Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 1.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[258] water at the “Point” was horrible, being strongly tinctured with copperas and decayed shells, &c. It was obtained from wells in different parts of the enclosure. Near the officers quarters' was one pump from which a little better water was sometimes received by favored ones. This location for a prison was once condemed by a Board of Surgeons on account of the poisonous composition of the water. Many persons were greatly affected by the water, and the food given would barely sustain life — in many cases it did not — and I feel confident that money deaths were caused solely from scanty and unhealthy food, and this too by a Government that had plenty.

Whenever any complaint was made of the food or treatment, the reply would be: “'Tis good enough for you, and far better than Andersonville.” I depended very little upon the food issued, as in a week after my imprisonment I received money from my friends and was enabled to purchase coffee, etc., and lived well. Most of the Washington Artillery fared well, but it was by purchase rather than favor. The sutlers were most happy to receive our money, and charged more than double the market value for their supplies.

We were fortunate even thus, for there were thousands of that motley group that for months had not a sufficiency of food. I have seen them many times fishing out from the barrels (in which all the filth and offal of the camp is thrown) crusts of bread, potato peelings, onion tops, etc., etc.--in fact, anything from which they might find little sustenance. I had never before witnessed to what great extremity hunger would drive a human being. The discipline of the prison was very strict. The guard was most of the time of colored troops, who, when (as they. usually were) badly treated by their officers, would vent their rage upon the prisoners.

Much is said in the papers of the “Dead line,” over which so many “blue coats” had “accidentally” passed and were shot for their “imprudence.” In all prisons the penalty for passing the “Dead line” is well known, and there can be no excuse in such attempt. At Point Lookout Confederate soldiers were shot for being at the pumps for water, which had always been permitted at all hours of night, till the self-constituted restriction of the negro guard caused several men to be severely wounded. I was an eye-witness of many disgusting scenes, almost brutal on the part of the guard, towards simple and ignorant prisoners. That prison was said to be the best of all the Yankee prisons — if so, I am truly sorry for those that were in the others. I know not what Andersonville was. I do not doubt but there was great suffering, but all was done by the Government that could be, and we had not the resources of the world as had the Yankees.

Thus have I given you some particulars. It is really an “unvarnished tale,” but it is true, and I can safely challenge the denial of a word of it.