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working in day time can set from thirty…five to fifty 〃thousand〃 a week；
this would make weekly wages run from eighty…seven dollars and fifty
cents to one hundred and twenty…five dollarsbut it was in Confederate
money； then worth from ten to twenty cents on the dollar。
Still better offers were made to iron workers of all kinds；
to shoemakers； tanners； weavers； tailors； hatters； engineers； machinists；
millers； railroad men； and similar tradesmen。 Any of these could have
made a handsome thing by accepting the offers made them almost weekly。
As nearly all in the prison had useful trades； it would have been of
immense benefit to the Confederacy if they could have been induced to
work at them。 There is no measuring the benefit it would have been to
the Southern cause if all the hundreds of tanners and shoemakers in the
Stockade could have； been persuaded to go outside and labor in providing
leather and shoes for the almost shoeless people and soldiery。 The
machinists alone could have done more good to the Southern Confederacy
than one of our brigades was doing harm； by consenting to go to the
railroad shops at Griswoldville and ply their handicraft。 The lack of
material resources in the South was one of the strongest allies our arms
had。 This lack of resources was primarily caused by a lack of skilled
labor to develop those resources； and nowhere could there be found a
finer collection of skilled laborers than in the thirty…three thousand
prisoners incarcerated in Andersonville。
All solicitations to accept a parole and go outside to work at one's
trade were treated with the scorn they deserved。 If any mechanic yielded
to them； the fact did not come under my notice。 The usual reply to
invitations of this kind was：
〃No； Sir！ By God； I'll stay in here till I rot； and the maggots carry me
out through the cracks in the Stockade； before I'll so much as raise my
little finger to help the infernal Confederacy； or Rebels； in any shape
or form。〃
In August a Macon shoemaker came in to get some of his trade to go back
with him to work in the Confederate shoe factory。 He prosecuted his
search for these until he reached the center of the camp on the North
Side； when some of the shoemakers who had gathered around him； apparently
considering his propositions； seized him and threw him into a well。
He was kept there a whole day； and only released when Wirz cut off the
rations of the prison for that day； and announced that no more would be
issued until the man was returned safe and sound to the gate。
The terrible crowding was somewhat ameliorated by the opening in July of
an additionsix hundred feet longto the North Side of the Stockade。
This increased the room inside to twenty acres； giving about an acre to
every one thousand seven hundred men；a preposterously contracted area
still。 The new ground was not a hotbed of virulent poison like the olds
however； and those who moved on to it had that much in their favor。
The palisades between the new and the old portions of the pen were left
standing when the new portion was opened。 We were still suffering a
great deal of inconvenience from lack of wood。 That night the standing
timbers were attacked by thousands of prisoners armed with every species
of a tool to cut wood； from a case…knife to an ax。 They worked the live…
long night with such energy that by morning not only every inch of the
logs above ground had disappeared； but that below had been dug up； and
there was not enough left of the eight hundred foot wall of twenty…five…
foot logs to make a box of matches。
One afternoonearly in Augustone of the violent rain storms common to
that section sprung up； and in a little while the water was falling in
torrents。 The little creek running through the camp swelled up
immensely； and swept out large gaps in the Stockade； both in the west and
east sides。 The Rebels noticed the breaches as soon as the prisoners。
Two guns were fired from the Star Tort； and all the guards rushed out；
and formed so as to prevent any egress； if one was attempted。 Taken by
surprise； we were not in a condition to profit by the opportunity until
it was too late。
The storm did one good thing： it swept away a great deal of filth； and
left the camp much more wholesome。 The foul stench rising from the camp
made an excellent electrical conductor； and the lightning struck several
times within one hundred feet of the prison。
Toward the end of August there happened what the religously inclined
termed a Providential Dispensation。 The water in the Creek was
indescribably bad。 No amount of familiarity with it； no increase of
intimacy with our offensive surroundings； could lessen the disgust at the
polluted water。 As I have said previously； before the stream entered the
Stockade； it was rendered too filthy for any use by the contaminations
from the camps of the guards； situated about a half…mile above。
Immediately on entering the Stockade the contamination became terrible。
The oozy seep at the bottom of the hillsides drained directly into it all
the mass of filth from a population of thirty…three thousand。 Imagine
the condition of an open sewer； passing through the heart of a city of
that many people； and receiving all the offensive product of so dense a
gathering into a shallow； sluggish stream； a yard wide and five inches
deep； and heated by the burning rays of the sun in the thirty…second
degree of latitude。 Imagine； if one can； without becoming sick at the
stomach； all of these people having to wash in and drink of this foul
flow。
There is not a scintilla of exaggeration in this statement。 That it is
within the exact truth is demonstrable by the testimony of any manRebel
or Unionwho ever saw the inside of the Stockade at Andersonville。 I am
quite content to have its truthas well as that of any other statement
made in this bookbe determined by the evidence of any one； no matter
how bitter his hatred of the Union； who had any personal knowledge of the
condition of affairs at Andersonville。 No one can successfully deny that
there were at least thirty…three thousand prisoners in the Stockade； and
that the one shallow； narrow creek； which passed through the prison； was
at once their main sewer and their source of supply of water for bathing；
drinking and washing。 With these main facts admitted； the reader's
common sense of natural consequences will furnish the rest of the
details。
It is true that some of the more fortunate of us had wells； thanks to our
own energy in overcoming extraordinary obstacles； no thanks to our
gaolers for making the slightest effort to provide these necessities of
life。 We dug the wells with case and pocket knives； and half canteens to
a depth of from twenty to thirty feet； pulling up the dirt in pantaloons
legs； and running continual risk of being smothered to death by the
caving in of the unwalled sides。 Not only did the Rebels refuse to give
us boards with which to wall the wells； and buckets for drawing the
water； but they did all in their power to prevent us from digging the
wells； and made continual forays to capture the digging tools； because
the wells were frequentl