Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29

" HE third witness in the trial
of Henry WirZ. superintendent
of the Confederate military
4 prison at Andersonville. Ga,
was Col. G.. +. Gibbs. ex
Confederate He testified that he
had been on duty at the Anderson
Vile prison and that conditions were
Geplorabe. He did not know that
Wirz had given orders to shoot men.
but it was q regulation that any
prisoner crossing the dead line"
should he shot.
He was senior to Wirz. and he
testified that there were enough
ratiors Of meat. corn meal peas,
n1oasses and -four while he was on
duty at Ardereonville. The dogs re-
ferred TO in the charges were not
hloodhounds hut ordinary plantation
dogs. and there we're seven or eight
Of them. Witness did not know by
whose orders they were kept. The
dogs were of ordinary size and not
ferocious. nor were they altogether
harmless. He knew that the dogs
were kept to track esca ped prisoners.
They were suhsisted on corn bread
and were regularly enrolled in the
Confederate service rs horses
man named Turner had charge of
them.
There was food enough in the com
missarr stores for soldiers and
prisoners. and Wirz drew rations on
a provision return daily. The prison
was crowded. and witness compared
II to an ant hill. The dead line
was TO prevent prisoners getting too
near the stockade. The stockade was
of heWed timber. ten nr eleven feet
high. and the dead line was parallel
70 II. about 20 feet inside. There
were stocks at the prison. and
another mode Of punishment was ball
and chain.
The next witness was John G.
Bates of Georgia. contract physi-
clan at the Andersonville prison
hospital. On going there he found
r1any patients naked. dirty and lying
in the sand. There was little shelter
Some small tents were crowded, and
some shelters were set up of boards
and pieces of canvas. There were
about o.5oA sick In the hospital and
ahou, $1,000 in the prison. Medicine
was scarce or not to he had. a tent
was set up for the dead house. but
prisoners cut II to pieces TO make
shelters for themselves. The ration
was not over 90 ounces a day.
The next witness was DR.. 4. ".
BarroVs. Union soldier. who had en-
listed hospital steward in the @tta
Massachusetts Volunteers. In May
and June. 1864, while he was at
Andersonville. prisoners in the hos
pital got two ounces of meat. piece
Of bread about 81. inches square, no
vegetables, and rice soup made OF one
gallon of rice to thirty gallons OF
water. In July. 1854, a spoonful Of
cabbage was allowed to each man
daily. and sometimes a sweet potato.
Sometimes there was a quarter-pound
of tea TO 100 patients. In the gan
creme and surgical wards there was
more food than in the other wards.
Robert Fl. Kellogg. former prisoner,
testified that prisoners not in the
hospital depended far water on a
brook that ran through the stockade
grounds. srh that this was dirt.
DR. G. G. ROY. ex-Confederate,
H. once on duty az the Anderson
vile hospital, said that the hospital
was of tents OF various sizes and that
the patients were not furnished with
hunks and bed clothing. There were
clouds of mosquitoes. Witness said
that after DR. Clayton took charge
Of the hospital there was tolerab!e
supply of vegetables.
Martin E. Hogan, lst Indiana Cav
airy. former prisoner. said there we're
tuo or three regiments Of Confederate