Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-07
REBEL BARBARITIES.
OUTRAGEs ON UNION PRISONERS
ALetter from the Rev. DR.. starkey.

Of Philadolphia on the condition Of recently
exchanged Union prisoners now at Annapo-
lis, Maryland. DR.. Wallace ia physiciIn of
the highest standing and OfmOst unimPsach-
able integrity. But We have since seen evil
dsnces of the teraible condition Of our releas-
cd prisoners more direct and damning than
human testimony, because it addresses itself
directly to the eyes of all. It consists Of
series Of photographs of several Of our Union
prisoners, taken Immediately after their re-
lease. These photographs do not and can
not lie. They are on exhibition at sar-
geants, and should be seen by all, because,
though they are very horrible, ,1sy tell the
truth.
The following letter from DR.. starkey, en-
closing one from DR.. Wallace, will be read
with interest:
EDITORS LEADER As many accounts have
appeared in the papers for the las. four
months touching the condition Of cur Union
soldiers lately returned from tho rebel pris-
ons at Richmond and Belle Isle, I beg to
send for publication letter latelyrecsived by
me from DR.. Wallace, who has been lately on
q FlblL u lubpeClADn " sAo AADF plhaAo - Au
napolis, whore these unfortunatss are under
treatment. I would also call the attentit n
of the public through your columns, to four
photographs taken on the spot, as evidence
Of the truth of the statement be makes. The
photographs may be seen in Mr.. SaTgeants
store, on Superior street. Let all who may
have been disposed to doubt the stories Of
rebel barbarism call and see them.
As to the credibility of DR., Wallace IS a
witness will state thst he is physician Of
the highest standing, Professor Of obstetrics
in the Jefforssn Medical College in PhiIadel-
phia. As Cbristisn gentleman his charac-
ter is unimpsschabIe, whilst his temperament
that of a cool, deliberate, yet emiuentIy hu-
name man,-mskes his testimony Of especial
worth.
The value of these photographs consists In
the silent, mournful, but irrefragable wit
ness they bear to the tales of rebel cruelty
It is not strange that We should have hesi.
tated to believe what We heard. 1t seemed
incredible that such things could be true of
our own countrymen. We knew that war
everywhere had its horrors. We had shud-
dered over the cruelti 8 praoticed by the
French under Pelissier in Algeria, and our
school boy indignation has been aroused at
the sufFerings inflicted en- Eoglish prisoners
in the " Black Hole " st Calcutta but q
darker demon has reigned in our own" sun
ny South than in India or AlRisrs We had
long refused to believe it, yet tits true " and
pity tits tits true"
But the suggestion may be hazarded, is
not this emRcistion tho consequence of vio
lent and protracted disease? On this point
DR.. Wallace says, in letter to the Philadel
phis Press:
"Ths immediate supposition Of those who
look upon the gaunt and frigktfnlly attenu-
ated forms as delineated by the photographs
is that some fearful msiady must have been
at work on the physical frames of the un-
happy originals. It is, however, mBlady
brought on by the deliberate system of star
TatiOn adopted by the rebel authorities"
Again he says:
"Under the combined effects of bad and de-
icient food their stomachs gave out; then
came indigestion, loss Of appetite, nausea,
weakness, then diarrhoes, and often con-
gestion of the lungs Of stmic character, the
result of impoverished blood and deficient
pores Of circulation. So they suffer and
hence they die, or are returned to the care of
those for whom, for whose country, for whose
honor as for themselves and their own they
have been thus soroIy afflicted"
I hope, Mr.. Editors, that those Of our
citizsns who hove hitherto doubted the truth
of the published accounts of cruslty praeticed
nur Union Soldiers, when the fortune of
was has cast into noble hands, will 20 and
look at those photographs.
Very respectfully,
TIA. sTIEKEY.
PHILADRLPHIA, May 27, 1884.
MY DEAR SIR: I send you fnur piotures of
the poor sufferers who were taken BY the re-
bells as prisoners of war, and treated by them
as you have read, and as you will read in the
slip which I cut from the Press Of this morn
ing. I have been twice to the United
States General Hospital, Division No. l, at
Annapolis, Maryland. have seen such
eyes as stood by the bed side, and am not
msrbidly sensitive, though trust am not
hardened to humsn soTroW and suffering.
Show thes5 pictures far and wide, for
they speak the truth and nothing but the
but small part Of the truth. |
Men talk of retaliation: Well, that is ac-
cOrding to the rules of war, but defy any |
man among US to look on those starved, and |
emaciatsd, and dying, and dead, Uuion SOL
diers, and then, for one moment, entertain
an idea of retaliation. It is too awful, too
fearfully cruel and barbarous treatment for
Us to do the like, even to those who have
done this to Us. would die before would
10 defile the temple Of God.
To crush the rebellion by earnest and Wig
1rOus effort is the only hops. just think of
he prisoners which have been, in the last
.EO weeks taken to Richmond, and imagine
hem reduced as those poor follows whose
I send you
I copyrighted one, to make the evidence
# the picture 3 little more sure to the minds
# those to whom am known in this city
am selling them for the benefit of the hos
,itsl at 4 nspolis.
4 has lost two nspheWs in the war
-one killed by shot in train, the other
ont as a prisoner to Belle Islo, where, of
ourss, be too was stsrYed-and he died in
ebel prison at Andersonville, Georgia, to
Ihich place he was sent after two months
osidence on Belle Island. They were broth
RS, the only sons Of their mother. How
ong, Oh Lord, how long ?"
Very truly, yours, E. WALLACE,