The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-02-22
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Redwood O03etfe
WEDNESDAY, FEB. %. 1905.
BY AIKEN q sCHMAHL.
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken From st. Paul Papers
of Feb. 11tn, 1865


A ST. Paul man who spent ten
months in the prison pen at Sails
bury, N. c., and who escaped last
December, relates some of the hor-
rors OF that place of torture. Early
in October 1000 regular prisoners
of war arrived there.
Very frequently one or more di-
visions of a thousand men would
receive no rations for "a hours.
Sometimes they were without a
morsel of food for 48 hours. The
few who had money would pay from
S. to $40 rebel currency for little
loaf of bread. Most prisoners trad
ed the buttons from their sblouses
for food. Many, although the
weather was very inclement, and
SHOWS frequent, sold the coats from
their back and the shoes from their
feet.
Yet the great commissary ware
house near the prison was filled
with provisions, and it was difficult
to find storage room for the flour
and meal. When a subordinate
asked the commandant, Maj John
II. Gee. "Shall I give the prisoners
full rations?" be replied mo, =
= them; give them quarter ra-
tions."
For several weeks the prisoners
had no shelter whatever. They
were all thinly clad. Thousands
were barefooted. Not one in twen-
ty had either overcoat or blanket
Many hundreds were without
shirts and hundreds more without
blouses. At last one Sibley tent
and one IA" tent we're furnished
to each squad of 100. With the
closest crowding these sheltered
about one half of the prisoners. The
rest hurrowed in the ground, crept
und, buildings, or shlvered thru
the nights in the open air upon the
frozen, muddy or snowy sail.
The hospitals were in crow ded
condition. By crowding the pa
tients as thick as they could upon
the floor they would contain about
60 inmates. There were always
thousands seeking admission in
vain. Sick and dying men lay up
on the cold and usually naked floor.
for the scanty straw soon became
too filthy to be fit for use. The au-
thorities never supplied single
blanket, quilt, pillow or bed. We
could not procure even brooms to
keep them clean, or cold water to
wash the faces of the patients.
Pneumonia, catarrh and diar-
rhoea we're the prevailing diseases.
More than half who entered the hos
pital died in very few days. The
deceased were loaded into dead
cart, piled upon each other like
logs of wood, and so driven out tt
be thrown into a trench and Gov
cred with earth.
On Nov. 25 many of the prisoners
had been without food for 48 hours
Desperate with hunger, without
any matured plan; one of them said
I'VE may as we'll die one way as
another; let us break out of this
horrible place. Some of then
wrested the guns from squad o
fifteen rebel soldiers, killing two
and wounding six. Before they
could make breach in the fence
every gun in the garrison was
turned on them, the field pieces
pouring in grape and canister. II
five minutes the attempt was
quelled, and not person could b'
seen in the yard. For 20 minutes
after it was ended the guards upor
i the fence on each side of US, will
deliberate aim, fired into the tent.
. upon innocent and helpless men
e killing Is and wounding 60 in colo
2 blood. Our lives were never saf'
for one minute. Any sentinel, a
any hour of the day or night coult
deliberately shoot down any pris
oner or into any group'ot prisoners
black or white, and he would no
be even taken off his post for it.
Nearly every week an officer cam,
into the prison to recruit for tn,
rebel army. Sometimes he Offered
bounties; always he promised gooc
clothing and abundant food. Abou
800 of our men enlisted in tw,