The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-08-24
For Tho Posr.
REBEL PRISONS.
By DIR. II. RoTHRoCK.

| Wood was 30 scarce, that 1t wa
almost impossibl, to cook our scant,
food when il was isBuol raw, as il
was most Of the time, in abou, hall
Of the squads of the prison, who
we're supposed TO have cooking uteu
sils. Every remaining root, wher,
trees had been, was dug out with
the rude implements OF the prison
Every stump had claimants, who
dug around IL. aud protected thoi'
rights from Invasion by all the fo'c @,
left ia their weak bodies. This, for
mn in our condition, was hard and
wearisome work, as our implemeuts ts
wers mostly inadequate to the task,
under favorable circumstances
stronger men would have had the
advan ,ge. The stumps aud roots,
after they wero dug out, were cut
mp into small bits two and three in
ches long. aud one inch in thickness.
very often a great deal smaller.
The tools used to work the wood
or roots up, we're a jackknife, and
often merely a small piece Of blade
with no handle. Occasionally M axe
would be smuggled into prison by
some mysterious means. aud its
possessor became kind Of a prince
who levied q tax upon all tho sur
rounding miserable who acquired its
use.
The dead were gathered up by de-
tachmonts of prisoners. and laid in
rows outside Of the stockale.
In.order to get wood, there was
great competition to fill the office
OF observation-disclosures, as there was
sometimes chance for such to pick
up wool on their return to tho
stockade. Hence it passed into q
saying, II sSipcd offa dead man
for s,mo wood"
A strotcher was made for carrying
tho sick and deal by fastening
blanket to two poles, provided for
the purpose, and the rolling up the
blanket on the pole until about the
width of those Of the ordinary con.
struction.
As have elsewhere related in my
narrative, sometimes men feigned to be
deud, and were carried out by their
comrades each Of the parties deriv-
ing advantage by the opperation.
Another sharp practice was, for
four men to carry ont dead man,
and only two return with the strech.
or. which gave the other two men a
chance for escape, and the two men
with the stretcher at tho same timo
had chance to gather wood thus
conferring mutual benefits.
Nothing OF this kind could be Of
long duration in practice, for by
some means or method the Johunies
soon became posted in all our sharp
lodges.
1t was said, know not with how
much truth, every beatch Of prisoners
sent into the pom were accompanied
by q spy in U. s. blue. whom the
others naturally trusted as o COM
rsds. lie found out all the secrets
Of tho squad and reported them to
Wirxe.
This, doubtless, will account for
very much seeming treachery among
our own men. II does not seem
possible that any amount Of misery
could induce comrades tobetray one
another, even for food.
l classed traitors as follows
First bounty jumpers second. en-
listed prison oonvicts third, men
who dug tunnels for the purpose of
disco vering them to the rebels, gain
ng thereby an extra ration fourth.
spies ent into the prison by the au-
.horities.
Inside the stockade, near the gate
was often the scene of widest hoi iror.
Here would be gathered together in
he morning, waiting to pass out Of
he gate to the booths on the OUT
Iide, where medicines were distribute
ID, the sick, creeping, often, upon
heir hands and knees, aud those to |
lick to creep, whore borne by feeble,
'taggeriug companions. Here, also,
would be gathered the streoher-
bearers with the burdens OF dead
IL waiting, in q deusely packed
hrong Of thousands, often in the
ain, or sultry tropical sun, whers
,ot q breath Of air stirred to revive
he iaiuting sick or we'll. II was u
'ulo that Q one. however sick, could