History Buffoons Podcast, We Are Buffoons! Now on YouTube!
Nov. 5, 2024

Ungodly Human: Andersonville Prison

Ungodly Human: Andersonville Prison
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Season 1

What if a simple beer tasting could take you on a journey through history and friendship? Grab your headphones and a cold one as we kick off with a lively chat about the joys and occasional chaos of podcasting alongside our feline co-hosts. We savor a Founders All Day IPA and a Schilling Cider House hard cider, sharing our thoughts on their unique flavors before reminiscing about nostalgic train rides and a magical visit to the Green Bay Railroad Museum. A special thanks to listener Sarah for inspiring today's deeply moving story.

Venture with us to Yankee Springs, Michigan, in the tumultuous 1860s, where the air buzzes with tension amidst the American Civil War. Discover the youthful bravery of James Skaden, who bent the truth to join the Second Michigan Regiment and ride into history on his trusty horse, Billy Boy. Experience the adrenaline of cavalry charges and the crushing despair of capture as we recount James's harrowing imprisonment at Andersonville Prison. The grim conditions and heartbreaking survival tactics paint a vivid picture of resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Amidst the shadows of war, a profound friendship blossoms between James and Private Jonah Wheeler, offering hope and companionship in the darkest times. Their journey together, marked by fierce loyalty and shared hardships, culminates in the tragic Sultana disaster. This episode not only brings to light the overlooked stories of bravery and camaraderie but also honors the enduring human spirit in the face of chaos and loss. Join us as we remember those who fought bravely and the friendships that endured beyond the battlefield.



Now I Know: The Story of James Ross Scadden, Andersonville Civil War Prisoner Kindle Edition

by Yvonne Linscott Bartel    (Her great, grand-father)

https://amzn.to/3Zyt0Ew


Andersonville National Cemetery Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRL9R3Rr55g


National park Service

https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm




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This website contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of this website and allows me to continue providing valuable content. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I believe in and have personally used or researched.

Chapters

00:11 - Craft Beer and Train Museum Discussion

08:45 - American Civil War Cavalry Role

15:14 - Civil War Cavalry Capture and Imprisonment

31:30 - Andersonville Prison Conditions and Hardship

43:29 - Andersonville Prison Hardship and Survival

50:30 - Prison Conditions and Medical Horrors

01:00:19 - The Andersonville Exchange Ordeal

01:08:22 - Andersonville Prison and Sultana Disaster

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:11.887 --> 00:00:16.750
oh, hey there hello there, hi kate, hi, how are you today?

00:00:17.289 --> 00:00:19.690
I'm good, yeah, yeah all right.

00:00:19.710 --> 00:00:20.411
Well, I'm good, good too.

00:00:20.411 --> 00:00:42.274
Thanks for asking, oh lord my microphone is full of hair well, because you have five cats and when we were podcasts at your house suction cup, trust me, I'll put my the the podcast bag.

00:00:42.274 --> 00:00:44.206
We'll call it with all of our equipment.

00:00:44.206 --> 00:00:49.768
Oh yeah, down in your house and then I'll leave, and I was like did I take a cat with me?

00:00:49.929 --> 00:00:51.813
did I grab the bag or did I grab a cat?

00:00:51.813 --> 00:00:53.843
I'm so confused.

00:00:53.843 --> 00:01:01.935
Oh you know, it's like I don't get what's happening right now so I bought a beer.

00:01:01.954 --> 00:01:04.686
I already know I like yeah, so you got.

00:01:04.706 --> 00:01:07.352
You got Founders All Day IPA.

00:01:07.513 --> 00:01:11.189
Yeah, but it's been many, many a month since I've had it.

00:01:11.411 --> 00:01:13.686
Yeah, and I've only had it once.

00:01:13.686 --> 00:01:16.606
And I remember you telling me it was a few months back.

00:01:16.606 --> 00:01:18.674
I don't remember how long, it's been a while.

00:01:18.674 --> 00:01:20.587
You're like I had this and I really liked it.

00:01:20.587 --> 00:01:21.850
I'm like oh yeah.

00:01:21.850 --> 00:01:33.694
I'm not surprised because, again, I know you're not a huge like full on ipa person, like I am right per se, but this is uh founders all day.

00:01:33.754 --> 00:01:37.301
Ipa is a session ipa what, yeah, what does that mean?

00:01:37.561 --> 00:01:41.912
so it's whenever you see session, especially with when it refers to an ipa.

00:01:41.912 --> 00:01:44.567
It's a little more toned down, if you will.

00:01:44.567 --> 00:01:56.852
So the whole, at least being in the beer business, like I used to be, my take on it was literally they want you to drink as many as possible in a session.

00:01:57.072 --> 00:01:58.969
Sure, oh, in a session Okay.

00:01:59.111 --> 00:02:08.670
Yeah, it's sessionable, so meaning you can have multiples, and not because like if you had a torpedo you could probably have one.

00:02:08.670 --> 00:02:10.466
At best you personally.

00:02:11.001 --> 00:02:11.200
Me.

00:02:11.763 --> 00:02:13.165
I could drink those all fucking day.

00:02:13.165 --> 00:02:15.893
I mean, I probably couldn't, I'd probably pass out.

00:02:15.893 --> 00:02:22.514
But either way, it's meant to be a little bit more kind of like toned back.

00:02:22.514 --> 00:02:28.161
So it's a little bit more drinking more often, I guess so what did you?

00:02:28.241 --> 00:02:29.865
okay, yeah, what did you pick up?

00:02:30.366 --> 00:02:42.235
I currently am holding, and I'm about to open, a hard cider from shilling cider house and um, they're based out of, uh, washington state.

00:02:42.235 --> 00:02:45.066
Hold on, it's nice.

00:02:45.066 --> 00:02:48.078
Based out of Washington State.

00:02:48.078 --> 00:02:50.201
Hold on, it's nice.

00:02:50.201 --> 00:02:50.741
Shall we try it.

00:02:50.801 --> 00:02:56.769
Yeah, my founder's all-day IPA is from Grand Rapids, michigan.

00:02:56.968 --> 00:02:57.308
It is.

00:02:57.669 --> 00:03:02.074
And actually Grand Rapids, coincidentally is in my story a little bit.

00:03:03.415 --> 00:03:04.135
That was unplanned.

00:03:04.135 --> 00:03:07.540
That's fitting.

00:03:07.540 --> 00:03:08.122
Yeah, okay, you got your beer.

00:03:08.122 --> 00:03:08.843
There it is.

00:03:08.843 --> 00:03:11.710
So what is the abv on a founders?

00:03:12.792 --> 00:03:13.713
uh, okay, open it.

00:03:13.713 --> 00:03:18.525
And now you're like what is okay, 4.7, what's yours?

00:03:18.764 --> 00:03:19.646
mine's almost double.

00:03:19.646 --> 00:03:24.835
Maybe not not, maybe not quite double, but yes, getting close, mine is 8.4.

00:03:24.835 --> 00:03:27.086
So mine is an Imperial Apple.

00:03:27.086 --> 00:03:32.026
It's called Excelsior Imperial Apple, 8.4% from Schilling.

00:03:32.045 --> 00:03:32.568
Sutter House.

00:03:33.100 --> 00:03:34.045
Let's give it a go, shall we?

00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:35.444
I like my IPA.

00:03:35.444 --> 00:03:36.407
It's delish.

00:03:39.681 --> 00:03:40.425
That is pretty good.

00:03:40.425 --> 00:03:43.508
I would never guess that's 8.4.

00:03:43.508 --> 00:03:46.949
It's pretty smooth yeah, and it's not like.

00:03:46.949 --> 00:04:00.449
I kind of like it because I I like I'm a big, actual, just regular cider, not just the hard cider fan, and um, it's not overly sweet, which is nice.

00:04:00.449 --> 00:04:03.052
It's got a little bit to it, but no, it's really good.

00:04:03.052 --> 00:04:05.336
I have a question for you.

00:04:05.336 --> 00:04:06.503
Can you say it?

00:04:06.503 --> 00:04:07.848
Not so creepily?

00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:09.524
I have a question for you.

00:04:09.784 --> 00:04:13.349
Okay, you, you excelled at making it more creepy.

00:04:14.760 --> 00:04:20.004
Have you ever ridden on a train before Like a passenger train?

00:04:21.129 --> 00:04:25.863
Hmm, I want to say yes, but like an actual like well.

00:04:25.863 --> 00:04:27.430
Yeah, I want to say yes, but like an actual like well.

00:04:27.430 --> 00:04:28.795
Yeah, I've been on a, an amtrak before.

00:04:28.815 --> 00:04:32.309
Yeah yeah, I've been on an amtrak yeah, it's been a while.

00:04:32.509 --> 00:04:34.396
I mean a long, long, long while.

00:04:34.396 --> 00:04:38.886
I don't recall when that would have been, but but yeah, no it's.

00:04:38.886 --> 00:04:39.646
I have.

00:04:39.646 --> 00:04:40.788
When I was younger.

00:04:40.788 --> 00:04:44.033
Yeah, a lot younger Cause Kate just said how old I am.

00:04:44.894 --> 00:04:51.644
Um so green Bay has this amazing railroad um train museum.

00:04:52.206 --> 00:04:52.447
Yeah.

00:04:52.927 --> 00:04:53.269
And it's.

00:04:53.269 --> 00:04:55.487
I took some pictures there.

00:04:55.487 --> 00:05:04.307
I'm not a I'm not a great photographer or anything, but some of the pictures that I took of some of the steam engines there I absolutely love.

00:05:04.548 --> 00:05:04.807
And.

00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:13.202
I don't, and I criticize my own work, you know I criticize your work too, but yeah, but these images are just so stunning in my mind.

00:05:13.202 --> 00:05:15.850
But the museum itself is fantastic.

00:05:15.889 --> 00:05:16.872
How long ago did you take those?

00:05:16.872 --> 00:05:22.447
Oh, it was pre-covid, so probably 18 or 19 fair enough?

00:05:22.447 --> 00:05:29.964
Well, no, I think it's funny because you had mentioned that same train museum to the wife and because of her dad.

00:05:30.687 --> 00:05:30.968
Yeah.

00:05:31.880 --> 00:05:33.807
Her dad is a huge train guy.

00:05:33.807 --> 00:05:34.790
He loves trains.

00:05:34.790 --> 00:05:36.687
Old, old, old trains too especially.

00:05:36.908 --> 00:05:37.148
Yeah.

00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:39.411
And he likes going to the old museum, especially the.

00:05:39.411 --> 00:05:40.680
I don't remember the city.

00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.588
Do you remember the city she mentioned in Illinois he likes to go to?

00:05:43.588 --> 00:05:49.281
They have a train museum.

00:05:49.281 --> 00:05:49.622
Is it decalb?

00:05:49.622 --> 00:05:52.067
We're probably wrong or we're probably right.

00:05:52.526 --> 00:06:01.430
It's hard to say yeah but he lives in in wisconsin so I he probably has gone to the green bay, I would imagine I would imagine he has.

00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:07.451
Yeah, but uh, now he's, he's a big train guy and he loves going to those things.

00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:16.189
Well, speaking of your wife, Sarah, yes, hi Sarah, hi Sarah, she actually recommended today's story.

00:06:16.529 --> 00:06:21.848
Yeah, so we had mentioned in previous podcasts.

00:06:21.848 --> 00:06:35.064
We hope people reach out and give us some ideas that they're interested in, that we can look into and talk about or whatever, and this one came from my wife yeah, and she's lived in.

00:06:35.386 --> 00:06:45.173
She has lived a couple different places, but yes, she's lived in the south, particularly um, or specifically and um.

00:06:45.173 --> 00:06:52.630
She visited the location that I'm going to talk about, um, and she said that there was some pretty fascinating history about it.

00:06:52.711 --> 00:06:53.952
So yeah, which is.

00:06:53.952 --> 00:07:31.052
It's kind of funny, because so normally how we go about these stories is I usually don't know what kate's going to talk about, but because of the recommendation of the story from from sarah yeah, because we were all together when we, when she recommended it um, so I, I, I know of it, but I I don't know anything about it yeah so I'm really fascinated to uh learn some about this, because the little bit that she told me which I think she would have told me more, but didn't want to ruin the story, if you will um, sounds very interesting and very uh horrible messed up

00:07:31.232 --> 00:07:47.437
yeah, we'll say so she recommended we do um an episode on a particular place, and what I like to do is try to find a human aspect to talk about in relation to a place or an event.

00:07:47.437 --> 00:07:53.233
Correct, so we are going to talk about James Ross Skaden.

00:07:53.761 --> 00:07:55.547
James Ross Skaden.

00:07:55.547 --> 00:07:56.370
Yep, okay.

00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:00.329
So James Ross Skaden.

00:08:00.661 --> 00:08:01.685
Why are you laughing, Kate?

00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:20.809
Was born on December 12, 12th, 1843, wow all that time ago in ulysses, new york oh, that's pretty great he had two sisters.

00:08:20.809 --> 00:08:26.136
Okay, his parents ended up divorcing and his mother, margaret, remarried.

00:08:26.136 --> 00:08:31.552
Oh, and together they had five children, so Seven all together.

00:08:32.701 --> 00:08:35.927
The mom's new husband her had five more.

00:08:35.927 --> 00:08:36.788
Okay, wow.

00:08:37.571 --> 00:08:38.331
And they all lived together.

