An Andersonville Survivor's Statement 1867

After the Civil War, Congress held hearings on the treatment of prisoners of war by the Confederates. This brief statement was made in 1867 by Albert F. Land of Madison. A lengthy history was published in 1869 as the "Report of the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the Rebel Authorities during the War of Rebellion.



I was a private of Company D, Sixth Indiana volunteers. Was captured at Chickamauga September 20, 1863, and was taken to Richmond. I was a prisoner fourteen months. After being a prisoner about ten weeks I was taken to the small-pox hospital. While prisoner at Richmond the ration was so small for a day that one could eat it all at one meal and still want more. We received some clothing sent by the government to us, but we were soon compelled to trade it off for food. February 18 was sent to Andersonville, where we suffered untold misery. The ration was very small and poor. We had no cooking utensils, and "but little wood to cook what we got. The scurvy was awful. The stench arising from those who had it was terrible. I have seen the scurvy sores so full of maggots that the victim would have to scrape them out with a chip, not being able to go for water. These men were allowed to rot to death in the camp. Three times as many died in the stockade as at the hospital. The groans of the sufferers could be heard day and night. I saw one man who had cut his throat to escape from his misery. I knew several who were killed by the guard for going too near the dead-line, or for reaching under it to get a bone or crust of bread which the guards had thrown between the line and stockade to tempt us.