The New York herald., 1864-09-26
THE SOUTHERN M lITARY PRISONS.
IAunIrysby the UnIted States Sanitary
Conn "fssfsn-Cs n fis sma atory Account Of

IAunIrysby the UnIsed States Sanitary
Conn -. ssfsn-Cs N fis smatory Accouml Of
ms snnerin2 OF Oar soiaicrs.
10 May las. pr Valentine Mott DIR. Elcrse Wallace,
Professor ~ 81 Inc sm osss M or
Physicians j. l. Clark Hare Rev. Ireadweii Walden,
rector Of s., Clements church Philadelphia. and Gouv-
Committee OF Inquiry by the United States sanitary
Investigate The ol suffering which
and to furnish people and the world authentic
statement o. acs ihs report has Just been published
81 temenls eiyer by returned pfiscners.
rrBBY rRrscg.
The rooms are hundred feet by forty. In SIX of
hcse twelve hundred United states officers OF all grades
from brgadicr down, were confined for months. This
the almost Incredible space allowed them in which
cook cat wash sleep and take exercise Ten feet bg
claimed by each for all the purposes OF living
At one time they mt allowed benches stools
10 fold their blankets aud st rpon then but forced
huidie "hko slaves IN The n.dd.o rassage'i al
ether only awed make stools of the barrels asd
boxes they received rom the North, at all times
blankets ever being ssued by the rebels; and Bng
down q. ngGt according 10 Libby phrase, "wormed
doycaiied together like ash in oGsket.p There were
tso and seventy five windows all broken and IN
winter the cold was iucuse.. Eysry prisoner had
cough from Tho damp or cold. II among the
rules that soner should 70 within ec OF tho
window, rule extremely difficult observe ia zoe
crowded prisons o. tho South Often by dent OF an
consciously an ofioer oaid 70 near a window ana he
instantly slct In the Pembcrton tutlings near by
many fourteen shots fred iu single dsy and
very frc1neay pr!soner Ie Killed or wouastno !,
became matter Of sport to "Ki Yankee, Onec the
guard caught sight OF Lieutenant HamMonds hat
through boarded enclosure, where there no
DOVE, ard came within al inch Of numbering MIN.
Major Turner the keeper Of Libby remarked, "lhe boys
want Of practice" Tho sentry said he made
guard Almost every prisoner had suoh incident
tel. ~hrorgha at the Southern prison system il is regu
lar spor. t. kin Yankees The guares were never re-
proved for their willing pess TO commit murder
TIE daily ration in tso officers quarters nf Libby pri
list, made os indian meal Sometimes u was made from
wheat -four, but OF variable quality IL weighed little
over bali pound WITH II was given pece OF beef
weighing two oi ccs- ! would gladly, said officer
preferred norse feed IN my father stable
The corn bread began TO be Of the ognest aod coarse
description Portions OF the cob and nusk were often
found ground in with the meal The thick
aud hard that the prisoners called iron cad. TO
der the bread eatabe they grated IT, and made must
ont OF IT, but the crust they could not grate Now
then, after ong intervals often Of many weeks, little
meat was gwen then perhaps two three ouhf1ls.
At later period they received pint o: black peas
some vinegar, every week Tho peas often iu OF
worms, Inaggots in a obrysalis state Which hen
they made soup, hoated on the surface
Those who were entirely dependent the prison fare,
Of food began suffer the horrible agony Of craving
ocd and feeling tnemselvee day by day losing strength
grew foolish in my mind, says Captain Calhoun,
"tbat used to blame myself for not eating when
at home. The subject Of iood epgrossed my whole
thoughts"
But the unscccuntabe shameful act of oil
yet 10 come. shortly after this general dnnut,on OF
raops, in the month Of January as the boxes which
before had been regularly delivered, and good order,
were withheld. No reason was given. Three hundred
Commissioner Of Exchange but instead Of being distr
huted, were retained and piled up warehouses
tves 10 the number Of threo thousand, least. At
length five or six were distributed during the week.
