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 Title 
 
 Imprint. 
 
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 A VOICE 
 
 REBEL PRISONS; 
 
 GIVlXCi AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OK THK 
 
 HORRORS OF THE STOCKADES 
 
 AT ANDERSONVILLE, MILAN, AND OTHER PRISOl!fS. 
 
 RETURNED PRISONER OF WAR. 
 
 i^cN To (^^kM 
 
 >ol;*^o<> 
 
 BOSTON: 
 PRESS OF GEO. C. RAND & AVERY, 3 CORXIIILL 
 
 1 8 6 5. 
 
A VOICE 
 
 EEBEL PEISOl^S; 
 
 GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE 
 
 HORRORS OF THE STOCKADES 
 
 AT ANDERSONVILLE, MILAN, AND OTHER PRISONS. 
 
 RETURNED PRISONER OF WAR. 
 
 ->«to=;o«- 
 
 BOSTON: 
 I PRESS OF GEO. C. RAND & AVERY, 3 CORNHILL. 
 
 186 5. 
 
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 on 
 
 Ky 
 
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VOICE FROM REBEL PRISONS, 
 
 On the 20th of October, 1863, I enlisted in the 48th Keg.men 
 New^oA Volunteers, and left on the 1st of November Arrwed at 
 B aufort on the 5th, and were stationed at Fort P"'-^' /"^S"-""^ 
 duty, until ordered to Hilton Head, where we -— ^ »"' __7^ ^ ° 
 T?lor da as a nart of General Gilmore's expedition. The land-torce 
 !„t;s:dof\h^ 47th, 48th, U5th Kegi.e,.s New-Yor. V^lun.er 
 7th Ke.-iment Conneeticut Volunteers; 7th Regiment New-Hampshire 
 Volunteers; 40th Massachusetts Mounted I^f-'-^i;- ^^C 
 of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry; one company od Rhode-lsland 
 Artillery; two companies United-States Artillery ; and three United- 
 Stales colored regiments, under command of Gen. Seymour. 
 
 mselarking at Jacksonville, about the 10th of February, we fell 
 int! ne and marched towards the St. Mary's River to a place caned 
 Fine^an's Camp, where we found a band of guerillas which we broke 
 ' „; capturing bc'^ween twenty and thirty. We camped here that night 
 and in the morning, resumed our march, as far as Baldwin on th 
 Florida Central Railroad, where we stopped two nights, and then went 
 to Barbofs Plantation, on a branch of St. Mary s River. 
 
 In Florida and the southern part of Georgia, a tract of land of 
 about ten miles, and containing a house, barn, and shed is dignified 
 ^yThe name of town. As we passed through the country, we c.,me 
 upon such desolate-looking "towns" in every ten or iifteen miles^ 
 W stopped at Barbor-s only half an hour; just ong enough to 
 Ik our coffee and eat our hard tack, which generally constitutes a 
 ° dier>s dinner while on the march. We then marched ten miles to 
 .Sanderson " a town of the same style as Barber's, where we stopped 
 over n It^'and then had orders to fall back to Barber's where we 
 °Imain:d t^o or three days, and were then ordered to take up our 
 UnTf march to the front. We passed by Sanderson, the place we 
 h d previously left, and went eight miles beyond where we met the 
 enemy's skirmishers; and they, while striving to lead <,.r skirmish rs 
 toTrds their intrenchments, before arriving at the breastworks 
 Ir" h general engagement of our whole force, which continue 
 about three Us, when a retreat was ordered; and our army fell 
 
back to Jacksonville, leaving all, or mostly all, our dead and wounded 
 on the field. 
 
 This was called the battle of Olustee, and, though unsuccessful, was 
 one of the hardest-fought engagements of the war. Just before the 
 order was given to retreat, I received a bullet through my ankle, which 
 obliged me to remain on the field. I managed to crawl into a bush, 
 where I could see the rebels come to our wounded, and take their 
 money, watches, and whatever they found on their persons; while 
 they stripped the dead altogether. The wounded negroes they bayo- 
 neted without mercy. Close beside me was a fine-looking negro, who 
 was wounded in the leg : his name was Brown, an orderly sergeant in 
 one of the companies of the 8th United-States Regiment. A rebel 
 officer happened to see him, and says, "Ah, you black rascal, you will 
 not remain here long ! " and, dismounting from his horse, placed his 
 revolver close to the negro's head, and blew his brains out. 
 
