Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-05-23

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question whether the Confedera,es them.
selves were not also destitute Of medicine
he replied, ''they could not have been, for
they took all ours, even to our surgical in
struments." He received none OF the at
tention from the surgeons on the other side
(which" to use his own language, IL should
have shown to them had our position been
reversed"
The testimony of William II. Swain. as
sistant-surgeon of the Fourteenth New York
regiment, who was taken prisoner at Sud
/ ley's Church, confirms the statement Of DR..
Homiston in regard to the brutal operations
on Corporal Prescott. He also states that
after he himself mad been removed to Rich
mond. When seated one day with his feet
on the window sill, the sentry outside CALI
ed to him to take them in, and on looking
out he saw the sentry with his musket cock
ed and pointed at him, and withdrew in time
to save his life. He gives evidence Of the
careless, heartless and cruel manner in
which the surgeons operated on our men.
Previous to leaving for Richmond, and ten
or twelve days after the battle, he saw some
Of the Union soldiers unburied on the field,
and entirely naked. Walking around were
great many women, gloating over the hor-
; rid sight.
The case of Dir. Ferguson, of one of the
New York regiments. is mentioned by DIR.
Swain. " When getting into his ambulance
TO look after his own wounded he was fred
: upon by the rebels. When he told them
who be was they said they would take a
parting shot at him, which they did, wound
ing him in the leg. He had his boots on,
: and his spurs on his boots, and as they drove
along his spurs would catch in the tail-board
of the ambulance, causing him to shrek
with agony" An officer rode up, and, plac-
Ing his pistol to his head, threatened TO shoot
: him if he continued to scream. This was
on Sunday the day Of the battle"
/, GENERAL RICKETTS, EXPERIENCE.
One of the most important witnesses was
General james B. Ricketts,, well known in
: Washington and througout the country,
lately promoted for his dariag and seH-sacri-
2 fcing courage. After having been wound
I ed in the battle of Bull Run, lie was cap
T tured, and as he lay helpless on his back a
4 party of rebels passing him cried out, "knock
I out his brains, the d-d Yankee He met
e General Beauregard, an old acquaintance
y only year his senior at the United States
Military Academy, @here both were educa-
$ ted. He had met the rebel general in the
a South number of times. By this head Of
e the rebel army on the day after the battle
J, he was told that his General Ricketts,
/ treatment would depend upon the treatment
T extended 10 the rebel privateers. His first
It lieutenant Ramsey, who was killed, wa:
e stripped of every article Of his clothing bu
n his socks, and left naked on the field. HC
e testified that those of our wounded who
r died in Richmond were buried in the negro
P burying ground among the negroes, ant
y were put into the earth in the most unfeel
IS ing manner. The statement of other wit
Z ness as TO how the prisoners were treated
e. is fully confirmed by General Ricketts,
y He himself, while in prison, subsisted main
2 ly upon what he purchased with his owl
'e money, the money brought to him by hi
le wife. :. We had" he says, "what they call
ii ed bacon soup-~made of boiled bacon, tht
n bacon being a Ettle rancid--Wh hich you coul,
IS not possibly eat; and that for a man who's
lie system was being drained by a wound is nj
a diet at all" In reply to question whethe
Is he had heard anything about our prisoner
4 being shot by the rebel sentries, he answer
r. ed les, a number of our men were shot
r In one instance two were shot; one wa
ID killed and the other wounded, by man VIII
r rested his gun on the windowsill while HI
g capped it."
a General Ricketts,, in reference TO his hav
ing been held as one of the hostages for th
p. privateers, states consider j. bad treat
IS ment to be selected as a hostage for pri
a vateer, when | was SO lame that could no
r walk, and while my wounds were still oper
le and urheaed. At this time General Win
d. der came TO see me. He had been an Off
le Ger in my regiment; ! had known him fo
;. twenty odd years. 1t was on the 9th o
70 November that he came to see me. II,
'e saw that my wounds were still unhealed
e he saw my condition; but that very day h'
at received an order to select hostages for th'
le privateerS and notwithstanding he knew
II my condition, the next day, Sunday. thc
10 I0lh Of November, | was selected as one o
Is the hostages" II heard" he continues, 20
l. a great many Of our prisoners who hat
sr been bayonetted and shot. / saw three c
al them-two that had been bayoretted ant
lg one of them shot. One of them wa
Z named Louis Francis, of the New Yorl
Of Fourteenth. He had received fourteen
n, bayonet wounds-one through his private
N and be bad one wound very much lik,