The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-05-04

sergeants by rebel officer. and
brought into prison in blanket.
The fact that these blankets were
infested with vermiu did not detract
from the tremendous craving of The
appetite, at the commissary's, molns-
sas, pies, and sugar we're kept for
sale at oxorbitant rates. Molasses,
one dollar per pint. Sugar, Que dol
lar per pound, onions twenty i've
to fifty cents per piece, butter aud
milk could rarely be bad at my
price
Geenbacks were held at n premium
by the rebs, calling them shiuplas-
ters worthless trash. 1t was notice..
abs that they showed a good zeal Of
hesitation in taking their own script.
On the sly. even at that date. rebel
officers would buy up greenbacks at
the rate Of three dollars for one.
Fellows in our condition developed
some talents, which under other cir
cumstances, aud among dece1t peo-
pie, would have been considered
dangerous. Five dollar greenbacks
we're altered into twenties, ones into
tens &c. Broken bank bills of
Northean States we're passed by us,
and were received with eagerness.
and even their own money was chang
cd iuto higher denomination aud
passed on them Counterivited brass
was worked up into heavy gold
chains by ingenious Yankees. In
fact, every meaus, however dishon
est aud desperate, was resorted to,
all for the purpose Of obtaining food
Except in some rare cases. we did
not swindle the rebel guard, which
would have been to our own disad.
vantage. But woe to the unsuspect-
ing citizen, who, in bis greed of
slio, seduced the vrtuous ~ gray.
backs 10 enable him to trade over
their posts with the Yauks.
j had fine chance to become
fully acquainted with the disposition
of tho guard belonging to different
states. | found the Alabama and
Georgia men to be the most intelli-
gent, while the rank and flo belong-
lug to Virginia regiments we're the
most ignorant and vindictive.
Our sufferinss were becoming in
teuse for want of food. Ali our
thoughts and feelings had become
concentrated in that of hung er.
Even home was associated ouly With
the various descriptions OF good
food. Often we would say. II we
only could get at our mothers swill
barrel, we could surly get good
meal ont of it. In my experience
there were three stages Of hunger /;
first, the common hunger craving
ones experiences after missing his
dinner aud supper second, this
passed off, and was succeeded by
headache aud gnawing sensation
in the stomach then came weak.
ness, trembling OF the limbs, which,
if not relieved by food, was followed
by death. As general thing we re-.
ceived just enough food to keep us
hungry, which may seem an odd ex-
preston to the readers, but those
who have had the experience as l
had, will recognize it as a truth.
Under such treatment men be-
came, Indifferent to everything, ex-
cept their own miseries, aud found
excuses 10 their horrible sufferings
for any violation Of the ordinary
usages of humanity. Different
minds are effected in different de-
grees by prison life, which is iu bu'
man aud unatural, 1t is the calm.
phlegmatic man as philosophical bal
anced, who ia best calculated to en-
dure. Suffering developes real char
acter. suffering is the crucible of hu-
man metal, aud pure indeed must
be the gold which is not tarnished
or turned to drop by the heat of uu-
mitigated affection. Under the un,
merciful aud inhuman treatment,
1t must indeed to real which never
forgets itself, but stands firmly upon
its pedestal to the last,
was mixed up fright smart" as
the rebs generally say.
Our rations had become reduced
to almost starving quantities.
Ono evening at about sunsset, the
rebel Lieutenant came into prison on
q trading expedition, and his small
dog followed him, our hunger knew
no bounds, and five Of us concluded