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captured。 Our garments told the whole story of the hard campaigning we
had undergone。 Now； with months of the wear and tear of prison life；
sleeping on the sand； working in tunnels； digging wells； etc。； we were
tattered and torn to an extent that a second…class tramp would have
considered disgraceful。
This is no reflection upon the quality of the clothes furnished by the
Government。 We simply reached the limit of the wear of textile fabrics。
I am particular to say this； because I want to contribute my little mite
towards doing justice to a badly abused part of our Army organization
the Quartermaster's Department。 It is fashionable to speak of 〃shoddy；〃
and utter some stereotyped sneers about 〃brown paper shoes；〃 and
〃musketo…netting overcoats；〃 when any discussion of the Quartermaster
service is the subject of conversation； but I have no hesitation in
asking the indorsement of my comrades to the statement that we have never
found anywhere else as durable garments as those furnished us by the
Government during our service in the Army。 The clothes were not as fine
in texture； nor so stylish in cut as those we wore before or since； but
when it came to wear they could be relied on to the last thread。 It was
always marvelous to me that they lasted so well； with the rough usage a
soldier in the field must necessarily give them。
But to return to my subject。 I can best illustrate the way our clothes
dropped off us； piece by piece； like the petals from the last rose of
Summer； by taking my own case as an example： When I entered prison I was
clad in the ordinary garb of an enlisted man of the cavalrystout；
comfortable boots； woolen pocks； drawers； pantaloons； with a
〃reenforcement；〃 or 〃ready…made patches；〃 as the infantry called them；
vest； warm； snug…fitting jacket； under and over shirts； heavy overcoat；
and a forage…cap。 First my boots fell into cureless ruin； but this was
no special hardship； as the weather had become quite warm； and it was
more pleasant than otherwise to go barefooted。 Then part of the
underclothing retired from service。 The jacket and vest followed； their
end being hastened by having their best portions taken to patch up the
pantaloons； which kept giving out at the most embarrassing places。 Then
the cape of the overcoat was called upon to assist in repairing these
continually…recurring breaches in the nether garments。 The same
insatiate demand finally consumed the whole coat； in a vain attempt to
prevent an exposure of person greater than consistent with the usages of
society。 The pantaloonsor what； by courtesy； I called such； were a
monument of careful and ingenious； but hopeless； patching； that should
have called forth the admiration of a Florentine artist in mosaic。
I have been shownin later yearsmany table tops； ornamented in
marquetry； inlaid with thousands of little bits of wood； cunningly
arranged； and patiently joined together。 I always look at them with
interest； for I know the work spent upon them： I remember my
Andersonville pantaloons。
The clothing upon the upper part of my body had been reduced to the
remains of a knit undershirt。 It had fallen into so many holes that it
looked like the coarse 〃riddles〃 through which ashes and gravel are
sifted。 Wherever these holes were the sun had burned my back； breast and
shoulders deeply black。 The parts covered by the threads and fragments
forming the boundaries of the holes； were still white。 When I pulled my
alleged shirt off； to wash or to free it from some of its teeming
population； my skin showed a fine lace pattern in black and white； that
was very interesting to my comrades； and the subject of countless jokes
by them。
They used to descant loudly on the chaste elegance of the design； the
richness of the tracing； etc。； and beg me to furnish them with a copy of
it when I got home； for their sisters to work window curtains or tidies
by。 They were sure that so striking a novelty in patterns would be very
acceptable。 I would reply to their witticisms in the language of
Portia's Prince of Morocco：
Mislike me not for my complexion
The shadowed livery of the burning sun。
One of the stories told me in my childhood by an old negro nurse； was of
a poverty stricken little girl 〃who slept on the floor and was covered
with the door；〃 and she once asked
〃Mamma how do poor folks get along who haven't any door？〃
In the same spirit I used to wonder how poor fellows got along who hadn't
any shirt。
One common way of keeping up one's clothing was by stealing mealsacks。
The meal furnished as rations was brought in in white cotton sacks。
Sergeants of detachments were required to return these when the rations
were issued the next day。 I have before alluded to the general
incapacity of the Rebels to deal accurately with even simple numbers。
It was never very difficult for a shrewd Sergeant to make nine sacks
count as ten。 After awhile the Rebels began to see through this sleight
of hand manipulation； and to check it。 Then the Sergeants resorted to
the device of tearing the sacks in two； and turning each half in as a
whole one。 The cotton cloth gained in this way was used for patching；
or； if a boy could succeed in beating the Rebels out of enough of it；
he would fabricate himself a shirt or a pair of pantaloons。 We obtained
all our thread in the same way。 A half of a sack； carefully raveled out；
would furnish a couple of handfuls of thread。 Had it not been for this
resource all our sewing and mending would have come to a standstill。
Most of our needles were manufactured by ourselves from bones。 A piece
of bone； split as near as possible to the required size； was carefully
rubbed down upon a brick； and then had an eye laboriously worked through
it with a bit of wire or something else available for the purpose。
The needles were about the size of ordinary darning needles； and answered
the purpose very well。
These devices gave one some conception of the way savages provide for the
wants of their lives。 Time was with them； as with us； of little
importance。 It was no loss of time to them； nor to us； to spend a large
portion of the waking hours of a week in fabricating a needle out of a
bone； where a civilized man could purchase a much better one with the
product of three minutes' labor。 I do not think any red Indian of the
plains exceeded us in the patience with which we worked away at these
minutia of life's needs。
Of course the most common source of clothing was the dead； and no body
was carried out with any clothing on it that could be of service to the
survivors。 The Plymouth Pilgrims； who were so well clothed on coming in；
and were now dying off very rapidly； furnished many good suits to cover
the nakedness of older； prisoners。 Most of the prisoners from the Army
of the Potomac were well dressed； and as very many died within a month or
six weeks after their entrance； they left their clothes in pretty good
condition for those who constituted themselves their heirs；
administrators and assigns。
For my own part； I had the greatest aversion to wearing dead men's
clothes； and could only bring myself to it after I had been a year in
prison； and it became a question between doing that and freezing to
death。
Every new batch of prisoners was besieged with anxious inquiries on the
subject which lay closest to all our hearts：
〃What are they doing about exchange！〃
Nothing in human experiencesave the anxious expectancy of a sail by
castaways on a desert islandcould equal the intense eagerness with
which this question was asked； and the answer awaited。 To thousands now
hanging on the verge of eternity it meant life or death。 Between the
first day of July and the first of November over twelve thousand men
died； who would doubtless have lived had they been able to reach our
lines〃get to God's country；〃 as we expressed it。
The new comers brought little reliable news of contemplated exchange。
There was none to bring in the first place； and in the next； soldiers in
active service in the field had other things to busy themselves with than
reading up the details of the negotiations between the Commissioners of
Exchange。 They had all heard rumors； however； and by the time they
reached Andersonville； they had crystallized these into actual statements
of fact。 A half hour after they entered the Stockade； a report like this
would spread like wildfire：
〃An Army of the Potomac man has just come in； who was captured in front
of Petersburg。 He says that he read in the New York Herald； the day
before he was taken； that an exchange had been agreed upon； and that our
ships had already started for Savannah to take us home。〃
Then our hopes would soar up like balloons。 We fed ourselves on such
stuff from day to day； and doubtless many lives were greatly prolonged by
the continual encouragement。 There was hardly a day when I did not say
to myself that I would much rather die than endure imprisonment another
month； and had I believed that another month would see me still there；
I am pretty certain that I should have ended the matter by crossing the
Dead Line。 I was firmly resolved not t