 We were left on the field that night, subjected to the insults of the 
 enemy, who searched us, and took what they chose of clothing, arms, 
 &c., and all the money they could find about us, and the next morn- 
 ing taken ofi" in wagons and ambulances to a railroad station, five 
 miles distant, where we were placed on corn-husks along the side of 
 the road, where we waited for transportation, remaining there until the 
 next afternoon. During that time, some of the wounded received a 
 little attention ; and some, whose limbs were badly shattered, sufi'ered 
 amputation, very roughly performed. Immediately after, and before 
 recovering from the effects of chloroform, we were packed into the 
 cars, which then came up. These were box-cars, and about half as 
 large as those used North ; and the men were packed, sick and wound- 
 ed, forty in a car, like a drove of sheep, and were taken to Tallahassee, 
 abo^t three hundred miles, where we arrived in a famished condition. 
 At every station, those who died were taken out and buried. 
 
 Whilst lying on the corn-husks, the rebel soldiers took every occa- 
 sion to insult us, A man by the name of Bougie, major of the negro 
 regiment, was severely wounded in the leg, and they seemed to delight 
 in the torture they inflicted on him: telling him hanging was too good; 
 that he ought to be buried alive, with one of his negroes beneath him, 
 and one above him. 
 
 On arriving at Tallahassee, we were placed on wagons, and taken to 
 several vacant buildings. About forty, myself included, were placed 
 on some straw on the floor of the Odd-Fellows' Hall, which was con- 
 nected with the Free-Masons' Hall; underneath which were two 
 engine-houses, which were also used to receive the prisoners. The 
 weather was very cold ; yet the windows were all out, and we were left 
 lying on the floor : some with fevers coming on ; others with their 
 
wounds in a very bad condition ; and still others who were ravino- in 
 delirium. None of us had tasted food since our capture, three 
 days before. That night, at nine o'clock, we had rations of corn-bread, 
 boiled rice, and molasses ; but, as most of us had nothing to put the 
 molasses in, we were obliged to go without : some few were fortunate 
 enough to have tin cups, which they had carried with them off the 
 field, and these we afterwards found to be invaluable. The doctor 
 in charge ordered some of the prisoners, who were wounded slightly, 
 to officiate as nurses for those of us who were unable to help ourselves; 
 but, aside from their care, we had no medical or surgical attendance, 
 except that the doctor came to us every morning, and gave us a few 
 drops of turpentine in a little water, which took the place of whiskey, 
 as a stimulant. The surgeon said that it was unfortunate we had not 
 arrived sooner, as he had had a set of surgical instruments; but they were 
 stolen a short time before. Therefore we were obliged to bathe and 
 dress our wounds with cold water, which, with some, proved very 
 effectual, — their wounds improving. 
 
 Two weeks after, a surgeon arrived from Charleston, and the other 
 was removed. This new surgeon brought with him a case of old 
 instruments, which enabled him to perform amputation, which was the 
 only kind of surgical operation he was competent to perform : conse- 
 quently many who needed bones set, and pieces extracted, were obliged 
 to suffer ; and their bones knitting together wrongly, left the limbs in a 
 misshapen condition: while all who had suffered amputation after- 
 wards died, in consequence of arteries working loose, and want of 
 care ; while, with proper treatment, they might have lived, and their 
 limbs been retained. 
 
 When first taken there, we had the sympathies of some of the ladies 
 of the town, and, on the second day of our imprisonment, were vih,.ted 
 by some of them, who brought us little delicacies ; but, on the third 
 day, the provost marshal issued orders that no one would be allowed 
 inside the guard: and all communication was stopped, and orders 
 given to those outside forbidding them to sell any thing to us, and we 
 forbidden to buy. In a week after, we heard a rumor that we were to 
 be searched, and our money taken from us, in order to effectually pre- 
 vent our making any purchases; although n our weak condition we 
 could scarcely eat the rude fare we had for rations. And if we had only 
 been allowed to buy a few necessaries, it would have kept us from nearly 
 famishing. A few managed to secrete their money, knowing it would 
 be invaluable whilst in prison; but the most were deprived of all. 
 Our rations consisted mostly of boiled pigs' heads, which we saw 
 before cooking, putrid, sickening, loathsome ; and we thought we could 
 not eat them : but hunger at length overcame our disgust, and we 
 
6 
 
 were glad to get any thing, even if alive with maggots. We were 
 usually served with two meals a day : the morning meal consisting of 
 a handful of rice, and sometime before midnight we had our pigs' 
 heads. We were not often in the mood for joking, but we used to 
 say, we knew those were the heads of the pigs we had killed before 
 our capture. 
 
