The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-01-13
ANDERSONVILLE.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
CONTINUED from first pagc.)

CHRISTMAS, AND THE WAY 1T WAS PASSED.
THE DAILY ROUTINE OF RATION DRAW
IAG-soME PECULIARITIEs OF LIVING
AND DYING.
Christmas, with its swelling flood of
happy memories memories now bitter
because they marked the high tide
whence our fortunes had receded to this
despicable state-came, but brought no
change to mark its coming. 1t is true
that we had expected no change; we
had not looked forward to the day, and
hardly knew when it arrived, SO indiffer-
ent were we to the lapse of time.
When reminded that the day was
one that in all Christendom was sacred
to good cheer and joyful meetings; that
wherever the appraised cross proclaimed
followers of Him who preached Peace
Oh earth and good will to men," parents
and children, brothers and sisters, long
time friends, and all congenial spirits
were gathering around hospitable boards
to delight in each others society, and
strengthen the bonds Of unity between
them, we listened as to tale told of
some foreign land from which we had
parted forever more.
1t seemed years since we had known
anything of the kind. The experience
we had had of it belonged to the dim
and irrevocable past. 1t could not
come to us again, nor we 60 to it.
Squalor, hunger, cold and wasting
disease had become the ordinary condi-
tons of existence, from which there
was little hope that we would ever be
exempt.
Perhaps it was well, to certain de-
| gree, that We felt SO. 1t softened the
poignancy of our reflections over the
difference in the condition of ourselves
and our happier comrades who were
elsewhere.
The weather was in harmony with
our feelings. The dull, gray, leaden
sky was as sharp contrast with the
crisp, bracing sharpness or Northern
Christmas morning, as our beggarly
little ration, of saltless cornmeal was to
the sumptuous cheer that loaded the
dinner-tables of our Northern homes.
We turned out languidly in the
morning to roll-call, endured silently the
raving abuse of the cowardly brute
Barrett, hung stupidity over the flicker
ing little fires, until the gates opened to
admit the rations. For an hour there
was hustle and animation. All stood
around and counted each sack of meal,
to get an idea of the rations we were
likely to receive.
This was daily custom. The num-
Der intended for the days issue were all
| brought in and piled up in the street.
Then there was a division of the sacks
to the thousands, the Sergeant of each
being called up in turn, and allowed to
| pick out and carry away one, until all
were taken.
When we entered the prison each
thousand received, on an average, 10 or
l sacks day. Every week saw n re-
duction in the number, until by Mid
winter the daily issue to thousand
averaged four sacks. Let us say that
one of these sacks held two bushels, or
the four, eight bushels. AS there are
80 quarts in bushel, 1000 lnen re-
ceived 256 quarts, or less than half
pint each.
We thought we had sounded the
depths Of misery at Andersonville, but
Florence showed us much lower depth.
Bad as was parching under the burning
sun whose fiery rays bred miasma and
putrefaction, it was still not SO bad as