Dear Eleanor,
I think I am getting sick. I have been hurting for a long time now but haven’t said anything because I did not want to scare you. But it has gotten bad now. The pain in my stomach keeps me up at night. I asked the guard who seems the nicest if I could go to a doctor. He said he would ask the warden and then he came back and said the warden said no. He said no one could go to the doctor unless it was an emergency. I said I was hurting real bad and did not know if I could work much more. The guard said he would do his best but I have not seen him since then. I asked one of the other guards and he said the kind guard had been moved to another part of the farm.
The pain has gotten so bad I can no longer sit upright in a chair. I try and then the pain comes and I have to lie down on my back. Now I have to stand or lie down all the time and I cannot work anymore. I cannot sit and write. I have to write standing up. Some of the other men are friendly. There are a few guards who are also friendly. Sometimes they treat me like a normal human being. Most ignore me. If they are not going to help me then I wish they would all ignore me. The other night they stripped us naked. They brought in fans and turned them on high. It was so cold outside and we had nothing for shelter. I thought I would freeze. In the morning they expected us to work. No one had slept. One man said something to one of the guards and he was beaten in front of us.
I sent another letter to the Governor today. It is my twentieth letter. I have not heard back. Would you write to him, Eleanor? Tell him what is happening to me. That would help.
Your brother,
Clyde
Rabble Rouser 