00:08:38.873 --> 00:08:40.964
Seven all together, but didn't you say he had two sisters?

00:08:40.964 --> 00:08:42.349
Yeah, so then they had five more, wouldn't?

00:08:42.349 --> 00:08:42.750
That be eight.

00:08:42.750 --> 00:08:43.875
Eight, yeah, okay, didn't you say he had two sisters?

00:08:43.875 --> 00:08:44.576
Yeah, so then they had five more.

00:08:44.576 --> 00:08:45.379
Wouldn't that be eight, eight, yeah, okay.

00:08:45.740 --> 00:08:49.288
So they all lived together in Yankee Springs, Michigan.

00:08:49.788 --> 00:08:50.870
Yankee, where is that?

00:08:51.513 --> 00:08:55.609
Michigan, and they were farmers.

00:08:58.220 --> 00:09:02.469
Where in Michigan is Yankee Springs?

00:09:03.772 --> 00:09:10.861
Hey, google, where is Yankee Springs?

00:09:10.861 --> 00:09:12.183
Google, where is yankee springs in michigan?

00:09:12.183 --> 00:09:16.692
In michigan, it is close to a town called bradley.

00:09:16.692 --> 00:09:17.774
Hey, that's me.

00:09:17.774 --> 00:09:19.256
Hey, what do you know?

00:09:19.857 --> 00:09:20.298
not much.

00:09:20.418 --> 00:09:25.735
That's why we're here trying to learn so it is, um, just south of grand rapids.

00:09:25.735 --> 00:09:43.072
Um, so it's going to be like middle of the state, but like a little southwest, okay, okay, um, so they lived there in the 1860s and that was when there was a lot of tension rising between the north and the south states.

00:09:43.072 --> 00:09:51.543
Right, and tensions were high as they were trying to expand to the west and they couldn't decide whether the states were going to be slave states or not sure.

00:09:51.543 --> 00:09:54.528
So southerners agreed nope.

00:09:54.528 --> 00:10:05.511
Southerners argued, okay, that based on the us constitution, slaves were considered property and abolitionists were fringing on their state's rights.

00:10:05.511 --> 00:10:21.611
Okay, so the constitution said that they prohibited congress from outlying the atlantic slave trade for 20 years, and then there was a fugitive clause excuse me a fugitive slave clause.

00:10:21.631 --> 00:10:29.508
Okay, that required the return of any runaway slave to their owners, no matter where they were north or southern states, isn't that crazy?

00:10:29.508 --> 00:10:43.811
The constitution gave the federal government the power to put down domestic rebellions, including slave insurrections, and the northerners argued that, quote all men were created equal.

00:10:44.191 --> 00:10:46.315
Well, you know Per the Declaration of Independence.

00:10:46.315 --> 00:10:47.945
Yeah, I mean, they're not wrong.

00:10:47.945 --> 00:10:50.225
Mm-hmm, that's unfortunate.

00:10:50.225 --> 00:10:54.951
Isn't that just wild that this person is just trying to live a free life?

00:10:54.951 --> 00:10:56.984
They run away and be like nope, you're my property.

00:10:57.004 --> 00:10:57.826
You have to go back.

00:10:58.145 --> 00:10:59.067
We're going to send you back.

00:10:59.067 --> 00:11:00.051
It's like no man.

00:11:00.051 --> 00:11:01.394
Yeah, what the hell.

00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.062
So the yeah, what the hell.

00:11:12.062 --> 00:11:15.549
So the american civil war started on april 12th 1861.

00:11:15.549 --> 00:11:23.826
Okay, and james skaden volunteered at 17 years old, wow, and joined the cavalry okay, he was a part of the second michigan regiment, company c in grand rapids, michigan.

00:11:23.846 --> 00:11:30.061
Wow, cheers, cheers, grand rapids why are we cheers in grand rapids?

00:11:30.061 --> 00:11:38.400
Because it was on my beer can oh that's right yeah, my bad, that's funny so he's company c.

00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:46.025
So there are a hundred men in a company okay and then 10 companies to a regiment, so 1,000.

00:11:46.025 --> 00:11:52.850
And then so James's regiment had about 1,200 men approximately.

00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:55.672
Sure, okay, okay, so approximate, yeah, yeah.

00:11:55.672 --> 00:12:09.523
So the cavalry units played a pivotal role in American Civil War Right, they served as the eyes and the ears for the army okay.

00:12:09.523 --> 00:12:18.586
So their speed and mobility allowed them to perform several functions, so cavalry units were adept at scouting enemy positions.

00:12:18.966 --> 00:12:24.125
I mean that makes sense because they're on horses, so they can move in and out a little bit quicker than someone running around.

00:12:24.265 --> 00:12:30.697
Yeah okay, they would gather intelligence on troop movements and identify potential vulnerabilities.

00:12:30.697 --> 00:12:38.900
Sure, they acted as a protective shield for armies, screening them from the enemy, observation and preventing surprise attacks.

00:12:38.900 --> 00:12:50.035
Okay, cavalry units could conduct raids behind enemy lines, disrupting supply lines, destroying infrastructure and demoralizing enemy forces.

00:12:50.035 --> 00:12:52.187
That sounds fun.

00:12:52.187 --> 00:13:02.299
And after a battle, cavalry units were often tasked with pursuing retreating enemy forces, preventing them from regroup, regrouping and inflicting further damage.

00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:17.582
Yeah, I suppose it'd be pretty easy for them to cut them off kind of thing, because of being on horses and their speed with that, okay, makes sense and in certain situations, cavalry units could charge into enemy lines, creating confusion and disrupting formations.

00:13:17.783 --> 00:13:20.010
Okay and yeah, I mean they fought.

00:13:20.010 --> 00:13:32.986
The way they fought was basically in a lot of formations back then, which is wild when you watch old movies and, yes, they're not always historically accurate, but it's like, let's go in a straight line, everybody lined up.

00:13:33.006 --> 00:13:50.875
It's like, okay, you're all gonna die, but cool yeah, that's just how they operated, so it's wild so james was 5'10", had blue eyes, sandy brown hair and declared himself to be 18 to join the army.

00:13:50.875 --> 00:13:53.107
Yeah, because he obviously had to lie, he was 17,.

00:13:53.107 --> 00:13:53.428
Yeah, yep.

00:13:53.428 --> 00:13:56.908
So he was to be paid $13 a month.

00:13:56.908 --> 00:13:57.730
That's crazy.

00:13:57.730 --> 00:13:59.807
It's about $410.

00:13:59.807 --> 00:14:06.770
That's still terrible he was fully outfitted with a dark blue cavalry.

00:14:06.770 --> 00:14:21.985
Cavalry there it is waistcoat, light blue pants, black knee boots and dark in a dark blue keppy hats keppy hat yeah, it's like it kind of looks like a top hat with a bill.

00:14:22.427 --> 00:14:24.471
But then it was like folded down.

00:14:24.471 --> 00:14:26.575
Yeah, no, I know exactly what you're talking about.

00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:29.990
They also had Colt revolving rifles.

00:14:29.990 --> 00:14:32.307
So, like the repeating, rifles Sure.

00:14:32.307 --> 00:14:34.746
They had pistols and they had sabers.

00:14:35.921 --> 00:14:36.885
Did they have bayonets?

00:14:37.660 --> 00:14:38.464
That would be a saber.

00:14:38.905 --> 00:14:39.908
No, no, no.

00:14:39.908 --> 00:14:41.985
A saber is a sword Bayonets.

00:14:41.985 --> 00:14:42.648
Go on your gun.

00:14:42.849 --> 00:14:43.510
Oh no they.

00:14:43.510 --> 00:14:44.152
A saber's a sword Bayonets.

00:14:44.152 --> 00:14:45.513
Go on your gun.

00:14:45.552 --> 00:14:49.116
Oh no they had a saber, then she's like fucking A Brad.

00:14:49.116 --> 00:14:51.186
Why do you have to ask me questions?

00:14:51.186 --> 00:14:51.606
I don't know.

00:14:51.860 --> 00:14:54.307
So guess what his horse's name was.

00:14:55.370 --> 00:14:55.730
George.

00:14:56.980 --> 00:14:57.705
You're not wrong.

00:14:57.705 --> 00:14:59.384
Well, you're not like far off.

00:14:59.767 --> 00:15:00.148
I say I'm.

00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:01.524
It's not far off.

00:15:01.524 --> 00:15:03.546
It's a name like that.

00:15:03.846 --> 00:15:04.308
Is it really?

00:15:04.369 --> 00:15:07.823
Yeah, billy, it's not far off, it's, it's.

00:15:07.823 --> 00:15:09.847
It's a name like that, is it really yeah?

00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:10.789
billy boy billy.

00:15:10.789 --> 00:15:14.503
His name is billy billy boy called him billy boy, all right.

00:15:14.984 --> 00:15:33.710
So cavalry horses were typically brown or black and 15 to 16 hands in height okay, sure and each horse was valued at about 150, which was about 4600 in today's money I mean that seems fairly inexpensive for a horse it is.

00:15:33.730 --> 00:15:39.886
I mean, I used to have a horse oh yeah, that's right, molly yeah, she was a sweet horse, she.

00:15:39.927 --> 00:15:48.745
She wasn't very tall I thought you were gonna say sweetheart, I mean she was sweetheart, sweet horse anyway all right, um she.

00:15:48.765 --> 00:15:50.269
I don't remember how tall she was.

00:15:50.269 --> 00:15:52.494
Do you know why they do it in hands?

00:15:52.981 --> 00:16:01.446
it's like four what four fingers or something, but no, I don't remember why it's in hands because people didn't have tape measures back in the day.

00:16:01.446 --> 00:16:07.965
So they, they would just do that yeah that's how many hands they were yeah and for some reason that just stuck.

00:16:08.586 --> 00:16:20.101
Yeah, whatever, but so I'm going to give you kind of a brief timeline of james's regiment and what he did in the civil war up until a moment that we're going to talk about okay.

00:16:20.101 --> 00:16:25.072
So, um, so he was a part of the 2nd Michigan Regiment.

00:16:25.072 --> 00:16:43.212
They participated in the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, including the Battles of Williamsburg, virginia, which Union won, seven Pines, which is also in Richmond, virginia, and that's the Confederates won.

00:16:43.615 --> 00:16:43.916
Okay.

00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:46.587
And Malvern Hill near Richmond Virginia.

00:16:46.668 --> 00:16:47.289
Malvern.

00:16:47.370 --> 00:16:49.404
Hill and the Union won on that one.

00:16:49.826 --> 00:16:50.629
I never heard of that one.

00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:58.571
And then they fought in Second Bull Run and that is near Prince William County, virginia.

00:16:58.571 --> 00:17:02.600
The Confederates won in August of 1862.

00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:18.906
In 1862, they were involved in the Battles battles of antietam, which is in maryland, okay, and the union won that one, and frederick, fredericksburg, virginia, which the confederates won so are you saying he was a part of all of these?

00:17:19.208 --> 00:17:26.902
his regiment was right, right, right okay which is multiple companies correct so he was a part of some of these, but not all of them.

00:17:26.902 --> 00:17:31.511
I see, okay, because of like what happens to him right, right um.

00:17:31.632 --> 00:17:49.296
and then the second michigan regiment also went on to see action in the battle of chancellorsville in 1863, which is in virginia and the confederates, and they played a role in the Union victory at Gettysburg in 1863.

00:17:49.296 --> 00:18:08.189
And then, towards the end of the war, the regiment continued to serve in the Army of the Potomac during the Overland Campaign, which is the regiment participated in General Ulysses S Grant's Overland Campaign, which was a series of battles fought in Virginia.

00:18:08.549 --> 00:18:08.851
Gotcha.

00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:11.970
And then the Siege of Petersburg.

00:18:11.970 --> 00:18:22.539
So after the Overland Campaign, the regiment took part in the Siege of Petersburg, virginia, which was a nine-month siege of the Confederate capital.

00:18:22.840 --> 00:18:24.247
I bet that was not fun.

00:18:24.488 --> 00:18:24.627
Yeah.

00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:26.911
Nine months damn siege of the confederate capital.

00:18:26.931 --> 00:18:27.554
I bet that was not fun.

00:18:27.554 --> 00:18:33.288
Yeah, nine months, damn so james ended up camping in tennessee after different squirmishes, squirmishes, squirmishes, squirmishes.

00:18:33.288 --> 00:19:05.509
That's squirmishes, I do I think squirmishes should be the name of the episode squirmishes there, it is okay okay, um so on january 27th 1864, james, on top of his horse billy boy, billy boy, traveling at full speed and in a cavalry charge, got thrown from his horse billy boy.

00:19:05.509 --> 00:19:06.632
What were you doing?

00:19:06.632 --> 00:19:15.145
So speculation is that James dislocated or broke his shoulder Ooh, cracked a few ribs, yep, and potentially his sternum.

00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:19.510
So I've never been thrown from a horse like that.

00:19:19.770 --> 00:19:19.991
Mm-hmm.

00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:24.191
But I do believe I've told you this, so I'll just repeat it real quick.

00:19:24.191 --> 00:19:26.626
I got stepped on by a horse.

00:19:26.626 --> 00:19:29.326
Ouch, that fucking hurt.

00:19:29.326 --> 00:19:32.346
So I was riding.

00:19:32.346 --> 00:19:38.663
He was a super nice horse too and obviously he didn't mean to do it, but I was riding him.

00:19:38.663 --> 00:19:40.208
His name was Dan.

