The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-06-24
A HAPPY PRISONER.
He Thinks Bread, Beef, Picked Pork, etc., Hard
Prison Fare.

To THE EDITOR: / recently read in the
Southern BirOuac an article written by one Jas.
w. A. Wright, on Northern military prisons,
setting forth what he termed terrible hardships
which he went through while confined at Camp
Chase, Ohio. In speaking of the prison he said
the barracks were built OF lumber, about 16 by
81 feet, and were occupied by some ~ or Ii men.
Each room contained cooking stove, board
table, benches, and chairs made of barrels sawed
in two so as to form back. The hunks were
made of uudresSed lumber; the only bedding in
each bunk was from four to eight blankets,
which were furnished by the Quartermaster.
The tables were furnished with tin plates, pans,
cups and cofee-pots and knife and fork He
says they had to cook their rations, except bread
which was furnished them, with flour and meal.
Their rations consisted of wheat and corn bread,
with beef and picked pork, potatoes, beans,
and coffee. He said the ladies of Nashville
were permitted to furnish them with Christ
mas and New Years dinner, which made deep
impression on the poor " COrnfeds," as he says
they were frequently dubbed. Another terrible
thing he says they (the Yanks) did was to
leave man in camp who was sick. until they
found out he had the smallpox. Wasn't that
terrible terrible. indeed. Oh, poor Johnny. If
that is what you term such terrible treatment
of prisoner of war, what would you call the
treatment of prisoners of war at Libby, Belle
Island, Andersonville, Salisbury, Florence,
Tyler and scores Of other prisons in the South?
l had the misfortune to occupy six of your hell
holes during the war. / was q prisoner one
year and seven days, and during that time
never tasted a mouthful of wheat bread which
you admit you got as rations No wonder you
were dubbed "Cornfeds," for that was the only
thing had to eat while in the Sunny South Of
which you boast. Let me see, of what luxuries
did our daily bill of fare consist. We will be-
gin with the staff of life, which in Southern
military prisons was corn ground cob and all,
never sfted, mixed with water only, no salt,
and hardly ever half baked. Now let me see
Yes, that was the bill of fare for that day,
piece, about as near as can recollect two
inches thick, two and half inches wide, and
about three inches in length. Il guess | got it
rather thick, but let it 90 now The next day
we got corn mush, cob aud all, just about what
would make enough for a sick goslin. This
was cooked in barrels. They filled the barrel
with hot water, then stirred in meal until
thick. without salt or sitting. Next day we
got 100 pounds of raw cornmeal to 80 men.
This we could sift by punching holes in half
eanteens which we did almost every time, but
by doing so we lost nearly one-third. but it
didn't go down our outlets like eating gravel
stones On rare occasions they issued what was
once fresh beef-we got the heads, tails and
shin bones, and on one occasion / remember
they brought in the empty stomach, telling Us
we could make tripe out of it. About semi
monthly we got peas, which were boss, for every
pea had good fat pea bug in il. could write
piece mile long about our prison experience,
but will have 20 close by telling our ex-COnfed
that no doubt he got three times as much while
he was prisoner as he did while he was ia his
own lines.-J. l.. RICHARD, Co. b, 111th Ohio,
Pompei, Mich.