Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-01
LIBBY PAIsOE

ers;
libby PAIsoE.
The rooms Gro one hundred eot by forty Ia s'K Of
thess twelve luU dred United States officers of all
prsdss from Drigadi3r doNp confined for months.
This WAS the slncs il credible SPACE allowed them in
which 10 cock eat wash, sleep aud take exercise. Ten
lee. by TWO aimed by each for tho purposes of
living A. one time thew seIe no. allowed inches or
soo CT even to fold their blankets I'd ait upon them
bus forced 10 tUdde "hks slaves in the middle p2a-
sags;n at another o1y alosed 10 make stools out Of
the barrels AID boTC they received from the North;
all dres OveIrun by VsrmR. in spite o. constant alb
'utons no an blankets bang issued by the re-
bel; aud lying Gown at nigh, accord Dg TO Libby
olrase "wormed ard dOVs,altd together like ish il
b,sktsn There were two stoves and seventy FIVE
irdcWs al broken, and IT, winter the cold intense
7ey prisoner had cough ON toe dsB cold l.
amoyg tie rules that IrOLtr should 60 within tbr5c
feet If de window rue extremely diff nit to obserVsin
tie crowded prisons tie South Ottp, by ecoident or
uacrusc.ou.!y an ctisar would 80 windoF and
be Instantly SHOT at la the Penbarton buildings near
by SO mSuy fourteen shots fred in single day.
and very Fl qlenty prisoner toll killed or Nounded
lt b. oIme a matter OF sport 70 "kil Yarkae" Olce
tie gusrd eaugh. light o. Lieu. HammonOs hat through
, boarded enclosure, where there we're no WindoNp,
Al d cane within an l. On Of numbering him. Msjor
Tuner ths keeper Of the boy remarked, Tho boys
.ro IN want OF prlcie,." Tle sentry said I" he had
made bet be would kill id Yankee before he
incident 10 tell Throughout tho Southern prison sys.
tenn il 10 regular spor to Il Yankees Tho guards
were never TeOroVCd for their willingness 10 commit
murder.
The daily ration In the officers quarters Of Libby
prison vas a email loaf OF bread, ABOUT the szI of =
mans fst made OF Indian meal. Sometimes it We
made from wheat VI, bu; OF variable quality. It
weighed q little over baf pound. With il was given
a % zee OF b1ef We Ching tEO Ouroes 81 would glad
Is sad an tn er, 'h5ve preferred the horse feed in
nv fathers slaOe The bread began 10 DO al tue
toughest and coasest description. Portions of the cob
AID husk we're often found ground ia With the me al
The crust was so thick ard hard tina. the prisoners
called it irOn~cad To render the bread eatsbe they
gai,d il and made mu,h ont OF l., hut the crust they
could rot CRATE. NV ard then, alter ling intervals
often OF many we,ks, ltle meat was gwen them,
perhaps two or three hfaa Al q later period they
received Pnt OF bl3ck peas with some nela every
week TIE peas we're often iull Of worms, OF maPgo,s
ia a chsyrSS state, which, when they made soup, dat
cd Ol The suItao'.
Phoss who we're entirely dependent on the prison
fare aud WHO had friends ~ the North 10 send them
hcxs of food bscan TO suffer the hCrribls agony Of
craving loOd, aud 10 themselves gay By day losirg
renetn and de'usions began to distract their
miu5s " / grew foolish in my mind, says OPP ain
Calhoun, " that used to blame myself Tor Of eating
more when at home. The jGos of food engrossed
ny WhCl, thoughts'
But the moss uDscCountable and shameful act of all
OF rotiooe io the mouh Of January last, the boxes
which before had been regularly delivered and IN good
order w.re Withheld. No reason was given, Three
hurdrCd arrived every W7ek and reCe we'd by Col
Ould, Commissioner OF Exchange; but, instead of be-
log dsiri utrd, were Te'Siu6C, Rnd piled up in ware
houses near by and ia full ;ht Of the tantRE,d and
hungry ospVss, 10 the lumber Of three thou aad,
least Al length i've OF sx we're distributed during the
week. Scores were stol,n.
For Cffsrces, trivial or serious, psFoleTs WeFs con-
i 20 ham thu nri1nn valla
we're Damp green and shiny. They'Eere never rnsd;
and O. ten go crowded thst some obliged 10 stand
up all night Dead tOiieF too we're placed in the ce'-
lar aud very often partly de'oured by hogs dogs
and rita. Al TIE tme Of Rlpsr.ck's raid some no.
gros POINTED 70 the cellar; Dug big hole down. dsr
mssa-torpsdo IA dsr ture !" "Slould fitzpatrick sue
cssd in en- ering Richmond" said Richard Turner, "tbe
prison authCr.eg nd blow up the prison aud al lis
iumae-" There ia e0Cugh there TO send every Yam
kse 70 he'll" Lieut.. LaOuChs overheard to cay
Turner himself said, in the presence Of Colonel FArns-
gertt in auBwtr 10 the question, WAS the prison
mined p Eyes and would tllEn you al to Hadfs
before would lave 81 fsled you 10 be rescued" The
remark OF shop Jones is o1rroborstiSe "a we'll ss
rous IN reply TO the question "wbeher it vas 0brs
tisn mode Of warfare 10 blow mp deenosess prison.
frsf' Il suppose tie authorities sasfed on that
CONT though 30 net mean TO justify t Tds plsses
cCmmfnt Il il aso well 10 remember that the inspec-
tor OF L oby, Richard Turner 9 negro Hhipper by
lrads
BILLIE I-LE
Here Ia an eUClo vsTiously estimated to be from
thea to SIX acrts in extent, surrounded by an earth
volk about three feet high with ditch on either side
The interior something Of the look Of an encapp
men' number Of Sibey teGts being set in rows with
"srests" betSeeu These tents, rotten, torn full of
holes -pcor sdeltar A. any rate accommodated only
a small proportion. ON ten TO twelve thousand me
have been irp saned in this small space at one time
turned mo the enclosure ike many cattle, to find
what resting place they could. So crowded we're they
nat az the as according the estimated area given
then there could have been but space two feet by
seven and at ,h3 most three feet by nine per man.
bardlv q generous allotment even for "hosptAble
grave
Some we're SO fortunate as 10 fad shote? In the tents
frozen whom winter set in. Rycry dey como places