00:19:40.208 --> 00:19:42.352
Yeah, I was on Dan, she was on Nick.

00:19:42.352 --> 00:19:45.083
Yeah, dan, and this lady.

00:19:45.083 --> 00:19:45.959
So the property I lived on Dan, she was on Nick, yeah, dan, and this lady.

00:19:45.959 --> 00:20:00.864
So the property I lived on was an old farm, had some field, it was all fenced in, that's where the horses went, and this lady who lived next door did the whole flip the bag like a plastic bag in the air.

00:20:00.884 --> 00:20:01.708
Like to open it up?

00:20:01.819 --> 00:20:05.508
Yeah correct and well, spooked Dan.

00:20:05.508 --> 00:20:06.231
Spooked dan.

00:20:06.231 --> 00:20:12.016
So he abruptly turned with me on him, shook me off of him, basically.

00:20:12.016 --> 00:20:23.368
So I just fell on the ground and then he stepped down to go run and it stepped right on the back of my calf ah, not even on your foot no, it was on the back of my calf.

00:20:23.368 --> 00:20:26.313
Ouch, that fucking hurt.

00:20:26.313 --> 00:20:28.381
I was hurting for a few days after that.

00:20:28.381 --> 00:20:29.344
I'm sure you did.

00:20:29.344 --> 00:20:31.290
I'm just glad you didn't break my bone.

00:20:31.290 --> 00:20:38.505
No kidding, I mean, he very well could have with the force that he went down and pushed off and ran.

00:20:39.445 --> 00:20:47.753
But I will tell you this that hurts, and anyone who's been bucked off a horse or whatever.

00:20:47.753 --> 00:20:48.895
It's not fun.

00:20:48.895 --> 00:20:59.480
So I feel for james james getting well thrown from billy boy so, yeah, and james ended up laying unconscious.

00:21:00.823 --> 00:21:04.089
I'm not surprised at that, and at this point point he got captured.

00:21:04.289 --> 00:21:04.770
Oh boo.

00:21:10.521 --> 00:21:14.715
So his clothes and his boots were immediately taken from him, not surprised, and put onto the enemy immediately.

00:21:14.715 --> 00:21:17.119
Oh yeah, they just started wearing his clothes?

00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:18.163
Yeah, because they needed it probably.

00:21:19.461 --> 00:21:22.910
So he was nearly naked in winter climate.

00:21:23.431 --> 00:21:23.892
Oh boy.

00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:47.654
So from the very beginning of the war, pow's were exchanged right, yeah union soldiers held by confederates were exchanged for confederate soldiers held by union soldiers correct as soon as slaves were emancipated and joined the union army yeah the exchanges stopped.

00:21:47.820 --> 00:21:50.369
I'm not surprised they didn't have any more weight to them.

00:21:50.369 --> 00:21:53.200
Really for the south well, they didn't well one.

00:21:54.241 --> 00:22:09.303
There was no side like honestly wanted them in their, their, their ranks, sure, essentially um, and they were considered like below them that's terrible they received ten dollars a month.

00:22:09.303 --> 00:22:13.351
To the whites thirteen dollars a month I like how you go.

00:22:13.490 --> 00:22:14.834
The whites the whites.

00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:23.290
Between january 28th and february 26th 1864, james was taken to belle isle, virginia.

00:22:23.290 --> 00:22:31.146
Okay, belle isle is a small island located in the james river and it is just south of richmond, virginia.

00:22:31.146 --> 00:22:31.969
Okay.

00:22:31.969 --> 00:22:36.201
And during the civil war it served as a confederate pow camp, gotcha.

00:22:36.201 --> 00:22:43.965
So the belle isle prison was established in 1862 to hold Union soldiers captured in the area.

00:22:43.965 --> 00:22:51.751
Conditions in the camp were harsh, leading to rates of disease and death among the prisoners.

00:22:51.751 --> 00:22:54.894
Sure, the island was prone to flooding as well.

00:22:55.173 --> 00:22:55.874
Oh, good lord.

00:22:56.375 --> 00:23:00.436
And they often lacked adequate food and water and shelter, medical care.

00:23:00.436 --> 00:23:10.992
I would imagine they didn't really focus on giving prisoners top-notch facilities and care and it became overcrowded so fast that they they knew that a move had to happen.

00:23:10.992 --> 00:23:21.826
Sure, so the public was also afraid of prisoner uprising well, yeah, because they don't want and their food is also dwindling all right, the townspeople, they're in a war.

00:23:22.185 --> 00:23:28.154
Yeah, so with James in the prison was his best friend, elijah Steele.

00:23:28.154 --> 00:23:30.344
Okay, and we'll call him Eli.

00:23:30.344 --> 00:23:32.028
Eli, he's 19.

00:23:32.028 --> 00:23:34.686
Okay, david Hill's 21.

00:23:34.686 --> 00:23:37.287
And John Johnson is 21.

00:23:37.567 --> 00:23:37.749
Okay.

00:23:38.621 --> 00:23:41.467
And the four of them grew up in the same one-room schoolhouse.

00:23:41.467 --> 00:23:43.952
Oh, right right, so very close, yep.

00:23:43.952 --> 00:23:53.133
So, being thrown from his horse, he was injured, he contracted lice oh dear and obviously extremely hungry right.

00:23:53.874 --> 00:24:05.952
So thus andersonville prison was erected okay, so they built andersonville out of a necessity to have more space for prisoners.

00:24:06.093 --> 00:24:10.394
Okay, yes, yes, because they were no longer being exchanged.

00:24:10.675 --> 00:24:12.464
Right, yeah, they were just holding them now.

00:24:12.464 --> 00:24:13.247
Yeah, okay.

00:24:13.407 --> 00:24:22.711
Yeah, so between February 26th and March 4th they all boarded like a train, car, box car.

00:24:23.073 --> 00:24:24.335
Sure To get shipped out.

00:24:24.634 --> 00:24:25.722
Yeah, to Andersonville.

00:24:25.864 --> 00:24:56.067
And this is in georgia right so if we drove it by car today it would be about 627 miles between bell isle and andersonville so decent, decent amount of space between in 1864 by train it was 889 miles wow, yeah, that's quite a addition of miles, yeah so it literally took from february 26 to march 4th just to get there to get there.

00:24:56.067 --> 00:24:59.473
Wow, yeah I mean, it's only what?

00:24:59.473 --> 00:25:01.506
Six days, but still it's.

00:25:01.506 --> 00:25:08.527
It's a long time on a train when you're probably not very well taken care of and they have to go to.

00:25:08.547 --> 00:25:10.050
They have to march to the trains.

00:25:10.050 --> 00:25:12.357
Right the train station.

00:25:12.377 --> 00:25:17.721
Yeah, because it's not like it just picked them up from there because they're on an island exactly so, and then they had to walk.

00:25:18.143 --> 00:25:33.544
I don't know if it was in americus, georgia, or if it was in andersonville, the town, georgia okay um, to get to the actual prison, they had to walk from the train station to the prison oh, yeah, I suppose yeah, so they all boarded the boxcars.

00:25:33.544 --> 00:25:37.460
There was just enough room for james to sit in the corner and tend to his wounds.

00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:42.069
But the longer the train ride, the more stops they had to make sure.

00:25:42.069 --> 00:25:45.926
The more pows boarded the train right, the less and less room they had.

00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:47.946
Yeah, that's got to suck.

00:25:47.946 --> 00:25:50.528
There are sardines in there, exactly yeah.

00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:52.762
So Andersonville.

00:25:52.762 --> 00:25:55.750
The town only had a population of 20.

00:25:56.271 --> 00:25:57.977
What 20 people?

00:25:57.977 --> 00:25:59.240
Mm-hmm, wow, okay.

00:25:59.560 --> 00:26:03.049
And it was much more remote, so it's in the southwestern part of Georgia.

00:26:03.049 --> 00:26:20.820
Right much more remote, so it's in the southwestern part of georgia right, and it was far enough from the war that enemy raids would be less likely and they could be more easily supplied with food okay so the stockade was built and meant for 10 000 soldiers so and this was always meant to be a prison, correct?

00:26:20.820 --> 00:26:30.163
Yes, okay, yeah, they built it for relief, prison relief okay, so it was meant for 10 000 soldiers and how many did they have?

00:26:30.664 --> 00:26:31.787
oh, you will find out.

00:26:31.787 --> 00:26:36.452
I read a book um called.

00:26:36.452 --> 00:26:50.954
Now I know okay the story of james ross, scadden and Andersonville Civil War prisoner, and it is by Yvonne Lynn Scott Bartell.

00:26:50.974 --> 00:26:51.576
Okay.

00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:55.627
And in it it says, quote the design of the prison was simple.

00:26:55.627 --> 00:27:02.894
Tall, straight pines were cut down, trimmed and topped to make logs about 20 feet in length.

00:27:02.894 --> 00:27:20.170
Workers with broad axes then hewed the logs into a thickness of 8 to 12 inches and the hewn timbers, pointed on the top were planted about 5 feet deep in a trench, making a wall approximately 15 feet high.

00:27:20.170 --> 00:27:26.394
Right, the original stockade enclosed only about 16.5 acres.

00:27:26.574 --> 00:27:32.867
end quote right, and then they expanded at some point, right, yeah so 16.5 acres.

00:27:32.948 --> 00:27:43.704
It's a, if you would imagine a football field, it would be like four and a third okay football fields long and about two and a half football fields wide so really not that wide it.

00:27:43.704 --> 00:27:44.607
It's really not.

00:27:44.828 --> 00:27:44.989
No.

00:27:45.580 --> 00:27:50.609
So it's also important to note that there is actually a small stream dividing the camp in two halves.

00:27:50.990 --> 00:27:51.632
Oh, okay.

00:27:51.811 --> 00:27:52.753
So an east and a west.

00:27:52.993 --> 00:27:53.174
Sure.

00:27:55.260 --> 00:27:58.307
So there are no standing trees in the camp.

00:27:58.907 --> 00:27:59.750
Because they cut them all down.

00:27:59.910 --> 00:28:00.791
They cut them all down.

00:28:00.832 --> 00:28:01.594
To build the place.

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:16.074
And there are, in fact, like little hills and then valleys Within the cut them all down to build the place and there are, in fact, like little hills and then valleys within the camp, basically okay, because, yeah, it wasn't like flat ground, exactly right, um, and there's no barracks.

00:28:16.074 --> 00:28:25.025
They didn't build any barracks for shelter and rationed were issued each day when they quote, were available jesus yeah that had to suck, because I'm sure they weren't always readily available.

00:28:25.285 --> 00:28:28.767
No, so is this just literally a place with four walls?

00:28:28.767 --> 00:28:30.989
Yes, oh, good Lord.

00:28:31.429 --> 00:28:31.749
Yes.

00:28:32.710 --> 00:28:33.830
That would really suck.

00:28:34.351 --> 00:28:34.691
Yes.

00:28:34.711 --> 00:28:37.093
Especially when it rained, you know, in the mud and shit.

00:28:37.192 --> 00:28:39.414
And they're in fucking Georgia.

00:28:39.595 --> 00:28:40.174
Where it's hot.

00:28:40.976 --> 00:28:41.516
It's hot.

00:28:41.736 --> 00:28:43.557
No relief from the sun when it's out?

00:28:43.577 --> 00:28:47.926
No, oh, man, and you will come to find out, it rained a lot that year.

00:28:47.946 --> 00:28:48.468
Did it really.

00:28:48.729 --> 00:28:49.150
It did.

00:28:49.351 --> 00:28:49.711
Oh dear.

00:28:50.599 --> 00:29:00.570
So the guards when they built the stockade, they actually left behind sticks and branches and they allowed the prisoners to take whatever was left.

00:29:00.790 --> 00:29:01.031
Okay.

00:29:01.201 --> 00:29:08.266
So it was kind of a first-come, first-served basis but left okay, so it was kind of a first come, first serve basis.

00:29:08.266 --> 00:29:12.479
Um, but they could use them to, like, build a shelter of some kind they called them shebangs, shebangs, the, the um shelters.

00:29:12.479 --> 00:29:14.082
Okay, interesting.

00:29:14.082 --> 00:29:30.834
So james and his three friends constructed a lean-to using the stock, a stockade wall, and then the branches, and then, um, eli actually had a blanket that they used as their roof, oh wow.

00:29:31.555 --> 00:29:33.286
Yeah, so at least they had something, I guess.

00:29:33.346 --> 00:29:39.785
Yeah, I'll mention more about the blanket here coming up, sure, because it's actually unique.

00:29:39.785 --> 00:29:55.891
Okay, so they had roll calls daily which could honestly take up to four or five hours, and they're already really weak from being at Belle Isle and not having food rations there, right, and then standing in line for four to five hours just to get your name called that's brutal.

00:29:55.891 --> 00:30:03.232
It took so long because if there was someone missing from the line, they literally stopped roll call.

00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:04.419
And they would search for that person.

00:30:04.419 --> 00:30:06.006
They would search for that person, oh Jesus.

00:30:06.066 --> 00:30:06.407
Christ.

00:30:06.407 --> 00:30:17.011
And so if there was like a friend that knew well, this person's not going to be here when his name comes up I have to yell missing, sick or dead.

00:30:17.653 --> 00:30:19.875
Okay, yeah, wow.

00:30:21.280 --> 00:30:29.041
So outside of the stockade on the hill there's the guards camp, okay, okay, and remember that stream I mentioned.

