The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-03

of spirit: but starvation had at last
reduced them almost to despair. The
ration had been cut doWn until it was
barely sufficient to sustain life. Each
| morning we drew one loaf OF bred.
weighing about half OF pound or less.
| and about to One-thiTd Q;
| q pound OF beef. The majority ate It
all at once and tasted till next morn
ing. and hen on Saturday We drew
two days ratlons, many followed the
same rule of making n meal 4
| going without till Monday morning.
| [ cannot better describe the horrors
of this prison than by quoting from
a private letter from a northern
writer, which | find on page 12>f. Of
| War of Rebellion Records. Series II.
Vol. VIII:
Read the enclosed. Do You believe
in a just righteous God. who has SAID:
Vengeance is mine. | Will repay!
You were said to have been i'll latziy.
Did you then think OF dying and APP
| pearlng in the presence OF this Ca.
Think of the grOans and signs that
continually go a. to Him calling Tor
| vengeance on your cruel and guilty
soul and remember that. though de-
layed, your punishment will come.
[Signedl A SUFFERER
Chicago, H.. Dee. .. 1864.
(From a Private letter.
The condition and suffering Of he
| rebel prisoners at Rock Island Is 4
source of agony 10 every heart not
| absolutely dead 10 the feelings Of
common umanit yand the seamless
Christian mercy. There are from
5000 to 5000 confined there. Many
have taken the oath. N oath, TO
| save themselves from actual starVa-
ton. These released prisoners. though
liberated at different intervals OF time,
all tell the same story. The
to each man has been n small loat
Of bread Git takes three TO make a
pound) and a piece of meat, two
inches square, per day. This was the
ration. Lately it has been REDUCED
Think of it-reduced. All the released
| ones say that no man can live on TIC
rations given. and that there are men
who would do anything to get enough
to eat. Such is the Wretched.
condition of these poor starving crea-
lures that several dogs which have
come TO the barracks with teams have
fallen victims to their hunger, and
they are trapping rats and mice for
food. actually to save life. Many of
them are nearly naked. bareiOOted:
exposed to ceaseleSS torture from the
Chill and p~itiless winds of the upper
| Mississippi. Thus. naked and hungry.
and in prison, enduring a WretChed-
ness which no tongue can describe. 10
ldllS udSe tell, lueS SullSr lTOIu Udy ~
day, each day their number growing
less by death; death. their only COM
forter. their only merciful visitor.
God in heaven. Shall these things
continue? a we hope for success IN
our cause? Will a merciful and Just
God bless and prosper it if such cruel
inhumanity is practiced by our rulers?
May we not provoke a terrible and
| just chastlsement at His hands? No
~ VIC ~ lao - lyo VI +In footc n n -
feel otherwise. Many charitable per-
sons, Influenced by nc other motives
than humanity and Christian duty,
have sent supplies of clothing to these
prisoners. but they ha9e not been per-
mitted to reach them. l have heard OF
sales of sucn clothing having been
made across the river at Davenport
at very low prices. Is it possible taat
the authorities at Washington know
of and approve these things?
"A goo many nave taken the oath,
stating afterWard to citizens hat thGS
did SO really to save them from star
walton. l learn hat there are about
5000 confined here who have resolved
to die rather tina do so. Although
they are wrong. is there not a sublime
herolsm in the adherence or these
men. mid such trails. to a cause which
they believe to be right?'
ENDORSEMENT
January II, 1865.
This slip is believed to have been
a pure fabrication by some northern
rebel. 1t cannot have had any true
foundation. Nevertheless. I am Of
opinion that the paper and slip should
be sent to Brigadier General Vessels
for such inquiries as he may think 1t
necessary to make. Approved by the
secretary of war.
"E. A. HITCHCOCK,
major Gener of Volunteers
Will Comrade McCauIy please stand
up. ..sisIaatt
"Comrade. IS the description nave
Just read of the horrors of our prison
life a true one"
1T isl helped eat the dogs"
us it true, so help o God"
1T IS true. so help me God"
l am a living witness that the pc
ture is not OverdraWn and that what
the writer says is true. so help me
God. And that l kept the faith and
was n of the 5000 to which he re-
ferS as refusing to take the oath Of
allegiance, will always be one OF tho
proudest recollectlons Of my life.
The Endorsement by the secretary Of
war says there could be no founda-
ton for the letter. Did he deliberate
iy lie. OF had he forgotten that May
p, 1854, he approved the recommended
ton Of II. W. Hallock. chief of staff;
that tea. sugar and coffee should 10
longer be issued to prisoners and that
their ration be reduced to that "is-
sued by the rebel government to their
w troops?"
To make the horror of our situation
complete, We were guarded by nc
Sroes, insolent n eager for excuse
to kill a white man. l saw at differ
ent times four men lying dead who
were killed by negroes during the
night. l afterwards read the proceed
ings of the investigation by the fed
eral authorities and though the evil
dence of the negroes themselves show
ed deliberate murder-one Of them
admitting that he had taken off his
shoes in order to slip on his victlm-
they were acquitted. without even e
reprimand.
Many Of the prisoners carried balls
and chains and were handcuffed, and
tying up the thumbs was common for
the slightest lnfraction of discipline.
n sometimes when the men were
rQln1 cod : JI-ac nn6accnrI- 70 c1-I