, 1865-08-25

Dl tHt kc4uly s4ln tAtHua9 W.
appearing store. left few dollars With my
seuernble friend, hoping that this might grant,
st leaEt, partial relief, and then departed IN
the direction OF Jnckson.
APR1S0NER OF WARE THE SOUTH.
His Experiences Of Libby, Belle Island.
Rebel Hospitals, 4anIer~onvii1e ana
mu1cu, u,Duriugn nearly Sixteen Months.
Editors chfeago Tribune;
l was taken prisoner at kelly's Ford, Va,
On the 1st day of August, 1866, by Gen. Stew
arts cavalry scouts, arrived at Richmond on
the 4tb, and went into the south part Of Libby
Prison the same evening. Dick Turner took
US into the Office, into the north paEt, searched
US, took away all our valaab1cs, and then put
US back In the southern part Of the prison
again, where he gave us about two ounces Of
bread and two onnces OF meat as days I'd
tlon for strong hearty man.
On the 9th I was tnken to Belle Island and
staid there until the middle Of December.
While was there saw FIVE men shot down
Tor no cause. Our food WIS one-lalf q loaf ot
corn bread and about one aud half ounces
of meat. Sometimes we had cooked beans
instead of mcat-beans all full Of worms aud
cooked with all the pods and dirt, Just as
they were gathered up on the barn aoor after
thtash1ng. Of such execrable stuff We had
about pint cup apiece. Sometimes they
would be mtsty and some of us would make
complaints to the rebel officers. They would
then tell us that It was good enough for Yam
4&1 1tp .
at all. About the middle Of December, 1866,
l was taken very sick with the chronic diar-
rhca, mud was carricd in an inscnsible eondi-
lion across the tivcr into the city to the Ain
bama Hospital, where siaid scycn days, aud
while I WIS there Ind one or two
slices Of lnrsty wheat bread aul small piece
Of cosnca "horse beef" Tue ward masters
tour own mem were orr murdercrs. should
say they had the best Of everything they want
ed to cat themselves, and sold to tic rebels
what stuff they got Tor the sick persons that
our Sanitary Commission sent, such as crack
crs, canned meats, fruit, pickles, chickens, etc.
They would sit near us and crIuch tho good
things down, while We, poor Skeletons ns VIC
were, dare not ask them for anything, rs they
would threaten not to give us anything for
twenty-four hours. But enough OF that place.
L
staih until Ai1er New YEARS. day, 1854.
While thereI was one lay near thu door when
the rebel sergeant came to the door and told
fifty men Il tllfuk) 10 90 and get some clothes
across the street. We did SO, marched down
the stairs and out OF the doors, and we had 10
stand in thu street for sometime, and as had
hardly my clothes on, In tie open mir, and the
Inc how fell. After while We were emarcl.eA
into the clothing room, and there expected
to find that our northern officers,
who we're TO- make the distribution, wonlA
be pleasant; but instead thereof VIC were
trcaied very grnfBy, and IN one Or two instan-
uniform Of d Federal Lieutenant Colonel. l
only wished I was well and free to thrssh
him; but never mind. drew pair Of pants,
a pair Of stockings and military cap-that
was Ill. 1was then taken back, and when
going across the road was asked BY one Of the
rebs IL did not want 10 give my pants for
fifteen loaycs Of bread. about as large ~ bis,
not yield, staycd there until The 18th OF
January, 1864, when I was taken 10 Belle
Island again, and stayed there until the 18th
Of Febrlary. Then I was taken to Pcmber-
lou prison, and on the 18th {my 1vth birth
dayj was started for AndersonFille, ca,
up at Thomasville, n. c.. On the 18th we
| went into the stockale- We found that about
| two hurdrcd prisoners from Charleston lad
! arrived the day before. ! was nearly dead
from the effects Of starvation and exposure;
but some Of the 1otl Connecticut found me
Two Of them my old toTnsboys.
procured nc some Things, 50 hat
| got on my feet again. Our food, whn
| there was not more tGan 2 ZOO prisoners, con.
