Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-12
Rebel atrocities at molly Springs.

Rebel Atrocities at holAy SPN"S7
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE following has
been forwarded to the headquarters of the ar
my here
MEDICAL DREcToR's OFFICE, HOLLY
SpRrNes. Miss, Dec. 80, 1S62.-Sw;-I
have the honor to report that remained be-
hind the advance of the army tor the purpose
of establishing a large general hospital at
Holly Springs ! took a building that had been
built for an armory by the contederates, con.
sisting of six large rooms, each 250 feet long,
and numerous out houses, and, after three
weeks of incessant labor in which l was
greatly assisted by surgeon Powers, of the
9TH Missouri infantry, had everything pre-
pared for 2000. The medical surveyor of the
southern portion of the department had been
ordered to bring all his supplies to this hospi-
tai, which he did, and on the morning of the
goth of December, one of the most complete
ly finished and extensive hospitals in the ar
my was ready to receive its sick.
On that morning the town of Holly Springs
was taken by the confederate forces under
Gen. Van Dorm. As soon as | discovered the
enemy were in possession of the place, re-
paired to the headquarters of the rebel gener-
al, near the town, and made formal request
that the armory hospital should not be burnt,
entering my solemn protest on the subject as
the confederates had already set fire to the
railroad depot and commssary store house,
and had declared their intention to destroy all
houses occupied by our troops. l received
the assurance by Gen. Van Dorn's adjutant
that the army hospital should not be burnt,
but that it would not be protected by guard.
Satisfied with this, returned to my quar-
tiers, but had not been there an hour, when
I Al.
and thus this fine structure, with 2000 hunks,
an immense lot of drugs and surgical appara-
tus, thousands of blankets, sheets, and bed
sacks, was soon in ashes. This proceeding,
in violation of an express promise, and of all
rules of civilized warfare, is an evidence Of
the barbarity and want of principle in confed-
crate officers. But this is not all. An at
tempt was made to destroy the general hospit-
al, located in the main square, and which at
the time contained 500 sick.
Aquantity of ordnance stores had been de-
posted in building in the next block to the
hospital, and by the order Of Gen. Van Dorm,
as stated by the officer who had charge of the
matter the barrels of powder and boxes con-
tanning shell and cartridges were taken out
and piled up nearly in front Of the hospital
and set fire to. Two medical officers protest
ed against this wanton act, but their requests
weretreated with contempt, and before there
was time to remove the sick, the walls and
windows of the hospital were riddled with
flying balls and shells, and finally a terrific
explosion took place, destroying almost every
widow and door in the establishment, wound
ing about twenty men, and creating scene of
the widest confusion. A large number of
buildings on the public square took fire from
the explosion, and it was only by the utmost
efforts that the hospital was preserved as a
shelter for the men in the night air, together
with the medical officers who assisted me in
caring for the sick and wounded on that try
ing day.
l thought the rebels had now done us all
the harm in their power; but to injury insult
was to be added in a manner | hope never to
witness again. A rebel cavalry officer named
Brewster, who said that he had been detailed
by Gen. Van Dorm to march off every sick
man that had not been paroled, collected to-
gether, pistol in hand, about one hundred and
fifty sick soldiers, forced them to rise from
their beds and fall in line, threatening to shoot
the medical officer who expostulated with him,
and actually made the poor fellows, suffering
from typhoid fever, pneumonia, and diarrbea,
start with him on the road The men fell
down in the street, and had to rise again for
fear of being shot, when they were so weak
that the slightest motion was agony.
On being importuned if there was anything
in the name of humanity that could be done to
induce him to stop his brutal proceedings, he
finally consented to let them alone on receiv-
ing paper signed by all the surgeons repre-
senting that the men were too sick to walk,
and their moving was an impossibility.
IL. NJ. WRIT, Surgeon,
U. S. A. Medical Director.