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than I dare to; for fear of being accused of exaggeration and downright
untruth; I reproduce the major part of his testimonyembodying also his
official report to medical headquarters at Richmondthat my readers may
know how the prison appeared to the eyes of one who; though a bitter
Rebel; was still a humane man and a conscientious observer; striving to
learn the truth:
MEDICAL TESTIMONY。
'Transcript from the printed testimony at the Wirz Trial; pages 618 to
639; inclusive。'
OCTOBER 7; 1885。
Dr。 Joseph Jones; for the prosecution:
By the Judge Advocate:
Question。 Where do you reside
Answer。 In Augusta; Georgia。
Q。 Are you a graduate of any medical college?
A。 Of the University of Pennsylvania。
Q。 How long have you been engaged in the practice of medicine?
A。 Eight years。
Q。 Has your experience been as a practitioner; or rather as an
investigator of medicine as a science?
A。 Both。
Q。 What position do you hold now?
A。 That of Medical Chemist in the Medical College of Georgia; at
Augusta。
Q。 How long have you held your position in that college?
A。 Since 1858。
Q。 How were you employed during the Rebellion?
A。 I served six months in the early part of it as a private in the
ranks; and the rest of the time in the medical department。
Q。 Under the direction of whom?
A。 Under the direction of Dr。 Moore; Surgeon General。
Q。 Did you; while acting under his direction; visit Andersonville;
professionally?
A。 Yes; Sir。
Q。 For the purpose of making investigations there?
A。 For the purpose of prosecuting investigations ordered by the Surgeon
General。
Q。 You went there in obedience to a letter of instructions?
A。 In obedience to orders which I received。
Q。 Did you reduce the results of your investigations to the shape of a
report?
A。 I was engaged at that work when General Johnston surrendered his
army。
(A document being handed to witness。)
Q。 Have you examined this extract from your report and compared it with
the original?
A。 Yes; Sir; I have。
Q。 Is it accurate?
A。 So far as my examination extended; it is accurate。'
The document just examined by witness was offered in evidence; and is as
follows:
Observations upon the diseases of the Federal prisoners; confined to Camp
Sumter; Andersonville; in Sumter County; Georgia; instituted with a view
to illustrate chiefly the origin and causes of hospital gangrene; the
relations of continued and malarial fevers; and the pathology of camp
diarrhea and dysentery; by Joseph Jones; Surgeon P。 A。 C。 S。; Professor
of Medical Chemistry in the Medical College of Georgia; at Augusta;
Georgia。
Hearing of the unusual mortality among the Federal prisoners confined at
Andersonville; Georgia; in the month of August; 1864; during a visit to
Richmond; Va。; I expressed to the Surgeon General; S。 P。 Moore;
Confederate States of America; a desire to visit Camp Sumter; with the
design of instituting a series of inquiries upon the nature and causes of
the prevailing diseases。 Smallpox had appeared among the prisoners; and
I believed that this would prove an admirable field for the establishment
of its characteristic lesions。 The condition of Peyer's glands in this
disease was considered as worthy of minute investigation。 It was
believed that a large body of men from the Northern portion of the United
States; suddenly transported to a warm Southern climate; and confined
upon a small portion of land; would furnish an excellent field for the
investigation of the relations of typhus; typhoid; and malarial fevers。
The Surgeon General of the Confederate States of America furnished me
with the following letter of introduction to the Surgeon in charge of the
Confederate States Military Prison at Andersonville; Ga。:
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA;
SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE; RICHMOND; VA。;
August 6; 1864。
SIR:The field of pathological investigations afforded by the large
collection of Federal prisoners in Georgia; is of great extant and
importance; and it is believed that results of value to the profession
may be obtained by careful investigation of the effects of disease upon
the large body of men subjected to a decided change of climate and those
circumstances peculiar to prison life。 The Surgeon in charge of the
