Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-03-10
HIS MEN SUBJECTED TO oUIRAoEs.
WnLAK0's HorEL, WASHINGTON D. G. I
March 2nd, 1864.

HIS MEN ~ DJGtI ELL ~ W IhtiG I'D.
WnLAR0s HorrL, WASHINGTON, D. G. I
March 2nd, 1864. !
Hon. p. u. Kcilog, House Committee on
military Affairs.
Dear S,r:-Agreeable to to Your re-
quest, / have the honor to report the fol-
lowing facts in relation to the treatment
of our officers and men by the Rebel Gu
thorities:
1t is impossible for me to give you an
aceout Of all the acts of barbarity, inhu-
mainly and bad faith | have witnessed du-
ring my captivity, but | viii endeavor to
mention such instances as will give you as
correct an idea of the condition Of our
men as possible.
On the Sd day of May last, near Rome,
Georgia, my command having become
so reduced by hard fighting and march
ing, during the seven days previous; that
it was evident to me that we (aborj fifteen
hundred officers and men) would
fall into the hands Of the enemy, and af-
ter holding a council of war with my reg
mental commanders, it was decided to
capitlllate, and thus secure the best terms
possible for my command as condition of
surrender. In accordanc with this dccis-
ion | met the Rebel Commander, General
Forrest, under flag of truce, when a stip-
ulation was entered into between Linn and
myself, whereby it was agreed that my
command should surrender as prisoners
of war, on the following conditions, to
wit:
l. Each regiment should be permitted
to retain its colors.
9. The officers were to retain their side
arms.
3. Both officers and men were TO retain
their havcrsacks, knapsacls and blankets,
and all private property OF every descrip-
ton was to be respected and retained by
the owner.
The above terms were in measure re-
spccted while we remained with General
Forrest: but no sooner were we turned
over to the rebel authorities than Il system
of robbing commenced which soon relieved
us of every thing valuable in our possession.
The blankets, haversacks and knapsacks
were taken from my men at Atlanta.
They were also robbed of nearly all their
money, and most of them lost their over
coats at the above named place. HE,
too, the colors and side-aema were taken
from us. My men were turned Into an
enclosure without shelter of any kind,
destitute of blankets AMI oycrcoats, as |
bovo Leeoro stated and l,cnf under onord
far fnur doys drrins Which fine n most
disocreeal,lc cold storm prevailed after
With thov were sent forward 70 Rich
mond and soon cychanyad
Nv officers ,,crc semi 10 Richmond af.or
q stay Of chout fen dny, in Atlanta On
orr arrival At thc rcLe Conitnl wo were
all snorcbod separately and all money
found in mr. nossession was t.Een from
MS For n few DAYS thereafter we were
.IIowod 10 draw snail spms If our mo,ov
far tho ,nrnosc If nurcbo.;ng food n,
his nyiI;lcre was soon druird ms
! Hen asked and obtained narmisa;op
from thc rnboj authorities for he ol,iccrs
r. send home for money clotbino and
nroy;sions The c]oth;ng and nrov;sinns
rcro crncrolly dclivcrod 70 The rort;os
ordcrinn Them nroyidino thc naclags or
bnv ~, con1io;ncJ ibnm vas mot hrolan anon
and r;0nJ Of ;ts contents before Il rcocbed
;ts destination which WAS irconcntIv tbc
case. bnt in no case within nv I1owl-
gIge has thn money been delivered to the
owner The retention of his money
after cynresslv agreeing to deliver + is
an net of ncrfiv that bc%cars dc erin.ion
I have repeatedlv called the attention
If ,bo,-rabcl authorities to thc terms IF
NV srrrendcr and demanded that rs nro-
visions be comnlicd with: but General
Winder commandment of the prisoners
tool, from me the stipula.;oos sjgned by
General Forrest, which lie still retains.
and refuses to be governed by its proyi-
sions Nv officers, together with some
thing near one thousand other United
States officers. are confined In a large
warehouse building, with an average
space of about Twenty-Five square feet 10
each man. This includes all room for
washing. cooking. eating. sleepipe. and
exercising. They have no hunks, chairs,
or seats of any kind furnished them. con-
seoucn.ly they both sit. and sleep ON the
floor. The windows of the buildings
YER entirely onen until about tbe middle
of December last, when pieces of canvas
were furnished for the purpose of closing
them to keen the cold out. but. as this
would leave us in the d lark, We were
comnelled to leave portion of them omen
and endure the cold.
Many of tho officers were entirely dos
finite Of blankets until our Government
sent a ouantitv to MS in the fore mart of
the winter The supply of blankets is