The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-01-28
Tiffiu atrrklp Tribune
LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS.
How the Rebels Treat oar Pris-
oucrs-rutercstiug Accounts
by an ESQ npcd Prisoner.


Libby Prison recently, and has reached
his home at Kokomo, Ind. He has writ
en- for TIE Tribune Of that place a
lengthy account of the treatment of our
prisoners by the Rebels, and Of the tolls
Of himself and a companion (Lieu'euant
SHELTON, Of the nth IowO,) in reaching
our lines after his escape, which we copy
below:
was taken prisoner on the AL day Of
last May, near Rome Ca, with Colonel
Sire ieht's command. We were all pa
rolled aud sent to Richmond, with the cX-
pec,ation Of going through to our lines,
but Judge of ouT surprise when we were
thrust into Libby Prison, and our paroles
taken from us. We entered Libby on the
10th day of May last, and from that day
| was not on the ground until made my
| escape. was incarcersted there about
seven months and half, and during that
time | witnessed many instances of bru-
tai aud inhumun treatment. The officials
of the prison are from Baltimore Nd,
and as a general thing these northern
traitors are more bitter and more cruel
than those from the extreme Southern
States. My room was in the west end
of the building on the Sd floor. This
room is furnished with few board hunks.
1t is about 100 by 40 feet, and in II are
quariered about 240 men, and in this
space they are expected to do all their
cooking, washing and sleeping. They
are provided with three cook.stovcs, and
the cook room is about 10 by l5 feet
Just imagine yourself in this room with
thirty or forty other cooks, pushing shov-
ing, and the majority of them swearing,
and all trying TO get 10 the stoves, and
you can form something of an idea Of the
confusion that exists there daily. The
water that they have 10 use is an extract
from the James River, aud frequently so
muddy that the mud and sand would grind
between our teeth. Our rations during
the summer consist d of the following ar
ticles, viz: about IL ounces OF bakers
bread, four or five ounces Of fresh beef
and n small quantity Of rice. The beet
is generally very poor, ond frequently
unfit to eat. and have seen beef brought
there and issued that on satisfied died
Of disease. II would be sent down stairs F;
sometimes they would send pork in re-
turn, and sometimes we would do with
out. For eight days at one time they did
not issue an ounce Of meat. The build
lirg is an old grocery house, and conse-
quently very filthy. Every crevice is full
of vermin, which is an impossibility to
get rid OF. Evory prison-houco in and
around Richmond is in the same condi-
ton, but our men on Belle Isle suffer
tuore than any other prisoners there
This Island is very near Richmond, in
James River, and we have some 5000 OF
4 900 men upon IL. About 500 of those
mcu are without shelter. They have no
thing to shield them from the cold winds
and rain, aud many almost entirely des.
tilute of clothing. They are very indif-
ferently fed and suffer very much. They
are not permitted even to 90 to the banks
of the river 70 wash. They are furnished
no soap, aud can truly y that many oi
them have not had the privilege Of wash
ing or changing their clothing for siA
months. The officials of the prison are
very brutal in their treatment to both of.
icers and men. When Milroy's officers
were brought in from Winchester, they
were ordered to get into ranks for in
; spection by the Prison Inspector, a man
with brutality stamped upon every fea'
tu-e, dead to all feelings of human ma
trrre, cruel, unrelenting, and iyrannical.
As Senator Foote of Tennessee truthful
ly remarked, :" he is disgrace even to
the Southern Confederacy." This man
was searching the officers, and In the
pockets of one he found small fragment
of shell which had killed one Of bis
men. This relic he desired to keep very
much, tut the Inspectors took it from
him. The officer told him the circum-
stance, and asked him to return il to him,
whereupon the wretch brutally struck
him in the face with so much force that
il neatly felled him to the floor. This
fiendish scoundrel one day entered the
hospital in rage, and ordered Col. Pow
ell, of the ---th Tennessee Regiment
to get up and follow him. There was nc
alternative but to obey. He was conduc'
ted down to dark and loathsome cell
the walls Of which were drpplng will
stagnant water, and there confined
Col. p. asked why he was thus punished
but could get no answer. He appealet
to Capt. Turner, commandant Of III,
prison, but he gave no satisfaction, bu
referred him to Gen. Winder. Col. p
then sent communication to the Gen
eral TO know why he was confined in {
Icell. Gen. Winder did not know that he
was cJDfued in c.! and knew nothing
of him neither did they ever e!'ng on>
charges up against him, but he was con
fined just to satisfy the cruelty OF tncs'
. hehthcnsh men. They would con6ne
men 10 dungeons for the triiing offence
of accidentally splitting on the floor, ol
for making some little remark contrary
10 their sentiments and many other in
stances could mention, had time ant
room. And often to punish the officers
in general they would not give US any
wood, OF they would close the hydrani
and deprive US OF fwitr. Their treatment
is becoming more and more cruel, aDd
their rations beautifully less. Instead
of BAKERS bread, they now issue corG-
bread made out OF yellow corn-meal, un-
sifted and baked without salt. But since
October the officers and men have lived
very we'll. Our Government have ship
ped large quantities Of provisions there,
but the Rebel authorities have refused 10
receive any more provisions from the
North, consequently cur men will suffer
more than ever before, as soon as the
Isupplies now on hand are consumed
Those supplies sent by the Government
were generally deliveredi not all, i think
but the largest portion Of them. They
would appropriate portion of them to
their oW n use, Vet our men can get the
half of II, il is better for them. The men
upon Belle Island are starving by de-
grees. They become 80 furnished and
weak that they sometimes fall ppon the
sand and die, nncared for, and uFe found
cold and rigid the next morning. haye
knowa esl many as pipeteen 20 die IN one
oighi, Theyr are thrown into the hal!