The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-11-26

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'&itburanh gispattt.
RETURN OF CONFEDERATE SURGEONS
EXON THE NORTH YANKEE TREAT
MENT OF PRISONERS.
Yesterday morning one hundred and twer.
ty9our Confederate Surgeons, who have
Deen returned from the different bastiles Of
the North, arrived In this city by the steamer
Schultz
The statements which they make in refer.
ence 70 their own treatment, and that of our
prisoners, particularly the wounded, are In
keeping with other statements published of
the heathenish treatment to which they are
subjected.
one OF these Surgeons, with whom we
had long aud interesting interview, was
captured at Williamsport, Nd, in July last,
where he had been left, In conjunction with
Others, in charge Of some two hundred Il
our wounded. These men were nearly all 60
badly wounded that 1t was deemed advisable
not to attempt their removal to Virginia. al.
though abundance Of time had been allowed
to do so had their condition permitted it,
In . few days after the occupation of the
town by the Yankees, an order was issued
for the removal OF all these wounded
to Hagerst0wn. The Surgeons reuon-
strated, but to mr purpose. The next
day brought premptory order fer
their removal, and, In their helpless and
nearly exhausted condition, they were pack.
ed OF to Hagerstown and piled away, with
out comfort, In the Court House, and q
guard placed around the building. For O
few days they were allowed to send out for
their rations, but very soon this privilege
was Withdrawn, and they were compelled to
prepare their own food, as best they could,
with the meanest kind of facilities. The
supply of medicines furnished was totally
inadequate to the necessities of the suffering
wounded, and they were not permitted to
receive the stimulants and delicacies which
the ladies of the town brought to the Court
yard in profusion. In q few days they were
again removed and transferred from the
Courthouse to the Seminary, on the out
skirts of the town.
In the meantime all the nurses who had
been left to assist In taking care of the
wounded were seized as prisoners of War
and sent OF to prison, leaving only five sur
geons to labor with and care for two hun
dred men, not one of whom was able to do
anything for himself This force, of course,
was wholly insufficient for the care of so
large number, and much suffering ensued
from want Of proper attention, and num-
Der OF deaths resulted where the patient
might have recovered If properly cared for.
Finally the Surgeons themselves were sent
off to Fort McHenry. DR.. Newell was the
last who left HagerstoWn. He was informed
that he would have to walk to Chambers
burg, distance Of twenty one miles, He
told them at once that he was unable TO
walk so great distance, being then, as he
had been for some time previous, quite un-
well. They insisted, however, that he should
try 1t, and he was started off under guard
He had not gone far until he became well
nigh exhausted, and entirely incapable Of
making the speed required of hinl by the
guard To accelerate his movements they
drew their bayonets Oh him and struck him
over the head with their muskets. Under
this persecution he tainted and fell in the
road, when he was caught by the collar and
dragged some distance to house, where he
was kept under guard until an ambulance
came along, in which he was conveyed to
Chambersburg, and from thence on to Balti-
more by railroad.
One Surgeon with whom we conversed
Was for time In charge Of the wounded at
Harrisburg, Pa The treatm ent received
there was in the main kind and humane,
very little difference being made in the
treatment Of our own and the cnemys
wounded. The country people around the
place sent III many delicacies, and the Yam
kee surgeons permitted them to be distrib-
uted among our wounded.
OF the treatment at Fort McHenry, as q
general thing, the darkest picture ever
drawn by the New York Herald of "Life at
the Libby" conveys but Mt conception.
The rations consist of hard tack Except
where 1t is completely excavated by worms)
meat once day, and kind OF slop in the
morning which the Yankees politely style
coffee. No fire has yet been allowed In the
quarters of the officers, although the
weather Las been quite severe.
All the private soldiers heretofore confined
In the fort have been sent off to Point Look
out, on the eastern shore of Maryland-a
cold, dreary, and bleak place in the winter
season. On the day that the last instalment
was sent off one of them was observed by a
humane surgeon to be nearly destitute of
pants, and in q cold, shivering condition.
The surgeon ran off to his quarters and got
q pair of his own pants, and, coming back'
asked permission of the Lieutenant Of the
guard to present them to the destitute pris-
oner. The Lieutenant's reply wac, mo,
sir; the clothes he has on are id sight
better than he deserves"
On one occasion the steward ofthe hospital
lost some money, and one of our Surgeons
being found outside of his quarters when 1t
was mlssed he was instantly accused Of hay
Ing stolen it, and forthwith thrust into the
stocks, where he was kept until he tainted.
He was thrown into what is known as the
ssmiddle room," place used for the conflne-
ment Of cut.throats and thieves of The Yam
kee army, whose crimes are base enough to
require punishment even In Yankee eyes
Here he was kept until the day before the
Surgeons were sent of, when he was turned