The Washington herald., 1914-08-08
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
August 1S64-e Population of Andeonyle Georgia at
High Tide 32sl1 Federa Being Confined Within SOckade
Area of Twend1 Acres of Bare Shadees Gound-G Suffering
and Its Cause


land. supplies go square feet, in addition
to yard room.)
Shortage of Supplies.
In the midst OF this sink of misery
every man was consumed with hunger:
yet the keepers tried TO supply them
with proper food. This is amply shown
by the war records. II was the inten-
ton OF the Confederate Congress that
prisoners should receive the same ra-
tons as Confederate soldiers For a
time they did. Then II became physical
ly impossible to secure food for the
prisoners.
On July IS Gen. winder telegraphed
from Andersonville to Richmond that
he had o. 400 prisoners. ESQ guards,
and 500 negro laborers to feed, and
not a ration at the post" He requested
that he be allowed to accumulate ten
days rations at the prison.
To this request the commissary gen.
eral at Richmond-whose incompe-
tence had resulted nearly in the star
walton OF Lees army the preceding
winter-replied that he had no money
with which either to buy or to i'm
press provisions. and that while Lees
army had but a one-day's rations
ahead II was unreasonable to expect
ten days supply at Andersonville
On June 3 Capt. wirz had reported
that at least 5000 prisoners had been
deprived Of their rations of rice. beans.
vinegar and molasses because of a
lack OF buckets in which to issue them
Raw food was therefore served TO the
prisoners. but few Of them had fuel or
utensils for cooking it.
A story told by Gen. Richard Taylor
son Of Zach" Taylor. twelfth Presi-
dent OF the United States-presents
to do his utmost for his unfortunate
charges.
In August Gen. Taylor. recently
placed in command OF the department
embracing Georgia. passed near Ander-
sonville by rail and in a halt was Wis
ited by Capt. Wirz. who pictured vivid
ly his embarrassments. the enormous
requirements Of the prison. the utter
lack OF resources to meet them. and
begged his commander for aid, which
Gen. Taylor was powerless to grant.
The war records also prove the de-
sire OF Wirz to alleviate the sufferings
OF the prisoners. He pleaded for shell
ter for them. He requested that the
meat given them be bolted. in order to
reduce intestinal troubles; he protested
against the overcrowding OF the prison,
pointing out that confinement under
such conditions made the prisoners in
different and rendered proper policing
and sanitation impossible.
These appeals, of course, were un-
known to the prisoners. who in their
misery held wirz and Gen. winder re-
sponsible for their plight.
In their cramped quarters, the prisoners
fought dirt. vermin. and pestilence as
best they might. Men became mere shad-
ows. Scurvy attacked many. The hos
pital arrangements were inadequate, and
the doctors, with few exceptions, were
inattentive.
The multiple horrors Of the place
reached their height in the first black
half OF August. The number Of prisoners
in the hospital August I was 2,6S. The
deaths for the week were $50. Men too
weak to drag themselves to the gate for
treatment by a doctor died without medi-
cal attendance. Their miserable COM
panions listened with tears to their de-
lirious wanderings and closed their dying
eyes but could not help them.
or the shocking conditions in the prison
the Richmond authorities had evidence
On August Col. D. T Chandler. a Con-
federate medical officer. made a report
to them. in which he gave a graphic de-
scription Of the place, and declared the
sanitary condition Of the prisoners as
wretChed as can be"
The rate of deaths had increased from
S7.4 to 1000 in March to 627 in July. As
many as twenty men died in day from
unknown causes, the doctors not having
seen them, and were carted away coffin
less for burial.
The Richmond officials from this report
saw that a change was necessary, and
early in September they began to reduce
the population OF Andersonville by send
ing prisoners to Savannah and Charles
ton later a new prison WAS started at