Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-04-22
Eat Hs4 For the Journal
SANDUsKY COUNTY sOLDfER's ExPE-
RIENCE IN LIBBY PRISON.

! SANDUsKY COUNTY SOLDfER's ExPF-
RIENCE IN LIBBY PRISON.
I .-.i.s TOWNSEND, 0hios April IL, 1864
EDITOR JoTRNAL:-Having Just returned from
/ Richmond, Va, where | was lately released
from one of the military prisons, aud being
member of Co. K, Tooth o. " /. which was
! made up within the limits Of Sandusky county.
had thought it might not be wholly out of
place to state few facts through the journal in
regard to prison life in that vicinity, especially
on Belle Isle. Many stories have doubtless
been written concerning the fare and treatment
of the Union prisoners at Richmond, which de-
fed belief on account of the cruelty and mean
ness attributed to the rebels and the extreme
| suffering of our prisoners. But let me say the
| half has not been told, nor can it be- presume
you were acquainted with the circumstances
which resulted in the capture Of some 24O men
and l6 officers of the Tooth Regiment last Sep
tember, in East Tennessee. We surrendered
in the afternoon of Sept Sth, after fighting five
times our number for four hours. Three Off
GERS and fifty six men of Co. K. were among the
prisoners. They marched us that night to
Jonesboro, a distance of twelve miles, The
next day they placed US on the cars and started
US for Richmond. We stopped in Lynchburg
one night and one day, and reached the rebel
capital on the morning of Sept. 18th, and were
escorted to the celebrated Libby Prison.
At Lynchburg the rebs. stripped us of our
blankets and haversacks Here in the Libby
they searched us and took our money. Some
had the precaution to hide their money in the
seams of their clothes and thus saved it. On
the morning of Sept. 18th we were taken to
Belle Isle and placed in the camp Of the Union
prisoners. Belle Isle is situated in James river
about one mile from the city. Our camp was
on the northeast corner of the Island, where we
had good view Of-the adeectable" city. There
We're nearly 1000 prisoners there then. These
were confined on a spot of ground containing
between two and three acres, surrounded by
deep ditch high bank being thrown up and
made perpsDdcular on the inside so that the
prisoners could not climb over. Outside of
this the rebel guards tread their beat. Tents
were stuck thick over the ground, but many of
them were old and open aud afforded very poor
shelter. We found the prisoners very destitute
of clothing; some had no coats, some no shirts,
and others barefoot. In November large lot
of clothing was sent from our lines and we
We're well supplied with clothing and blankets,
else must have nearly all inevitably persisted
before this spring
Our food at first vas good but very deficient in
quantity. We were allowed two meals a day
For breakfast: about four ounces of wheat bread
and small piece of fresh beef not exceeding
two ounces, was a mans allowance Supper:
same amount of bread, and pint of rice or bean
soup. The beans were not like those grown
here, but what they termed the stock pea and
grown in some of the Southern States. These
were old and buggy and when the soup was
brought to us would find the top covered
with these bugs and would have to skim them
off before eating the soup. The ratiOns were
barely sufficient to sustain life. During the
winter corn bread was substituted for the flour
bread, and the meat played out After the
first of January we did not get much as a
pound of meat. Sometimes would get a few
raw turnips, or sweet potatoes, or beans Some
times we thought the Confederacy about gone
up, as they would seem to rake and scrape the
whole country to get what they did for u.s.
| During the last month of our stay the bread
was very poor, being made from coarse meal,
| unsifted, then not have baked nor salted; this
could not be eaten till toasted by the fire, and
then afforded but little relief to the hungry
prisoners.
But men who had money could live, as the
guards would bring provision and sell to them
though at very exorbitant prices. Men who had
much money would by large quantities and re-
tail it out in camp, and from the profits would
obtain good living all winter. Many of the
prisoners sold their blankets, oyercoats or shoes,
in order to get little extra food. Hundreds
went to the hospitals whose deaths resulted
purely from the effects of starvation.
We had no stoves in our tents and but very
little wood was issued to u.s. That we would
split fine and build little fires on the ground in
our tents, making an aperture in the top of the
| tent for the egress of the smoke. Sometimes
when the weather was cold and our wood be-
came exhausted we would have to roll up in
our blankets to keep warm, and sometimes lie
there all day
In the fore part of January the rebel autbori-
ties caused all the prisoners and conValeseents,
who were-in the buildings in Richmond. to be
placed on the Island, so that at one time there
were nearly 10000, and several thousand had
no shelter and had to lie out in the bitches and
spaces between the tents 1t was not strange,
when the morning light appeared, to find four
or five poor wretches stretched in death-their
sufferings on earth were over.
There was another plague upon us worse than
the plaques Of Egypt and thicker than the frogs
which came up into PharaOh's door. The ami
NAL which the soldier denOminates grey back
was sent upon US in countless millions and on
ly by the utmost diligence could we keep them
from deUOtTiag us.
About the middle of February the rebs. be-
gan to ship the prisoners to Georgia. They
shipped some of the oldest prisoners first, then
began on the newest or those last taken on the
Island. On the 5th of March five hundred reb-
ell prisoners arrived at City Point, having been
paroled at Point Lookout The rebs. parOled
the same number of the oldest prisoners on Belle
Isle, and sent them to the Federal lines. The
exchange was accomplished through the infiu-
enee of Maj Mulford, flag of truce boat officer.
The next week Maj. Mulford brought 500 reb-
ell prisoners and several hundred Federal pris-
oners were paroled and sent to City Point
These embraced most of the Tooth Regiment.
The day of deliyeranee had at last come. We
had long looked and longed for it. No one can
imagine our Joy when we were safely placed on
the steamer New York and started for AnapOlis,
Indiana. We reached Annapolis on the 10th of
March The first thing we did was to take a
good bath and exchange our filthy garments for
a full suit of new clothes. Such a change you
never saw. Here, too we had all the food we
wanted-glOrious blessing.
On the 26th of March the Western troops were
sent to Camp Chase, Ohio. The Governor gave
us permission to visit our friends, and Co. K
boys are improving the opportunity. But my
communication is growing and viii stopright
here. Yours respectfully,
PAROLED PRISONER
hon Nd.