The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-17
TERRORs OF ANDERsoNvlLLE.
Scenes Of Su eriDg sufhcient to Upset tn
Minds Of Men-Inhumantty Of the Rebe
Keepers.

Scenes Of Su eripg sunicient to Upset the
Minds Of Men-Inhuma1tty Of the Rebel
Keepers.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I was
captured, with 81 Of my regiment, July %,
1864, in front Of Atlanta, Ga. We arrived
at Andersonville about July %. When un-
loaded from the cars we were marched
some distance from the station and then
halted by that notable Capt. Wirz. There
was my first view of and experience with
that old Dutchman. He commenced 10
count off a certain number Of men from
the front rank. He wanted to fill the
ranks of the broken 90's-where men
had died. | was the last one he wanted
He ordered us to step forward, and as
was the only one Of my company he had
taken | turned to say good-by to the boys.
| CHANGED to raise my eyes, and the old
devil was going after his eyer-ready navy,
and had it almost level with my head.
moved up quite lively. He did not say a
word, but put the gun back in its holster
and marched us to his headquarters and
there assigned us to different 90's. My
luck was good then; was assigned t. the
second 80, which had reasonably ..ood
well Of water, Of which no one could get a
drop unless he belonged to that 90 was
supplied with drinking water for myself
and slipped quite a good deal to my COM
pany boys for drinking purposes.
Again was fortunate, for my 80 drew
ratiOns the next morning, while the new
COS did not until the following morning
After l was assigned and had received in
structions as to being counted, drawing ra-
tons, ETC., l started to take in the sights
Of the stockade.
Such sights as beheld! Oh, no pen. no
tongue, no painter, can portray the scenes
OF human suffering and wretchedness that
everywhere met our eyes in the Sheol! l
wandered, dazed and bewildered, among
that multitude of starving, half-naked cap
tives; pale, CANT, haggard, wasted by dis
ease and hunger, their scanty garments i'm
rags; many without shelter from sun and
rain and chilling dews. They gave CHASTITY
evidence Of mans inhumanity to man. j
saw emaciated men struggling around
slender fires to cook their meager rations
Of meal, or scraping bare beef bones to
their last vestige Of nutriment.
/ saw them budding under tattered
blankets to shield them from the fierce
MONDAY heat, or creeping like burrOwing
beasts into their holes in the ground.
saw fellow-soldiers with hollow eyes.
weak, helpless and desoured by vermin,
borne on blankets to the dead-hOuse.
saw wagons filled with skeletons drawn to
the potter's field. l heard the crack of
muskets and the whistle of q bullet as it
sped to strike down demented wretch.
who, crazed by his sufferings, had unwit-
tingly crossed the barbarous dead-line.
l heard the shrieks and the curses of
those whose gnawing misery had bereft
them of moral volition and made them
brutes. heard the groans of despair
from men who had lived this hideous life
through many wretched months, and in
whose minds scarce q Pickering spark of
hope remained.
To relate the horrible scenes beheld in
that place would demand the space of
many volumes. Language is futile, and
words have lost their meaning when at
tempt is made to depict the bitter agony
of body and mind and heart that often
made death a welcome relief i'm that hell
upon earth, where Wirz, the fend, had
worthy fiends to help him. ! returned TO
the spot where my company boys had Sc
lected their habitation and sat down, in
despair, convinced that could not live
through such conditions as I had seen;
in fact had quite given up hope and was
in despair, when my friend and dear CON-
rade, John A. Fissell, came along. I was
sitting on the ground with my head resting
on my knees when John asked what allied
| had come to the conclusion / couldn't
stand the racket week; In fact, that
had given up hope.
Then and there / received a lecture
from John, and q lesson / shall never for
get He cuifed me and kicked me and
used language that he never learned oil
Sabbath School: Get mp aid he "and