The Portland daily press., 1863-12-02
Our Prisoners at Richmond.

A statement has been made by several sur
geons In the Army just returned from the Lib
by Prison at Richmond, which gives a bad
picture of the suffering and cruelty experience
ed by our brave boys who are incarcerated in
that city, hearafter to be held in as infamous
remembrance as Dartmore has ever been since
the war Of 1812-l5. One of these Surgeons
is A. M. Parker, of the 1st Me. Cavalry. The
following extract will show how prisoners
have been treated, and that the aid sent there
by the Sanitary and Christian Commissions
have been most timely:
WASHINGTON Nov. u, 1868.
We, the undersigned, surgeons of the Unit
ed States army, and recent prisoners at Rich
mond, Va, consider it our duty to publish
few facts that came to our knowledge while
we were inmates Of the hospital attached TO
Libby Prison. We enjoyed for several months
daily access 10 the hospital where the sick and
wounded among our Union soldiers received
treatment As result OF our observations, we
hereby declare our belief that since the battle
OF Chickamauga the number of deaths per
diem has averaged fully fifty. The prevalent
diseases are diarrhna, dysentery and typhoid
pneumonia. OF late the percentage of deaths
has greatly increased, the result of causes that
have long been at work-as insufficient food.
clothing and shelter, combined with that de-
preston ofspirits brought on SO often by long
confinement. 1t may seem almost incredible
when We affirm, of our personal knowledge,
that ~ the three hospitals for Union soldiers.
the average mortality Is more than forty per
day; and upon the most reliable testimony
we are forced to believe that the deaths in the
tobacco factories, and upon the Island, will
rise the total mortality among the Union pris-
monthly.
Meat is no longer furnished TO any class of
our prisoners except to few officers in Lib
by Hospital, and all sick or well officers or
privates are now furnished with a very poor
article OF corn bread In place of wheat bread
unsuitable diet for patients PROSTATE with the
dlarrh@a, dysentery and fever, to say nothing
OF the balance of stirling incidents of indi-
viduai suffering and horrid pictures of death
from protracted sickness and semi-staryation
we have had thrust upon our observation,
The first demand OF the poor creatures from
the Island Is for something to eat. Self re-
spect gone, hope and ambition gone, half clad
and covered with filth and vermin, many of
them are too often beyond all reach of medical
skill. In one instance the ambulances brought
seventeen to the hospital, and during the night
seTen Of them died. Again, eighteen were
brought and eleven of them died. Judging
from what we have seen aud do know, we do
not hesitate to say that, under treatment of
systematic abuse, neglect and semi starvation.
the number who are becoming permanently
broke down in their constitutions must be reck-
oned by thousands.
We leave 1t for others to say what is de-
manded by this state of things. The rebel
daily papers In general terms acknowledge
an we have affirmed, but usually close their
abusive editorial by declaring that such treat
ment Is better than tn invading Yankees de-
serve. The Examiner, in recent article. be-
grudged even the little food the prisoners did
receive and the boxes sent to us from home,
and closed by eulogzing the system of semi
starvation ana exposure as well calculated TO
dispose Oh us. All this is true; and yet cold
weather has hardly commenced. I'VE are
Mortified when we picture the wholesale mis-
cry and deaththat will come with the biting
irosts OF winter.
Recently several hundred prisoners per day
were being removed to Danville. In two in
stances we were standing in view of them as
their ranks filed past. 1t was sad sight to
see the attenuated features and pallid faces of
men few months since robust and in viger-
Gus health. Numbers were without shoes,
nearly all without blankets or overcoats, and
not man did We see who was well and fully
clad.
But, TO the credit OF the prisoners in Rich
mond, OF all ranks be it recorded, that all
along they have shown heroic fortitude; and
under suffering, and spurning the idea their
government had forgotten them, they have
held fast their confidence in the final and
speedy success OF our cause.