West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-06-25
RATS FOR PRISON FARE.
Read what Confederate Veteran
says about Northern Prisons.

Tho Northern Press never tire of
relating the horrors of Anderson
vile and other southern prisons
during the "lato unpleasantness.
The suffering OF Federal prisoners
has boen told and retold and painted
IN vivid pictures to keep alivo the
old sectional strife and drive away
the winged messenger of peace that
should hover over all Mt tins late
day. The prejudice and bitterness
of these bigots who delight in way
ING the "bloody shirt" will not al
low them timo or reason to investi.
gate the suffering Of Confederate
prisonere IN tho cattle pens of the
North, or consideration for the
suffering and dostituton of the
Southern people themselves and how
limited were their resources In the
latter part of the war. Now read
this from the Cumberland Times.
Capt. Il. "A. Chisholm, of Oak.
land, when questioned on the sub.
iect OF Confederate soldiers being
so reduced in Western prison dur
ing the war as to be forced TO cat
rats, said edo not know whether
tic prisoners who wore confined in
Camp Morton indulgcd in rat cat
ing or not, but | know that tho
Confcderates who wcrc imprisoned
in Fort Delaware ate rats and were
glad to get them. | have seen tho
poor hungry creatures along tho
walls with clubs waiting for n rat to
appear, and often times have
seen n man who was lucky enough
to capture one have to fight to keep
it,.
"Those Of us who had friends
within the Federal lines and occa-
sionally got something from home
suffered less than those whose homes
wero further South and who were
cut off from their friends. | got n
box from home now and thon, but
got hungry enough TO eat rats be-
tween times, and did eat them.
ID, Nj. Mason, who is now ticket
agent of the Baltimore and Ohio at
Oakland, and were together, and
We were captured on the 18th day of
May, 1864, and were released on
the goth day Of June 1865. Many
OF the prisoners were afflicted with
scurvy and died OH account of the
prison fare. Tho suffering of 9TH
ers were beyond description. We
enlisted in the Thirty-third Virginia
Infantry in September, 1862, and
were with the Stonewall Brigade ut
Antietam, Harpor's Ferry, Fred
ericksburg, Chancellorsville, Win
chester, Gettysburg, the Wilderness
and every engagement in which the
brigade took part up to the time we
were captured"
When asked if he meant to say he
was forced to eat rats during i'm
prsonment, Captain Chisholm SAID
81 mean to say that our ordinary
food, supplemented by what we
could get from friends, was not suf-
ficent, and we ate rats to satisfy as
far as possible the cravings Of hun
ger. do not make this statement
at this late day to complain Of the
government, but you have asked
me the questions and / simply give
you the facts. There were thous-
ands Of men in Fort Delaware at
the time / was there who know
these statements to be true. dOn't {
see why anybody should raise n rum
pus over the rat-eatIng business.
| have no doubt those who were in
prison down South suffered more
thar we did, because the people
who were nat in prison there were
compelled TO live on short rations."
Captain Chisholm was a private
in the Confederate Army and re-
turned to his home in Oakland after
being released from prison, and has
resided there ever since. lie is
we'll known as the captain OF the
Garrett Guards, Of Oakland, and
figures as one OF the best rife shots
in the once famous Haymaker
team