The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1864-10-15

proper clothing. In December some
seventy-five privates, mostly barefooted,
some hatless, coatless, shirtless, and
without pants even, were forwarded to
Belle Isle, expecting an immediate e1-
change. They must have suffered in
tensely during the winter. In the spring,
while the prisoners Of Belle Isle were be-
inc removed to Andersonville, several
WHO had escaped from the cars and were
recaptured were brought into our prison
living skeletons the pictures they gave
of their suffering from cold and hunger
during the winter was terrible to contem-
plate and from reports brought back
from Audersonville by rebel guards from
our prison who had been there with pris-
oners, their condition was in no wise i'm
proved there. They were turned into a
shelterless yard, exposed to sun and rain.
Their food was beef and corn-bread, bet
ter in itself than they had been accus-
toned to, but with their reduced systems,
change OF water and climate, it produced
diarrhea whichscarried them off at the
rate of fifty to seventy-fye out of ten
thousand per day. Probably the largest
half OF the prisoners confined on Bell Isle
last winter are now dead.
"At the present time there are at An
dersonville about thirty thousand Union
prisoners, confined in yard less than
i've hundred yards square. doubt if
they suffer much for want of sufficient
quantity of food, but their clothing and
shelter is as near to nothing as civilized
man can endure. Their mortality is
about one hundred per day. They can
but suffer severely. learn that the Off
GERS who were confined at Macon have
all been taken to Charleston and Savan-
nah. At Charleston they are said to be
under fire, but they are as safe from injury
by our shells as are the people Of Boston.
Every prison in the Confederacy would
rejoice to be put under fire at Charles
ton, believing he would then have some
prospect of exchange. All persons writ
ing or sending packages to prisoners
south of Richmond, should send by way
OF Charleston, as the mail arrangements
south of Richmond have been 80 broken
up since May that letter through Rich
mond seldom reaches its destiny, and
packages do not 90 over the roads even
Tor private citizens of the South. All let
tiers 60 through their post lines should
contain their stamp, ten cents or the mo-
ney. General Jones, commanding at
Charleston, seems disposed to do all In
his power for the accommodation of prison
ers, and would doubtless forward faith
fully and promptly anything that might
come into his department for them.
SEGEo PRISONERS.
"The officers of negro regiments, after
being captured, are treated the same as
other officers, with few individual excep-
tions. The privates fare worse, especial
! ly during the excitement of battle. All,
white and black, are plundered of every
! thing, but the negroes, wounded or well,
are br,tslly murdered before being taken.
Those who succeeded in getting to the
rear of their lines at the great Petersburg
slaughter, after being marched through
the CITY with all the officers captured,
and scofted at, pelted with bricks, and
spit upon, we're sent back to the crater OF
the exploded fort to rebuild the rebel
works under our fire.
"From what have seen and heard
know that there is no cruelty or indigni
ty within the capacity OF the rebel:
which they do not perpetrate upon ou,
colored soldiers when they dare meet
them and can overcome them but l have
reason to doubt if they have in single
instance committed colored soldier tt
slavery. know of several cases where
the master has been present and claimed