Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-13
HUNDREDS BROUGHT NORTH
MERELY To DIE.
FIendlshness Of Rebel OOnscIipIs-',
Their Sport. MISUNDERSTANDING.

A correspondent Of the Philadelphia
Press, writing from Annapolis under date
of December 9Th, furnisher long and
painfully interesting account of the condi-
ton of the Union soldiers that have just
bean released from the Southern hells. It
is enough to chill the blood to read of these
atrocities. After describing Annapolis
and referring to the commission appointed
to release the prisoners, the writer ssys
that the condition of the prisoners had
been moderated in any descriptions yet
published. They all testified to having
Beo----eI- I:s-s-Seys-,- - A.. 5o--s---illV. A.
Florence they received better treatment at
the hands of Colonel I7erson, son of SEN
stor Iverson, of Georgia. The following
is the description Of the msn SIS they were
received:
SKELETON MEN, VICTIMS OF PALSY, MAG
COTS, AND YERNIS.
All the men were filthy, ragged, or
naked, and swsrming with vermiH. They
came to Goods country" with scarce
enough strength to srticulste their joy.
Their limbs were pAlsied and stiHened
with scurvy which marked them every
where; their bodies were sIneared all over
with the excrement of their diarrb@s, N
which they we're compelled. from sheer
weakness, to lie; their hair was matted
with filth of the same character some
with their limbs and bodies, filthy as they
were, were swollen to such an enormous
tension as to suggest the idea of bursting
to the plying eyes that were bent search
| ingly upon them. Lice of great size
sYarmed over them-ravenous, torturing
living in burrows in the flesh, honey
combing it all over with their dwelling
places. They were almost the bulk and
shspe of grains of wheat. Their bites
keen-their combined attacks exerutiating.
Others, were, in addition to these ills af-
licted with "ground sores" Their bones
pierced their tightly drawn flesh, reduced
dy starvation; and at the hips, shoulder
blades, and other projecting parts Of the
body, these sores were formed and peopled
with hideous, shiny, maggots, whose
every motion was untold agony TO the un-
happy sufferer, who had neither the means,
nor the strength, nor perhaps, IN the stup'
or suffering, the will 20 remove them.
There were but few Of these, however,
though, as the soldiers, on their oaths, such
sights were quite common at GAnder5on."
But the poor victims died too fast for any
large number 70 accumulate at one time.
They might be seen at all points, gsspins
under their horrible pains, the maggots
disporting, eating, piercing, nearer, nearer
every day, to the Yitsls. In some in
stances they formed lines Of communica-
ton between one sore and another by eat
ing little conduits for some distance UNaeT
the skin. Through these ways they ira
yelled in lines, the living arcade over them
heaying up and down as they moved. No
care was taken Of these martyrs, no medl-
cines given, no facilities for even a very
1110tfoE alto arteIupt III C1esJ-lIness, ana they
died BY ecores, to be Ortied like brutes, in
great heaps in unmarked graves. But We
will not continue this reference to life at
Andersonville. Our friends Of the com
mission will soon present these facts, and
others far more horrible, in adetailed way,
and we will eonAne ourselves simply to
what might be seen at the Naval Hospital
wharf, on the Severn river. The terrible
cases of sufering-those st which humGni-
ty would shudder to its inmost soul-had
been hidden by the sod. 0nly those were
seen which had not reached the point
where death beneyolently took the sufferer
home. What the character of those cases
were we have Just shown Concerning
those who died like dogs, and found graves
In Georgia, the reader may indulge in the
widest conjecture. We assure him that
he will find that he has scarcely immsgin-
ed the truth.
CHRISTIAN PATIEEo oE OF THE SUFFERER.
In our tour through the hospitals we
saw these released men, black with sun
tan and the smoke Of the pine fires over
which they bent as they cooked their food
that Knocked their hungeran robbed them
of their lives. They were in EGod's
country" now. The grand old stars and
stripes waved over then, and the notes of
their own sweet national music were watt
ed through tho easement TO their grateful
ears. Attentive nurses in the Unions
blue hoYered round their bedsides, antici-
pating every want, and watching with o
more than brotherly tenderness each
change of symptom. Words of cheer, as
surances of returning health, were cosxing
back the red blood to their wan cheeks,
and lighting up their hollow eyes with q
glesm of hope. But, alas there were and
are cheeks-hundreds of them-that will
not glow, and eyes that viii not sparkle
eVermOre.
One hundred and fifteen have up to this
morning already died in hospital, and the
fate of many more is sealed. No medical
skill can save them-no love, no hope lure
them back to life again. Rebel diaboliEm
has exhausted the hfe-spring, quenched the
hfelsmp. One may gurgle yet q little
while, the other glimmer; but both are
ebbing, both shall disappear It was a
pleasant sight TO see the Commission |
gathered around the beds of tho wasted |
skeletons, aptly described by simple SOL |
ditr, one who was almost skeleton him |
sell, as locking like skeletons that doctors
have, you know, strung on wires, only COW !
cred over with skin SO you couldn't see |
how they were made" Some of the Com |
mission were men Of venerable age-the |
chairman, DR.. Delsfeld, Mr.. Wilkins, and |
Mr.. Winston, for instRnce-all, with sor- |
rowing faces, listened TO the tale IS il was \
gaspsd out from the psrched throat and |
Withered lungs of martyr. son errands |
of pity and of mercy bent each tone |
found an echo in their hearts. There Law |
the sufferers. Most Of them had been. hale |
men, with the instinct of life strong in
them. The Commission purposely selected
such, 80 as to further the ends of truth and /
justice, and allow nothing like prejudice to
interfere in their examination into the d. 4
sbolism of treason. It would take many
sn effort many systematized assault to
break down the citadel of life in those
frames. They were the granite Weaker
constitutions might, like sandstone, crum-
bic under but little strain, but It would re-
quire constant dropping to wear the rock.
There lay the strong man, punier in
frame than the puniest stripping now.
His tough theWs and sinews had ali melted
anrsu with tho flesh. Tha chsaks ,rnrn