Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-19
TO LIBBY PRISON.
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES OF THE
DAYS AFTER THE EVACUATION.
Brutal Treatment OF Confederate Prison
ers BY Federal Onicers In Richmond
Pitcous Appeal for Something to Eat
To ne Editor Of ne Dispafca +:

To ne Editor Of ne Dispatch
In answer TO the inquiry contained in
the last Sundays issue Of your paper in re-
gard to the starving of Confederate SOL
diers in Libby Prison allow me to present
the following reminisccnce:
A few days after the execution Of Rich
mond 1t was my fortune TO see one of the
numerous squads of prisoners captured
from General Lees retreating army march
ed under guard down Main street. Amore
wretched-lookinn set CT men It would be
difficult TO imagine - gaunt and halt
clad. many being without shoes or
jackets. and several bareheaded, "a
they limped painfully along, apparently
worn out with fatigue. Some OF them
were sick and crippled soldiers who had
left the city hospitals TO follow the re,
treating army and been overtaken and
captured in the rear. il was reported that
for three days they had had nothing to
eat save corn taken from the horses and
what green things they could pick up in
the fields and beside the road. A Yankee
officer had told how, IN a skirmish in
which some of these men had been cap
tured. one of them bravely stood his
ground with q small piece of salt pork
borne aloft on a pole as though 1t had
been q sacred banner. while guard stood
ready to defend it from assault OF friend
and foe alike"
PLYING CHANCES.
SO wretched was the appearance OF these
mon that detected plying glances and
IN one instance tears in the eyes OF the fede-
raj soldiers who saw them pass, and lwell
remember the look of shocked amazement
Al. g s~,,. f.th "a
which said as plainly as words could have
expressed: Are these the men with whom
we have been fghting?" As they were
conducted under a huge United States
flag whose folds swept their faces 1t was
curious to observe the various expressions
of their countenances. Some glanced
hastily up and instantly averted their eyes
rs from some painful sight: others passed
with compressed lips and liked, lnscruta0le
gaze. while one or two smlled-a rant,
ghastly smile, full Of unspeakable bitter
ness and grief.
A BRUTAL ANSWER.
When the melancholy procession had
passed, a friend accompanying meinquired
of Federal officer whittier the prisoners
were being taken? He replied sharply :
ITO Libby Prison. We are going to give
them a taste of what they gave u.s."
There are doubtless citizens OF Rich
mond who can recall how about this time
a rumor prevailed that our men were being
starved" in Libby Prison. well-known
gentleman told me that he had heard the
Federal soldiers on tho street openly boast
of such being the case. 1t was said that
the men crowded into the windows and
begged bread of the passers-by. and moved
by all that we heard number of ladies
decided to venture to the prison and try
hi a. nnA1
food conveyed to at least some Of those
who might be sick or most Ill need of IT;
II was their purpose, if permitted, to send
thus daily supply of what fresh provl-
sions could be obtained, food of all kinds
being still extremely scarce in the lately
beeagured city.
LIKE Gagged ANIMALS.
l shall never forget the sight which
greeted us on our arrival opposite the
Libby building. Numbers OF Yankee
soldiers were collected outside the line OF
the guard curiously watching the prison
windows as they might have gazed on the
Gagged animals OF a menagerle. In these
windows were crowded the Confederate
prisoners, their meagre colorless faces
pressed against the iron bars. tier above
tier, while from their n-burned hands de-
pended long lines or strings reaching
"a piece of bread" and occasionally II
chew of tobacco" On perceiving us. at
tended by servants bearing covered
baskets, they seemed to instantly divine
our errand, and pressed yet moro closely
with eager, anxious eyes watching our every
movement. l saw one man tearing his
ragged sleeves into strings, and another
imploringly stretching forth his hand
through the bars III mute expression OF
his need.
PITEoUs APPEALs.
The street was strewn with bits OF paper
thrown from the windows. which we found
to be piteous appeals for " something 10
edtn with the names and regiments of the
writers appended. The soldiers would pick
up these papers, read them. and toss them
aside often laughing, and one remarked IN
great glee to the gentleman accompanying
us, They had me III there once, but it's my
turn now. They starved me on pea soup
and your secesh corn-bread which isn't I'll
for northern dog to eat" When Informed
that our own soldiers had been glad to get
enough of these despised viands no did
not hesitate TO express his incredulity.
We found the officials of the prison tol.
erably civil, but firm in their refusal to
allow no provisions to pass within the
walls. One assured us that the prisoners
had las much as was good for Them" and
another declared that they were supplied
with full and abundant ratlons, while O
third whom we encountered III our de-
parture remarked sternly that they toert
kept on short rGtions in retaliation for de stare
ina 10 death Of hesndreds Of Union prisoner.
,oittin those ,cdils."
AsoLDIER.
But there was one tall, grizZled man, Q
private, who said that ne was from Maine
and who remarked aside TO us: an
sorry for them poor fellows and woulC
help them if could. I've given my owl
rations to them when had chance" He
consented TO take charge of two little par
GELS of bread aud meat, which he slipped
under his jacket. saying that he woulc
watch for chance of passing II IN by
means of friend of his. And then sor
rowfully we turned away, followed by thu
disappointed gaze Of those hollow and
wistful eyes.
STARVED.
II was shortly after this that on Genera
Lees surrender these prisoners were re-
leased. and their first proceeding was tl
scatter over the city in quest OF food.
saw two of them picking raw cabbage
stalks out of an ash-barrel and Others
swarming like bees about an empty sor
ghum-cask. The few with whom we talked
bad been kept on rations scarcely sufii
cient to preserve them alive. and that bu
for their speedy release some amongs
them, already sick and feeble, must Ger
tainly have died. Whether the officers o
rank and such distinguished prisoners az
Judge Ould were subject to the same treat
ment as the private soldiers l did mo-
learn.
have here simply related what CANE
under my own personal observation. AnC
may add that after the release OF the
Confederate prisoners | repeatedly saw OF
the street acts of great kindness and gen
crosby extended to them by Federal sol
diers-such as bestowing their own rationi
and articles of clothing. and even green
backs " to help take them to their distant
southern homes.
SCRAPS OF PAPER.
On our bootless errand to Libby Prison
we picked up number OF the bits OF pape
thrown from the windows and waited by
the breeze to our feet. OF these, which