Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-03-17
INTERESTING REPORT By COL.
STREIGHT.
Rebel Treatment of Union Prisoners
Fragrant Violation Of his Terms
of Surrender-0utrages to which
his Men were Subjected

Dear Sir: Agreeable to your request.
have the hoaor to report tie following
facts in relation to the treatment Of our of.
fleets and men by the rebel authorities:
Ii is impossible for me to give you an
account Of all the acts of barbarity.- inhu-
mainly anu bad faith have witnessed'du-
ring my captivity; but ! will endeavor to
mentIcn stcis instances as will give you as
correct On idea Of the true condition of our
men as possible.
On the 81 Of May last. near Rome. Ca.
fny command having become so reduced by
hard fighting and marching, during the
seven days previous, that it was evident to
me that we about fifteen hundred officers
and mem would fall into The hands OF the
enemy. and. after holding q council oil
war with NY regimental commanders. 1t
was decided to eapitulate. and thus to Sc
cure the best terms possible for the COM
mand rs condition Of surrender. In &C.
cordance with this decision | met the reb-
ci commander, Gen. Forrest. under flag
OF truce, when stipulation was entered
into between him and myself. whereby il
was agreed that my command should sur
render as-prisonegs Of war, on the follow
ing conditions, TO swift:
l. Each regiment should be permitted
10 retain its colors.
.. The officers to retain their side arms.
g. Both officers and men were to retain
their haversaeks, knspsacks and blankets;
and all prisa ate property of every descrip-
ton was to be respected and retained by
the owner.
The above terms were in a measure re-
spec.ed while we remained with General
Forrest; but no sooner were we turned
over to the rebel authorities than a system
of robbing commenced which soon relieved
as ofeverything valuable in or posses
sion. The blankets, haycrsacks and KNAPP
sacks were taken from my men at Atlanta.
They were also robbed of nearly all their
money, and most OF them lost their over
eoats at the above named place. Here.
too, the colors aad side arms were taken
from us. My men were turned into an en-
closure without shelter Of any kind. desti-
tuts Of blankets and overcoats. as have
before stated, and kept under guard for
four days, during which time most disa-
greeable cold storm prevailed; after which
they were sent forward to Richmond and
soon exchanged.
Ny officers were sent to Richmond, az
ter stay of about ten days in Atlanta
On our arrival at the rebel capitol we were
all searched separately, and oil moneys
found Ia our possession were taken from
us. For a few days thereafter we were al
lowed to draw small sums of our money
for the purpose of purchasing food. Bat
this privilege was soon denied us.
I then asked and obtained permission
from the rebel authorities for the officers to
send home for money, clothing and pro-
visions. The clothing and provisions were
generally delivered to the parties ordering
them. providing the package or box con-
tanning them was not broken open and RI
fled of its contents before it reached its
destination. which was frequently the case;
bat in no case within my knowledge has
the money been delivered to the owner
The retention of this money. alter express
ly agreeing to deliver it, is an act Of peril
dy that beggars description / have re-
peatedly called the attention of the rebel
authorities to the terms of my surrender,
and demanded that its provisions be CON-
piled with; but General Winder, comman-
dant Of the prisoners, took from me the
stipulations signed by General Forrest,
which he still retains, and refused to be
governed by its provisions. My officers,
together with something near one thou
sand other United States officers, are con-
fined in large warehouse building, with
an average space of about twenty FIVE feet
square to each man. This includes all
room for washing. cooking, eating. sleep
ing and exercising. They have no hunks,
chairs or seats of any kind furnished them,
consequently they both sit and sleep on
the hoor-1 The windows of the building
were entirely open until about the middle
Of December last, when pieces Of canvass
were furnished for the purpose of closing
them to keep the cold out; bat. as this
would leave Us in the dark, we were COM
PEELED to leave q portion of them open and
endure the cold.
Many Of the officers were entirely desti-
tute Of blankets until our government sent
q quantity to Us in the fore part of the
winter. The supply Of blankets is now
exhausted, and officers who have been cap
tured during she last six weeks have none
furnished them.
The rations furnished both officers and
men by the rebels consist Of about one
pound of corn bread. made from unbolted
meal, and one-fourth of q pound of poor
fresh meat, per day. The meat has been
issued to the prisoners bat about half the
time since the first of December last. In
addition to the rations of bread and meat
- above stated, the prisoners draw about
two quarts Of rice TO one hundred men.-
There is sufficient quantity Of salt fur
nished, and very small quantity ofvin-
egar. / will here remark that, in few
inStaness, say six or eight times At most,
. small quantity Of sweet potstoes has
been issued instead of the rations of meat.
The above is the sam total ofthe rations
issued to our officers and men now prison.
ers Of war;
TheI condition of our unfortunate enlist
cd men, now in the hands of the enemy,
is much worse than that of the officers
From early in May last. when arrived in
Richmond, TO about the 1st of December.
ell the enlisted men were taken to what is
csllei Belle Island. and turned into an en-
y Al II Il -