 As soon as we were able to move about, we were furnished with a 
 dozen pairs of crutches, which were used by all the prisoners. We 
 were also given three or four tin pans, and the same number of tin 
 kettles, and a few tin cups ; and we would wait for one another, 
 taking turns in using them. Every two weeks, the doctor went his 
 rounds, and selected about fifteen or twenty of those whom he consid- 
 ered well enough, and sent them to Andersonville, althoug-h still in a 
 very weak and critical condition. Their crutches were taken from 
 them, and left behind for the use of those who remained. Therefore, 
 they were obliged to reach the station as best they could : some crawl- 
 ing on hands and knees, utterly unable to walk ; yet the surgeon pro- 
 nounced them fully able to be sent off. 
 
 After being there three months. Dr. Mapp was removed, also Dr. 
 Hollofield, surgeon in charge of Union prisoners there, and superseded 
 by Dr. Griddings, surgeon in charge of the rebel hospital at that place, 
 and who then had charge of ours, with Dr. Clark as assistant. They 
 were both fine men and skilful surgeons. They treated us very 
 kindly, dressed our wounds, set bones, and extracted pieces from many 
 a shoulder, hand, and limb. They were very indignant at the manner 
 in which we had been kept, and declared that hanging would be the 
 just deserts of those who had had the care of us. A Mrs. Parker, 
 formerly of New York, was matron of the rebel hospital ; and hearing 
 from the doctors in what condition we had been left, her sympathies 
 being aroused, came in quite often, and nursed our men with great 
 care, sometimes bringing us better food ; so, for a while, we considered 
 ourselves very comfortable. The men, as they continued to improve, 
 were sent away once in two weeks, and those from the other temporary 
 hospitals were brought in to take their places. 
 
 After we had been in Tallahassee five months, and under the care 
 of these doctors two months, all were gone but forty, when Gov. Mil- 
 ton discovered we were being what he considered altogther too well 
 treated, and ordered the rest of us, whether we were able or not, to be 
 sent immediately to the stockade at Andersonville, where our compan- 
 ions had preceded us. Those who went last were allowed to take the 
 crutches, cups, &c., with them. Those who had their money taken 
 when they were searched were promised to receive it again when they 
 should leave ; but they never saw it after it was taken from them. 
 
The prisoners were always accompanied to Andersonville by a very 
 heavy guard, who, on their return, gave most terrible accounts of the 
 horrors of the stockade whither we were going, so that we took leave 
 of our late prison with foreboding hearts. Those who were sick and 
 badly wounded were taken to the depot in wagons, and, despite their 
 broken limbs, piled in so thick as to be unable to move. Those 
 wounded in the arms and body were obliged to walk. We were 
 guarded for the first two months by a company from a regiment of 
 the Georgia artillery, and a company from a regiment of Georgia in- 
 fantry. Afterwards they were sent to Virginia ; and the State militia 
 took their place as guard. This militia was composed mostly of boys 
 of twelve tind fourteen years of age, and old men of sixty and seventy. 
 In Florida, at that time, every man had either volunteered or been 
 conscripted. They were notified to appear before the rebel authorities 
 at appointed times, and were given the choice of volunteering or of 
 waiting for conscription. If a man volunteered immediately, he was 
 placed in the State militia, or, as they are called among themselves, 
 " New Issue," but were liable to be sent to any other part of the Con- 
 federacy. When a man does not wish to join the army until actually 
 compelled, replies that he will wait until conscripted, he is then and 
 there seized as a conscript, and sent at once to the front, or wherever 
 the authorities see fit. These conscripts are of the most ignorant and 
 miserable class, both ragged and dirty : the negroes themselves feel 
 their superiority, and look upon them with contempt. 
 
 On reaching the railroad station, we were all packed into one box- 
 car, some of the men being in a very suffering condition, having had 
 surgical operations performed on them only a few days previou^. We 
 were taken to Quincy, a place twenty miles distant, and from there 
 carried across the country in rough wagons, the weather being at that 
 time suffocatingly warm. After jolting about for twenty miles, we 
 reached a steamboat-landing on the Chattahooche River, a desolate- 
 looking place, with only one building in sight, and that used for stor- 
 ing cotton. A steamboat was already there awaiting our arrival, and 
 we were immediately taken on board. We hoped for a comfortable 
 passage the remainder of our journey, but were disappointed, as this 
 boat was used for carrying freight, and the accommodations for passen- 
 gers were miserable. On arriving at Fort Gaines, Georgia, we were 
 taken in another box-car to Andersonville. 
 
