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small-pox hospitals.
Prisoners who had had the small-pox were detailed for nurses to those who were sick.
The surgeons vaccinated the men at intervals, but apparently with little effect.
The death rate at this time was alarming.
On the 9th March, 1864, twenty-nine men had died in the hospital from my barrack, which did not have its full complement of men. I noted the names of the men to that date.
They are the following:
R. Shed,
T. J. Smith, Allen Screws,
D. W. Sandlin,
Joe Shipp,
D. L. Trundle,
J. H. Wood,
J. J. Webster,
J. J. Akins, Thomas Pace,
William Tatum,
W. H. Dotson,
W. R. Jones,
C. E. Middleton,
R. R. Thompson,
William T. St. John,
Samuel Hendrix,
Jere.
Therman,
E. Stallings,
E. Sapp,
Thomas Burton,
M. E. Smithpeter,
J. M. Ticer,
J. L. Smith,
John Graham,
T. W. Smallwood,
Jonathan Faw,
G. L. Underwood,
C. R. Mangrum.
Now assuming the barrack contained one hundred and twenty men, which was its full complement, the death rate to March 9, 1864, was twenty-five per cent.
The
provost marshal's abstract for May 12, 1865, has the following figures:
| Number of prisoners received, | | 12,215 |
| Died, | 1,945 | |
| Entered United States navy, | 1,077 | |
| Entered United States army, (frontier service), | 1,797 | |
| Released, | 1,386 | |
| Transferred, | 72 | |
| Escaped, | 45 | |
| Exchanged, | 3,729 | |
| | | |
| | | 10,051 |
| Remaining in prison May 12, 1865, | | 2,164 |
| | | |
As all the prisoners were discharged in June, 1865, this date (May 12) is near enough for our purpose.
It shows that nearly sixteen per cent. died during the eighteen months
Rock Island was used as a prison.
This number (1,945) includes those who were killed by the sentinels — the killed not being classified by the
provost marshal.
The number released (1,386) includes those who having offered to join the United States navy or army were rejected by the surgeons as physically disqualified.
More than fifty per cent. of the released were of this class.
The balance were principally Missourians, captured during
Price's last raid.
These claimed to be Union men, and having proved their loyalty to the satisfaction of the
Secretary of War, were released by his order.
The prisoners transferred were officers originally brought to
Rock Island, but afterwards sent to
Johnson's Island or other military prisons.
In April, 1864, the sentinels on the parapet commenced firing at the prisoners and into the barracks, and this practice continued
