The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-12-29
PRISON LIFE AT POINT LOOKOUT.

We have had conversation with Mr Rober
I Craddoek, late orderly of the President, and
afterwards connected with the detective force in
this city, who was short time ago captured BY
/ fhe Yankees on the Peninsula and taken to Point
! lookout, from which place he escaped and arriv.
| ed safely in this city few, days since. He gives
the following particulars of prison life at Point
| Lookout, Maryland. 49, 80 a.. s. =. - ,ras
/ The prisoners camp, under charge Of Capt.
Patterson, Provost Marshal, is surrounded by a
| fence about fourteen fcee high, with platform
near the top, on tie outside, on which the senti-
Iies walk. The guard consists of-three regiments
of infantry, the I'd, 9th, and 18th New Hamp-
shire, and squadron of cavalry of the I'd regu-
lars.
The enclosure embraces about fifteen acres of
ground, and the prisoners are in teuts. Three
thousand are in the small ga" tents, five to each
tent; the rest [say about 10000 are n Wall x Sib-
ley tents. from Ia to 20 in tent. The teuts are
laid of in camp form, 100 men to company, aud
ten companies TO division There are nine d.
visions.
On one side of the enclosure are the mess houses.
where 800 cal. at one time, and each house feeds
l,500 men. The provisions consist of one quarter
of pound of damaged pork or beef, and ten
small crackers (say, three quarters of pound, }
aud pint of wash, called by the Yankees coffee.
Occasionally rice or Irish potatoes substituted
for bread, and about once fortnight half loaf of
soft bread and spoonful of molasses. About
twice week they get what they call bean soup,
in lieu Of coffee. Each day detail of FIVE men
from each company is made to go for wood, aud as
the guard will not let them go beyond the creek,
they havo to dig up stunps and roots in an open
piece Of hew ground, without an axe, unless they
steal one With as much wood As would last COM
fortably for halt al hour they must shiver over
for four nights; and this is all the wood allowed
them. Many of the prisoners have no blankets,
and nothing but the cold damp ground to sleep
on. About two weeks ago they had orders to
appear in front Of their quarters with. kuapsacks
and blankets They were marched to the beach,
and then passed in review as fast possible
(about four five abreast by the Provost Mar
shall. About one out Of every five who had no
blanket was told to stand aside, aud was given a
blanket. They presented a very woe bcgone look,
and were generally poorly clad aud emaciaed.
Many have given up all hope, and will OF course
die.
The hosp pital is laid off on two sides of wte
street. and each ward has two wall tents Joined ut
the ends and holding fourteen beds. The kitchen
or mess tent is at the end Of the street. The sick
are as well attended by the Confederate surgeons
and nurses as the means given them will permit,
but there has been weeks at time when they had
40 medicine on hand of any kind Three or four
die daily in this hospital. When their cases seem
hopeless they taken to the general hospital on
the Point outside OF the enclosure and that is the
last seen of them. For some time the dead were
buried without coffin or box, but thrown in hole
Just as they died. The smallpox hospital is situ-
ated on a creek outside of the main guard. The
average number of cases are from six to eight per
day, and about half of that number die. The pa
tients must be very strong to recover with the
treatment received, as they are in tents the
ground, on the bleak shore of the Potomac and
near the bay.
The guard shoot the men without halting them.
On one occasion five of them brbed the sentinel to
allow them to escape, and after letting them pass
he called the guard, and two of the men were shot
after they surrendered. A young man named Nc
Leary, was shot through the head exposing the
brain, and then through the body, by a man who
was called an officer Another one of the meh
was shot down and kicked about after surrender
ing These men were made to walk about hafa
mile in that condition. This instance of brutality
came under the immediate observation OF Mr. Grad
dock, who voucbes for its truth.-Richnond Dis
patch.