Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-11-21
A TERRIBLE PICTURE.
THE STARVED PRISONERS AT
ANNAPOLIS HOSiifAL.
Death from starvation.

n Daitiiii'Fc correspondent Oi tic
New York Times visited tie hospital at
Annapolis in order t. SEQ himself Il
starved Federal prisoners recently
brought from Richmond. lis story is
IN awfu! revelation of the .troci,ies Of
the reles:
On arriving ut the hospital ut Annap.
oils. we found the Matron irst starting
on Der tour Of inspection. and SIZE kindly
allowed my friend asd myself to acorn.
nany her. Wishing TO prepare rs for
what We were to see,she gave us IN Sc
count Of the arrival Of the prisoners Nv
boat. on the 2Gth al. Tic men landed
at 5 4. NJ, in the chilly dawn, anl it
seemed n fitting time for so mournfnl
procession. They numbered $50 men
brought from Belle Island, near Rich
mond. Many were unable 10 walk, and
were carried to the hospital. Those that
could waik must have presented n sight
never to be forgotten; for. before leaving,
tie rebels not only stripped them of
socks, shoes AMI blankets, bu. took from
them their shirts and paulloans. excep;
where the rags could scarcely. hold togeth-
er. Men came il withou; hats or caps,
with thin cotton drawers, and bodies bare
10 lie wG;st-theis nakeinc>s and bleed
ing feet covered "nv with what tattcrs
their cruel captors hal l>ft them, not from
mercy, but because tlioy were too filthy
20 keep. These men had been on Belle
Island (which seems 10 be barren
wasir) without any protection against
the weather, except what they had them
selves constructed. They led ian on
the sand which was 10 them rs bed aud
cover. exposed both sick anl wei, to all
extremes OF heat and cold, without
clothes, wi'hau; food, (exceit small por-
tons Of tho most repuIs;ve kids for
weeks AID months. many having been
taken prisoners 1T or before the bAltla OF
Gettysburg. May are suffering from
from what are called ssnd sores, AMI the
SURGEONS III vain attempting To produce
.enernl circulation Of blood, iio cuticc
ii many instances Seem;sg'y dried on the
bone from exposure, sni nearly lho col
or aud con istency Of rnrchmcn;. Ii
food was doairi thcrn, it woaiI seem ne II
he yer est :a.harinn wollil give them
shelter to die beneath.
With Ibis preparation wo v:s::el tho
wards. On entering t'!e .ir>t room,
some sick men, sting N silence near the
l. ell Lat
with us was entering the nnseen, but mi
unexpected visitor c'eati. Before US
my = young man ia-t hrer,hirg his last,
mere skeleton, whose dying ;hrocs
seemed 10 place in stronger relief n
i,ame which must orce have belonged
10 q strong and vigorous life. We turn
81 away in our horror, only 10 look up-
on another WHO won'i soon follow his
martyrrd co,nrals. Near them stood two
male nurses, who, after witnessing hor-
rors Of 81 kinds, both on the battle field
and in the hospitals, stood perfectly sub
dued and hear: wrung, in Witnessing that
most fearful of all dcatIIs-Reah from
StoFUottoa.
IL another room was poor young
boy, equally squaiid in Appearance net
work Of bones, perfectly crazel, and
tossing lis aims about and talking Wild
" and ind;stinctly: he, too, cuuiG live but
n few hours, and most pr,bsl'y never lie
sano again. The next patient was re-
spectacle looking middle aged German,
with The bedclothes drawn tightly over
his head, moaning and writing in his
agony. by friend begged me 10 listen
coui'! only distinguish these words: II
ain 50 tired. something to eat, what tor
meut," aud then tho ejaculat;ou, "OL.
Holy Christ" Then we saw others,
cmaciatci 10 TIE last degree, several Of
whom were trying 10 cat-their kind
nurses tempting them with tielicacies and
such food as they could bear. Some.
after taking the lonaed.for article and
pnttiug il TO Their lips, would turn away
with ain agonzei ioalhipg expression, rs
if eager to swallow, but incapable Of the
eirmt. Others, after eating with famish-
cal haste, would, after few moments,
eject it all, their stoinachs being too much
weakened 10 bear nourisllment either
solid or liquid. Could anything be more
fearful than this living death; this fam
shing, with food before their eyes and
within their reach. There were other
patients who were better, they could di.
rest food and had some ho. e of life. II
vas then The sixth day since they came.
and ont Of $50 men 53 had died of i'll.
trcatneu. and actual starvation. The
/ Surgeon. said at least two thirds of the
$50 would die, and if any recovered it
would be with broken constitutions. ut
teriy incapable Of supporting themselves.
Many had died on first arriving, uncon-
scious from their suffrrings. that they
were among friends and in Tue land they
had died for. Others were too far gone
to say much. but thankful 10 feel that
they might die under the oil flag and be
taken home 10 be buried with their kin.
dred.