 When the car at last stopped at the station, we saw, about an eighth 
 of a mile before us, the stockade of which we heard so often from the 
 gu ird at Tallahassee ; and as we saw the thousands of little fires which 
 were built all over the ground, with faint smoke arising, and the num. 
 berless tmall tents and mud-huts, and the swarms of men, which from 
 
8 
 
 the station had the appearance of an infinity of bees, our hearts sank 
 within us. Whilst lying in the dreary Odd-Fellows' Hall at Tallahassee, 
 with wounds painful and neglected; with sickness coming on; with the 
 dying moans of our comrades sounding continually in our ears ; without 
 food, and treated with contempt by our rebel captors, — we could not 
 imagine any thing more wretched ; but when this sight of the stockade 
 stood before us, we would gladly have returned, and remained during 
 the war, accepting our former treatment willingly. On our arrival, we 
 were taken to headquarters close by, where our names were registered 
 with the number of our company and regiment, then marched under 
 guard to the places assigned us in the different detachments. These 
 detachments were composed of two hundred and ninety men each, 
 superintended by a sergeant, selected from among the men by them- 
 selves, for the purpose of drawing their rations from the quartermaster. 
 Each detachment was divided into " messes :" some " messes" contain- 
 ing ten men, others twenty, each appointing itself a sergeant, called 
 " sergeant of the mess ; " while the other was called " sergeant of the 
 detachment." The duty of the "sergeant of the mess " was to draw 
 rations from the " sergeant of the detachment," and issue them to each 
 man. 
 
 When we found ourselves inside, we looked about to find a spot 
 where we could lie down and rest; for we were very tired, as well as 
 hungry : but the ground was destitute of a blade of grass, a shrub or 
 tree, and alive with maggots. We observed the little tents which had 
 attracted our notice at the railroad-station, and found them to be the 
 abodes of those men who were fortunate enough to own blankets, of 
 which they were rudely constructed. Some lived in holes dug in the 
 ground, others in mud-huts ; but the most had no habitation but the 
 bare ground, with the heavens only for a covering. We looked 
 eagerly around, hoping to find some of our comrades who had been 
 previously taken from Tallahassee ; but not one appeared : and we after- 
 ward learned they had perished, — victims to the cruelties and horrors 
 by which we were surrounded. The enclosure contained about thirty- 
 five acres, ten acres of which was swamp, the whole enclosed by a sort 
 of wall, made of the trunks of large pine-trees, with the branches 
 stripped off, set into the gi'ound close together. On the top of this 
 wall were sentry-boxes ; and inside the wall, and about thirty feet from 
 it, was a low railing called the " dead line," beyond which no one was 
 allowed to pass, without being immediately shot by some of the sen- 
 tries in the boxes. The railing was thus placed in order to prevent 
 men from going close to the stockade, as by so doing they might dig 
 tunnels, and make their escape ; or they might fasten one end of their 
 blanket to the inside of the wall, and fasten the other to the ground, 
 
and thus make a warmer enclosure than in any other manner : but it 
 seemed as if nothing which would add a trifle of comfort to their mis- 
 ery was to be allowed in this horrible place. 
 
 After looking about and contemplating the life before us, we turned 
 our attention to some of the thirty-five thousand men swarming all 
 \about, presenting the most pitiable and sickening spectacle we had 
 ^ver beheld : some without any clothing, others with only shirt and 
 <ii-awers, and all presenting the appearance of walking skeletons. 
 Taey seemed to know we were new-comers by our comparatively 
 hetilthy looks and comfortable clothing, although we had considered 
 ouiselves very destitute before this. We were assured, however, that, 
 in a short time, hunger and disease would assail us, and we would be- 
 come as loathsome as they. We continued feeling very hungry, and 
 wondered why we received no rations ; but none arrived that day, and 
 at nigiit we found places on the ground which served as a bed,- and 
 some 0? us who had blankets rolled ourselves in them, and in spite of 
 our misery, and the wretchedness surrounding us, fell asleep. 
 
 In the morning, a sickening sight met our eyes : close beside us, 
 and all o-^er the huge, uneven piece of ground, were lying the bodies 
 of those who had died during the night, naked and ghastly, with the 
 worms already consuming them ; some were already awake, and striv- 
 ing with great patience to collect fragments of wood with which to 
 cook the expected rations. Most of these men were afflicted with 
 scurvy, moved slowly and with much difficulty, as their limbs were so 
 distorted they vere compelled to walk on their toes, being unable to 
 place their feet flat on the ground. Others were crawling towards the 
 ditch, a muddy, slimy gutter, which ran through the stockade its entire 
 length, receiving its accumulated filth, furnishing the water we drank, 
 as well as for our bathing, the use of which producing most dreadful 
 efi"ects on wounds, already painful from neglect, and eaten away by 
 gangrene. As the day advanced, and no rations had yet appeared, we 
 made inquiries of our fellow-prisoners, and were told that the quarter- 
 master was very irregular with the food, sometimes delaying it for days 
 altogether. 
 
