Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-03-05
PRISON EXPERIENCES.
NO. 10.


Belle Isle in the James River, oppo-
site the city, was used as prison
during almost the entire period of the
war. The lower part of the island
was occupied as the prison proper
which was surrounded by an embank-
ment three feet high ditched on either
side. The low ground and other
causes made this prison very un-
healthy. The prisoners confined here
varied from one to ten thousand; the
| largest number was during the ex-
| tremely cold winter of 1868 '64. The
prisoners were without shelter or
clothing and perished in large num-
bers. The following is taken from
the ''Congressional Report of Treat
ment of Prisoners by Rebel Author
ities:''
s'In the winter of 1863-'64 the
prisoners lived like the savages of
Africa, burrowing in the sand and
starving on the unwholesome, poi
sonous and insufficient rations. Filth,
exposure, nakedness and the disease
and madness which followed in their
train, vanishing energy and hope,
prevailed here during this terrible
winter. They were herded together
in the sand like swine; starving, fes-
ring remnants of the brave and
heroic men who had sacrificed all at
the call of their country. The hospitals
are described as unfit for stables, and
patients seldom reached them till
ready co die. The island contained
about one hundred acres; the prison
about ten. Water was readily OBJ
tanned from barrels sunkin the earth,
but was impregnated with human
filth from the camp; prisoners were
allowed to go to the sinks only in the
day time. The men were without
shoes, stockings or shirts and lay up
on the bare ground. Instances are
mentioned of eight men frozen to
death one night. The prisoners went
several days in the severest weather
without food.''
The same report says that enough
clothing was sent from the north
this winter to have furnished every
prisoner with a complete suit and
change of underclothing, blanket and
overcoat, but the rebel soldiers and
citizens appropriated it to their own
use. Also that fifty five thousand
dollars in greenbacks that had been
taken from our men were in the hands
of the rebel quartermaster at one
time.
In February when the commander
of the prison was walking among the
prisoners, accompanied by bis dog,
a white bull terrier as fat as Chesh
hire pig; the dog was coaxed into
tent, blanket thrown over his head,
and his throat cut within a rod of his
master. He was skinned, cut up, cook
ed and furnished a savory meal to
many hungry men. The commander
was intensely enraged but he never
found out the perpetrators, and the
only revenge possible was to sentence
more prisoners to ride the wooden
horse which he used as means of
punishment. The wooden horse will be
described further on together with
other instruments Of torture.
The number of Union graves at
Richmond is three thousand four
hundred and fifty.
Wednesday, June .29, we got our
soup early in the morning, so early
that we confidently expected to get
more in the afternoon. Animated by
the thought of two soups day, we
swallowed our breakfast almost at
one gulp, and, like cats, Tapped our
chops and eagerly waited for more,
but we didn't get it.
The prison overseer soon appeared |
in the door and ordered us out into |
the street. While being counted off |
and formed into four ranks, we saw
in the windows of a different part of |
the prison from what we had been |
confined, Lieutenants Mathews and |
looking out of the grated |