00:30:29.041 --> 00:30:49.884
Yeah, they use that stream for the bathroom to drink from oh, okay, good but then downstream, they'd use it as their bathing water yeah and then further downstream from that, their latrine yeah, so I was right once in the stockade that downstream water is now the prisoners upstream.

00:30:50.065 --> 00:31:00.482
Yeah, yeah gross, yeah, so they just had basically shit water available to them immediately.

00:31:00.742 --> 00:31:01.943
Yeah, that's disgusting.

00:31:01.943 --> 00:31:13.796
To make matters worse, oh dear the end of the stockade, where the creek would continue on, they built that wall up which clogged the stream.

00:31:14.457 --> 00:31:14.596
Oh.

00:31:15.040 --> 00:31:16.506
So it was no longer flowing.

00:31:17.088 --> 00:31:20.645
Gross yeah, so it basically just stopped there.

00:31:20.886 --> 00:31:21.107
Yeah.

00:31:22.101 --> 00:31:23.345
Would it pool up at all?

00:31:23.345 --> 00:31:25.304
Oh yeah, oh yeah, Come on just stop there?

00:31:25.365 --> 00:31:26.169
yeah, would it pull up at all?

00:31:26.169 --> 00:31:27.314
Or oh yeah, oh yeah, come on.

00:31:27.314 --> 00:31:29.962
And then to make it even worse, because, why not?

00:31:29.962 --> 00:31:46.162
The cookhouse, which was for the guards mainly, yeah, was built on the creek and they would use that to dump their grease in sure all day long they would just literally use the it to suit them, and then they didn't care about the prisoners, obviously.

00:31:46.262 --> 00:31:49.095
So nope, I mean, they didn't even give them places to stay.

00:31:49.095 --> 00:31:50.800
They said here's four walls, you stay in there.

00:31:50.800 --> 00:32:08.192
Yeah, good lord so daily 400 prisoners at a time would arrive, some of them twice a day so 800 a day at times and they always would ship them in by train and have them march there, kind of thing yep, less and less space for each person.

00:32:08.511 --> 00:32:18.423
Right, the creek was getting more and more polluted and the smell of the grease and the human waste that was coming up from the stream would make these like brand new pows.

00:32:18.423 --> 00:32:25.174
Like throw up, throw dry heath, throw up and one even fainted, like it was witness that some even fainted.

00:32:25.259 --> 00:32:27.445
That had to just have quite the stench.

00:32:27.445 --> 00:32:30.211
I mean, that's disgusting, oh Lord.

00:32:31.080 --> 00:32:38.894
So in March of 1864, 600 soldiers would continue to arrive, many without shoes or stockings.

00:32:38.894 --> 00:32:42.970
They could be seen with their feet wrapped in rags and string.

00:32:43.220 --> 00:32:44.425
Whatever they could find basically.

00:32:45.080 --> 00:32:46.968
And lice was taking over at this point.

00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:50.730
Yeah, they had to be running rampant in a place like that.

00:32:51.020 --> 00:32:54.932
Everyone had oily, sticky, dirty hair, dirty skin.

00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:56.726
Well, you have nowhere to clean yourself.

00:32:56.726 --> 00:32:56.865
No.

00:32:56.865 --> 00:32:58.505
Because even if you go, in the river and clean yourself.

00:32:58.505 --> 00:32:59.749
You're cleaning yourself in shit.

00:32:59.749 --> 00:33:02.243
Yes, and that's probably a breeding ground for lice.

00:33:02.324 --> 00:33:16.436
And lice would burrow into their clothes and rags and shoes Gross, but some of the men would actually pluck them from their clothing and stuff and put them into a fire they could create.

00:33:16.457 --> 00:33:17.657
To try and get rid of them yeah.

00:33:18.340 --> 00:33:22.371
And they used that as part of their pastime to hear them pop in the fire.

00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:24.566
I mean, what else do you have to do?

00:33:24.566 --> 00:33:26.701
Yeah, I mean, you're in prison.

00:33:26.883 --> 00:33:30.938
so yeah, there are a couple things coming up that they, they, they did do.

00:33:30.938 --> 00:33:32.280
But and I will get to that okay.

00:33:32.280 --> 00:33:36.871
So from that same book quote the stench of the camp is overpowering.

00:33:36.871 --> 00:33:45.114
Some of the new arrivals faint as soon as they come through the gate, while others vomit as they take their first breath of this putrid, fly-infested air.

00:33:48.141 --> 00:33:49.145
That's terrible.

00:33:49.861 --> 00:33:52.288
So remember, the camp was meant for like 10,000 POWs, yep.

00:33:52.288 --> 00:33:57.269
Well, by May of 1864, there were 12,000.

00:33:57.269 --> 00:33:57.790
At this point.

00:33:57.931 --> 00:34:00.968
Holy shit, there were already 2,000 over, and I'm sure it didn't stop there.

00:34:01.580 --> 00:34:02.505
It really didn't.

00:34:02.746 --> 00:34:03.067
Oh dear.

00:34:03.780 --> 00:34:07.131
So now we're going to talk about Captain Henry Wurz.

00:34:07.801 --> 00:34:09.554
This is the guy who ran the camp, correct?

00:34:09.574 --> 00:34:15.891
Yes, yes, he's actually from Switzerland but I think moved to like Louisiana and got in on the Confederacy.

00:34:16.172 --> 00:34:16.413
Okay.

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:27.141
So this son of a bitch declared that the prisoners, including James and his three friends friends could no longer use stockade walls as part of their shelter.

00:34:27.141 --> 00:34:33.742
Good lord yeah, they also took down one of the walls and expanded the camp how much did they expand it?

00:34:33.802 --> 00:34:34.804
at, say, 10 acres?

00:34:34.804 --> 00:34:38.231
Oh so it was 26 and a quarter or whatever.

00:34:38.231 --> 00:34:38.972
It was okay.

00:34:38.972 --> 00:34:43.409
So what was the if the original uh?

00:34:43.409 --> 00:34:44.952
Was it 16.25?

00:34:44.952 --> 00:34:48.789
Is that what it originally was Was designed for 10,000.

00:34:48.789 --> 00:34:52.849
What did that extra 10 acres in theory add?

00:34:52.849 --> 00:34:53.851
Prisoner wise.

00:34:54.661 --> 00:34:59.708
I don't think they really put a number on it, but if I had to guess, it would be half that then.

00:35:00.371 --> 00:35:05.135
Well so around 15,000, I guess 15 to 16, even 10 is a little over the obviously the halfway.

00:35:05.135 --> 00:35:06.204
So, yeah, I could see around 15,000,.

00:35:06.204 --> 00:35:09.827
I guess, yeah, 15 to 16, even 10 is a little over the half wave, so, yeah, I could see like 16,000.

00:35:09.967 --> 00:35:10.188
Yeah.

00:35:10.248 --> 00:35:11.050
Maybe Okay.

00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:16.672
So Wirtz also developed a kill line.

00:35:17.340 --> 00:35:18.204
A kill line.

00:35:18.244 --> 00:35:21.202
Mm, hmm, a small.

00:35:21.202 --> 00:35:28.315
A small fence was used to mark a line that prisoners could not cross without risking being shot.

00:35:28.315 --> 00:35:32.027
So on the other side of the line were the guards.

00:35:32.449 --> 00:35:32.829
Gotcha.

00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:41.929
So in between the kill line and the stockade walls was about 20 feet, and that of course made that prison much smaller.

00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:43.987
Well, yeah, you're taking away space now.

00:35:44.067 --> 00:35:47.007
Yep, they refer to that line as the deadline.

00:35:47.648 --> 00:35:48.271
Oh, there you go.

00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:51.827
And that's kind of where we get the name deadline.

00:35:52.128 --> 00:35:52.329
Is it?

00:35:53.139 --> 00:36:01.994
It's not quoted as in it's the Andersonville prison, but that's just part of the overall history of the word deadline.

00:36:01.994 --> 00:36:03.786
It comes from prisons.

00:36:03.786 --> 00:36:04.648
That's wild yeah.

00:36:06.699 --> 00:36:10.653
So this Wurtz character character, he didn't run it right away, he came in at some point, he did.

00:36:10.653 --> 00:36:11.657
There was another?

00:36:11.818 --> 00:36:13.943
yeah, there was no, he came in later.

00:36:13.943 --> 00:36:36.829
So there was another commander that actually was a decent human being, sure, and he tried to get food rations and clothing and shoes for all these prisoners, and he just wasn't doing a splendid job, apparently, and they brought in words instead instead I mean, they probably didn't think he was doing a splendid job because he was trying for the prisoners.

00:36:36.909 --> 00:36:37.150
Yeah.

00:36:37.150 --> 00:36:44.496
So they're like no, we're not wasting our, our, our rations, our equipment, anything on these people.

00:36:44.835 --> 00:37:01.724
They're literally just our prisoner so, with roll calls happening daily, these fragile men are like being held up by other fragile men, like they're trying to hold each other up right, okay now there's a large group of new yorkers that were in this camp called.

00:37:01.724 --> 00:37:14.532
They called them the raiders okay they would rob essentially every prisoner they could find with something of value, oh dear, so um.

00:37:14.532 --> 00:37:25.688
They started out like concealing their actions but eventually, like the raiders, no longer cared and any resistance to the raiders they would beat you senseless, I can imagine.

00:37:25.827 --> 00:37:29.425
Yeah so they were just basically, uh, a gang within the prison.

00:37:29.425 --> 00:37:30.746
Yes, was what it was.

00:37:30.807 --> 00:37:35.784
Okay, mid-may 1864, james developed signs of scurvy.

00:37:35.784 --> 00:37:37.789
Oh, do you know what scurvy is?

00:37:37.789 --> 00:37:38.891
I?

00:37:39.293 --> 00:37:47.824
vaguely tell me though it's a condition that results from a vitamin c deficiency, so like he's not getting fruits and vegetables, right?

00:37:47.824 --> 00:38:00.126
Yeah so scurvy symptoms are anemia, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, limb pain, swelling and ulceration ulcerations of the?

00:38:00.126 --> 00:38:02.148
Um gums and loss of teeth.

00:38:02.148 --> 00:38:10.025
Yeah so his best friend eli from his company was getting worse and worse, worse with each passing day.

00:38:10.025 --> 00:38:21.481
His sickness started before they even reached andersonville, but as rations continued to be low, he ended up dry heaving and getting diarrhea, dysentery and scurvy.

00:38:21.802 --> 00:38:31.980
Oh boy, yeah it's quite the cocktail of shit yeah, james actually made it a point in his diary entries to mention pretty much daily how eli was okay, so he's just keeping track.

00:38:31.980 --> 00:38:37.376
It's his best friend, so yeah yeah, makes sense so eli was only 20.

00:38:37.376 --> 00:38:42.244
He looked like an old man because of how thin and malnutrition he was right.

00:38:42.244 --> 00:38:48.594
And he ended up dying, oh, on may 24th 1864, like laying next to james.

00:38:48.594 --> 00:38:49.842
That's, that's crazy.

00:38:50.023 --> 00:38:53.932
Yeah, james kept him company well, at least he had his friend there, you know.

00:38:54.019 --> 00:39:10.309
But what shitty conditions to die in man, yeah, that sucks so at the end of May, rain would continue on for days and days at a time, and remember I said there was kind of like hills and valleys oh yeah, there's a valley in the stockade.

00:39:10.309 --> 00:39:15.257
That would become swampy waste filth.

00:39:15.699 --> 00:39:15.940
Right.

00:39:17.206 --> 00:39:21.054
Riddled with mud and vermin and flies and just nastiness.

00:39:21.054 --> 00:39:26.001
Right People were literally walking in this.

00:39:26.001 --> 00:39:29.050
Some of them were sleeping in this, like there's no room.

00:39:29.289 --> 00:39:39.277
No, not with that many people so remember eli's blanket that I mentioned, so it's actually a roof yeah, so it's actually a rubber blanket, so they they called it.

00:39:39.277 --> 00:40:03.974
Um, they called it a rubber blanket in the book, but I looked it up and it's called a gum blanket okay um, and it was cloth, um, like canvas cloth on one side and then rubber on the other side to protect against the elements, sure, and you could sleep on it on the ground and use it as a roof, etc okay so the raiders saw this hot commodity well, yeah, they wanted that and went after it hard.

00:40:04.356 --> 00:40:12.713
Sure, so between um, james, david and john, they fought two raiders.

00:40:12.713 --> 00:40:16.206
They rolled around in the mud, they took swings at each other.

00:40:16.206 --> 00:40:19.373
James was knocked over with a blow to the face.

00:40:19.373 --> 00:40:27.394
Actually, they kind of like hit him in the ear which would knock you senseless anyway, yep, and made him whirl around and lose his balance.

00:40:27.394 --> 00:40:30.400
Okay, and james yelled quote.

00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:38.242
So the two raiders were essentially taking this blanket off of david and john and james yelled quote.

00:40:38.242 --> 00:40:41.210
The blanket belonged to a man who died of smallpox.

00:40:41.731 --> 00:40:48.228
We got the pox from the things ourselves so he's just trying to make shit up so they get away and they dropped it.

00:40:49.992 --> 00:40:56.251
They dropped it and ran away wow so he claimed that they had smallpox and the blanket had smallpox.

00:40:56.311 --> 00:41:00.266
So if you take my blanket, you're gonna get smallpox isn't that brilliant.

