Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-03-19

near the dead line and talking over our
awful condition and of our hopes to pet
out of prison for we were suffering and
Christian men said "Look thereW and
he stretched out to a spot of moist
ground about as large as his hand
which had made it's appearance about
half way between the dead line and
stockade. We all looked and could see
the moisture spread in the dry ground.
BY and by we saw water coming up
thru the ground; it filled our heart
with joy and we said, "Praise God for
he is sending us a spring of water"
The water came slowly and gradually
until it formed stream and ran down
the hill into the creek which was filthy
and hot and the only water that we
had drink. The drainage of the
sewers of this city is not comparison
to the filthy water we were compelled
to drink before God gave us this spring
OF pure water. We shouted and praised
God for this spring of water and we
named it the "Providential Spring."
However, we could not get this water
yet for it ran down the hill between
the dead line and stockade By this
time the word of the spring had spread
all over the prison. At this time there
We're 30, 600 prisoners in. Andersonville
and when the word had got spread
over the prison, the men began to
shout "Providential Spring! Give us
the water" But the rebels had con-
troll of it for it was against the rules
for any prisoner to cross the dead line
so we wrote up and signed petition
and sent it out to Gen. Winder pray
ing him to give us the water. In
short time General John Winder and
Captain Henry Wirz and about fifteen
other officers came into the prison at
the north gate and walked in single
file down to the spring and when they
got opposite it they halted and right
faced. This position placed them be-
tween the spring and the dead line
with their backs toward the prisoners.
We kept up continual reminder that
it was a God-sent spring, providen-
tial spring. Those rebel officers stood
there with their heads hung down. |
never saw a more guilty and meaner
set of men than those officers We're.
They knew that they We're weighed in
the balance and found wanting. They
knew that God had sent that water for
us and not man dared to approach
the spring and taste of the water. At
ter they had stood there for about a
half hour, General Winder lifted his
eyes to the guard and said: "Guard, |
am going out and l will send in some
barrels, a spout and shovels." When
he had spoken these words he turned
around and faced the prisoners. Then
he said: 'Let that Yankee with a
patch on his hat cross the dead line
and fix the spout to the spring." And
pointed his hand toward me, for |
wore the patched hat Then he gave
orders to his officers to about face, and
they marched out of the prison. Before
this | hated the old rebel mat and
would not have worn it under any
other circumstances except a case of
patched hat was q pass to cross the
drink of pure cold water from the God
sent spring. God never hal way does
anything, he always finishes the Job
before he quits. In about one hours
time after General Winder went out of
the prison the north gate swung open
and very old negro, his hair as white
as cotton, came in leading mule
hitched to a cart and in the cart We're
three barrels, three shovels and spout
consisting of two planks with their
edges nailed together forming q spout
The negro came down to the spring
and backed his cart up close, then the
guard cried out with loud voice and
said: "Hey there, you Yankee with
the patch on your hat, cross the dead
line and put the spout to the SPRING"
| stood close to the dead line waiting
for this order and when it came | put
my hand on the dead line and jumped
over and went to the spring and laid
down on the ground and got the first
drink of water from the spring. When
got up from the spring l went to the
cart to take the barrels out and the old
negro stood there with look of Joy on
his face and the tears of gladness rum
ming down his cheeks and said to me:
"God bless you massa soldier, de good
Lord has sent you lots of waughter and