Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-02-03
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Mr., j. Wiser, an old citizen of this
CITY, who resides 30l Pennsylvania ave
nue., fully confirms the accounts already
made public in reference to the terrible
sufferings to loyal citizens who are now
dying in the prisons of Richmond and
Salisbury.
Mr.. Wiser has just returned from an
imprisonment of fifteen months, large
portion of which was passed in Richmond.
Whilst there he was transferred to five
different tobacco warehouses which were
used as prisons There the allowance of
food was In the morning pint of liquid
they called "soup," half Il loaf of bread
and every other day from all ounce to an
ounce and half of meat In the evening
half loaf of bread, and another pint of
"soup." They all slept upon the bare
boards, with no covering and no clothing,
except what they had upon their backs
when taken Some few were fortunate
enough to have little money, or friends,
who were allowed to send them clothing,
but large portion of them wore ragged
clothing, unchanged throughout their i'm
prisonment.
Mr.. Wiser by chance picked up a cot,
which prize he enjoyed for about two
weeks, when it was taken away from him
to be used in the hospital, as he was told
In one of the Richmond warehouses, for
short time, the tobacco chewers and
smokers "lived high" LII one end of the
building was stored large quantity of
the "weed," and only board partition
4nH IL fsnr, fba A t,nf
versal demand for the article led to the
discovery Of its locality Some lucky fel-
low happened to possess table knife,
which was soon converted into a saw, and
at night small hole was made, an en-.
trance effected and all abundantly sup
piled for several days. the place Of en-
trance b ing ingeniously concealed from
view. But they did not long enjoy this.
their only prison luxury, The guards
were mystified and amazed at the profuse
expectorations of this particular prison.
which led to the scientific research and
that research led to the hole in the wall
In June, le6i, IT Wiser, with several
hundred of his fellow prisoners were sent
to Salisbury, and ,here they were con
fined in u cotton mill Their meat and
rice were sent into them by the quantity
and parcelled out to them in messes for
three or four They cooked their meat
and rice in an open lot which was Ell
closed, adjoining the building. Each
man received daily about two ounces of
meat two spoonsiul OF rice, a tea spoonful
OF salt and one loaf of bread. They had
no yeast, and their bread was generally
sour
The long confinement in Richmond
began to tell sadly upon them there. The
rags many had worn unchanged for more
than year were filled with vermn, and
disease in various forms appeared among
tlem-typhoid fever erysipelas, innam-
matory rheumatism, hideous sores, and
insanity. As the season advanced their
condition became still more wretched from
the cold. The building had some twenty
or thirty windows, without glass; and with
no protection from the cold November
and December night-dratts that, to the
weak and feeble, rendered sleep impos-
sible. The prison was alive with yermin,
and very many of the poor inmates were
covered with sores where yermin had ac-
tually eaten into their bodies The sick
and dying could receive but little atten-
ton, for there was no medicine, and moth
ing to do with. 1t was said there was
hospital, where the sick would be taken if
they desired but they had heard enough
of that hospital and the attention given to
the "Yankees," and most Of the sick pre-
ferred to remain with their friends, where
they cold receive, if nothing else, kind
words and sympathy.
There was some few who kept their
health and spirits to the last, cheering and
encouraging their comrades; among these
were Mr.. Wiser. Mr.. Wood says that
when he went to Salisbury to effect the
exchange of prisoners he found Mr.. V,
was distinguished as one OF the most un.
relenting and determined of all Union
political prisoners. This is probably the
reason he was held so long. The au-
thorities did not relish his tart response: