[The following poetical description of prison life in the South is from the genial pen of an Andersonville prisoner, whose name I have not been able to learn:]

UNION PRISONERS, FROM DIXIE'S SUNNY LAND.

Air -"TWENTY YEARS AGO."

I.

Dear friends and fellow-soldiers brave, come listen to our

song,

About the Rebel prisons, and our sojourn there so long;

Yet our wretched state and hardships great no one can under

stand,

But those who have endured this fate in Dixie's sunny land.

II.

When captured by the chivalry, they strip't us to the skin,
But failed to give us back again the value of a pin
Except some lousy rags of gray, discarded by their band -
And thus commenced our prison life in Dixie's sunny land.

III.

With a host of guards surrounding us, each with a loaded gun,

We were stationed in an open plain, exposed to rain and sun;
No tent or tree to shelter us, we lay upon the sand
Thus, side by side, great numbers died in Dixie's sunny land.

IV.

This was the daily "bill of fare" in that Secesh saloon -
No sugar, tea or coffee there, at morning, night or noon;
But a pint of meal, ground cob and all, was served to every

man,

And for want of fire we ate it raw in Dixie's sunny land.

V.

We were by these poor rations soon reduced to skin and bone, A lingering starvation worse than death! you can but own, There hundreds lay, both night and day, by far too weak to

stand,

Till death relieved their sufferings in Dixie's sunny land.

VI.

We poor survivors oft were tried by many a threat and bribe, To desert our glorious Union cause, and join the Rebel tribe, Though fain were we to leave the place, we let them understand,

We had rather die than thus disgrace our flag! in Dixie's land.

VII.

Thus dreary days and nights roll'd by—yes, weeks and months untold,

Until that happy time arrived when we were all paroled.

We landed at Annapolis, a wretched looking band,
But glad to be alive and free from Dixie's sunny land.

VIII.

How like a dream those days now seem in retrospective view, As we regain our wasted strength, all dressed in "Union Blue."

The debt we owe our bitter foe shall not have long to stand; We shall pay it with a vengeance soon in Dixie's sunny land.

RATIONS ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO

REBEL PRISONERS OF WAR. (Note the difference.)

14 oz. per one ration, or 18 oz. soft

bread, one ration.

18 oz. per one ration.

7,175 pairs Drawers (Canton flannel).

6,260 Shirts (flannel).

8,807 pairs woollen Stockings.

1,094 Jackets and Coats.

3,480 pairs Bootees.

1,310 pairs Trousers.

4,378 woollen Blankets.

2,680 Great Coats.

Average number of prisoners, 4,489.

APPENDIX.

The following Appendix is not as perfect as I could wish, it being very difficult to avoid errors in lists of this kind. The principal portion of the names were taken from the Rebel adjutant's book at Libby Prison, during the winter and spring of 1864, by Captain Fisher, to whom I have alluded in my preface. I compiled the remainder while imprisoned at Columbia. The post-office address of the officers has been given, as far as they could be obtained.

Those marked thus (*) died during their impris

onment.

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