The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-12-09
The Hecatomb at Andersonville

TIE REBEL SURGEONS STATEMENT.
The New York Taties sums up the ne
cessities of our prisoners at -Andersonville,
which were available, and which the yofls-
oner,s ncAlsclrss would have been glad 10
have secured for themselves ,rit.out esy,eRss
or trouble Ia ther ogp'tors, as follows: Was
there ever ANYTHING more devilish
Il. The room allowed our prisoners
within the AnderSonyille stochade might
have been enlarged. 80 that the 25.o0n or
20. 900 prisoners could have been remov-
ed from unwholeSome contact - that
the means of abluiion and general atten-
ton TO personal cleanliness might have
been available, and 80 that the sick might
have been separated from those i'm health.
,. Our prisoners might have had album
dant shelter. AT no cost 10 the rebel au-
thoritieS. Pine woods abounded all
around them, and shelter tents of moder-
ate comfort our men would have gladly
extemporized from these. 10y their own
labor
5. Water could have been supplied 10
our men at small cost of labor which
the healthy prisoners would themselves
have readily borne
f. Fuel was SIperahundant on every
side of the inclo>,ire. Yet. the Confeder-
ate surgeons testify that enough VA, not
permitted 70 reach the stockadc even 10
do the sparse cooking of the hospital tents.
, Our men mig ght have been permitted
70 remove the eNcrement of the camp:
but ii appears TO have been part of the
punishment inflicted ON them 10 prevent
such removal-five acres being completely
covered Herewith
We might add 70 this list of needless
and deliberate crucltieS-cruelties arising
IN no sense or degree out of the Confed-
eracv either in the matter of labor or
provisioning But ii i useless to enlarge
the Indictment.
Saws DIR. Patterson. writing to hiS SUI
perior in the Confederate Medical Depart
ment, on the llih of August Il find
great negligence IN interring the dead.
some of the bodies having lain IL many
a. four days.' With the thermometer III
loo in the shade, We know what this
means. -Four davs later. DIR. Thornburg
reports TO hi superior from the same hos
pital: The patients are compelled 10 lie
on the ground, many OF them without
blankets dRd SOM oJ' thcm tritytow ciottes- ;
This officer pleads in the same report for
a small supply of washing basins: The
ones we have been using the urges) for
dressing wounds and ulcers are moi iii for
other use The surgeon prayS, too, for
: some means of getting water supply for
: the hospital.
DR. MasSee. making his hospital report
: on the 10Th of August. STATES that find
; the beef in very bad condition. having
been blown by iiieS 50 long that ii WAS
/ infested with live insects or creepcrs-
So late as the 9TH of September, DIR
5 Thornburg teStiies REGARDING hls patients
5 that 'many of them are stlll On the
, ground, without blankets or 'ltythHg to
: protect them Another surgeon com-
: plains that the peas furnished to his pc
tients suould produce dsease among s'rias; ;
: and still another SAYS: The crowded
: condition. the lack OF an abundance Of
: Good water, the accumulation of human
g cxcrement. the prisoners food not being
is cooked, don't speak We'll Of the health OF
: the prison Many of my patients,
d ;.gain adds DIR. Thornburg, are SUFFERING
y as much from hunger as from their disease
: Such Is Southern chiv;llry at lis first
r attempted outset upon a career OF indie
Ipendence. Such are some ot the creden-
= tials 1t offers TO sustain it, claims for ad-
+ mission into the family of civilized nations
# Will foreign sympathizers look at the
II picture 1t is drawn 10y no uniriendly
's hand.-"