764 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

and remained to the close of the services. At his request I
visited a dying prisoner who had been removed to a good
bunk in the guard hospital. After conversing with him
freely, when in the act of leaving, I could not but be im-
pressed with the affecting and trustful attachment he evinced
for Dr. Wilson, as he begged me to find him and send him to
him. I did so, and the doctor went promptly.

The meed of professional fidelity is due to all his assistant
surgeons.

But there was terrible mortality in the prison. From 1
October, 1864, to 17 February, 1865, there were 3,419
deaths among the prisoners.* The number of daily deaths
varied from 18 to 40. On one day about 65 died. In its
worst days the condition of the prison was shocking—the ap-
pearance and sufferings of the prisoners harrowing in the ex-
treme. The red clay soil held the water, and under the
tramp of thousands became one scene of mud. In December
a number of prisoners were detailed to police the enclosure,
but so boggy was the whole surface that they could do but lit-
tle. Ditching would not drain the ground sufficiently.

The prisoners were the very personification of forlorn
wretchedness. They seemed to grow more and more de-
jected, and an ennui congealed the very springs of life.
Doomed to inevitable idleness and inactivity, with no sight
but such as aggravated the gloom and horror of their shronded
hearts, with hope deferred from week to week, from month to
month, many of them sank under the sheer burden of despair,
and with a stolid silence and indifference to time or eternity,
finished their mortal sorrows in death.

Major Gee informed me in February that he had made

* The Roll of Honor (No. xiv, pp. 134-235), gives the names of 2.504
Federal soldiers who died in the Salisbury prison. This record shows
that these deaths occurred almost without exception during the last
months of 1864 and the spring of 1865 In view of this great mortality
it may be interesting to note the total deaths in Federal and Confederate
prisons. According to the World Almanac for 1890, p. 95, the deaths in
Confederate prisons were 30,156; in Federal prisons they were 30,152.
The total number of prisoners taken by the Confederates and not paroled
was 196,177; the deaths therefore represented 15.37 per cent. of the pris-
oners. The prisoners captured by the Federals who were not immedi-
ately paroled were 227,570; the death rate among them was therefore
13.25 per cent. These figures aré from the Adjutant General’s office.

SALISBURY PRISON. 765

areful inquiry, and that of more than three thousand who

had died not one had uttered a syllable of concern about the
future destiny of his soul. Few religious advantages were
afforded them. Dr. Currie preached in the hospitals. On
repeated applications to him he discouraged me as to preach-
ing to the masses of the prisoners, stating that they were gen-
erally foreigners and Catholics, and were not at all likely to
give me a kindly reception. Rev. Dr. Rumple, I think, held
service in the hospital for them. In February I was invited
by Dr. Wilson to preach to them, he telling me that it had all
the time been Major Gee’s pleasure for them to have preach-
ing, and that they would certainly appreciate it. Entering
the yard on the next afternoon, it being a beautiful Sabbath,
I found a Baptist minister near the old well preaching to a
large congregation of them; but as there were thousands scat-
tered over the grounds who were not attending, I went to a
large oak in the eastern center and began to sing. A num-
ber had followed me and the throng increased for some time.
It was to me an interesting occasion. They were very re-
spectful, earnest and solemn. I used the last Testament I
had, and telling them during the discourse that I intended
presenting it to one of them, I was touched by their eagerness
tc get it, quite a number pressing up with expectant looks.
When I concluded they crowded thickly around me, and a
number grasped my hand in Christian fervor.

It was probably Dr. Currie who made an effort for a prison
library, and I wrote to the Tract Society at Richmond to get
reading for them. Rev. Mr. Bennett was gone to Europe to
make arrangements to get some Bibles and Testaments, which
were also virtually contraband of war according to the regula-
tion and practice of the United States.

TI was answered by Rev. Mr. Moorman. He deplored his
inability to supply me from the exhaustion of his supply. He
spoke with Christian sympathy of my purpose. Hence few
were the Christian privileges of the miserable prisoners. But
I have seen the light of heaven in the eye of the suffering cap-
tive, and heard from his lips the glorious eloquence of salva-
tion. From the tongue of another I have listened to the rich
avowals of Christian hope and confidence, and heard the