English Diary 1
-
7th. Saw Captain Meaney, of my company, had a friendly salute from him. He made signs with his hands indicating that we were bound for Georgia. Rations today just twice as much as we received on Bell Isle. The men are in good spirits, thinking they are going to be exchanged. Some new prisoners came in today and were taken to Libby to be searched. Reports have it that Kilpatrick is making a raid on Richmond. The guards will not talk to us. One of them fired a shot from the guard room up through the floor. The ball passed through the third floor; on its way it struck one of the men on the finger and smashed it. Another man was struck on the head but not fatally, while standing at the window, two other prisoners had narrow escapes and having been fired. Possibly they are furious because of Kilpatrick's raid.
-
8th. Left building this morning at 4.00 o'clock and marched to the depot and took the cars. The guards say we are going to Georgia (that is the exchange.) Each man receives a loaf of corn bread as he marches out of the building. There are six hundred of us, about sixty of us packed in each car. No seats, but lying in all positions tall swearing and fighting; remain in the cars all night.
-
February 15th. Our train, after groaning and creaking along for five or six days, during which time there were many adventures, escapes and recaptures, at last reached its destination. The trip from Macon was nearly south over a railroad passing through a continuous stretch of dense pine woods and vine tangled swamps. After a run of sixty miles from Macon, we stopped in a clearing, where there were few houses, and which we learned was Andersonville. We were taken from the cars to an open piece of ground just east of the station. Looking eastward about a quarter of a mile we could see an immense stockade. The last few days of our journey we had no water and suffered from thirst; the car that I was in had been used for hauling lime, and had half an inch of lime on the floor. When they loaded us in at Richmond, Va., they put about sixty men in each car and any moving around would stir up the dust. Our lips and tongues seemed parched and cracked; two died in our car on this trip. There was a small brook within two rods of us, but the guard line was between us and the water. I was pleading with the guards to let us go to the water when a little grinning-faced rebel captain on a gray horse rode up and shook a revolver in my face and said : "You Yankee, you must wait, or you get so much water that you drown in putty quick." He rode around us several times, bounding high in his saddle, flourishing a revolver and swearing at the guards and us alternately; by this time we learned that this was Captain Wirz. the Commander of the prison.
train - a succession of vehicles traveling in the same direction
clearing - a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
hauling - transportation -
We were ordered forward towards the big stockade, moving quietly and painfully along, our spirits almost crushed within us, urged on by the double file of guards on either side of our column of ragged, lousy skeletons, who scarce had strength to run away if given an opportunity. We neared the wall of great square logs, and massive wooden gates, that were to shut out hope and life from nearly all of us forever. The cheerless sight near the gate, of a pile of ghastly dead, the eyes of which shone with a stony glitter, the faces black with smoky grime and pinched with pain and hunger, the long matted hair, and almost fleshless frames swarming with vermin - gave us some idea that a like fate awaited us inside.
-
The guards knowing our desperation, used every precaution to prevent a break; the artillery men stood with lanyard in hand at their canister, shotted guns being trained to sweep the gates. All being ready, the huge bolts were drawn and the gates swung open on their massive iron hinges, and we marched into that hell on earth. We felt we were cut off from the world and completely at the mercy of our cruel keepers.
-
The creek that runs through this pen was pointed out to us, and a rush was made for it, as we were nearly dead from thirst. The water soon became cloudy, and two comrades, to get the clean water, pushed above the dead line, and not knowing the danger, reached beyond it, and both dropped dead in the water, shot by the guards on the wall or stockade. We dared not move their bodies until ordered to do so by a rebel officer, who was some time in getting around. The water remaining red with our comrade's blood, stopped the drinking until their bodies were removed. We had not been in the stockade fifteen minutes until two of our number were ready for the dead pile we had seen outside the gates.
-
The poor fellows, however, missed the horrible torture which was planned for them and us, and which, if I knew I had to pass through again, I would cross the "dead line" and ask the guards to show me mercy by tearing my body with the ball and buckshot from their old musket.
