English Diary 1
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The Libby building is three stories high and eighty feet in width and one hundred and ten feet in length. In front the first story is on a level with the street, allowing a space for a tier of dungeons under the sidewalk, but in the rear the land sloped away till the basement floor rose above the ground. Upon passing inside we enter a room about forty feet wide and one hundred feet deep, with bare brick walls, a rough plank floor and narrow dingy windows. This room with five others of similar size and two basements floored with earth and filled with debris, composed the famous Libby prison, in which for months, thousands of the best and bravest men that ever went to battle have been confined and allowed to rot, starve, and be overrun with vermin, perish with cold, breathe stifling, tainted atmosphere, no space allowed us to rest by day, and lying down at night wormed and dove-tailed together like so many fish in a basket.
story - a part of a building comprising all the rooms that are on the same level (floor)
rear - the back part of something, especially a building or vehicle
dove-tailed - if two things dovetail or if one thing dovetails with another, the two things fit together neatly or have some common characteristics -
The name of Libby prison will appear to the mind and memory of all Union soldiers as that place where all manner of cruelties have been practiced, and will not be forgotten as long as one of them treads the earth. Oh! my country! the misery and hardships! I am suffering!
tread the earth - when you step or walk like me (suffer like imprisoned soldiers)
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Some of us had been secretly warned that we were going to be searched and that our money and ail our valuables would be taken from us. We hid our money in our shoe soles, buttons, and in any manner we thought would outwit the rebels. While we were thus engaged, a cruel looking rebel officer came in, followed by three rebel soldiers bearing a table and blank books, The officer called out: "Attention ! prisoners, form in line." Some guards were in front and rear of us and we were ordered not to move or talk.
engage - busy
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The officer then said; "I am Major Turner. Provost-marshall of the City of Richmond, C. S. A. I am under instructions for my government to have you surrender to me your money and valuables. Your name, company and regiment will be carefully entered in this book, and when you are exchanged or paroled, it will all be returned to you; for which I pledge the honor of the Confederate Government. I give you an opportunity to save your money, and when I am through taking that which you surrender, you will be searched by men who are experts and all they find will be confiscated."
be through - to have finished doing something or using something
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One of our men requested permission to ask a question ; it was granted. The comrade said : "Major Turner, as much as you are acting in the matter of the Confederate Government, will you, as its agent, give us receipts of that government for our money ?" No Sir, I am not here to fool my time away ; I am ready to receive your money and valuables." Considerable money was given up. The searching gang came in (and they understood their calling.) The money put in the brass buttons was lost.
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They tried the button with the jaw of a knife, and if the button did not mash, it was cut off, because there was something in it. They found considerable money, but some was so well secured that it was not found. It is needless to say that we never had returned to us any of the money we gave up.
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October 19th. Rations to-day half a pound of bread and four ounces of beef. Our guards changed yesterday. I think we now have a better set of fellows than those we had. They are more anxious to trade with us. Greenbacks in great demand; seven Confederate dollars for one of Uncle Sam's.
anxious - wanting something very much
Uncle Sam is based on a real person named Samuel Wilson, who lived in Troy, New York. He owned a meat packing business with his brother. During the War of 1812, he supplied food for the American soldiers. The troops knew Samuel was sending the food and called it “Uncle Sam’s.” -
20th. Rations about the same as yesterday. We are thinking of home and friends. I have written a letter to my mother in Bristol to let her know of my capture and where I am. I hope she will get it, as I am anxious to hear from home.
anxious - wanting something very much
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21.Rations served out early this morning. I have forgotten to mention before that there are about six hundred prisoners in this room, divided into squads of twenty. One man draws the rations for the twenty and cuts it up. Each man has a number from one to twenty. The twenty rations are put out separately on the floor, and one turns his back and the sergeant points to a ration and says, "Who takes this ?" and the man with his back turned to the ration says- "one," "two," "five" or "ten," as the case may be, on up till the twenty are served. This is done to prevent the sergeant from showing any favor to any particular one.
as the case may be - according to the circumstances
favor - to show preference -
22d. Rations the same as yesterday. The men despondent and anxious to get paroled or exchanged soon. There is a great deal of trading going on here in the evenings.
despondent - in low spirits from loss of hope or courage
anxious - wanting something very much
get paroled - release (a prisoner) on parole -
26th. Greenbacks in great demand this morning ; nine Confederate for one greenback, as they are called here, So you see Yankee money is considered the best by far right here in the hotbed of secession,
secession - the action of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
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27th. Prisoners busy making bone rings, tooth picks, chains, etc., and selling them to the guards. And selling boots, shoes, shirts, blankets, and in fact anything in order to get something to eat. Men are very hungry; many weak and sick with hunger. I wonder if our government knows how we are treated. I hardly think the rebel prisoners in the North are treated like we unfortunate beings.
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28th, No change in our rations. We hardly get enough food to sustain life. We cannot live on this treatment long. Some of the prisoners snatch bread and sausage from the guards who want to trade. They snatch it in the dark and then run among the crowd, and of course the guards go in after them. We will do almost anything to get something to eat. Some of the poor fellows are in such a state of starvation that they are reduced to mere skeletons and cannot live very long.
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29th. Rations about three-quarters of a pound of bread, no meat, but a bucketful of bean soup for each twenty men, about twenty beans to the bucket — nothing more than warm water. It has the name of bean soup and that is all. Oh ! what stuff ! but we are glad to get almost anything to try to stop the cravings of hunger. God help us ! If our friends in the North would see us and the pitiful condition we are in, it would bring tears to their eyes. Fathers, brothers and lovers doomed to a death of starvation. Oh ! what a pity that so many brave fellows must die this way.
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Better for us if they would take us out in an open space and place us before a battery of cannon and blew us to pieces, than have us dying this way by inches. Some one will have a tremendous account to settle at the last day. To fall in battle is bad enough, but to be doomed to a hell of torture and misery is worse than a thousand deaths.
inch-move slowly and carefully in a specified direction
settle-resolve or reach an agreement about (an argument or problem) -
30th. Rations the same as yesterday. The guards are more careful in trading, and it is dangerous to snatch any more from them. They swear they will shoot. Ten of our men were taken out to the hospital from here this morning. That is the last of them, poor fellows. There were two of my regiment among them. We will never see them any more, as they are more dead than alive.
1 - 2025-02-27
2 - 2025-02-26
3 - 2025-02-25
In 2024, the number of babies born in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years. The change is welcome news for a country that is dealing with serious population problems.