Year: 1864

Narrative OF Col. StIeight


In letter to the Military Committee of
Congress, Col. Streight gives the following
account of the treatment of Union prisoners
at Richmond:


my officers, together with something near
one thousand other United States officers, are
confined in large warehouse building, with
an averag6 space OF about twenty-five ieet to
each man. This included all room for cook
ing washing, eating, sleeping and exercising.
They have no hunks, chairs or seats of any
kind furnished them, consequently they both
sit and sleep on the floor. The windows OF
the building were entirely open until about
the middle Of December last, when pieces of
OF canvass we're furnished for the purpose of
closing them to keep the cold out, hut as this
would leave us in the dark,we were compelled
TO leave portion of them open and endure
the cold. Many of the officers were severely
destitute of blankets until our Government
sent supply to us in the forepart OF the winter
The supply of blankets is now exhausted, aud
the officers who have been captured during
the last six weeks have had none furnished
them. The rations furnished officers and men
by the rebels consists of about one pound OF
corn bread, made from unbolted meal, and
one fourth OF pound of poor fresh meat per
day. The meat has been issued TO the prison
ers but about half the time since the first of
December last. In addition 10 the ration of
bread and meat, as above stated, the prisoners
draw about two quarts of rice to one hundred
men. There is q sufficient quantity OF salt
furnished, and small quantity of vinegar L
will here remark that in few instances, say
six or eight times at most, a small quantity of
sweet potatoes have heen issued instead of
the rations of meat. The above is the sum
total Of the rations issued to our officers and
men now prisoners of war The condition OF
our unfortunate enlisted men now in the
hands OF the enemy is much worse than that
of the officers. From early in May last, when
1 arrived at Richmond, to about the lst of
December, all the enlisted men were taken to
what is called Belle Island and turned into
an enclosure like so many cattle into slaugh-
ter pen. Very few of them had tents or shell
ter of any kind, and the few tents furnished
were so poor and so leaky as to render them
but little better than none.


All the prisoners are taken to the Libby
Prison when they first arrive in Richmond
for the purpose of counting them and enroll
ing their names, consequently / had a fair
chance to see their condition when they arriv-
ed. Fully one half OF the prisoners taken
since May last were robbed by their captors
of their shoes, and nearly all were robbed of
their oyercoats, blankets and hayersacks. At
least one third OF them had been compelled to
trade their pants and blouses for mere rags
that would scarcely cover their nakedness:
very many of them were entirely bareheaded
and not few as late as the middle of Decem-
Der were brought 10 who had nothing on but
an old pair OF ragged pants and Shirt being
bareheaded, barefooted and without a blouse
oyercoat or blanket. / have seen hundreds
of our men taken TO the hospital thus clad and
in dying condition. / have frequently visi-
ted the hospital, and have conversed with
large number Of dying men brought there
from the Island, who assured me that they
had been compelled TO lie out in the open air
without any medical attendance, though for
several days they had been unable to walk.
Though destitute of anything like quarters and
nearly naked during the cold chilly fall sea-
son, the first and chief complaint of all those
saw and talked with was on account of an in
sufficient quantity of food. | will here remark
that in no instance have the rebel authorities
furnished clothing or blankets to our men.


During the winter large numbers of our
men were frozen. / heard one of the rebel
surgeons in charge say there were over TWEEN
ty OF our men who would have to suffer am
putation from the effects of frost This was
before the coldest weather commenced
Some time in the fore part of December, a por-
tion OF our men were removed from the is
land TO some large buildings, where they were
more comfortably quartered but there has
been no time since May last but what more
or less ofour men have been kept in the open
air, and without blankets or oyercoats. 1t is
common thing for the rebels to keep our
men for several days entirely without food.
This was particularly the case with portion
Of the Gettysburg prisoners, Some went as
long as six days without food, and were com-
PEELED TO march during the time. The officers
captured at Chlckamauga assure me that thew
and their men were robbed of everything
Many Of them lost their coats, hats and boots
as soon as captured, and then were nearly
starved or frozen. thrust you will pardon me
for the tedious length of this communication.
If you will bear with me ] will only call yonr
attention to few OF the outrages praciised on
our officers and men In the prison discipline.
Under tie building known as Libby Prison,
is large cellar, in which they have several
cellsipartitloned off, Several of them are with
out any light, but some Of them have windows
below the pavement. These cells are used
for the purpose of combining securely such OF
the prisoners as the authorities may fear will
attempt TO escape, as well AS such as may
chance to offend some one of the many pettv
officials and prison attaches. Some of our un-
fortunate men are continually confined In
these filthy holes, on one pretext and another.
1t is the Uniform practice TO feed any and all
persons sent to these cells on bread and wa
ter only. Lieut. Reed Of the Third Ohio Vol
unteers, was thrown into one Of these cells.
aud kept there Tor iorty-eight, hours, without
anything to eat or drink during that time
He was not allowed any blankets or his over
coat. The weatherwas very damp and cold
and he at the time was suffering from Sc
we're wound in the hip. On the night of the
10th OF December Ireceiyed communication
purportng to come from one In authority, sta
ting that for 500 in greenbacks and two sill
yer watches, myself and friend would be per-
mitted to pass the guard.


Some days previous TO this one of my off
GERS succeeded in making his escape in this
way; and although was not without appre-
tensions that it was trap, resolved to try
the experiment. Accordingly, Capt b. C. G.
Reed, Third Ohio Volunteers, and myself, went
to the designated place at the appointed hour,
where we were assured that it was all right.
We complied with the terms and passed out
but no sooner were we outside the guard lines
than Major Latrouch, the Adjutant OF the