Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-10-24
AndersOnvllle Prison Life.

hall a picture that gets more attention
from visitors than any other, especial
ly from the boys. 1t is a large picture
of the Andersonville prison pen, and
it shows, not only the prison itself,
crowded with living skeletons, but
how the wretched men confined there
were treated. Many persons, looking
at this picture, ask if it does not make
the prison and the treatment of our
poor soldiers there much worse than
it really was. They can hardly believe
it TO have been so bad.
-Four men who have been frequent
callers at our room were prisoners in
Andersonville. They are David &.
James, Richland Center; CHARLES II.
Russell of the adjutant generals off !.
| Joseph Hall, special pension examiner
| and Eric Paul, of Worthington, Mimi.
All these men say that the picture is
an excellent representation of the
prison and the typical scenes there
that, although the Place is SHOWN %
be one of terrible torture, no picture
can make it seem nearly so terrible
as It was. They can find no words 70
describe the horrors of the place and
the cruelty with which they were
treated.
James and Russell and Paul all
managed to escape, but all were re-
captured and brought back, only to
suffer worse than before. Some of us
have heard these men tell of their
prison experiences. Both James and
Russell have spoken before interested
audiences here in Madison on the sub
jeot of prison life.
Comrade Paul does not speak IN
public. He is quiet man and not apt
to talk about these things even to his
close friends. l have, however. been
able, by asking many questions, to
get from him mucn of his prison story,
though at times he will not answer
me. He says it is too bad to tell.
Comrade Paul enlisted Aug. 30.
1861, from Wyoming Valley, Iowa
county, in what came to be Company
c of the 18TH Wisconsin. He did faith
full service with his company till June
10, 1864, when at Kinesaw Mountain
near Atlanta. Georgia. he was severe
~ wounded and taken prisoner. He
was taken to Atlanta and put into a
| prison hospital. There his bloody
clothing was taken from him and ne
was dressed in decent garments. Dr.
| Roy, his surgeon, was a union man at
| hn9Pf T1d hn
the 10th of July, he, with others, was
| PUT aboard train for AndersonvflIe
| His hospital clothing was taken from
him and he was told to put on the
| garments ne wore when he came
there. They were stiff with dried blood
and were covered with maggots. He
could not get them on till he had
soaked them with water then he had
| to- get into them wet Maggots got in
| to his wound and he was in a terrible
| condition when unloaded at the pris.
on. He had to be carried through
gates. Twice after that he was in the
| prison hospital. He speaks kindly OF
DR.. Bates who attended him there.
| Comrade Paul says he was Mortified
by the sights he saw on being taken
into the prison, but ne swore that he
| would live till after his tormentors
/ were dead and some of them hanged
and he has done it. After being car
ried in a sergeant there got him two
rough pine sticks to cane himself
along withal. Twice his canes were
stolen from him while ne slept After
that Sergeants Wolf and Kennedy
took care of the canes at night.
The prisoners organized among
. themselves a kind of police force to
restrain evildoers. The rebels. fo-
issuing rations. mad the prisoners
divided into 30's. Three 30's were com
| bined into what was called a 90; and
three 90s constituted a detachment.
Certain of the prisoners we're made
officers over these divisions. Many
! men, under the influence of gnaNing
hunger. became brutish,-would steal
/ the food of weaker men. Some men
We're very kind and helpful to those
weaker and more needy than they.
We had rich men in there and
poor, just the same as we have out
| side now. Some men, somehow. got
their money inside the prison In spite
of the close search by the guards.
| There were various, almost unthink.
able ways of hiding it. Gambling was
common vice there, and some be
came richer while others got poorer
| just as they do in Madison.
There We're christian men in the
pr!son,-rea christians, whose relig.
ion stayed by them and helped make
things better. There were some min.
listers, and they had meetings. There
We're prayer meetings in some parts
of the prison every night. There were
earnest fervent prayers for relief.
The religious men prayed for water,
and one night during a fearful storm
a spring broke out 1t was splendid
watre. It is there yet. 1t was called
Providence Spring, for many thought
it came as an answer to prayer am
myself inclined to think it was some.
thing of a miracle.
About the middle of October they
took lot of us away on a train. We
thought we were to be exchanged.
They took us from place to place, but
we had no way of knowing where we
were. knew once or twice that we
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