hospital for Federal prisoners; together with his assistants; will afford
every facility to Surgeon Joseph Jones; in the prosecution of the labors
ordered by the Surgeon General。 Efficient assistance must be rendered
Surgeon Jones by the medical officers; not only in his examinations into
the causes and symptoms of the various diseases; but especially in the
arduous labors of post mortem examinations。
The medical officers will assist in the performance of such post…mortems
as Surgeon Jones may indicate; in order that this great field for
pathological investigation may be explored for the benefit of the Medical
Department of the Confederate Army。
S。 P。 MOORE; Surgeon General。
Surgeon ISAIAH H。 WHITE;
In charge of Hospital for Federal prisoners; Andersonville; Ga。
In compliance with this letter of the Surgeon General; Isaiah H。 White;
Chief Surgeon of the post; and R。 R。 Stevenson; Surgeon in charge of the
Prison Hospital; afforded the necessary facilities for the prosecution of
my investigations among the sick outside of the Stockade。 After the
completion of my labors in the military prison hospital; the following
communication was addressed to Brigadier General John H。 Winder; in
consequence of the refusal on the part of the commandant of the interior
of the Confederate States Military Prison to admit me within the Stockade
upon the order of the Surgeon General:
CAMP SUMTER; ANDERSONVILLE GA。;
September 16; 1864。
GENERAL:I respectfully request the commandant of the post of
Andersonville to grant me permission and to furnish the necessary pass
to visit the sick and medical officers within the Stockade of the
Confederate States Prison。 I desire to institute certain inquiries
ordered by the Surgeon General。 Surgeon Isaiah H。 White; Chief Surgeon
of the post; and Surgeon R。 R。 Stevenson; in charge of the Prison
Hospital; have afforded me every facility for the prosecution of my
labors among the sick outside of the Stockade。
Very respectfully; your obedient servant;
JOSEPH JONES; Surgeon P。 A。 C。 S。
Brigadier General JOHN H。 WINDER;
Commandant; Post Andersonville。
In the absence of General Winder from the post; Captain Winder furnished
the following order:
CAMP SUMTER; ANDERSONVILLE;
September 17; 1864。
CAPTAIN:You will permit Surgeon Joseph Jones; who has orders from the
Surgeon General; to visit the sick within the Stockade that are under
medical treatment。 Surgeon Jones is ordered to make certain
investigations which may prove useful to his profession。 By direction of
General Winder。
Very respectfully;
W。 S。 WINDER; A。 A。 G。
Captain H。 WIRZ; Commanding Prison。
Description of the Confederate States Military Prison Hospital at
Andersonville。 Number of prisoners; physical condition; food;
clothing; habits; moral condition; diseases。
The Confederate Military Prison at Andersonville; Ga。; consists of a
strong Stockade; twenty feet in height; enclosing twenty…seven acres。
The Stockade is formed of strong pine logs; firmly planted in the ground。
The main Stockade is surrounded by two other similar rows of pine logs;
the middle Stockade being sixteen feet high; and the outer twelve feet。
These are intended for offense and defense。 If the inner Stockade should
at any time be forced by the prisoners; the second forms another line of
defense; while in case of an attempt to deliver the prisoners by a force
operating upon the exterior; the outer line forms an admirable protection
to the Confederate troops; and a most formidable obstacle to cavalry or
infantry。 The four angles of the outer line are strengthened by
earthworks upon commanding eminences; from which the cannon; in case of
an outbreak among the prisoners; may sweep the entire enclosure; and it
was designed to connect these works by a line of rifle pits; running zig…
zag; around the outer Stockade; those rifle pits have never been
completed。 The ground enclosed by the innermost Stockade lies in the
form of a parallelogram; the larger diameter running almost due north and
south。 This space includes the northern and southern opposing sides of
two hills; between which a stream of water runs from west to east。
The surface soil of these hills is composed chiefly of sand with varying
admixtures of clay and oxide of iron。 The clay is sufficiently tenacious
to give a considerable degree of consistency to the soil。 The internal
structure of the