Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-11-25
Our Friends in Southern Prisons
TRUTH sIFrED FROM RuMoR.

SaTu ~ iHe tFtdlment Vi ouT eoluicT
while prisoners ia the hands of the rebels
that the United States sanitary commiss
ion have appointed six responsible mel
as commissioners to give the subject
thorough investigation. After month
passed in inspecting the condition ant
receiving the testimony of many thou
sands of exchanged prisoners, chiefly
from the Libby aud Belle Isle, the care
fully prepared report is given to th'
public, with an appendix Of l26 pages 0
sworn evidence, fully sustaining its mos
revolving statements. We give the fol-
lowing extracts from the report
The first fact developed by the testi'
mony Of both officers aud privates, is thai
prisoners we're almost invariably robbed
Of everything valuable in their possession
sometimes on the field, at the instant oI
capture, sometimes by the prison author.
tiles in "quasi official way" with the
promise of return when exchanged OF
paroled; but which promise was never
fulfilled. This robbery amounted often
to a stripping of the person of even nee
essary clothing. Blankets and overcoats
were almost always taken, and sometimes
other articles in which case damaged
or ragged ones were returned in their
stead. This preliminary over, the cap
tives were taken TO prison.
In the Libby, twelve hundred officers
were confined in space which ayerag-
ed for each man ten feet by two. At
one time they were not allowed the use
of benches, chairs or stools, nor even to
fold their blankets and sit upon them, but
those who would rest were obliged to
hudde on their launches, as one of them
expresses it, 'like SO many slaves in the
middle passage" After awhile this sew
ere restriction was removed, and they
were allowed to make chairs and stools
for themselves, out of the barrels and
boxes which they had received from the
North. They were oyerrun with YER
min, in spite of every precaution and
constant ablutions. I b ir blankets.
which averaged one to man, and some
times less, had not been issued by the
rebels, but had been procured in differ
ent way s; sometimes BY purchase,
sometimes through the sanitary commits
sion. The prisoners had to help them
selves from the refuse accumulation Of
these articles, which, having seen simi-
lar service before, were often ragged and
full of vermin. Ia these they wrapped
themselves at night, and lay down on the
hard plank floor in close aud sitting con-
tact, "wormed and dovetailed together"
as one Of them testifes, "like fish in a
basket" The floors were recklessly
washed late in the afternoon, and were
therefore damp and dangerous to sleep
upon. Almost every one had a cough |
ia consequence.
1t was among the rules that no one
should go within three feet of the wind.
ows, Iule which seems to be general 10
all southern prisons of this character and
which t h e r frequently crowded state
'endered peculiarly severe and difficult
o observe. The manner in which the
'egulation was enforced was unjustifably /
md wantonly cruel. Often by accident,
'r unconsciously, an officer would go
lear window, and be instantly shot at
without warning. The reports of the
entry's musket were heard almost every
lay, and frequently prisoner fell either
illed or wounded. So careless as this
we're the authorities as to the effect of
'lacing their prisoners in the power of ,
he rude and brutal soldiery on guard.
t became matter of sport among the
after "to shoot Yankee" They were :
cen in attitudes of expectation, with ,
uns cooked, watching the windows for i
shot. But sometimes they did not +
ven wait for an infTaction of the rule
Lieutenant Hammond was shot at while o
n small boarded enclosure, where Z
here was no window, only an aperture n
etween the boards. The guard caught a
ight of his hat through this opening, and 2
lining lower, SO as TO reach his heart, +,
red. A nail turned the bullet upward, q
I'd it passed through his ear and hat II
N. The officers reported the outrage n
} Major Turner, who merely replied, sl
The boys are in want of practice. p ID
he sentry said, ale had made a bet $,
lat he would kill damned Yankee be. ST
re he came of guard" No notice was q,
ken OF the occurrence by the authorit- b
s. :,
The daily ration in the officer's nnsr a