a family member. Only eight days after their arrival, inadequate food, overcrowding, and exposure, both on the trip South and after their arrival at the camp, had begun to take their toll on the West Tennesseans. The first deaths at Andersonville occurred on April 29 when twenty-eight year old Private Jacson J. Hays of Henderson County died of chronic diarrhea and twenty year old Sergeant George Pickens of McNairy County died of Dysentery. The regiment's first full month in prison resulted in six more deaths, three of which were from pneumonia. By the end of the second month, sixteen more had died. Fourteen of these died from diarrhea. Both rebel administrators and northern inmates thought that one cause of diarrhea in the camp was that the northern digestive system was unaccustomed to corn meal. The West Tennesseans, however, were accustomed to eating corn meal and were hit very had. Diarrhea was the number one killer among the 7th Tennessee during their captivity. It was listed as the cause of death for ninety men. The first two months were also difficult because of the "Raiders," a lawless group among the prisoners who prayed on the other inmates, and because of the increased population in the prison. By the end of June the number of men being retained was approximately 23,000. This was over twice the number which the stockade had been built to accomodate. July, however, began on a hopeful note. An addition to the stockade helped alleviate the overcrowded conditions and a combined force of prison authorities and inmates captured the Raiders and hanged their leaders. An internal police force was then formed among the prisoners to keep order. Also there were rumors that an exchange had been arranged for the 7th of July. There was no exchange, however, and more prisoners arrived to overcrowd the prison once again. The temperature and the death rate began to soar. By the end of the month the 7th Tennessee had lost twenty-six more men. T...