 On the afternoon of the second day, the wagons containing our pro- 
 vision appeared through the gate, and hope revived in our hearts as 
 we crowded eagerly round ; and each received a gill of rice and a 
 pint of meal, which we might cook as best we could. Wood was 
 brought in, and distributed same as rations, and amounted to about 
 the same quantity: just a few little sticks, five or six inches long, and 
 one-half inch thick. This wood was barely sufficient to make enough 
 fire to cook " mush," which was the way we ate our meal. Those men 
 whose wounds were become nearly healed were detailed to go outside 
 
10 
 
 on various errands ; and, -while gone, collected all the pieces of wood 
 which they could find, and brought in with them, which they sold to 
 those of us who had money ; and those who had no money would 
 give half a ration in exchange for wood enough to cook the other half. 
 After rations had been served, could be heard various cries of "Who'll 
 trade rice for meal ? " — " Who'll trade meal for wood ? " &c. Some- 
 times we had beans given us, which we could always readily sel'. 
 Soon we became thirsty, and set out in search of water ; for from the 
 ditch we turned in disgust, the surface of which was covered w^th 
 insects and floating filth. On wandering farther, we came upon a 
 well, dug in the ground, but from which we were not allowed to draw, 
 as it was too small to supply water for many ; being owned by a man 
 who had smuggled a spade, and brought it in amongst an armful of 
 wood. Shortly after, however, some of the detachments were fur- 
 nished with spades ; so that many dug wells for themselves, although 
 others still remained unprovided for, and were obliged to continue 
 using water from the ditch. We also came upon holes du^ in the 
 ground as receptacles of filth, in which were thousands of maggots ; 
 and, as there was only about five feet of land to each man, these holes 
 were in close proximity on all sides. 
 
 Men were continually dying, — some of starvation, some of fevers, 
 some of diarrhoea, and some became putrid from gangrene, which ate 
 away parts of their bodies, usually their hands and feet, causing 
 severest sufiering to those afflicted, and adding to the horrible stench 
 by which we were surrounded. Forty and fifty died thus every day, 
 and were left on the ground until next day, when they were thrown 
 into carts, and carried to the dead-house at one end of the enclosure ; 
 from whence they were taken in a day or two afterwards, and thrown 
 into trenches dug for the purpose. 
 
 We had remained there only a few weeks, before some of those who 
 came last from Tallahassee grew sick, and many died ; more contin- 
 ually arriving from other parts of the Confederacy to occupy the places 
 vacated by those who died. Others, just alive, were crawling about 
 without a particle of clothing, with scurvy-sores eating into their 
 mouths and legs : some with what are called " bed sores," but, in 
 these cases, caused by lying on the ground. These would crawl into 
 the swamps, and lie with worms eating their sores until dead, some- 
 times remaining there several days before taken away ; others, urged 
 by despair, walked deliberately to the dead-line, and were instantly 
 shot, preferring immediate death, rather than drag out their miserable 
 existence amid such horrors. 
 
 But the rebels were not the only ones by whom our situation was 
 aggravated. There were a set of raiders amongst ourselves, who spec- 
 
11 
 
 ulated on the feeble and weak, robbing them in every possible way, 
 and living on the distresses of their own causing. Complaint was 
 made to Capt, Wortz, who had charge of the stockade ; and he ordered 
 all rations to be stopped until the guilty ones should be discovered. 
 This, of course, made all use their energies to detect the thieves; and, 
 after going without rations for three days, seven of the ringleaders 
 were caught and delivered to the captain, who placed them outside, 
 under guard, to remain until the day of tria^l, when they were con- 
 ducted inside, tried, and condemned before a jury selected from among 
 ourselves, and afterward hung, — the captain furnishing the wood 
 with which to build the gallows. After that, we were not troubled 
 with raiders. Our cooking and eating was done while men were 
 moaning and dying within a few feet of us : but suflPering had har- 
 dened our hearts, and deadened our sensibilities, so that we did not 
 heed them ; and we went on regardless of the sights and sounds 
 around us, intent only on tryiilg to make our own lot endurable. 
 Some even watching the dying that we might become the possessors of 
 their scanty clothing ; and coveting the privilege of carrying out the 
 dead, as by this means we could breathe fresh air, or perhaps add a few 
 fagots to our diminished store of wood. Thus one after another died, 
 new arrivals of prisoners filling up the detachments as death thinned 
 them out. About a sixteenth of a mile from the stockade was the 
 hospital-ground, covering three acres, enclosed with a board fence five 
 feet high. This ground was arranged with streets and tents, like a 
 regimental camp, with four divisions : each division containing a cer- 
 tain number of wards ; each ward having a ward-master and steward, 
 who detailed some of the men, who were best able, to act as nurses to 
 the others. The doctor usually visited the stockade every day; and, 
 on his arrival, was assailed by crowds : some crawling on hands and 
 knees, begging him to help them ; and those who were entirely help- 
 less, and nearly dead, were ordered by him to be sent to the hospital, 
 and were therefore thrown into wagons, and jolted inside the hospital- 
 grounds, where they were unloaded, and placed on the ground, many 
 being dead before they were removed from the wagons. 
 
