The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-05-13
Origiaal.
For the REPUBLICAN,.
PRISON LIFE.
No. H..
BY A PRISONER.

Now commenced system of treat
ment that was worse than we received
at Ahdersonvillc Our food had to
be furnished by the surrounding coun-
try, and considering that it was al
ready drained to support the rebel
army, it looked like starvation. And
it did approach very nearit. Our ra-
tions were divided by the spoonful.
I find in my diary the following note
of our rations: "IIalfa pint of coarse
meal and four spoonfuIs of bcGhs." Z"
zone and a half hard tack, four spoon
tuls of meal and little molasscs." +"
"A pint of meal" Gone pint of rice"
Remember these were rations for
twenty-four hours. Did ever prison
ers suffer more than we? 1t was with
lis one continued hungcring. We lay
down to sleep and dreamed of deli
cious food brought almost to our lips,
but some rude hand would snatch it
away, and we awakened to stern real
tiles. Every one felt he was slowly
starving. Nothing but the most de-
termined courage kept us alive. So
soon as one lost hope, in that moment
he commen ced to die.
On Sunday the 81 of October, we all
Were put intc a new prison that had
been made by the slaves. This wos Il
little better, as there was plenty Of
wood and water, though the inevitable
swamp and black ditch were there to
breed fevcrs and all pcstilcntes. |
never so near gave up all hope as
when the gates were closed upon us.
1t seemed to shut out every ray of
light from the rth-land-"God's
country" we called it. | do not re-
member the name of the officer in
charge of us. One officer | remember
-Barritt, the red-headed licnd of Flo
renee. May God have mercy on his
soul, for he was killed ere the war
closed. Such a systematic wretch |
never saw. He never came into the
prison without a revolver, with which
he drove the miserable captivesaround.
Satan's language was outdonc in his
cpithets. "Booting' sick men was a
pleasant exercise with him. His acts
were reported to the commander, but
no notice was taken of them. Gen
Winder came in once, but he would do
nothing.
Another evil was the brutality ofsome
of our own men. The strong robbed
the weak and there was no redress.
Even the police could not wholly re-
strain the crime. The Irish were the
most cruel in their tyranny. One es-
recially, Stanton, was worse than Bar
ritt. He killed two prisoners, think,
while in prison. After his release he
was sent to the Rip-Raps. 1t was
unusual for him to pass day without
whipping some weak or sick prisoner.
But one day he met his match. He
was about to whip man, when Bar
titt pulled out his revolver and put
ting it to the Irishman's head, told
him to "go ahead" but he didn't.
Those prisoners who obtained pa
roles to work about the prison, some-
times took the opportunity to escape.
When caught the usual punishment
was hanging by the thumbs. Is there
a more fendish torture? Several
times did the prison ring with their
screams for mercy.
1t was now getting cold and no
clothes were given to us to keep death
in this new form away. A lot of
clothes did come from the Sanitary
Commission North; but half of it was
kept by the rebels. The rest was
distributed to the most needy. l tore
my shirt to get new one, but failed
and had to mend my old one. Inever
washed my clothes in three. months.
To have done SO would have torn
them in pieces.
Every morning at sunrise we were
called up by a drum and made to
stand shivering for fifteen minutes till
foll-callwas over. About once a week
the whole camp would be moved to
enc side Of the ditch aad. after staying