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three thousand three hundred and ninety。
This； no doubt； is a small proportion of the number actually confined
there。
The hospital register on file contains that part only of the alphabet
subsequent to； and including part of the letter S； but from this
register； it is shown that the prisoners were arranged in hundreds and
thousands； and the hundred and thousand to which he belonged is recorded
opposite each man's name on said register。 Thus：
〃John Jones； 11th thousand； 10th hundred。〃
Eleven thousand being the highest number thus recorded； it is fair to
presume that not less than that number were confined there on a certain
date； and that more than that number were confined there during the time
it was continued as a prison。
II
Statement showing the whole number of Federals and Confederates captured；
（less the number paroled on the field）； the number who died while
prisoners； and the percentage of deaths； 1861…1865
FEDERALS
Captured 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 187；818
Died； （as shown by prison and hospital records on file）。。。。 30；674
Percentage of deaths 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 16。375
CONFEDERATES
Captured 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 227；570
Died 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 26；774
Percentage of deaths 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 11。768
In the detailed statement prepared for Congress dated March 1； 1869； the
whole number of deaths given as shown by Prisoner of War records was
twenty…six thousand three hundred and twenty…eight； but since that date
evidence of three thousand six hundred and twenty…eight additional deaths
has been obtained from the captured Confederate records； making a total
of twenty…nine thousand nine hundred and fifty…six as above shown。 This
is believed to be many thousands less than the actual number of Federal
prisoners who died in Confederate prisons； as we have no records from
those at Montgomery Ala。； Mobile； Ala。； Millen； Ga。； Marietta； Ga。；
Atlanta； Ga。； Charleston； S。 C。； and others。 The records of Florence；
S。 C。； and Salisbury； N。 C。； are very incomplete。 It also appears from
Confederate inspection reports of Confederate prisons； that large
percentage of the deaths occurred in prison quarter without the care or
knowledge of the Surgeon。 For the month of December； 1864 alone； the
Confederate 〃burial report〃； Salisbury； N。 C。； show that out； of eleven
hundred and fifty deaths； two hundred and twenty…three； or twenty per
cent。； died in prison quarters and are not accounted for in the report of
the Surgeon； and therefore not taken into consideration in the above
report； as the only records of said prisons on file （with one exception）
are the Hospital records。 Calculating the percentage of deaths on this
basis would give the number of deaths at thirty…seven thousand four
hundred and forty…five and percentage of deaths at 20。023。
＇End of the Letters from the War Department。＇
If we assume that the Government's records of Florence as correct； it
will be apparent that one man in every three die there； since； while
there might have been as high as fifty thousand at one time in the
prison； during the last three months of its existence I am quite sure
that the number did not exceed seven thousand。 This would make the
mortality much greater than at Andersonville； which it undoubtedly was；
since the physical condition of the prisoners confined there had been
greatly depressed by their long confinement； while the bulk c the
prisoners at Andersonville were those who had been brought thither
directly from the field。 I think also that all who experienced
confinement in the two places are united in pronouncing Florence to be；
on the whole； much the worse p1ace and more fatal to life。
The medicines furnished the sick were quite simple in nature and mainly
composed of indigenous substances。 For diarrhea red pepper and
decoctions of blackberry root and of pine leave were given。 For coughs
and lung diseases； a decoction of wild cherry bark was administered。
Chills and fever were treated with decoctions of dogwood bark； and fever
patients who craved something sour； were given a weak acid drink； made by
fermenting a small quantity of meal in a barrel of water。 All these
remedies were quite good in their way； and would have benefitted the
patients had they been accompanied by proper shelter； food and clothing。
But it was idle to attempt to arrest with blackberry root the diarrhea；
