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accept and appreciate its statements。 Mr。 Weld said：
Suppose I should seize you； rob you of your liberty； drive you into the
field； and make you work without pay as long as you lived。 Would that be
justice？ Would it be kindness？ Or would it be monstrous injustice and
cruelty？ Now； is the man who robs you every day too tender…hearted ever
to cuff or kick you？ He can empty your pockets without remorse； but if
your stomach is empty； it cuts him to the quick。 He can make you work a
life…time without pay； but loves you too well to let you go hungry。
He fleeces you of your rights with a relish； but is shocked if you work
bare…headed in summer； or without warm stockings in winter。 He can make
you go without your liberty； but never without a shirt。 He can crush in
you all hope of bettering your condition by vowing that you shall die his
slave； but though he can thus cruelly torture your feelings； he will
never lacerate your backhe can break your heart； but is very tender of
your skin。 He can strip you of all protection of law； and all comfort in
religion； and thus expose you to all outrages； but if you are exposed to
the weather； half…clad and half…sheltered； how yearn his tender bowels！
What！ talk of a man treating you well while robbing you of all you get；
and as fast as you get it？ And robbing you of yourself； too； your hands
and feet； your muscles； limbs and senses； your body and mind； your
liberty and earnings； your free speech and rights of conscience； your
right to acquire knowledge； property and reputation； and yet you are
content to believe without question that men who do all this by their
slaves have soft hearts oozing out so lovingly toward their human
chattles that they always keep them well housed and well clad； never push
them too hard in the field； never make their dear backs smart； nor let
their dear stomachs get empty！〃
In like manner we may ask； are not the cruelties and oppressions
described in the following pages what we should legitimately expect from
men who； all their lives； have used whip and thumb…screw； shot…gun and
bloodhound； to keep human beings subservient to their will？ Are we to
expect nothing but chivalric tenderness and compassion from men who made
war on a tolerant government to make more secure their barbaric system of
oppression？
These things are written because they are true。 Duty to the brave dead；
to the heroic living； who have endured the pangs of a hundred deaths for
their country's sake； duty to the government which depends on the wisdom
and constancy of its good citizens for its support and perpetuity； calls
for this 〃round； unvarnished tale〃 of suffering endured for freedom's
sake。
The publisher of this work urged his friend and associate in journalism
to write and send forth these sketches because the times demanded just
such an expose of the inner hell of the Southern prisons。 The tender
mercies of oppressors are cruel。 We must accept the truth and act in
view of it。 Acting wisely on the warnings of the past； we shall be able
to prevent treason； with all its fearful concomitants； from being again
the scourge and terror of our beloved land。
ROBERT McCUNE。
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
Fifteen months agoand one month before it was begunI had no more idea
of writing this book than I have now of taking up my residence in China。
While I have always been deeply impressed with the idea that the public
should know much more of the history of Andersonville and other Southern
prisons than it does； it had never occurred to me that I was in any way
charged with the duty of increasing that enlightenment。
No affected deprecation of my own abilities had any part is this。
I certainly knew enough of the matter； as did every other boy who had
even a month's experience in those terrible places； but the very
magnitude of that knowledge overpowered me； by showing me the vast
requirements of the subject…requirements that seemed to make it
presumption for any but the greatest pens in our literature to attempt
the work。 One day at Andersonville or Florence would be task enough for
the genius of Carlyle or Hugo； lesser than they would fail preposterously
to rise to the level of the theme。 No writer ever described such a
deluge of woes as swept over the unfortunates confined in Rebel prisons
in the last year…and…a…half of the Confederacy's life。 No man was ever
called upon to describe the spectacle and the process of seventy thousand
young； strong； able…bodied men； starving and rotting to death。 Such a
gigantic tragedy as this stuns the mind and benumbs the imagination。
I no more felt myself competent to the task than to accomplish one of
Michael Angelo's grand creations in sculpture or painting。
Study of the subject since confirms me in this view； and my only claim
for this book is that it is a contributiona record of individual
observation and experiencewhich will add something to the material
which the historian of the future will find available for his work。
The work was begun at the suggestion of Mr。 D。 R。 Locke； （Petroleum V。
Nasby）； the eminent political satirist。 At first it was only intended to
write a few short serial sketches of prison life for the columns of the
TOLEDO BLADE。 The exceeding favor with which the first of the series was
received induced a great widening of their scope； until finally they took
the range they now have。
I know that what is contained herein will be bitterly denied。 I am
prepared for this。 In my boyhood I witnessed the savagery of the Slavery
agitationin my youth I felt the fierceness of the hatred directed
against all those who stood by the Nation。 I know that hell hath no fury
like the vindictiveness of those who are hurt by the truth being told of
them。 I apprehend being assailed by a sirocco of contradiction and
calumny。 But I solemnly affirm in advance the entire and absolute truth
of every material fact； statement and description。 I assert that； so far
from there being any exaggeration in any particular； that in no instance
has the half of the truth been told； nor could it be； save by an inspired
pen。 I am ready to demonstrate this by any test that the deniers of this
may require； and I am fortified in my position by unsolicited letters
from over 3；000 surviving prisoners； warmly indorsing the account as
thoroughly accurate in every respect。
It has been charged that hatred of the South is the animus of this work。
Nothing can be farther from the truth。 No one has a deeper love for
every part of our common country than I； and no one to…day will make more
efforts and sacrifices to bring the South to the same plane of social and
material development with the rest of the Nation than I will。 If I could
see that the sufferings at Andersonville and elsewhere contributed in any
considerable degree to that end； and I should not regret that they had
been。 Blood and tears mark every； step in the progress of the race； and
human misery seems unavoidable in securing human advancement。 But I am
naturally embittered by the fruitlessness； as well as the uselessness of
the misery of Andersonville。 There was never the least