New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-24
The Memorial OF the Union Prisoners 90
the President.
CONFEDERATE STATES PRISON.

Confederate STATES Prison
CHARLESTON. S. O.. August -, 1864
To hs P,esidSnt Of The OHihd States.
The condition OF the enlisted men belonging
TO the Union srmief prisoners 10 the Confederate
rebel forces is such that it become duty and the
duty Of every commissioned officer, 10 make known tie
facts the 10 the government of tho United States
and t. use every honorable effort 20 secure general cx
change Of prisoners thereby relieving Thousands VI our
comrades from tie horrors nov surrounding them.
For time past there has been concentration of
prisoners from al parts OF ,he rebel iefr9ry % the
State Of Gecrgia-thc commissioned officers being
fined at Macon and the enlisted men a. AndersoRvilc.
Recent movements Of the Union armies under General
Sherman have compelled the removal Of prisoners 10
other points and L is now UNDERWOOD that thew ~ be
removed 10 Savannah, Ga. and Columbus and Charles.
ton South Carolina But no change ~ this kind hold.
out any prospect Of relief 10 poor Indeed
the localities selected are fa more unhealthy there must
be increased instead OF diminished suffering. Col. Hill
Provost MaIshai General Confederate States Army NJ
Allan stated 10 or the uAdos that there were
thirty five thousand prisoners at Andefsonvle and by
al accounts from the United States soldiers who have
beer confined there tie number t not oYefsgtcd by hin.
These thirty five thontnd are confined IN field 81
thirty acres enclosed byl board fence Le0yy guarded
About one third have various kinds Of Indifferent shell
ter; but upwards Of thirty thousand are wholly without
shelter or even shade o! any kind and are exposed ~
the storms and rnins which are Il almost daily occur.
rence the cold dews OF tie night and tie more terrible
effects OF the striking with almost tropical fierce
ness upon their Unprotected heads This mass Il
josie and crowd each other up and down tue limits OF
their enclosure In storm and others e down up
on the pitlcss earth pa night w nc other covering than
the clothing upon tAelI packS lev VI them having
q blanket
Upon entering tie prison every man Is deliberately
stripped Of money and otherrrOpcJ and a. 10 clothing
on blankets ever supplied 10 Their prisoners hy tie
rebel authorities the condition Of tie HEpaf Of the sol
dieIs Just from active caupsign eau De easily inn.
Geincd. Thousands are without pants or coats, and
hund eds without eyena pair u drawers 10 cover their
nakedness.
10 these men, as indeed TO all prisoners there is H.
sued thiec quarters OF pound Of bread or meal and
80 t.uuf pfrl MIR d. 10
ration, and upon II the prisoner must live die. The
meal IN often unsifted and sour and the such as
in the North II consigned to the soapnaker such
the ratons upon which Union soldar- are fed by the
rebel anthnrtiss and by which they are barely holding
TO life. Bat 70 starvation and exposure 10 sun and
storm add the sickness which prevails 20 "A most
alarming ana terrible extent On On average one hun.
bred die daily. 1t IS impossible that any Union soldier
should know all the facts pertaining TO this terrible
tay, 40 they are not paradod by the rebel authorities
Such statement a. the following, made by - -,
speaks eloquent testimony. Said De OftWeiye Ofls
who captured sI died; four are Ia the hospital.
and never expect 10 SEQ them agan. n ere are but
two Of left" In lrt2 nj Montgomery Alabama, I'M
der far favorable circumstance. tie prisoners be.
ing protected by sheds from hundred and hfy T.
two hundred wore sick from darhosa and chis ont II
seven hundred The per Ceufage would give seven
thousand sick az AndcrsouvIic il needs 10 comment
no efforts at word painting. To make such picture
stand or boldly in MOI. horrible colors.
Nor Is this all Among the Inflated Of The ranny who
have suffered amputaton in consequence Oi injuries
cei,ed before capture from Iebe hOspals before
their wounds healed then eloquent witnesses
of he barbatics OF which they victims III % these
facts is added this. that nothing moro dcmoralzes
soldiers and develops the cyl passions Of man than
starvation the terrible condition IL Union prisoners at
Andefsonyille. readily be imagined They aye fact
losing hope aud becoming utterly reckless OF HE Num-
Of idiocy others deliberately cross tho dead line and
/ are tremendously shot down.
In Behalf Of these most earnestly apneal to the
President Of the United StGet Fow Of thon have been
caPuied except IA The mont OF battle ia the deadly
counter, and only when oyepowcred by numbers. They
constitute al gallant portion OF our armies carry
banners any where. II released they Wo.ld soon
return 10 again do vigorous battle ior our cause We
told that the oulY obstacle In tie way Of exchange is
the status Of enlisted negroes captured from ARMIES
the United States claMIlg that the cartel covers al
whe serve under is eg and the Confederate states
fasng to consider tie ooored soldiers heretofore slaves
as prisoners Of war.
We beg leave 20 sugges, some ecs hesrinr mon TIE
question " exchange, which would urge npun tbs
consideration. is il not consistent with the national
honor without waving the claim that the soldiers
shall be tTegted as prisoners Of wor, TO effect
change OF the white sol iers' The two classes at
ed differently by the enemy Tie whites are confined
in such prisons a. the LIBBY and AndersOnve serye "a
and treated with barharsm unknown 10 ciyilised ma
lions. Tie blacks on The contrary. seldom impi
soned. They are distributed among the citizens. or
employed on government works. Under these circaH
stances, they receive enough 10 eat AMI worked no
harder than they have been accustomed o. be- They
neither starved nor killed OF by the pesence In The
dungeons Of Richmond AID Charoiton K Is true they
again made slaves but their slavery IL freedom Odd
happiness compared with tie cruel existence imposed
upon gallant men They rot bcioit Of hope.
are the white soldiers dying by pecemea Their elan
Of escape enfod greater tlau those Of the white
soldiers, and tLeir condition in az its hts is olerable
IN comparison with tha Of Of The prisoners Of war now
lau gushing in the 0ons aud pels Of secession.
While therefore, believing the claims Of our govern
ment. in matters Of exchange 10 bo Just are pro
fouudly impressed with The conviction that the cxcun
stances of tie two classes Of soldiers are 10 widely differ
ent that the government can bon0raby consent o an
exchange waving JT line the established principle
Justly claimed 10 be applicable IN the e"se. Let thhty
i've thousand suffering starving aud dying enlisted
aid this appeal. by prompt and decided action IN their
behalf thirty five thousand heroes Nii be made happy
For the eighteen hundred commissioned officers now
prisoners We urge nothing. Although DESTROYS OF 70
turning ~ our duty, can bear imprisonment with
more fortltade II the enlisted men, whost sueings we
know to be intoeFable. were restored 10 6,I;y aud
life.
PLUMBAGo on LAKE SUPERIOR.