760 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-65.

with it as a detail for loading and unloading. Numbers of
wagons were frequently, if not constantly, employed in haul-
ing wood to them. The wood-yard was immediately on the
Central road, near the crossing just west of the stockade.’ It
was carried thence by the prisoners who passed to and fro be-
tween a line of sentinels. The wood-master was allowed as
large a detail for this purpose as he thought necessary. He
stated on oath, that the average quantity furnished the pris-
oners was thirty-five to forty cords per day. According to
General Johnson they received more nearly, on an average,
the regulation allowance, than the troops who guarded them.
Yet exposed as they were, twice or thrice the quantity would
not have rendered them comfortable.

When the plan was agreed upon, for the two governments
to send supplies to their respective soldiers in prisgn, Major
Gee made out a requisition for ten thousand suits of clothing
and sent it to the proper authorities at Richmond. <A large
supply was received and distributed under the supervision of
United States officers, who were paroled for that purpose.
In addition to their other ills, they had to bear the pangs of
hunger. Just prior to their sudden advent, Major Myers,
post commissary, had in obedience to. orders, sent all, or
nearly all, his stores to Richmond, Goldsboro and Wilming-
ton. The district from which he was allowed to draw was
limited to Surry, Yadkin, Davie, Stanly, Montgomery and
Anson ; and, for a time, Stokes and Forsyth Counties. From
these he had received and shipped to the army vast quantities
and it had now become extremely difficult to procure day by
day what was required. With a daily demand of 13,000
rations, he often had not a day’s supply ahead, and no certain
source or means for procuring it. He engaged the mills for
miles around to grind for him. He sent out purchasing and
impressing agents with rigid instructions. He wrote to vari-
cus points for assistance. He went or sent daily to the depot
and train to impress the passing supplies. He,on one occasion,
seized some stores that were on the train en route to Lee’s
army. He joined Major Gee in his protest about more pris-
oners coming. He begged, entreated, warned, threatened the
people to extort provisions from them. I have seen him in

SALISBURY PRISON. 761

the heavy rain, dashing hither and thither, striving to meet
the requisitions that were made upon him. When the condi-
tion of the people was such that he could neither buy nor im-
press, he would borrow from them. At first the ration was 1%
pound flour, 1 pound beef, or 1-3 pound bacon (or in lieu of
meat when it could not be had 1 pound potatoes or 11-2 gills
sorghum) and to every hundred men 10 pounds rice and 3
quarts of salt. As the scarcity grew more pressing the flour
was reduced one pound or meal was taken. That was in
December. Sometimes several days would elapse without
Major Myers being able to procure any meat. The same ra-
tions were issued to the guard as to the prisoners. Indeed,
if preference was shown, it was in favor of the prisoners.
When Colonel Folk (Sixty-fifth North Carolina) had re-
turned from his imprisonment (at Fort Delaware) and
visited the Salisbury prison, he pronounced the ration more
in quantity than he had ever received in a Northern prison.
In addition the prisoners were sometimes the recipients of
humane offerings by the citizens, and had the liberty, when
outside, to purchase, at least occasionally, from the numerous
hucksters that hung around the garrison.

CLIMBING OAKS FOR ACORNS.

Yet after all this, they suffered intensely from hunger.
They would climb the oaks for acorns and fish from the filthy
sewers the crusts and the bones. The sick especially suf-
fered, as what they got was often so coarse that they could not
eat it.

Although such efforts were made to provide water, the sup-
ply was insufficient for drinking, cooking and washing. Wells
were dug until they drained one another. The prisoners
were allowed, under guard, to cross the bridge and get water
from the wells in town. Those that were near the prison
were often kept low and muddy by their constant drawing.
They were allowed to go in squads, as numerous as could be
guarded with the small number of the garrison, to the creek
which ran within a few hundred yards of the place. From
there they brought water in barrels. They were going and
returning all through the day. Strenuous efforts were made