The Portland daily press., 1876-03-29
Rebel Prisons.

Rebel Prisons.
had secret ways of almost weekly commune
cation with the government and this was the
way OF it, AT the time of my admission to the
Libby Prison, there were in it several captured
chaplains and surgeons. 1t was arranged short.
ly after, that as these were non combatapts
they should be sent off to Washington and such
officers ON both sides were henceforth speedily
released after their capture. had an abund-
ant supply of writing materials received from
the sanitary commission, and among other mat
ters, had quantity of very thin French note
paper. Upon half a sheet of this paper no
larger than ones hand. an ample communica-
tion could be written, by employing very small
characters packed closely in crowded lines.
The military button is hollow, the exterior of
i: almost hemisphere, and this can be easily
detached from the ''plate," or fiat part, by The
point of knife. A half-sheet of this French
paper could be easily put into button and the
hemisDhercal part of it restored to its original
place, so that the whole was as perfect as it
was oeiore. by many of the returning sur
geons and cbaplains l was in constant commu-
nicatlon with the Secretary of War and with
the President, keeping them informed of every
thing that was transpiring in rebeldom. With
in the prison we had abundant means of infor-
nation as to everything that took place.
Every morning early we were aroused from our
lairs upon the floor by the deep resoupdinr
voice of "Ben" passing through all the wards
and calling out Great news in de papersl
Great news in de papersT' All the morn
ing papers and those of the evening before
were brought to US by Ben, and sold for twenty
tive cents each. We had in this way not ouly
ihe Richmond papers but those from all parts
OF Dxie, containing detailed accounts of
everything that occurred down South"
These papers were often printed upon the blank
side OF wall paper, they had only two pages
single leaf-and sometimes the paper was of
so dark shape that it was difficult to make
out what was impressed upon it.
Inc preparations to blow up the prison, and
the open threat that it would be done if an
attack should be made upon Richmond by the
loyal forces produced considerable sensation
among some of the prisoners. The departing
surgeons and chaplains were exborted upon
heir arrival at Washington to entreat the
Secretary of War to make no attempt rpon
tie city because it would involve the destruc-
ZION of "the Libby" with all the prisoners.
At every opportunity after the affair wrote
both to the President and Mr. Stanton en-.
reatiug that no attention should be paid to
this, because eleven hundred lives could not be
expended in any other way to be of so much
service to the country, for the reason that the
loyal North would be fred with burning in
dignation at such an atrocity, and the civil
ized world would be electrified with horror
aud even Lord Wharncliffe would not dare to
utter word of sympathy with men capable of
such brutality nor with the cause in behalf of
which the deed was done.
From the rebel papers we obtained minu'e
information as to the condition of the South,
It's destitution of everything needful 10 prose.
cutlon OF the war. The scarcity of food was
very great, amounting almost TO famine, so
that sometimes the rebel troops 10 the field
were forced to subsist upon the corn taken
from the growing plant and roasted, or rather
parched at the camp-fres, for this corn was
quite bard and nearly ripe. For many days in
succession the soldiers were reduced to this
fare, which told speedily and heavily upon
their health and strength. bad had an op-
portunity to observe the interior of the south
from the lower Mississippi to Jackson thence
to Montgomery, all through the country TO
Richmond, thence to Mobile. thence back to
Richmond. After my capture 1 was taken
through all that route leisurely with many OPP
portonites of communicating privately with
loyal sOutberners.
1 saw that the South was exhausted of all its
resources, the people were stripped of every
Thing BY acquisitions of the rebel government.
Forage, corD, pork, cattle were taken from he
oeople tor rebel service, and certificates were
gwen in exchange, payable in two years after the
oeri1d OF southern independence! Taxes were
cot in retel money because this had become
learly worthless. There we're no men to be
seen anywhere in the interior, except those too
old for any service, and they must be very old
10 escape that, for saw some met who wvre
three score ir the service, and one man carry
itg gun who told me he was sevenly. And
noys must be very young TO escape conscrip.
ton; saw some who told me they were fif-
teen
Upon all this long route, 1 stopped every
iohs a b0uapq n mi dav for tha
DINNERS, sometimes at taverns aud hotv ls at the
tow rs and ci les. The young men and those OF
middle age were away at the front, while all
agricultural and domestic service was per-
formed by old men ana small boys and women
In the fields were seen gangs of negro women
at work Sometimes with one negro man ''a
driver'-with long whip with Yhich to keep
he hands "tup to their tasks. 1n none of these
households did see a smile on any face, all
was gloom-and it was evident TO the most
casual observer that a cloud was restiug upon
all the land. L saw no horses or mues any,
where, they had been all carried off for the
rebel service. and certificates gwen for them
payable by the eOnfedera'e government after a
treaty of peace with United States govern
ment.
The southern people at home, were reduced
o straits almost as great as those of the sol
diers at the front The only bread was of corn,
often unboted, there was little butter, oftener
none. Coffee, If any was on the table, was al
ways OF roasted corn. oftener, the drink upon
the tables was thick, sour milk. There was no
money; all this at the commencement of the
troubles had been given by the people 10 the
government 10 exchange for gray hacks in
fit of patriotic enthusiasm for ."the cause,'
and now. the gray backs, are very plen'y and
worthless. All this, and great deal mure, 1
communicated to the president and the secresa-
ry of war, from which they conld infer that it
would not be possible for the rebels to Drolong
the desperate struggle N. ID.