Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-09-16
AppLEMAN's STATEMENT.

''~'''''1 ~ w VI" 'lV"s'NeHL ''Gy t1VCll"
enced.
AprLEMAN's SrArENENr.
We arrived at PbiIsdelphia Mt eight or
nine o'clock in the morning, ISsyl ;A,]
aud were taken to Barracks 7th 6 Bu.son.
wood. there ct noon we obtained some
thing to est--'Iin.cups of soup ald some
bread and ~ eat, which was tbe fys, .yod
| furnished us from the time We hsl been
arrested At the Benton Chursj come
eatables were sent to US from the house o.
John j, Stiles, by bis direction no being
one oi the arrested men, which was all We
had he'd. and my sous were taken from
home before breakfast.
The afternoon of same day-Tlst I've
were taken on to Fort Miifltn and nut IN
Bomb.proof No. g. Going through
long dark arched passage or gapgway Of
about so feet in length from the iron. gra,
ted doors (say Ga feet hi! b in the centre and
or six feet wide) wepass through heavy
double planked and rivited door into the
Bonb-proof, This bomb proof is partly
below the level Of the river is arched over
head and has thickwalls of stone and briek.
By stepping it l and others made its width
to be 9 feet and its length 81 feet. This
was the space alloted to the prisoners, IA
in number. One of the original prisoners
had been discharged when we arrived at
the Fort on the ground that he had been
arrested by mistake,
Air and light were imperfectly admitted
on one side and at one end of the bomb
proof through openings in the wall, per-
| q dO1a in NJ, .hor ha in
may have been inches wide by foot in
height OH the outside, widening towards
the interior, The floor was oil hard earth
or gravel and firm On the sides scant-
ling were laid on the ground length-wise
OF the room and across these boards 5ro
placed, Again at the ends Of the boards
next the wall, short pieces Of scantling or
blocks were placed at intervals end. wise
to the walls, across which boards were
laid, forming a narrow platform mex. .hs
walls few inches high. This constituted
a substitute for pillows, the lower and
wider platform of boards answering the
purpose OF bed A single soldier blank
ct was furnished to each man, but no bet
ding or straw.
, The room was very damp, and at vet
times the water came through the arch
overhead from the earth upon it, dropping
r down in the part fartae-t from tho fire.
There was also sweating Of the side walls
To check the dampness 1t was necessary
to keep up fire constantly in the crate al
f one end Of the room, but this was not suf-
fcient, although attended to night and day.
The fire was useful OIso, to some cxtent,in
aiding the ventilation, and from the chilli
mesa OF The room was required for COM
: Portable warmth oven IN September.
a Our prison fare was as follows; 10
each loaf Of bakers bread for tue day.
One slice Of boiled plrk n beef aud tin
Of coffee IN the morn e ono tiG Of bean
; or pea soup at dinner, and tin of coffee
= at night. On three or four occasions we
f drew potatoes boiled in tho skin instead
Of soup at dinner. Several times the meaa
J was not good, and five or six times there
n was none furnished
e The prisoners however purchased pro,
is visions for themselves, TO some extent, at
. enormous rates. The expense incurred
in this way was very oonside able uuring
. the time Iremaincd in confinement.
One half single candle wa furnished
l. at nights for the whole room, and wo wo.l
d obliged to procure lights al our own e.
- pense.
- A Glth-tub was furnished us made b.
! saving barrel across tho middle Stand
y ing upright CT the closed end, II stick was
c run across it through holes borea Il lttls
d way below the top. Thus provision was
i made for It's being carried by !wc men. 1t
" had no cover. For about three weeks il,
! n
j. sage, outside the door of our prison room,
d during the daytime. Afterwards, upon
- my application, we were permitted TO keep
it during tho day. in an euPty room ad-
% joining the gang way. Two of the pris-
> oners went out with it occasionally under
guard. Always at night it was neoessari-
~ ly kept in our room, the door being lock-
?. ed. This whole matter was great griev-
ance.
= The prisoners were mostly over 40 years
J OF age, all accustomed to active employ
- ments, upon whom imprisonment bore Sc
O yerely. About the end Of September VIM.
e. Roberts and John Yorks were taken
y sick with bowel complaints aud were re-
!, moved to The hospital near the Fort
t, Roberts died about ten days afterwards.
= Fellow Clnzens, before these arrests
is we're made, General Cadwalader had been
ID up Fishing Creek, and came back to
d Bloomsbury, and there had long secret
y conferences with leading abolitionists OF
-s that place. After these conferences we're
{. oyer, the arrests were mado; aud when
e my friends who BOW sit on the platform
d behind me, were being marched down to
e BlOomsburg towards evening, without any
is thing to cat having bcea furnished them,
h they met my lord General CadwaIadcr
jourDeying az his leisure up the creek, in
Ie all the glory Of shouIder-slraPs and all the
81 insolenco of Federal place and power, he
- passed them without speaking to them.
Let us return once moro to the letter Of