Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-24
PRISON EXPERIENCE Nv REBELD0M

vors of the rebel prison pens Of the South write
to the nearest republican paper and give simple
statement of their treatment and personal expe-
rience while in prison." submit the following to
the readers of the journal as z true statement OF
the facts concerning my own experience wh'ie
prisoner In Castle Thunder and Belle Isle:
JEFF Davis has said that the prisoners OF both
sides were prone to exaggerate their sufenngs,
but God being my witness, what state here Is true
| do not say my suiferngs were great, in fact,
know they were not circumstance to what they
were later in the war, but such as they were give
them to you claiming for them an entire absence
| from exaggeration
Briefly then, was q member Of the Augusta
company (hence the reason | write to an Augusta
paper) of the Third regiment Of Maine Volunteers,
and was taken prisoner the goth day of June 1862,
in White Oak Swamp during the seven days fight /;
remained in prison about two months when was
exchanged and il proved, fortunately for me,
the first exchange of the ] believe there
were few exchanges negotiated afterwards, but
they soon ceased, not however, as l understood,
from any fault Of our own Government, but from
a neglect upon the part of th2Confederates to OBJ
serve the terms Of the cartel.
was first incarcerated in Castle Thunder where
remained little over three weeks, and from there
was removed to Belle Isle Castle Thunder had
| been formerly used as tobacco warehouse and
factory, and resembled the brick blocks that occu-
pied Water street before your great fire. and not
unlike those below Market Square at the present
day. 1t was four story building, if l remember
Alright, and was assigned to the third. | had not
been in this awe inspiring named prison forty
eight hours before l came near being shot. was
sitting on the sils Of one ofhe numerously opened
windows, unconscious Of any rules to the contrary,
and was quietly enjoying the fine view had of
Cary street. when happening to cast my eyes down
towards the sidewalk beneath l saw one Of the
guards taking deliberate aim at me. / instantly
leaped from the window and the guard did not
fire. But was told afterwards, by our men, that
I would certainly have been shot had l remained
in the window moment longer, as one or two of
our men had met with such fate only a short
time before. We were crowded and hustled to-
gether like cattle in cattle yard, and were obliged
to lie down at night in rows upon floor gummed
an inch thick with the Juice and drippings of to-
bacco, with nothing under or over us, we having
heen stripped Of everything when captured. ex-
cept the clothes upon our backs. Had the rebels
allowed us to retain our rubber and wooden blank
cts our suherings would have been greatly ntiga-
ted. 1t may be that there were some in this prison
who had managed to keep these very comfortable
| accessories, but mine were taken from me when
captured, and not only that was besides, hooted
at and tainted while passing rebel reg iments on
my way to prison. Our rations were scant and
poor, quarter of loaf of white bread being the
ration per man for twenty -four hours, small piece
OF fresh meat occasionally, without salt, and thin
watery soup twice week. | happen to know
positively about the ratons as was often detailed,
being corporal, TO take a squad of men, (undcr
guard however, and get rations, which were
prepared at the cook house in the basement Of the
Libby prison. only a short distance down the
street. We were continually hungry, as what we
did eat, had the effect Of only asgravating our
hunger. l would, however, say that those who
had money had an opportunity to send out and
get anything they liked by paying the guards or
officers a slight commission. great many
availed themselves Of this chance, but my pocket,
as well as those ola great many Others was deple-
ted before l entered We had water in the build
ing, but it was fiat, tasteess and roily hydrant
water never could relish it, but still was obliged
to drink it when very thirsty. We could wash,
but had neither soap ror towels, very necessary
| accessories to the toilet. The consequence was,
we didn't wash often, and so we grew dirty. and
| owing to the crowded condition Of the prison
lousy. The water closets were located in a mar
row contracted yard at the back Of the prison.
0nly Hva mr. allnxyaI mt NJ A
line would be formed reaching from the lower
doer of the first flight up the stairs and along the
whole length Of the second floor, and this would
be kept full from morning till night. You can
| imagine the amount Of patience required of one
suffering with chronic diarrhea. 1t would take
from one to three hours to gain access to this yard
We Of course were allowed to remain only short
| time there.
| The Fourth of July passed unobseryed by the
citizens of Richmond, but the Dist of July, the an
| niversary of the first Bull Run, was gala day,
minute guns and rebel flags during the day, and
rockets at night, being conspicuous.
was one day sent out with squad Of our men
to assist in removing our own wounded, who had
fallen into rebel hands, from the Richmond and
York River Railroad depot to building little
below the Libby on the same side of the street,
which was partly used as hospital and partly as
| q prison. l never saw such sight as our wound
ed presented lying there in rows on the platform,
outside, exposed to the sun and flies of a hot sum-
mer's day. l couldn't begin to describe the con-
dition of these poor creatures. The worst of it
was, they were nearly starved they having had
nothing to eat, so they told me, but small piece
of bread in the last thirty-six hours. Their gap
ing wounds and gsngrenous limbs were pitiable to
look at, and some of these poor fellows were so
far gone that they died 10 the short transit from
the depot to the hospital These were carried
from the ambulances on stretchers directly to the
dead house, which was also situated in the base
ment of Libby prison. Here they were piled up
in heaps and the next day carted off and dumped
into common receptacle. No note was taken of
the manner of death, and the man and his identity
was buried forever How many there are in this
great North. that never knew of the fate of some
near and dear one
| Such in brief was life in Castle Thunder at
| time when the i'll treatment and the systematic