The National tribune., 1883-02-08
SALISBURY.
Leaf From the Experience OF Survivor Of
That Pen.

In our issue of the 25th ult we printed
letter from Perry E. Tanning, the twelve-year-
old son of an eX-sOldier and ex-prisoper, in the
course of which the request was made that
somebody would give an account of life at
Salisbury prison. In response to this request
| Comrade 7. J. Libby, Of Scarboro, Me-, writes
as follows:
1 see by THE TRIBUNE that you wish to know
something more about that prison-pen, Salisbury,
than your father has told you. | will give you 81
little history of my experience there and you can
compare it with your fathers statement. | was y
private in Company C. Twelfth Maine Vet Vols
and served through the from 1861 to 1868.
had served almost three years when was captured
Z at Cedar Creek. Shenandoah Valley, Va. There
were 1890 captured with me. You remember that
famous ride OF oherdan'S from Winchester To-
Cedar Greek, where he turned our troops back and
won the day after the defeat IN the morning. Well,
prisoners were marched from Cedar Greek to
StauntOn-SlXty mlCs-ln two days, with nothing
to eat but two ears OF green corn per man. Then
they took barrel of bread and put it hill,
broke out the heads, and told the boys get what
they could. Some got a little. and many got none
at ALL Then put III cattle cars-sixty men
to "a car-and sent to Richmond, having III the
meantime been robbed of everything had
clothes, money, watches, &c. At Richmond we
were sent to Libby prison, which found 10 be the
best of any. We got little bacon and bread and
corn and plenty OF water, and had clean floor to
sleep on. We stayed there only five days From
Richmond we We're sent TO Danville, y. c., where
we remained few days, and were then shipped by
rail to Salisbury. On arriving there IN the morn
ing we were formed in line, and kept there until
dark in drenching rain with nothing to eat. After
dark the rebels opened the gate and drove into
that prison hell l wandered around in the dark
find shelter but there fell lots of
men lying on the ground. In the morning awoke
to find myself Ill 81 place worse than a common
barn-yard and several dead men lying on the
ground near me. We did not have any shelter for
six weeks. Then they gave US tents enough for
about One-thlrd the men. We took turns in sleep
ing in the tents, but sickness and death soon
thinned ranks and we had plenty of room but
nothing 10 eat. Our rations were generally one
pint of cob-meal, raw. and one pint of soup. The
soup was about three pounds of rice boiled in
half barrel of water, without meat or salt. The
cOb-meal we were obliged eat raw more than
half the time When COu,d obtain fire We
burned the hulls out old piece OF tin plate
We received meat thirteen times in six months
We only got the refuse pieces that the rebels would
not eat, the amount given at one time being about
one-quarter pound. No person that was not a
prisoner can possibly imagine the suffering We
endured In little less than six months over one
half the men died You went to the hospital one
day, you would take ride to the ditch " the next
think the whole body being deprived of its func-
tons by starvation. In my case, when 1 entered
the prison l weighed Isl pounds; when paroled
j weighed only lO2 pounds and could Just crawl
around. Then had attack of typhoid fever
recovered a little, took cold, had rheumatic fever
from which have never recovered fully but can
not get pension because i can't show any bullet
holes; but suffer more every day than many who
draw pensions.
THOMAS j. LIBBY.