Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/147

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But few of the 600 had ever been to sea, and before we had pro- ceeded far from the mouth of the Delaware great numbers became sea-sick.

The water-closet used by the prisoners was in the wheel-house, to reach which it was necessary to go up the ladder, through the hatch and over the deck. But one prisoner was allowed to go to the closet at a time, and of course there was a great effort made to get a posi- tion to avoid delay, and to this end, every morning, nearly all of the 600 would line themselves around the vessel in two ranks. This was in August, and the animal heat, which was greatly augmented by the heat from the smoke-stack, became so intolerable, and the smell of the place so offensive, that it was considered a great privilege to go to the water-closet for a few minutes, where one could get a breath of fresh air and enjoy the spray thrown upon one's body by the paddle- wheel. Of course every man remained there until he was driven out by the sentinel, regardless of the suffering and clamor of his comrades in the hold. By this cruel arrangement it required hours to accommodate the prisoners. Many of them were not able to stand up in ranks till their turn came, owing to their enfeebled con- dition caused by sea-sickness, which was aggravated by the heated and fetid air which they were compelled to breathe. It frequently happened that men were not able to stand in line till their turn, and were compelled to fall out and rest, when the ranks would immedi- ately close up, and this necessitated their going to the foot of the line, if they still desired the privilege of going on deck.

In many instances these people were not able to control themselves, and were compelled to leave ranks and use one end of the hold for their purposes.

Before the vessel reached Cape Hatteras the floor of our depart- ment was a loblolly of vomit, ambier, &c.

We were provided with no means for cleaning the vessel, and the Federal officers in charge gave it no attention whatever. When the vessel encountered the rougher waters off" Cape Hatteras, its rolling and pitching would dash and splatter this horrid combination of filth from one end of the hold to the other.

For eighteen days we were kept in this miserable place, which, notwithstanding the filth necessarily accumulating each day, was never cleaned; still we lived and were cheerful, buoyed by the hope of an early exchange and the thought of the loving greeting of the dear ones at home. But, alas!

Off Cape Remain light-house the Crescent lost her convoys in a