The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-03-07
aioarv health. 1a0a,t know the numbers brought


from other prisons
During the time these prisoners were there,
the deaths were from 10 tc 40 per day. The
forms of sickness were typhus fever, dysentery,
'diarrhna, rheumatism and scurvy. These were
the principal diseases. Many cases of scurvy
were brought there-this disease was produced
by want of vegetable diet Typhus fever was
produced by being crowded together. Rheuma-
tism by the cold and being badly clad. Most OF
the prisoners were suffering with dysentery and
chronic darrhna when they arrived. l don't
know of other causes of disease among the pri-
soners, except tiuk some were caused by short
ness of rations.
Many of the prisoners suffered from frost bite
and many died from the effects of it. The num-
Der of deathswas increased by want OF shelterand
proper clothing I think there was hospital
record of deaths in the prison, kept by Mr. Davis,
N parotcd prisoner / don't know that all the
deaths were entered on this record The sur
,geons had nothing to do with keeping it.
There were four or five, perhaps more wells in
the enclosure, and the prisoners had access to the
creek and also brought water from the wells in
town. don't know as to the supply of water
that the wells within the enclosure afforded
When the prisoners were brought to the hospi-
tails they were generally in filthy and lousy con-
dition If they had plenty of water, they had
not made use of it; there was plenty of water in
the hopital for drinking purposes-don't know as
to washing, Mr.. Davis had charge of that matter,
and he reported directly to DR.. Curry. The deaths
spoken of included all who died in prison, both
In the hospital and in the yard The hospitals
were small and only the worst cases were carried
to the hospitals, good many got well and a good
many died. The sick were badly supplied with
medicines; acquisitions for medicines were made
once month, but we did not get what we made
acquisitions for. The diet was beef, potatoes,
soup, and, sometimes cotFee-so far as 1 know,
the diet was the same in the hospitals that it was
outside in the prison, except the coffee. There
were few hunks, sometimes we had straw for the
prisoners in the hospitals, and sometimes not,
where there were no hunks the prisoners were laid
On the floor, along each side of the house. Hos
pital, No, g. was outside, and was used for the
guards; some prisoners of war, l think fifteen or
twenty, were pnt in that hospital, some paroled
prisoners and some brought from inside; this
hospital had hunks and some of the hunks had
was merely weather boarded and was warmed by
stoves; perhaps there were some few political
prisoners carried there.
The prison was policed by prisoners and kept
as clean as circumstances would permit. l saw
the police at work every day-think lime was
used at the sinks, but am not certain.
CROSS EXAMINED.
Dr. Curry was chief Surgeon when was first
appointed after his DEATH Dr. Wilson was. They
reported part Of the time to the Surgeon General,
and part of the time to- the Medical Director
The Surgeon General visited the prison at Sails
bury. Reports of the condition of the prison
were made, but do not know if they were made
weekly. The chief Surgeon at Salisbury fire.
quently applied to the higher medical authorities
at Richmond for relief for the prisoners, but with
out success; no relief was furnished These appli-
cations were frequently made both by the chief
Surgeon and by Maj. Gee; there was no change
made on these applications Most of our medical
stores were obtained from the Medical Purveyor
at Charlotte; some few from Richmond, but we
did not get what we asked for except very few.
The authorities at Richmond were kept fully adj
vised of the condition of the prison. 1t was the
Quartermasters duty to furnish hunks for the
hospitals frequently heard Maj Gee urge both
Maj. Moffit and Capt. Goodman to have hunks
prepared for the prison hospitals-I heard this
several times.
Q. Whose duty was it to furnish furniture for
the hospitals?
A. 1t was the Quartermaster's do not know
where the papers of the chiefsurgeon, Dr. Curry,
are of my own kDeWledpe
The greaterpart of the prisoners were suffering
with dysentery and diarrhea when they reache,.
Salisbury; many from effects of previous confne-
ment the larger portion of those brought from
other prisons were suffering in that way; don't
know whether the largest portion of the prison
ers had been in other prisons, great many were
brought from Lees and Johuston's armies
Those brought from prisons were more liable to
disease from the fact Of their having been in
prison. Most 0. them were suffering with hunger
when they arrived at Salisbury; they were very
much emaciated when they came, those of them
that were from other prisons-they were all suf-
fering for food and water when they got there,
some more than Others, but all were suffering The
condition of the prisoners, when they arrived,
was calculated to produce the diseases l have
testified to, and cause great deal of mortality.
There was one of the hospitals inside, for the use
of the prisoners of war; furnished in the same way
as the one outside.
The witness pointed out the location on the
map: it was the second story of the large brick
building, in which there were thirty or forty
hunks He explained, that the first floor of the
building was used for convalcseents, the second
for the sick, and the third for conyicts and polit
jed prisoners; that there were two or three of
the smaller hospitals, also, which had hunks, one
of them, marked No. on the map, being much
better stted up than the one outside used for the
guard. This was used for patients requiring sur
gical operations ON account of frost bite or that
were brought there wounded from the army-
After some further explanation in regarhto the
prison hospitals, the examination proceeded
In those of the hospitals where there was no
hunks, some of the patients had straw and some
mot 1 have known Maj. Gee to try to get straw
for the hospitals: he urged the Quartermaster to
procure 1t, and in some instanc es I have known
she Quartefmaster to press straw for the hospi-
tails.
There were police parties to attend to the San
itary condition of the prison, daily; their duty
wasas well performed as it could be under the
circumstances mean by 'under the circuin.
stances " that there was great deal of rain, and
the prison was very muddy, and it was moi
1ten the grounds could be swept-the filth that
accumulated was carried off in carts--tfe bitches
were open and kept clean as they could be-
The ground was not covered with green tur
when the prisoners first arrived; there was grass
but not enough to form turf
q Was not the condition of the privies and
sinks as COED as the condition of the prison al
lowed?