English Diary 2

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2d. Eggs are selling at fifty cents a piece; a solid inch of soap, fifty cents; one head of cabbage, one dollar; a shaving and hair cutting saloon has been opened in the swamp

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3d. Those stores are doing quite a business, especially among the new arrivals, who have plenty of money; it requires a large amount. Weather is getting warm and what a terrible smell there is.

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4th. Deaths increasing every day — almost as fast as they are coming in. God help us! no tongue or pen can describe, or imagination portray, how horrible is this hell on earth.

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5th. Raining hard all day; some cases of small-pox here. There will be no help for us if that disease once gets started. It made me sick when I heard that news, but I will trust in God for He has protected me through twenty fights and skirmishes and through all the hardships and sufferings of prison life for eight months, when many of my comrades who were captured with me are gone. I believe half of the 127 of my company who were captured with me are dead.

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6th. Three hundred more prisoners came in this morning from Sherman's army. They are of the opinion that Atlanta will soon be in the possession of our troops. Raining today; the two men who escaped the other day were brought in and put in irons; one of them had the flesh torn from his legs.

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7th. Raining again today; men lying out in the rain and mud, sick and suffering; thirty deaths reported from small-pox within the last week,

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8th. Got a diary from one of the new prisoners; glad of it, for mine was almost full. He said I was doing something he could not do. Well, I commenced it and it comes natural to me now, besides, it occupies my mind and gives me some exercise twice a day going from one end of the prison to the other hunting up news. I will soon have to lookout for a new pencil. This is the fourth piece and it is very short. I could not find my cap this morning, but watched my chance among the dead and got another. It is about four sizes too large for me, but as I will not go to see my sweet-heart for some time, it will have to do.

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9th. Raining today; it has rained every day this month, adding much to the suffering of us poor creatures. Several detachments got no bread for two days; they don't know the reason, but I suppose they have the shorts as usual. One man was drowned in the swamp this afternoon. New potatoes sell at one dollar per dozen. I couldn't buy any even if they were a cent a bushel.

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10th. Raining as usual. Eleven hundred and forty prisoners came in this morning from the Army of the Potomac; they bring no news of any kind.

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12th. Raining all day yesterday and last night. One hundred and nine have died in the last twenty-four hours.

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13th. Raining all the time; men dying constantly from the effects of the rain and exposure, having no shelter of any kind.

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14th. About a thousand prisoners came in today from the Mississippi, stripped of blankets, coats, shoes, money, watches, rings, and in fact, everything was taken from them; they said after their capture they were treated in a most barbarous manner.
But evil for good they returned,
Insulted and abused us;
Our prayers, our tears, they mocked and spurned,
And worse than brutes they used us.
It was reported that General Sherman sent a large force of cavalry to release us. When Wirz heard of them coming, he issued an order to the commander of the artillery to be ready, and when the Yankee cavalry got within seven miles of the pen, to open fire on the prisoners with grape and canister and to continue firing as long as a prisoner lived: but our cavilry was defeated and a part of them captured and taken into the pen with us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeshot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canister_shot

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15th. Raining again this morning, but the sky promises a fine afternoon. It is not worth while to state the kind and quantity of rations we have been getting, as there has been no change.

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16th. A fine morning, but everything is wet and mouldy in consequence of so much rain, it having rained every day this month. The raiders attacked a new prisoner this morning and beat him unmercifully. They are a hard looking set of cusses; they have a leader named Collins, and are called "Mosby and his gang," after the notorious Mosby. A great deal of trading going on— the peddlers becoming a great nuisance; wood is in great demand, a handful is worth fifty cents. Hardly anything can be obtained for less than half a dollar.

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17th. A great many deaths in camp daily. It is clear and warm this morning, and I think I will take a stroll through camp this afternoon, as I have not been around much lately, it having been so wet.

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18th. Some of the raiders at work again last night. The prisoners are talking of organizing a police force for protection. Three hundred and ninety more prisoners arrived this morning, having been captured in front of Richmond. Among them were D. A. Callahan, Sergeant Major of my regiment; he did not know me, I had changed so. I don't wonder, as my weight has dropped from 150 to about 100 pounds.

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19th. One of the raiders arrested by the police this morning for stealing from one of the prisoners. He was sent out to the rebel guardhouse, as Wirz had given the police authority to send them there. I hope this will lessen the crimes committed here. It is reported that the body of a man was found buried under a tent occupied by the raiders. Several fights between the regulars and the raiders; dug-outs and huts were torn down, sticks and poles being used by both as weapons; the "Regulars" were strong in numbers, while the "Raiders" were strong in flesh. The battle lasted all day, the raiders were overpowered and over one hundred of them were arrested and taken outsike the stockade and put in the rebel guard-house for safe-keeping.

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20th. A great many sick taken out to the hospital every day.

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21st. Man was shot at the dead-line last night by one of the guards. Some of the detachments have not had any fire-wood for several days, and cannot cook their raw rations. Another raider arrested today and sent to the guard-house. Report says that all the leaders are going to be arrested and tried for murder; there is evidence against them that they have killed several of their fellow-prisoners.

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22d. The rice we receive is hardly fit to eat, because of so much handling and measuring. I think we make a piteous spectacle standing in squads of thirty around a half bucketful of rice, in the midst of a drenching storm, thunder rolling over our heads, waiting for our rations of rice, which resembles slop. The men that have old tin cups are considered lucky, while others receive theirs on pieces of boards, and in bags made out of pants legs, and caps. Now imagine, if you can. The men eating that rice with a relish with their dirty black fingers. So much for starvation in the "Sunny South."