Captain A. R. CALHOUN, sworn and examined:—
I am from Kentucky; was not mustered in at the time of capture: was captured at North Eastern Georgia; was taken to Libby Prison; captured in October, 1863, and reached Libby in November.
We were taken from Atlanta in open box cars, without shelter; we lay on the floor, wounded men and all; men with the diarrhœa had no accommodations, and had to perform the operations of nature in the cars; all packed closely; there was about fifty wounded; some amputations.
Just before we left Atlanta, one of our men with diarrhœa went to the back house, which was beyond the line our prisoners were allowed to go; there was a bunch of dried leaves at the corner of the back house; they could not have been a foot beyond the line, and when the man went to pick them up, the guard fired and killed him.
On entering Libby it was thirty-six hours before we had any rations given us, and would have suffered, if the officers already there had not shared with us; I mean our officers.
We were packed in a room of one hundred and forty feet long by forty-five feet wide, and already occupied by nearly three hundred men.
We had no clothing or bedding given to us; there were eleven men of us; what we had was taken from us by our captors; it was very cold; the windows were broken at each end of the room; our comrades also shared their blankets and continued to do so until we .were supplied by blankets from the Sanitary Committee; even then they would not average over a blanket to a man, in my room.
It was so filthy that. our clothing and blankets soon became covered with vermin; the floors of the prison were washed late in the afternoon nearly every day, so that when we came to lie down it was very damp; we had nothing but our clothing and blanket to lie on; the result was that nearly every man had a cough.
We were wormed and dove-tailed together like fish in a basket; in this room was the sink and privy; we did our washing and dried our clothes in the same room; two stoves in the room, one at each end, and two or three armfuls of wood for each per day.
We were not allowed to go within three feet of the windows to look out; but men could not help this, and were repeatedly fired upon; in this firing they wounded four officers; there was hardly a day passed without firing; any one who hung clothes near or on the windows, had the clothes confiscated and were put in the cells.
Twice each day the men were crowded into two rooms for roll call; in this room were the sick and weak who could hardly stand; the crowd was immense; our men were counted out one by one; the officers— there were one thousand officers; any one not attending this roll call was compelled to stand in ranks four hours on the floor.
When I first entered Libby in November, we received a small loaf of corn bread, about two ounces of poor beef and a little boiled rice each day; the loaf was about an inch and a half longer, thicker and heavier than this. The crust was very thick; we used to call it iron-clad, and grate it and make mush out of it, as the most palatable way; we could not grate the crusts.
After November we received about two ounces of beef once in four weeks .on an average; from the 25th of March till the 6th of May, not a bit of meat was issued in officers’ quarters.
For the three months of February, March, and April, there was a pint of black peas issued to each man every week, and a little vinegar; these peas were full of bugs, nearly every ration; they called them bugs, but they were little white maggots in a chrysalis state; we pounded the peas so as to mash them, and let the bugs flow to the surface; there was about an ounce of soap and a little salt given each man.
This was inadequate to satisfy hunger, and for two months I have had a burning sensation, when in prison, in my intestines. I used to dream of food, and foolishly would blame myself for not having eaten more when at home; the subject of food engrossed my entire thoughts; not all suffered as I did; the majority did; some were fortunate enough to receive boxes from home.
We were allowed to write letters once each week, not to exceed six lines.
Boxes sent us from the North were stored in a warehouse near the prison, we could see them in the windows; the contents of the boxes were being stolen or ruined by keeping, and when issued I think would have been eaten by none but starving men; every package and can was broken open, and the contents were poured promiscuously into a blanket, so that everything ran in together; they stole a great many of our boxes: one of the guards told me that they saw our men escaping through the tunnel, and that they did not prevent them, supposing it was their own men stealing our boxes; the Sanitary supply sent us, we received but little of; we were allowed to send out and buy at extravagant prices; they sold us the Sanitary hams, butter, and stationery. Marks of the Sanitary Commission were on the cases and on the paper.
For trivial offences, officers were sent to the cells; there had been about eighty-five men in; many of those men were innocent that were placed there as hostages; they said the cells were damp, walls green, no stoves; they were about twelve feet by twenty; at one time there were sixteen men in those cells; some had to stand all night; I believe this fully. I was in the hospital with pneumonia.
Just before I left, Capt. Stevens received a small box from home, sat down and ate to excess, as any man would under the circumstances, and died a few hours afterwards.
The surgeon was very kind to us. The hospital food was just like the quarter food, with the exception of a little rye coffee and sugar; not quite so much bread.
I had a burning sensation on the inside, with a general failing in strength. A man had a. piece of ham which I looked at for hours.
When I came away on the 16th of May, and saw the pale faces of the men through the bars, I cried. They begged me for God’s sake to appeal to the Government and write to the papers—to do anything in the world to get them relieved. I am confident that if they remain long in that situation, they will never be fit for anything. The men never blame our Government for their suffering.
I know the Rebels have plenty, for we went down into the cellar, and brought up corn meal, flour, potatoes and turnips, which we divided with our fellows; the flour was excellent; I ate about a quart of it. I am a communicant in the church, and was studying for the ministry when the war broke out. I am a member of the Reformed Church.
A. H. CALHOUN.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,
June 1st, 1864.
D. P. BROWN, JR.,
United States Commissioner.
Certification for statements taken May 31 and June 1, 1864 (There was only one certification in the document; however it is being included here on the web-page for each applicable statement - MpG ):
I certify that the foregoing testimony was taken and reduced to writing in the presence of the respective witnesses, and by them sworn to in my presence, at the times, places, and in the manner set forth.
D. P. BROWN, JR., United States Commissioner.
Evidence of Officers and Soldiers of the United States Army Returned after Confinement in Rebel Prisons.
Testimony taken at Annapolis, Maryland, at United Slates Army General Hospital, June 1, 1864.