00:41:00.266 --> 00:41:03.014
I mean yeah, especially then because they didn't fucking know, nope.

00:41:03.014 --> 00:41:07.213
So I mean to keep their stuff from getting stolen that's yeah that's pretty smart.

00:41:07.213 --> 00:41:12.193
Yeah, good, good on him for thinking that fast about that so they managed to keep the blanket.

00:41:12.213 --> 00:41:12.733
Well, that's good.

00:41:12.733 --> 00:41:16.911
Yeah, so end of may, 17 000 are in the stockade.

00:41:16.911 --> 00:41:20.297
Now, my word, they have like a makeshift hospital.

00:41:20.297 --> 00:41:22.550
There's a thousand in there, good god.

00:41:22.951 --> 00:41:29.898
And by this point 1500 have died wow, already 1500 and this prison's been open for three months.

00:41:29.898 --> 00:41:33.751
He got there in march, yeah, yeah, two months or two and a half maybe.

00:41:33.751 --> 00:41:34.474
Whatever it was.

00:41:34.474 --> 00:41:39.547
He got there at march 4th yeah but this is anime.

00:41:39.668 --> 00:41:41.090
Yeah, yeah, so I mean jesus.

00:41:41.090 --> 00:41:48.634
So with the conditions, the, there's a wet blanket of just fecal matter covering the inside of the stockade.

00:41:48.634 --> 00:41:55.693
There's oozing filth, there's worms in the slime and above that, flies are hovering above the fecal matter.

00:41:55.773 --> 00:41:58.224
I mean, there's got to be really rampant as well.

00:41:58.246 --> 00:42:04.237
Yeah so, to help pass the time, the POWs created jobs.

00:42:04.699 --> 00:42:04.958
Okay.

00:42:05.766 --> 00:42:11.177
Some of them would clean clothes as a laundromat with ashes and sand.

00:42:11.724 --> 00:42:12.869
Well, you use what you got.

00:42:12.909 --> 00:42:14.375
I guess they have no soap Nope.

00:42:14.375 --> 00:42:24.639
A barber had a rusty pair of scissors, and so he would go around and cut hair down as short as possible with these scissors to help get rid of lice.

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:25.159
Right.

00:42:26.985 --> 00:42:27.869
Some sewed.

00:42:28.552 --> 00:42:28.813
Okay.

00:42:29.144 --> 00:42:30.411
Sewed patches and stuff like that.

00:42:30.764 --> 00:42:32.733
How'd they get a needle or anything and thread?

00:42:33.585 --> 00:42:35.634
It's probably not like that.

00:42:35.634 --> 00:42:41.909
It's probably like you use what you have around you to try to make some kind of a needle Sure, but it's probably not an actual sewing needle.

00:42:41.931 --> 00:42:43.034
No, I'm sure, I'm sure yeah.

00:42:45.724 --> 00:42:47.528
Some a needle, sure, but it's probably not an actual sewing needle.

00:42:47.528 --> 00:42:47.929
No, I'm sure.

00:42:47.929 --> 00:42:55.327
Yeah, um, some would try to repair shoes for what shoes were there, okay, and someone even fortune-telled oh dear yeah do they have a tarot deck?

00:42:55.327 --> 00:42:58.590
Are they named bob bob vanga?

00:43:00.092 --> 00:43:01.275
did she call that one?

00:43:01.275 --> 00:43:03.077
No, that was before her time.

00:43:04.338 --> 00:43:13.851
In June, more rain, oh geez, rain upon rain, upon rain, and then, when it would stop, it would be hot and ungodly, human Hubid.

00:43:13.851 --> 00:43:18.797
Ungodly human Hubid Humid yes.

00:43:18.797 --> 00:43:20.280
Ungodly human.

00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:20.900
There it is.

00:43:20.900 --> 00:43:26.336
Maybe that's the title of the episode Ungodly human.

00:43:26.356 --> 00:43:28.682
There it is, maybe that's the title of the episode Ungodly human.

00:43:28.682 --> 00:43:37.425
Now, if you remember, like images that you might have seen from like the Holocaust days, you would see like these really skinny people.

00:43:37.425 --> 00:43:43.112
It's just bones with skin on top, but they would have like these big bellies.

00:43:43.393 --> 00:43:43.614
Yeah.

00:43:44.367 --> 00:43:48.612
So that's known as dropsy okay and they also experience that at andersonville.

00:43:48.612 --> 00:43:56.916
So it's edema or swelling um underneath the skin due due to accumulation of fluid okay, so you would see that as well.

00:43:56.916 --> 00:44:01.652
People had mouths that were just oozing blood from scurvy.

00:44:01.652 --> 00:44:07.583
Um, and then there were even murders by the raiders.

00:44:07.583 --> 00:44:12.394
They would kill to get their right, their commodities I mean they're in a prison at this point.

00:44:12.414 --> 00:44:17.286
They don't care yeah which is just funny if you think about it, because this is obviously a confederate prison.

00:44:17.286 --> 00:44:23.469
Yes, all the people that are prisoners are from the same side, and these guys are killing their same fucking people.

00:44:23.730 --> 00:44:26.413
It's like I get what they're doing because they're trying to survive.

00:44:26.413 --> 00:44:28.905
It's a confederate prison, but they're all union men.

00:44:29.045 --> 00:44:34.949
That's what I just said oh yeah, they're all on the same side, the people that are prisoners in there and they're killing each other.

00:44:35.028 --> 00:44:36.012
Yes, yes, I'm sorry.

00:44:36.012 --> 00:44:37.916
Yes, sorry, I thought you meant the guards.

00:44:37.956 --> 00:44:51.047
I was like no, no, no, no, no, no, you're right they're killing their own people exactly in a situation like that, it shows you survival of the fittest kind of kind of mentality because it doesn't matter that, hey, we're on the same team here, right?

00:44:51.047 --> 00:44:54.516
But you know everyone for themselves at that point it is, which is sad.

00:44:55.286 --> 00:45:03.800
Yeah, so to pass the time other than picking off lice, they would play cards they had cards.

00:45:03.800 --> 00:45:11.139
They make their own um, it didn't say that in the book but, I would imagine they kind of have something stowed away somewhere.

00:45:11.139 --> 00:45:22.610
Yeah, possibly they would play checkers with stones, sure, um, they would write letters that would never get mailed that had to be hard they would wander right and they would sleep.

00:45:22.610 --> 00:45:24.012
That's crazy.

00:45:24.353 --> 00:45:26.155
Yeah, what else do you have to do though?

00:45:27.215 --> 00:45:36.327
Sometimes they would talk about like my mom used to make this dish at home and they would talk about food, Make themselves go insane.

00:45:36.347 --> 00:45:37.371
Yeah, I think that would be worse.

00:45:37.371 --> 00:45:39.974
Well, yeah, because then it's like now I really want this dish.

00:45:40.945 --> 00:45:42.773
So now we're at 22,000 men.

00:45:42.773 --> 00:45:52.280
Good Lord, that shot up another five grand, and that's with the 26 acres oh, my word, is that the only expansion they ever did?

00:45:52.760 --> 00:45:54.505
okay, so it's capped out there.

00:45:54.686 --> 00:46:06.795
Yeah, wow, 22 000 soldier or prisoners, excuse me, maybe soldiers so, soldiers, the pows finally went to worse and started complaining about the raiders.

00:46:06.795 --> 00:46:07.867
Sure they're like?

00:46:07.867 --> 00:46:10.373
Have you not noticed what's been happening in here?

00:46:10.373 --> 00:46:22.731
They're taking over the stockade right and they, the raiders, had knives, they had brass knuckles, they had clubs and their prisoners were just at their mercy yeah, yeah.

00:46:22.731 --> 00:46:29.173
Not everyone can claim smallpox you know, so Wurtz actually did something interesting.

00:46:29.173 --> 00:46:33.014
Okay, he demanded that all the raiders be presented to him.

00:46:33.014 --> 00:46:33.735
Oh, wow.

00:46:34.005 --> 00:46:41.277
Hundreds showed up, Like they quote unquote, captured and put them in front of Wurtz and said here there's hundreds of them.

00:46:41.277 --> 00:46:47.237
Wurtz collected 20 POWs, not out of this raider pack.

00:46:47.356 --> 00:46:47.536
Right.

00:46:48.545 --> 00:46:56.079
And he told the 20 prisoners to pick out the most notorious of the raiders.

00:46:56.318 --> 00:46:56.599
Okay.

00:46:57.286 --> 00:46:58.190
Six were chosen.

00:46:58.565 --> 00:46:58.905
Oh, wow.

00:46:59.606 --> 00:47:10.159
And Wurtz ordered them to create a judge and jury and have attorneys and put on a trial for each of those six.

00:47:10.159 --> 00:47:13.731
Really, mm-hmm, I thought that was kind of interesting.

00:47:13.731 --> 00:47:16.231
It is interesting Some of them are already attorneys.

00:47:16.231 --> 00:47:20.074
Right, I mean they had jobs before the Civil War Of course.

00:47:20.074 --> 00:47:23.775
So they actually had their own trial.

00:47:27.364 --> 00:47:39.217
That's surprising a person running a prison like that would do that yeah yeah, okay gave them a little bit of humanity back in that yeah, so it's like out of all the crap that they didn't do for them, why would you do?

00:47:39.217 --> 00:47:47.313
This you know, yeah, because that was probably the easiest thing you could give them without giving supplies, giving clothes and all that stuff and food and whatever.

00:47:47.434 --> 00:47:56.048
Yeah, so I mean and then they also don't have to like figure out what to do with them yeah, no, he put it in their hands yeah like yeah, you go, do you do this thing?

00:47:56.048 --> 00:47:59.675
So shocker, they were all sentenced by hanging weird.

00:47:59.675 --> 00:48:07.657
Imagine that I would have never guessed that happened um, and they actually did end up hanging all six of them.

00:48:07.657 --> 00:48:10.409
They did, okay, the one that was most notorious.

00:48:10.409 --> 00:48:11.693
His name was Mosby.

00:48:12.014 --> 00:48:12.536
Mosby.

00:48:12.795 --> 00:48:17.434
Yeah, his rope broke and survived.

00:48:17.434 --> 00:48:19.038
And they're like we're going to do this again.

00:48:19.038 --> 00:48:21.152
And they literally did it immediately.

00:48:21.152 --> 00:48:23.449
They're like, no, you're not getting away with this.

00:48:23.668 --> 00:48:23.789
Yeah.

00:48:23.789 --> 00:48:26.534
No, just because your rope broke doesn't mean you're Scott Frino.

00:48:26.534 --> 00:48:27.436
Yep, fuck that.

00:48:27.436 --> 00:48:28.778
Wow, that's crazy yeah.

00:48:30.085 --> 00:48:30.965
That would have broke.

00:48:30.965 --> 00:48:39.371
The other raiders would be marched through the camp where POWs were allowed to throw sticks and stones at them and humiliate them essentially.

00:48:39.530 --> 00:48:40.471
Did they break their bones?

00:48:40.990 --> 00:48:44.273
I mean, if someone got in a good lucky shot, it could be yeah.

00:48:44.273 --> 00:48:47.956
So, July 1864.

00:48:48.195 --> 00:48:48.635
Did it rain?

00:48:48.655 --> 00:48:48.835
more.

00:48:48.835 --> 00:48:52.478
Population 35,000.

00:48:52.478 --> 00:48:53.998
Holy fuck.

00:48:54.599 --> 00:48:57.081
They added 13,000 more in a month, yeah.

00:48:57.460 --> 00:48:59.222
That's how many prisoners are coming daily.

00:48:59.222 --> 00:49:00.663
That's insane.

00:49:00.663 --> 00:49:10.726
Each POW occupied the space of a grave.

00:49:10.726 --> 00:49:13.994
Well, yeah, at this point james was suffering from chronic diarrhea and he could barely walk, oh dear.

00:49:13.994 --> 00:49:19.028
But to keep their spirits high, they counted their blessings.

00:49:19.028 --> 00:49:25.219
Oh, can you imagine what a blessing would be knowing like what they're dealing with right now?

00:49:26.485 --> 00:49:27.990
Um that they weren't dead.

00:49:27.990 --> 00:49:34.097
Exactly, I mean yeah they don't really have anything else that's blessing them at the moment.

00:49:34.184 --> 00:49:35.711
Well, I'm going to tell you what they're thankful for.

00:49:36.146 --> 00:49:37.210
Okay, let's go.

00:49:38.146 --> 00:49:42.717
And I'm going to use this in um my point of view like a first person point of view.

00:49:42.717 --> 00:49:45.393
Okay, I'm thankful to God I don't have a mirror.

00:49:46.605 --> 00:49:53.672
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't want to see how I look at that point, because you'd be like a shadow of yourself really.

00:49:53.672 --> 00:49:55.108
Oh good Lord.

00:49:55.389 --> 00:49:58.052
I'm thankful I only had the runs twice today.

00:49:58.786 --> 00:49:59.570
Oh man.

00:49:59.570 --> 00:50:03.387
Oh, that's terrible to be thankful for, but I understand it.

00:50:03.708 --> 00:50:06.436
I'm thankful I don't have to worry about getting the floor dirty.

00:50:07.204 --> 00:50:09.855
Well, no, you don't have to clean it up, it's already dirty, it's full of shit.

00:50:10.585 --> 00:50:12.873
I'm thankful no one has asked me to comb my hair.

