The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-12-01
Thursday Morning, Dec. /, 1864.
Our Returned Prisoners.

Our Returned Prisoners.
SHocKING NHUMANITY OF THE REBELS.
Two vessels filed with our sick prisoners,
just exchanged at Savannah, arrived at An
napolis, Md, on Friday. The steamer Attain
tic brought 649 living skeletons and s dead
bodies; 8 had been buried in the sea- Our
surgeons were appalled, at the wretched condi-
tion Of the survivors. Not man among the
number but had to be sent to the hospitals,
many to leave them only for the graveyard.
The $50 on the Blackstone were in better con-
dition, and made the welkin ring as they land
ed on the free shores of Maryland.
A correspondent Of the New York Herald,
who witnessed the reception of our prisoners
below Savannah, gives the following interest
ing account: ~ IS
Il never in my life conceived of such scenes
OF misery as some OF our poor fellows present.
ed They suffered from scurVy mostly |; but
was told that others, worse OFF than those we
received, were left behind because OF the im-
possibility OF transporting them in safety.
Yet they were joyous beyond description as
they came once more beneath the folds OF the
old flag. On the passage down the Savannah
river TO Venus Poiut-the designation of the
spot where the exchange is in progressively
We're permitted 10 make no demonstrations of
joy Cheering, shouting and singing were
prohibited by the rebel guards, who threaten
ed 10 fire into the crowd if these stringent
rules were violated. But when the vessels
were lashed together, the air was filed with
jubilant shouts, and poor, emaciated sufferers,
resting In the strong arms OF our nurses, min
gied Their feeble notes of gladness with the
lusty tones OF the hale and hearty as they
were borne across the gang -planks to the
decks OF the Union craft. 81 ASH
sour men were ragged beyond description.
Some OF them had nothing on them but pam
taloons, and noticed one pair of inexpressi-
bles, the legs Of which reached only part way
to the knees of the Wearer. Others had their
limbs bound up with strips of blankets, in
place~ OF any Olher covering Still Others,
whose garments had By great care been kept
together, were covered with vermin, which
ratified from them like sand.
Tne sick who were unable to help them
selves at all, were certainly the most pitiable
objects | ever beheld. They were covered
with gangrenous, fungous sores, harbors for
worms and maggots TO crawl and wiggle in.
They were doubled up as if in q permanent
cramp. Some OF them had their lips eaten
away by their loathsome disease, and were
were washed and shaved, and furnished with
new clothes; and then, having been placed
upon clean cots, were fed with biscuit, coffee
and little milk punch. The tempers Of many
of our men, as well as their physical frames,
were worn out; and after getting taste OF
biscuit and coffee some Of them cried for more,
as babies cry for breast milk; and yet they
confessed that they had not in any three days
of their imprisonment eaten so much as they
had just devoured."
Before our prisoners were moved from An
dersonville, Ca, II 600 had been buried there.
Correspondence of the rebel surgeons there
furnishes full proof of the cruelty of their
treatment. Men in the last stages of emacia-
tion from chronic diarrhea, received no nour-
ishment whatever, and starved to death on
the coarse rations which the stomach of a
strong man would reject Others, suffering
from gangrene and ulcers, were compelled to
tester in putridity without even sufficient wa
Ter to cleanse their loathsome sores. Week
after week the deceased and the dying were
kept without shelter, and many of them with
out clothing, on the bare ground, exposed to
torrid sun by day and to heavy rains at ali
times, 10 total disregard Of the earnest and al.
most despairing appeals of kind hearted ply
Sicians for their reliet @&att ss 09 a4N EA