The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-19
FEDERAL TREArM ENr or PRIS.
Horrible Barbari,ies-statemsns or Pa.
relied Prisoner.


~.
bus, Ohio, deem il due TO the two hundred
and forty brave but un fortunate Southerp
men whom left fncarcerated there on the
aath OF October last. to make known to the
south and to the world the suffering and in
dignities to which they are subjected by their
inhuman jailors.
The Government prison to which refer is
at Camp Chase, abont four miles south Of the
city of Columbus, the capital Of the state OF
OHIO. Brig .-tfen. Hill 10 the t}om m andsr
nnder the direction Of Gems. Mitchell and
hossncranz. the prison being nsed for the
connhement OF military and political prison.
ers for both Kentucky and Northwestern
virginia. 1t contains about half an acre of
ground, inciosed by plank wall nearly
twenty -nye feet high, with towers on two
| sides. Inside OF tn is incIosure are two rows
Of board shanties, with i've rooms ne BY Is
| feetl In each. In these small rooms, each oc-
copieo oy about twenty five men, and in this
| contracted space the crowd of prisoners are
compelled to cook, eat, and sleep. Men of
| every class and grade are huddled together
and all treated as felons.
1t will be remem bered that Coium bus Ia in
very cold country. The winter winds blow
| ilereely from those Northern fresh water
lakes over the State of Ohio, and Camp
Chase prison receives its full share OF the
| chilling blasts. Yet while was a prisoner
there, including The months Of October,
when the weather Was very rainy and Sc.
Vereiy cold, no fires were allowed in the
prison TO warm the Ralf naked and shivering
Prisoners. Promises were made from time to
time by the subordinate officers that the
prison should be warmed either by stoves or
by q steam heating apparatus but up to the
29th day OF October no steps had been taken
looking TO that end. To add to the discom.
Tort OF the poor prisoners, tbe HretcheCs shan.
ties their only shelter, leaked badly, keeping
the floors, their only bed, and even their
scanty bed clothing, soaked With water. The
fear was entertained by the prisoners gene
rally, and constantly expressed that it was
the inten tion. that they should perish from
the effects OF eold and damp This treat
ment Of human beings by those calling them
selves Christians is unparalleled. Inhu-
manity aud cruelty by the Lincoln Govern
ment towards those III It's power is a q policy
which has been suggested by many of its al
lies to put pown the rebellion.
The prisoners sometimes remain in this
wretched prison weeks before they receive
even a blanket which, wh en- they get it,
would hardly have been sufficient for their
comfort in summer, let alone in Northern
october. The consequence OF this severe
posure was that most of the prisoners were
sick from affections of the lungs and throat
and number died while / was there, while
many were perishing by inches, coughing
away their lungs and many were sn ffering
| from pneumonia, measles, and other diseases.
1t may seem incredible that this body Of sick
| and suffering men, including considerable
| number Of prisoners OF war, were left through
| that damp, cold, and horri BILE October with
| out fire and half naked, in that wretched
| m ud hole CT prison, and without adequate
| medical atten lion aud yet assert it to be
fact, and defy the contradiction OF tha Lin
| coin jalors and authorities.
A large number OF old meu from Western
| Virginia and Kentucky, whose heads were
white with the frosts Of age, We're among the
| prisoners in this Bastile, charged with SYM
| pathlsing with the cause OF the South -
Among Them mention the name OF Col.
! Hamilton of Virginia who was carried from
| the prison in dying condition fw days be-
fore left, and haye learned since, that he
died soon afterwards of pneumonia A
! young man from Western Virginia died two
hours after he was removed from prison I
N n NO shat = tf,a
| Of war who had been in the PRISON severa
| months, were almost naked, and that al
| were engaged in 4 perpetual strife with the
| vermin with which the loathSome den liter
! ally swarmed
The food furnished the prisoners, with the
! exception of the bread, was Of the most inf
rior kind, and in insufficient quantities for
| the sustenance Of the famishing men. The
pork was absolutely rotten. Bat the grea,
| com plant was the difficulty in obtaining
enough wood 10 cook the half spoiled aud
| scanty mtat, only five small sticks per day
| being allowed tor mess OF twenty flve men
and that not Cften furnished untll away in
the night, leaving the men starving for
| want OF their scanty meals, during the en- tire
day.
