Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-04-26
REBEL BAnBABITV TOWARD
THEIR PRISONERS.

/ go
inhuman treatment he and his fellow
prisoners received from the Rebels in
Virginia Contrast this with the humane
treatment invariably extended to rebel
prisoners by our armies.
We were carried to the rear, TO Charles
town, Virginia, where we were waited
apen By Gee. Wise and STAFF STAFF and other
officers Of his command, whose language
and conversation was anything but
agreeable. The place we occupied was
continually surrounded by an excited
populace, and the barrels of whisky in
time were rolled out in the street, and
the heads knocked in by order of the
| General, no doubt TO prevent mob law
from dealing with us, under that addi-
tional excitement. From here to Rich
mond we we've subject to insult, threats
and annoying curiosity. On the way
they heard of the battle Of Manassas,
which set the people wild, and gave them
the assurance that they would at once
occupy Washington, New York, and
Philadelphia, and establish the suprema-
cy of the South.
AT Richmond we were thrust into a
tobacco factory, where we found some
forty officers, taken at Manassas, the floor
of which you can imagine was none of
the cleanest, yet il was our bed. No
blankets or other article to shield us from
the filth, with a block of wood for our
pillow, and good consciensce for feath-
ers. Neither were we furnished with
bench, chair, table, knife, fork, cup, plate
! or spoon. Our food, which consisted of
beef, bread and water, was brought to us
in tubs and buckets, and you could help
yourself as best you might. In these
crowded rooms we ate, slept and had our
exercise and for want of facilities for
cleanliness, many having but one suit of
Clothes it was not astonishing that YER
min predominated to an alarming extent
and of several varieties
The commandant of the post, n Lieut..
Todd, and his coadjutor Lieut. Withers,
were eminently qualified for their posi-
tions, for one would certainly suppose
from their acts that they had been born
| in obscurity, nursed in depravity, and
| educated ia barbarism and with the
| ignorance of their birth, the vices Of their
nurse, and the wanton cruelty of their
education, fit subjects 10 carry out the
orders of their more infamous General
| Winder, hero whose father deserted his
cOuntry's flag at Bladensburg, and whose
worthy son was perpetuating the history
of his family on the unfortunate patriots
of his native land. We were much an
nOyed by the visits of men whose object
seemed only TO be insult and bravado.
Our prison was constantly surrounded by
a curious crowd, who laughed, ieered and
howled at US. The sentries carefully
watched the windows, that, if Yankee
head dared to become visible, they might
have shot at il, and several were thus
killed. Officers were handcuffed as suited
the within or fancy of our masters A
reverend gentlemen, Mr. Burrows, fire.
quently came TO insult and taunt u.s.
Members of their Congress visited us to
inform us that we were fit subjects to be
hung. The newspapers urged that we
should be put to work at trades, and such
as had none should be made TO dig coal
in the surrounding pits, The poor
wounded were placed also in a tobacco
factory, without medicines, instruments,
or any appliances, where they might be
cared for, when in agony of mind and
body, with the worms fostering and feed
ing in their undressed wounds, they
suffered intensely, not through the fault
of our own surgeons, for they did all
they could with the means in their power
TO allay their suffering. These poor fell
lows, when on the verge of eternity, were
even denied the consolation that religion
gives, though our own chaplains were
ever ready to minister TO them, and when
dead they were carted away as dogs, and
inferred in the negro cemeteries.
Those who should be termed women
, visited no sick Of ours. There was nc
soft hand to smoothe the pillow or bath,
the fevered brow; no nurse TO prepare th,
delicate food, but only their anathemal
reached them through barred windows
while they were soothed with the rough
care of comrades, and fed on the rougl
food the prison furnished. Such eXhibi
tions Of cruelty as were manifested Their
make the heart sick, the numerous Incl
dents Of which would fiji volumes, an,
give such an insight of despotism a
would even make tyrants tremble.
From here we were sent to Charleston
/ S. c.. On the way for three days, W
} were kept confined in crowded cars, wit
; sickand wounded, in which we were re
quired 20 remain without rest and wit
:. but little food Paraded through numer
( Gus little towns on our passage, insulte
. by men and women--the latter much th
4 worst--surrOunded by crow hootin
\ and taunting us, but unheed!gg, "
a proudly passed on, regardless or the "a
? natic'eXhibitions, and felt that we wei
n suffering in the glorious cause Of liDert
and Union. Arrived in Charleston, W
y were placed in the common Jail, withol
Al the slightest necessary comfort; theme
taken 10 Castle Pinckuey, We were aga