The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-01-24
IN SALISBURY PRISON.
A Maine Mans Experience in the Rebel
SLockade

1 - -AAS AAat SAPSA-CASS AZ VIC RSuSA
| Stockade.
EptroR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: have re-
| Gently read, with special interest the arti-
| Gle, Dread Days in Dixie" by Comrade
| Sllas W. Croker, Co. |, 9th Pa. Reserves.
| From the fact that | was at Salisbury
| from the last week in October, 1864, until
| March, 1865, it may be of interest for me
| to add somewhat to the very interesting
description that has already been given.
As member of Co. G, 10th Me-, | par
| ticipated in all the battles from the
| Wilderness TO Petersburg, when Warren,
| of the Fifth Corps, swerving around TO the
| left, captured the Weldon Railroad on
Aug. IS. The 10th Me. then consolidated
with the 18th Mass. and Goth and 10Th
N. Y. entered a heavy growth of timber,
| and soon were engaged with the Johnnies.
| On the 18th what was left of the brigade
| was captured, and within a few days We
| were taken to Belle Isle.
When captured we were thinly clad,
| and even then the rebs stole all they could
| lay hands on. | happened to have one-half
of blanket, and L hung to it like grim
death. We remained at Belle Isle nine
weeks. The weather was fine, so that We
did not suffer the untold horrors that came
to us later. The last week in October
about one-half of the prisoners, compris-
ing several thousand, were counted off and
marched out of the Enclosure. | was in
the first division that was sent away. We
were packed like sardines in box cars. aud
started on a free ride to Salisbury Prison.
At Greensboro, n. c., we were marched
to an open field, where much attention was
given to US by the residents. A kindly
feeling seemed to pervade the atmosphere
as we were well treated. The next day we
started on our journey for Salisbury. The
ride was bitter cold one to very many of
us, as We were on open cars. As
| entered Salisbury Prison there came
over me a homesick feeling that | cannot
describe. To be prisoner Of war, with
even fair treatment, is bad enough, but to
be q prisoner turned loose into an jnclo-
sure, such as Salisbury Prison pen, insult
ficiently clad and fed, and with but slight
protection from the weather in form of
shelter, simply meant starvation and
death. A great dark blot upon the SOuths
reputation, which can never be effaced, is
the treatment of prisoners in Anderson
vile, Salisbury and other prison pens. l
have in my home a large Autograph,
framed and hanging on the wall. This
picture is a perfect reproduction of the
Salisbury Pen. 1t is 32x42 inches, thus
giving ample room, and is perfect in all its
details, even to the old well. 1t was pre-
scented to me several years since by Mr.. |
Gordon, Southern manufacturer. This
picture was taken by Mr.. Gordon's |
brother, who lived near Salisbury at the |
time. Under the picture, on the margin, |
is description in large letters. 1t reads; |
Salisbury Prison. Taken in 1864"
Following this is n summary of the in |
terror: Cotton factory, old blacksmith |
shop, used as guardhouse, and afterward |
as a deadhouse; old well; six brick houses, |
used as officers prisons; rebel officers |
headquarters; souphouse; tunnel from
which prisoners escaped" Twenty-Five /
Sibley tents and II Lighthouses can be |
counted. The dead line on two sides can
be clearly seen. The guards, numbering /
43, can be counted walking back and !
forth, looking down into the Enclosure. At
the southwest corner can be plainly seen a
cannon lat the other three corners the
same precautions were taken, but these
cannot be seem.
This gun at the southwest corner is the
one that killed and wounded so many at
the time the prisoners tried to escape. This
occurred on Nov. %, instead of Nov. 10,
as stated by COmrade Croker. / base my
statement from the time l entered the
prison, which was four weeks. When the
occurred | stood outside of the
tents, five or six in number, quite near the
corner where the gun was stationed. At
the first discharge five men were wounded
in one of these tents; 81 men all told were
wounded, while several were killed. Those
were dark days in Salisbury Prison; for
what little liberty we had was taken from
us.
Some time in December the brick build
ings that the officers had occupied We're
into hospitals. In these were
gathered those in the last stages Of sick
ness and starvation. | used to stand ut
the main gate, waiting for the guard to 20
out to the wood pile, and wonder, as /
saw the six-mule team hauling out the
naked dead, when / should be one of them.
The death rate in January and February
rapidly increased. Men were reduced to
mere skeletons. My life was saved by
named Scott, who, understanding
was in charge of one of the
brick buildings. He allowed me to sleep
on the floor, under one of the beds, for
three weeks, and eventually got my name
on the list. Even with this care | was so
weak by March that two men helped me
to the cars when we were exchanged. One
Of these boys was named Earl Erickson,
whom | was with ut Key West in the
navy in 1862. He had withstoOd the raw
ages Of a prison life remarkably well.
After getting me into the car, he bid me
good-by, as he was going through to the
North by another route. Just Gbout two
from that time | received a letter
from his sister, in Delaware. stating that
Earl had lived only two weeks after get
ting home-F. T.. SAUNDERS, LIST Me.
Cav, sloop of war Dale and 18th Me-,
Lowell, Mass.