, 1863-08-04
LATEST FROM CHARLESTON,
Shocking Barbarity Of Rebel Sur.
ge0na.
cOL0RED PRISONERS EN-.
SIAVED.
Correspondence New York Tribnne.1

l\nllSepoHueuIE Aad" 1OEk 1f1Oule.
MoRRus ISLAND S. c., July Is, 1861
At II o'clock the hospital steamer Cosmo-
Iolitan, with wounded rebels on board, met
"'gner under flag of truce, according to an
agreement entered Into few days since In
1nsIsrence nl[ to m exchange Of prisoners.
1nl.1 .1S-elght rebel privates and four surgeons
set,;e. TeiE exchanged for los Union wounded, In
while being placed on board.
,nt ~ appeafa from the very best sources Of
information, that Col. Shaw, Of the 54th M,a-
sachusetts, Instead Of having been bnne ~ :,
Gnaiies,on @ mop, as was believed here On the
early In the engagement, and buried the next
morning In 3 pit with IS negroes.
The Charleston papers, from the 21st to
the 2ith Inst, all say that $50 Of our Killed
we're buried on the Sunday morning after the
assault. This extraordinary proportion OF the
killed to the wounded could not have been
reached without an indiscrfminate numbering
OF our soldiers, afler they had fallen wounded
and helpless.
Our entire loss In killed, wounded and
missing, according to official report, was but
1917; If ESQ Of that number were buried, IS
rebel officers and rebel newspapers solemnly
assert, 1t vas the most fearful slaughter, coa-
s1de1ing the numbers engaged. Of the war.
One hundred and eight Of our wounded are
still 1T Charleston and Columhia, The officers
;'nd men Of the 54th Massachusetts (colorel)
viii not be given up, nor has 1t yet been posi-
lively ascertalned what laa become Of them.
Onotteial reports say the negroes have
been sold into slavery, and that the officers
are treated with unmeasu1ed abuses.
OF the latter there is no doubt whatever.
have conyersed with several officers who
wero exchanged On Friday, and they all tell
me that the first question asked them was
whether they commanded negro troops. II
the response was in the negative, they were
told that 1t WAS fortunate for them, for every
ID ntgger commander would be hung Or
shot at sight.
:. There Is but one opinion with regard to the
treatment our wounded receiged In Charles
Ion. It WAS cruel, shameful, barbarous.
Nearly every sentiment of humanity seems to
have departed from these South Carolina
,Wretches. The slightest gun-ehot wound,
Nbtch our-army surgeons would have soon
healed, Immediately suggested to these pro-
tion, and, In this climate, death.
Every opportunity to muti1ate the body by
nmpulatlon Was eeized upon, and after tho
operation was performed, the surgeons SEEM
ed profoundly Indifferent whether spark Of
life remained or not. This shameful treat
ment was not confined to the severely wound
Cd. but nea11Y all who were 50 fortunate Us to
fall into their hands.
Ihe officers aud soldiers now on board the
Cosmopolitan will tell you that they had not
single change Of clothing, and in many in-
stances not even their wounds dressed, until
they reached the deck Of our hospital ship.
The Sisters Of Mercy offered their services,
but were not allowed to enter tha wards Of
the hospital.
Dr.. Boutecon, one OF the most skf1lful and
efficient surgeons In the service, and who had
charge Of the Cosmopolitan, says TINT our
prise suffered needless mputation ut the |
hands Of the rebel surgeons. About one |
fourth Of the men who fell into their clutches I
were returned minus hand, q leg or an arm,
One Of the blacks WAS cruelty beaten in order
10 make him yicId to the knife, The wounds |
# our men were filled with maggots, and no |
medicines had been. administered. The am
9utations we're unekillfally performed by !
uen who seemed to take savage delight In
6 all the Union men Wno tell into |
heir hands.