Description:

ANDERSONVILLE SURVIVOR RECOUNTS HIS ORDEAL
A superb postwar description of Andersonville, the infamous Confederate prison camp, written by veteran Franklin Smith, Co. B, 77th Illinois to his grandson in 1909 concerning his harrowing experiences there, 14pp., various sizes. In part: "… I was captured on the 17th day of Aug 1864 and released on the 28 of April 1865 I weighed 180 lbs when captured when released weight but ...100 lbs. I was more fortunate that a great [sic] many in several respects … Andersonville contained 28 acres inside the inner enclosure which Surrounded us which was called a Stockade it consisted of logs 28 ft long hewed on two sides like ties those were set in the ground 12 ft and 16 ft above found on top of this Stockade was guards about 50 ft apart in century [sic] boxes with loaded guns. about 100 ft out side of this stockade was the second line of logs set in the ground 8 ft and 12 ft above ground and about 150 ft out side of the second line of logs were another line of logs 4 ft in ground and 8 ft above ground inside the inner line of logs was what was called the dead line it consisted of Posts 4 ft height 8 ft apart and a 4 inch strip of board nailed on top it was placed 16 ft inside the inner stockade and it was death to the person who stood too close or went inside the dead line. There was a stream of water [that] ran through the Prison but it was not very good as there was a number of buildings near the stream above the Prison which were used for cook houses when our food was cooked for us the good Lord was Kind to us for near the creek there was a spring … of good water but it cost many a poor fellow his life in an effort to get some of the pure spring water the mode of getting it was to tie a tin can to a stick like a fish pole and reach over the dead line and dip up the water. if a poor fellow got to[o] near the dead line he was shot down without warning. Sometimes two would fall from the same bullet as they would line up side by side my place of slopping was near this Spring and I have none as high as six to be shot there in one day. We had no shelter to cover us … the rate of death was large on the 25 day of Aug 1864 there was 128 deaths for the 24 hrs … our bill of fare was poor and light when i was cooked for us it consisted of one piece of corn bread two inches wide by four inches long by 1 1/2 inches thick Sometimes we got mule peas one forth pint this was a days rations with water [sic] form the creek or spring. There was a poet in camp who composed a song band I will repeat one verse This was our daily bill of Fare ... no Sugar Tea nor coffee there set morning night or noon but a pint of meal ground cob and all was served to every man and thus commenced our prison life in Dixie Sunney land we got cooked food but a Short time we Sometimes got a small portion of beef we were divided into hundrids and then into twenty fives and a Seargent over each number and we all had a number and when you number was called you stepped forward and took was oven you which would not make a very large hand full … I have saw two men fight over a poor fellow who was dying to see who should have his clothes … we were guarded by three Regiments of Infty and three forts which command the Prison but at the same time the Boys were digging Tunnels they would dig wells during daytime and carry the dirt in their shirt tale to crwe [sic] and dig the Tunnells [sic] at night and put the dirt in the wells to hide it as our camp was inspected every morning and if there was any fresh dirt found someone suffered generally put in the Stocks then there was a man out Side with a pack of Blood Hounds …When Genl Sherman made his rade [sic] to the Sea we were taken to Savanna then to camp Canton then to Thomasville then to Albany and then to Florida headed for Talahasee [sic] but was [ex]changed and was sent to Jacksonville Fla which was in our possession That was the happiest day of my life …" Also included is the original transmittal cover, his 1859 partly-printed marriage certificate, and newspaper cover sheet regarding Andersonville.

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May 9, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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