American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-23


money. This money wasspent for veget-
ables to put into oursoup and hash; sirup
and burnt rye to be used as coffee. We
also divided ourselves into smaller messes
of from four to six members with cater
er, who would buy butter, eggs coffee,
meat, and extra bread for his mess When
the market was denied us, long faces were
decidedly in the ascendant. Besides the
privilege of the market, officers are allow
ed to receive boxes of provisions from home.
These boxes, believe, are, almost without
an exception, received by those whom they
are sent.
The officers were confined in six'rooms,
each 43 feet wide by 102 feet in length. In
one end of each room was the sink, which,
often neglected, would become so offensive
that we could scarcely bear the stencil
The floors were frequently washed and
scrubbed just before dark, and thisgave-
us wet floor to sleep upon, thus. adding
another item to the list of our many dis
comforts.
For time many of the officers had no
blankets or other bedding-the bare floor
to lie upon, nothing to keep them warm.
Very few had more than one blanket un-
til supplied by the U. s. Sanitary Commits
sion and friends at home There was no
glass in the windows hence many were
compelled, by the cold wind whistling
through, to pace the floor for half the night
to save themselves from freezing.
On November goth the following prices
were paid by officers in Libby Prison for
the articles named Flour erbbl., 5000;
meat of any kind per pou Id, So; meal per
bushel, $50; butter per pound, Sc; eggs per
dozen, So; chickens per pair, s12; one tur-
key, $50; sugar per pound, s4; coffee per
pound, sl2; potatoes (sweet or Irish) per
bushel, $50; onions per dozen, So; oysters
per quart, $50, molasses, per gallon, s24;
apples per bbl., $50; nails zoe apiece These
prices were paid in Confederate money,
seven dollars of which was worth one dol
lar in greenbacks.
Such is but faint description of the
officers fare in Libby OF the private sol
diers condition | do not know enough to
give just idea. do not believe pen can
portray his sufferings. You have doubt
less seen many accounts published by per-
sons released from Richmond Most of the
accounts believe to be true; yet much,
very much, is still unt Did. Those officers
who have been in Belle Island tell of suf-.
fering and privations endured that makes
your blood run cold.
[ have seen prisoners, Federal soldiers,
pick up old, hard, musty corn bread out of
the muddy cutters of the street, and eatit
have seen them, when STOPPING for this
bread, fall upon the ground from weak
ness--from what | believe to have been
starvation. / have heard them, when of
fered clothing by the Federal officers, to
say, "Give us bread frst-we are starv-
ing" know that they were robbed of
their blankets and clothing at Atlanta and
in Richmond. | saw hundreds of them be-
ing sent off to Danville, without blankets,
without overcoats, without shoes, without
socks. | am certain that not one in fifty
had blanket Our Government may
we'll look after the prisoners taken to Dan
vile.
The reasons assigned for such treatment
were various. Sometimes because they
could do no better; sometimes it was as
punishment for some petty offence; at other
times it was-well, what Perhaps the
following extract from the Richmond En-
aminer, of Oct. 30, 1858, will throw some
light upon the subject.
"The Yankee Government, under all the
laws of civilized warfare and the cartel,
are entitled to these men, and, if they will
not take them, let them be put where the
cold and scant fare will thin them out in
accordance with the laws of nature"