Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-12

bread was selling for five cents q loaf in
the Federal square, it was eagerly sought
for in Little Dixie at fifty cents and prices
even higher. The guards used TO bring it
in, as they could secrete it under their
overcoats, TO sell on private speculation.
Evidence even more convincing is the fact
that, at later date, when the prison
sutler learned how TO turn an honest
penny, by smuggling in provisions and
selling them in direct but secret violation
of the rigid prohibition from Washington,
a low grade of fine -four, which could not
have cost more than five, OF at the utmost
six dollars per barrel Gnasmuch as good
superfine was quoted daily at seven to
eight dollars) was sold as fast as it could
be unloaded at tlUe1lty doIJdrSper barrel
This, as well as every other statement
in this narrative, can be abundantly proven
by thousands of witnesses.
RECEPTION OF DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
One day Gen. Sweet and retinue OF
visitors, among them q foreign ambassa-
dor, made a tour of the prison, riding
through in open barouches. When the
cortege was passing barrack No. 5, its
significance became rumOred, and shout
went up: "BREAD! BREADim
HOW OUR oOURTEsIEs WERE RETURNED.
In two hours an order was promulgated
resembling the bread rations of barrack No.
8 for two days. Famine ratiOns sus-
pended for two days! 1t was further de-
creed that any man found guilty of giving
or furnishing bread to any man of bar
rack No. 3 during the prescribed period,
should be severely punished.
The first clause of this order was rigid
ly enforced; but the last one was as i'm
potent as the mandate of King Canute TO
the ocean. Those days were days of
feasting rather than of fasting 10 the men
| of baTTack No. 3.
PHILOSOPHY OF APPETITE.
Those readers, at least, who have cam
paigned, win understand that the appetite
may become blunted by fasting until the
craving for food becomes dormant-in a
| condition to be aroused to keen activity
| by few mouthfuls This was the nor
NAL status of the appetite of the prisoners.
The slice of bread and pittance of meat
issued to them twice a day were but
enough TO awaken hunger TO painful
craving, which could not be appeased
To escape a portion of this torment it was
a prevalent custom to save the morning
ration until evening, eat both issuances at
! once, and so evade one period of pain.
/ Many prisoners resorted further to the
| dangerous expedient Of fasting tIpO or
| more ddyS, in order 10 save the allow
ance for what they termed "bait "
that is, something approximating to sat
| isfsctiOu of hunger. In very many in
| stances death resulted from thus over
| tasking the stomach accustomed to much
| lighter duty. The surgeons often in
formed the writer, while giving in dead
mans diagnosis, that this was the case.
BOXES NOT GOING BEGGING.
On the AndcrSOnville trial, much stress
was laid upon a few instances in which
men had been seen gnawing bones In
| Camp Douglas the Rebel surgeons drew
full hospital rations, sick mans allow
ance, but about enough for Rebel sol
| der 10 subsist upon without serious incOn-
yenience. They also often procured adj
ditional supplies by judicious use OF
| greenbacks. As a consequence, the bones
of their table were not closely gnawed
and broken up by them, but were cast
out into bone barrel Luxurious piece OF
kitchen furniture) which stood outside,
hardly the kitchen door. There was
usually a number of eXpeCtant Rebels
hanging near this door, and as often as
lot of bones were thrown into the barrel
there was an eager scramble for them.
| WORSE THAN OLIVER TWISTED.
A poor fellow was shot dead by a
guard one day for saying he scrambled in
that barrel for a bone, because he was al
most starved. This guard was. Wiz
was tried and hanged, but the officers OF
Northern prisons have not had their trial
vet. When they are arraigncd the cvl,
denCc will be forthcoming and abundant.
| The Just DEGREES of Heaven is rewardlng
some according to their deeds already.
OPENING OUT OF A NEW TIRN.
General Sweet, the Commandant OF
; Camp Douglas during the famine era, ol
the last twelve months, was a married
man. So also was B. F. Nightingale, the
, prison suffer These Christian gentlemen
J had married sisters, and moved by The
} tie of this relationship, the General haC
, used his official influence to obtain th'
t appointment of the latter as sutler to thu
g prisoners. Mr.. Nightingale had beer
r. a suffer in the Federal square, where hi
stock was light and his gains small. Hi
: | capital, at the extreme figure, was not a
much as five hundred dollars.
G HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITHOUT CAPITAL.
5 But the mere appointment would enabl
| any man to open out astOck worth scYcra
+ thousand dollars, bought for cash and pal,
f for without dollar of legitimate capital
The financial operation was quite safe an'
simple. Whenever after proiracted clos
c the suffers store was opened, there wa
t always a rush and jam for tickets. to
= this reason, any sutler announcing his IN
e tentiOn to open out a stock within give
j. number of DAYS, could always readily Sc
t. tickets in advance TO the amount of sewers
:. thousand dollars. For these tickets b
p received from the prisoners their order
n on the Federal cashier. The suite
Is could cash these orders within an houl
e invest the money in a stock, and
o completc the beautiful operation
o In truth, almost without realizing IT. u
Ie prisoners advanced a heavy capital, witt
2. out interest or security, to an ungratet'
W ShvloCk, who turned it against them
l. mighty instrument of bold eXtOrlon an
II | mOOODOlN. DlIlCJ blNtlS AloAA W ot'4il
&c ton prohibited the admission of provision
a sent to prisoners by their friends. II
n sutler was forbidden 10 sell them anythiT
rs that could be eaten. Tobacco was Il
ty only thing allowed which any one Won
I'D wish TO put into his mouth. 1t was t
st, pelicy Of the government TO put the pr
lii Oners on famine TatiOns, cut off eve
er other means of supply, and thusreduce
physical stamana so that the men won
vs. become an easy prey TO death by cold a
or pestilent disease.
le. DEATH IN THE POT.
Every circumstance of our Condiu'
pointed cOnclusively TO this conviction
C. the famine rations, prohibitoTy orde
it frelcss barracks, strawless hunks, an
,ss after many other damning evidences, Il
I'm hut not least significant, the almost
it, credible truth that while fearfully ia
on epidemic was ravaging the camp, tn
lai was not within the reach of the cal
by surgeons, an ounce of preventive or Gu
ity tive medicines They were appealed
lld urgently, but withheld by orders dir
from Washington. But Of this ans
he AGAR
to s---s-~.--s-.a-----s--------
ply Keep the Circulation Active
ilV free and regular circulation Of the blood Is
Ia sential to health. 1t places the whole system