00:50:12.873 --> 00:50:21.617
And the last one I'm thankful for all this leisure time, oh wow.

00:50:21.777 --> 00:50:28.525
Yeah, that's maybe a stretch, but okay, yeah, time.

00:50:28.525 --> 00:50:30.650
Oh wow, yeah, that's maybe a stretch, but okay yeah, that is well.

00:50:30.670 --> 00:50:46.545
I mean again, they didn't have much to be thankful for so come august crazy approximately 150 soldiers would die every 24 hours wow so every day so james was all thinking well, bell isle was better than we thought it was.

00:50:46.545 --> 00:50:56.746
They had at least fresh air, right, because with these prison walls they were so high there would literally be no air movement.

00:50:56.746 --> 00:51:03.436
Yeah, black in the wind, basically and then dead bodies burning in the Georgia sun.

00:51:04.396 --> 00:51:07.340
So did they mention at all what they did with them, Did they?

00:51:08.085 --> 00:51:10.233
They had a death wagon.

00:51:10.233 --> 00:51:13.012
Okay A la, bring Out your Dead.

00:51:13.152 --> 00:51:13.393
Yeah.

00:51:13.626 --> 00:51:14.811
Yeah, they literally had that.

00:51:15.025 --> 00:51:15.447
And they would.

00:51:15.447 --> 00:51:18.376
Just would they take them and bury them in like a mass grave?

00:51:18.376 --> 00:51:19.400
They would, or would they burn them?

00:51:19.400 --> 00:51:20.945
Yes, yes, gotcha.

00:51:21.344 --> 00:51:27.728
And I will touch on that a little bit more as well, gotcha, yes, yes, gotcha, and I will touch on that a little bit more as well, gotcha.

00:51:27.728 --> 00:51:37.932
So new POWs in August here would march into the camp and immediately gag and vomit and fainted, and one man who fainted ended up going mad in the prison.

00:51:37.932 --> 00:51:45.777
So these new POWs were actually sent to liberate Andersonville, but were captured instead.

00:51:46.436 --> 00:51:47.657
So the prisoners in?

00:51:47.757 --> 00:51:50.860
Andersonville were like thank God, someone knows we're here.

00:51:50.860 --> 00:51:58.945
They're still trying to get us out of here, even though these sorry folk Sorry, we got caught Exactly Trying to help you Exactly.

00:51:58.985 --> 00:52:17.346
So, even though they were captured, the other POW's had their spirits raised just a touch, like okay, there's a little bit of hope well, I mean, even though it might have been minute, it's something like they said knowing that there's people out there, that knowing that we're we're here and that they're trying to do something.

00:52:17.346 --> 00:52:20.268
They just fucking failed at it yeah which is unfortunate.

00:52:20.268 --> 00:52:29.639
But yeah, no, I mean that had to raise your spirits a tinge, but wow, so on August 16th 1864.

00:52:29.659 --> 00:52:44.527
Okay, there was a torrential thunderstorm, oh dear, and a bolt of lightning struck the ground and it opened up a water spring, really Fresh water, oh wow.

00:52:44.527 --> 00:52:48.496
They called it providence spring well makes sense.

00:52:49.347 --> 00:52:51.090
Is it still in operation today?

00:52:52.012 --> 00:53:07.306
yes, that's fantastic yeah, so providence spring was actually in the deadline okay but the guards allowed the men to cross over that part of the deadline to get to the fresh water.

00:53:07.367 --> 00:53:12.338
Wow, that had to be some type of relief for them yeah to actually have water.

00:53:12.378 --> 00:53:15.860
That's not but it would also be scary because you're crossing the deadline there.

00:53:15.860 --> 00:53:24.836
There was mention in the book that someone accidentally slipped on the mud and hit his head on the deadline post and he was shot because he touched the deadline.

00:53:25.398 --> 00:53:26.239
Oh, whoops.

00:53:26.780 --> 00:53:26.940
Yeah.

00:53:27.344 --> 00:53:29.068
That sucks, yeah.

00:53:29.068 --> 00:53:31.614
Wow, poor guy, he just wants some water, yeah.

00:53:32.376 --> 00:53:44.420
Meanwhile, james's gums are tender, bleeding, teeth are loosed, he's got constant diarrhea, all of his muscle mass is gone and he has no strength left in his limbs.

00:53:44.541 --> 00:53:44.862
I can't.

00:53:44.943 --> 00:54:01.710
I can imagine, how did he keep writing I'm sure there's enough muscle to move my finger, your fingers well, maybe just I mean the will to still want to do it, though, is yeah I mean that's more impressive to me than the muscle being able to do it really.

00:54:01.909 --> 00:54:10.137
Yeah I will tell you that, towards as we progress in the book, the um diaries get a little bit shorter each time.

00:54:10.137 --> 00:54:13.949
I'm not surprised, but there's still quite a bit of information he's given us, sure.

00:54:13.949 --> 00:54:27.353
So at one point, captain worse, pressured prison prisoners into taking an oath of allegiance to the confederate army, and if they were to sign up to join their army they would be liberated immediately did.

00:54:27.393 --> 00:54:30.605
A lot of them do that a few did yes, I mean I at that point.

00:54:30.605 --> 00:54:31.288
Why wouldn't you?

00:54:31.288 --> 00:54:35.947
Yeah because anything, even fighting for the other side's got to be better than what they're doing.

00:54:35.967 --> 00:54:36.869
They would get clothing.

00:54:36.869 --> 00:54:39.596
They would get paid and they would get food.

00:54:39.596 --> 00:54:42.329
So yes, a few did sign up I'm not surprised.

00:54:42.431 --> 00:54:43.773
Yeah, do they have a number or no?

00:54:44.554 --> 00:54:46.326
I think I say so a little bit later.

00:54:46.326 --> 00:54:50.056
Okay, gotcha, september 1864.

00:54:50.056 --> 00:54:54.146
The lack of fruits and vegetables has completely taken its toll.

00:54:54.146 --> 00:54:59.324
James now has swollen ankles and feet and can no longer support his weight when walking.

00:54:59.324 --> 00:55:21.836
Wow, and there was news of atlanta being taken over by the union okay so, for fear of the union seeing andersonville worse, moved a large number of prisoners to another prison south okay um, under the guise of them being exchanged, even though that wasn't a thing yeah, because they stopped doing that.

00:55:22.086 --> 00:55:28.775
Yeah, well, I mean that had to help moving some of them out of there, though yes, and then they actually did continue this.

00:55:29.056 --> 00:55:33.092
So words demanded that only those who can walk oh geez.

00:55:33.092 --> 00:55:37.708
Can be taken out and sent to savannah or charleston okay, better prisons.

00:55:37.708 --> 00:55:45.219
I would imagine you would hope days would pass after this announcement, but finally he asked for 10 detachments.

00:55:45.219 --> 00:56:01.757
Each detachment has 270 men okay so about 2700, um 2700 men who can walk were taken out of the prison I mean again, there's still a boatload left but yep, and they were piled into boxcars.

00:56:02.177 --> 00:56:03.949
Oh, geez, sardines again.

00:56:03.949 --> 00:56:14.208
James's detachment because it was kind of like regulated in a way sure, um, his detachment was told that he would be leaving in three days and how many days did it take?

00:56:14.208 --> 00:56:15.690
Not three days.

00:56:15.690 --> 00:56:24.875
His friends david and john in solidarity told james if you can't walk out of here, we're not going either.

00:56:24.875 --> 00:56:27.510
Wow, no man left behind.

00:56:27.811 --> 00:56:28.092
Sure.

00:56:28.644 --> 00:56:31.193
So September 10th 1864, it was their turn.

00:56:31.635 --> 00:56:31.936
Okay.

00:56:33.166 --> 00:56:35.193
David and John helped James to his feet.

00:56:35.193 --> 00:56:37.592
They were standing on either side of him.

00:56:37.592 --> 00:56:41.713
His feet were swollen and he had to use his tippy toes to walk yeah.

00:56:41.713 --> 00:56:45.710
And his knees were unable to straighten.

00:56:45.710 --> 00:56:49.369
Yeah, close to the exit, james fainted.

00:56:49.369 --> 00:56:54.262
Oh no, and he was slapped across the face by john to wake him up.

00:56:54.262 --> 00:56:59.916
Dude, dude, dude, wake up, wake up, wake up, we're almost there, we're almost out but the guards saw them.

00:57:00.336 --> 00:57:05.836
Oh, poop immediately declared james cannot leave because he cannot walk himself.

00:57:05.836 --> 00:57:15.570
Sure, the next thing that james could remember was quote a dull thud on my head falling, dragging sensation, end quote.

00:57:15.570 --> 00:57:17.896
Okay, nothing else was mentioned.

00:57:17.896 --> 00:57:37.206
So not sure if he was knocked unconscious right by a guard, but by who knows if he just fell, we don't know okay so all three of them remained in andersonville, just like david and john said, no man left behind that's very nice because obviously it's their friend and you know, they've known him well, almost their lives.

00:57:37.746 --> 00:57:48.559
So that's awesome that he had those people there with him, but, man, it sucks that if I was james I'd be like no, you guys, go and save yourself yeah, so james says quote I wept bitter tears.

00:57:49.081 --> 00:57:53.313
In addition to being terribly sick, I now suffered overpowering guilt and heartache.

00:57:53.333 --> 00:58:00.802
Well right, I mean can you blame the guy because again these two guys stayed behind for him, for him alone, and that?

00:58:00.842 --> 00:58:19.596
yeah, no, I'd feel guilty as shit too so by the end of september, because of all these like trains coming in to move these prisoners out, 8200 remained in the prison that's significantly lower than that other number wow, and james found himself in the stockade prison.

00:58:19.596 --> 00:58:25.784
This was on the ground, but it was like a little bit further out from the expansion gotcha.

00:58:25.784 --> 00:58:30.298
Three out of four prisoners that went to the hospital would die, oh geez.

00:58:30.298 --> 00:58:36.715
And james avoided the hospital as long as he could oh yeah, because you have a 75 chance of death.

00:58:36.994 --> 00:58:41.490
Yes, so one of the biggest sufferers in the hospital was gangrene.

00:58:41.490 --> 00:58:45.818
Okay, sure, so sores would spread visibly by the hour.

00:58:45.818 --> 00:58:50.797
Ulceration, ulcerations ate out the tissue between the skin and the ribs.

00:58:50.797 --> 00:58:56.014
In the mornings, blue vitriol was used on the wounds.

00:58:56.014 --> 00:58:57.215
What's blue vitriol?

00:58:57.416 --> 00:59:09.534
it is copper, sulfate, pentahydrate okay, and it is a very painful antiseptic oh so it was meant to help, but it also it was super painful, super painful to take.

00:59:09.534 --> 00:59:18.204
Okay, that sucks they would hear screams every morning because of this antiseptic, taking that and it's again supposed to make you feel better.

00:59:18.204 --> 00:59:19.186
But the.

00:59:19.447 --> 00:59:28.418
the doctors that were there performed two hours of limb amputation each morning to help with gangrene control.

00:59:28.418 --> 00:59:34.737
Wow, and James in the book specifically mentions the pile of severed limbs that he witnessed.

00:59:35.445 --> 00:59:39.990
Yeah, I mean pile arms here pile legs there, that's just wild yeah.

00:59:41.826 --> 00:59:44.793
So all of October and November he spent in in the hospital.

00:59:45.134 --> 01:00:02.708
There was only one entry for each month oh, really, probably because he just couldn't do it yeah, in october he talked about hallucinating meals okay, from his mother and his sisters oh yeah, there's that and in november he said that president lincoln was re -elected for a second term.

01:00:02.708 --> 01:00:04.612
Oh, there you go.

01:00:05.572 --> 01:00:07.856
December 7th 1864.

01:00:07.856 --> 01:00:10.059
Do not mention Pearl Harbor.

01:00:10.059 --> 01:00:12.090
I was not saying a word.

01:00:12.090 --> 01:00:12.695
You looked at me funny.

01:00:12.695 --> 01:00:18.074
Go back to Juno about the Juno people if you want to know.

01:00:18.074 --> 01:00:22.184
Episode one December 7th 1864.

01:00:22.184 --> 01:00:23.530
James turned 21.

01:00:23.530 --> 01:00:25.568
Okay, he's only 21.

01:00:25.588 --> 01:00:31.858
21, I know going through all of that baby and he's, he's, he's, went through all that and he's just turned 21.

01:00:31.898 --> 01:00:43.815
That's crazy, yeah on december 23rd, private jonah wheeler of the 111th us Infantry arrived at the prison.

01:00:43.815 --> 01:00:51.420
His job was to find deceased patients, load them onto the death wagon and bury the dead.

01:00:51.822 --> 01:00:52.802
Okay.

01:00:54.664 --> 01:00:59.105
And this is how James met Jonah.

01:00:59.105 --> 01:01:05.951
Somehow James was loaded onto that death wagon because that's how sick he was.

01:01:05.951 --> 01:01:12.695
Yeah, jonas saw him and saved him from the car of the deceased and carried his little frail body back to the hospital.

01:01:12.695 --> 01:01:15.065
He stopped the guy who was carrying the wagon.

01:01:15.065 --> 01:01:15.585
Dude, stop.

01:01:15.606 --> 01:01:24.677
This guy is still alive jesus yeah, I'm not dead yet I mean we have to it has to happen.

