Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-05-08
gatlg gutRMtgRafEt.
The AtEOCIOuB and Incredible Inhu-
manity OF the ReDels.
(From the Springfield Republican,

The AtrOciOuS and Incredible Inhu-
mantty OF the Rebels.
prom the Springfield RepublIcan)
Ever since the battle of Bull Run there
have been vague reports of indiguities
heAped on the bodies of dead Union SOL
diers, and outrages committed upon the
wounded and prisoners. Il was diticult
TO believe these stories; we could not inn
agine how people protesting to be civil
lied, could do such horrible things as were
reported, eyeuto an enemy. But the re-
cent report of the congressional committee
establishes beyond doubt, on the testimo-
ny of uDimpeAehable witnesses, one of
whom is Governor Sprague of Rhode Is
land, that the rebels have committed out
RACES that should put native of the Fee
jee Islands to the blush. Henceforth it is
q matter of history; aud when the record
of the war is written, it will tell not only
of the base treason aud ingratitude of the
leaders of the rebellion, who could plan
such revolution while filling Offices in
the government they were plotting to des-
troy, but of many an outrage Practised
during the struggle, which exceed in hOr-
ror the excuses of the sepOys of India, or
the bArbarities of the North American In
dams.
The inventive genins of the South APP
pears to have been strained to the utmost
TO devise tortures for the living aud iudig-
mites for the dead. Prisoners in rebel
prisons have been shot for looking out MT
the window. The federal wounded have
been refused the attention of our own
surgeons, aud turned over to the assistants
of the rebel surgeons, that they might am
putate their limbs for practice. The rebel
surgeons have refused to hold any inter-
views with our surgeons taken prisoners
in honorable battle, and all the Courtesies
of professional life have been disregGrded
by rebel officers of every grade. General
Seauregard himself held Gen. Ricketts,, an
old schOOlmNte and acquaintance, and
wounded severely in the battle of Bnll
Run, as n hostage for the rebel priyateers,
aud the treatment of private soldiers ia
ken prisoners has been as bad as can he
imagined. But the rebels have displayed
the most fiendish Propensities in their out
RACES on the dead, who were buried in
many instances naked, with their faces
downward; their bones were dug up US
trophies, and sometimes used for personal
adOrnmcnts; the skulls were made into
drinking cups, and there is conclusive evil
dencs that the body Of one of the bravest
officers in the Union service, was burned.
Besides the report of this committee,
there are almost daily accounts of rebel
Outrages on or soldiers who have fallen
into their hands, and on the Union men OF
the South who are unable to escape from
their clutches. On the first day of the
battle of Pittsburg Landing, the enemy
cut the threats of sick soldiers as they lay
in their tents. Union men in some parts
OF Missouri and Tennessee are suffering
prosecutions that remind one of the PO-
Pish persecution of Professionals in Europe.
In Tennessee just after the ordinance of
secession was passed, bands of Inarauders
went about the country robbiug whoever
they chose, insulting women, and forcing
loyal citizens into the rebel service at the
point of the bayOnet. In one town, six
loyal men were suspended from the same
tree, and left there prey to the buzzards,
their friends not daring to remove the bod
les Tor fear of sharing similar fate; aud
there is good evidence, that one man in
Tennessee who refused to serve in the reb-
el army, was cruciied on tree and left
there to perish by inches. These are all
well authenticated facts, and other equally
atroctOus deeds are being continually re-
ported. Al Yorktown the rebels compel
their slaves TO work the most exposed bat
teries, where they dare not expose their
own persons, thus showing that they are
brave towards fallen foe. They treat
their slaves just AS they do Northern men,
10 LuG CuuSe vi MI LuSlE OhT0ae
rity.
These monstrous revelations of iuhu-
man deeds, of concerted systems of multi
alton and dissertation, can but arouse the
deep vengeance of the North against the
authors of this rebellion. 1t is difficult to
read these accounts without crying out for
war of determination against the South.
We can hardly believe these men were
once our brothers, or that they belong to
the same race country or age. But we
have not in the past, and cannot in the
future, return outrage for outrage. Our
motive in conducting the war is the no.
blest that nation could have, and our
actions should accord with our principles.
But this conduct of the rebels should
spur US up to new activity and "a new
xealin the work of crashing out the re-
belliOn. And let us remember that sla-
very is the source and fountain all this
evil, and see to it that the slave power
dies with the rebellion. No nation ex-
cept nation of shareholders could be
guilty of such barbarisnl as has been wit
messed since the war commenced; and it is
our duty to provide that the scenes of this
rebellion shall never be acted over again
in this country.