rnment, in order to
obtain additional food sufficient to sustain life; thus, by
endeavoring to avoid one privation reducing themselves to
the same destitute condition in respect to clothing and
covering that they were in before they received any from our
government. When they became sick and diseased in
consequence of this exposure and privation, and were
admitted into the hospitals, their treatment was little if
any, improved as to food, though they, doubtless, suffered
less from exposure to cold than before. Their food still
remained insufficient in quantity and altogether unfit in
quality. Their diseases and wounds did not receive the
treatment which the commonest dictates of humanity would
have prompted. One witness, whom your committee examined,
who had lost all the toes of one foot from being frozen
while on Belle Isle, states that for days at a time his
wounds were not dressed, and they had not been dressed for
four days when he was taken from the hospital and carried on
the flag-of-truce boat for Fortress Monroe.

"In reference to the condition to which our men were reduced
by cold and hunger, your committee would call attention to
the following extracts from the testimony. One witness
testifies:

"'I had no blankets until our Government sent us some.

"'Question.--How did you sleep before you received those
blankets?

"'Answer.--We used to get together just as close as we
could, and sleep spoon-fashion, so that when one turned over
we all had to turn over.'

"Another witness testifies:

"'Question.--Were you hungry all the time?

"'Answer.--Hungry! I could eat anything that came before us;
some of the boys would get boxes from the North with meat of
different kinds in them; and, after they had picked the meat
off, they would throw the bones away into the spit-boxes,
and we would pick the bones out of the spit-boxes and gnaw
them over again.'

"In addition to this insufficient supply of food, clothing
and shelter, our soldiers, while prisoners, have been
subjected to the most cruel treatment from those placed over
them. They have been abused and shamefully treated on almost
every opportunity. Many have been mercilessly shot and
killed when they failed to comply with all the demands of
th