Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1863-11-20

/ fore leaving, the rebels not only stripped
them of socks, shoes and blankets, but took
from them their shirts and pantaloons, ex-
cept where the rags could scarce hold to-
gether. Men came without mats or caps.
with thin cotton drawers. and bodies barred
to tie ioaist-their nakedness and bleeding
feet covered only by what tatters their cru
ell captors had left them. not from mercy,
but because they were too filthy to keep.
These men had been on Belle Island (Which
seems to be barren waste) without any
protection against The weather, except what
they had themselves constructed. They
had lain on the sand, which was 10 them
both bed and covering, exposed, both sick
and well, to all extremes of heat and cold,
without clothes, without food, Except small
portions of the most repulsive kinds,) for
weeks and months, many having seen taken
prisoners at or before the battle OF Gettys-
burg. Many were suffering from what are
called sand sores, and the surgeons in vain
attempted to produce general circulation of
blood, the :uticle in many instances seam
ingly dried on the bone from exposure, and
nearly the color and consistency of parch-
ment. II food was denied them, il would
seem as if the veriest barbarian would have
given them shelter to die beneath.
On entering the first room, some sick
men, sitting in silence near the FIRE, lifted
their hands to show us that with us was en-
tering the unseen visitor-death. Before
US lay young man just breathing his last,
mere skeleton, whose dying throes seem
ed to place in stronger RI lief a frame which
must once have belonged 10 slrong and
vigorous life. We turned away in horror,
only to look upon another who would soon |
follow his martyred comrade. Near them |
stood two male nurses, who, after witness
ing horrors of all kinds, both on the battle \
field and in the hospitals, stood perfectly (
subdued and heart-wrung in witnessing that
most fearful of all deaths-death from star
Uation.
In another room was poor young boy, /
equally squallid in appearance, network
of bones, perfectly crazed, and tossing his
arms about and talking wildly and inds-
tinctly; he, loo, could live but few hours,
and most probably never be sane again.
The next patient was a respeetabe-looking |
midde-aged German. with the bed-clothes I
drawn tightly over his head, moaning and |
writhing in his agony. My friend begged
me to listen. / could only distinguish these
words: II am so tired, something TO eat,
such torment" and then the ejaculation,
" Oh, Holy Christi" Then we saw others
emaciated to the last degree, several of
whom were trying TO eat--ihcir kind nurses
tempting them with delieacies and such food
as they could bear. Some, after taking the
longed-ior article and putting il TO their lips,
would turn away with an agonized loathing
expression, as if eager to swallow, but in
capable of the effort. Others, after eating
with famished haste, would, after few mo-
ments eject it all, their stonachs being too
much weakened to bear nourishment, either
solid or liquid. Could anything be more
fearful than this living death this famsh-
ing with food before their eyes and within
their reach. There were other patients
who were better, they could digest light
food and had some hope for life. 1t was then
the sixth day since they came, and out of
$50 men SO had died of i'll treatment and
actual starvation. The surgeons said at
least two-thirds of the $50 would die, and
if any recovered it would be with broken
constitutions, utterly incapable of support
ing themselves. Many had died on first ar
irving, unconscious from their suffering that
they were among friends and in the land
they had died for. Others were too far
gone to say much, but thankful to feel that
they might die under the old flag and be
taken home to be buried xith their kindred.