 In July and August it was very sickly, and the hospital contained 
 three thousand men, and more were constantly arriving from the 
 stockade ; and, as the tents were full, hundreds were obliged to lie 
 outside until vacancies occurred, and were left without care for days 
 together, the sun or rain, as the case might be, pouring on their faces: 
 many dying in this condition before places were made vacant for them 
 in the tents. The tents were entirely unfurnished ; however sick the 
 patient might be, was forced to lie on the bare ground, with no cover- 
 ing, unless he possessed a blanket of his own, as nothing of the kind 
 
12 
 
 was furnished by the authorities there. Even within them the shelter 
 was insufficient to keep out the rain, as they were merely " fly tents," 
 and poor at that, often blowing over in a storm or gale of wind. Men 
 were detailed to carry food, which consisted of boiled rice, to those 
 lying outside. Those few having cups to dip it from the bucket re- 
 ceived their rations : the many who had none were passed by, and 
 perhaps before next, day would be found dead, literally starved to 
 death. No one dared offer another his cup or dipper, as each was 
 afraid of receiving gangrene or scurvy, with which nearly every man 
 was diseased ; and, in order to save himself, was obliged to be selfish. 
 Large blotches were often seen on the faces and bodies of the sick, 
 which, at first sight, appeared to be sores, but were in reality heds of 
 lice and viaggots, lohich fattened on the poor creatures icho were unable 
 to move. As the weather grew hot, hundreds died of dropsy, scurvy, 
 diarrhoea, and small-pox, all receiving the same diet and treatment. 
 Those with scurvy seemed to suffer most, their mouths being filled 
 with sores, which made it impossible for them to eat the coarse food, 
 and, receiving nothing stimulating or nourishing, were allowed to fam- 
 ish. Their wounds also became filled with gangrene ; and, as the 
 doctor seldom had caustic or any thing to stop its progress, limbs were 
 amputated at the rate of twenty and thirty per day, the patients often 
 dying during the operation. One man had a limb taken off at the 
 thigh ; and it was beginning to heal, when the other was attacked with 
 gangrene, and, unable to cure it, the surgeon cut the other off also : 
 telling the sufferer that when he was again within Union lines he 
 could get cork limbs, and become as good as new. 
 
 The duty of each steward was to give medicine when it was fur- 
 nished by the doctor, but which was not often, as it was not provided; 
 and the ward-masters were expected to keep the tents and streets 
 clean, although no means were afforded for removing the accumula- 
 tions of filth, which, of course, remained to fill the air with dreadful 
 effluvia, which breeded flies and insects, to add to the torture already 
 unendurable. Nurses were detailed from the stockade to make the 
 sick as comfortable as they could under the circumstances, issue their 
 rations, &c. j but many was the call for "water," which has been 
 unanswered, though the dying one could only gasp the word. If any 
 refused to act as nurses, they were immediately sent back to the 
 stockade. 
 
 A day or two after the capture of Atlanta, the officers at Ander- 
 sonville received orders from the War Department of the Confederate 
 States to remove all prisoners from that place, as it was feared that 
 Gen. Sherman would soon be down towards Macon, and cut off all 
 communication between there and Savannah, and thus prevent them 
 
