Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-05-11

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same as one would do to feed fowls.
Whenever possible though they
built fire and baked it in the ash
es. They had to eat all their rations
fresh as they never had salt except
that contained in pork about once a
week. All the water they had to use
until the middle Of July was from a
brook running through the prison pen
near the center and, 1t being sloping
ground, all the filth ran into this
brook.
Providence Spring
"But one night about the middle Of
July" relates MIR. Blake. 1--WE had
a terrific thunder storm and when
we awoke the next morning we
found beautiful spring Of water
flowing down one side Of the stock
ade and emptying into the brook
From this spring we had plenty Of
pure water while we were in prison.
Who can tell why this spring
should break out at this time? Was
1t a kind providence? The prisoners
must have thought It was, for they
named It Providence spring, and I'll
carries that name to this day. No
doubt this pure water saved the
lives Of many prisoners, but we
could not live entirely on water, with
out food"
: person nowadays can but
family imagine" said Mr.. Blake,
"how one could sustain life under
those prison conditions for whole
year on the rations they received
The cost Of that food at present
prices would be only about twenty
cents a week or $40 a year-decid-
eddy cheap boarding house.
"Old Writ" as the Confederate
general commanding Andersonville
was called, was the cause Of Mr.
Blake's being placed in the stocks.
He tells Of his acquaintance" with
Gen. Wirtz in this way:
cold Writ was later tried by our
government for his cruelty to pris-
oners and was hung.
"One day more prisoners than
usual were arriving and was
anxious to get some news from oul
army, so crowded around our men
asking about our success. One of the
rebel sergeants reported me to
Wirtz and he ordered me placed in
the stocks. They were made so a
person could stand upright with
arms extended, while the upper
part was closed around the neck.
My sentence was twelve hours I'M
that position but during the night
before my sentence expired, the
guard unfastened the stocks and al
lowed me to sit down and rest. But
the punishment was terrible, because
I was SO weak"
Few Live to Escape
During the summer a number Of
prisoners got out OF the stockade,
mostly by bribing. the guards, ac-
cording to Mr.. Blake, but few If any
escaped to the Union army lines be-
cause they were SO near famished
they made but little progress. Every
morning the prison guards would
make circle Of the stockade with
bloodhounds and even II any escaped
the dogs they would soon be brought
back, only to be placed in the stocks
or wear ball and chain. The
stockade was made Of logs set up
right in the trenches and was built
some ten or twelve feet in height |
above the ground. On the outside and
near the top was q walk made for
the guards SO they could overlook the
whole camp.
There was no cover and the pris-
oners were compelled to endure all
kinds Of weather In the open during
all their prison life. AS the weather |
became warmer the mortality in
creased SO that In June the daily
average Of deaths was forty, in July |
fifty-five and in August ninety six.
at was in August that two Of my
companions died." said Mr.. Blake.
They had been sick for some time
and one morning when I awoke,
both had answered the roll call for
the last time. One half OF the pris-
oners had rations one day and the
other half the next day, 80 the cart
that came in every day to bring the
rations took away the dead on their
return.
Dead Loaded Like Wood
+ e. ~ = = : &
As the southern sun blazed down
on the emaciated prisoners with
in the stockade, death stalked ever
closer. It became real-a living
death to those who chung on from
day to day and who saw the bodies
tossed into the cart as so many
chunks Of wood.
Mr.. Blake tells Of seeing a man
being carried out one day who
showed signs OF life.
"The sergeant spoke about leaving
him." said Mr.. Blake, "but old Wirtz
said take him along, he'll be dead
before you arrive at the graveyard"
For burial the Confederates dug
a trench about six and one-half feet
wide and three feet deep and after
every stitch of clothing had been
taken from the dead, the bodies
were laid side by side in this trench.
Many prisoners were shot by the
guards according to Mr.. Blake for
crossing what they called the dead
line, space marked off some ten
or twelve feet inside the stockade
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