The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-13
of frequent occurrence, termed moon

of frequent occurrence, termed moon
blind.
MANY FEDERAL PRISONERS.
There were upward of geo federal
prisoners confined Their for various Of
fenses against military rules and laws,
who were compelled to labor daily,
from morn till night upon limited and
loathsome sustenance. Without excep-
ton, 1t was the most horrible place the
eye of man ever rested upon, where
day after day the miserable existence
was being dragged out, intermixed with
sickness, bodily suffering, want and
pinching hunger, without the addition
al acts of torture and tinhuman1ty that
soon I became a witness OF.
Around about the fort there were
several small keys, termed, respective
ly, Sand, East, Bird and Loggerhead
Keys. Sand Key, very small in area,
lies in northeasterly direction, dis
tant about half a mile upon which had
been erected hospital for quarantine
purposes and to be used in case of any
epidemic occurring at the fort. Every
foot of its space is now peopled with
the dead, many of the bodies having
been washed up by the surf of the sea,
and the hospital building having been
torn down for the purpose of erecting
a theater at the post.
Bird Key, the largest in area is dis
tant about five miles from the Dry
Tortugas, upon which, in the summer
season, sea gulIs in dense flocks con-
gregate to deposit their eggs. These
were gathered by the garrison and used
| for food. East Key lies in south
westerly direction, distant about one
mile from the fort, and was used as a
cemetery for the dead. Loggerhead
Key lies northerly, about three and
one-half miles from the fort, upon
which is erected a lighthouse of great
height, used as a guide to ships to pre-
vent their running upon the reefy beds
which abound.
Those We're all the points of land Wis
ible, all else was the deep and briny
ocean. I looked long and intently up
on all the surroundings of the place,
and asked the question: rs this, in
deed, to be my home for life?"
PLACED IN A CASEMATE.
When we had returned from our
walk around the breakwater wall we
were placed within our dingy case
mate for the night. Food issued was
horrible in the extreme. Many were
suffering dreadfully from scurvy and
chronic troubles. The bread was dis
gushing to look upon, being a mixture
of flour, bugs, sticks and dirt. Meat,
whose faint could be traced by it's
other; in fact, rotten, and to such an
other; In fact, rotten, an dto such an
extent that dogs ran from coming in
contact with it, was served. No vege-
table diet was issued of any description
and the coffee, which should have been
good as good quality was issued, was
made into a slop by those who had
charge Of the cook-house. These arti-
cles, with but little variation, compos-
ed the diet until the Fifth United
States Artillery arrived and assumed
command, which was in the month of
November.
Up to the above date there was not
an article of food raised upon the ISL
and. The meat and flour that had been
repeatedly condemned by the inspector
the uuartermaster still issued, not only
to prisoners, but, in many instances
to the garrison Our treatment during
the stay of Colonel Hamilton, of the
One Hundred and Tenth New York
Volunteers was as good as could be eX-
pected under such circumstances.
In short time the One Hundred
and Tenth New York was relieved by
the One Hundred and Sixty-first New
) York, under whom we received far bet
ter treatment, no change occurring
| in the nature and kind nj
food issued. 1t still being of the mean
> est and coarsest nature The stay Of
this regiment was very short, and they
were relieved by the Eighty-secont
United States Colored Infantry, undel
> whom the first change occurred, rem
dering imprisonment almost insupport
able:
DR.. Samuel Mudd upon the arriva
of the Eighty-second Regiment, OF
( September rs, 1865, made arfsattempt tt
escape, because, as he afterward in
formed me, he was fearful that his lift
= would be sacrificed under their rule
e Under the plea of the attempt of MudC
t to escape, each of us was placed with
/ in a dungeon and shackles were placed
[ around our ankles, and in this degrad
i ed condition we were compelled t,
daily perform certain assigned labor.
' COLONEL GREENFIELD ARRIVES
' Col. George St. Leger Grenfell, quit
an aged gentleman, arrived at the for
shortly after Mudd's attempt at escape
4 under the alleged charge of conspiracy
/ and was placed in the same dungeon
with us, and the same shameful, indig