Prison Memoirs of Alman J. Houston

I was captured at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, and on July 4, was marched south with several hundred other captives, not halting till we reached Williamsport where the rise of the Potomac detained the crossing for two days. Thence we marched for Staunton. The first night of this march, we were halted in a filed and searched for all valuables and surplus clothing. When I saw this, I cut my new rubber blanket into shreds with my knife, rather than let the enemy have it. For this act I was bucked and gagged for over two hours. This was done by tying my wrists together and drawing my elbows down below the under part of my knees, and putting a stick between knees and elbows. A stick was put in my mouth and tied behind my head. Circulation stopped in my limbs and I could not stand when cut loose.

The next morning the march was resumed for Staunton, Virginia, where we were put into old cars and taken to Richmond. I was five weeks in Libby prison and then put on Belle Isle. While here, in November, eight or ten of our soldiers died while sleeping on the outside of the embankment thrown up to separate us from the guard. They had frozen to death. Their bodies were left for there for five days until the hogs on the island ate them up, the rebels refusing to have them removed.

At first we had a very small piece of meat and a cup of pea soup, once a day. These peas were infested with black bugs in the shells and often they had eaten the entire pea out. Of such peas was our soup made, bugs and all. Often we had to scrape the bugs off the top of our soup before we ate it. The Union Sanitary Commission sent supplies for us but the rebels confiscated them and they did not reach us. The guards would show us the supplies, saying they from the _____ Yankees, and eat them before our eyes. Occasionally they threw pieces of food down into the open sinks to see our starved men in their rage for food, reach down into the fecal mass of filth and fish them out to eat!

Often the stomachs of our men could not digest the poor, uncooked food furnished us, and they would vomit it up. I have seen a comrade gather up the whole beans vomited up, wash, re-cook and eat them! During my stay on Belle Isle, the rebel surgeons vaccinated the prisoners with vaccine that killed the men off faster than if they had the small pox. The vaccinated limbs would rot and the whole body became infected with the poisonous virus.

On February 22, 1864, I left that God forsaken island and was taken back to Richmond, and then further South. None knew where we were destined until, at the end of six days and nights on the cars, we arrived at Andersonville prison. One day on the route we had peanuts only to eat. We were turned into this pen without shelter, like a lot of animals. Here, for rations, we received corn meal, a pint for twenty-four hours, and nothing to cook it with, although forests we could see all around us. The meal often was sour and being eaten uncooked gave the men a diarrhea from which they died by the hundred. Soon our numbers increased to 35,000 men in the prison.

At night, pine fires were built all around the prison to light up the pen for the guards to sight any escaping. From the smoke of these pine fires, the men’s faces, hands and naked feet became black. Their clothing hung in tatters from their emaciated limbs. Many had no hats. Many had no shirts, or coats, or shoes. A swamp ran through the center of this camp, one side of which was used for a sink, which under a broiling sun, became too vile to describe, and the maggots covered the surface of the stagnant mass. Our men died off from starvation like sheep with the rot. Every morning corpses were laid out to be hauled away. One day I counted over 200 dead who had died within twenty-four hours! Negroes would come in with a span of mules hitched to a wagon with the box top spreading outwards, and the stiffened corpses would we tossed into the wagon like so many dead hogs, one top of the other until the box was filled. This same wagon, uncleaned, was used to haul in, to our men, their daily supply of food.

Every few mornings the deep mouthed bayings of the large blood hounds kept for the purpose, were heard in the neighboring forests, indicating the woeful fate of some escaped prisoner. I have read histories of those Southern prisons, but the fullness of all their hellish enormities has never been told. It can never be. In the fall of 1864, many of us were taken to Millen, Georgia. This was the same as Andersonville in the treatment of the men. A few months later, I was released for exchange along with 1,000 others. My diary that I had kept was taken from me by the rebels before I got out of their hands. There were thirty-two of our men who died while coming North, too weak to stand the journey.

This memoir is found in pages 437-440 of O.B. Curtis' "History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan of the Iron Brigade.

Note: It was later related by Vera Lillian Houston to her granddaughter Marilyn Goodrow that James J. Houston carried away his son Alman in his arms from the exchange point or field hospital after his release by the Confederate Army in the winter of 1864-5. This says much about Alman's physical condition after a year in prison camp.

The letter below was written by William H. Houston to his eldest sister Lovina shortly before his being shot in the head by a Confederate bullet at Gettysburg.

William Henry Houston Lovina Houston

On Picket Near Fredericksburg, Va.
June 1st 1863

Dear Sister Vina

Yours dated the 24th was received with the greatest pleasure by me while on Picket last evening. We are glad to hear that you are all well. We are as usual enjoying the best of health and so is all the boys from Wayne and not only that but we are well contented and Contentment makes one Cheerful and Happy and I'll bet you we would think we was so if you could see us sometimes. We are on Picket a little below Fredericksburg and precisely the place where old Burnside crossed last fall and it makes me angry every time I look at the place to think that so large a army as he had that he had to skedaddle back in the night. Our Posts are on the bank of the River on this side and theirs on the other. I can see the darn Reb Gray Backs all along the bank now. They look as though they was about Plaid Out. and I believe they are. It is a pleasant place out there. I had rather be out here than in camp. There is such a beautiful Spring all along all along the River and such nice Country. We came out yesterday and will go to Camp tomorrow. Vine that paper and envelopes you sent us we think is just gay. Al has the one that has the Eagle on. We never have and Difficulty about any such thing sent from anyone for I am glad to receive the Present if it be small. We was paid two months Pay last Friday afternoon and we sent our checks of twenty dollars each for home. If they dont reach there write immediately. I will send and have a new one. We have the numbers of them. It was the first time we had heard from Sam Myers being drafted. Well good enough for him let him volunteer and come in defense of his Country and it would be some honour to him not hang back as many men have done. Vine I think the Pedigree of Jake Simmons that you sent me is Correct. It is my opinion of him exactly. I suppose you was very well Satisfied with the visit he made if it was a Short One. I think the next visit he makes ought to be in the Army and a good long one until this war is closed and then go into the Regular Service for five years and then he would come out maybe a soldier. Vine it is uncertain about how long we will stay in Camp. There is Rumors of or Corps relieving the Eighth Corps in Maryland. If we do likely we will go to Baltimore but we cant put any dependence in what is said here. Well it might be the case for the for the Eighth Corps is full and our Corps is the smallest in the Army of the Potomac for there have been many troops of nine months taken out of it. Well Vine I must close or my paper will make me close so give my Regards to all the girls. Our love to all. Answer soon no more

Yours as Ever
Wm H. Houston

Sister Vine

P.S. Excuse mistakes and poor writing for I am in a hurry

This printed letter is courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum. Also a copy of the original handwritten letter is included in the family records.

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