The National tribune., 1900-08-23
DREAD DAYS IN DIXIE.

DNLAD Ia y llN DlAlLs
Continued from first page.)
square hole down in the ground about
four feet then an excavation made in one
side large enough to curl up in for our
bedroom. We managed to get sticks
enough to fix n roof over the door, which
we covered with earth enough to keep
out moderate rains, and by ditching man.
aged to keep dry, except in long rainy
spells, when water would ooze in and
pieces of wet dirt fall from the ceiling Of
our bedroom making it extremely dis
agreeable. We did our cooking up
STAIRS and when we had company enter
tained in the open air.
Our furniture was limited, consisting at
first of a half cantcen, two tin cups, two
spoons, case knife, and a combination
fork and spoon. Our housework was cas-
lily done. as we had no beds to make,
floors to sweep or much dish-washing and
very little cooking.
l had the reputation when captured Of
being very good off hand singer, and
| as | knew quite collection of songs, spent
considerable time rchcarsng them to at
tcntive audiences so long as | could mus
ter life and spirit enough to do so. To
use an army phrase of the time, however,
this soon played out" | became too low
spirited to sing, but never felt too bad off
to curse Salisbury and the variety of ways
our keepers invented to make life here a
burden.
THE BILL OF FARE.
When we first arrived at the stockade
our rations seemed ample to sustain life,
| and to even regain some of our lost flesh.
Our mess commented on the favorable
| change from the fare while at Belle
| Island, and congratulated ourselves on the
probability of passing Il comfortable Win
ter, when We should be furnished tents
| for shelter. For few days we were fur
niShcd a good-siZed loaf of light bread, 4
! pint of fair rice soup and what we con-
sidered a liberal allowance of good cOrned
| beef for two men each day, but after the
first week the food given US rapidly de-
! Perforated in both quantity and quality
until, at the time of the attempted out
break and on to the end, the quantity was
totally insufficient and the quality disgust
ing even to the naked, starving wretches
who We're expected to subsist on it.
On the day of the insurrecton, Nov.
10, Maj. Gee, commandant of the prison,
gave notice to all in the stockade that
not mouthful of food would be issued
| to the prisoners until all the guns taken
from the guards were returned and the
ring leaders in the revolt given to him for
punishment. This order was posted con-
spicuOusly in the pen, and was enforced
that day and the next, when the gins,
except one that was broken and perhaps
the pieces of it, We're given up and sew
eral prisoners gave up voluntarily, as /
understand it, as leaders of the mob.
never knew what was done with these
men, and do not remember ever seeing
them afterwards.
Our cornbread now was made from corn
meal, apparently ground in the kind of
machine called crusher, cob and all. 1t
was at least very coarse. had all the bran
in it, and | frequently saw and examined
pieces of cOrncOb larger than my thumb
nail in my ration. This, mixed with wa
ter and baked without salt, made a mess
so unpalatable and mean that our stom-
achs, already weak, refused to digest it.
One can form no adequate idea of its quail
ity without actually eating it, and then
to fully appreciate its excellence must be
compelled to keep up the trial for weeks
and months, if the eXperimenter should
, live so long. This bread induced condi-
tions that caused hundreds to die of dis
ease.
The corned beef entirely disappeared
and in its stead we were given an occa,
sional feed of fresh beef This consisted
of the heads and entrails of the animals
slaughtered for our guards. We usually
got this once and, at rare intervals, twice
a week. Dubois and |, who always
drew ratiOns together, on one oil
two occasions which | remember had the
whole of beef's eye for our share of the
days ration. Our soup, too, became thin
ner and appeared at irregular intervals
1t being unsalted, too, was very insipid
and didn't miss it so much.
1t will be seen from what / have jus'
written that we were in no danger OF
foundering by overeating. Sometimes By
way of change We were given bread fol
a day or two at time, made from sOr
I 2hum seed, coarsely ground and unSifted
This, mixed with water and baked, con
sidered the meaneSt substitute for breat
/ ever invented. 1t was blue and heavy, anC
, 4 slice of it looked much like an ordinar.
milestone and was just about as digrsti
bic and nutritious.
II | had read of the power of the stomach
of the African ostrich, which is said t.
4 digest rusty nails and other equally hare
n one as strong in order that my system
might assimilate the food given me at Sal
6 isbury.
0 TRUTH HARD TO BELIEVE.
After the close of the war l chanced t
:. be present at lecture on life in rebel pris
ons by man who had preserved loa
of the corncob bread given us here, whicl
he exhibited to his audience. This loa
was one which had been issued to tw
S prisoners as a days ration, and l re
!; member these people disputed the state
d ment of the lecturer, and / heard severa
c say that it was impossible that the rebel
+ had fed their prisoners on such stuff an
y they doubted the whole story. When
6 arose and vouched for the truth of tn
e matter. telling them that l had been fe
l. on such bread, and no other, for severa
months, they gazed pityingly at me, an
II intimated that l must have recently es
r capped from some lunatic asylum.
n Yankee ingenuity failed to supply th