The New York herald., 1863-11-28
THE RICHMOND PRISONERS.


Statement OF the Union Surgeons Just
Released from Libby Prison-Barbartty
Of the Rebel iAuthorities-Dread adrui Nor
tality Among the Prisoners-Heroism
or Our Soldiers, sc.
Tho following statement, by the surgeons just released
from the Libby Prison at Richmond OF the treatmen: OF
prisoners hero, win be presented to tho War Depart
ment to-day
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 1885,
We. the undersigned, surgeons OF the United. states
Army, and recently prisoners Richmond Va consider
II our duty 70 publish few iacts that came 10 know
ledge while were inmates OF the hospital attached 70
Libby Prison. We enjoyed for several mouths daily
To the hospitals the sick wounded among
Union soldiers treatment As result Of
observations hereby declare belief that the
battle Of Chckaauga the number Of deaths per diem has
averaged fully fifty. The prevailing diseases dhrr
b@a, dysentery and typhoid pneumonia. OF late tho
percentage Of deaths has greatly Increased, the
result Of causes that have been long at WORT
~ insufficient food, clothing and shelter, conbiDed
with that depression Of spirits brought often
long confinement. II may almost inosedble when
afnrm, OF personal knowledge that In the fkres
hospitals for Union soldiers the average mortality ID
nearly forty per day and upon the most reliable testimony
forced TO believe that the deaths the tobacco
factories and upon the island will raise the total Sorts
ty among oil the Union prisoners TO nifty per day.
fifteen hundred monthly.
The extremely reduced condition OF those broughl
tho island argues that hund eds quite left behind
with would be considered At subjects for hospital
treatment soch too the fact invariably stated by
scores have conversed with from thas camp. The
to degree hslds true Of the prisoners IA the city
It would be . reasonable estimate put the number
who are 1T subjects for hospitals, but who are re
fused adrnittapoe, at ave hundred. A thousand are
NV Dnda treaf mt In IA fhrea
and the rebel surgeons themselves say the number Of
patients 10 only limited by tho small accommodations
provided. Thus have per cent of the whole
number Of prisoners held classed sick men, who need
the assiduous and skilfu attention; yet In the
senia matter OF raons they receiving nothing but
bread and sweet potatoes. Meat s longer fur
nished to any cass Of prisoners excep, to the few
officers in Libby hospital and all SICK well ofcefs
privaes furnished with very poor article OF
bread place Of wheat Bread unsuitable diet for
hospital patients pros,rated with diarrh1a dysentery
and lover to say nothing Of the balance Of startling
VI individual suffering and horrid pictures OF
death from proracted scknsss and semi starvation
have had thrust upon observation.
The rst demand of the poor from the island
always for something eat Self respec, gone. hops
and ambition gone, half clad and covered with
and NTH, many u them too often beyond all
Of medical skill 10 instance the ambuanoes brought
sixteen 10 the hospital and during tho night OF them
died. Again, eighteen brought and eleven Of them
died In twenty -four hours. A. another time fourteen
were admitted, and n q single day teo Of them died
Judging from what we have ourselves and Know
do not hesitate to say that, under eatmeot Of sys
tematic abuse, neglect and semi starvation the numbers
who are becoming permanently broken down In their
constitutions must be rsckoned BY thousands.
We leave II for others say wha. s demanded By this
edsed The truth Of all have affirmed, but usual
y close their abusive editorials BY declaring that
such treatmsb, better than the invading Yankees de
serve The Rzaminer article, bsgrudged even
little food the prisoners did and the boxes
sent 10 us from bome and closed by eulogzng tho sys
of semi and exposure well calculated
dispose Of All this true; aud yet cold wosiher has
hardly commenced. We are botrined whea we plotars
tho wholesale misery aud death that will come with ths
biting frosts Of winter.
Recently several hundred prisoners per day being
removed 10 Danviis. 10 instances standing
Of them their ranks filed past. II vas q sad
sight the sttcnused fsaiarcs and pad faces Of
men few months since robust and In vigorous health.
Numbers without shoes nearly al without blank
eta overcoats and not q did Who
well and fully clad. Bot. tho credit q the prison.
n RiehBond, OF al ranks, BE- recorded,
that all along they have showed hsros forlIGujs and
under suffering. and Spanning the IDEA that their govern
bad orsotsa Them they bes fast thssr oona
dence IN tho final add speedy scocess of our cause.
10 addition ,o the above statement, we wish n to be
distinctly nndsrssood that the rebel medical onscsss
connected with the hosptsls r-ferred tosurscons vii.
kns, simmons and saba and the hospital steward, Hal
letne not IN any way, % FAR ss our obserysi'oo has
tended repoossbs for The state of things enss there
bot, on No other hand ns bound a Jusics 70 bear
stIrpony shssr Kindness snd fsibfa performances o
their duties vih ihs limited al their dspsssl
DAM nKyKFR,
sarssoo, Dotted states voIortee-p.
C. r. nHysRs,
Assistant Surgeon. sixth regimen. ssryIss1 Vets.
J. A. BROWN,
Assistant snrssoc, ons BusdrsS ana suse~ssh OHIO
velssssss snisstry.