Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-03-30
Prison "reminiscences.


gard to Wesley Johnson's experience
among the rebels, the treatment re-
ceived by prisoners and the rati0ns
furnished them:
ED. REPUBLIcAN:-Enclosed find an
article clipped from the TT. Wayne
Gazette. 1t may not be right, accord
ing to Democratic ideas of justice, to
call up anything relating to the late
unpleasantGess;" that would be de-
rogatory to the Southern saints, such
as Jefferson Davis, Ben. Hill and OH
ers of like ilk, and verify believe il
there is such place as hell that
there is still room for just such saints.
We can assure any of our Jealous
Democratic patriots of canadian
proclivities. that there is living wit
nesses in our midst that can testify
to the correctness of the facts here
in stated:
At the request of many friends /
will cndcavOr TO write you a letter or
two in regard to the treatment of
Union soldiers in the different rebel
prisons that was so unfortunate as
to be placed in during the late rebel
lion.
was taken prisoner at the battle
OF Chicamauga. Sept. 23. 1863, after
shutdown. As there was nothing
transpired that was unusual till we
arrived at Atlanta, will pass over
the incidents OF the march. When
we arrived at Atlanta and were about
TO be marched into the prison pen we
were met on the outside by Il couple
Of officers with u guard, who searched
the prisoners for pocket knives, etc.
and who also compelled us 10 throw
down our rubber and WOODEN blankets
as we passed in We remained there
over night, and the next morning
started for Richmond, where we ar
rived on the 9th Of October. Here
we were confined in Il large building
with a wall through the center. The
next morning October y the Provost
Marshal, with three or four other ofli
GERS came in, bringing Il table with
them. We were considerably excited
over their visit, as we supposed we
were going to be paroled and sent to
our homes. as we We're already heart
lily tired and Disguised with the treat
ment; but to our dismay, after calling
us to order. they announced that they
wanted our money They promised
to give Il receipt. TO those who volun
tarily complied with their demand,
and il would be returned TO them
when paroled, which they assured us.
they thought would be in a few days.
They then ordered us To 60 into the
back room, which we done without
ceremony us We had no choice in the
matter. and there was u considerable
amount OF money changed hands
there in the next three or four hours.
Some OF the men would hang on To il
till the last and had 10 be searched,
and when the money was found there
WAS some strong language passed. but
the COnfcds could not make much
in such IN encounter. L do not know
how much money they had cot. but il
was a good ropnd sum. But not SO
with the "Yanks," especially those
who had been robbed of their money.
We all kew that it would bty bread
il we could get it in no other way.
Now TO the ratiOns: The first we
received was nice wheat bread, one
fourth of IA pound to the man, and
about two ounces Of meat each day.
We could not find any fault as TO
quality, but as 10 quantity the least
said the better And still JEFF. Davis
says we got the same rations as the
rebel soldiers did, No fur her COM
ment Is needed. These kind of
rations lasted for about two weeks,
and then we received wheat and corn
mixed, half and half. but no more IN
quantity. This lasted for two or thr rec
weeks. and then we got corn br al
and stale bacon, bnt not enough for
one surare meal at any one time.
While I was there. | had almost Tor
gotten 10 mention the soup that was
served ont 10 the prisoners, right here
at the seat OF the Confederate govern
ucnt. This soup consists Il probably
bushrl or beans or rice, put iuto
about sixty gallons of the water the
meat was cooked in, and was served
out. Il pint To the man, in the after
noon. IL would have bothered II
Philadelphia lawyer to tell when the
SOUP came in; and the buckets We
had To carry it in were good traps to
catch bugs or to kill shippers in.
There was an abundance OF these
ver,nin i'm the meat that was cooked
for us to eat | have seen more than
one man, af er trying 10 pick the
bugs mt OF his soup, become so dis
gustcd that he would 90 TO the sink
and empty it there, rather than eat
the filthy mass, although at the same
time he was half starved. And there
were times when the soup was mule
OF rice. cooked in the water after
boiling old hogs jOles and heads ia it.
that you could not tell the rice fl IN
the shippers. These ra;ions were
given Us from day t day, and we
were compelled to eat it or starve;
and yet we find men. highin Office,
trying to make excuses for such tr"at-
ment OF Union soldiers. For several
lays while at Richmond, we got no
brea., at all. On these occasions we
had sweet potatoes cooked TO a mush,
with the dirt .,nd little roots clinging
To them. inst us shey came from the
ground They did not even try to
clean them. They were not very
tempting, can assure you, rs tG"v
would cut through them with Il pan
in dividing them into the several al
lowances, and we had been on shor-
ra;ions, such us they were, that we
watched very closely the division OF
the same.
The treatment OF Union soldiers at
Belle Isle was still worse, for they
were exposed to all the changes of
weather. But rs this letter is long
enough for this time, and covers the
time OF my incarceration at Richmond.
| will close with the assertion that |
have not represented it as any worse
than it really was, aud have only fail
ed in conveying to your readers AN
idea OF the horrors Of one OF the best
rsbel prison pens. as can be- establish
ed by hun lreds OF witnesses, living
monuments Of rebel cruelty, which
JEFF Davis and his apologists are try
ing TO whitewash.
WESLEY JOHNSON,
Corpl Co. A Ist Bat 18th u. 5. Inf.
HELIERs CORNERS, Ind, March 18th.
.