Life in Southern Prisons: From the Diary of Corporal Charles Smedley, of Company G, 90th Regiment Penn'a Volunteers, Commencing a Few Days Before the "Battle of the Wilderness", In Which He Was Taken Prisoner ... Also, a Short Description of the March to and Battle of Gettysburg, Together with a Biographical Sketch of the AuthorSmedley, Charles
History
Life in Southern Prisons: From the Diary of Corporal Charles Smedley, of Company G, 90th Regiment Penn'a Volunteers, Commencing a Few Days Before the "Battle of the Wilderness", In Which He Was Taken Prisoner ... Also, a Short Description of the March to and Battle of Gettysburg, Together with a Biographical Sketch of the Author
Smedley, Charles
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
_3d day, 5th mo. 24th._ Slept very well on the ground last night; arose
at daylight, went to the run and took a good wash. Had roll-call and
were counted by a rebel sergeant, whose name is warmer. There were
ninety men in our mess. Drew rations at 5 o'clock P. M. Half a loaf
of corn bread and half a square inch of bacon to each man. The bacon
is excellent. There were three or four hundred more men put in here
to-day. The place was too much crowded before. They brought them in
on the main street and told them to go and find places wherever they
_could_. Griffith and I having but fifteen cents in money, and that
being mine, we are bad off. Bought two split pieces of pine, six feet
long and two and a half inches square, to put up a shelter. These I
purchased for my fifteen cents. These not being enough, I traded my
looking glass for two more. Put up my woollen blanket over our ridge
pole and now have a good place to stay in. This place contains about
fifteen or twenty acres of ground, enclosed with a stockade twenty feet
high, with a sentry stand every one hundred and fifty feet. There is a
stream of water running through it with a hill extending up from each
side of it. For thirty or more yards from the run the ground is swampy
and has a bad smell coming from it.
_4th day, 5th mo. 25th._ Spent this day about the same as yesterday,
laying in our tent, &c., &c. Drew the same kind of rations. More
prisoners were put in to-day.
_5th day, 5th mo. 26th._ This was a very hot day. There are men here
just like skeletons, they are so far gone with the chronic diarrhoea.
The boys caught some of the raiders and punished them by shaving their
heads. There are plenty of "sweat" boards in operation, and other kinds
of gaming. Drew a loaf of corn bread, two-thirds of a pint of mush,
and four square inches of bacon for two of us. The cornmeal is of
the _roughest_ description, not being _sifted_. Went to the run this
morning and washed a pair of drawers and a shirt, and then took a bath
myself.
_6th day, 5th mo. 27th._ Spent this day like yesterday, doing nothing.
Drew a loaf of corn bread, three bits of meat, and nearly a pint
of boiled rice. The pork to-day was all boiled jowls. The sun was
scorching hot. Sent a few lines home to father.
_7th day, 5th mo. 28th._ Was a very warm day. One hundred and eighty
more prisoners were put in here to-day from Sherman's army, making
in all sixteen thousand six hundred and fifty (16,650). There are
sixty-one detachments of two hundred and seventy each, not including
what came to-day. Drew the usual quantity of corn bread, bacon and mush
to a man.
_1st day, 5th mo. 29th._ Was extremely warm. Lay in the house[4] most
of the time. There were about fifteen hundred more men put in here
to-day. Did not draw rations until sundown, when we got pork and corn
bread.
_2d day, 5th mo. 30th._ This day is very oppressive. More prisoners
came in to-day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account