The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-30
EXPERIENCES IN ANDERSONvILLE

gave some "DETAILS Oh HIS cApcIItllCc
while a prisoner at Andersonville,
during the war. 1t will be read with
interest by all:
DEAR CoMRADEs:-I was detailed
as hospital nurse in the morning OF
the 10Th of Sept. 1868 as thought be-
fore the fighting commenced, but
when l arrived at the old church
where. i was on duty, it was well filled
with wounded soldiers. l was captur-
ed at the battle of Chickamauga,
Sept. 81, about 9 o'clock in the morn
ing.
The hospital in which | was on duty
was well besieged by shell and shot,
one shot passing through the hospital
second day the rebel line of battle
in great rush, soon disappearing.
Some Of the boys lost what valuables
they had. John Foster of Co. III, End
Minnesota infantry was under my care
until he died. He was shot Through
the neck and could not speak. l
helped to bury him. During the night
of the Goth the rear guard OF our army
was posted close to where l was on
duty, and the rebel army about / of a
mile to the right: both armies seemed
to be well satisfied with the last two
days fighting. At about 10 o'clock in
the morning of the 21st our army re-
treated. On the 2lst | assisted in
dressing wounds, burying the dead
and taking care of the wounded. The
next day l helped to unload about 500
badly wounded soldiers brought in by
rebel teams. We laid them in the
woods as there was no room in the
buildings, the night was cold and
rainy, and there was no one to give
them drink of water, In the morn
ing about % had breathed their last.
| assisted in burying the dead in the
morning. Until this time we had
nothing SO eat only what We picked up
on the battlefield. On the 22nd l
helped to bring IN Capt. HalkinS of
Co. B, 2nd MINI. infantry from the
| battlefield TO the hospital to have his
arm amputated: here j net Josiah
Keen with hi> arm shattered SO badly
that amputatiCn was the only remedy
to save his life. tod MIR. Keen as soon
as / could get back / WoU.u assist him
to get to the Hospital, but IN some way
be managed 20 get 10 the hospital and
had his arm ampUtatud b6iOEe L found
bim. Going back TO the hospital |
was Oyertaken by a lot Of rebel stray
glerS, very rough and impudent:
threatening to make a target of me.
Had it not been for the timely arrival
of a number of rebel officers, | have no
doubt but what they would have shot
me without mercy.
The 23rd we marched to the railroad
at Ringold, to take cars for Richmond.
On our march to the railroad we dis
covered great many dead soldiers
and horses that had not been buried.
Before starting for the railroad | con-
cealed in my shoes what money | had,
all but one dollar was confederate
money. Arriving at the station | had
no money left but one dollar in green
back: the confederate bills had worn
to dust and consequently worthless.
Here we boarded open cars for Rich
mOnd. The nights were very cold,
nothing to eat, nor any good water to
drink. Had it not been for losing my
confederate money might have Jared
tolerably well, for at all stations there
was an opportunity to buy some kind
of food from the negroes. Arriving at
Richmond, crossing the James river,
we came in plain sight OF Bell Island
where we could see quite large en-
campment Of prisoners. Arriving at
the depot we were marched to large
tobacco building. Here we were order
ed to deliver all our money and value
ableS, and if any refused to do so, we
would be searched and all that was
found would be cOnfiScated, if deliver
ed voluntarily the money would be re-
turned to us when we were exchanged.
| never learned of anything being re-
turned. Our army had been paid
about week before the battle of
Chickamauga, and no one had any
opportunity to send the money home.
Nearly every one had considerable
money. The rebs must have made
good haul, at least $780, 00 In the at
ternOon we were taken to one of Tenn
pertOns tobacco buildings; POI were
crowded on one floor with four rows of
tobacco presses through the building.
Here the suffering commenced in
earnest. There was no room for all to
lay down at the same time, unless we
crowded on top of each other like pigs.
Having no gas light, nor any kind of
light only what we received through
the narrow windows Of the building.
we were in the dark at least 10 hours
out of "a.
In % days | was taken to the small
poX hospital. never felt so happy as
that morning when the doctor called
my case small pOX, for | was anxious to
get out in the fresh air. At the hos
pital the treatment was much better.
if you may call it a place for the sick,
for it was no more than poor cattle
shed about 20Xl50 feet, with two box
stoves to keep it warm. In the night
the fires died out for want of fuel. Ny
case proved to be varioloid, so | was
soon out of danger.
| was on my feet patroling the hos
pital as soon as | thought il was safe
for me to do so, for the -rations | re-
ceiyed were insufficient to keep me
from starving, as there were not less
than $50 patients in the building. and
mostly all deathly sick, there seemed
to be good opportunity to get some
extra rations. A good many had no
appetite and agreed to hide their ra-
tionS under the bed clothes provided /
would keep them covered during the
night. So in that way | would get
plenty to eat. The temperature in
the hospital frequently changed 40
degrees in "A hours, the reason L sup
pose that nearly all died. Going back
70 TO no Ok