English Diary 2
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3d. Four ounces of bacon today instead of beef. We prefer bacon for then we can get grease to fry our mush with. The bloodhounds make an awful noise when the keeper takes them out for practice, or drill as we call it. One of the prisoners smothered to death last night ; his hole in the ground which he used as a shelter caved in on him.
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4th. Nothing but a quart of corn meal today. I don't believe I weigh one hundred pounds; have been quite sick since yesterday and don't feel iike doing anything, but will try and keep up, for it will not do to let your courage run down in a place like this.
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5th. More prisoners arrived last night. They say Richmond is thinning out fast, but I can assure you Andersonville is full. Ten died yesterday. A great many have sore arms, that member dropping off completely, caused by the insertion of the poison in Richmond.
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April 1, 1864. More prisoners from the neighborhood of Richmond, Va. Squads of four to six men are let outside of the gates each day to gather firewood for each ninety men. The poor fellows can't carry much but they are glad to get out and get some fresh air.
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2d. Rations, the usual quantity of corn meal and six or eight ounces of rotten beef, but it must be eaten. The filth and vermin in this place is horrible. Oh, humanity ! eh, Christianity! where are you. Not in the Southern Confederacy, that I can testify to. Some strangers, men and women, came in here the other day , and when they saw our condition, they turned up their noses and laughed.
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6th. Considerable fighting and stealing among the prisoners, It is not safe for one to have a dollar or a good overcoat, for you would be way-layed and killed, if necessary, to gain possession of the coveted articles. It is said there is a regular organized gang of thieves here. Deaths are on the increase all the time; from twenty- five to forty dropping off a day. The sun is quite warm now. God help us, if they keep us in this filth during the hot weather. The dead-line is claiming its victims and the stocks and various instruments of torture are being patronized. The deep-toned baying of the bloodhounds breaks the morning stillness of the forest and swamps; some poor fellow has got beyond the guards and is being chased down. The sound of the hounds dies away and instead we hear the far-away tooting of a horn and the rebel cheer — the run away is caught. In time they appear with him; he is led bleeding and torn and fastened in the infernal machine. The maggot flies deposit their eggs in his wounds and he is punished for ten or twelve hours and then turned into the prison with wounds uncured; a few days later we see him a working mass of maggots. The raiders, or prison thieves are getting bold. They are known as the "Collins Raiders,'' and are growing fat while many in the pen are starving to death. The prison is crowded to its very edge and it is impossible to keep from getting near the dead line. There are hundreds of crazy men in the pen who. in spite of our watching, would get to the dead-line; and many sane men would calmly fold their arms and step across it to end their misery. The guards in shooting the men nearly always wound or kill one who was not near the line; the bullet would pass through the body of the man it was intended for. and glancing on through the pen, would find a lodging place in some innocent man's body. The number shooting this way could be counted by the scores. We were constantly in as much danger of being shot here as at the battle front.
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8th. Great number of the prisoners sick with rheumatism, diarrhoea, scurvy and a great many are carried off. The hospital was removed outside of the stockade today to make room for more prisoners. The stream of water that passes through here runs from west to east, dividing the camp into two equal parts. The rebel camps are north and south of this stream, with breastworks and battery of artillery on each corner, south and east are the cook houses and west of all is the railroad depot, about three-fourths of a mile away. The rebels wash their clothing and themselves in this stream, horses and mules are driven into it to drink, buckets, tubs and kettles belonging to the rebel camp and cook houses are washed here, and all the filth of the camps thrown into it; and then it runs through to us. We have to use it, although it is literally alive with vermin and filth of all kinds. If our friends could see us! I know it would make many weep to see the thousands of their fellows who only a short time ago held their heads high in honor and pride, keeping step to the soul-stirring martial music, now rotting in filth and apparently forgotten by their government. Just think of it! Seventy-five deaths have occurred in the last 24 hours. At that rate it will not be long until we are all gone. There are about eighteen thousand prisoners here now and more coming in all the time; one shot by the guard today.
1 - 2025-03-15
2 - 2025-03-14
3 - 2025-03-13
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