Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-10
Atroc7ous Treatment of our Prisons
ers-Tfe ssPenss' at Camp Chase in

ers-Tfe ssPens,, at Camp Chase I'm
Ohio.
| A number of our soldiers. who were taken
prisoners at the battle of Rich Mountain. on
the 18th of June last, arrived here yesterday
| from their place of Imprisonment in Ohio,
having passed the lines at Norfolk under a
| flag of truce
Mr.. David Comfort, one of the number, for
merly resident of Charlotte Court House, in
this State. gives us an intelligent and deeply
| Interesting account of the atrocioGs treat
ment in Ohio of number of the prisoners
| taken at the Rich Mountain and released on
| parole, with the distinct understanding that
| they were to be sent home
| Mr.. Comfort with fourteen of his fellow
| prisoners released on parole, after being de-
| tanned long time at Beverley, was at last
| sent into Ohio, surprising that they were to
| be returned home. On arriving at Column
| bus, Ohio, they were all arrested and impri-
soBed by the order of Gov. Dennison. The
| place of their imprisonment was at Camp
Chase" about four miles from Columbus.
where a large pen, closely planked up with
| sentinel towers. was made to serve as pri-
sou. Within this enclosure of plank, which
was about sixteen ie t high, two long sheds
| had been erected as places or confinement
| These were divided into mere stalls without
! one single article of fHFniture, not even bed
| ding or blanket. Iuto these mere petitions.
| resembling stalls for cattle. our soldiers were
| thrust. The sufferngs Inflicted upon them
| almost exceed belief They were fed on scan
| ty ratious of crackers and mess pork. Some
| times they were paraded as often as dozen
| times day to be shown to visitors. Many
| of these were Ohio ladies.
| Besides the prisoners on parole, among
whom was Mr.. Comfort, who were thrust in
to this vile and brutal place of confinement.
| it was already occupied by over one hundred
citizens OF Western Virginia, Captured by
the army, besides some twenty-five soldiers
taken in the various engagements in the
| West.
In giving US relation Of the sufferings of
the prisoners, Mr.. Comfort mentioned incl
dents of the brutal aud savage treatment of
our wounded calculated to affect the hardest
heart. Owing to the want of transportation.
| many of orr poor wounded soldiers had to
be carried in the arms of their comrades.
The surgeon at Camp Chase refused to supply
bandages when they were asked for, and those
of their comrades who attended the wounded
| are said to have been unable to procure soap
to wash their wounds.
One of those wounded soldiers, taken at
Rich Mountain, had been shot by ball
through the mouth, fracturing his jaw, after
he bad surrendered. As he was standing
| among his Yankee captureTs Federal Col
onel rode up to him with cooked pistol, de-
handing, with a fearful oath, ..if be was one
of the id rebels who had been shooting at
his men" The soldier did not reply when
the brave Yankee officer, with another brutal
oath, discharged his pistol in his mouth.
The release of the paroled prisoners from
Camp Chase was finally procured, after weeks
of great suffering and worse indigniiy
through the Intervention, as it is understood
of Gen. Mcclellan, who had commanded the
Federal forces at Rich Mountain, and had en-
gagged to send our prisoners home. Mr.
Comfort had written to Gen. Mcclellan Of
their Imprisonment in Ohio, and an order was
procured for their release from Gov. Denni-
son on Saturday last. Tue prisoners were
transported by railroad to Belair, near Pitts
burg, and tn nee 5y way of Harrisburg and
Baltimore TO Old Point. Virginia.
On passing through York, Pa, one of our
prisoners was approached by respectable
looking person. The man whispered to his
ear that lit would be death to speak his SEN
timents, but to tell the people in Virginia
that the Yankees were going to hill as fast
as they could" This was the ouly evidence
of ga Northern man with Southern princi
pies" encountered by our soldiers in all of
their sojourn and travel in the North.-Rich-
mond E11nainer, Oct. 4.