The National tribune., 1882-10-05
SOUTHERN PRISON LIFE.
"Free Lance" Continues The Story Of
His Captivity at Florence.
TContinued from last tceek.l


lion started. | am therefore much surprised "a
learn that Union prisoners have been better
treated there so far as the inhabitants are
concerned, than anywhere else in the South.
A large proportion of the men confined here
were first taken to Charleston. Six thousand of
them were quartercd at the race-course near
that city, and within easy reach of shells from
the Union batteries. At first they received ra-
tions of excellent quality, though not large in
quantity, consisting OF bacon. hard crackers,
salt, soap, rice. hominy, c0rn-ncal, -four, beans
and beef, and vinegar occasionally. Very
shortly, however these rations dwindled down
to the usual confederate starvation point. Ea Ii
day each man received piece Of a cracker and
a small taste of fresh beef. The ladies Of
Charleston behaved in n noblc-hcarted man
ner, and brought out clothing, wheat-bread
and sweet potatoes, and in defiance of orders
tossed these articles across the dead-line to the
prisoners, and openly expressed unreserved
sympathy for the suffering they beheld; and
this was while their city was being heavily
bombarded by the Union batteries. This is
the nObest instance of Southern chivalry
which have yet heard of. These same LADIES
also carried soup and food to the dying men in
the prison hospital. The Catholic Sisters of
Charity also visited the prisoners daily, bring
ing them food and clothing. As l am not a
Catholic it is fair for me to record the fact
that, to my knowledge, Protestant clergy
man has never yet visited one of our prisons
or interested himself in our behalf A Catho-
lie priest of Charleston visited the prisoners
daily as was the case at Andersonville These
Sisters Of Charity referred to even went so far
as to clardestinely receive letters and messages
from the prisoners. and they faithfully dcliv-
cred the same, and are spoken of here with
gratitude and respect. Il have not spoken to
a woman for over six m0nths) The little chill
dren of Charleston also took part in the good
work. and not few citizens when they had
an opportunity, expressed the hope that the
prisoners would all be rescued soon by the
Yankee army. There is a considerable Union
element at Charleston. The prison hospital"
at that city simply consisted of n piece of
ground outside the Tace-courSe. There were
no tents or barracks, and the only shelter the
patients had was such as they or their friends
could improvse, and they had to lie on the
bare earth. There were four or five hundred
of them. Once a day the surgeon, good
natured young fellow, brought out little
medicine in his vest pocket, and a few drinks
of whisky in jug, and that was all he could
do for them. 1t was real confederate prison
hospital Eventually the rebs got ashamed of
it and turned all the sufferers into the race
course, where their dying miseries were not so
apparent to the public gaze. One day the
Charleston military authorities called on the
prisoners for three hundred men to help build
Notifications to resist the Federal lombard
ment, offering whisky, tobacco, and plenty of
food. The offer was refused, but it is said that
the desired number were compelled at the
point of the bayonet TO perform the duty de-
manded
FLEEING FROM THE YELLOW FEVER.
Dec. 4h.-The first prisoners to enter this
stockade were hurriedly brought up from
Charleston in the first week of October, for
the reason that the yellow fever had broken
out among them and their guards. The same
disease is believed TO be making ravages among
us now, although in a subdued form. At first
a hospital was established at a locality about
mile distant, and five hundred sick prisoners
were confined in it. 1t consisted of some
stable horses in. The patients were toerably
protected from the sun, but not from the rain
A Kentuckian was in charge as surgeon, and
although bitter rebel Gealt honorably and
kindly with the unfortunates committed to his
care. On receiving a large invoice Of stores
from the United States Sanitary Commission,
he faithfully distributed them, which is the
first instance of the kind / have heard of in
Dixie. The usual custom of the confederate
government is to agree to deliver such supplies
TO the prisoners and then steal them The
goods received here consisted of condensed
coffee and milk, extract of beef, canned fruits
of every description, shirts, drawers, hats,
shoes, blankets, and clothing As an illustra-
tiOn of how little our friends at home know Of
the treatment our sick comrades receive it
should be particularly stated that slippers,
dressing gowns, and bed sheets were sent.
The sending Of bed sheets excited CHASTITY mer-
riment at the hospital, where the large ma
jority of the patients were lying on the frozen
ground or on such rubbish as they could gather
up. The useless articles were accordingly
traded off to citizens for sweet potatoes.
Around the hospital was a dead-line and chain
of sentinels. A little medicine was issued
daily, consisting Of oak bark, red pepper,
blackberry root pine leaves, cherry bark. dog
wood bark, sweet gum, persimmon bark, and
sour beer made from corn-meal. On rare oc-
caSions a taste Of qUinine was administered TO
a sufferer, but quinine is remarkably scarce
article in the confederacy, and no prisoner ever
expects to get it. No doubt the Sanitary Com
mission sent some. Twelve per cent a month
was about the death rate at the hospital.
When old Winder got here he ordered the sick
all turned into the stockade, where they were
left to perish unsheltered and uncared for
Nobody is considered sick in a rebel prison
until he is about ready TO die, or has a pretty
sure thing Of it. In the early part of Novem-
Der some open sheds were erected at the north
west corner Of the stockadc, inside, and they
are now crammed with hundreds of dying
men. The Kentucky surgeon has gone to the
front, and the sheds are now presided over bv
Surgeon David Fludd, one of the signers of
South Carolina's secession ordinance He is
well spoken Of by the prisoners.
MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.
Yesterday afternoon | saw a Iow-prsoner
murdered in cold blood by a rebel sentry. The
prisoner was standing about six feet from the
dead-line, unconscious Of danger, when a rebel
sentry deliberately leveed a musket across
the stockade and fired at him, inGicting a
mortal wound. He died about half an hour
afterwards. There is a great deal Of shooting