they were going to
parole q few men to send to Vicksburg for ex-
change, and all who could give $50 would be
! the first to 90. They kept this up for several
days, and the price of exit fell rapidly to the
lowest cash price, and then blankets, jack
knives and trinkets of little or no value were
accepted. Each one of the guards so engaged
had to pay commission to the authorities for
the privilege. As soon as a thousand were
thus obtained they were paroled and started
on the road until 1900 had gone. Among the
notable characters TO go was Timber JIM" 9
man who took prominent part in helping to
convict and hang six of the prisoners In June
1864. Another was known as "Old Jimmie
Bowlegs," a man who started to trading
with a capital of one brass button, and
retired with $1,000 in cash. Of those who
went at this time, hundreds lost their lives in
the Sultana disaster. In a short time all thai
were left were taken out and paroled, which
took whole day and part Of the night. Dur
ing the afternoon the guard became careless
and the boys struggled off into the woods te
hunt flowers. Old Wirz come out of his ofiet
about this time and took In the situation an6
he said to his son, who was q Sergeant
where's that Cot dam man with his Cot dan
dogs" and the boy was dispatched in hurry
after him the Got dam man" soon made hi
| appearance riding a gray horse, followed b.
four or five bloodh0unds, and he proceeded I,
. hunt for game. Word, however was quickly
passed around and the boys got back in time.
We were told to go back in the stockade ant
we would be called out next day TO start t.
Vicksburg. In about week an officer cam
in and told US that they could not take us t.
Vicksburg IS the YaHks had taken Selma
Ala; but he said it would not be long unit
we would move.
On April we went out and started, the,
said, to Jacksonville, Fla On arrival at Al
bany we went out five miles, to Blue SPRING.
and after delay Of three days made a goo
days march toward Thomasyille Just befor
) sunset halt was made, and it was eYiden
that something was not right. A man o.
horseback was seen approaching. On his al
rival, after a short consultation, the guard
were ordered 10 load their guns, and the orde
; was given TO about-face, and we were marehe
rapidly until o'clock, and the hope of reach
ing cur lines was dispelled. Among the pril
! oners some cried in despair, others sw0re. N
satisfactory reason was ever given for tn
backward move. In two days we were agai
inside tbs stoekade, and the only cheer was a
Improvement in quality and quantity Of II
tions which were more than doubled
On the 18th of April, 1865, at about ]
o'clock in the night, word was passed aroun
TO hurry to the gate, everybody" an orde
which was promptly obeyed, and we were 500
on the cars moving in the direction Of Atlant
When we reached Macon, after short della
the trains were started on the back track, a
irving at Andcrsonyille at noon on the 1St
What was the matter2 Were we again to
IN the stockade? No. the prison gate WAS
FIRE and the spokes of the wheels of the gui
carriages had been cut. After delay Of 9
hour, in which Wirz did heap of swearin
we got one cracker each. IT was announc,
by Wirz that Union cavalry was approachin
and If his officers did not get us away inside
half an hour he would have US all shot. II
trains started south for Albany, and we
TURNED OUR BACKS ON ANDERsoNvILLE 70
EVER.
Sc In about week we were stopped at Ial
t, City, Fla, where we were again paroled. He