The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-13
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES
 AND HISTORY OF ALABAMA.
THOMAS M. OWEN, Director.

tons. committee was appointed to visit the various messes. but no trace or Coming to the commissary mess. our ad- mittance was refused, but we boldly en- tered and found quantity of provisions in bulk, unissued. But we could not ioen- tify our property and the facts were stated and signed, with names of witness of that mess who said that mess was trading rations for trinkets, etc. we were ordered to appear at the front gate at a certain hour and an order from Hammond was read to us from him com mandinE that we should be handcufsd and balled and chained for one week, We We upon us. Being lame, I called to mess mate to come and help me with my heavy ball and chain. We took our punishment cheerfully. Often during the days we would play ten pins and make the camp ring with a clash and rattle. Sunday was inspection day and we had our mess quarters in tirst-class order. Hammond gentlets.. Coming in and looking around. of fellows in here. Yes, sir. we were did not mean that" Nevertheless, 1t is true, sir" was the rejoinder. II was sorry to make an example of you, fellows in order to restrain complaints paints .na we we cuted us without a hearing. Dry up' sir!" T am dry. sir!'
 The other messes had generously con
  The incident had a good effect on the commissary mess and we were content. Toward the last of December Lieutenant l Hammond, with mule and cart and | bayonets, made a raid upon the extra | blankets throughout the prison. reducing | the supply to one to each man. Suppos- | edy. extra blankets were hidden under | the lower hunks and the cartload did not materially diminish the number. Going. to l him and his cart. I told him a wounded l man could not keep warm during the winter with one blanket. q and | would thank him to present me good Uncle | Sam blanket Certainly, select one. 1 No. sir. as 1t is to be a present. I would thank you to make the selection. He did so and I had more blankets than Carter had oats"
 The first of January thousand prison CTS were to be transferred from Camp Chase to Fort Delaware. As I passed out patted my blanket present, and asked him to send an order with that blanket that it should not be disturbed. He nodded assent and when l entered Fort Delaware my blankets passed in unmo- tested, but it would have surprised you to have seen the pile of blankets that were taken from the prisoners as they entered, although it was freezing cold. I. with others. was the recipient of | many kindnesses by former residentsiof the South who went North in the begin hing of the war Mrs. Judge H. l. Thofn- ton. of Eutaw sister of Hon. J. J. Crit | tenden of Kentucky, but then of Califor- | mia. sent me money through Mrs. John | Kerr of Louisville. Messrs. Liston of In- diana and Catline Wilson and Wm. | of Eutaw, and Miss Key of New Orleans. relative of my mess mate, Lon Coleman, sent me occasional donations of tobacco money. which was most acceptable We left Camp, Chase on the 1st of Jam uary, 1864 and arrived at Fort Delaware on the End or 3rd in a snowstorm. This | prison covers 10 or 12 acres. enclosed with high plank fence. with divisions run | ming through with broad streets. from wall to wall, with two-foot flush ditches. l There were three tiers of hunks, dining | room near the bay on the west end, 90 or 100 feet long with kitchen adjoining and | tables, two feet apart. with so-called ra- tions of bread and a small piece of meat on each side and men with clubs on the table to see that men should take only one ration. They marched down by di- visions between the tables, each man when fronted right and left taking the | ration before him and marched out at the rear end with their rations in their hands, | the first out. many of them, offered to swap or trade rations for tobacco. The meat was of cold pickled pork or bacon. cut into small bits. some of them exceed l ing small. The bread was part corn meal and part flour, Drowned on top, but raw In the middle, prolific source of dysen- tery and Aux. do not remember to have seen any fresh meat. soup or vegetables of any kind and scurVy was common.
 The water was bad often brackish, possi-
 bly from the river. The prison was on an
 
 on the other
 The winter was long and severe, foes of ice often standing in the bay and a bushel of coal-in dust-delivered at night fall to supply barrel stove in the centre of the division, containing 800 prisoners.
 No kindling to start fire, except a piece of goods box smuggled In or few chips from bunk plank. The men were on an eternal tramp through the night to keep their blood from freezing. At taps a watchman with a club drove the men from the lukewarm stove to their single blanketless hunks. They dared not leave blanket on their accustomed bunk. Our camp fires were ever dimly burning or not burning at all. The privy was over tide waves. The streets were flushed once a week. in spring and summer. and the foul odor was often stifiing. Woe to him who was caught committing a nuisance by the wall or in the drains. Every man had to go to the privy sick or well. | was in the former class with a dreadful case of dysentery and begged the sentinel as my bunk was nearly quarter of a mile away. ITO your bunk, or I'll put | couple of balls through vel"
 | Returning in a short while the guard had been changed and the same request was made which was respectfully grant ed. The effect was from bitter inward curses to trickling tears. Through the | Greensboro, who was an assistant at the | hospital. l was sent for to spend a few recuperative days at that 'infirmary." One had to be carried on blanket to get there at that time. At the entrance was stack of collins, fourteen stories high and remark by the prescription clerk was not very consolatory-"W sent tlf- teen corpses across the river yesterday" But l determined not to cross the river. l if I could help it.
 Dr. Eagle of Ohio the assistant sur geon, found to be d gentleman with d good degree of milk of human kindness l in his bosom. The unexpected discovery from that side of the house of our fath- CTS almost unnamed me. One touch of human kindness makes the world akin He is hard man who never finds an oc- casion to shed a tear,
 The bill of fare" conspicuously post ed in the hall. was an attractive volume, written altogether in French. I did not l read it. but thought it was playing to the grand stand-How fat and happy these Rebel prisoners ought to be- made out one item that savored of cold corn mush fried-and I ordered d slice-but 4f- rewards ate what was set before me. asking no questions
 In the early spring General Shoaff or dered thousand of the desperately sick,