13 
 
 from removing us to any other part of the Confederacy. Therefore, 
 one day the officers and surgeons came inside the stockade, telling us 
 they had good news : that arrangements had been made with the Fed- 
 eral Government for our immediate exchange ; and that orders had 
 been received to send us North ; and that the next morning our 
 exchange would commence. With what joy these words filled many 
 a fainting and despairing heart, may better be imagined than de- 
 scribed; and all night long was heard the hum of voices talking 
 of their long-looked-for deliverance, which they now thought was at 
 hand. Early in the morning, cars appeared at the station, and the 
 removal commenced, continuing for a month ; thousands leaving on 
 some days, and very few at others, as the trains were very irregular. 
 Finally, all were gone but a few thousands, who, by this time, began 
 to fear this was no exchange, but merely a ruse to deceive them, in 
 order that they would willingly leave the stockade, and without making 
 an effiDrt to escape, which they would probably do, if told they were to 
 be taken to a prison in some other part of the Confederacy. These 
 last, however, finally left Andersonville with foreboding hearts ; yet 
 were glad to leave such a wretched place, even if sixre of being taken 
 to another, which they hoped might be more endurable, and which 
 they knew could not be worse. Whilst on the journey, and only ten 
 miles from Andersonville, the entire train was thrown off the track, 
 caused by the misplacement of the switch, and ten of the guard killed, 
 and several of the prisoners badly injured, where they remained until 
 another train came up, and were taken back. Shortly after the stock- 
 ade was vacated, accounts were seen in rebel newspapers, — which 
 had been brought into the hospital by men detailed to dig trenches 
 outside, — which read to the efi"ect that a special exchange of twelve 
 thousand sick and wounded prisoners was about to take place ; and 
 that the Federal and Confederate Commissioners of Exchange had 
 met by flag-of-truce boats on the Savannah River, and preliminary 
 steps toward this exchange had been taken. 
 
 A few days after these accounts were read, a rebel colonel visited 
 the hospital, and requested the privilege of taking all Irishmen who 
 were there outside the enclosure, as he had something special to say to 
 them ; therefore those who were able to walk fell into line, and were 
 marched out under guard. On arriving outside, he introduced himself 
 as colonel of a Tennessee regiment, called the " Tennessee Tigers," 
 composed entirely of Irishmen ; and if any of the men present had 
 fought under Gen. Grant, in the Battle of the Wilderness, they proba- 
 bly had heard of his "Tigers;" and if any of Col. Mulligan's men 
 were before him, they had surely heard of him, as Mulligan's men and 
 his " Tigers " had fought hand to hand : and he had received orders 
 
14 
 
 from the Secretary of War to recruit his regiment with Irish prisoners. 
 He had been to Milan, Gra., Florence, S. C, and other prisons in the 
 Confederacy, and some had joined him; and he would like to procure 
 enough at Andersonville to fill his regiment, their pay and rations to 
 commence immediately : also saying he had seen a notice in the pa- 
 pers, that a special exchange of twelve thousand prisoners was about 
 to be eifected ; but it was useless for these to expect to be removed, as 
 the order would doubtless be filled at Milan, Florence, and other 
 prisons nearer Savannah, which was to be the depot of exchange. 
 Scarcely had he finished speaking, when every man turned from 
 him with contempt, saying " never would they join the Confederate 
 army : they would rather starve in prison, and die and decay," and 
 said he ought not to call himself an Irishman, and think that other 
 Irishmen had no more principle than himself; and, if they caught him 
 within Union lines, would have the Lynch law enforced for his benefit: 
 therefore he went away without any recruits. 
 
 We found he was mistaken as regarded the exchange, as next morn- 
 ing the surgeons came in and took the names of six hundred, who 
 were taken next day in wagons to the railroad-station, and put into 
 box-cars, each car containing sixty men, all of whom were so emaci- 
 ated and feeble as to be unable to climb into the cars, which were 
 unprovided with steps ; and the poor cripples and sick men were 
 obliged to assist each other, making eifort after efi'ort before they suc- 
 ceeded, in many cases bruising their suffering bodies fearfully. xVbout 
 four hours were occupied in this way, when ^rations were issued to 
 each man, consisting of a piece of corn bread about three inches 
 square, and about an ounce of bacon, which was all we had until we 
 reached Milan. 
 
 After travelling about ten hours, we reached Macon, where we 
 stopped two hours, and there saw a number of long trains loaded with 
 cotton, and also all along the road between Macon and Milan we 
 passed large numbers of cars containing cotton, ready to be removed 
 as soon as news came of the advance of Gen. Sherman towards Macon, 
 which was daily expected. We arrived at Milan about eleven o'clock 
 next day, and were taken in wagons to the stockade, about two miles 
 distant, although, on leaving Andersonville, we had been told we were 
 to be taken at once to Savannah, and there placed directly on board 
 our own transports ; but now we again became almost hopeless, fearing 
 we should never return within our own lines. The officers at Milan 
 told us, however, we should surely be exchanged ; but as there was 
 some difficulty between the Commissioners of Exchange, we were to 
 stop there until all was satisfactorily arranged between them. 
 
