Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-11-18
now Union Prisoners are Treated In Rich
mond-An Interesting Narrative.

Z 7sa.l
3IIn snhsylvania cavalry has in the Pbila
ueIpnia inquirer narrative of his late can
80 az hlchmond, which is of the most
interesting though painful character. With
regard 10 MS capture, he saws.
! was captured at Wincba..on " r.
4 10, 1868, with six other CbarIai- ~ a., aIo
number OF Surgeons, sharing in the ,el-,t,rro1r
/ and privations heaped upon tbe esls- y
men OF Mllroy's command I hava $3.50 . s't11
+ angry with passion, but never have I hoLaIa
such niauuehea hehdlshness of feeling as that
| poured out upon US. ID 'ila'
| Under the sanctity of flag Of tr,co +o
OF our Chaplains mot then captured $3.50
+ the field OF slaughter to gather I'D the wound
/ ed, administer TO their wants, hear tkeir L.
whisper, and bury the dead. They had hardly
+ entered the field before they were insultad
and from one of them valuable watch was
| taken by force, and himself threatened with
violence.
| We were macched on foot to StauDtoD
ninety-six miles, under a June sun, and over
d road every contact with which seemed 10
| burn the foot to blister Half-clad. MANY
shoeless and hatless and unfed. the cavalcade
was sorrowful one. The sutferings OF, the
| trip | cannot express. Nothing To eat hut
what we begged or bought of citizens who
| hated US intensely, shut their doors in our
| faces, and from appearances would have been
| far better pleased with a visit from even his
/ Satanic majesty himself
| After arriving at the Libby prison every
thing of value was taken from us-canteens.
hayersacks, gum blankets, in some cases our
/ wooden blankets, our money and yaluables
| private papers and pocket diaries, lists of
/ dead and wounded, and even last messages
/ from some brave MARTYRS TO their friends
nothing being retained but the few things
| that seemed TO oe a part of ourselves and
necessary to conceal our nakedness The
surgeons, whose private property is always
| respected in war, were likewise stripped of
their effects. Their green sashes as badges
/ of their profession were taken from them,
| their pocket cases Of instruments distracted
| their pocket medicines confiscated so that
upon our introduction into the mysteries of
Libby we had few things TO care for. fewer
still to lose.
OF the food and its effect upon the health
Of the prisoners he says :-Many sink underit
and falling away into living skeletons, were
! passed over to the hospital, in the other end
of the building, where they lived o. died as
/ circumstances might declare. How often
| have | seen this so often that it had long
| ceased to call forth special attention. Did
men fall down exhausted upon the floor those
stronger picked them up and strove to have
! them removed to the hospital. Did they die
their bodies were thrown TO one side until
convenience suited them TO bury them under
ground.
During this time the heat was intense, and
the suffering from this cause alone was very
very great. Often have ] felt as though my
very blood was on fire, and my brain u caul-
dron of heated, kissing metal Add TO tins
the fact that, from diet and other causes, the
prisoners suffered greatly from dysentery, ag-
gravated by the di2agreeable water we were
obliged drink, and / know not, indeed, how
We passed the summer, or bore up under the
accumulated woes of our situation. With
no chauge-nothing but the everlasting hash,
| soup and bread-no wonder disease made
/ such ravages among Us and Scorbutic affec-
tons became quite prominent.
| have seen a captain Of cavalry, for the
! simple offence of missing the spittoou and
| splitting upon the floor, thrown into a dark
| damp dungeon for two days and nights, on
| bread and water, causing a serious intamma-
| ton of the lungs. At this time it was re
/ quired that the officers should perform the
| most mental service connected with cooking
washing, scrubbing, and the cleanliness of the
room. Lieut.. Welch, of the S7th Pennsyl-
/ vania infantry, lay for six weeks in a dungeon
| under the building, because, as an ORDERLY
| sergeant, acting under appointment as a lieu
tenant, he had rightly classcd himself with
the enlisted men.
! When brought up among other officers, his
clothes shoes &c, were covered with a green
mould. 1t Dutton, Of th4 9th Penusvlva-
| MIA infantry, has been doomed to a dungeon
until the close Of the war, and is now suffer
! ing therein for a similar offence with the adj
/ ditiOnal fact that he assumed the name OF
another. Capt. Litchfeld, of the 9th Penn
! sylyaula, was confined in dungeon for five
or eight days on bread and water, for form.
! ing plan of escape which was frustrated
! Col. Powell, of the 18th Virginia Unior
! Cavalry, wounded in the back from a window
| in Wythevillc, and left behind was carrie,
/ to Richmond and placed il the hospital :
! few days after, one of the Richmond pa!,er
I Jl.I ON B. IN
ner, and suggested that he be executed. Tn.
| prison inspector entered the hospital, an,
without the knowledge of the rebel surgeons
ordered him up from his bed and to foIoy
him. He was placed in one Of the dungeon
spoken of, and upon asking what were tn
charges against him, was answered, C
d-n you, you will soon find out"
Here, with a ball in his back, he rename
five weeks and four days, part of the tim
without a blanket, rarely receiving any med
cal care, ar sometimes his rations withheld
guard vas stationed constantly at the doc
ofshls cell, to prevent either escape or con
munication with others. While confne
there, the entry way frequently blocke
up with dead bodies, and this too during IL
heat Of summer This entry performed az
other important part, being the place wheI
men and women were daily brought to
ceiye their lawful allowance at the hands
the prison Inspector.
a letter was sent to General " luder by q
Colonel, asking the charges against him, al
protesting against him, and protesting again
his treatment. He denied any knowledge
the matter, and suggested that perhaps &c
Jones was acquainted with the facts He ID
MED any knowledge Of the matter, and cool
asked to know the charges
He was released l know not how or wor
say, and placed among US. This officer W |
the victim of irresponsible authority al |
iendish cruelty as welded by this prison |
spector. While confined in the cell, the c.,
onel asked in writing twice for Bible, b
no notice was taken of the request. One
Ger taken at Gettysburg, was slapped in
face by this Inspector, for saving that
thought he had right TO take from him
small fragment Of shell which he had il
pocket as relic.
There are also there about one hundr
free negroes from the North, officers servaI
from the army and navy. One of the ma
nights spent in Libby prison IS deeplyengrs
ed upon my mind \ free negro of Philad
phia, captured in the navy, nearly white,
ceiyed three hundred and twenty-five lasI
IN a room Immediately beneath Us, his Il
cries and pleaiings penetrating every part
the building, as blow followed blow. Hev
then wrapped in a blanket saturated with