Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-02-04
Prison Life.

Prison Life.
BY A MEMBER OF THE FIRST VT.
: CAVALRY.
Notwithstanding the fact that near
, ly all the prisoners who fell into the
hands of the rebels were most thor
oughly searched for money and valu-
ables,it turned out that considerable
money was left in the possession of
those who reached Andersonville.
While the most of this soon passed
into the hands of the few who had
an eye to money making, even in this
| prison tomb, there was little scat
tered about that could be used in the
purchase of the necessaries of life.
Rude sutler stands were put up, and
here were sold, at most exorbitant
prices, such things as could be OBJ
tanned. For instance, onions sold
for 81 90 apiece, and salt for $1.OO
spoonful, strict measure.
1t seems most strange thing that
any human being, under the circum-
stances, could be wicked enough to
commit robbery, or to take the life of
his dying comrades, but such was the
case and to such an extent was this
carried on that the rebel prison offic-
ers took the matter in hand and per-
mitted courts to be established for
the trial of the accused. These courts
were held outside. by the prisoners
themselves, and the supposed robbers
and murderers had a fair trial, with
witnesses, counsel and jurymen. Not
less than seventy were tried for rob-
berry, thirty of whom were convicted
and brought inside the prison walls
and compelled to "run the gauntlet
Two lines of men placed about six
feet apart, and extending several
rods were formed and the condemned
culprit was compelled to run this line.
Each man in the line was provided
with billets of wood, sticks and other
things with which to give the run
ming victim such q blow as he could
infict. 1t was a horrid sight and a
terrible punishment. OF the number
tried for murder, six were found
guilty and condemned to be hung.
A gallows was erected inside the
walls, close by my tent, and in plain
sight of the thousands within the
stockade. The six men were led to
the gallows on the 11th day of July,
1864 land after due preparations were
made, the fatal drop was let fall and
they were launched into eternity.
Here we witnessed thing that was
great surprise to the prisoners
rious Capt. Wirtz bowed and offered
prayer for the condemned men, turn
ed his back upon the gallows and
walked away. 1t was generally be-
lieved that the robbers and murder
ers were men from the cities, who
were familiar with crime before they
entered the army. No more murders
were known to have been committed
after the execution.
| will speak of the tortures of hun
ger, but no description of the con-
stant, excruciating pangs we suffered
can convey any idea of their terrors.
There was not moment in our wake
full hours that the mind was not
dwelling on the thought of food, and
the moments of sleep were filled with
dreams in which we sat at our moth
ers' tables. | used to think it over
hour by hour, how great a treat it
would be to have free access to my
mothers swill pail. could see the
milk, the floating potatoes and the
crumbs within it, and wish that L
might have opportunity to appease
my hunger with food as clean and de-
licious as this. | dreamed almost
constantly of being set before we'll
filled tables and before rich viands, to
awake, too soon, to the sad realiza-
ton of the delusion. The hunger
and starvation which was bringing
robust men down to mere skeletons
within comparatively few weeks,
was most agonizing and seemingly
unendurable.
Lest there might be mistakes made
in the distribution of our rations, and
a surplus half pint of corn meal used
that belonged to some comrade who
died the day before, we were divided
up into squads. A rebel sergeant had
the oversight of the squads of 90 or
100, and came In every morning to
call the roll, distribute our rations
and provide for carrying out the
QoaQ. 1uC OOdU Ill 0dCu SluSlC SQudU
were liable to be several each day.
These were gathered together, carried
out and placed in a ghastly row be-
beside the gateway. 1t was custom
to label each corpse by pinning upon
it bit of paper on which was writ
ten the name, company and regiment,
These bodies, after being carried
outside and laid down, were put into |
dead carts, piled on promiscuously, |
and drawn off to the burial trench, |
where they were laid alongside and
covered by a detail of men. To re-
call the sight of the row of dead men,
and to think of their appearance as
they lay under the rays of a scorch-
ing, almost tropical sun, with upturn-
ed faces, eyes Enclosed, mouths open,