The National tribune., 1904-05-26
ANDERSONVILLE AND FLORENCE.
Why Does Not Congress Remember Those
Who Suffered There7

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: l am
moved to relate some of my recollections
of these prisons. In late issue of The
National Tribune Comrade j. Il. Wilson
gave some personal experiences in the
rebel pen at Andersonville, Ga. AS he
says, it is almost impossible to forget OF
forgive. l was prisoner there in '64 and
heartily agree with him in all he says.
Several years ago l saw an article In the
st. Louis Republic. written by lady liv-
ing at Sherman, Tex, Mrs. Edwards, if
l remember rightly. in which she says she
was acquainted with Capt. Wiz and fam
lily before the war. After extolling his
good and noble qualities, virtues, etc. she
says any one who has looked into his kind
and noble face could not believe that the
crimes he was accused of were true. She
knows lie was innocent. Ask any of the
poor boys who saw him every day, about
his kindly face-the face of demon, Il
devil, tiend incarnate-worse than any
character in the Inferno. OH his kindly
memory often-that spindling turkey
necked Barrett at Florence, s. C.. The
boys who were there in "a will remember
election day. A poll was conducted by the
rebels. Lincoln and Mcclellan were can
didates for President; white beans for
Mcclellan, black for Lincoln; resulted in
1900 for Lincoln and 800 for Mcclellan.
Barrett was heard to remark if he had the
1000 by themselves he would blow the
whole - crew to eternity. l have
heard that one Of the comrades met him
after the war and gave him a terrible beat
ing. The old comrades who were in the
Florence pen do not need to be told Of the
cruel and inhuman treatment by this red
headed beast. 1t was when they were
rushing into North Carolina to keep us out
of the way of Gen. Sherman's army, that
he made his last grand-stand play. 1t
was while we were standing in column,
files of four, waiting for cars, in the depot
at Wilmington, n. c., two Irish ladies
came to us with basket each of white
bread cut in slices about the size of a
small hand, and asked permission to dis
tribute it among the prisoners, which was
refused by Barrett, with instructions to
the guard to use the bayonet if they dill
not leave at once! AS soon as the brute
turned to walk away the contents of the
baskets were scattered broadcast among
the starving men, who made such a racket
struggling for the bread that the beast re-
turned and dashed into the struggling
crowd Of starving men, knocking right and
left, snatching and grabbing the bread
from the hands and even the mouths of
some, and threw it down and ground it
under his heel. Some of the boys hid the
precious morsel among their rags until an
oppoi .ohii9 VI ediihs ~ WITHOUT danger
OF losing it came; but the horse laugh he
got from the women was music to me then
and it is yet. In his rage he ordered the
guards to pin them to the wall which the
guards refused to do: and the tongue In sh-
ing that followed from the women is still
fresh in my memory.
And now We must say forgive and for
get! Yes, when We have crossed the great
divide! Year after year We have asked
for relief of some kind from the hands of
our friends at the National Capital; but
were always turned down. Why? There
are only few of MS now, but we cannot
give up hope that great and prosperous
Nation will yet do us justice in part for
the terrible suffering we have survived
but still endure; but don't think for mo-
ment that we will forget-C. p. Fox, Co.
i. 18th Iowa, Hospital, Soldiers Home,
Johnson City. Tenn.