American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-03-20
Federal 0giFages on Confederate PrIs-
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Mississippi River. January. l4ea

Mississippi River. January lses
EDrToRs APPEAL In justice 10 he
brave men composing the Texas BRIGADE
uuder my command which was COM
prised in General Chnrchill's division
captured at The Post Of Arkansas. on the
lib inst. BY Gen. Me CIernand's Grand
Mississippi army and flofilia. | deem Il
my duty TO make public the following
facts relative to their treatment since the
surrender.
According 10 the cartel OF EXCHANGE
agreed upon last July, by the United
States and Confederate States govern
ments through their commissioners Gen.
erals DiA and Till. we should have been
exchanged or paroled within Ten DAYS.
This cartel. however. was utterly disre-
garded, and we were placed upon steam
boats and sent up The Mississippi river.
My brigade was crowded upon the steam
az Nebraska. IN a manner entirely incon
sislent with the health OF he men. Ia
say nothing Of comfort or decency. II
consists of The 10Th Texas Infantry. and
the 18th. l7th aud 18Th Texas dismount
Cd cavalry. In addition. Capt. Alf.
Johnson's spy company and few sailors
and marines belonging to the Confeder-
ate gunboat Ponchatrain, were also
placed on this boat. making between
eighteen hundred and two thousand pris
oners IN addition, six companies of the
3Ist Iowa Colonel CIarke) was placed
on board as guard, making altogether
probably not less than from twenty three
to twenty five hundred persons on this
boat.
Many Of The prisoners were sick. and
so much were they crowded that many
could not get place to spread their
blankets without being exposed to rain
and snow. or else laying them in filth too
disgusting to mention. consequently they
had to stand or sit, night and day IN
der these circumstances. of coursed sick
ness increased rapidly. We were kept
in lhis state from the night of January
I2th until the 23i. when the boat getting
aground. a good many of the men were
removed in order 10 tighten her
All the above. however. sinks into
absolute insigniicance, when compared
to the inhuman aad malignant act of Sc
lecling for our guard, a regiment infected
with the smallpox and known TO be so
infected by the officer who ordered it,
OF the companies Of the Sab Iowa on
the Nebraska. ole has now six cases of
smallpox. How many cases there may
be in the other com panes | do not know
but | presume that altogether there are
not less than twenty cases among the
companies now composing our guard.
These sick have been kept in the same
cabin with many of the sick prisoners
From the very nature of things, crowded
as we have been. it has been utterly inn
possible to preserve the men from ex
posure TO the coptagion.
For the conception and execution Of
this fendsh act Maj Gen. Sherman,
United States army, commanding a
corps of McClernand's grand Vicksburg
army. is responsible. | am informed on
creditable authority that before leaving
The Post of Arkansas it was represented
to General Sherman. through the prop
er channel. that the Ssh Iowa had small
pox. and it was represented by Gen
Steel and perhaps other officers, to place
il in quarters where the disease might be
properly treated. This be not o, ly re-
fused 10 dc. but ordered il TO be sent as
q guard to the Confederate prisoners
Inhuman as such conduct is, still it is
nothing more than might be expected
from black hearted wretch like Gen.
Sherman. who told Col. r. II Garland.
also commanding Texas brigade, and
prisoner of war, that be (Sherman)
would. if he had the power, exterminate
every man. woman aud child. along the
Mississippi river. in case another boat
was fired into by the Confederate troops.
Such acts and sentiments as the abe We
ought TO be handed down to future in
fanny the name Of General Sherman.
coupled with that of his brother brute,
Butler, the beast
JAMES DESHLER,
Colonel C. S. Artillery, commanding
Texas brigade.