The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-30
(Brooklyn Earle)

Officer of the Day George r. Brown
Of U. s. Grant post No. 327, G. A. r
was asked at a cen encampment
to give some of his experiences in An
Jacksonville prison during the civil war,
having been there for seventeen
years old. He was a member OF the
fifteenth New York cavalry, one OF
the youngest of the enlisted men,
Comradc Brown gave the account OF
the hanging of six union prisoners by
their W men. He said:
The event of which I shall speak,
the hanging of six soldiers Ono. l will
not call them by that honorable title,
brutes will do) was the greatest and
l was a prisoner of war at Anderson
willie in 1864.
Il was taken prisoner February 4
(tie adjutant geenral's report says 1t
was the 5th) and on the 25th or 26th
was turned loose in that place. being
one OF 400 to arrive that day from
Richmond. Four hundred preceded us
the day before. That was the open
ing day at that place. From that time
from Richmond, Belle Island and 9TH
er prisons to Andersonville and most
of those taken in the campaign of
1864. On July / there were about
10000 prisoners there, without any
form of government. For conve-
nience we We're divided into detach-
ments of go each and subdividcd into
squads of 80 and mess of 80, a rule
Of three" established by Captain Writ
the commander of the prison.
ITO appreciate the condition of af-
fairs remember there were about 3d.
600 boys and men without any form
of government and the rebels never
made my attempt to maintain order
in the prison. Their whole energies
were concentrated on preventing our
escape. / do not think they would
have interfered II We had killed each
other. 1t was every man for himself
and Wirtz for us all. This being the
case. the rough element banded togeth-
er to steal and murder If necessary.
for plumber. They were called "the
raiders They grew holder and more
defiant as the days and weeks pass
ed, until there was a reign OF terror
among US. There was no one in posi-
ton to lay down the law and enforce
it. We were all on the same level, a
sergeant being the highest in rank.
There was fighting o or less every
day between the raiders and SOL
diers Cor prisoners) until Sergeant Key
made up his mind to crush the raid
ers.
key was from Illinois. a tall. dark
man and brave as he was tall. He
organized the police, or regulators.
as we called them-about two hum
dred we'll men. and they started In
to clean up the raiders. The regula-
tors were all western men and they
went to work about the last Of June.
Key informed Wirtz what he proposed
to do so that We would not be fired
upon from the forts outside. Wirtz
approved of this and allowed Key to
take the raiders outside as fast as he
could capture them. The raiders
found out what was up and were ready
for battle. which began on July 8. 1t
was life or death with them. The re-
suit was that more than 100 were
taken outside. 1t was a great sight.
Men on the inside fighting and all
the forts outside with their cannon
turned upon us ready to fire at the
command. There were 10000 men
prisoners on eighteen acres Of land
watching the fight. The fight lasted
about ten minutes and when the pc.
lice or regulators won. a shout went
up that made the earth shake. This