The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-12-26

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huts out Of clay balls, and digging out
| ''spooning holes" As they were called, with
their hands, half canteens, old cups, and
pans. anything, indeed, they could substi-
tute for spades or shoyels, Of which they
were entirely destitute.
These 'spooning holes" were the only
quarters thousands of these captives had
during their stay as guests in the "Wirz
Hotel" While they were out of the prison
on their detour, two sheds, each about
thirty feet wide and one hundred and fifty
feet long, had been built inside the prison
on the side of the ravine which ran between
the southern and northern slopes embraced
in the enclosure. They had no hunks, how
ever, the ends and the side being open, and
about all the protection they afforded was
from the sun and from a straight downpour
of rain. But comparatively few, however,
of the thousands of captives in the pen could
avail themselves of the benefits of even this
meagre protection.
1t appeared that the landlord. Captain
Wirz, in putting up buildings for his guests,
could never get it into his head that they
needed anything more than wall or roof
If he put up wall he left off the roof, and
if he put up a roof he omitted the wall.
His style of architecture, however, had this
redeeming feature, namely, it afforded his
guests bountiful supply of fresh air, the
only bfe-giving and life-preserving element
he allowed them to have in unstinted mea-
sure while they boarded with him.
The rain had wet the ground only as deep
as it was plowed, and by night the mess
had completed an excavation two feet deep,
five feet wide. and eight feet long. With
the dirt, which they took out of the excava-
ton, they made an embankment all around
it on the outside, which made it about
three and half feet deep, and which gave
them good protection from the cold
winds.
After time they obtained tent stakes and
then they could cover their mud huts over
with their two tattered blankets, which
would turn the most of an ordinary rain.
The blankets were kept up during the day
time only. excepting when it rained. When
not stormy they took them down at night
for a covering while asleep; but when
stormy they were left up so as to turn off as
much of the rain as possible. and at such
times they were compelled to do without
any covering while asleep.
| When their Christmas dinner was
brought in the afternoon they all quit work
for short time. That day each prisoner
received three or four ounces of cold boiled
beef and chunk of coarse, unsalted corn
bread about two inches thick and four
inches square.
The sun, at that time one of their warm
est and most genial friends, the coming of
whose bright beams cheered them each
morning, the departing of whose gracious
rays depressed them each evening, was rap.
idly sinking in the west.
The December air becoming quite chilly,
they all needed something with which to
warm them up, so in the absence of warm
rations to eat or drink, they improved their
Christmas repast somewhat by removing
the thick, upper and lever crusts from their
corn bread. These they toasted brown
over their little fires, broke them up into
small bits, and then each in his can bucket,
made for himself a quart of smoking hot
Andersonville coffee. This they drank and
ate, grounds and all. Doubtless no tea, or
coffee, or chocolate drank in any Northern
home that Christmas evening was relished
as these shivering boy prisoners, huddled
around their little fires, slipping their warm
beverage out of their blackened buckets.
cups, wooden plates, or cowhorns, did
their inprovised Andersonville coffee.
All the while they slowly nibbled their
cold beef and corn bread so as to make
them last as long. as possible, and in the
meanwhile they talked over the probable
features of bountiful Christmas dinners in
their respective homes, so in contrast with
theirs, and which would have been gladly
shared with these emaciated captives, had it
been possible. And while they ate and
drank they could but wonder if they would
ever live to join the loved ones at home
again on those festive occasions, for their
fate was still in the balances, with the odds
greatly against them.
After making the most of their Christmas
rations they resumed their work on their
"spooning holes" with renewed energy,
for they never wanted to spend another
night lying in the slush and mud as they
did on the previous night. 1t was about
eight O'Clock in the evening when, by star
light, they finished their rude, uninviting
quarters. They then made trip to Prov
idence Spring, for it was their custom to
fill up on the pure waters of this gracious
fountain before retiring for the night.
Returning, then the members of this
mess all lay down in their newly prepared
quarters, spooned together as closely as pos
sible, covered with their old blankets, and
while the tvvinklinr stars Looked down nm