Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-05

brutality.
| Especial Dispatch TO the Cincinnati Gazette.
/ WASHINGTON, Nov. %
i The following statement by the sur
geons just released from The Libby pris
on, of the treatment of our prisoners al
Richmond, will be presented to the Wal
Department tomorrow:
/ WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 27, '63.
/ We the undersigned surgeons of the
/ US. Army, and recently prisoners al
Richmond, Va, consider it our duty to
publish few facts that came tolour
knowledge while we we're inmates of the
hospital attached to the Libby prison.
| We enjoyed for several months daily ac-
! cess to the hospitals where the sick and
wounded among our Union soldiers
were under treatment. As a result oil
our observation, we hereby declare our
belief that, since the tie of Chicanau.
ga, the number of deaths per deim has
! averaged fully fifty. The prevailing dis
eases are diarrhea, dysentery, or typhoid
| pneumonia OF late the per centage OF
deaths has greatly increased from caus.
es that have been long at work, as in
sufficient food, clothing and shelter, COM
bined with that depression of spirits
brought SO often by long confinement.
| 1t may seem almost incredible, when we
affirm, of our own personal knowledge,
that in the three hospitals for wounded
soldiers, the average mortality is forty
per day, and upon the most reliable tes-
| timony, we are forced to believe the
deaths in the tobacco factories, and upon
the Island, will raise the total mortality
among the Union prisoners to fifty per
day, or fifteen hundred monthly. z 1919
The extremely reduced condition of
those brought from the Island, argues
that hundreds quite sick are. left behind,
who, with us, would be considered as
subjects for hospital treatment. Such,
too, is the fact, as invariably stated by
scores we have conversed with from that
camp. The same, to degree, holds
true of the prisoners in the city. 1t
would be reasonable estimate to put
the number who are fit subjects for hos
pitals, but who are refused admittance,
at FIVE hundred One thousand are al
ready under treatment in the three hos
pitals; and the Confederate surgeons
themselves say the number of patients is
only limited by the small accommoda-
tions provided. Thus we have oYersten
per cent of the whole number of the
prisoners held classed as sick men, who
need the most assiduous and skillful at
tention.- -r0t-ila- -s4.attor-of ressfOus,
they are receiving nothing but corn bread
and sweet potatoes. Meat is no longer
furnished to any class of our prisoners,
except to the few officers in Libby Hos
pital; and all the sick and well officers
and privates are now furnished with q
very poor article Of corn bread, in place
of wheat bread-an unsuitable diet for
hospital patients, prostrated with diar-
rhea, dysentery and fever. .4r
"To say nothing of the many startling
| instances of individual suffering, and
horrid pictures of death from protracted
sickness and semi-staryation, we have
had thrust upon our attention, the first
demand of the poor creatures from the
Island was always for something to eat.
Selfrespect gone, half clad and covered
with vermin and filth, many of them are
often beyond the reach of medical skill.
In one instance the ambulances brought
sixteen to the hospital, and during the
night seven of them died. Again, eigh-
teen were brought, and eleven of them
died in twenty-four hours At another
time fourteen were admitted in single
Il day and ten of them died. Judging
from what we have ourselves seen and
do know, we do not hesitate to say that
under a treatment of systemised abuse
neglect, and semi-starvation, the number
who are becoming prematurely broken
down in their constitutions must be
reckoned by thousands. We leave it tC
others to say what is demanded BY this
state of things. The Confederate daily
papers in general terms acknowledge
the truth of all we have affirmed, bu
usually close their abusive editorials by
declaring that even such treatment il
better than the invading Yankees de
serve.
GThe Examiner, in recent article
begrudged the little food the prisoner
did receive, and the boxes sent~to u
from home, and closed by eulogizing tn
system of semi-starvation and exposur
i as we'll calculated to dispose of us. A
b this is true, and yet the cold weather
!. | hardly commenced. We are horrifie
d when we picture the wholesome miser
q and death that viii come with the bitin
: frosts of winter Recently several hui
dred prisoners per day were being r
= moved to DanvilIe, and in two instancl
we were standing in view of them ;
e their ranks filed past. 1t was sad sig
to see the attenuated features and pail
er faces of men, a few months since robu
e T, and in vigorous health. Numbers we
without shoes, nearly all without bla
Or kets or overcoats, and not man did '
III III see who was well fed and fully clad, b
to the credit Of the prisoners in Ric
mond, of all ranks, be it recorded, th;
e2 although they have shown heroic for
tude under suffering, and spnrning
idea that their Government had forg'
= ten them, have held fast their con6den
3 in the final and speedy success of o
cause In addition to the above sta
Oh ment, we wish to be distinctly understo
that the Confederate medical offic'
connected with the hospitals referred
Surgeons Wilkins, Simmons and Sob
, and the hospital steward, Hollet, are
. in any way as far aso our observation
extended, responsible for the state
things existing there, but on the otl
hand, we are bound in justice to b
testimony to their kindness and the fai
J. full performance of duties with the |
ner tied means at their disposal Signed
N "DANL. MEEKES, Surg U. S.
= &C. I. LINERS, Asst Surg. 9th Me. v
81. L. BRowN, Asst Surg. 10th 0. V
: "a. NJ. PARKER, Asst Surg. 1stMe. Ca
Some of the released surgeons ST
Ds. IN. oo e Ies ,f - =,
lses, piSs VI zDoASS VI PhofAsionoz ty4nS VI.
lard wharf which had apparently been Ian
Ires, tbere from steamers nm the river an
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