West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-03-09


camp. One morning he entered the
camp and announced that there wss
tunnel being dug, and there would
be no rations issued until il was dis
covered by the prisoners, and the
ringleaders turned over to him for
punishment The rations at that
time was very short and a day Of
extreme suffering ensued. Another
day passed, and by night thirteen
thousand men we're walking about
crazed with hunger or lying fainting
all over the ground. Another day
and the monster showed no signs of
yielding. Then from among those
starved, famished wretches rose
band OF volunteer heroes who offer.
ed to meet his wrath and save the
lives OF their comrades. They
would make the beginning of tun-
mel and give them selves up. The
sergeants decided that four would do,
and lots were cast among the vol
unteers. Those upon whom the
fatal choice fell we're marched to
the gate and turned over TO Barret
for punishment, who then ordered
ratiohs to be sent in. The starving
men seized upon the raw food and
devoured il like wild beasts, but
not all of them, for many of them
were in the pangs of death, and 9th
ers raging maniacs. Our rations
consisted of one pint Of corn meal,
ground cob and all, and about two
spoonsful of sorgun syrup, and
about twice a week a few beans.
The prisoners in Florence could not
replenish their clothes from the
dead, as they did at Andersonville,
for when a man died in there he
had nothing on but s-few rags.
When election day came in the
fall Of 1854, when Lincoln and Nc
Clellan ran for President, we held an
election in the stockade, just the
same as they did out side. We us
ed black and white beans for tick
cts. Every Sunday morning they
would count us to see how many
had died during the week. The
way they would count us they would
drive us all on one side of the creek,
and march US back in two ranks
and count us as we crossed the
bridge. That was the way we could
always tell when Sunday would come
There was a man stayed close to
where was by the name of John
Vantz, from Illinois He was a
barber and would go out every
morning and work in a barber shop
and come back in the evening. He
seen me have that silver spoon that
/ spoke Of, and be asked me why /
didn't trade il for something to eat.
l told him / had no chance, and he
said If would let him take it out IN
the morning he would do the best
he could with IL for me, and bring
me in what he got for it. So in ;he
morning / let him take il. That
evening he brought me in about
three pecks of fine sweet potatoes
and handed them to me and told me
that was the best he could do. /
asked him what he charged for his
trouble, and he told me nothing. /
thanked him very kindly and took
them in the hut and buried them
right under where we laid, and every
day each Of us would eat one pota.
toe with the rest Of our rations, and
they lasted US a good while. have
often thought that very likely that
spoon saved some Of our lives.
There was starving men in that
camp who would have murdered us
for those potatoes il they had known
we had them.
Every few days some one would
be shot at the deadline. was an
eye witness to two while / was in
Florence. At the upper end Of the
creek where it come inside the stock
ade. there was a log laying with one
end in the creek and the other end
back on the bank. Right beside
the log was ditch dug, which was
the deadine. A great many Of the
boys would walk down the log 70 the
creek 10 get their water. One morn
ing saw fine bright looking boy
about seventeen or eighteen years
old walk down the log to get some
water. lie got his can full, and as
he came back up the log he slipped
and fell, and happened to fall right
IN the ditch or deadiine, and before
he could get up the guard shot him
through the heart aud killed him in.
slanlly. I thought il was the most
horrible thing ever saw. I thought
what sad news il would be for hi,
parents II they knew the fate Of their