01:01:24.677 --> 01:01:38.726
Oh, poor guy I know it's terrible to be that freaking like frail looking yeah, at death's door close to death and yeah, wow so jonah officially saved james from dying.

01:01:38.867 --> 01:01:51.092
He provided him with a blanket, clothing, clothing all lice-ridden, of course, but even extra food rations at the hospital he provided James, and he held him at night to keep him from shivering.

01:01:51.092 --> 01:01:56.393
Jesus yeah, january with James still alive.

01:01:56.393 --> 01:02:00.311
So this is 1865 now, right Less prisoners at the camp.

01:02:00.311 --> 01:02:03.005
They were finally noticing improved rations.

01:02:03.005 --> 01:02:03.947
Oh, that's nice.

01:02:03.947 --> 01:02:16.231
At least jonah, who used to work with lame horses on a plantation near memphis, moved james's joints and made him exercise his limbs by pushing against his strengths.

01:02:16.552 --> 01:02:27.099
That's one of the techniques that I do in massage, for sure yeah, so eventually james did begin to stand on his toes still but he could finally stand again.

01:02:27.099 --> 01:02:28.990
That's better than not standing, isn't that amazing?

01:02:29.030 --> 01:02:29.753
Yeah, that's crazy.

01:02:30.764 --> 01:02:38.684
February 1865, worse, again offered loyalty to the unions to join the Confederate Army.

01:02:38.684 --> 01:02:40.590
Right 21 joined.

01:02:40.865 --> 01:02:42.123
Only 21 people, mm-hmm.

01:02:42.123 --> 01:02:42.706
Wow.

01:02:42.706 --> 01:02:46.664
That shows you the kind of dedication they had to their side, though.

01:02:46.925 --> 01:02:50.056
I think that shows what they would do to survive.

01:02:50.885 --> 01:02:51.708
Those 21 people?

01:02:51.708 --> 01:02:53.273
Yeah, yeah, for sure.

01:02:54.045 --> 01:02:56.554
In March, reunited with John and David.

01:02:56.594 --> 01:02:58.992
finally, oh, because he was in the hospital.

01:03:00.166 --> 01:03:06.509
James was well enough to stand, so he was well enough not to be in the hospital anymore, and they spent about six months apart.

01:03:06.509 --> 01:03:07.590
Wow, yeah.

01:03:08.353 --> 01:03:10.478
Do they, do you know or does it?

01:03:10.478 --> 01:03:15.755
Did you see anything that said that, like they, they knew he was still alive, at least because they didn't get to see him Right?

01:03:16.646 --> 01:03:21.635
I think they knew, but it took a little bit to find them in this yeah.

01:03:25.085 --> 01:03:26.045
To find them in the stockade.

01:03:26.045 --> 01:03:28.009
But they did spend six months apart and they were reunited.

01:03:28.009 --> 01:03:38.088
So, captain, worse, enters the camp and out of a population of 5, 750, 900 of the sickest would be exchanged.

01:03:38.088 --> 01:03:38.969
Okay.

01:03:38.969 --> 01:03:47.079
So during roll call the day of the exchange, james, david and John were all selected as the sickest in their group.

01:03:47.079 --> 01:03:52.775
Oh wow, sadly, because Jonah was black, he would not be exchanged.

01:03:52.775 --> 01:03:53.536
Oh, that's too bad.

01:03:53.536 --> 01:03:58.347
Therefore he remained in the camp, right, 400 sick and stockade prisoners lined up.

01:03:58.347 --> 01:03:59.947
After 500 of the hospital prisoners were loaded onto the trains Sure.

01:03:59.947 --> 01:04:03.951
After 500 of the hospital prisoners were loaded onto the trains, sure.

01:04:03.951 --> 01:04:09.795
So while waiting in line, jonah walked up to James and kept their little group company.

01:04:09.795 --> 01:04:15.458
Okay, james felt heart sick, knowing that he'd probably never see Jonah again.

01:04:15.458 --> 01:04:25.045
And as the gate opened to their freedom, james stepped back and said to David and John quote Friends.

01:04:25.085 --> 01:04:26.027
I wish you well and I'll see you back home.

01:04:26.027 --> 01:04:26.208
Quote.

01:04:26.208 --> 01:04:28.353
So he decided to stay with jonah yeah, with shock on their faces.

01:04:28.673 --> 01:04:30.318
They hurried outside the stockade.

01:04:30.318 --> 01:04:38.706
They hurt, they were hurried like they were like pushed out right and they saw james disappear on the inside that's crazy.

01:04:39.688 --> 01:04:43.813
I mean this dude really kind of brought him back from this door.

01:04:43.833 --> 01:04:44.755
He did.

01:04:44.775 --> 01:04:52.054
So I don't blame him for wanting to stay, but man to give up that freedom, Because you said they were being exchanged, correct?

01:04:52.094 --> 01:04:52.295
Yeah.

01:04:52.465 --> 01:04:54.070
So they were going to be free.

01:04:54.210 --> 01:04:54.492
Yes.

01:04:54.853 --> 01:04:57.152
Wow, that's pretty ballsy.

01:04:58.666 --> 01:05:07.626
So at this point, trains were in need of repair, tracks were in need of repair and in need of repair, and it was days before another train would arrive.

01:05:07.626 --> 01:05:23.233
Right by the end of march, only 3 319 pows were left in andersonville 3 319 now comes april, and this is where I started.

01:05:23.233 --> 01:05:27.599
I was already infuriated with the situation but I got even more infuriated.

01:05:27.599 --> 01:05:28.440
Okay, let's learn.

01:05:28.440 --> 01:05:37.099
April 4th, pows were giving four-day rations and were climbed into rail cars.

01:05:37.099 --> 01:05:39.690
His day finally came and.

01:05:39.751 --> 01:05:44.052
Jonah was in the last cattle car Because all the blacks had to go with the Beck.

01:05:44.052 --> 01:05:48.215
Sure, they were finally leaving Andersonville prison.

01:05:48.215 --> 01:05:55.670
They traveled 50 miles, which was five hours long, oh God, because that's how bad the trains were.

01:05:55.670 --> 01:05:59.434
Sure, they traveled 50 miles to Albany, georgia.

01:05:59.695 --> 01:05:59.934
Okay.

01:06:00.306 --> 01:06:01.389
They got out and camped.

01:06:01.992 --> 01:06:02.614
Okay, okay.

01:06:03.427 --> 01:06:04.932
This is going to be like a rapid fire.

01:06:04.932 --> 01:06:10.532
April 5th on foot they marched 17 miles, made camp that night.

01:06:10.532 --> 01:06:15.711
April 6th marched 20 miles, camped that night.

01:06:16.467 --> 01:06:19.195
We're talking people with no shoes.

01:06:19.195 --> 01:06:26.052
Yeah right, 17, 20 miles very weak people with no shoes that had to be tearing up their feet.

01:06:26.548 --> 01:06:35.472
April 7th Marched 14 miles to Thomasville, where the next day they would board another train to Jacksonville, florida.

01:06:35.472 --> 01:06:47.713
Okay, april 8th they went back to Andersonville, why Commanders of the two armies could not agree on a location for their exchange.

01:06:47.713 --> 01:06:49.065
Oh, come on.

01:06:49.065 --> 01:06:52.228
Where did the other prisoners go then?

01:06:52.228 --> 01:06:55.349
Could they not have continued that as their exchange place?

01:06:55.590 --> 01:06:55.911
Right.

01:06:56.920 --> 01:06:59.168
They literally had to retrace their steps.

01:06:59.168 --> 01:07:01.748
On April 9th they retraced their steps.

01:07:01.748 --> 01:07:03.827
April 12th they were back in Albany.

01:07:03.827 --> 01:07:06.708
April 13th they boarded the train to Andersonville.

01:07:06.807 --> 01:07:07.610
That's wild.

01:07:07.610 --> 01:07:10.085
How do you fuck that up?

01:07:10.085 --> 01:07:11.610
That bad Isn't that awful.

01:07:11.610 --> 01:07:15.568
That's terrible, because now they have to redo that whole freaking trek.

01:07:16.981 --> 01:07:19.949
And, worse said, we'll leave again in a few days.

01:07:20.630 --> 01:07:20.831
Wow.

01:07:22.362 --> 01:07:23.637
Again, rapid fire here.

01:07:23.637 --> 01:07:27.347
Yeah, April 17th they boarded a train, this time to Macon.

01:07:28.028 --> 01:07:28.489
Macon.

01:07:28.610 --> 01:07:28.751
Mm-hmm.

01:07:28.751 --> 01:07:31.266
Okay, and this time there was no room to sit.

01:07:31.820 --> 01:07:33.347
I'm not surprised Once you're in the cars Right.

01:07:33.719 --> 01:07:38.331
April 18th they reached Macon and were ordered back to Albany.

01:07:38.331 --> 01:07:40.181
What that was?

01:07:40.181 --> 01:07:41.565
106 miles.

01:07:42.168 --> 01:07:42.670
Good Lord.

01:07:44.139 --> 01:07:48.550
April 19th they marched towards Thomasville, which is 60 miles away.

01:07:48.550 --> 01:07:51.527
Okay, April 20th they marched and camped.

01:07:51.527 --> 01:07:52.884
April 21st.

01:07:52.884 --> 01:07:54.210
Marched and camped.

01:07:54.210 --> 01:07:55.114
April 21st, marched and camped.

01:07:55.114 --> 01:08:01.891
April 22nd, they finally reached thomasville and were to leave on the train that evening okay, where to um?

01:08:01.891 --> 01:08:06.463
To florida okay april 23rd they traveled by train.

01:08:06.463 --> 01:08:09.788
April 24th they made it to florida like early in the morning.

01:08:09.788 --> 01:08:11.610
Finally 142 miles.

01:08:11.610 --> 01:08:14.574
Oh dear and they camped here for a few days.

01:08:14.574 --> 01:08:22.180
Okay, Now April 27th and your wife actually mentioned this when she was talking about Andersonville to us- Okay.

01:08:22.659 --> 01:08:35.515
Unknown to James, the steamboat Sultana, carrying 2,300 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River, killing 1800 men that's right.

01:08:35.536 --> 01:09:09.243
Yeah, she did mention that that steamboat had a max capacity of third of 375 people and there was 2 300 on there isn't that wild, you couldn't have even moved most of those passengers were from andersonville of course they were wow, so they were finally getting yes sent on their way home, and they ended up dying it is considered the greatest maritime disaster in us history, with a greater loss of life than the titanic yeah, no kidding, because what was it?

01:09:09.243 --> 01:09:13.212
2300, something300, something, and then 1,800 of them died, right Wow?

01:09:18.085 --> 01:09:24.494
And the headlines and stuff around the Sultana was overlooked.

01:09:24.835 --> 01:09:25.076
Sure.

01:09:25.279 --> 01:09:28.970
Because at the same time, John Wilkes Booth killed President Lincoln.

01:09:29.090 --> 01:09:29.731
Yeah, of course.

01:09:29.731 --> 01:09:38.750
So no one really said much about it because, yep well, our president just got shot so april 28th they took another train to baldwin, florida.

01:09:39.771 --> 01:09:44.287
They hopped trains that then led them to jacksonville, which was about 21 miles away.

01:09:44.287 --> 01:09:55.039
Okay, now here in jacksonville they saw the 134th us colored infantry okay, and they all hobbled essentially over to their hospitality.

01:09:55.039 --> 01:10:07.947
They could just see them with like open arms and yeah so they provided the pows with food, coffee for the first time, shelter, and james specifically mentions kindness.

01:10:07.947 --> 01:10:18.961
Well, yeah, because wow may 7th 1865, captain henry wirtz was captured by the union he was still at andersonville.

01:10:19.341 --> 01:10:23.692
Oh geez, james stayed in jacksonville until may 10th.

01:10:23.692 --> 01:10:25.643
I'm just kind of doing this chronologically here.

01:10:25.643 --> 01:10:28.789
Sure, food was served on plates he had to.

01:10:28.789 --> 01:10:36.796
That had to be wild for them forks to eat with wholesome meals, three a day, clean water and they were given soap.

01:10:36.796 --> 01:10:37.719
Wow, that had to be wild for them.

01:10:37.819 --> 01:10:37.939
Wow.

01:10:45.177 --> 01:10:45.720
That had to be nice.

01:10:52.494 --> 01:10:54.962
Sure Aw, so they never saw each other anyways after that.

01:10:54.962 --> 01:11:10.911
That's sad but they did get free together well, I mean, that's something, I guess, but I kind of was hoping that they'd be able to like I don't know, yeah, hang out on may 10th, james boarded a steamer on the atlantic waters and headed towards annapolis, maryland.

01:11:11.270 --> 01:11:22.351
Okay, he was stationed there at camp parole until june, 28th camp parole okay, june 28th is the day that he headed home.

01:11:22.351 --> 01:11:27.342
Finally, wow, he took a baltimore ohio train to detroit.

01:11:27.342 --> 01:11:31.948
Okay, there was no really of what happened after that.

01:11:32.429 --> 01:11:33.309
Oh, so they just.

01:11:33.309 --> 01:11:39.996
We chronicled his time there and his release, if you will, but beyond that we don't know what happened to James.

01:11:40.096 --> 01:11:46.179
Yeah, so Belle Isle Prison was closed in 1865 after the Civil War ended.

01:11:46.179 --> 01:11:51.131
Right Today the island is a historical site and a popular destination for visitors.

01:11:51.131 --> 01:11:56.046
Okay, is a historical site and a popular destination for visitors.

