Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-11-25
Correspondence.
SEpGwIcK, Nov. 18th, 1864.

solicitations Of quite large number ct
the friends of the soldiers of our army, [
would respectfully submit the following
statement, the authenticity Of which you
will be satisfied no doubt, when | inform
you that for nearly five months was a
prisoner of war in the hands of the enc
mics Of our country, and subject to every
indignity which they felt inclined to prac-
ticc upon us. l shall tell the plain uu-
vanished truth, of the manner in which
was treated while prisoner, and feel
sure that you will be interested if you do
not see fit to publish it through the col
umns of your paper.
l was commissioned officer on board
of the u. S. Steamer Water Witch. and
was captured on the morning OF the Sd
Of june, at . o'clock, and being severely
wounded, was placed in the naval hospital
At Savannah, where l received kind treat
mont for two days. was then removed
to the Oglethorpe barracks in that city,
where l remained for three days. Here
had corn bread, bacon and rice to eat,
aad corn coffee to drink. The Sergeant
Major Of the Provost Guard, treated us
with great Kindness, and through this
kindness we were enabled to raise about
two hundred and fifty dollars, confederate
scrip. With this, and small sum in
grecpbacks, three of the officers OF the
Water Witch, myself included) were
sent to camp Oglethorpe, in Macon Geor-
gi., for safe keeping. Camp Oglethorpe
when we arrived there, was an enclosure
containing three acres or thereabouts, with
one large building which had been used
as hospital for sick prisoners. That
was all the shelter afforded Us, and there
we're then nearly fifteen hundred United
States officers in the camp. The build
ing would accommodate about three hum
dred men at nj sht if the weather was
very wet. Generally about one half ei
that number slept there, the timid ones
prefcring to sleep under the stars, rather
than run the risk of raid from the
"greybacks, as wc used to call the ver-
that infested the building. The balance
of the officers had no she ter except their
blankets, until they built themselves
sheds, the lumber for which, was suppiltl
by the rebel authorities. Oar ratjea-
were as follows, viz one plat Of corn
meal daily, fourteen little beans, Que ia
bIcspoouful OF rice, one Tablespoonful Of
,nelasses, and half tcssaoontul Of sat,
this with less than an ounc, of rusty,
stinkins bacon, WAS the sam total ot tue
provisions daily issued to the L. ). ofi.
GERS At Camp Oscthrope, Macon, Geol-
ris. This was issueh raw, and 10 coun-
try aboundiug with wood We were al
lowed as much wood as two men could
carry from without the camp sbout two
hundred yards, into camp, for ten men.--
Our cooking utensils provided by the
rebels, were covered frying pan, or
Dutch oven, and an eight quart tin pail,
to every ten men. Beng destitute Of
dishes purchased three tin plates, three
tin dippcrs aud a common cast-ron frying
pans, the price paid as follows, viz: plate,
Eve dollars each; dippers, five dollars
each; frying pan, twenty dollars,-total,
fifty dollars. AS We found the rations
quite insufficient to sustain life, we We're
obliged to pay cxorbitant prices for all
kinds of provisions, which we were al
lowed to buy from sutlcr licensed by
&c rebels, to swindIe US as he saw fit
viii give you some oil the prices which
we were obliged to pay. or starve. Flour
one dollar per pound. the price increasing
as fast as Gen. Sherman approached At
lAuta. so that when We left Macon. -four
was one dollar aad quarter per pound.
Bacon was eight dollars per pound, salt
eve dollars per quart, onions two dollars
per dozen, potatoes one dollar and hall
per quart. lard nine dollars per pound,
butter eleven dollars per pound, fresh
beef VIC seldom saw, then we paid tea
dollars for very small piece. They
weighed nothing for US and We had to
abide by their judgment, if ve wished to
purchase. For eggs We paid four dollars
and half per dozen, everything else was
in the same ration. was enabled TO
keep the cravings of hunger quiet, by
means Of the confederate scrip, which |
obtained in Savannah, by selling some OF
INV clothes and the few dollars in green
backs, for which the rebels gave US four
dollars and half Of their money, tor one
dollar Of greenbacks.
Their orders regarding our approach to
the "dead-iine" were Of the strictest ma
turc, aud one of the officers was shot
dead, while standing back to the sentry
and fifteen feet from the dead.line. This
atrocious deed was rewarded by promo
tion and instead Of having any feelings
ot humanity for the dying man, the c@ld
blooded murderer, scoifingy repeated his
dying words-"Oh, God, l am shot y
This, and other aggravating ind'gnltless oil
like nature, but of less severity, were I'M
posed upon US. About the 9th day OF
July the rebels dceming it imprndent TO
keep us so near the contendlns armies
proceeded to remove US to different parts
of the confederacy--six hundred, myself
in the nun Der, we're sent to Charleston
not however, without an attempt to effect
our escape. IS eighty-seven out OF the SIX
hundred, jumped from the cars while un-
der full headwsy. | was captured on the
third day from my escape, by gang OF
sixteen dogs and party Of cavalry nav
ing got within four miles of the coast ~
trsyeling through the wildes. swamps'ana
avoiding habitable portions of the eonn-