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William M. Mitchell 10th. N. J. Vol. Co. K.

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William M. Mitchell 10th. N. J. Vol. Co. K.

dsegelquist  (View posts) Posted: 14 Apr 2008 10:45PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Mitchell
This information will be taken from his own words, put togather from his testimony give for the report on: The treatment of prisoners of war by the Rebel Authorities, No. 1391 House report No. 45., 40th., Congress 1867-1869.

This info will soon be posted at my web site also, I am not a family member just a helper.

Dennis Segelquist
Civilian & Military Surname Searcher
http://www.civilwarthosesurnames.blogspot.com

WILLIAM M..MITCHELL.

William M. Mitchell; is twenty-five years of age; he reside at Port Elizabeth, Cumberland County, N.J.; was a glass blower by occupation. Enlisted on the 14th of September, 1861, in company K, Tenth regiment New Jersey volunteers, at Beverly. He served as a private throughout the war. He enlisted for three years, and served seven mouths and eleven days over his time, on account of being in prison at the expiration of my term.

He was captured in the Wilderness on the morning of the 7th of May, 1864, by Ewell’s corps, the Twenty-second Virginia regiment. He was confined at different times in Lynchburg and Danville, Virginia, Andersonville, Georgia, and Florence, South Carolina. While in the hands of the old troops, he received as good treatment as he could have, under the circumstances, with the exception of the eighth day, when he had scarcely anything to eat, and was marched a distance of twenty miles to Orange Court House, Virginia. At Lynchburg, he was threatened that if he undertook to break the lines, they would fire upon him from a battery on the bill, with grape and canister. The commander of the prison was Captain Shun; the post commander was General Nichols. The other officers he could not remember. Captain Shun appeared to be a very fine man; he would talk with him and promise to do whatever he could for him. He hungry all the time. He was in Lynchburg about a week; then was sent to Danville, Virginia. His treatment at Danville was similar to that at Lynchburg. He was put into a tobacco warehouse and the guards had orders that if he spoke to any one from the windows he would be fired on.

His rations there consisted of corn-bread, a little rice, soup, a small piece of bacon, for one day. He remained there only six days, then was taken to Anilersonville. He arrived at Andersonville on time 28th of May, 1864. He was at once examined and sent inside of the stockade. He was placed in charge of thirty-three, to draw and issue rations for them, one sergeant being in command of a hundred, he drawing from the rebel quartermaster and corps commissary, and he drew from these Union sergeants. His rations generally consisted of corn meal, not sufficiently ground for food for soldiers, bacon, rice, and beans, he had fresh meat sometimes. The bacon that he got was of a very poor quality, and he should think would create disease. The rice was very poor, and the beans were not fit to eat. The corn meal had been, undoubtedly, ground up, cobs and all. Sometimes he got molasses, and that was very good; but when he got molasses he got no meat, he had a small quantity of molasses in place of meat. He suffered with hunger most from about the 1st of July, 1864, until he were transferred to Florence, South Carolina, in the middle of September. The quality was poor and the quantity was small. Toward the last part of that time he scarcely got any meat, and as a substitute they gave him molasses.

He was taken from Andersonville, on the 15th of September, 1864, He was transferred to Florence, South Carolina, arriving there on the 17th. His treatment there was similar to that at Andersonville in every respect; but our rations were smaller in quantity, although, perhaps, a little better in quality. At one time, at Florence, the camp was fifty-seven days without a mouthful of meat. his rations consisted of rice, beaus, corn bread, or corn meal. When he first went there, there were no rations at the commissary for him. The rebels themselves went into the country, to the different farm-houses, and collected corn bread, corn cake, and eatables of all kinds that they could get hold of, for the prisoners. He was later sent to Amiapolis, Maryland, about the 1st of March, 1865. He was taken sick with a fever, On his arrival at Annapolis, Maryland, he was sick with typhoid fever, and was carried off the boat by four soldiers, and unconscious, and he knew nothing more for two or three weeks, when he woke he found himself at Jarvis Hospital at Baltimore.

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