The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-06-10
Richmond
Mis- DIX De-cr,bs~ the returned Pris.
oue.S.


I met Miss Dorothea Dix this morn
ing-sister to Major General Dix
the guardian angel OF one hundred
hospitals-a glorious womah in sub.
lime cause. She vas in flutter OF
patriotic excitement over the barbar.
ous treatment OF our heroes who fall
into rebel hands. She had just re.
turned from Baltimore, she said,
where she had been at the request OF
the Secretary OF War, to see our re-
turning prisoners, and she wanted to
tell all about it. She stood over the
table where we were gathered, and
her tongue ran on, rs an indidnant
woman's will, the sad rehearsal inter.
larded with fierce gestures in the
right place. will tell You the story
rs she told us;
Il had just got to the wharf" she
said, "whcn our Flag of truce boat,
the City of New York, came in, and
soon the poor fellows began to land
-four hundred and fifty ol them from
Belle Isle. Such sight it was q
regiment of skeletons. Most of them
had to he carried off on stretchers.-
Several died on the boat as they were
lifted up. Nine died OH the wharf,
lisping their gratitude to God that, af.
ter all their privations, they were per.
mitted to die under the old ilag. \
majority were SO weak that they coult
scarcely speak, and in n hundred th,
brain seemed to he implicated. Firs
as near as we could learn from the few
who could tell the story, they hat
been starvcd--systematically they
thought-only n meagrc scrap o
musty bacon being brought to them
with water, so that they gradually
lost their strength, and became mere
skin and bones.
Then they were left exposed il
cold weather to freeze. They wer,
\ in such a condition of hunger at any
time that man would give his blau
ket or his shoes for hit of food, S,
that they became almost deprived 0
clothing a majority of them ha,
their feet frozen more or less. Ma
ny had lost their feet, and several ha,
to have their legs ampntated afte
their arrival ut Baltimore.
Besides, they were absolutely coz
cred with vermin, and in most dis
tressing state. never saw any o
our boys so filthy--nevcr, They ha'
been huddled together like sheep
: and rs their minds failed them an,
they became dclirious, they gave les
and less attention to themselves.
"Immediately on their arrival the,
were ordered to have q thorough batlI
1t was pitiable to refuse their fee
bic cries for food !'---'for Gods SAX
, give me something to eatc--and on
, great strong surgeons, whom l neyc
shed q tear before, cried like chiidre
when they were obliged to deny IT,
appeals, and coniine their patients I
+ simple diet and bath.
"Most of them had to be carried t
the bath. room, but saw one appal
. emily sturdier than the rest, standin
e alone in his blanket, and l ordere
| him TO 90 alone to the hath. Will
out u word lie went. In half IN hou
he was found there unconscious an
: helpless, his mind and strength ha,
. ing failed him together. An attent
G ant lifted him up and supported hin
I as he got out, and accidentally tro
/ on one OF his feet, when it CAME oil
: having been frozen TO that degree DIT
+ ring the dreadful exposure OF the win
u ter.
I "a majority oftho poor fellows al
: MANNED or invalIded for life; man
: OF them are hopelessly insane, ais
/. 1t seems to have been tho delihcra
- policy of the rebels to return all OF
dIprisoners in such q condition tin
!. they can never more be IT use " u
| ..se al 4 -,