Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-24
Returned Prisoner at AnnapolIs.


emergency which may come. K. L. w
-
Returned Prisoners at Annapolis.
a aeuc BIZ of Fare-Federa eeYsus Confede--
ate BreGd-Gratit,tde for The neW Fare
Cheers for Uncle Sa,Ta-7he Dead and Dy-
ing-7he Insane Ve1nli7s and Disease.
The awful scenes which are TO be witnessed
at the landing of our soldiers just released
from rebel dens of wretchedness and torture
are heart rending in the extreme. We have
before alluded to this subject, giving some
incidents in illustration of the condition of
our brave hearted soldiers after their long
Imprisonment, but there are some details of
a soul narrowing nature yet to be given We
find the following in the correspondence of
the Philadelphia Press
DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD.
Several cauldrons containing nice coffee,
piles of new white bread and stands with
meat met the eye. Three dealers were in
attendance also. The first gave to each sol
der loaf of bread, the second a slice of
boiled pork, the third, dipping the new tin
cup from the hand of each into the coffee
cauldron, dealt out hot coffee; and how it
was all received l am unable to describe.
The feeble ones reached out their emaciated
hands to receive it, and took It gladly, though
scarcely able to carry it all, and with bright
ening faces and grateful expressions went on
their way. The stouter ones of the party,
however, must have their jokes, and such ex-
pressions as the following passed among
them freely: "NO stockade about this bread"
"This is no Confederate dodge" ETC. One
fellow, whose skin was nearly black from
exposure, said, "that's more bread than I've
seen for two months" Another, "that set
ties a mans plate" A bright eyed boy of
eight, whose young spirit had not been COM
pletely crushed out in rebellion, could not
refrain from hurrah, and cried out, Z" Hur-
rah for Uncle Sam, hurrah No Confederacy
about this bread" One poor feeble fellow,
almost too faint to hold his loaded plate, NUT
tered out "Why, this looks as if we were
going to live. Why, there's no grains of
corn for a man to swallow whole in this Loaf"
and thus the words of cheer and hope came
from almost every tongue as they received
their ration and went away from the window,
each with his thank you, thank you; and as
they received it all, each his share, they sat
down on the ground to enjoy it.
90, WAIT FOR ME-"
One poor man of about fifty years of age
was making his way behind all the rest to
reach the ambulance. He thought it would
leave him, and, painting, cried out, with a
most anxious and pitiful expression of coun-
tenance, "0h, wait for mem think l shall
never forget his look of distress. When he
reached the ambulance he was too feeble to
step in, but Capt. Davis and Rev. j. A. Whit
taker, Sanitary Commission Agent here, as
sisted him till he was placed by the side of
his companions, who were not in much better
condition than himself. When he was seated,
he was so thankful that he wept like child,
and those who stood by to aid him could do
no less. Soldiers, brave soldiers, officers and
all, were moved to tears. That must be sad
discipline which not only wastes the manly
form till the sign of humanity is nearly OBJ
liberated, but breaks the manly spirit, and
makes it as tender as child's.
SAD SCENES.
The dead and dying are carried off the
steamer first, and the battalions arranged as
before. l could narrate many tales of sad
ness and woe, for know that underneath the
emaciated forms, that are borne on stretchers
to the hospitals, and those with little more
life, who are slowly, foot by foot, making
their way to the space near the barracks,
there are crushed spirits and bruised hearts
that only await the time and occasion for ut
terance more at length than they have al
ready poured out to me; but, for the slight
est attention they receive, they pass on with
"God bless you," "Oh thank you" How
kind" &c.
DECK LOAD OF THE DYING.
In a short time another boat load drew
near, and oh such scene of suffering hu-
manity my eyes never desire to behold again.
The whole deck was a bed of straw for our
exhausted, starved, emaciated, dying fellow
creatures. OF the five hundred and fifty that
left Savannah, the surgeon informed me not
over two hundred would survive; fifty had
died on the passage; three died while the
boat was coming to the land of liberty.
saw five men dying as they were carried on
stretchers from the boat to the naval hospital.
The stretcher-bearers were ordered by Sur
geon ID. Vanderkief to pause a moment that
the names of the dying men might be obtain
ed. To the credit of the officers and their
assistants it should be known that everything
was done in the most systematic and careful
manner. Each streteher had four attendants
who stood in line and came IN promptly, one
after the other, to receive the sufferer as he
was carried by two men off the boat. There
was no confusion, no noise all acted with
perfect military order. Ali it was a solemn
funeral service to many brave soldier that
was thus being performed by kind hearts and
hands
THE INSANE.
Some had become insane; their wild gaze
and clenched teeth convinced the observer
that their reason had fed. Others were idi-
otto. A few were living in spasms perhaps
the realization of the hope long cherished,
yet oft deferred, or the welcome sound of the
music sent forth by the military band, was
more than their exhausted nature could bear.
When blankets were thrown over them, no
one would have supposed that human form
lay beneath, save for the small prominence
which the bony head and feet indicated. Oh,
God of justice, what retribution awaits the
perpetrators of such slow and awful murder !?
vERAnN AND DISEASE.
The hair of some was matted together, and,
like beasts of the stall, they had lain in their
own filth, vermin running over them in abun-
dance. Nearly every man was darkened by
scurvy, or black with patches or scales, and
with scorbutic sores. One in particular was
reduced to the merest skeleton; his face,
neck and eetcovered with thick, green mould.
A number who had Government clothes given
them on the boat were too feeble to pnt them
on, and were carried ashore partially dressed,
hugging their clothing with a death-grasp
that they could not be persuaded to yield. 1t
was not unfrequent to hear man feebly call,
as he was laid on a stretcher, "Don't take
my clothes" ooh save my new shoes"
I" Don't let my socks go back to Anderson
ville." In their wild death-struggle, with
bony arms and hands extended, they would
hold up their new socks, that could not be
put on because of their swollen limbs, saying,
t" Save 'em till get home.o In a little
while, however, the soul was released from