West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-03-02
ANDERsoNvILLE

While serving under Gen George
Stoneman, who commanded a cavalry
corps nnder General Sherman, about
the LIST Of Ausgust, 1864, it was my
misfortune to be captured and taken
10 Aniersonville, Georgia. OF Auder-
sonville prison. 1 will have to
write this account entirely from
memory, as / never kept diary, and
consequently l cannot give any dates.
/ will just say that / was captured
on whe vas known as the Stoneman
raid, when General St0neman un-
dertook Co relsase the prisoners at
Anderslnville.
Without farther detail ] will begin
at the prison Ihess were about 900
Of as together We were placed in
two ranks and ordered b pull off our
clothes aud throw them in a row
along in front of us. Then orr
clothes were searched, and everything
taken from us, down 10 pin-pocket
books, knives, tobacco, keepsakes
that the boys had brought from home
with them, even pictures of their
friends.
had picture Of dear giil that
l had besn writing to all the time
that was in the army, and they
took that. One Of the boys lad n
ten dollar bill and he had an idea
they would take it from him, so he
wrapped it around his ankle and
wrapped bloody rag over it, and
they supposed be had sore ankle
aud he got in with it, We were
then ordered to put on our clothes and
were marched into the stockade
The frst thing that greeted us The
boys began to hollow "Fresh fish ."
and then ask us questions What 4
the news outside2 Have you heard
anything about our exchaDgeY Where
were you captured Where's Sher-
man? Why didn't you bring in some
papers9"
That evening we did not get very
far from the gate, but pulled down
on the wet, muddy ground where
ever we coup9 find room. The next
morning we began to take fin the
situation. Two other boys, George
amaker and Jim Jeffers, aud my
yed together We began TO
nder around in the camp, and
snen we saw the condition the boys
Swere in, we saw we had only one
chance out Of a hundred to get out OF
there alive Bat we were fortunate
we found a boy that belonged to our
reigmentt who had been captured
about two months, before, and be
bad an intarest in we'll, and we got
10 with them and got permission to
use water out of their we'll. SO we
Jared All right for water After we
located piece Of ground big enough
TO lay down on, and got our goods
and ohattels on 1t, which consisted Of
one horse blsuket one canteen and
one quart can, we saw we were about
~ we'll situated as most Of cur com
rades.
The FIRST week I was 10 there I put
in Tho most OF my time walking
round over the camp Wo were lo-
Gated near the street that led iu from
the -eaih gate Early each morning
the dead OF the preceding day ADD
night we're carried and laid ip q
row or rho bank. rcady when the
team l1ii o1me in Co haul thom
out ! counted them for about q
weok and lhey ran from 90 tJ so
every twenty four hours
We would lay on tb8 bare ground
Of night, aud cover ourselves with
the horse blanket that ] spoke Of.
We unsodered Che cauteen and made
two dishes oi it. which was very use.
ful about our cooking The hale
Of cantoen was thc mos. ua.faI im.
plemout we bad in tha sfckade. n
was uFod entirely for digging we'll.
and tunnels The quart can wa.
used for drawing water out Of onI
VOL OK for cooking our beans iu, n
We drew raw ones When we drow
cooked ration. they consisted of d
piece Of corn bread about four inches
square, q spoonful on two Of blaob
stock, peas land thero WAS hug for
every pea aud about two bitos oi