Today in History:

137 Series II Volume VII- Serial 120 - Prisoners of War

Page 137 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION AND CONFEDERATE.

failure to do which is severely punished. For facilitating the distribution of rations these detachments of 270 are subdivided into messes of 90 each. Those detailed for work outside of the stockade or sick in the hospital are marked on the roll books, and as soon as their work is completed or they are discharged from the hospital they are returned to the squad to which they belong. Absentees from roll-call are punished by withholding their day's rations. Minor offenses are punished by work, not to exceed two hours. The sergeants are required after roll-call to carry the sick to the hospital and to their quarters those who are not received. The prisoners are not allowed to trade with any one except the sutler appointed by the commandant of the post. On the inside of the stockade and twenty feet from it there is a dead-line established, over which no prisoner is allowed to go, day or night, under penalty of being shot.

The officer of the day alone is allowed to pass any one inside the stockade, after having first ascertained if the person wishing to enter is entitled to do so, or has a pass from the commandant of the post. Visitors having permission to enter are allowed to converse with the prisoners only in the presence of the officer of the day. The officer of the day is required to examine every wagon that enters the stockade for the purpose of carrying commissary, hospital, or sutler's stores, to ascertain whether they contain any contraband articles. If any prisoner makes his escape and is recaptured he is punished by having attached to him a ball and chain which is to remain on him until he is exchanged or released from prison.

All the labor about the prison, including that of clerks, is done by prisoners, who are under parole not to attempt to escape while on the outside of the stockade.

Privileges. -The prisoners were, until a few days past, allowed occasionally to go outside of the stockade to collect boughs and other articles to build huts, &c., but owing to too great an intimacy which sprung up between the prisoners and their guard, the exchanging of clothing, &c., the commander found it necessary to withhold this privilege. The prisoners are allowed to send and receive letters, subject to the inspection of the prison commander. A letter box is placed inside the stockade for the reception of all communications from the prisoners. They are also allowed to receive boxes sent them by friends, after their contents are carefully examined. Those boxes received for prisoners who have died before their arrival are turned over to the surgeon in charge for the use of the hospital. All money that a prisoner may have is taken from him and placed in the hands of the quartermaster, and with it the prisoner is allowed to buy anything that the sutler is licensed to sell.

Police regulations. -Two squads of prisoners of twenty-five men each are detailed every day, supplied with shovels and charged with the duty of removing from the encampment all offal, the combustible portion of which is burned and the remainder thrown into the ditch through which the stream of water flows. Over each equal one of the number is appointed as superintendent, who is required to report daily to the commander of the prison any failure of the squad to do their duty, or any violation of police rules.

Prison guards. -The strength of the whole guard is-

57th Regiment Georgia Volunteers, rank and file. . . . . . . . . . . 625

A detachment of 55th Regiment Georgia Volunteers, rank and

file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

A detachment of 26th Regiment Alabama Volunteers, rank and

file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Florida battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,193


Page 137 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION AND CONFEDERATE.