-
About twenty rods southwest from the southern gates, on high ground overlooking the prison, was a large log house wherein were quartered the rebel officers, The Confederate flag floated from a pole in front of the house. Near this pole were two cannons or signal guns, used to warn the whole rebel force in case the prisoners attempt to break out.
-
At various places between the gate and this house, there were different instrumeuts of torture; viz., stocks, thumb-screws, barbed iron collars, shackles, ball and chain, etc. There were three kinds of stocks — one in which the prisoner stood on his tip-toes, his hands protruding over a piece of timber under which his head is crowded forward, another timber forcing the small of his back forward — in the second stocks, the prisoners sits on the ground with hands and feet elevated and fastened to a frame work in front of him, — in the third stocks there was a horizontal frame, the prisoner lying on his back with hands and feet fastened, the head being fixed in a standing head board, which moved outward until the body was in a painful tension. These instruments of torture were brought from where they had evidently been used to hold slaves in obedience. Our prison keepers seemed to handle them with familiarity.
-
About a half a mile northwest from the pen is a large sandy field, where the dead are carted und packed in trenches without boxes, coffins or clothes, and but a scanty covering of earth. Time drags slowly by, and we feel utterly God-forsaken and beyond the limits of civilization, our praying bands petitioning the Almighty to soften the hearts of our cruel keepers.
-
The confederate soldiers who did the fighting at the front seldom ever robbed their prisoners. My experience was that they were well-meaning, humane and honorable, and would divide their drink and rations with their captives. They honestly believed they were fighting for their rights, and of them I have no word of complaint to offer.
-
The rebel Quartermaster, with an eye to business, put up a shanty about the middle of the northern half of the prison, and appointed two of our "Jay Goulds" and put them in charge of it. He then supplied them on commission with meal, peas, salt, sweet potatoes, tobacco and any article which it was thought would draw hidden money from the Yanks. We call this the sutler's shop. Its goods were sold at incredible prices — a teaspoanful of salt, 25 cents; a small biscuit, 50 cents; turnips, 25 cents each; sweet potatoes, 25 cents each ; and other things in proportion. The famished skeletons would stand around and look in on the good things, then consult their money, then their stomachs, and the money was turned over for the article. No one, except he was there in the prison can form anything liken a correct idea of our appearance about this time. We had been in prison nearly five months and our clothing was worn out. A number were entirely naked; some would have a ragged shirt and no pants; some had pants and no shirt: another would have shoes and a cap and nothing else. Their flesh was wasted away, leaving the chaffy, weather-beaten skin drawn tight over the bones, the hip bones and shoulders standing out. Their faces and exposed parts of their bodies were covered with smoky black soot, from the dense smoke of pitch pine we had hovered over, and our long matted hair was stiff and black with the same substance, which water would have no effect on, and soap was not to be had. I would not attempt to describe the sick and dying, who could now be seen on every side.
article - a particular item or object
sutler - a person who followed an army and sold provisions to the soldiers -
The prison lot contains about 30 acres, located on two hills with a swamp between and a small stream running through the swamp. In this swamp men meet to draw water, wash, etc. We are served with raw rations consisting of corn meal and a small piece of bacon, so the men have to cook for themselves. A large number have nothing to cook in and bake little cakes on pieces of boards held before the fire.
-
The prisoners are divided into detachments of two hundred and seventy men, each of these detachments being sub-divided into three companies of ninety, with a sergeant in charge of each ninety. He takes their names, company and regiment and also their occupation and descriptive list, and when and where captured. Roll is called every morning and each sergeant must account for his men. and if he fails to do so, his company is kept in line or ranks until the absentees are found.
1 - 2025-02-26
2 - 2025-02-25
3 - 2025-02-24
In 2024, the number of babies born in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years. The change is welcome news for a country that is dealing with serious population problems.