| have visited the military prison in this
| city, where the Belmont prisoners are con-
| fined, and found them surrounded with eve nv
! comfort-iodged in 8 large b-ick house well
| warmed, with good beds provided with news
| papers, books and writing materials, all
which were denied to the prisoners ut Camp
| Chase. These Federal prisoners testified to
| me that they were Well and civilly treated
| and expressed their adherence and reeret
| at my recital OF tho treatment Of our prison /.
ers
| 1t is but justice to the ladies of Columbus
to say that they offered to furnish comfort
| able beds and bedding for Us, but were denied
the privilege by the Commandant, because
h. said, it was not permitted by the ordsys.--
| our vile prisons, and beheld our wretch I'd
| condition, they inv olunrarily burst In to tears
They gave us all they were permitted to be.
stow-their sympathy and tears.
L Among the prisoners were, from Maysville
| Ky, Hon. Il. II. Stanton, Isaac Nelson, w.
B Oasto, Mr. Thomas, John Hall, A. D.
Hunt, and George W. Forester, proprietor
| and editor of the Maysville Express: also, Lit
A. q. Brummel OF the Confederate Army
| from Richmond, Vs.; Colonel Ferguson and
Henry Martin, from Western Virginia, and
quite a number CT other officers from thai
State, who were In rags. i cannot attemp
! 10 snnmerate the names of other gentlemen
| Judge j. X. Curry, Judge Of the Harrison
County Court; Perry Wherret, CLERK Of the
same court, and w. Il. Glaye, Sheriff Of the
same county, and myself, were arrested a
Uynthiana its county seat. We Were frs
taken to Newport (kentucky) barracks, and
there confined in the cells, without even
| blankes, for "a hours. We were then marched
at night through the rain and mud to tn,
Little Miami Railroad depot. Bet the ear
having left we were ordered to about face
, | and marched 10 ur miles further to the Hamil
| ton and Dayton depot, where we took the ear
} for Columbus. During the march Judge Cur
| ry, who Is over 20 years OF age, being muel
fa,ig"sd, came near giving out; bat the cap
tain OF the guard, with oaths, gave orders Il
drive him up and they punched and struci
him in the most brutal manner with thei
guns, kicking him ut the ssme time w B
, Crave, who, owing to his feeoleness, was ais
nnabie TO keep up, the pace being double
quick, was treated in the same savage man
ner. Our only offence was that we dissentel
from the measures OF Lincoln
hDx tpt,a
facts, which will be attested by my fellow
, prisoners, whenever they can be heard d,
. not desire that the Federal prisoners shall b.
treated with less Kindness; but do eesir,
that the Confederate Government shall take
some action In behalf OF its captive cilixsns
that they may not be m murdered BY slow De
grees in the bastiles of the North.
As the attention Of this public has been sii
/, rectsd by the press to my hum Bile self, dsen
. 1t proper to say something of the circum
! stances attending my escape from the Fedora
jailors. My wife, being IN delicate health
was taken dangerously i'll after my arrest
: | from the ehacts Of the shock, and hearing o
ner condidon determined. II possible, to &c
ont to 80 her before Der death. To effee
this,I wrote letter feigning rspen tance
which procured me release on parole for u,
, days, wheu returned TO Cynthiana to I'm,
that my wife had been buried fonr days
Considering that was not bound by either
> law or honor TO observe my parole, haviaa
, bss,fdragged to Ohio for my political opinions
In violation Of the Consultations Of both Ia
United States aud Kentucky, embraced tn,
, opportunity to escape from my prosecutors
with many risks and psrils. / have rsachss
| this city.
This huch. Messrs. Editors. / have deeme,
, proper 70 say tor myseiL ! do not whine no
from Yankee despottsm. and with my mus Re
1. | in one hand and the black fag n extsrmina
ton to the foe In the other. I Intend to aveng
tnc.vhs. ~ ~ a ana