On November 2d, some of the officers received money from the Rebel authorities at the rate of five dollars Confederate for one of greenbacks. A large number of private boxes also arrived and the next day were distributed; six for the officers of the regiment, one of them from the sutler. So many boxes were arriving at this time that they were examined very briefly; the principal object of the search being to ascertain whether there was any liquor concealed in them. Both money and lengthy letters were frequently so ingeniously concealed as to elude even a close scrutiny. They were usually secreted in cans of fruit or butter, and occasionally a can of whisky would pass labelled “peaches.”
On the 5th Gen. Dow went over to “Belle Isle” and issued to our men, confined there, the clothing consigned to his care by our Government. He reported their condition to be very destitute indeed, many being compelled to sleep on the bare ground without any shelter over them. This sort of treatment, in the dead of winter and on a sandy island in the James river, was simply barbarous.
On the 7th a class in sword exercise was organized, and for a few days nothing but the resounding clash of sticks, and the various commands were heard. But the novelty of the thing soon wore away, and this, like every amusement gotten up to while away our lonesome hours, was soon dropped.
Large numbers of boxes arrived daily, their contents being distributed to the boys on “Belle Isle,” by Union officers designated for that purpose.
Gen. Dow occasionally entertained us with a lecture on—his favorite topic—Temperance. Corn bread was our regular rations; the Rebel authorities said they had nothing else to give us.
November 8th the Rev. Dr. McCabe, of the city, preached to us in the afternoon, and the minstrels performed in the evening. A gun was fired by one of the guards during the night, the alarm given and the whole guard turned out to repel the expected outbreak, which, after all, was only a false alarm.
On the 12th the daily papers stated that the surgeons had been exchanged, whereupon everybody went to work writing long letters to be secreted on the persons of the fortunate doctors, and in that way get them smuggled through the “blockade.”
On the 13th several hundred enlisted men were sent to Danville, the Rebels beginning to fear that there were too many Yankees in and about the city of Richmond. It did not make much difference to the boys, as they could hardly be treated any worse than they had been.
On the 14th we had some beef issued to us for the first time in many days. Corn bread was our staple, and such stuff it was; it looked as though the meal of which it was composed had been made by grinding the corn and the cob together, thus utilizing the whole ear. The compound was baked in large sheets about three feet square and from three-fourths of an inch to three inches in thickness, and about the solidity of lead. No one ever attempted to dispute the fact that we received our full rations of “bread by weight” during those days.
About this time the most exciting topic of conversation was relative to allowing Rebel ministers of the Gospel to preach to us in Libby. It was decided, however, to allow them to do so.