Daily national Republican., 1863-11-27
Official Report to the &c.
retary Of the Navy.
Expose of the Treatment
of Union Prisoners.
DEATHS AVERAGING SIXTY PER DIEM
Insufficient Food, Clothingand
Shelter the Cause.
HORRID PICTURES OF DEATH
Systematist sAbuse, Neglect, and
Reconsideration.
HEROIC FoRTITUDE OF OUR
PRISONERS.
insufficient Food, Clothingand G
Shelter the Cause.
H0RRlD PICTURES OF DEATH
Systematisl sAbuse, Neglect, and
Reconsideration.
HEROIC FoRTlTUDE OF OUR
PRISONERS.

The following report of DR.. Myers, to Secre-
tary welIes, will be read with horror and indig-
nation by every loyal man, woman and child,
In the country:
WAsHIEGTos, November 2Gth, 1868.
SIR: | herewith have the honor to report
through this medium that in returning to my
ship, United States steamer estate of Georgia, :"
from Baltimore, whittier had been on sick fur
Tough, was captured on the lith of Nay last
by band of "North Carolina Partisan Rang
| ers,' In the Chesapeake and Albermals Canal.
l was then conveyed to Richmond, Va, since
which period have been closely confed, hav-
Ing been detained as an hostage for DR.. Green
of the Confederate army.
During this period have not been idle In
my observations. enjoyed for several months
daily access TO the hospital where the sick and
wounded among the 'nion prisoners received
treatment. ] hereby declare my belief that
since the battle Of Chickamauga the number of
| deaths per diem has averaged lrly; the most
prevalent diseases being those of the res pira-
tory and digestive organs. OF late the per
centagc of deaths has greatly increased--the
| result of causes that have hcen long at work,
as insufficient food and clothing and shelter,
combined with that depression OF spirits brought
on SO frequently by long confinement.
IL may seem almost inGrCdilc when affirm,
of my personal knowledge, that IN the three
|
talty is now forty.Iiyc per diem; and upon tho
most reliable authority am forced to believe
that the deaths In the tobacco factories and
upon the island will raise the av eragc mortality
toidLLy, among all the Union prisoners, to sixty
per dium OF rigLtcrn hundred monthly. The
extremely reduced condition Of those brought
from the island augurs that hundreds quite sick
are left behind, who would be considered lit
subjects for hospital treatment. Such, too, is
the fact invariably stated by scores have con
ycrsGd with from that camp. The same to
degree holds trus OF the prisoners in the city.
| II would be reasonable cstima! TO put the
number who are NJ subjects for hospitals, but
who are refused admlttancc, AZ five hundred
Thirteen hundred are already under treatment
in the three hospitals, and the Confederate sur
gcons themselves say, "ihe number of patients
are only limited by the @ant accommodations
provided" Thus We have over ten per cent.
of the whole number of prisoners held classed
as sick men, who require the most assiduous
aud skilrul attention. Yet in the essential
matter Of ratons they aru receiving nothing
but corn bread aud sweet potatoes. Meat Is
no longer furnished 10 any class Of our prison
crs, and all, sick or well, officers or privates,
are now furnished with very poor article OF
corn bread in lieu Of wheat bread.
! ask If this Is proper food for hospital pa
tIenls prostrated with dysentegy and fever, To
say nothing of the balance. Startling inGtapces
of Individual suffering, and horrid pictures of
death from Frustrated sickness aud semi star
Walton, have had thrust upon my attention.
The first demand OF the poor creatures from
the island was always for something TO eat
aud have seen them die clutching the half
eaten ~usI. Self respect gonG--hOpe aud am
bition all gone-half clad and covered with YER
min and nllh-many OF them too often beyond
the reach Of all medical skill.
In one Instance the guIhuuncrs brought six
teen to the hospital and during the night sey eIl
had died. Again, eighte' were brought and
eleven died within twrnty-four hours. Al
another time fourteen were admitted and during
u single night ten Of the number died, aud IT'S
not an unirequent occurrence for them to die
In the ambulance before reaching the hospital.
Judging from what have myself seen aud do
know, do not hesitate to say that under a treat
menl Of systematic abuse, neglect aud semi
starvation, the number who are becoming per.
nianeuuy broken down In constitution must
be recEoned By Thousands.
The Confederate daily papers In general