Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-10
AtrocIOus Treatment OF eur PEisoasxn.-.
The "E1eas" At Camp Chase In 9hiO.

4
q resident of Charlotte Court-House, in ihis State
| gives us an intelligent and deeply interesting ae
count Of the atrOciOus treatment in Ohio Of nun.
Der Of the prisoners taken at the Rich Mounsain
snd released on parole, with the distinct undsr-
standing that they were to be sent home
Mr.. Comfort with fourteen Of his fellow prison
ers released on parole after being detained for a
long time at Beverley was at last sent into Ohio
/ surprising that they were to be returned home On
arriving at Columbus Ohio, they were al arrested
and imprisoned by the order Of Governor DennisOn.
The place of their imprisonment was At Camp
Chase, /" about four miles from Columbus, where
large pen elbsely planked up with sentinel towers,
made tOserYe as prison. Within this enclosure
of plank which was about sixteen feet high, two
long sheds hkd been erected as places Of cOnhne
ment These are divided into mere stalls without
DOORS and " thout one single article of furniture,
not even bedding or blanket. Into these mere par
titiOns resembling stalls for cattle, our soldiers
were thrust. The suferings inflicted upon them
almost exceed belief. They Wer0 fed on scanty RAJ
tons of crackers and mess pork. Sometimes they
were paradeA as often As a dozen times day to be
shown to visitors Many Of these were Ohio ladies'
Besides the prisoners on parole, among whom Wss
Mr.. Comfort who were thrust into this vile and
brutal place 1f confinement il was already occupied
by over one hundred citizens Of Western Virginia,
captured by the army, besides some twenty hye
others, taken in the various engagements In the
West. -s ra7 e s's-s'--- -1---- 9
! In giving NJ a relation Of the suHerings Of the
prisoners MI Comfort mentioned incidents CT the
brutal and savage treatment Of our wounded eslcu-
lated to affect the hardest heart Owing % the
want of trznbuortation many Of our poor Woundsd
soldiers had 70 be carried in the arms Of their cam
rades. The surgeon at Camp Chase refused % sup
plv banda0e, when they were aaked for, and those
Of their Comrades who attended the wounded are
said to have been unable to procure soap to Eash
One of these wounded soldiers, taken at Rseh
Mountain, had been shot by ball through the
mouth, fractnring his jaw after be had surrender
ed As he was standing among bis Yankee cap
turers a Federal Colonel rode up 70 him with
cooked pistol, demanding with fearful oath, Hn
he was one 6f the did rebels who had been shoot
ing at his men, The soldier did not reply, when
the brave Yankee officer, With another brutal oath,
discharged bis pistol in his mouth 49,. ~
The release Of the paroled prisoners from Camp
Chase was finally procured, after weeks OF great
suffering and worse indgnty through the lnterYen-
ton as il is understood, Of Gen. Mcclellan, who
had commanded the Federal force at Rich Mountain,
and had engaged to send our prisoners home. M
Comfort had written to Gen. Mcclellan Of their
Imprisonment in Ohio, and an order VS. procured
for their release from Gen. DennisOn on Saturday
last The prisoners were transported By railroad
to Belair, near Pittsburg and thence By way Of
Harrisburg and Baltimore to Old Point, Virginia.
Mr.. Comfort heard nothing on the route Of the
defeat of the Federal forces in Virginia, beyond
report at Wheeling that some general othcer on the
Federal side had been MORALLY wounded. This u
the only foundation We eau earn ior ne VIA ~
port brought to Norfolk. ana gwen with susn heea
less extraYagan by the press Of = sweeping and
decisive vietcry on the Big SeWeu Mountain
On passing through York, Pa one or our PIl.ou
ers was approached by Arespectable looking person.
The maR whispered to his ear that III w. .oG.
death to speak bis sentiments but to tell the people
in Virginia that the Yankees Wers goits 1870 -
fast as they could" This was ne On en-
"a Northern man VITA eoutne[n 49, .-o:I,s, ~
countered BY our soldiers an ~ . s-s:. M
travel in the North 4Escaslono A--a'.-..-' - 2