01:11:56.046 --> 01:12:04.690
Okay, if you were to travel to andersonville now, you'd see a lush green meadow of grass, okay, and like just huge, like little valleys and hills, and it's just all really lush and green.

01:12:04.690 --> 01:12:05.314
Are the?

01:12:05.314 --> 01:12:05.996
Are the walls?

01:12:06.056 --> 01:12:06.679
not there anymore.

01:12:06.698 --> 01:12:13.958
They are not there so they have stakes that um get out marked out the perimeter of the walls.

01:12:13.979 --> 01:12:14.060
Sure.

01:12:14.940 --> 01:12:23.911
And they'll say, like stockade on the markers Right, right, and then they also have markers that identified where the deadline was.

01:12:23.911 --> 01:12:26.367
Okay, that 20 feet separation.

01:12:26.367 --> 01:12:32.652
Yep, there is one short wall, the North Gate that stands, but it is a replica.

01:12:32.652 --> 01:12:33.453
Oh, okay.

01:12:33.453 --> 01:12:36.708
And this is where the prisoners would enter.

01:12:36.708 --> 01:12:38.926
So they rebuilt that section.

01:12:38.945 --> 01:12:40.289
Yeah, just to kind of show yeah.

01:12:40.310 --> 01:12:40.730
Makes sense.

01:12:40.730 --> 01:12:46.712
Yeah, out where the guards stayed, they had cannons facing the stockade.

01:12:46.712 --> 01:12:49.042
Those are still on the grounds, are?

01:12:49.082 --> 01:12:49.826
those actual.

01:12:50.408 --> 01:12:50.609
Mm-hmm.

01:12:50.609 --> 01:12:54.761
They were meant to deter, so they had.

01:12:54.761 --> 01:12:55.381
I think there were four.

01:12:55.381 --> 01:13:07.779
Two were pointed towards the stockade and two were pointed outward um in hopes of deterring any um uprising yeah no, not uprisings, but any um union soldiers coming to liberate the camp.

01:13:07.779 --> 01:13:12.389
Oh yeah, sure, sure um also on the the grounds.

01:13:12.389 --> 01:13:15.134
Inside that deadline is Providence Spring.

01:13:15.479 --> 01:13:17.699
And it's still bubbling up water.

01:13:17.960 --> 01:13:25.555
Around the year 1900, former prisoners and a group called the Women's Relief Corps raised money to build the monument.

01:13:25.555 --> 01:13:37.494
So they created this nice stone building monument where they have a reflection pool with the stream coming up and it looks really really nice and you can hear the sound of water.

01:13:37.494 --> 01:13:39.240
It's just really it's really nice cool.

01:13:39.240 --> 01:13:44.270
The monument was dedicated then in 1901, so that is still standing okay.

01:13:44.270 --> 01:13:53.373
On the grounds of the prison there's also the cemetery sure 13 000000 POWs are buried there.

01:13:54.360 --> 01:13:59.809
That's a lot of POWs in a short time 29% of the population of the prison.

01:14:00.130 --> 01:14:00.371
Wow.

01:14:01.320 --> 01:14:03.528
And that was over the course of only 14 months.

01:14:03.748 --> 01:14:04.490
Yeah, that's the thing.

01:14:04.490 --> 01:14:07.823
It wasn't around for that long, no, In comparison.

01:14:08.305 --> 01:14:09.988
Some guards did die as well.

01:14:09.988 --> 01:14:10.671
I'm sure.

01:14:10.671 --> 01:14:12.742
They lost about 10% of their population.

01:14:13.403 --> 01:14:15.385
I mean still significant, but not as well.

01:14:15.404 --> 01:14:16.725
I'm sure they lost about 10% of their population.

01:14:16.725 --> 01:14:17.787
I mean still significant, but not as bad, yeah.

01:14:17.787 --> 01:14:22.112
So they had 2,500 guards and 250 died, sure.

01:14:22.112 --> 01:14:25.135
So remember the raiders?

01:14:25.135 --> 01:14:27.197
Yeah, the six who died by hanging.

01:14:27.600 --> 01:14:28.963
Yeah.

01:14:29.024 --> 01:14:35.523
They can be seen in the cemetery and they are actually completely separate from the rest of the soldiers.

01:14:35.523 --> 01:14:40.502
Really, it looks like they're more on display because they are so separate and it's super obvious.

01:14:40.502 --> 01:14:46.802
But they did that because the soldiers deemed them not worthy of laying amongst their own fallen comrades.

01:14:46.943 --> 01:14:53.537
Wow, I mean that's kind of weird that they like took that stance on it with how they treated all these people.

01:14:53.467 --> 01:14:54.430
But I mean that's, that's kind of weird that they took that stance on it with how they treated all these people.

01:14:54.470 --> 01:14:58.176
But I mean, that's kind of nice that they did it, because, yeah, they were worthless fucking people.

01:14:58.355 --> 01:15:02.094
Yeah, so after the war, there's a woman named Clara Barton.

01:15:02.094 --> 01:15:14.082
She was a nurse, okay, she was known as Angel of the Battlefield, oh, and she helped search for loved ones who had vanished during the conflict, okay, loved ones who had vanished during the conflict, okay.

01:15:14.082 --> 01:15:19.011
So barton began receiving countless letters, um, with pleas of information on um, they're missing, a family member's missing soldier, sure.

01:15:19.011 --> 01:15:27.564
So she undertook the arduous task of researching these shoulder soldiers whereabouts and responding to their family, the family inquiries, okay.

01:15:27.564 --> 01:15:33.435
At the same time, in 19 in j of 1865, there's a guy named Dorrance Atwater.

01:15:33.680 --> 01:15:34.585
Dorrance Atwater.

01:15:34.921 --> 01:15:37.060
A former prisoner at Andersonville.

01:15:37.060 --> 01:15:51.172
He contacted Bart Barton seeking copies of her list of missing soldiers, and together they labeled every single headstone.

01:15:51.212 --> 01:15:51.974
Person who was there.

01:15:52.114 --> 01:15:55.748
Yes, Every single person in the order of death.

01:15:56.171 --> 01:15:56.430
Wow.

01:15:57.020 --> 01:16:02.385
So they literally have person number one, so-and-so Sure From this regimen.

01:16:03.548 --> 01:16:03.810
Okay.

01:16:03.960 --> 01:16:05.305
All the way up to 13,000.

01:16:05.600 --> 01:16:07.466
That's quite impressive.

01:16:07.466 --> 01:16:08.369
That had to take a while.

01:16:09.560 --> 01:16:13.122
But just the fact that they could identify Well yeah.

01:16:13.122 --> 01:16:21.108
Guess how many pow's out of 13 000 were unidentified uh 1200 400.

01:16:21.108 --> 01:16:23.470
Wow, that's it, that's.

01:16:23.470 --> 01:16:30.868
It's a large number, but, in the vast scheme of things, 400 out of 13 000 that's a pretty good percentage.

01:16:31.048 --> 01:16:34.341
Yeah, that they got right or got marked, whatever you want to call it.

01:16:34.341 --> 01:16:36.867
But wow, only 400 couldn't be.

01:16:37.207 --> 01:16:46.945
Yes, I mean that's impressive so james was discharged from the army on july 26 1865 in detroit.

01:16:46.945 --> 01:16:54.756
Okay, he married permilia howley in Grand Rapids on October 10th 1865.

01:16:54.756 --> 01:16:56.105
Like super short after.

01:16:56.300 --> 01:16:58.649
Yeah, that's a unique name Permelia.

01:16:58.881 --> 01:17:00.880
They had four children oh there you go.

01:17:00.880 --> 01:17:04.569
The author of this book is his great-great-grandchild.

01:17:04.569 --> 01:17:05.452
That's pretty cool.

01:17:05.452 --> 01:17:13.451
James died at the age of 69 on April 7th 1913, after two years of being bedridden.

01:17:13.451 --> 01:17:37.083
Condition unknown wasn't mentioned no yeah captain henry worse was sentenced to hang on november 10th 1865 for war crimes okay david hill and john johnson died in the sultana disaster oh, no really they did so good thing james didn't go with him and he was supposed to be on that boat.

01:17:37.104 --> 01:17:42.194
Yeah, and the beginning, this begin the beginning of this book.

01:17:42.194 --> 01:17:48.801
The author said that he did die on the sultana and then later found out that he wasn't on that steamboat.

01:17:48.801 --> 01:17:52.569
Wow, he was supposed to be there that's crazy.

01:17:52.569 --> 01:18:05.501
That's sad that those two guys died and there is zero info that I have found on jonah okay, I mean that's not surprising being a man of color in what?

01:18:05.520 --> 01:18:11.988
the 1860s or whatever yeah I mean, it's not surprising that you couldn't find much on him.

01:18:11.988 --> 01:18:15.793
Yeah, so that, which is unfortunate because of what he did for for.

01:18:15.793 --> 01:18:17.836
James literally saved his life.

01:18:18.060 --> 01:18:26.914
So so that is a story of James Skaden and the horrendous conditions at the Andersonville prison camp of the Civil War.

01:18:26.914 --> 01:18:30.746
Yeah, this book that I read it's called.

01:18:30.746 --> 01:18:37.375
Now I Know the Story of James Russ Skaden, andersonville Civil War Prisoner, by Yvonne Linscott Bartell.

01:18:37.375 --> 01:18:40.583
She collected his.

01:18:40.583 --> 01:18:42.889
He had pension records.

01:18:42.889 --> 01:18:43.530
Oh really.

01:18:43.551 --> 01:18:54.835
He had diaries, and then she also found a ton of information of other soldiers that corroborated some of the things that James said.

01:18:54.835 --> 01:18:56.206
So she would like enter that.

01:18:56.206 --> 01:19:05.530
And then there were other things that James didn't say, but she found other people in the same exact timeframe that she would add to this story as well.

01:19:05.881 --> 01:19:06.703
So she just kind of.

01:19:06.703 --> 01:19:09.130
They also had diaries or something, journals whatever.

01:19:09.739 --> 01:19:22.061
So the first half of the book is mostly about the civil war and what his regiment would have done okay um, and then the second half of the book is in james's point of view.

01:19:22.061 --> 01:19:34.180
Gotcha nice yes um, there is also a video that I watched on the cemetery portion of what I discussed and that one's called um andersonville national cemetery.

01:19:34.180 --> 01:19:36.945
Okay, and I'll have those links in our show notes.

01:19:37.167 --> 01:19:51.947
Awesome that's wild yeah, there's also no known picture of james um, but if I think it was, her mother or her aunt um created an image like, so I'll put that on social media as well.

01:19:52.668 --> 01:19:53.190
A drawing.

01:19:55.393 --> 01:20:08.167
I mean that's not surprising that they wouldn't have had an actual photograph, but they did have pictures of his two sisters, his older sisters, so that's in the book as well, as well as a picture of Captain Henry Wurst.

01:20:09.202 --> 01:20:10.086
That piece of shit.

01:20:11.001 --> 01:20:11.966
Wurst is the worst.

01:20:12.220 --> 01:20:13.042
He's the worst.

01:20:13.061 --> 01:20:13.743
He's the worst.

01:20:13.764 --> 01:20:25.072
He's the worst well, that was energetic and uplifting my throat is scratchy I bet that's a lot to go over.

01:20:25.072 --> 01:20:39.876
Um, yeah, that's a lot of fucking people on a small amount of land yeah I mean 26 acres is decent amount of land, but when you have what was the top number 30 to 33- it was, yeah, I think it was 33, 35 000.

01:20:39.876 --> 01:20:48.220
Yeah, and that's a lot of people a lot of people and then you're just nowhere to go to the bathroom, nowhere to seek shelter.

01:20:48.301 --> 01:20:50.586
I mean jesus can you imagine having diarrhea?

01:20:50.586 --> 01:21:10.225
No, several times a day yeah, like one of the things they were thankful for was only having diarrhea twice today, yeah oh, I mean no, I wouldn't want to, even I'd panic if I, if I only got like two plies of toilet paper left and I didn't plan ahead, yeah.

01:21:10.225 --> 01:21:14.033
Yeah, they just had nothing, was that a little TMI.

01:21:14.319 --> 01:21:19.286
I mean it was kind of weird, but I appreciate the information.

01:21:19.286 --> 01:21:21.273
I guess You're very welcome.

01:21:21.273 --> 01:21:24.350
No, that was yeah, that's depressing.

01:21:24.350 --> 01:21:26.465
Can we do an uplifting story one of these days?

01:21:26.465 --> 01:21:31.507
Wow, yeah, let's find an uplifting story.

01:21:31.507 --> 01:21:38.831
All right, I will take that challenge I challenge you to make me not depressed after an episode.

01:21:38.831 --> 01:21:43.467
Okay, okay, I suppose.

01:21:44.409 --> 01:21:44.631
Well.

01:21:45.192 --> 01:21:48.689
I suppose All right, buffoons, that's it for today's episode.

01:21:49.380 --> 01:21:52.773
Buckle up, because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you.

01:21:52.773 --> 01:22:00.824
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01:22:01.400 --> 01:22:02.707
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01:22:02.707 --> 01:22:07.671
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01:22:07.671 --> 01:22:11.783
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01:22:11.783 --> 01:22:19.550
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01:22:19.550 --> 01:22:21.139
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01:22:21.659 --> 01:22:23.740
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01:22:23.740 --> 01:22:33.887
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