Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-08-16


field"--emphesiziug the never" in his
peculiar and stirring manner, that all
who know him will SO feelingly recall.
Thus persisted as noble soul as ever
breathed.
The "Barbaritics' Of the war.
Unhappily war is at best great bar
baritys but it is not worth while to make
things out worse than they are. The
Northern press has teemed with stories
about the bayoneting Of tho wounded
Federal troops upon the field Of battle,
and the more deliberate and wanton pic
torials have portrayed the horrible fiction
after their usual fashion for gain 1t will
be remembered that certain barbaritics
were said to have been performed even
upon the dead at Bull Run, one Federal
officer who was named, having been de-
liberately CHARTERED. OF some Of the
wounded, or prisoners, It was also said
that the Confederates tied them to trees
and amused themselves by throwing their
bowie"knives at them. We purposely
RETAINED from noticing these things at
the time, confident that they we're untrue.
Indeed, no denial was necessary with any
thinking man, for who could believe that
any Of the folks who fled from Bull Run,
stopped anywhere near the Confcderates
to see how they treated the wounded or
dead More recently it has been assert
cd that the dead of Ellsworth's Zouaves
we're left on the field unburied.
IL is now only three weeks since tho
terrible day at Bull Run, and history is
already working out the truth and brand
ing the liars. There is not writer or
picture-monger Of all the Northern press
who can quote one signal authenticated
instance Of wrong or outrage, or wanton
ill-treatment towards the wounded or
prisoners Of the federal army at the hands
of the Confederates; and it is now well
known that all the dead, without excep-
ton, were inferred as rapidly as possible.
Numbers even of the horses have been
buried more recently by the men Of the
Confederate army for their own safety.
and to prevent the decomposition and
stencil in tho air.
But not only are these statements Of
barbarities unauthenticatcd, but the base
calumnies are disproved by the universal
concurrent testimony Of all those who
have escaped from the Confederate Gus
tody and of all who have written home
from within the lines Of the Southern ar
my where they are detained as prisoners.
We bave thus every reason to believe
that the Southerners have honorably aud
scrnpulously observed the humane prin-
ciples of . civilized warfare"--the term
is solecism---and that in all things they
have been governed by the dictates Of
humanity.
But, with these facts now undeniable,
VIC find many Of the Northern papers de-
termined to keep before their readers the
wretched fabrieations to which we have
alluded. What the object Of this may
be we can only conjecture, but probably
it is to incite a yindicliye sentiment in
the public mind and so provoke enlist
ments for tho war but tho effect is like
y to prove very sad in action, for if such
things are believed by the Federal sol
diers, the probability is natural enough
that, IL tho event of disaster to the Con-
lcderatc forces, their wounded will be
bayoDcted on the Geld by tile exasperated
soldiers Of the North Surely thiscan-
not be the design Of such publications
and such pictures as constitute the cur
rent lie upon this subject. One New
York paper, and strong supporter Of
the war, has the honesty and good sense
to say:
I" AS far as it may be possible to gather
together convincing facts, we are led to
! infer that the wounded Union volunteers
and prisoners in the hands Of the seces-
sion generals are being treated with re-
, spect and clemency, The insurgcnt
wounded and prisoners in federal hands
are also receiving the most courteous at
tentions This is eminently right. War
is robbed ofone-halfits repulsiye features
when the contestants on both sides con-
slider that the practice of the highest hui
manity is one Of their strongest claims
upon just Providence for success. We
entertain profound respect for a chivol-
rous opponent; we have nothing but De-
testation for barbarous one"
OF all tho barbarities Of Sunday, the
2lst ult., to our mind, that Of Congress-
men and civilians visiting the scene as
amateurs, With the purpose Of gratifying
their thirst for carnage is tho greatest.
The very nature of the yulture seems TO
have animated them, or they must have
been actnated by lodged hate" as re-
voting aud loathsome as that Of the jew
Of Venice. They went 10 see the "pound
Of flesh" cut from The Southern enemy,
nearest his heart, 10 witness the spasms
Of his agony, his death throcs and utter
humiliation. If we could accept tho
theory Of special retribution, VIC can we'll
imagine in such spirit The very cause
Of disaster. Such wrctehes did not de-
serve. success. They could even look
with Indifference upon the wounded, the
dying and the dead who had fought the
battle for their side, that they might glut
their unhallowcd appetitcs, like very
ghouls with The scene Of slaughter on the
other. This fact is a stigma upon the
American name, and one which will not
be easily wiped out. II ought to be dis
tioctly fastened upon tho men who thus
choose to debsse thopselves by tho ex-
bibition Of their lust for blood. SUI.