The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-08-15

cans Of fruit opened. and we received the con-
tents o. our boxes
N TERRIBLY MASGLED CONDITION.
This continued to grow worse, until il became
aifnJst impossible TO get the boxes sent you,
aud finally delivery was often refused in any
shape As soon as we were permitted 10 do so.
we began 10 send out orders for provisions to
Be- hosEht IN the markets AZ Richmond This
had q be done fhEough prison official, and
you can rest assured that the commission he
TetsiBed was no small one. We could only
purchase certain articles, and those usually of
very iaferioE quality. I recollect that I hsd
been prisoner FIVE months before succeeded
In purchasing any butter in this way.
lH mentioning the attaches Of the prison.
neglected 70 mention two that we saw more
frequently than the Others-GeOrge -. a
Sergeant, who was used 10 communicate orders
e the prisoners. and "Gen. johnson" gentle
nan Df color. who was a prisoner as well as
ourBelFeG His dgty consisted in supplying ms
WITH smoke for fumigzting purposes, which he
DID every morning, carrying q large skillet
flied with Tar and Goals tbrOBgh ali the rooms
q Toe prison, crying ont: Here is y6er nice
smoke, without money and without price
Only one more smoke" lie also gathered up
the dirty clothes once a week, which he was
permitted 20 take out % be washed returning
them Sunday mornings, az the small charge Of
THREE PIECES FoR ONE DOLLAR
lie also. for some time monopOlized the shay.
5ng and hair-cutting, which operations he per
1OrEaed az fbe moderate price 81 . cents FOR the
former and rs for the latter; but be was finally
superseded by German Lieutenant, which
compelled him 10 abandon bis calling and turn
boo. .liack. The old man was regular FIXTURE
IN Libby. having been ia the prison nearly two
years. he was also an old soldier, having ar
cgBPsnied Pennsylvania regiment through
TIE &eziczn war. Every morning at oieiocl,
" George" made his appearance and with pc
crlisT intonatioB Of voice, called out: Fall in
Eiek, and 60 down." At this command those
WHO desired 90 be prescribed for huddled To-
Retber and went down 70 the first floor " here
they were examined by the rebel Surgeon, who
was always spoken Of as a kind and attentive
physician, who, after makinga minute Of their
ezses, sent them back TO their rooms, excepting
those whom u was deemed necessary 10 send
20 tie hospital. IN the course Of two or three
hours tie medicine would be brought m and
distributed to the sick. While speaking OF the
sick ] wish 20 say that our enlisted men
pTisoDers-Who were 20 unfortunate as 10 be-
canse sick. were treated outrageously. They
were often allowed 10 lie Oh the wet ground on
Belle Isle until the last moment when they
WOuie Je brought 70 the hospitals in the city
TO BREATHE THEIR LAST
Out of ~ brought over in one day. ] have
known four 70 be taken out dead the next
morning.
TIE prison guards were usually qnartered
near by. and when on duty walked their beats
on ihe enrbstoDe Of the sidewalks around the
bHiidiug, and during the night called out
The hours: Nine O'clock Lights out 80
One ocl0ck J and all's well" sometimes
yagloG % enit the eVigencies OF the occasion.
j remember one cold morning the cry was {" 81 I
O'Clock and cold as --v There were usnaliv
DO guards in the building, except one OF two
stationed a. the foot Of the gtaiTways leadinp
- The second floor. The guards employed
were city troops, whose treatment Of rs
was iD great contrast with that received
from Capt. hingheld's company, 53th Va. who
brought us TO Richmond. When with the latte,
We Jared ~ every respect just as they did
Ihey had been Ia active service, and knew
something q the horrors Of war while tbs
city militia seemed 10 take delight in addiua
70 onr suffering, IL possible. On several oc&
eioDs prisoners were fred at on the sligbiest
proyocati0n, or even none at all. One prisoner
D. bls anxiety 20 see W hat was going on in ia,
ftFeer stuck bis head out Of the EindOyV. a,,S
without any warning a guard fred aud bal
1hlstied very close 20 the poor fellows head
On another OCCASION prisoner while In In,
clSsct, and infringing no rules had his ear sh0
Of
Everything ia the line Of reading matter wa
eagerly sought after. portion Of the time ar
on aarky was permitted 10 bring IN the Rleh
mond daily papers for sale. They cost 25 cent
apleee, aud were printed on a very small shee
q iniefior quality Of wrapping-paper. 10 get .
Northern paper Of late date was a prize in,