The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-08
Prisoners, Fare at Richmond.

WASHINGTON, March IA letter from
Col, Streight to the House Military
Committee, contains some new items
in the indictment civilization brings
against the barbsrians who have con
troll Of the prisoners at Richmond The
following are some Of his statements:
The rations furnished both officers
and men by the rebels, consist of about
one pound of corn bread, made from
unbolted meal, and One-fourth Of a
pound of poor fresh meats Meat has
been issued to the prisoners but about
one-half the time since the lst of Do
cember last In addition to ratiOns of
bread and meat, prisoners draw about
two quarts of rice TO one hundred men.
An insufficient quantity Of salt is fur
nished and a very small quantity of
vinegar In a few instances, say six or
eight times at most, small quantity
of sweet potatoes has been issued in
stead of rations of meat The above
is the sum total of rations issued to our
officers and men, now prisoners of war
The condition Of our unfortunate en-
listed men, is much worse than that of
the oficers From early in May last,
when arrived in Richmond, TO about
the lst of December all enlisted men
were taken to what is called Belle ISL
and, and turned into an Enclosure like
so many cattle in a slaughter pen.
Very few of them had tents or shelter
Of any kind, and the few tents furnish
ed were so poor and leaky as to rem
der them but little better than none
at all The prisoners are taken TO Lib
by when they first arrive in Richmond
for the purpose of counting them and
enrolling their names had a fair
chance to see their condition when
they arrived. Fully one-half taken
since May last were robbed by their
captors of their shoes, and nearly all
were robbed of their overcoats, blank
cts and haversaeks. At least one
third of them had been compelled to
trade their pants and blouses for mere
rags, that would scarcely hide their
nRkedness. Very many Of them were
entirely barehesded, and not few as
late as the middle Of December were
brought in, who had nothing on but a
pair Of ragged pants and shirt, being
bare-headed, bare-footed and without
blouse, overcoat or blanket. have
seen hundreds of our men taken to
the hospital thas clad, and in diving
condition. / have frequently visited /
the hospitals, and have conversed with /
large numbers of dying men brought I
there from the islands, who assured /
me that they had been compelled to |
lie out in the open air without any
medical attendance, though for several /
days they had been unable to walk. |
destitute of anything like quarters, and l
nearly naked during the cold, stormy 1
and chilly fall season; the first and 4
chief complaint of ali those | saw and 4
talked with was the insufficient quantity 4
Of food In no instance have the rebel 1
authorities furnished clothing or blank /
cts 20 our men. During the winter
large numbers Of our men were frozen.
heard one of the rebel surgeons say
that there we're over % of our men who
would have TO suffer ampntation from
the effects Of the frost This was before
the coolest weather had commenced i
Some time in the fore part of Deem
Der, portion of our men were remand
ed from the island to some large build 4
ing where they were more comfortably 4
but there has been no time
since May when more or less men have
not been kept on the island in the open
air, and without blankets or oyercoats.
II is q common thing FOR the rebels 10
keep our men for several days without
food This was particularly the case
with portion of the Gettysburg pris-
oners. Some went Is long as six days
without food, and were compelled to
march during the time The officers
captured at Chicamauga assure me that
lhey ana their men were robbed Of
everything Many Of them lost coats,
mas ~ ana boots, rs soon as captured, and
saen were nearly starved or frozen. On
me nlght Of the 18th December. I re-
eeiyed 2 communication, parportine 10
come from one in authority STATING
that Tor 800 in grsenbacks' and i've
iTer watches, myself and friend ,,vo,,i5
De permitted % pass The guard