Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-11-25


With it was given piece of beef weigh
ing two ounces. But it is not easy II
describe this ration, il was so irregular
in kind, quality, and amount. Its gener
al character is vividy indicated by re
mark made in conversation by one o.
the officers: II would gladly" said he
wit emphatic sincerity, "gladly have
preferred the horse-feed in my fathers
stable
Those who were entirely dependent
on the prison are t, and who had nc
friends at the North TO send them boxes
of o d, began TO suffer the horrible
agony of craving food, and feeling them
selves day by a y losing strength
Dreams and delusions began to distract
their minds.
But the m o t unaccountable a d
shameful act of all was yet to come
Shortly after this general diminutiou of
ratlons, in the month of January last, the
boxes, which before had been regularly
delivered, and in good order, were with
beld. No reason was given. Three
hundred arrived every week, and were
received by Colonel Ould. The officers
were permitted to send out and buy ar
ticles at extravagant prices, and would
find the clothes, stationery, hams u d
butter which they had purchased, bear
ing the marks of the sanitary commiss-
ion. In one instance this constant thiev-
cry became an unexpected advantage to
the inmates. After the famous tunnel
ling out by which SO many effected their
escape, the guards confessed that they
had seen the fugitives, but supposed that
they were their own men stealing the
boxes The tunnel, after running under
the street, had its outlet near where the
boxes were piled up.
When Richmond was threatened by
our troops, Richard Turner took care to
dash the hopes of bis captiyes, as well as
add to their anxiety, by informing them
that "should Fitzpatrick succeed in enter
ing Richmond, it would not help them,
as the prison authorities would blow up
The prison, and all its inmates" Lieut.
Latouche was overheard observing TO
rebel officer with whom be had entered
he cellar, where the Two hundred pounds |
of powder were said 10 be placed, "There
S enough there 10 send every damned |
Yankee TO hell" Turner himself said,
n the presence Of Col. Farms worth, in
answer to the question, "Was the prison
mined ? "Yes, and | would have blown
iou all TO Hades, before | would have
uttered you to be rescued" A remark
# Turner'S, justifying the act, which was
mentioned to one Of the commissioners.
,ut accidentally omitted in the formal tes-
imony, gives quite decided turn 10 the
'ery natural probability that the fendish
'lan was resolved upon: "Suppose XII
patrick should have got in here, what
would my life have been worth after you
II got loose. Yes, would have blown
'ou all to Hades before would have suf.
cred you to be rescued"
Thousands of sufferers at Belle Isle
udured similar hardships, intensified BY
ntire want of shelter, Stripped of blan-
cts and overcoats, hatless often, shoeless
ften, in ragged coats and rotting shirts,
ley were obliged to take the weather as
came. Here and there a tent had I
re, and the inmates gathered round it, {
ut the thousands outside shivered as the {
Did cut them to the bone, and huddled I;
'gether for warmth and sympathy. a
The winter came--and one of the har- c
est winters ever experienced in the .
'uth-but still no better shelter was pro-
ded. The mercury was down to zero
Memphis, which is further south than 4
ichmoId. The snow lay deep on the t
'ound around Richmond. The ice for '
ed in the James, and flowed in masses y
BON the rapids, on either side of the a
land. Water, left in buckets on the C
land, troze two or three inches deep in C
single night. The men resorted to ev> 7
J expedient TO keep from perishing.- v
hey lay in the ditch, as the most pro- p
cted place, beaped upon one another, n
d lying close together, as one of them y
pressed it, "like hogs in winter" taking : !
rms as to who should have the outside e,
the row. In the morning the row of p
e previous night was marked by the D.
otionless forms of those "who were =
'eping on in their last sleep'-frozen 4,
death! Every day, daring the winter Sc
ason, numbers were conveyed away c'
It and stark, having fallen asleep in 6
erlastiug cold. Some of the men dug :,
les in the sand, in which to take ref cl