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I am pretty certain that I should have ended the matter by crossing the
Dead Line。 I was firmly resolved not to die the disgusting； agonizing
death that so many around me were dying。
One of our best purveyors of information was a bright； blue…eyed； fair…
haired little drummer boy； as handsome as a girl； well…bred as a lady；
and evidently the darling of some refined loving mother。 He belonged；
I think； to some loyal Virginia regiment； was captured in one of the
actions in the Shenandoa Valley； and had been with us in Richmond。
We called him 〃Red Cap；〃 from his wearing a jaunty； gold…laced； crimson
cap。 Ordinarily； the smaller a drummer boy is the harder he is； but no
amount of attrition with rough men could coarse the ingrained refinement
of Red Cap's manners。 He was between thirteen and fourteen； and it
seemed utterly shameful that men； calling themselves soldier should make
war on such a tender boy and drag him off to prison。
But no six…footer had a more soldierly heart than little Red Cap； and
none were more loyal to the cause。 It was a pleasure to hear him tell
the story of the fights and movements his regiment had been engaged in。
He was a good observer and told his tale with boyish fervor。 Shortly
after Wirz assumed command he took Red Cap into his office as an Orderly。
His bright face and winning manner； fascinated the women visitors at
headquarters； and numbers of them tried to adopt him； but with poor
success。 Like the rest of us； he could see few charms in an existence
under the Rebel flag； and turned a deaf ear to their blandishments。
He kept his ears open to the conversation of the Rebel officers around
him； and frequently secured permission to visit the interior of the
Stockade； when he would communicate to us all that he has heard。
He received a flattering reception every time he cams in； and no orator
ever secured a more attentive audience than would gather around him to
listen to what he had to say。 He was； beyond a doubt； the best known and
most popular person in the prison； and I know all the survivors of his
old admirer； share my great interest in him； and my curiosity as to
whether he yet lives； and whether his subsequent career has justified the
sanguine hopes we all had as to his future。 I hope that if he sees this；
or any one who knows anything about him； he will communicate with me。
There are thousands who will be glad to hear from him。
＇A most remarkable coincidence occurred in regard to this comrade。
Several days after the above had been written； and 〃set up；〃 but before
it had yet appeared in the paper； I received the following letter：
ECKHART MINES；
Alleghany County； Md。； March 24。
To the Editor of the BLADE：
Last evening I saw a copy of your paper； in which was a chapter or two of
a prison life of a soldier during the late war。 I was forcibly struck
with the correctness of what he wrote； and the names of several of my old
comrades which he quoted： Hill； Limber Jim； etc。； etc。 I was a drummer
boy of Company I； Tenth West Virginia Infantry； and was fifteen years of
age a day or two after arriving in Andersonville； which was in the last
of February； 1884。 Nineteen of my comrades were there with me； and； poor
fellows； they are there yet。 I have no doubt that I would have remained
there； too； had I not been more fortunate。
I do not know who your soldier correspondent is； but assume to say that
from the following description he will remember having seen me in
Andersonville： I was the little boy that for three or four months
officiated as orderly for Captain Wirz。 I wore a red cap； and every day
could be seen riding Wirz's gray mare； either at headquarters； or about
the Stockade。 I was acting in this capacity when the six raiders
〃Mosby；〃 （proper name Collins） Delaney； Curtis； andI forget the other
nameswere executed。 I believe that I was the first that conveyed the
intelligence to them that Confederate General Winder had approved their
sentence。 As soon as Wirz received the dispatch to that effect； I ran
down to the stocks and told them。
I visited Hill； of Wauseon； Fulton County； O。； since the war； and found
him hale and hearty。 I have not heard from him for a number of years
until reading your correspondent's letter last evening。 It is the only
letter of the series that I have seen； but after reading that one； I feel
called upon to certify that I have no doubts of the truthfulness of your
correspondent's story。 The world will never know or believe the horrors