or with wild cherry bark the consumption of a man lying in a cold； damp；
mud hovel； devoured by vermin； and struggling to maintain life upon less
than a pint of unsalted corn meal per diem。
Finding that the doctors issued red pepper for diarrhea； and an imitation
of sweet oil made from peanuts； for the gangrenous sores above described；
I reported to them an imaginary comrade in my tent； whose symptoms
indicated those remedies； and succeeded in drawing a small quantity of
each； two or three times a week。 The red pepper I used to warm up our
bread and mush； and give some different taste to the corn meal； which had
now become so loathsome to us。 The peanut oil served to give a hint of
the animal food we hungered for。 It was greasy； and as we did not have
any meat for three months； even this flimsy substitute was inexpressibly
grateful to palate and stomach。 But one morning the Hospital Steward
made a mistake； and gave me castor oil instead； and the consequences were
unpleasant。
A more agreeable remembrance is that of two small apples； about the size
of walnuts； given me by a boy named Henry Clay Montague Porter； of the
Sixteenth Connecticut。 He had relatives living in North Carolina； who
sent him a small packs of eatables； out of which； in the fulness of his
generous heart he gave me this shareenough to make me always remember
him with kindness。
Speaking of eatables reminds me of an incident。 Joe Darling； of the
First Maine； our Chief of Police； had a sister living at Augusta； Ga。；
who occasionally came to Florence with basket of food and other
necessaries for her brother。 On one of these journeys； while sitting in
Colonel Iverson's tent； waiting for her brother to be brought out of
prison； she picked out of her basket a nicely browned doughnut and handed
it to the guard pacing in front of the tent； with：
〃Here； guard； wouldn't you like a genuine Yankee doughnut？〃
The guard…a lank； loose…jointed Georgia crackerwho in all his life seen
very little more inviting food than the his hominy and molasses； upon
which he had been raised； took the cake； turned it over and inspected it
curiously for some time without apparently getting the least idea of what
it was for； and then handed it back to the donor； saying：
〃Really； mum； I don't believe I've got any use for it〃
CHAPTER LXXII
DULL WINTER DAYSTOO WEAK AND TOO STUPID To AMUSE OURSELVESATTEMPTS OF
THE REBELS TO RECRUIT US INTO THEIR ARMYTHE CLASS OF MEN THEY OBTAINED
VENGEANCE ON 〃THE GALVANIZED〃A SINGULAR EXPERIENCERARE GLIMPSES
OF FUNINABILITY OF THE REBELS TO COUNT。
The Rebels continued their efforts to induce prisoners to enlist in their
army； and with much better success than at any previous time。 Many men
had become so desperate that they were reckless as to what they did。
Home； relatives； friends； happinessall they had remembered or looked
forward to； all that had nerved them up to endure the present and brave
the futurenow seemed separated from them forever by a yawning and
impassable chasm。 For many weeks no new prisoners had come in to rouse
their drooping courage with news of the progress of our arms towards
final victory； or refresh their remembrances of home； and the
gladsomeness of 〃God's Country。〃 Before them they saw nothing but weeks
of slow and painful progress towards bitter death。 The other alternative
was enlistment in the Rebel army。
Another class went out and joined； with no other intention than to escape
at the first opportunity。 They justified their bad faith to the Rebels
by recalling the numberless instances of the Rebels' bad faith to us；
and usually closed their arguments in defense of their course with：
〃No oath administered by a Rebel can have any binding obligation。 These
men are outlaws who have not only broken their oaths to the Government；
but who have deserted from its service； and turned its arms against it。
They are perjurers and traitors； and in addition； the oath they
administer to us is under compulsion and for that reason is of no
account。〃
Still another class； mostly made up from the old Raider crowd； enlisted
from natural depravity。 They went out more than for anything else
because their hearts were prone to evil and they did that which was wrong
in preference to what was right。 By far the largest portion of those the
Rebels obtained were of this class； and a more worthless crowd of
soldiers has not been seen since Falstaff mustered his famous recruits。
After all； however； the number who deserted their flag was astonishingly
small； considering all the circumstances。 The official