, 1864-11-08
REBEL CEUELTES 10 PRI-
S0NEkS.
The Horrors Of Anderson
vile, Of Libby Prison,
and ofBelle Isle.
STARVING, FREEZING,
PLUNDERlNG, AND
SHOOTING.
Testimony Of Priyatcs, Officers
and Surgeons.
Report Of the Sanitary Com
mission.

u
Authorities; being the Report Of a C,mm.s-
sion Of Inquiry appointed by the United
States Sanitary Commission; with IN Ao-
ptndl1 containing the Testimony" Tie
Ecumissioners who took this evidence were
Valerfine Mott, n. D., L. D.; Edward
Ph,ticians and Surgeons Of New York;
Gouverncur Morris Wilkins, Esq, Eilerslie
Nsllace, II. D, Professor IN the Jefferson
| Medical College, Philadelphis; Hon. J. T.
clarEe Hare, Judge Of the District Court OF
TIE TIE Gty nRd Comfy ef phlete,phia and
Clements Church, Pbiladelphia- -
The report Of this Commission With the
testimony make an 8yo volume OF 2S3 pages.
The evidence was taken under OATH. We
| Heke such selections from 1t as We hare
| space for, and VIC take first the folio wing
statement IS to the Andcrsonvile prison ID
The following is the deposition Of private
| tcers:
lam private in the sed New York regl-
nent nent Of s{ y9.uatee.s' nt company e. Was cap;
troops, in front Of Petersburg, on the ed Of
Juue, 1864 We were kept At Petersburg tw }
days; at Richmond, Belle le1e, three days ;
| then conveyed by rail to Lynchburg march.
ed eevcnty-fve miles to DauE1lle; thepce by
rail 10 Andersonville, Ga. At Petersburg we
| ~ a,I1 4ont31 peinS onoet t4c sualo ~
Richmond we came under the authority of
the notorious and fnhuman Major Turner,
and the equally notorious Home Guard Our
| ration was pint Of heane, fonr ounces Of
pt,,a hatat ~ ,>t,aaaes y .a nat uay. II ~
Riohnnnd n m atrnn9 iolnsag U.s. "e lelt
AL hlankete, hayersacke, canteens, valua-
| t1es Of every kind, extra Clothing, aud In
s soe ss,f .nG !aes epne u1o o1a"e1e' aao
oe1 1nai'hnr ~ n ...a,'a n,a..a H.
| L. ..a S ,as m 80 &c R.S RIeu uuoer tus
S1oTstt Thas nnoreh =, H,n1ii'e 1qae aan Eapt
rnn na;nfn1 one 81 ~ 5sts nnae- tn1r,5
snn. manV ~ m fe1iino he1ne.s hr +he svva,e Wan
and ennn t1l,inp IKE emnIv Wae3,a 80 ~ ~
| train IN fhe fs21st dar ~ reca.r.1 q 1,t+ta
mttt. but tie sum Of our rarions for ,he n 81
days was thirteen cracKera Duripg thu SIX
us twice, and fhe dsily ration was fonr
cracEers,
On entering the Etockade Prieon. WA fonrd
It crowded with tEenty.eie eht t1ionsand hi
our 1e]low-Eoidiers 81 crowded, / mean
| thstIt waa difficult to move In anv direction
without jostling and being jostled. This
prison Is an open space, sioping On both
| sid,e 4. originally eeve acres- nov 1Wen.
! t1-fye acre. in the shate of a parallelopram.
Without trees or ehelter Of apy Kind. The
soil is sard over g bottom Of clay. Tne
/ teIce is made Of upright t1unks Of treee.
| tweuty fett high, near the top of which ara
| email platforms, where the guards afe sta
tioned. Twenty feet inside and parallel to
the fence ia q hight railing, fofming the
"oead Liz e." beyond which the projection OF
loot or fIger Is cure to bring the deadly
bullet Of the sentinel
Through the grounds, at nearly right an
elss with the longer sidee, runs or rather
ereers stream through an Artificial channel,
varying from five to six feet In width, the
| water about ankle deep, Rnd near the middle
Of the inclosnre, spreading ont into al wamp
Of about six acres, filed with refuse wood.
ttnmpe and debris Of the camp. Before enter
ing this II closure the stream, or more properly
seWtr, passes through the camp Of tho
gu, ,rds, receiving 1rom this source, and Others
further up, a large amount Of The vilest ma.
terial, even the contents Of the sink. The
Watkr is Of dark color, and an ordinary
glsEs would collect q thick sediment This
Was our only drinking and cooking water,
1t wRs onr custom TO filter 1t al best ne
could through our remnants OF hsversacks,
shirts and bl0uees. Wells had been dug, but
tbe watel either proved SO productive OF
dtarhea, or 20 limited In quantity, that they
were Of no general use. fne cook house
Wes situated on the stream Just outside OF
the stcckade, and its refuge of decaylpg Of.
fnl wss thrown into the water, a greasy coat
ing covering much Of the surface. To these
NaB added the large amount OF base matter
t fiom the camp ltself' Ttere was q system
U1 pGQCtLEY puL IQe ufIL6 were 60 Limited.
| aId so large NUMBERS OF the men we're ren.
dered ir1esolute and depressed By impr1son-
mfnr, that the work was fmpettectly done
OEe side Of the swamp Was naturally used ~
a s,nF, the mcn usually going out some dis.
tsrce Tito the water. Under the summer
sur this place early became corruption too
y,1e for description, the men bre5ding dis.
Eusttng lie, 20 that the surface Of the water
L6Fed Is with gentle breeze.
The new comers, on reaching this, would
exclaim sis this he'll p Bat they soon
become cal1oue, and enter unmoyed tie hor-
1itle rotteuness. The rebel authorities new
er removed any filth. There WIS seldom any
! Visitation by the officers In charge. Two
surgeons were ut one time sent bs President
Davis to inepect the camp, but a walk
| tlrouh small section gave Inem all the In
| formation they detired, and We never saH
them ngain.
The guards usually numbered about sixty.
four-eiaht at each end, aud twenty-four On
side, On the outside. Within three hun.
| artd yarde, were forttGca.ions on high
| pronud. overlooking and perfectly c3mu and
fng NJ. mounting tn enfytour twelve pouud
| Napo1eon PARROTS, We were never per
miitcd 10 70 outside. except ut times. In
small sausds, to gather our fire-wood, bur
Ing the building Of the cook-eouses, few,
WHO were carpenters. were ordered out to
assist ue- :,
Our only shelter IRON tee sun and rain,
| ard night deWH, Was what We could make by
stretching over us our coa.e or scrAps ot
blankets, which few had. but generally
there was TO attempt by day or night to pro-
tect ourselves.
The rAtfoEs consisted OF eight ounces OF