The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-19
WAR PRISONS.


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WAR PRISONS.
Some Interesting Local History of Il,
Pcrilous Times OF 1901. Hsa
Captain Ewall Over, Sixth West vi,
ginia Infantry, who in 1861 was in com
mand OF the military at Wheeling
writes very. interesting letter to tn
Indianapolis american Tribune, Of whicl
the following ore extracts:
Much has been said and written, pr
and con, relative 10 tho treatment o
prisoners during tho late war OF the re
bellion. Charges aud counter. charge,
have been made OF cruelties inflicted
and denials have been rs numerous as
the charges. III
Shortly after receiving my commission
as an officer in the fall OF 1861 | was
placed In command OF the City OF
Wheeling then Virginia. US military
commander. ! held this position until
early in tho fall OF 1862. and again dur.
Ing most OF the year OF 1865, having been
returned there from the front Mt the 70.
quest OF Major General 3. F. Kelly, De.
partn,ent Commander. One OF the many
uu.ses al my office was the taking charge
OF the military prison established in said
city, and propose in this article to
briefly relate my experience concerning
the treatment Of prisoners ut said post,
and then compare it somewhat with that
received by our comrades whom the
fate. Of war placed in the clutches OF the
enemy. n' IN
The city Of Wheeling was, in 1861, the
commercial center OF the western part Of
the old State Of Virginia and OF Eastern
Ohio. 1t was the western terminus Of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, which
Tau through the northern part of the
State Of Virginia, and connected Wheel.
ing with Washington City and Balti-
more, Md. The government ut the very
beginning Of the rebellion, saw the ne
cessitY Of permanently holding both the
city Of Wheeling and said railroad, the
latter being of vital importance to the
successful issue OF tho war. III part for
this purpose several regiments Of loyal
Virginians were at once organized and
sent into the interior Of the State, and
among the first troops who arrived from
other States. | am proud TO say, were
1ndiana's loyal sons led by General
Morris, who, in conjunction with Gener-
al kelly's loved Vlrginians, taught the
F. F. VS. their first lesson ut Phillip.
The Richmond government of the
State was then in open rebellion to tho
United States Government, and used its
best efforts to enlist every able-bodied
Virginiau into the rebel army. We,
who lived in Wheeling, and hosts OF
loyal sons OF the grand old common
wealth living in the western part Of
the State were unwilling TO become
tfaitors to our country, and, in order to
civil government in the State,
established recognized State govern.
mentsa Wheeling. Hon. 4. II. Pier.
point, OF Fairmont, Marion county,
was proclaimed Governor, and at once
assumed the duties OF his office. lie
gave bis whole soul 10 the work assigned
him, and became to the soldiers OF Wiz.
ginia and the new born State OF West
Virginia what Governor Morton was to
the Hoosier boya-their best friend. 3.
Wheeling soon became a place OF con.
siderable military Importance. Battles
and skirmishes were fought in the front
oft with regular troops and often in an
otfhand manner with the busllwhackers,
who infested almost every county Of the
State. Prisoners commenced to pour
into the city. necessitating the establish
ment Of prison for their safe keeping.
A large three story brick building op2o.
site the postot1ice {once a theatre called
the AtherHum) was selected ior that
purpose. 1t acted as a feeder for the
tho larger prison near Columbus, Ohio,
called Camp Chase, to which plaza pris-
oners were transferred as often as neces.
sity required. In the Wheeling prison
were confined: 5$55! = ,'lglE =
lat. Regular prisoners OF war.
I'd. Political aud civil prisoners OF
State. ID, x Z, s.4:fI 'istg \. Il
Sd. United States soldiers under sen.
tence OF court-martial.
Prisoners OF war were men captured
in battle or in open hostility to the voy.
ernmcnt, regularly enlisted rebel sol.
diers. They were asight 10 behold when
they arrived, under guard, direct from
the front. Their clothing was of the
poorest aud scantiest kind, usually OF n
butternut or gray color. Very few OF
them had blanket; many were shoe.
less, or had shoes that were more holey
than righteous and which gave ample
ventilation to unwashcd feet. Their haiY
was often cut in true +. T. v. style
that is, not cut at all-hiding in its deep
rccesses were lurking enemies OF the
most annoying and aggressive kind, to
whom the boys in blue have given the
cupfonious name Of !Gray backs"
Upon entering the prison. they were
searched, and all moneys, knives and
other contraband. articles (of which n
strict account was kept were taken from
them. \ descriptive list, similar to those
made Of United States soldiers, was made
Of them, Upon entering the prison
proper they were at once
hailed as "Fresh Fish" Greet.
ings Of old comrades in arms were
OF daily occurrence, and they were quite
as cordial as those occurring at Libby
for humane nature aud comraderhip arc
the same the world over. The next i'm
portant step on the programme was te
iced these often hali.staryed men, Tall
about appetite-you who have never
seen a rebel prisoner eat his first mea
in prison don't know what appetite is
The inner man having been taken car,
Of, the outer mans condition was mex
looked into, and to properly improv,
said condition good strong soap hecan,
a necessary ARTICLE. I have seen mel
who had such IN aversion to oleanlinep
that their fellow.prisioners were com
PEELED, for their own comfort, to lore
them to submit to q good scrubbin
every now and then. They appointe,
a committee Of their own whose dut
it was to keep the prison and prisoner
as clean as possible, and who rigidl
performed that duty. To the chairma
Of said committee gave the freedom {
the soldiers barracks duringfth da