I have a new article on the scholarly site Emerging Civil War. As the Civil War was ending, stories of atrocities filled the newspapers in the North and South. After the war, prisoner accounts of time spent in the camps became a genre in book publishing.
https://emergingcivilwar.com/2021/0...-prison-camps-increased-post-war-antagonisms/
Do you have a link or reference to the order per your article in regards to "the decision by Union authorities to reduce rations at
Elmira prison and
elsewhere to match what was given to Union soldiers at Andersonville"? I have seen this charge made a number of times over the years But have never seen an order produced from Stanton or anyone else that ordered such reduction.
Colonel William H. Hoffman, the Federal Commissary General of Prisons, made a recommendation to Secretary of War Stanton that prisoner's rations be reduced but without "depriving them of the food necessary to keep them in health" that eventually morphed into the same "ration to that issued by the rebel Government to their own troops."
"Washington, D. C., May 19, 1864.
Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War, Washington, D.C.:
SIR: I have the honor to suggest that the ration as now issued to prisoners of war may be considerably reduced without depriving them of the food necessary to keep them in health, and I respectfully recommend that hereafter the ration be composed as follows, viz: Hard bread, 14 ounces, or 16 ounces soft bread; corn-meal, 16 ounces; beef, 14 ounces; pork or bacon, 10 ounces; beans, 6 quarts per 100 men, or rice, 8 pounds per 100 men; sugar, 12 pounds per 100 men; coffee, 5 pounds ground or 7 pounds raw per 100 men, or tea, 1 pound per 100 men; soap, 4 pounds per 100 men; salt, 2 quarts per 100 men; vinegar, 3 quarts per men; molasses, 1 quart per 100 men; potatoes, 15 pounds per 100 men. I also recommend that ration of sugar and coffee, as above fixed, be issued only every other day.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners"
O.R., Series II, Vol VII, Part 1 pp. 150-151
General Halleck, who had received a copy of Hoffman's request to Stanton, also made suggestion to "dispense with tea, coffee, and sugar and reduce the ration to that issued by the rebel Government to their own troops."
Halleck's request was agreed to by both the federal officer in charge of subsistance and the Secretary of War, Stanton:
"MAY 19, 1864.
Respectfully referred as above directed. Why not dispense with tea, coffee, and sugar and reduce the ration to that issued by the rebel Government to their own troops?
H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General and Chief of Staff. "
Ibid., p.151
The acting Surgeon-General concurred with Halleck on the reduced rations for healthy prisoners but objected to it applying to sick or wounded prisoners. Halleck approved the modification of the ration order to include "tea, coffee, and sugar" for those prisoners:
"I concur with the views expressed by Major-General Halleck.
J. P. TAYLOR,
Commissary-General of Subsistence.
_________________________
I respectfully approve of the reduction of the ration as suggested by Major-General Halleck.
W. HOFFMAN,
Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.
_________________________________
SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE, May 19, 1864.
The reduction proposed by Major-General Halleck could be carried out with the exception of the ration for the sick and wounded, who would require that proposed by Colonel Hoffman or more than its equivalent in medicine and hospital items.
Very respectfully,
J. K. BARNES,
Acting Surgeon-General.
_________________________
MAY 27, 1864.
Proposed ration, except that sick and wounded are to have tea, coffee, and sugar, approved.
H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General and Chief of Staff.
________________________________
The ration approved by the Chief of Staff and Surgeon-General approved.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War. "
Ibid., p.151