sisted Of three half pfnts OF corn meal. four or
five ounces ofbacon; or In place of bacon We
| would get dried salt hocks' heads and slabs Of
| beef sometimes more than We could cat wfh
down our rations and Hnally they got Us dow1,
10 little less than d pint Of meal and piece of
bacon SO small that VIC used to sAy it Was
only 10 grease the way for the meal. SONG
| times they wonfd stop our ratf0ns oil aty
and say they won11 'snalia 1t up to-morrotS +
would le Issued. l forget how many tiuea
they done this, hut II finally got to be IN Old
o. lie 4th Of july, 1854, We got nothing {.
nil. I suppose they wanted 10 make us 81:
fer nil they could on that day, but they could
nut huye done .. better thing to let the YIN
KEGS show Their devotion to Their coua
AZ day nearly, much 10 ihc dlsgts
Fourth Of July, many corpse lying n th
nlh where the poor fellows had droppc.
dead. II was horrible sight to sec stro1:
disease, TO be nothing but skeletons md ldsots
have seen educated men lying In tho gutter
in tho swamp, gasping their last BREATH, will
thousands Of niaernts crawling In the putret
sores in their bodies. They died thus, wifi
no one to lsclp them, no one to care for tl,eln
for no one could tell where be would be Of
the morrow. Every one did all in their powe
to avert the stroke OF dcath,- but u1any thou
sands, who could not stay his afnl, went dow
into the grave, martyrs TO the sactcd cause q
liberty. They died, but they arc cnot forgttc1
Their names and sacrifices vii be preserved
enduring gratitude Of future generations.
| saw nine or ten men shot dead in Anderson
rillc, and have heard guards say they wct
allowed q thirty-six days flir3ough for evei..
prisoner they Slot. While was there / sa'
iwclye black soldiers come In, and they We.
put In my detachment, No. &C. ] was th
Sergeant ut that time Of that SOUND. All {
the negroes were badly wounded, but the
good conduct convinced me negroes wou1
tight, for sprinkler set Of men I never sau
They were captured at Port Hudson, I b
licye.
Afler staying in Andersonyille until II
middle Of August, was taken out aud carrie
to Savannah, Georgia. Our food was raths
better there than Il any other places We ,Fe'
Our ratlons were stopped there, one dag, b
Lieut. Davis, commanding the prison, becan
when he was inside OF tic prison SOHO o.
stole the check line Of his horse. Anythtr
for an excuse to kill the Yankees. After stu
ing there about two mouths We were taken
| aljllen, Gcorgia, to another slockade, whe
We had about the same food rs nt Anderso
! Vile ] saw four men shot at Millcu. y
stayed there until the 11th OF November, 1SG
| when Was taken, with 500 others, to sara
nah, Georgia, whence, on the 10th, We We
taken to our gunboats In the Savannah rive
near Fort Pulaski. When VIC came in sight
the Stars and Stripes, We commenced 10 bu
rall, hut the rebels told us 10 stop, nnd
threats which We feared. When We can
alongside there WIS general rush to get I
board of our boat. Col. Mu1ford stood thcr
, | md took each man by the hand when tn
passed On bo1ra. When It came to my turn
| Stepped up quick, / can tell you. Col. Mr
: ford grasped me- By the hand. "God bic
. tlc tears ran down his checks, and minc
. to sec snch sympathy. 'tGod bless you
Oh how that rings in my cars. Wien I too
, The step from the rebel boat It seemed as
had stepped from Hell to Heaven. lcann
, | tell how felt. After having been prison
for fifteen months and nineteen aaya i scent
) as Il it could not be real to sec Kind fEten
: again but 1t made me dance with JOY.
j went to Annapolis, Nd, md was there taxi
into the hospital, where had good cal
, When ! arrived In Annapolis weighed min
ty.eix pounds IN t,ro months after weigh
! $50 pounds. only think, cightg-{onr poun
intro months. Gun prove 1t by friends, Al
will take oath that / have stated not1N1
; but the truth, leaving much more that / con
tell IT, would not mike the story too long
print. If my one wishes to hear more ito
, me, will tell them If they will address INC
La Sale, Illinois.
, Youra truly,
WILLIAM ". SCRANTON,
, Late private in Co. Z, 5sh regiment &C
{ nectlcut volunteer infantry.