Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-20
The Treatment of our Prisoners.

From the Vicksburg Wing.
Oar prisoners, who are now returning from
the Northern dungeons, complain of their treat
ment at the hands of our Oppressors during then
imprisonment-nOt having been treated as pTis
oners Of war in any particular. Those at Camp
Merton were, in the main, supplied with suth
cheney Of ordinary food, but were denied the
privileges that were extended even to felons
The Yankee guards, on several occasions, amused
themselves by shooting our men in cold blood
-Four prisoners, in April last, were shot in theil
'' hunks, one of whom died from his wound. A
Mississippian, of the 4th regiment, was shot, in
August, simply for taking his clothes from the
line stretched from one post to another, Of the
fence. The same day g gentleman, who had
been engaged in the Mt. Sterling battle, was sho
by the sentinel through the head, and Of course
instantly killed The following day his wife
came to the gate With clOtAing for him, but found
alas, that her loved one was shrouded IN the
graves Cimmerian shadow, and borne to Che
garden of the slumberers.
The treatment at Camp Chase was no bettel
than at Morton, and thousands of crueltie:
could be enumerated, had we space LieTten
ant Gibson, of the llsh Arkansas regiment, wa:
shet dead at the distance of forty PAGES, while
in the act of plsciag bis foot upon the step Of his
quarters by q sentinel whose orders he was
obeying. Although this was pronounced cool
deliberate murder by the sentinels companion
on the beat, the only satisfaction our men re-
ceived was that "the guard was doing his duty
Captain Meadows, of the lst Alabama regiment
OnQ of the most Urbane gentlemen in prison
was shot and crippled while returning to HI:
quarters. In spite Of facts elected, stamping il
deliberate attempt at murder the assassin was
promoted to q sergency the next day. Other
officers were shot at, but the eowardly sentinel:
missed their aim. Many Of the guards, enlisted
to murder our men, were heard to remark they
intended blgging imam apiece Ehe senti-
nels insulted our men on every occasion, anC
treated them as cOnYicts instead of prisoners o.
war. The straw in the beds was not changed
for five months, and every kind of bad tIeat
ment was accorded our men that human inge
nuity was able to employ. Their money, GU
side the walls, was handled and piltered, and the
spirits, sent for medicine, drank and water sub
stituted, and sent 10, thus adding Insult, tC
thievery. Men were not allowed to see thell
wives, mothers their sons, etc, etc When the
baggage Of those at Camp Chase was taken tC
Sandusky, scene followed that beggars 81
description. Such a ruthless plundering anc
unrighteous robbery the world never before saw
Likenesses, little souvenirs, garments OF al
character, were pllndeTed or destroyed, while
foray of plundeTers could not have been more
disastrous upon mans wardrobe.
Ia July some sixty-eight men at Camp Nor
ton broke guard in q body The Colonel Of the
post, D. G. Rose, gave orders to pursue and
bring no one back alive. The latter order some
Of the captains ordered their men not to obey,
taking upon themselves the responsibility. Sev-
ersl Of the prisoners were, nevertheless, shot
killed anil wounded. When a prisoner wa;
shot, the Northern papers announced that " q
prisoner, confined at Camp Morton, wss sho
Yesterday by sentinel, for dlsobsdience o.
orders" On the boats they were herded worse
than cattle being packed 50 clossly together as
to be unable to stretch their limbs cut to rest
during trip of sixteen days on the water
From the Camp Douglas prisoners, now arrIV
ing. we have heard but little, but preSum'
they received the same treatment as those al
Camps Chase and Morton. One incident, how
ever. has come to our knowledge, from per
fectIy authentic source, which stamps the mis-
erable Yankees the very counterpart OF tends
and demons It's recital almost makes our blood
ran cold. Inside the prison at Camp Douglas
| stands building known as the :" dead house.
where our prisoners were carried as soon as th'
breath would leave them. In this room o.
| building the bodies Of our dead men were cut L
pieces, and every morning a surgeon, with
train of students, visited the building to InstTue
/ them in the science of anatomy Such Is tn
conduct of men presuming to be civilized, an
with which we are attempting to prosecute
| civilized war Are we to stand all this II SO
| ought not ter tdtloniS be considered, to som
extent, by our government?
mt HI