The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-07-29

deficiency IS never made good. / notice
that sleeping in the moonlight without
shelter has had n singular effect on a great
many persons. Some have become "moon-
struck" and gone crazy; others have
become totally blind. There are scores OF
idiots and lunaticS imprisoned here. whose
mental disorders have entirely oris mated
from extreme suffering. Incossant hunger is
terrible affection. There have been hun
dreds Of deaths in this prison from the mere
want Of water. As soon as man becomes
helpless he is usually deserted by all who
know him. This IS not always the case, but
is usually so. Every day when I 90 to the
swamp see at least a score OF hall-dyiug
men lying within a rod Of il, vainly begging
the paSsers-b by for a drink Of water. Nobody
viii give it TO them, for if you let them
drink out of your cup you may catch the
scurvy or some other loathSome disease.
SelEpreservation seems to require this dis
play of cruelty. They lay there until they
die and are dragged out of the way. The
water we obtain from the creek is unfit 10
drink. 1t is foul and contaminated, but we
the prison are private property. At the dis
tance of about forty PAGES from the western
side of the stoclade Wirz has had line of
tall poles put up. running across the camp
from north to south. At the top of each
Cne of them floats white rag. We have
been notified that if any unusual crowds of
us collect within the line of those poles, the
batteries will open on us with grape and
canister without warning.
august 6h.-EveTy morning 4 troop Of
horsemen, blowing horns, and accompanied
by pack of blood-hounds, circle around the
stockade and adjacent sections to strike the
trail of any prisoners who may have escaped
during the night. l hear it frequently stated
that many fuCitives are overtaken and torn
to pieces by these bloody dogs. Wirz occa-
sionally takes part in these hunts" Onmy
way to the swamp this morning / saw the
police lash thief numerically He had been
convicted Of stealing a canteen. They made
him takeotf his shirt and tied him to a pole.
and "cat-'o-nine tails" brought the blood
and yells at every blow. / narrowly escaped
ago. On the second or third evening after my
arrival, somebody shouted near me, "Who
wants to buy good quart cup?" Having
nothing to cook my rations in l yelled this
way with your cup" and paid $40 in rebel
scrip for 1.-THE last money ] had. poured
some water in it, and discovered that it
leaked, and on turning round quickly found
that the person 1 had bought it of had
promptly disappeared. He was a stranger
from some distant detachment, the darkness
assisted to conceal his identity, and l real
lied that there was no use in trying to find
him. Plugging the bottom of the cup with
rag, I consoled myself with the thought
that it would answer very well to carry
water in from the swamp. While l was
using it for this purpose the next day pris-
oner claimed it. l refused to give it up, and
was instantly arrested on the charge of steal
ing it, and was marched in haste to the pres
ence of the Chief of Police. Where is the
man you bought it of?n was the first cues
ton asked me after l had told my story OF
course, it was impossible for me to answer
property beyond the shadow of doubt, and
with malicious eagerness demanded that
should be stripped and lashed The Chief
cogitated a few moments with all the care
and thought of a Supreme Court Justice, and
then informed me that he believed my state
ment and ordered me released. ! lost my
ten dollars, however, which is a heavy loss
in this place. Subsequently a policeman
came TO my detachment and took me to po-
lice headquarters, informing me that the
real thief had been found / confronted him,
but hesitated to swear positively that he was
the man, since it was quite dark when I
made my purchase. His reputation was
bad one, and he was released with the warn
ing that severe lashing awaited him if a
complaint against him was ever presented
there again. When a man is found dead in
the morning (they usually die at night he
is stripped stark naked His hands are then
laid across his breast, his wrists are tied to-
gether with rag, and his big toes are tied
together III the same manner. This COM
pletes his funeral toilet. The rags we cali
elOOilihS lHSsI udhC DSCh ldh6U OH MIN,
though thickly infested with vermin, become
the property of his brother if he has one
here; if not, then his "pardner" gets them,
some member of his company or regiment,
some member Of his prison mess or whoever
endeavored to take care of him during his
last illness. The claim to the property
comes in about the order | have stated. This
regulation is enforced with considerable
exactness, and prevents many fierce tumults.
Aagust Th.-An acquaintance, who has
just returned from the swamp, informs me
that while he was washing himself pris-
Oner close by him was shot dead by brutal
guard. One man was dipping water near
the dead-line (the water is purer where it
first flows into the stockade) when sentry
who had been waiting for victim for half
an hour with cooked musket, fired, but miss
ing his intended man by six feet killed
mere boy who was already half dead with
disease. The body fell into the water. The
guard was Immediately relieved and went
off to get his furlough and brag that he too,
had killed Yankee. A committee of pris-
oners have been released by Winder, and
have left the stOckade to 90 to Washington
10 try to prevail upon the Government TO
exchange US. They bear an earnest petition,
cirpad Inv rauTpgent9fiyas of evarv datocb-