Barber County Kansas
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Barber County Kansas |
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I served, during the late rebellion, in the Union Army, I enlisted Aug. 28, 1861, as a private in Co. K, of the 7th Indiana regiment, and was honorably discharged therefrom as a private, at Indianapolis, on or about the 20th day of March 1865, by reason of expiration of term of service.I was taken prisoner of war near Spotsylvania C. H., Va., on the 10th day of May, 1864, and was paroled on or about the 20th day of Feb., 1865, at Goldsbro, N.C. On the way from the front to the R.R. Station, at Gordonsville, I made my escape from the rebel guards, in broad daylight. I concealed myself in the wood and traveled part of four nights, having scarcely anything to eat but flour and water, which I mixed in the palm of my hand and swallowed raw. The supply of flour was very small, and when I had it well nigh eaten up, on the fourth night, when just about to enter the Union lines, I was recaptured by the extreme left pickets of Lee's army. I was retained by them until morning and by some of the men well treated, and by some insulted, they desiring that I might give but the slightest excuse that they might shoot me down like a dog.
When I was brought and placed in care of the same men from whom I had run away, they having returned from Gordonsville; I was recognized, and for my efforts in attempting to gain my liberty, I was bound with my elbows touching behind my back, until, by the intercession of Lieut. Hadley of my Regt. a prisoner under nearly the same circumstances, I was untied. Afterwards I received the treatment common to those of my unfortunate companions, who were conducted to the vile dens filth, vermin, sickness in a hundred different forms, starvation, without clothing and but little shelter or fully exposed to rain the scorching sun in Georgia and the frosts of winter in South Carolina; insulted, shot down in many cases for the slightest offense, jammed about on railroad trains from 90 to a 100 on a car until by continually remaining in one position we were so tired and limbs so swollen that many had to be carried by their more able comrades. Through all this I had comparatively good health and could have eaten a good square meal at any time if I had had it, as I thought, but afterwards I found that my poor stomach did not have capacity for any more at one time than just our very irregular pint. Yet I became so poor that I could span my arm at my shoulder, and my thigh was one hand and my entire body at the waist with both hands. Towards the last I took a fever and lost my appetite and my mind was injured to that degree that I did not recover from it for nearly a year after my release, and my strength and power of endurance at ordinary farm work has not near been up to the standard required by a man of sixty or seventy or a boy of twelve or fifteen.
All this may tire you, as I have gone beyond your request, but I think it can all be well attested by fellow prisoners and those who have known me best since my release. I would like to put, for a short period, any one who would put their veto to the granting of a pension according to the merits of the case to every prisoner as well as to any other soldier to a full realization of the conditions of those who were in Andersonville June, 1864, excepting the death part. If I am wrong in this, may God Almighty forgive me.
Wm.E. Williams
Co.K. 7th Ind.
Also see:
Soldier's Reunion in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, 23 Oct 1879.
Andersonville Civil War Prison Historical Background
Thanks to Kim Fowles for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site and to Landon Fowles for providing technical assistance.
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