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putrescent deadness； and left the tendons standing out like cords； was
too common to excite remark or even attention。 Unless the victim was a
comrade； no one specially heeded his condition。 Lung diseases and low
fevers ravaged the camp； existing all the time in a more or less virulent
condition； according to the changes of the weather； and occasionally
ragging in destructive epidemics。 I am unable to speak with any degree
of definiteness as to the death rate； since I had ceased to interest
myself about the number dying each day。 I had now been a prisoner a
year； and had become so torpid and stupefied； mentally and physically；
that I cared comparatively little for anything save the rations of food
and of fuel。 The difference of a few spoonfuls of meal； or a large
splinter of wood in the daily issues to me； were of more actual
importance than the increase or decrease of the death rate by a half a
score or more。 At Andersonville I frequently took the trouble to count
the number of dead and living； but all curiosity of this kind had now
died out。
Nor can I find that anybody else is in possession of much more than my
own information on the subject。 Inquiry at the War Department has
elicited the following letters：
I。
The prison records of Florence； S。 C。； have never come to light； and
therefore the number of prisoners confined there could not be ascertained
from the records on file in this office； nor do I think that any
statement purporting to show that number has ever been made。
In the report to Congress of March 1； 1869； it was shown from records as
follows：
Escaped； fifty…eight； paroled； one； died； two thousand seven hundred and
ninety…three。 Total； two thousand eight hundred and fifty…two。
Since date of said report there have been added to the records as
follows：
Died； two hundred and twelve； enlisted in Rebel army； three hundred and
twenty…six。 Total； five hundred and thirty…eight。
Making a total disposed of from there； as shown by records on file； of
three thousand three hundred and ninety。
This； no doubt； is a small proportion of the number actually confined
there。
The hospital register on file contains that part only of the alphabet
subsequent to； and including part of the letter S； but from this
register； it is shown that the prisoners were arranged in hundreds and
thousands； and the hundred and thousand to which he belonged is recorded
opposite each man's name on said register。 Thus：
〃John Jones； 11th thousand； 10th hundred。〃
Eleven thousand being the highest number thus recorded； it is fair to
presume that not less than that number were confined there on a certain
date； and that more than that number were confined there during the time
it was continued as a prison。
II
Statement showing the whole number of Federals and Confederates captured；
（less the number paroled on the field）； the number who died while
prisoners； and the percentage of deaths； 1861…1865
FEDERALS
Captured 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 187；818
Died； （as shown by prison and hospital records on file）。。。。 30；674
Percentage of deaths 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 16。375
CONFEDERATES
Captured 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 227；570
Died 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 26；774
Percentage of deaths 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 11。768
In the detailed statement prepared for Congress dated March 1； 1869； the
whole number of deaths given as shown by Prisoner of War records was
twenty…six thousand three hundred and twenty…eight； but since that date
evidence of three thousand six hundred and twenty…eight additional deaths
has been obtained from the captured Confederate records； making a total
of twenty…nine thousand nine hundred and fifty…six as above shown。 This
is believed to be many thousands less than the actual number of Federal
prisoners who died in Confederate prisons； as we have no records from
those at Montgomery Ala。； Mobile； Ala。； Millen； Ga。； Marietta； Ga。；
Atlanta； Ga。； Charleston； S。 C。； and others。 The records of Florence；
S。 C。； and Salisbury； N。 C。； are very incomplete。 It also appears from
Confederate inspection reports of Confederate prisons； that large
percentage of the deaths occurred in prison quarter without the care or
knowledge of the Surgeon。 For the month of December； 1864 alone； the
Confederate 〃burial report〃； Salisbury； N。 C。； show that out； of eleven
hundred and fifty deaths； two hundred and twenty…three； or twenty per
cent。； died in prison quarters and are not accounted for in the report of
the Surgeon； and therefore not taken into consideration in the above
report； as the only records of said prisons on file （with one exception）
are the Hospital records。 Calculating the percentage of deaths on this
basis would give the number of deaths at thirty…seven thousand four
hundred and forty…five and percentage of deaths at 20。023。
＇End of the Letters from the War Department。＇
If we assume that the Government's records of Florence as correct； it
will be apparent that one man in every three die there； since； while
there might have been as high as fifty thousand at one time in the
prison； during the last three months of its existence I am quite sure
that the number did not exceed seven thousand。 This would make the
mortality much greater than at Andersonville； which it undoubtedly was；
since the physical condition of the prisoners confined there had been
greatly depressed by their long confinement； while the bulk c the
prisoners at Andersonville were those who had been brought thither
directly from the field。 I think also that all who experienced
confinement in the two places are united in pronouncing Florence to be；
on the whole； much the worse p1ace and more fatal to life。
The medicines furnished the sick were quite simple in nature and mainly
composed of indigenous substances。 For diarrhea red pepper and
decoctions of blackberry root and of pine leave were given。 For coughs
and lung diseases； a decoction of wild cherry bark was administered。
Chills and fever were treated with decoctions of dogwood bark； and fever
patients who craved something sour； were given a weak acid drink； made by
fermenting a small quantity of meal in a barrel of water。 All these
remedies were quite good in their way； and would have benefitted the
patients had they been accompanied by proper shelter； food and clothing。
But it was idle to attempt to arrest with blackberry root the diarrhea；
or with wild cherry bark the consumption of a man lying in a cold； damp；
mud hovel； devoured by vermin； and struggling to maintain life upon less
than a pint of unsalted corn meal per diem。
Finding that the doctors issued red pepper for diarrhea； and an imitation
of sweet oil made from peanuts； for the gangrenous sores above described；
I reported to them an imaginary comrade in my tent； whose symptoms
indicated those remedies； and succeeded in drawing a small quantity of
each； two or three times a week。 The red pepper I used to warm up our
bread and