Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-01-03
THE FELlClANA SENTINEL.
LIFE IN RICHMOND PRISON.
Colonel John F. Miles Story Of the Con-
federates and Their Prisoners
of War.

It Tammany Hall by Colonel John r.
diies' Of Utica, on ''The Southern Con-
ederacy and its Prisoners Of War" A
arre audience was present, and mani
tested its interest by close attention and
frequent applause. The speaker said
hat fourteen years had elapss since the
men in butternut under Lee and the boys
in blue under Grant had literally turned
their swords into prunip g-hook and be-
taken themselves to the arts of peace.
'sThis week." said the lecturer, "Fed- |
eral official Of this city who once plotted |
to abduct Democratic President has
spoken, in behalf of the stalwart gospel,
at New Orleans, and no one has offered
him the crown of marty rdom. Tonight
speak here in behalf of Justice to- the
South, and no man objects. There can
be no better proof that peace has really
returned to the land. Only the politici-
ans-the men who stayed at homo when
their country in vain called for volun-
teers and had to put up with draft
still persist in fighting the battle of hate.
But the men who did their fighting on
the field mean tc have peace, and will
have it. Heretofore a large portion Of
the Radical orators methods Of firing
the Northern heart lay in the plea of So
called barbarities on the Contederates to
their prisoners of war. Whenever a
Southern Congressman rises in his seat to
speak in behalf of his constituents the
cry of "rebel brigadier" is raised, and
when street fight occurs in Vicksburg
~ 81 Tho,
tiles and an echo of "Andersonville."
That one word, "Andcrsonville," has
been.as effective as was the sweet word,
'Mesopotama," when it fell from the lips
of Whitfield, the preacher. The key to
Confederate treatment of the Federal
prisoners was found in tho tact that they
had very little for themselves and gave
the best they had to their prisoners.
While the Northern officer in the Rich
mend prison had his bakers bread three
times day and his meat twice day,
the Confederate sentinel had only his
corn.cake and molasses, varied by q lit
tie mcat occasionally. Il the Northern
officer in his quarters felt the ride blasts
of winter, his sentinel clad in thin home
spun, shivercd like leaf as the keen
wind swept through his slight rags, and
held out skeleton hands to the fire. Their
blankets were taken from their beds at
home, worn by use, and some of the Off
GERS carried a little roll of carpet in lieu
of other covering. This was the spirit of
tn, South. The officer Of our guard, a
Georgian, once exhibited to the speaker
with pardonable pride sword he had
put together from a seythe-blade, with
sheep skin scabbard and handle of South
ern oak. The men were terribly in ear
nest and ready to make any and all sac
rifces. They expected their prisoners to
do the same, and thought it no wrong
that a prisoner should go without the
dainties they could not afford. The hos
pospital service was reasonably we'll pei
formed. Quinire and some other medi
cines were worth their wei ght in gold at
times, and surgeons had to work as best
they could The mortality was never
greater in the prisoners hospital than in
those of the service. This l know from
frequent visits to the hospitals. Such
visits were frequently allowed by the
C0nfederates, and in one case permission
was given to attend q funeral of one of
the more distinguished of the Federal
prisoners"
In regard to General Winder, of Balti-
more, who had charge of the Federals,
Colonel Mines said that he was the best
abused man in the Southern Con federacy,
and had least des ,rved it. Jnfortunatc-
~ for himself, General Winder died lust
as the war closed. and he thus became :;
convenient scape- goat for ISLANDERS. The
dead man could not reply. But even at
this late day, the speaker desired to do
justice to a brave soldier and humane man.
lie was bluff in manner and quick in
speech, but he had. been just to our men
and courteous in his Intercourse with
them. In the speaker case he had liter
ally o5eyed the Scripture injunction, eff
thine enemy hunger, feed him." for on his
release he had furnished him with money
to pay for breakfast at Petersburg. Many
other similar acts Of kindness ought long
ago to have redeemed his memory from
reproach.
At this point the speaker went into de-
tails of life in Confederate prison, de-
pictlng graphically the daily occupations
and amusements of the men, quoting
from the songs of the day and the speech
cs or the men and giving a gloomy des-
cription of the nightly meetings of the
famous Richmond Prison Association, of
which he was scrgeaTt-at-urms. Except
for the perpetual longing for release, he
admitted that their festive nights were
full Of "real, rollicking, roaring fun, and
that the prisoners Gave thnr muartliaus