Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-13

Ihe following evidence, adduccd upon the Wir2
trial yesterday, shows the extremity to which the
Confederate soldiers and citizens were reduced dur
ing the war for want of food:
Col, +. G, Rufin sworn:-Witness resides near
Rlchlnond, a. and during the last two wears was
Lieut. Colonel III the Subsistence Department of the
Confederate States His duties were those of Assis
tant COmmssary General. From the beginning there
was more less scarcity of provisions and stems
were taken with great carnestness to procure n sniff
cient amount of supplies for the inhabitants The
scarcity increased to the point OF priyation from near
ly all supplies. Coffee, meat and flour became very
deficient. Gen. Lees army at the clese of the war
was living on corn meal. They had 10000 barrels of
flour stored in Richmond for Lees army when the
campaign ofthc kapdan opened and all that flourwas
used by the Federal prisoners. Gen Lees army then
commenced using corn meal brought from Georgia
Gen. Lee complained of the suleriugs of his army
from the lack OF vegetables, and the only thing they
99uld get was onions run through the blockade from
DernluoS Inc prlFatlons on the part OF the iu!ab
ltantS OF richmond were great. Hospitals at Rich
mona had TO rely IN great measure ON the cOntrbu-
tons OF private lndlyldua The of privation
werc-ls That the Southern States had to depend on
importations OF meat for supplies. "a. The deficiency
OF railroad transportation; and 81. The depreciation
OF the enrrency The principal cause Of the INSULT
cheney OF the railroads was the succession of raids by
the Federal troops. In hespring oflS62 when the Con
federate army was withdrawn from the Peninsula the
meat ration was reduced to one third OF pound; and
when the army was wlntering along the Rapidan the
meat ration was reduced to one-quarter of Il pound
The flour and bread ration equally reduced and
IN many Instances the ratio inferior that
the authorities were compelled ship coffee through
the blockade for the men, as to make the rations
paiataDle. 1nere was always struggle lefWepn thp
eltlzcns ana the army Tor supplies, and the prison
hospitals, with their own, always had the preference
The ratlOns OF the well prisoners were the same MS
those issued to their guards. The wagon transDorto
ton also very insufficient aud in the last wear of
the war they had nearly entirely abandoned their
railroad system OF transportation The most serious
interruption was that OF kauZs raid on the Danyille
road when the army at Richmond was cut off for "A
days from supplies, with only days raons of flour
After Sheridans raid up the valley all supplies had
to be brought from Georgia. Witness knew nothing
about the condition of the subsistence department AT
Andersonville; was familiar with the treatment Of
prisoners Richmond from the fall of 1863 to Jnnr
ary, 1864. Witness did not know that any of their
troops died from actual starvation but great mum bers
did lose their lives from the scarcity and bad quality
sent TO Andersonvlle because of its being in pro-
ductive region. When rations became SO scarce the
ratons OF prisoners their guards and all officers and
soldiers on light duty were smaller than those of the
troops in the field and the commandant of the prison
at Andersonvle could not have increased the pris-
oners ratlons without violating orders.
A RACE AGAINST TIME-THE MosT RAPID
TRoTTING on REcoRD.-An exciting race took
place yesterday at Fashion Course. Long
Island, the young Hambletonian geding Dex.
ter trotting against time. Mr.. Z. Y. w.
Snedeker wagering $4,000 to $1,000 that the
horse could not trot mile in = minutes and
10 seconds. He was allowed three trials, to
go as he pleased. There were between three
and four thousand persons present. The bet
ting was largely against the horse, many per-
sons having offered odds of ten to one that he
would not make the required time Dexter
went under saddle, and was ridden by John
Murphy. The horse won the match, trotting
the mile at the first trial in two minutes
eighteen and one-ffth seconds, and making
the best time on record. Flora Temples best
time was 2;l93 in harness. and Butler made
2:2o under saddle,-N. !. Post, 11th.