Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-03-10
UNION TICKET.
HORRORS OF LIBBY PRISON.
OF GRANT COUNT.

EXCITING NARRATIVE OF COL. II. C. HOBART.
Col Hobart, after detailing the circum-
stances of his capture, at the hard-fought
but disastrous battle Of Chickamauga, goes
on to say that the rebels suffered terribly in
that engagement, their troops being much
broken and scattered He said the con
duct Of Gen. Thomas and his troops that
day, deserved the high commentators be-
slowed on them, but his impression was
that it was not Gen. Thomas alone that
saved the army. It was Gen. Thomas and
shutdown, together. Col. Il. in speaking of
the terrible Sunday battle, and the attempt
of the rebels to carry our breastworks, says
our soldiers were veterans. That the
rebels came on in greatly superior numbers,
bat were again and again repulsed. The
sharp orders Of the rebel officers could be
heard ''Carry those Yankee breastworks.
You must take them Forward y Near
sunset, the rebels succeeded in fanking the
works, when portion Of the regiment, TO-
gether with himself, were captured. That
evening they were marched ten miles to the
rear. In the morning, some 1900 prison
ers were gathered together, several hundred
of which were officers. They were then
marched to Tunnel Hill, where they were
given little raw Indian meal, and a very
small amount Of meat. From there they
were taken in cattle cars to Richmond. He
represents the country as presenting one
vast scene Of dcsolation-farms lying waste
with scarcely living soul to be seen. The
only labor he saw, was in connection
with the military operations Of the country.
All else was suspended, the whole country
having given its energies to the war. Col.
II. goes on to say, in speaking Of his cap
tivity, that minor officers were we'll treated
till they reached Richmond, but the private
soldiers had indignities heaped upon them
that they never heard Of being practiced on
prisoners. They had their rubber
blankets taken from them. At Atlanta
they were put il an enclosure and their
other blankets and overcoats taken
rom them. That night, which was cold,
the men slept on the naked ground, with
nothing to protect them from the incemency
of the elements. On reaching Richmond,
the Officers were put in Libby Prison f; Il,
600 officers were confined in six rooms
These were low and dingy, and 100 feet by
80, in dimensions. Thus nearly $50 men
were shut up in each room They were
not allowed to go out, they slept on the
floor. No cots were allowed Scarcely
man had blanket to lie on. He shared a
ragged old horse blanket with DR.. Dixon of
this State. The filth was indiscribable.
The audience would spare him from going
into details The stencil was such that
he sometimes wrapped his blanket about
his head to avoid the odor 1t was sicken-
ing and horrid in the extreme They were
treated by the rebel officials with every
species of indignity. Some of the time,
small poX prevailed in the rooms. Every
thing that human Ingenuity could devise,
was done to avoid the gloom of the prison,
and keep their spirits. But at the best, it
was but lingering death. When officers
were in dying state they were refused an
opportunity to have friends come and see
them from adjoining rooms No respect
was shown them, and everything was done
to aggravate the misery of their condition
Gen. Winder, who had general charge
over the Richmond prisoners, did not visit
them while he was there, and made no re-
Spouse to their request for an amelioration
for their suforings.
~ The rations of the
prisoners were halfa leaf of tasteless, I'M
bolte6 corn bread, and sometimes a little
rice or soup, and the muddy water Of the
James River, When the officers received
boxes of provisions from the North, they
threw out their tasteless rations through
the windows to the poor women and children
that crowded around to receive them The
situation ofthe priyates on Belle Island was
far worse, of course, than that OF the Off
GERS of the Libby Prison. They received
comparatively little from the North, and it
was fact that they had killed and eaten
every cat and dog that came within their
reach. This fact told more in regard to
:heir furnishing condition and suffering
than could be given in an equal number OF
words
We pass over the fifty days of patient
labor in building the tunnel, and their egress
therefrom, as it is somewhat familiar to our
readers. Before morning one hundred and
nine of the brave and suffering men had
emerged from the opening and were making
he best of their way toward the Union
snes