The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-03-14
[BY OUR OWN SPECIAL REPoRrER1
Trial Of Major John Il. Gee.
TENTH DAY.
MORNING SESSION.

MARCH 5th, 1866.
The Court met pursuant to adjournment-all
the members being present.
The Journal of Friday was read and ap-
proved.
Defense asked the privilege to summon num-
ber of witnesses to testify as to character of the
prisoner, which the Judge Advocate had refused
to have subpenaed. The Judge Advocate stated
his reasons for refusing 10 subpoena the witnesses
named. The Court took time to deliberate on the
petition.
Joseph Long called and sworn-I am 35 years
of age-live in EdgecOmbe county, was priso-
ner in Salisbury in lS5i for desertion suppose,
was what was called CONVICT worked out
side some, under guard-assisted in burying the
dead about three weeks-went out in the last of
October, think it was.
@. State how the dead were buried, in regard to
number in certain space ofground.
[Objected to, objection overrulcd.
A. There was a trench dug suppose about six
feet wide, We put them down side by side thick
as VIC could lay them, sometimes one on top be
tween two, what call doubling-the length of
trenches we filed during the three weeks was
there was perhaps, hundred yards lung-we
finished two, and started another which was
think, about half filed
WITNESS pointed out fiom the map the way the
trenches were dug, namely, running from the rail
road tOwarus the creek, and the trenches sue
ceeding each other westward.
CROSS EXAMINED
We were under the guard when we went to
bury the dead; didn't have regular guard, but
went under whatever guard was sent-don't know
who the guard received their orders from never
heard them say-the sergeant of the guard there
furnished us the implements to work with-the
dead were generally laid side by side; they were
laid crossways of the ditch-the political priso-
ners and others in the prison were not buried in
the same way the prisoners of war were-the
rebel prisoners were buried in collins the time
stayed there-there were a good many of these
perhaps 25 or 80, buried in this way during the
three weeks I was assisting them. The guard
gave us orders how to bury the dead, we were
under them and worked by their orders-we had
two or three different sergeants, and we had
new guard every day.
twas conscripted into the rebel service un der the
first conscript act, in July 1868; think was en-
rolled in July-I deserted near Fredericksburg,
soon after the Fredericksburg fight; it was in
March; think it must have been 1861 belong
ed to Co. c. End N. c., Regiment, Capt. Whit
field, when deserted suppose it was in 1854 1
buried the dead-I think it was in the months I
have named because, l know it was; because 1
was there, and know it was-I know it was the
time said because this is 1866 and last year was
1865, and know stayed at home last ycar-that
is the only way fix the month was thcre-I
live in Edgecombe county, N, c.; my post office
is Tarboro' or Rocky Mount, either one-I was
summoned to be q witness here, is how ! come to
be one.
REDIRECT.
1 had been in the army five or six months when
deserted.
Edmund Ireland called and sworn - years
old; resides in Medford, Mass.-was I aiken prise
ner the 10Th Aug, 1854, on the Wilm ington rail-
road-I belonged to Co. c, 29th Mass, Regiment
was carried first to Libby: stayed over night,
and was then carried to Belle stayed there
six weeks ond was then carried TO Salisbury
reached Salisbury about 9th Oct-th ere were then
about 5000 or 5000 prisonesrs there "a few days
after more came-thcre were 400 or 500 went in
the squad did-there were some there when we
arrived, and more came afterward- went to Sails
bury on 9Th Oct, and was released 22nd Feb
sixteen men Of my company entered the prison
there with me-half this mum Der died during their
confinement. When we first went, there was no
shelter, little while after, about two weeks or
more, the squad Iwasin got fly tents, open at both
both ends-the were16 of the squad Twas in-gen-
orally the prisoners had very poor tents, many of
them burrowed in the ground, most ofthem built
frcplaces with the mud, for their tents-those
that could, crawled under the buildings in the
yard-don't think more than q third of the men
/ had tents-rations were generally bread and soup
drew meat about once fortnight, / think; a
piece about as large as my two fingers-the ment
was the poorest part of the animal, generally the
head-sometimes tripe uncleaned-the soup was
rice boiled in water in proportion of two
spoonfuls of rice to pint of water-when meat
was issued, the soup was o little greasy-drew
about two spoonfuls of molasses at time, three
times-potatoes once, four small ones to each
man, las to the suffering it was unspeakable-
have seen men pick up bones ont of human excre-
ment, clean them and crack them for the grease
inside-have seen them pick mp corn and eat it
raw--what we got for one days nations was not
enough for one good meal--sometimes we went
q day without rations-at one time IS hours with