Dr. Jones, in his report, gives the area as seventeen acres, but does not intimate that part of it was not available, so that his estimate of the number of square feet to each prisoner, is nearly one-third too high.
The Stockade was built of hewn timbers, twenty-four feet in length, set in the ground side by side, to a depth of six feet, leaving the walls of the Stockade eighteen feet high. The guards stood upon covered platforms or “pigeon roosts” outside of, and overlooking the Stockade.
Not far from the northwest, and southwest corners, on the west side, were the north and south gates. These were made double, by building a small stockade outside of each gate, which was entered by another gate, so that when prisoners or wagons entered the stockade they were first admitted to small stockade, then the gate was closed, after which they were admitted to the main stockade.
These small stockades were anterooms to the main prison, and were for the purpose of preventing a rush by the prisoners.
Outside of the main stockade the rebels built another stockade, at a distance of about ten rods. This was for the double purpose of preventing a “break” of the prisoners and to prevent tunnelling.
This second stockade was built of round timbers set in the ground six feet and stood twelve feet above the ground.
Outside of this second stockade a third one was started, but was not completed when I left. This was for protection against “Uncle Billy Sherman’s Bummers.”
Commanding each corner of the stockade was a fort, built a sufficient distance to give the guns a good range. These four forts mounted all told eighteen guns of light artillery, as I was informed, and had a general rush been made, they would have slaughtered us as though we were a flock of pigeons.
The cook-house was built on low ground on the border of a small stream which ran through the stockade, and west from it.
The guards camp was west and southwest, from the southern portion of the stockade.