 We were very hungry on our arrival, having eaten nothing since 
 
15 
 
 leaving x\ndersonville the day before ; but we received no rations at 
 Milan until after we had been there one day and night, when we re- 
 ceived a half pint of meal, a gill of rice, and about three ounces of 
 fresh beef, which we instantly ate without cooking. We received the 
 same rations each day, occasionally having sweet potatoes instead of 
 meal. This stockade was similar to the one we had just left : the 
 dead and dying were lying on the ground, skeletons striving to walk 
 about, and all nearly famished. Whilst there the Catholic priests be- 
 longing to Milan were allowed to visit us, and came often, speaking to 
 us of hope and courage, which were the only words of consolation we 
 heard. Some who were detailed to work outside managed to smuggle 
 newspapers, which they brought in with them ; and on such occasions 
 rumors spread over the ground that a paper was inside, and a crowd 
 would gather around that they might hear if it gave any information 
 concerning the exchange, catching at the least word which held out a 
 possibility of hope. 
 
 Thus the weary days passed until the before-mentioned difficulty 
 was settled, and about three thousand of us left Milan ; but before the 
 remainder could be removed, news came that Gen. Kilpatrick's cavalry 
 was advancing towards Milan ; and in order to retain the prisoners 
 within the Confederacy, they were immediately taken to Charleston, 
 Florence, and other prisons, where some of them were afterwards ex- 
 changed. Our removal commenced one morning at eight o'clock, con- 
 tinuing until about three in the afternoon. We were carried to the 
 railroad-station in carts, where we waited an hour for the cars to arrive 
 which were to take us away. Whilst waiting, a train from Savannah 
 came up, loaded with rebels just released from Northern prisons, many 
 of whom were dressed with clothing from Uncle Sam's wardrobe, and 
 who presented a healthy appearance compared with our pitiable condi- 
 tion. They spoke to us with compassion, and gave us tobacco and 
 hard tack, with which they were bountifully sujjplied be/ore leaving 
 Union lines, and which loe eagerly accepted to appease our hunger. 
 
 Finally the cars arrived, mostly open cars, which had apparently 
 been used for carrying cattle, and we were put in, sixty in each car ; 
 nearly every man of which was in a helpless condition, and many who 
 were raving in the delirium of fever. After going a few miles we 
 stopped, and waited Jive hotcrs for a train to pass, the rain pouring 
 heavily all the time; and we soon became soaked through and through, 
 many having no clothing but a worn-out shirt and pants. Soon after 
 midnight, the expected train came along ; and we resumed our journey, 
 arriving at Savannah by daylight, exhausted, faint, chilled, and stiff, 
 our hands having the appearance of having been parboiled. On un- 
 loading, many who were taken out were found to be dead, having been 
 
16 
 
 unable to survive this, the last day of their imprisonment. Wagons 
 and ambulances were awaiting our arrival, in which we were taken to 
 the steamboat-landing. Those not able to walk or even crawl were taken 
 on board by means of stretchers carried by men who had been detailed 
 to act as nurses. As we passed through the streets on our way to the 
 boats, large numbers of ladies came running out of the houses, bring- 
 ing us baked sweet potatoes, sliced meat, and biscuit, the taste of 
 which we had not known since our imprisonment ; also buckets of 
 water, the sight of which was as refreshing as an oasis in a desert. 
 
 On arriving at the wharf, we were all put on board rebel boats, and 
 sailed down the Savannah River about ten miles, when we came in 
 sight of the Federal fleet, one of which, the " New York," came along- 
 side ; and we were transferred on board of her, where we remained 
 about an hour, when the " Gr. Leary " steamed up alongside, and some 
 four hundred of us were put on board, where we were served with sup- 
 per, consisting of coifee, salt pork, and hard tack, which was the most 
 luxurious repast many of us had had for a long time. We remained 
 in the stream for three days, as we expected an arrival of other pris- 
 oners ; but, they not arriving, we proceeded to Port Royal, where we 
 were transferred to the " Baltic," and waited there for prisoners who 
 were expected every day from Florence and Charleston. The railroads 
 between those places and Savannah had been torn up. 
 
 But after waiting for them seven days they arrived, and three hun- 
 dred of them taken aboard the "Baltic," where we had good accom- 
 modations, and many luxuries, such as pickles, preserved peaches, &c., 
 furnished for us by the Sanitary Commission. On the fourth of De- 
 cember we arrived at Annapolis, about sixty having died on the pas- 
 sage. At Annapolis, we were taken to the hospital, which was in 
 readiness to receive us. Much could be said of the kind treatment 
 we here received : every one always on the alert to do all that was pos- 
 sible to alleviate the suffering; surgeons and physicians both skilful 
 and efficient, &c., &c. But as every one is acquainted with the efforts 
 of the Sanitary Commission, and many of our soldiers can testify to 
 its success, nothing need be added here ; and, as we are now returned 
 to our own Northern homes, feel happy and thankful beyond expres- 
 sion that so many have survived the horrors of rebel prisons. 
 
V