The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-01-05
LIFE IN LIBBY PRISON.
An Interesting Narrative.

tract OF private letter rom Lieut. ". DuN-
cAN FoRsYrn, l0Otb,O. V. l., received byhis
friends in this city. 1t is by far the most full
statement of the experience of our soldiers
that has como from Libby Prison, and will.be
read with general interest. The letter was
smuggIed through by Michigan Surgeon :.
recently exchanged;
LIBBY PRIsoN, RIcnMoND, Nov. 10, '63.
My DEAR MornER, SISTERS AND BRorH-
ER:--Sone ten days ago wIote you a very
long letter on all The Old scraps Of paper l
had, and all tho dirty fly leaves Of all the old
'thumb-worp," prison-read books could get
into my paper seeking clutches detailing to
sons extent our prison life-wrlipg a little
one day and a little the next-as these de.
tails, interesting, while they would greye you
came tt my mind and scrap Of paper within
my grasp-expecting as still expect 10 send
it north by Jr. -, an assistant Surgeon OF
regiment, who was Ca tursd with US.
But yesterday I received through Frank Ber-
nett, tho paper, wearing apparel, DC, that you
sent me-so shall tear up tho old letter,
and write another-more connected, If not
more complete. You cannot Imagine, nor /
in commensurate language inform you, how
grateful was for the articles you sent, bow
sorely they were needed or whatlhoughts and
feelings their reception awakened in the poor
Yankee prisoners breast
1t seemed to me | could trace in the selec-
tion OF the several articles, the kindly solici.
tude of each and every member Of the family
for my personal comfort-a mothers and a
sisters affsctionate devotion and brothers
manly love, were revealed to me as package
after package was unfolded, in characters fai
more legibe than those YOU will read upon
these pages. Even SO simple thing as the
cutting of the leayes in the novel Ally sent
me, excited a thousand pIeasurabe emotions.
Everything was exactly adapted 10 Z" the
situatton.' The fine tooth comb is an inesti
mable treasure, and the soap truly valuable.
I'll be bound that Maua sent ihe soap. Con
yey my wa.mest thanks to MICS Yaeger for
the cherries and tomatoes. Douglas Kelley
and ioteud making thanksgiving dinner
with them.
Our lefs here is by no means varied-so ]
will give YOU days history aud you have
the whole. Libby" is larg, three.story
building, formerly occupied BY G. Libby and
Son, as n ship cbaudler's establishment. We
occupy the second and third stories, with the
exception of an cast room on the second floor
The middle room on the first floor is our cook
and mess hall. l should have stated above
that these are the largest rooms on each floor
The officers Of Gen. Milroy's and Colone
Sueights commands live 10 the two wes
rooms I'D and Sd stories), the other western
officers the two middle rooms, and the Poto
mac officers those on the east side Of the
building. live in the upper middle room
The Mllroy gud Streight men have three cool
stoves in their own rooms and do not mess Of
cook with us.--We have six stoves in ou
cook room and on these stoves our six hun
dred ofiicers haye TO cook. zach suite o
rooms has its commanding officer and chic
commissary. Col. Streigh commands in BIZ
rooms (the two west on@) Col. LeFeyour
2lst Mich, in the two middle ones, called
" The Cumberland ArmyH looms, and Col
Tiden, 10th Maine, in the Potomac Depart
ment." We, of the Tooth, all belong TO th'
latter, as we arrived upon this field Of actio,
before the Department Of the Cumberland
was organized, which took place shortly sfte
the battle of Chickanauga
We are divided into twepiy two messes
each mess having Commissry, whose duty il
to divide the ra.ions, make details for kitchen
duty, keep roll of the member of the mes,
and make out bill of what they wish to
send out aud purchase, and band the same il
to Col, Linden, who engrosses them all, anC
makes the purchase for our four rooms il
bLlk. The chief Commissary attends to The
division OF the rations among the sevcra
messes and carries on contraband trad
with the outside world, in greenbacks aut
rebel promises to pay. The chief Commissa
ry is Lieut.. Jones, Of Norwalk Ohio.
Now for the ration 1t consists Of about 1:
ounces Of the most horrid corn bread yol
ever ssw--just like clay and almost as unpal
atable. Ii there is no meat then a few miser
able half.decayed sweet potatoes are issued I
US. Tho remainder Of tho ration, CONSISTING
OF little salt, vinegar or rice or black beans
is turned over 10 the cocks and is ail--erer
mile Of deserved up and eaten at dinner
So, il one is not SO fortunate AS to be supple
with provisions from bqge, he has but on
scant meal per diem and dry bread IA ie
mou hfuls only) during the interval.
will add, however,tha rye coffee (for whic
We pay 20 cents per pound) Is served up i
tho morning. Each mess has stated hoars fo
It's meals, and no one is allowed TO infrina
upon the time, at the stoves, of the Others. :
This mess ball is fitted with rough pine table
with seats such as you have seen at picnics-
all statiqnay. In my mess mo. 6 we bay
coffee, Old RyeI served at OF A. NJ. an
dinner al P. NJ. IL we have meat, sou
is made Of it, but il not, dinner consists
rice, about four ounces of sweet potato M
bread have never yet had ration of me,
that conld not eat in four mou,bsfu.
long qsmy N 3ncy lasted, ! used TO buy two sma
oaves of bread extra per day, at cost Of 2
cents per loaf--tbe price now so cents p
loaf ~
Wc rise in The morning at CT TO oclocl
The first thing we have to do is to fold up o.
ragged and very Hreiy blankets and hay
them on the rafters over head, or IL you a
lucky enough TO have a barrel cut out as
armchair, pack them away 10 il. Then +
pair to the hydrant, leach room is proyid,
with one, and await your turn to peform 20
aboutioos. Then comes roll call, which CO
sists in our falling ioto limo four deep on o
floors and being coppted by the prison cler
Then comes an hour Of slime Killing ill
pair Of steato riao lungs shout out, mo. c.
fec" CT, "No O, breakfast, ~ After whi
there is another long time kii,g seigc 1
dinner, and after dinner tho same thino