Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-15
Federal Treatment of Prisoners
HORRIBLE BARBARITIEs.
statement OF Paroied Prisoner.
/ MExpars, Tenn, Dec. II. 1861.


| but unfortunate Southern men whom left
| incarcerated there on the 29th of October
| last, to make known to the South and to the
world the suffering and indignities to which
| they are subjected by their inhuman jailors.
The government prison to which refer is
at Camp Chase, about four miles south of the
| city of Columbus, the capital of the State of
Ohio. Brig. Gen. Hill is the commander,
! under the direction of Gems. Mitchell and
Rosencranz,' the prison being used for the
| confinement of military and political prison
ers for both Kentucky and Northwestern
Virginia. 1t contains about half an acre OF
ground inclosed by a plank wall nearly
twenty-five feet high, with towers on two
| sides. Inside of this Enclosure are two rows
of board shanties with five rooms (l6 by IL
feet) in each. In these small rooms, each
occupied by about twenty five men, aud 10
this contracted space the crowd of prisoners
are compelled to cook. eat and sleep. Men
| of every class and grade are huddled togeth-
er, and all treated as felons.
1t will be remembered that Columbus is in
a very cold country. The winter winds blow
iercely from those Northern fresh water
| lakes over the State of Ohio. and Camp Chase
| prison receives its full share of he chilling
| blasts. Yet, while L was prisoner there,
| including the month of October, when the
weather was very rainy aud severely cold,
| no fires were allowed 10 the prison TO warm
the half naked and shivering prisoners
| Promises were made from time to time by
| the subordinate officers that the prison
should he warmed either by stoves or by q
steam heating apparatus, but up to the 18th
| day OF October no steps bad been taken look
| ing to that end. To add to the discomfort
of the poor prisoners, the wretched shanties,
| their only shelter. leaked badly, keepieg the
| floors, their only bed, and even their scanty
bed clothing soaked With water. The fear
| was entertained by th prisoners generally,
and constantly expressed that it was the in
teniion that they should perish from the eff
iects of Guild and damp. This treatment Of
human beings by those calling themselves
Christians is unpar lleled 1nhumanlty and
cruelty by the Lincoln Government towards
those in its power is policy. VIII ch has been
sugges ed by many of its allies TO put down
| the rebellion.
The prisoners sometimes remain in this
| wretched prison weeks before they receive
even a blanket, which, when they get 1t.
| would hardly have been sufficient for their
| comfort in summer, let alone In Northern
| October. The consequence of this severe ex-
| posure was that most OF the prisoners were
| sick fr m 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 suffering
| from pueumonia, measles, and other diseases.
| 1t may seem incredible that this body of sick
| and suffering men. including a considerable
| numb of prisoners OF war, were left through
that damp, cold, and horrible October, With
| out FIRE and half naked, in that wretched
mud hole OF prison. and without adequate
| m,dieal attention.; and Jet assert it to he
| fac, and DEFY the contradiction oil the Lin
| culn jailors aud authorities.
| a large nuab r OF old men from Western
| VrginiA aud Kentucky. whose ads were
white With the frosts of age, we're among the
| prisoners 10 this Basiile, charged with sym
| pathisiDg with the cause of the South. Among
th-m mention the name OF Col. Hamilton,
| of Virginia, who was Carrie from the prison
| in dying condition few days before left,
and have ltarued since that be died soon af-
r.rwards Of pneumonia. A young man from
| Western Virginia died two hours after be was
removed from prison. will add 10 this con
uection, that the prisoners of war who had
| been in the prison several months, ware al.
| most naked, and that all were engaged ia q
| perpetual strife with the vermin witt which
| the loathsome den literally swarmed.
The food furnished the prisoners, with the
exception of the bread, was OF the most infe.
rior kind, and 10 insufficient quantities for
the sustenance OF the furnishing men. The
pork was absolutely rotten. But the great
complaint was the difficulty in obtaining
enough wood to cook the balf-spolied and
scanty meal, only five small sticks per day
being allowed for mess of twenty FIVE men,
and that often not furnished until away In
the night, leaving the meu starving for want
Of their scanty meals during the entire day.
I have visited the military prison in this
city, where the Belmont prisoners are con-
| fed, and fonnd them surrounded with every
comtort-lodged In large brick house, well
warmed, with good beds, provided with news
papers, books and writing materials, all
| which were denied to the prisoners at Camp
Chase. These Federal prisoners testified to
| me that they were we'll and civily treated,
and expressed their abhorrrence and regret
| at my recital Of the treatment of our prison.
era.
It is bat justice to the ladies of Columbus
to say that they offered to furnish comfortable
beds and bedding for US, bat were denied the
| privilege by the Commandant, because, be
said it was not permitted by the orders. When
4 these kind hearted ladies visited as 10 our
vile prison, and beheld our wretched condi
tion, they involuntarily burst into tears.
They gave US all they were permitted to be-
stow-Iheir sympathy and tears.
Among the prisoners were, from MaysviIle
KY, Hon r II Stanton, Isaac Nelson, W B
Casio, Mr. Thomas, John Hall, A Hunt and
@ orge Forester, proprietor and editor of
! the Maysville EIpress, also, Lieut.. A O..
| Brummell, OF the Confederate army, from
Richmond Va; Col. Ferguson and Henry
Marin, from Western Virginia, and quite a
number of other officers from that State,
| who were In rags. / cannot attempt here to
euumerate the names of other gentlemen
Judge r Curry, Judge of the Harrison
| Couri; Perry Wherret, clerk of the same
court. and w B Giaye, sheriff of the same