For offences. trivial serious prisoners were con.
signed TO cells beneath the prison. the walls Of which
and often 50 Crowded Ina, some were obliged 70 stand NJ
all night Dead bodies, TOO, were placed in Tho cellar,
;a, ,DS p ~ nS dogs
pointed 70 the cellar Dug big mole down dar.
torpedo in dar !" . should fitzpatrick succeed
authorities weuld blow up prison and a inmates
There enough there 10 send Yankee TO heI.
self said in the preaenoe OF colonel larDs1or,h,
ever TO the question, Was tie prison mined ~ Yes:
would have suffered you to be reecued.n me
remarx OF Bishop Jones IS corToboraiive as well
Christian mode q w.rfsre % blow up asience.ss pr
soners suppose the authorities are sstnfed on that
pona sneusn 90 - 20. LII mean p 70 Justly IT, IN tbs passed
o. libby, Richard Turner, WAS negro whipper by
trade
Here IS or enclosure var.ousy estimated TO be from
three 70 ak acres in surrounded by eartnwk
interior has something OF the look Of encampment,
number Of ibey tents being set in rows with '.sree,s'
shelter at any rate--sccommoaated only small prcpor.
ion. From ten 10 twelve Thousand have been
enclosure, Ike many cattle find what resting place
they coud So crowded they that at the least &C.
20 ne . Me ae' ss ssen nee could
most, three 'eet by nine per msn-hardy q generous
alio,ner; even for a "hospi.able grave.o
Scme so fortunate 10 End shelter in the tents,
bat even they were often wet with the rain and almost
frozen when winter set 10. Every day some places
we're made vacant by diseases by death, AZ come
we're taken 10 thc hospital, aud some 70 burial But
thousands bad ten.s, and nc shelter Of any kind
Nothing provided for their accommo odatiop Lumber
plenty In country OF forests cabin or shed
6uii' allowed be bui, Here thousands lay with
under fos rain, cnd, snow hundreds nl.nEetess coat
less and shoeess others with ragged and rotten clothes
mere we're m ,s hs pres ana e severe wn',
Memphis, aud water leit N bcckeis on Pee Isle froze
tso OF see dsp ss night s 81 y
either side Of the island.
perishing. They 10y in the ditch. as the most pro
iec,ed place. nesped upcn another and lying close
ter" taking who should have the outside or
The row. In the morning the row Of the previous nght
sleeping on in their las, sleep frozen 10 DEATH
Every day, dcrinx the wiuier season, numbers wee
eonyeyea away ssn and sssrk' navng i'en len asleep ~
sand 10 which 10 take refuge An through the night
crowds OF them were heard running up and down, 70
them than sould have threatened most
exposed TO an equally severe temperature. even with
such thin clothing and Inadequate sbeerfor they
starving
RocKiAe husky corn bread (sresimens Of which We
have r.en often and suspicousy ike niue
meat Two three spooDuis Of rotten beaus soup. thin
and rriny, often with worms floating inc surface
made up their food None OF these given together
aud the whole ration never one half the quantity
retessary for bare life Henr the words OF the pris.
onerE.--
There was DO name for our hunger" "I was bungry
rretty nearly starved DEATH ~ walked up night
and ourd myseIf gnawins my coat sleeve.r ~ used
dream cf having something good 10 ea.' walked the
streets for many night could not sleep for hunger'
r lost fesh and strength FOR want of food III were
70 sit here week could tell you hsf suffering
1havc sentences form the very poem Of misery and
starvation
s'Iice we're ip all ,hc,T quarters verm,n and dirt
eucrrstec their bod,e@. They with lying In
the sand. Nons-nos the sufferers With darrhea-
were sowea % visit the 2pks during the night and n
the morning the ground covered and with
l,h. The wels we're tainted; the air flled with
disgusting oiors.
Many tsksn sick daily brt were SLOWED TO suffer
for dayr before they removed the hospitals and
wher tbt done, often lse that the half OF
them dnd before reaching u, or st the very moment