The National tribune., 1910-07-14

one corner Of the cabin we dug a
square hole in the ground about six
| feet deep; then we started our tunnel
| towards the stockade. We would dig
| it just large enough for a man to work
on his hands and knees. The digging
was done with an old butcher knife,
which was slow work. We had an old
coffee sack and rope fastened to each
end of the sack that was to haul the
dirt out; the man that went in the tun-
mel to work for about an hour at a
time would dig and fill the sack, and
then he gave the rope a jerk as a sig
nal to pull out. Then there was a
squad with buckets to carry the dirt
out and scatter it in different places in
camp, so they didn't mistrust anything
wrong. We always picked dark nights,
and kept out our pickets, too. We gem
orally worked from 10 to o'clock, and
closed up our hole in front. We put a
few boards down a foot below the
ground, and then filled up with dirt
and swept it off, and no one ever mis-
trusted that there had been tunnel
started there.
1t was very slow work. We only
averaged a few feet during night. We
could not work more than an hour at
time; but the tunnel that we started
in the 10th Ind. quarters came to grief.
After working several weeks on it some
traitor in our own camp reported, and
one day rebel officer with some guards
came into our cabin and rammed his
old saber down and struck the boards
He didn't punish us, only made us
| open it out and fill up the hole. 1t was
well for him that we never found the
traitor.
Every morning a squad of mounted
rebels, well armed, with pack of
bloodhounds, would go all around the
camp and see if any Yanks had got out
the night before. If there had, the
hounds would start out after them, with
the mounted men following.
Some time during the day we would
see the poor fellows coming back, lacer-
ated and with their clothes torn off by
the hounds.
The 7th Mo. was quartered near the
east line of the stockade, splendid
place to tunnel out, which opportunity
they soon discovered They got their
tunnel finally done, ready to open out
on the outside of the guard line, but
when they went to open up and go out
they were only 80 feet from the guard.
They went out one dark night, one at
time all right. until a man larger
than the rest got fast in the hole
He hollered for help. and scared the
guard into a fit. The guard yelled:
Corporal of the guard, Post No. 8,
come quick! The Yanks are coming
up out of the ground!' That settled
the game with the boys that night
Many of the prisoners were recruits
on their first campaign and unaecus-
toned to exposure. Upon these the
trial soon began to tell, and each night
and day witnessed the death of some
unfortunate soldier. He was hurried to
the graveyard a few hundred yards
from camp, and there, with the grave
scarcely deep enough to hide the body
from the prowling wolf, it was soon for
gotten. l think we buried about 1000
prisoners there. 1t was almost impos-
of white sand, and would cave in al
most as fast as we could dig it.
The commanding officer of Camp
Ford at that time was Col. Borders, an
ERglishman by birth, resident of the
South for several years. He was thoro-
ly imbued with the worst qualities Of
secession, with unbounded malice to-
instrument to carry out the system laid
down by jeff Davis and Capt. Wirz in
the treatment of Union prisoners.
Lieut.. Mccain. his Adjutant, pos
sessed no principle of humanity at all
His only ambition was to please his
superior officers. l have seen him come
into camp with his old cavalry saber
dangling on the ground, cursing and
slashipg everybody in sight. And woe
be to any prisoner that came in his
way. The word soon passed along the
line when McCann came into camp, and
the boys hunted their holes. But time
brings an end to ali things. When
some of the prisoners that had been
exchanged were in New Orleans in
March, 1865, this same McCann was
just being brought in prisoner. Gen.
Candy was informed of his brutality to
our prisoners at Camp Ford. Gen.
Candy ordered him put in irons and
rationed a pint of meal and a hall
| pound of bacon per day.