A distant relative, Horace Porter, was a brigadier general during the Civil War (1861-1865) and aide-de-camp to Union General Ulysses Grant (1822-1885, president 1869-1877). He wrote an elegant and cogent firsthand account of Robert E. Lee's (1807-1870) surrender at Appomattoc Court House, Virginia in April 1865. In his account he mentions that at the time, the war was costing the Union almost $4,000,000 a day. That's interesting since the Pennsylvania prison system costs just about the same amount, almost four million dollars a day! The whole Civil War cost about what one state's prison system costs! Who's nuts here? Interestingly, almost a hundred fifty years ago the Union spent about 35 cents per day to feed its soldiers. That's just what Pennsylvania spends today to feed its prisoners; 35 cents a day! "It's a newspaper's duty to print the news and to raise hell!" (1861) Wilbur F. Storey editor of Chicago Times You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Crime Stories Menu Return to the Main Menu Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.