Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-10-13

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oner's counsel, written by the prisoner 10 th,
| rebel authorities, authorizing and suggesting al
improvement ia the quality Of the bread furnish
ed 10 the prisoners, and an abundance Of buck cts
also urging q supply Of shoes for the paroles
prisoners who were at work for the Confederacy
thus saving expense and relieving rebel soldiers
Colonel F. @. Rufin testified that be resides
near Richmond. and during the war was Lieu
tenant Colonel in tae Subsistence Depart ment o.
the Confederate States army; there Was q def
eieney of Comnisssry supplies. and from the be
ginning OF the war more or less scarcity; hs
| would not say any on the point o.
starvation, but there was much privatien; 81 ,00I
| barrels Of flour had accumulated 81 Richmond in
| the spring OF 1864 but the whole of that reserve
vas consumed By the Union prisoners therefore
the army of General Lee had TO subsist on corr
bread, the meal having to be brought mainl
from Georgia; al Coal Harbor, vegetables were
so scarce that General Lee made an urgeRt Appli
cation 10 the War Department: the men. for want
Of vegetables were suffering from scurvy, diar
rhaa, &c their recovery was necessary in order
that they might return TO the field; the Commits
sary Department then imported onions from the
Island Of Bermuds, through the blockade; wit
ness also testified that supplies were short
throughout the entire South. for reasons which
be stated.
Cross examined by Col. Chapmaa-witnes,
knew nothing about the Apdersonyille prison
| but the prisoners we're removed from Richmond
to Andersonville because the supplies were prin-
| cipally drawn from Georgia; be did not know
that any Of the Confederate soldiers starved be-
cause Of an insuficency OF food. but he had
heard that some OF them lost their lives because
of its unwholesomeness
r. II Kellogg who had testified for the prose-
cution was called for the defence
Questien-During the time you were at An
dersonville did yea ever hear or know Of Can't
Wirz kicking, striking or shooting man so that
he died
Ansser-I did not
Cross ext mined-WiIz had q character for
cruelty and brutality and was profane and insult
ing TO the prisoners: they were badly treated and
naturally supposed he was responsible for their
abuses; Shermans raiders who had been brought
iuiwere robbed Of nearly everything they had
some had on merely shirts and pants; witness did
not say that Wirz did not kill or shoot any one
but be did not see him do so.
Al the suggestion of Judge Advocate Chap
man, cross examination of the witness was sus-
pended. in order that the book written by Mr..
Kellogg relative to the sufferings of and cruel
ties TO the Union prisoners at Andersouville could
be sent for
Mr.. J. S b French, an officer in the Confeds
rate comms'sry department., testified to the de-
fciency Of supplies in the winter OF 1863 and
spri & OF 1854. The rations in the army were
reduced to vegetables imported from Bermuda
through the blockade for FIVE months preceding
the evacuation of Richmond There was never
ten days supplies on hand for the army of Gen
Lee Gen Lee compsined of the reduction Of
rations
Cross examined-The witness said il was
owing 10 the want OF transportation facilities that
corn was scarce in Richmond they did not i'm
port wheat or flour; he knew nothing about An.
dersonvillc or the meat furnished to the army;
Gen. Lee had bread every day, but several
times telegraphed to Richmond be was without
meat: in such cases the people Of Richmond
would collect supply; Gen Lee informed him
(the wtness) be had frequently been prevented
from moving because OF not having subsistence
for his army.
De. Ray was called for defense Capt wirz.
he said, was sick two thirds if not the whole OF
September. Witness said he told WIZ he ought
TO have his arm treated, but the captain thought
it would get well by his own treatment, be being
a doctor.
Wirz, at the request OF Dir. Baker. here stood
up and exposed his right arm, which 10 much
swollen and infAmsd
Dr.. Ray, after looking at his arm. said il was
as the first day he saw it He looked on it as a
gangrenous ulcer two of the fingers were diss-
oiled; then, as now, be thought the prisoner
could not strike anybody with that arm, or with
anything in is; be might fully defend himself,
bat could not grsppe any one
Cross Observation-Disclosures never saw the pris-
ones IA any belligerent position; he judged of the
condition OF Wrz' arm from the appearance Of
II; he examined the arm for the frat time, in
September, 1864, but had no idea what caused
the wound; Capt. Wirz during that month came
TO the prison whenever ne could-probobly once
twice a week.
Mr.. kellogg here returned with copy of hi.
book, and resumed his place on tho stand
Question by Col. Chapman-Did understand
you to mean, in saying you never heard of GER
tain things having been done by Capt, Wirr, that
such things did not occury
Answer-Not by any means; be it understood
that Capt Wirz brutal, cruel and over
bearing man.
Witness further said that after six raiders were
hanged they had a season OF comparative peace,
but the prisoners soon learned to look upon the
regulators as equally bad; il was diamond cut
diamond; they were the same class Of men; the
regulators did good at frat. by hanging the
raiders.
Col Chapman intended to. but did not ex-
anime the witness as to any part of the book.
j.. W Armstrong, Jr., of Macon. Ca. a Cap
tain u the Comm Office Of the Confederate
service testi6ed when Le first went to Anderson
vile the rations issued TO the Confederate SOL
diers and the Union prisoners were the same;
several Boards of Survey condemned the food
there; Capt. WiII had nothing TO do with the
Commissary supplies excepting to receive them;
Wirz was sick in July, how long be could not
say, but he was out of his head; witness knew
nothing about wirz being sick in August as he
left the post the first of that month; he never
heard of Capt. Wirz beating shooting pris-
oner so he died nor did he ever hear of Con-
federate soldier obtaining furlough for shooting
q L MON prisoner.
Cross examined--Hs did not know whether the
same ra'ions he delivered at the post were sup
piled to the prisoners or not; we had no, so much
difficulty 10 procuring Subsistence as trsnsporta
ton, be would not be familiar with the matter of
giving furoughs if it had been done
Dr. BITES who testified for the prosecution.
was examined for the defense. Witness said he
might say they had no msdieive at the prison;
the surgeons were not permitted 10 prescribe ex-
cept by the numbers CT the remedies having been
previously prepared from roots and herbs and
designated for various diseases; vaccine virus
was poison, even in the normal system, and
its insertion produced dsrious effect, such
vas the depraved condition Of sue system
owing 10 filth, insufficient and unwhoesome
food and absence of shelter. that the slightest
abrasion OF the akin produced gssgrene; as a case
in point. he said prisoner aceideutly struck his
eomraes with ais elbow while they we're lying
together; by this the skin was abfazed near the
teeth in three hours gangrens set in and in three
days the man died; witness characterized the
country around Andersonvills a. = poverty
sfrice tan hang renured IN No.