Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons — John Shaqi
Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel PrisonsDay, W. W. (William Worthy)
History
Fifteen Months in Dixie; Or, My Personal Experience in Rebel Prisons
Day, W. W. (William Worthy)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
The Stockade was built of hewn timbers, twenty-four feet in length, set
in the ground side by side, to a depth of six feet, leaving the walls of
the Stockade eighteen feet high. The guards stood upon covered platforms
or “pigeon roosts” outside of, and overlooking the Stockade.
Not far from the northwest, and southwest corners, on the west side,
were the north and south gates. These were made double, by building a
small stockade outside of each gate, which was entered by another gate,
so that when prisoners or wagons entered the stockade they were first
admitted to small stockade, then the gate was closed, after which they
were admitted to the main stockade.
These small stockades were anterooms to the main prison, and were for
the purpose of preventing a rush by the prisoners.
Outside of the main stockade the rebels built another stockade, at a
distance of about ten rods. This was for the double purpose of
preventing a “break” of the prisoners and to prevent tunnelling.
This second stockade was built of round timbers set in the ground six
feet and stood twelve feet above the ground.
Outside of this second stockade a third one was started, but was not
completed when I left. This was for protection against “Uncle Billy
Sherman’s Bummers.”
Commanding each corner of the stockade was a fort, built a sufficient
distance to give the guns a good range. These four forts mounted all
told eighteen guns of light artillery, as I was informed, and had a
general rush been made, they would have slaughtered us as though we were
a flock of pigeons.
The cook-house was built on low ground on the border of a small stream
which ran through the stockade, and west from it.
The guards camp was west and southwest, from the southern portion of the
stockade.
West from the south gate Gen. Winder had his head-quarters, also the
guard house and Wirz’ quarters.
About a quarter of a mile north of the stockade was the cemetery, then a
sandy barren, with occasional jack pine growing.
I have now given the reader a general description of the Prison Pen, or
Stockade, of Andersonville, as seen from the outside.
I will now attempt to give a view of the inside, as seen during five
months confinement.
Upon our arrival at Andersonville on the 22d of April, we were halted at
Gen. Winder’s quarters and registered by name, rank, company, and
regiment. I will give the reader the form as written, in the case of one
of my tent mates who died at Charleston, S. C. the following October.
GEORGE W. ROUSE, Co. D. 10th Wisconsin Inf.—16-3.
Which meant that he was assigned to the 3d company and 16 detachment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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