onditions.

Parallel to the front of these buildings, about five rods from them and
extending across the enclosure, was a so-called "dead line," on which
nine sentinels paced their beats. Another "dead line" about four rods
from the high fence paralleled the whole length of each side of the
prison. It was death to come near these.

About eighty officers were assigned to each of the four houses. In each
an officer was elected to serve as house-commissary. His duty was to
receive the rations from Lieutenant-Colonel Hooper, already mentioned,
acting as commissary-general, to whom the Confederate authorities
delivered them in bulk. The house-commissary distributed the food and
acted as agent representing the house in all communications with
Confederate headquarters. Col. Gilbert G. Prey of the 104th N. Y. Vols.
was elected commissary of house number one; Capt. D. Tarbell, of Groton,
N. Y., commissary of house number two; Lieutenant Reilly of
Philadelphia, of house number three; and I of house four.

Each house contained but two rooms, a lower and an upper, both empty,
for the most part without glass windows or even sashes; the spaces
between the crooked logs not stopped up; a single fireplace in each
house, but not half enough wood to keep a blaze; without tables,
benches, or chairs; without cooking utensils; without table, knife,
fork, spoon, or plate; often without cup or dish; without blankets, or
any clothing but the scantiest summer outfit; without books or papers;
without water sufficient for washing, or soap, if we could possibly get
water; we were in a sorry plight as the nights grew colder. And if the
prospect was bad for us, how much worse for our soldiers across the
"dead line," who had no shelter, hardly a scrap of blanket! Every rain
made their beds a pool or mass of mire. It is not pleasant, but it is a
duty to record some of the shadows of our prison life, "lest we forget."

On the open ground outside of what was called the "hospital," October
8th, a sergeant-major was found dead; October 9th, two private soldiers;
October 13th, five; October 14th, two; October 16th, eleven; October
17th, seven; October 18th, nine. We could tell how severe the weather
had been at night by the number found dead in the morning.

Not far from the prison enclosure was an abundance of growing timber.
More than once I besought Major Gee to allow our men to go, under guard
on parole, to get wood for fires and for barracks. He re