Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-11-19
A TERRIBLE PICTURE.
Observations of a visitor to the Hos
pitfalls at AnnapOIis--How Union
Men are Treated in Richmond.
BALTIMORE. FRIDAY. Nov. 6. '63

TO the Editor Of the Neu0 York Times
Within the last week I have seen sew
| eral articles both in the New York Time:
! and the Baltimore American, in regard
to our paroled prisoners returned from
Richmond. These accounts seemed hor.
rlble enough to have aroused the sympa
thy and indignation of the people, and
yet with the exception of few persons,
they were either passed by or forgotten
as being among the inevitable horrors
of civil war
Three days since | went to Annapolis.
determined to hear and see for myself if
such things could be in the Nineteenth
century. First let me say, | ma person
no longer young, one who has seen much
suffering of all kinds, in all ranks of
/ life, both in this country and Europe,
and therefore not likely to exaggerate
either from inexperience or first impress
slons. have also been a constant Wis.,
ltor for a year or more to the hospitals
in and around Baltimore, witnessing the
most intense suffering among our sick
and wounded understanding me to
estimate the amount both of mental and
physical pain which ooPau1O or
enduring.
On arriving at the hospital at Annap-
oils. we fo.-Hd the matron just starting
on her tour of inspection, and she kindly
allowed my friend and myself to accom-
pany her. Wishing to prepare us for
what we were to see, she gave US an ac-
count of the arrival Of the prisoners by
boat, on the Doth ult The men landed
at D A. NJ, in the chilly dawn, and it
seemed fitting time for so mournful a
procession. They numbered $50 men,
brought from Belle Island, near Rich
mond. Many were unable to walk, and
were carried to the hospital Those who
could.walk must have presented sight
never to be forgotten; for, before leav-
ing, the rebels not only stripped them of
socks, shoes and blankets, but took from
them their shirts and pantaloons, except
where the rags could scarce hold to-
gether
Men came without hats or caps, with
thin cotton drawers, and bodies barred to
the acdist-their nakedness and bleeding
feet covered only by what tatters their
cruel captors had left them, not from
mercy, but because they were too filthy
to keS1 = These men had been on Belle |
Island (Which seems to be a barren
waste) without any protection against |
the weather, except what they had them
selves constructed They had lain on |
the sand, which was to them both bed |
and covering, exposed, both sick and |
well, to all extremes of heat and cold, |
without clothes, without food, Except |
small portions of the most repulsive
kInds) for weeks and months, many hay
ing been taken prisoners at or before the
battle of Gettysburg.
Many were suffering from what are
called sand-sores, and the surgeons in
vain attempting to produce general cir
culation of blood, the cuticle, in many
instances, seemingly dried on The bone
from exposure, and nearly the color and
consistency of parchment If food was
denied them, it would seem as if the ver-
lest barbarian would have given them
shelter to die beneath.
With this preparation we visited the
wards On entering the first room,
some sick men, sitting in silence near
the FIRE, lifted their hands to show US,
that with US was entering the unseen, but
not unexpected visitor-death Before
us lay young man just breathing his
last mere skeleton, whose dying throes
seemed to place in. stronger relief
frame which must once have belonged
to strong and vigorous life.
We turned away in our horror, only
to look upon another who soon followed
his martyred comrade. Near them stood
two male nurses, who, after witnessing
horrors of all kinds, both on the battle
field and in the hospitals, stood perfect
ly subdued and heart-wrung, in witness
inr thot most fearful of all deaths
death from StGrUotiOH.
In another room was a poor young
boy, equally squalid in appearance,
network of bones, perfectly crazed and
tossing his arms about and talking wild
ly and indistinctly; he, too, could live
but few hours, and most probably never
be sane again. The next patient was a
respectabe-looking, middle-aged Ger
man, with the bed clothes drawn tightly
over bis head, moaning and writhing in
his agony. My friend begged me to lis
ten. / could only distinguish these
words: 81 am so tired, something to eat,
what torment" and then the ejaculation,
" oh, Holy Christi
|
last degree, several Of whom were trying
to eat-their kind nurses tempting them
with delicacies and such food as they
could bear. Some, after taking the
longed-for article and putting it to their
lips, would turn away with an agonized
loathing expression, as if eager to swal-
low, but incapable of the effort. Others,
after eating with famished haste, would,
after a few moments, eject it all, their
stomachs being too much weakened to
bear nourishment either solid or LIQUID
Could anything be more fearful than this
living DEATH this furnishing with food
before their eyes and within their reach.
There were other patients who were bet
ter; they could digest their food and had
some hope of life 1t was then the sixth |
day since they came, and out of lS0 men |
SO had died of i'll treatment and actual |
starvation.
The Surgeons said that at least two
thirds of the $50 would die, and if any |
recovered it would be with broken con-
stitutions, utterly incapable of support |
ing themselves. Many had died on first |
arriving, unconscious from their suffer !
ings that they were among friends and |
in the land they had died for Others |
were too far gone to say much, but |
thankful to think that they might die un-
der the old flag, and be taken home to
/ be buried with their kindred
! The conduct of those able to converse
was worthy of all admiration; no boasting
of the brave deeds that had made them
prisoners, no vaunting of their sufferings,
no murmuring against their Govern
ment, which had rescued them; alasl
/ too late-no revilings or accusations
against their cruel enemies.
4 They showed they were men who felt
they were fighting in a just and holy
cause, and who were willing, if need be,
to die in itssdefense. When questioned
of their sufferings they answered: 4" You
see the condition we are in, and you can
i imagine how we have suffered to bring
4. NJ Il \ o.