Report+by+J.W.+Minnich,+Civil+War+Prisoner

Original Author: Jenna Bounds, ENG348 FL09 Revision: As many prisoners of war mention in memoirs and diaries, Minnich recounts that he and the other prisoners at the Rock Island prison relied heavily on gifts sent to them from their civilian loved ones and friends. Prior to June 10, 1864, prisoners were allowed to receive boxes of “goodies” from the outside (the gift boxes usually contained things that the prisoners would need or want like clothing, blankets, food or candy, etc.). After that date, however, the gifts were confiscated from the prisoners and sent (supposedly) to hospitals in the area; only the clothes that were sent were given to their intended recipients (5). The prisoners’ only other option was to buy goods from the sutler, if they had the money. The sutler was a man named Dart, who Minnich talked about selling goods in the prison regularly until June 10; but after that date, like with the gifts, the sutler was kept from selling goods again in the prison until around Christmas of ’64 (6). Another issue that is commonly discussed in regards to the RI Arsenal Prison is rations and illness. Minnich reported in his records that rations were reduced – he claimed that his regular portion of meat amounted to 4-6 bites (7). Minnich assumed (probably correctly) that the miniscule amount of rations the prisoners received, along with a stagnant water supply, contributed in a big way to the devastating illnesses that spread so rapidly in the prison camp. He reported that “the sick list ran into the thousands” (7). He assumed that the “months of this salt diet and lye corn bread” enabled scurvy to become an epidemic - so bad, in fact, that “men walked around with mouths so sore they could not eat, and their teeth dropping out with the attempt; others with limbs green and distorted” (9). Minnich also devoted some time in his memoir to describing the way the prison camp was set up. He describes barracks “18 ft. wide by about 70-80 ft. long … each barrack had accommodations for about 100 men. He discusses the poor construction of the barracks, how there were occasionally gaping holes in the boards and “the bitter wind often swept through.” He mentions that there were only 2 coal stoves in the main room and the only way to keep warm was to huddle around them. He also discussed how the majority of men lacked sufficient clothing to keep warm during the bitter cold winter months (12). Minnich himself was lucky enough to be well-clothed when he was captured, and he said that coats were given to the men who didn’t have any, also one gray blanket was given out to those who needed one (13). Minnich also discussed the group of retired soldiers from Iowa, known as the Graybeards, who were brought to the camp to try to keep the prisoners in order. Minnich didn’t mind most of the Graybeards, except for two who proved themselves to be terrible people. Captain Hogendoble and a lieutenant named Graham, according to Minnich, were known to “[abuse] the prisoners upon any occasion without provocation.” Minnich describes them to be “brutal tyrants and cowards, for no brave man will insult, abuse and strike a prisoner when he knows that it is death for the prisoners to strike back” (23). Minnich had a personal run-in with Captain Hogendoble that he recounts as well. Minnich was taking part in a ball game in the prison yard, and the captain was accidentally hit by the ball. Refusing to accept any “apology nor excuse”, and “applying to [Minnich] every vile epithet that would come to his base mind … while trying to strike [him] in the face … and threatening [him] with a pistol.” According to Minnich, the captain threatened to “blow my damned brains out”, after which Minnich talked back to the captain, who actually shot Minnich, grazing him on the ear with his bullet. Minnich was given a ball and chain to wear for one month as his punishment for talking back to Captain Hogendoble (23). As recounted in his memoir, brutal officers accounted for only one of the many difficult issues that the prisoners at the Rock Island Arsenal prison camp had to learn to deal with. Minnich, J.W. “Rock Island Prison: Report of Eighteen Months’ Experiences”. File folder “Inside of Rock Island Prison from December 1863 to June 1864”, Rock Island Arsenal Museum. Accessed 04 December 2009. Print.
 * Report by J.W. Minnich, Civil War Prisoner **
 * Works Cited **