of Andersonville and other prisons in the South。 No living； human being；
in my judgment； will ever be able to properly paint the horrors of those
infernal dens。
I formed the acquaintance of several Ohio soldiers whilst in prison。
Among these were O。 D。 Streeter； of Cleveland； who went to Andersonville
about the same time that I did； and escaped； and was the only man that I
ever knew that escaped and reached our lines。 After an absence of
several months he was retaken in one of Sherman's battles before Atlanta；
and brought back。 I also knew John L。 Richards； of Fostoria； Seneca
County； O。 or Eaglesville； Wood County。 Also； a man by the name of
Beverly； who was a partner of Charley Aucklebv； of Tennessee。 I would
like to hear from all of these parties。 They all know me。
Mr。 Editor； I will close by wishing all my comrades who shared in the
sufferings and dangers of Confederate prisons； a long and useful life。
Yours truly；
RANSOM T。 POWELL
CHAPTER XLII
SOME FEATURES OF THE MORTALITYPERCENTAGE OF DEATHS TO THOSE LIVING
AN AVERAGE MEAN ONLY STANDS THE MISERY THREE MONTHSDESCRIPTION OF THE
PRISON AND THE CONDITION OF THE MEN THEREIN； BY A LEADING SCIENTIFIC MAN
OF THE SOUTH。
Speaking of the manner in which the Plymouth Pilgrims were now dying；
I am reminded of my theory that the ordinary man's endurance of this
prison life did not average over three months。 The Plymouth boys arrived
in May； the bulk of those who died passed away in July and August。
The great increase of prisoners from all sources was in May； June and
July。 The greatest mortality among these was in August； September and
October。
Many came in who had been in good health during their service in the
field； but who seemed utterly overwhelmed by the appalling misery they
saw on every hand； and giving way to despondency； died in a few days or
weeks。 I do not mean to include them in the above class； as their
sickness was more mental than physical。 my idea is that； taking one
hundred ordinarily healthful young soldiers from a regiment in active
service； and putting them into Andersonville； by the end of the third
month at least thirty…three of those weakest and most vulnerable to
disease would have succumbed to the exposure； the pollution of ground and
air； and the insufficiency of the ration of coarse corn meal。 After this
the mortality would be somewhat less； say at the end of six months fifty
of them would be dead。 The remainder would hang on still more
tenaciously； and at the end of a year there would be fifteen or twenty
still alive。 There were sixty…three of my company taken； thirteen lived
through。 I believe this was about the usual proportion for those who
were in as long as we。 In all there were forty…five thousand six hundred
and thirteen prisoners brought into Andersonville。 Of these twelve
thousand nine hundred and twelve died there； to say nothing of thousands
that died in other prisons in Georgia and the Carolinas； immediately
after their removal from Andersonville。 One of every three and a…half
men upon whom the gates of the Stockade closed never repassed them alive。
Twenty…nine per cent。 of the boys who so much as set foot in
Andersonville died there。 Let it be kept in mind all the time； that the
average stay of a prisoner there was not four months。 The great majority
came in after the 1st of May； and left before the middle of September。
May 1； 1864； there were ten thousand four hundred and twenty…seven in the
Stockade。 August 8 there were thirty…three thousand one hundred and
fourteen； September 30 all these were dead or gone； except eight thousand
two hundred and eighteen； of whom four thousand five hundred and ninety
died inside of the next thirty days。 The records of the world can shove
no parallel to this astounding mortality。
Since the above matter was first published in the BLADE； a friend has
sent me a transcript of the evidence at the Wirz trial； of Professor
Joseph Jones； a Surgeon of high rank in the Rebel Army； and who stood at
the head of the medical profession in Georgia。 He visited Andersonville
at the instance of the Surgeon…General of the Confederate States' Army；
to make a study； for the benefit of science； of the phenomena of disease
occurring there。 His capacity and opportunities for observation； and for
clearly estimating the value of the facts coming under his notice were；
of course； vastly superior to mine； and as he states the case stronger
than I dare to； for fear of being accused of exaggeration and d