The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-02-28

came they had no shelter-th tents were furnish
ed as soon as they could be got from Richmond
and Petersburg, perhaps within two weeks after
they arrived, do not recollect exactly the tents
were Of different kinds, some A. tents, some wall
tents. When the prisoners arrived the number
was sent to tho post commissary and he funishs
ed the rations, i don't know what arrangement
he had made. 1t was my duty to ascertain tho
number of prisoners and report it to the COM
mander of the prison, Maj. Gee, and he gave the 4
order for the rations the form for these requisi-
lions was the regular form, printed; the amount /
of rations cannot tell-the kind was beef, Hour,
meal, rice and sorghum and some bacon-the
beef, on the whole was inferior, it was poor; the
meat, and sometimes the heads, tripe, liyers and
lights, were given the prisoners the tripe was
sent in, all that saw, with the contents emptied
out-the head tripes, &C., mentioned, sometimes
were given without the other meat, and sometimes
all were given together. s
Meal or flour and rice were issued to the priso-
ners with the meat The prisoners did not get
meat daily--I don't know how long l have known
them to go without meat, cannot tell only
gave the number entitled to rations-the rice was
made into soup by putting it in the broth OF the
beef and when there was no beef it was cooked in
the water alone, suppose can't tell the proper
tions. it was thin enough to flow into apan when
cooked-there was no regular allowance OF this
soup to the prisoners, they had as much as tney-
could use-the prisoners some days received NO
other rations than this rice soup, am not pos
tive, but think so-don't know how long they
were confined to this soup alone. There was no
clothing furnished the prisoners.
There was no other shelter than the tents fur
nished the prisoners of war, the political prlso-
ners occupied the house before the others came
the tents would accommodate about 5000 OF the.
prisoners-the. estimate was forty men to the
Sibley tents and ten to the wall tents, don't know
how MANY to the common tents-prisoners slept
on the ground with their blankets-don't know
how many had blankets, think that hardly half had
the soil in the prison was muddy clay after rain;
tine mud was something over shoe mouth deep, IN
some places deeper, and in some not SO deep-am
not able to tell how much wood was furnished
the prisoncrs-it was of various sizes, an able
bodied man could carry the largest sticks-o two
occasions the rations vert given the prisoners
raw, because the bakery was out OF repaii-at
these times the prisoners had nothing given them
to chop their wood, the prisoners of war had an
axe at the bakery.
The hospital for the prison guard was outside
the prison enclosure-it was considered very good,
had hunks and mattresses, and comforters.
WITNESS described the locality ofthis hospital
This hospital was about fifteen steps from the
stockade-the prison hospitals were inside-they
were not SO well keptl visited them SO seldom
that cannot decribe them-they had no hunks
think they had straw on the foor] did not visit
all of them saw three four-horse loads of straw
unloaded inside the enclosure, that was all re-
member seeing; prisoners got water partly inside
and partly at a creek outside-there were five
wells inside the enclosure.
O. Did the prisoners have water enough to
supply their wants?
| Objected to by the defense and withdrawn.
There was no water furnished the prisoners for
other than drinking purposes. The prison sinks
were at the south part of the enclosure, inside.
@. What means were taken to cleanse or purify
| these sinks?
| AN argument here arose as to the latitude, in
| regard to the time to be covered blythe examine
ton, and decided to embrace the period when
Maj. Gee had charge of the prison
Answer-the ditch was SO arranged as to be
damned up, when it rained, and filled with water,
and then opened to allow the water to run out Of
| the enclosure strong scent arose from these
| sinks at times-don't know how far outside the
enclosure it reached; did not perceive it at the
commanders headquarters, which were just out
| side short distance. The dead-house was near
about the centre of the enclosure.
@. How long were dead bodies allowed to re-
main there before being removed?
| [Objected to, on grounds urged against SINH
lar question to witness, Brawley, yesterday
The question was then varied.
| @. Was there any unpleasant odor arising from
| the dead-house?
| A. The scent was unpleasantin the dead-house;
don't know whether from the dead or not-don't
know how long dead bodies were left there I'M
buried at any one time; to my knowledge, not
| more than one day mean twenty-four hours
| the Sergeant attending that duty, had orders to
bury, during the day, all who were placed in the
dead house; the wagons were running during
the day to convey them to the graye-yard.-The
average number OF deaths, per day, cannot give,
| but can give the total number of deaths from the
first arrival of the prisoners to the time they left
can't answer as to the average of deaths per
] day-I left the reports at head quarters. in Feb
ruary-I did not return to Salisbury after this,
til after the surrender of Johnston's army-did
not go to the prison on my return to Salisbury.
lThe Judge Advocate asked if he would be re-
quired to prove the destruction of the records of
the prison at Salisbury before he could introduce
evidence to show the contents of the records
The Court asked, if the defense would admit
the loss of the record ofdeaths.
THE defense stated, that with the concurrence of
the prosecution, the destruction of the records of
the prison would be admitted, but the defense
was not prepared to admit the destruction of any
particular part of the records unless the destruc-
ton of that particular part was clearly proved
Resumed.
@. When did these prisoners leave Salisbury
| A. In February-don't recollect what day-a
part of them were sent by way of Wilmington and
part by Petersburg and Richmond-rolls of these
were made by several of the prisoners, under di-
rection of officer of the PRISON. assisted-about
$500 were sent by way of Wilmington
know how many by Petersburg and Richmond
don't know how many left Salisbury-there was
such confusion and hurrying to get off, it was
impossible to tell how many left-don't know
how many were in prison a few days before the
prisoners left for Wilmington and Petersburg.
If were to guess at it would say about 5000.
have no recollection of the least number drew
rations for about that time
Twas presentata conversation between Mai. Gee
and Gen. Winder-GeD. Winder was Brig Gen.,
and commanded the prison department, as I'M
| derstand-this conversation occurred in Mai