.

.Even with the spreading around of the prisoners, another hundred huts were needed, but there was a problem with the local workmen who refused to build them because they had not received pay for those that they had already built. So it was suggested that the best solution would be for the prisoners to do it themselves. 11

Stephen Popp was a German prisoner held at Winchester who kept a diary, and in it he described his arrival at the camp like this: 

�We came to Winchester. It is supposed to be a city, but looks quite bad. It is also inhabited by Germans. We marched out of Winchester some four miles into the woods. There was an old tumbledown barracks, called Frederick�s Barracks. It lies in the midst of deep woods � a witch�s place.12 There we were quartered. We were amazed when we saw it. My flesh creeps yet to think of it. I will describe it briefly. It was built of wood. The gaps were now filled in with laths, but everything was wrecked. Yes, everything was extremely rotted. The roof was still covered in some places with bark. We were not safe from the rain nor the dripping. The snow had free entry, just like the wind on the public street. The fireplace was in the middle of the hut. We couldn't remain near it, because of the smoke. We were therefore under the necessity of renovating our appointed hut in the worst winter weather. If only we could have a little protection against the rain. Some of our people went to the farmers and borrowed mattocks and saws. Some got picks and shovels, and so everybody went to work. In several days we accomplished it and made things quite comfortable. In each hut there were 32 to 36 men. In all we were twenty days on the march [D�hla stated they marched for sixteen days]. From Yorktown to Winchester are two hundred forty Virginia miles. So far into the country they shipped us. Provisions were short on that march. We received no bread, only flour to make it with. Once in a while we also got some rough and hard bread. But this happened seldom. Twice we received some salt meat on this march, also a little fresh meat and a little salt. We couldn't complain about the command. They gave us as much freedom as possible. Many of the prisoners went out of the barracks into the surrounding territory and went to their work without a pass. The commandant, Colonel Canada, also permitted us to go into the city free and unhindered. The best of it here then was the freedom. If only the provisions had been better. But on account of the poor provisions we often had to buy what we needed, because it often took a long time, until our supplies came. Hunger and cold we had daily in abundance. Now let us close this year. For in this year we had much to endure.�13 

_________

11 Lion G. Miles, p. 18-40.
12 Lewis N. Barton, p. 45.
13 Stephen Popp.