The National tribune., 1884-10-09
credit3" Trot him out.-THEo. BoTKIN, 44th
Ohio, Mound City, Kan
Union Treatment Of Rebel Prisoners.

Ohio, Mound City, Kan.
Union Treatment OF Rebel Prisoners.
To THE EDITOR: While one reads in your
columns the accounts given of life in those
horrible prison-pens down South, it is. natural
to contrast such esewith some which came
under our own eye about the same time. / was
captured the first day at Gettysburg, but not
until our regiment was almost annihilated.
The rebels kept us near the center and rear of
Of their line until the afternoon of the third
day, when such of us as would accept the pa
role on the field were marched towards Couch's
lines at Carlisle. But Gen. Halleck would not
recognize the parole, and after few weeks at
West Chester we returned to the front, caring
little for Halleck's opinion, but powerful glad
we had escaped the clutches of the Turner's
and other like fends. So my chance for a
Southern prison once held good, and glad am I
that / drew blank.
In the Fall of 1864 some 600 Confederate
officers were sent down to South Carolina to be
placed under fire ON Morris Island, in retalia-
tion for similar exposure of our men capt
i've over in Charleston. My regiment re-
ceived them, and guarded them on shipboard
(steamer Crescent) to Morris Island, where the
54th or 55th Mass. colored regiment took the
prisoners i'll charge and guarded them in a
large stockade, erected between Forts Strong
and Chatfield. The stockade was of pine logs,
and Enclosed about two acres of bare sand.
Inside the prisoners pitched their shelters, and
SO long as they kept clear of the dead line were
rarely molested by the guards, who were sta
toned on platforms overlooking the inclosure.
AT night the large calcium light on Fort Strong
lit up the stockade nearly as bright as day.
For As days the prisoners were under fire, but
no rebel shell injured them,- came within
half mile of them,-yet sickness carried them
off rapidly, and one or two were wounded by
the guard but we never heard that furloughs
were offered to any blood thirsty guards who
would kill prisoner; neither did they waste
to skeletons, nor were they denied medical at
tention and remedies.
When taken from the stockade the prisoners
were handed over to the 157th N. Y, who
guarded them down the beach to the landing,
and saw them on board two dismasted schoon-
ers, and with them were towed to Fort Pulaski,
Ga. That night the prisoners on one of the
hulks sawed through the stern beneath the
cabin and several dropped into the water but
when they found the water so cold and at ebb-
tide, they knew they had poor chance for
escape, especially as the guard on deck discov-
cred them about as soon as they left the shadow
of the boat. Captain, oh ! Captain, for Gods
sake, save US !" they called to Capt. MeWil-
hams. in charge Keep cool, gentlemen"
was the reply to the thoroughly chilled men in
the water. boat from the gunboat which
conveyed us soon appeared, and the swimmers
were all picked up aud again sent down below.
When we searched for the opening they had
made, we found a good-sized squad in the Vi
cinity who were, as We learned afterward all
told off for the plunge in case the first were
successful in reaching the marsh. We scolded
some, but in our hearts did not blame them,
nor did we open fire upon them as Wirz
might have done when disturbed suddenly
from a refreshing sleep. A strong guard was.
posted down IN the hold, the ship became quiet
again, and we landed every prisoner next
morning in the caseinates of Fort Pulaski
The casemates were provided with hunks
three tiers high, and two men to tier. In
due time the quarters of the prisoners were
separated from those of the guard by heavy
gratings, and gratings were placed at the en-
brasures. Outside the classmates ran the moat,
and guards patroled the banks. On the inside
of the fort and near the casemates occupied by
the prisoners was the dead-line and another
line of guards, while other precautions were
taken, and the entire regiment two of the
companies were camped in the bastion) could
be brought into line at a few minutes notice,
day or night. The rations of the prisoners
were about one-hale the ordinary rations of
their guard, and with few exceptions they
Jared well Their friends in Dixie sent them
great stacks of boxes containing food and
clothing, but the delay at Charleston worked
badly for perishable articles in the packages,
and Charleston people received the spoiled
STUN dkiu SubSbltutc0 tOpdtGO III gfSIk Qudubi-
ties, SO that the prisoners found themselves
rich in the weed, and exchanged large quanti-
ties with the sutler for such articles as they
could use. Large cook stoves were supplied
them, and with an abundance of pure water
from the condensing engine. or from the filter
ing cistern5 beneath the casemates, made coffee
making quite an easy task. The bread fur
nished at first was of the musty hard-tack
order, and the prisoners complained. One
morning drew the rations for my squad, and
when it was opened by one of them the blue
mold rolled up IN thick cloud:
!" Corporal, this is pretty hard fare" said one
of them.
Never mind, Captain" I replied; at is a
banquet compared to such fare as our poor boys
get over at Andersonyille."
" But we are not responsible for that, sir"
said the Captain.
No, sir, neither are our boys deserving of
such bad fare
Nothing further was said in complaint of
their fare so long as / had any supervision of
the squad. In due time Col Brown had their
bread rations in loaves of soft-tack, as whole
some as those of his own men, regularly pro-
vided. Some of the prisoners spent most of
their hours making rings and other trinkets,
others played chess and checkers, while few
were busy at plans for escaping, and they did
make the attempt after our regiment was
relieved by the 175th N. Y.
l have in my possession book containing
l25 autographs of those men, presented me as
token of appreciation for what they termed
courtesy to them, although / was not con-
scious of any favors to them aside from my
duties, unless l mention few empty fruit cans
in which they could make coffee. / think the
usual treatment accorded rebel prisoners in our
hands was about the same everywhere as ac-
corded them at Fort Pulaski.--A. r. BARLOW
18TH N. Y, Canastota, n. Y.
Notes from Prisoners Diary.
To THE EDITOR: Twenty -one years ago on
the 22d nit, just after the battle of Chcka-
mauga, while on picket duty in company with
about 140 others for some reason unknown tn