Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-09-30

Morris Wilkins, OF New ork, were ap
pointed Committee of Inquiry by tn
United States Sanitary Commission, to in
vestisats the reports of suffering which hac
resched the public from the prisons of tn
South, and to furnish to our people ant
the world an authentic statement of facts
This report has just been PUBLISHED in s
pamphlet. The following is the substanc,
of the statements given by returned pris,
oners
LIBBY PRISON.
The rooms are one hundred feet by
forty. In six of these, twelve hundred
United States officers Of all grades, from
brigadier down, we're confined for montf g.
This was the almost incredible space al
lowed them in which to cook eat, wash,
sleep and take exercise. Ten feet by two
claimed by each man for all the purposes
Of living At one time they were not al
lowed benches or stools, or even TO fold
their blankets and sit upon them, but
forced to huddle like slaves in the middle
PASSAGE" at another only al owed to make
stools out Of the barrels and boxes they re-
ceived from the North; at all times over
run by vermin, in spite of constant ablu-
tons, no clean blankets ever being issued
by the rebels; and lying down ct night,
according to Libby phrase, "wormed and
dovetailed together like fish in a basket
There were two stoves and and seventy
five windows, all broken, and in winter the
cold was intense. Every prisoner
had s cough from the damp or cold
1t was among the rules that no pris-
oner should go within three feet
of the window, a rule extremely difficult
70 observe in the crowded prisons of the
South. Often by accident, or UNCONSCIOUS
ly, an officer would go near a window
and be instantly shot at In the Penn
berton Buildings, near by, as many as
fourteen shots were fired in one day, and
very frequently prisoner fell killed or
wounded. It became matter OF sport to
"l1ill q Yankee" Once the guard caught
sight Of Lieutenant Hammond's hat
through boarded enclosure where there
no windows, and csme within an inch of
numbering him, Major Turner, the keep
er Of Libby, remarked, "the boys are in
want of practice" The sentry said, che
had made a bet he would kill q d-d
Yankee before he came off guard Al
most every prisoner had such an Incident
to tell. Throughout the Southern prison
system, il is a regular sport to kill Yam
kees. The guards were never reproved
for their willingness to commit murder.
The daily ration in the officers quar-
ters of LIBBY prison was a small loaf of
bread, about the size Of 8 mans fist,
made from Indian meal Sometimes it
was made from wheat -four, but of varia-
bic quality. It weighed a little over half
q pound. With it was given bit of beef
weighing two ounces. II would gladly
said an officer, ahave preferred the horse
feed in my fathers stable" The corn
bread began to be of the coarsest and
roughest description. Portions of the cob
and husk were often found ground IN with
the meal. The crust was so thick and
hard that the prisoners called it iron-clad.
To render the bread estable, they grated
it, but the crust they could not CRATE.
Now and then, after long intervals, often
Of many weeks, little meat was given
them, perhaps two or three mouthfuls. At
q later period they received a pint of
The peas we're often full Of worms in q
chrysalis state, which, when they made
soup, foated on the surfa,e
Those who were entirely dependent on
the prison fare, and had no friends at the
North to send them boxes of food, began
TO suffer the horrible agony of craving
food, and feel themselves day by day los
ing strength. Dream and d0lusion began
to distract their minds. II grew so fool
ish in my mind" said Captain Calhoun,
shat used to blame myself for not eat
ing more when at home. The subject Of
food engrossed my whole thoughts"
But the most unaceountable and shame
full act of all was yet 70 come. Shortly af
ter this general diminution of rations, in
the month Of January last, the boxes,
which before had been regularly delivered,
and in good order, were withheld. No
reason was given. Three hundred arrived
every week, and were received by Colonel
Ould, Commissioner Of Exchange, but, in
stead of being distributed, were retained,
and piled up in warehouses near by, and
in full sight Of the tsntalized and hungry
captives, TO the number of three thousand,
at least At length, Eve or six were dis
tributed during the week. Scores were
stolen.
For offences, trivial or serious, prisoners
we're confined to cells beneath the prison,
the walls of which were damp, green and
Shiny. They were never warmed, and Of
ten so crowded that some were obliged to
stand up at night Dead bodies, too, were
placed in the cellar, and very often were
partly devoured by hogs, dogs and rats.
At the time of Kilpatrick's raid some ne
groes pointed TO the cellar. GDug big
hole down dar, masss-torpedo in daT,
sure y "Should Fitzpatrick succeed in en-
tering Richmond said Richard Turner,
q the prison authorities would blow up the
prison and al its inmates" "There is
enough there to sendeyery Yankee to hell, !"
Lieutenant Lstouche wss overheard to say.
Turner himself said in the presence of
Colonel FsrnsWorth, in answer TO the ques-
ton, " Was the prison mined2p {" Yes, and
l would have blown you all to Hades be-
fore I would have suffered you to be res
cued" The remark of Bishop Jones is
corro 5orative as well as curious, in reply 10
the question, q Whether II was a Christian
mode of warfare to blow up defeAcelesG
prisoners 2" suppose the authorities are
satisfied on that point, though I do not
mean to Justify it." This passed comment
It Is also well toremember that the inspec-