The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-12-04
fac Loyal Martyrs in the Southern
Prisons.

Before the rebel authorities were
compelled, by reason Of the fearful
pestilence that ragged within it, to break
open the prison pen at Andersonville
the bodies Of sleven thousand loyal sol
diers had been thrown, uncofined, into
the shallow trenches surrounding the
stockade. The names of three thou
sand Of those who thus miserably per-
ished under the inhuman treatment OF
their captoTs, we publish in other col
ufnns this morning 1t is a saddening
record, and yet, its publication will
doubtless relieve many Of the friends
and relatives Of our poor martyred sol
dieTs from the horrors Of despairing
hope and suspense in regard to the fate
of those they love.
Our special correspondent also sup
pies, to day, further accumulation of
testimony from the reports of rebel
Surgeons, as to the barbarities prac-
ticed upon the prisoners, and against
which these Surgeons, in many cases,
felt called upon professionally to pro
test Every line Of the evidence thus
supplied, ike that which was published
exclusively in Saturdays issue Of the
Times, bears out to the letter the report
Of the venerable Dr. Valentine Mott
and his associates. 1t is important
dissgreeabie az the task may be-to
give due prominence to the testimony
thus furnished II is desirable that
there should be no excuse for the out
side world 10 ignore, or seek TO discredit,
the charges of barbarity thus brought
home 10 the Richmond conspirators by
their own agents. IL is proper that the
mask should be torn from the face OF
this spurious and bastard chivalry,
which foreign sympathizers so loudly
belaud; that mankind may see what
depth Of infamy and naked cruelty
may be reached by a community which
is founded upon human slavery.
The reports of the Confederate sur
geons thoroughly agree. We find that
our prisoners were deprived-with the
most needless and heartless cruelty, of
necessaTies entirely within the means
Of the authorities to grant them. Nay,
our poor fellows were forbidden to use
what their own labor could have sup
piled them with, at no cost whatever to
the rebel Government We may sum
up these available necessities thus:
]. The room allowed our prisoners
within the Andersonville stOckade
might have been enlarged, so that the
$4,000 or 10000 prisoners could have
been removed from uuwhOlesome con-
tact; so that the means of addition and
general attention 10 personal cleanli-
ness might have been available; and so
that the sick might have been sepera-
ted from those in health.
2 Oar prisoners might have had
abundant shelter, at no cost to the re-
bel authorities Pine woods abounded
all around them, and shelter tents of
moderate comfort our men would glad
ly have extemporized from these, by
their own labor.
3. Water could have been supplied
70 our men at a small cost of labor
which the healthy prisoners would
themselves have readily borne
4 Fuel was superintendent on every
side OF the inclOsure. Yet, the COnfed-
crate Surgeons testify that enough was
not permitted TO reach the stockade,
even TO do the sparse cooking Of the
hospital tents.
5. Our men might have been permit.
ted 20 remove the excrement of the
camp; but It appears 70 have been part
of the punishment inflicted. on them TO
prevent such removal-tive acres being
completely covered Herewith.
We might add to this list of needless
and deliberate cruelties-cruelties Sri-
sing in no sense Of degree out of the
90 81, o., - i -,
matter Of labor or provisioning BItit
Is useless 10 enlarge the Indictment
Says DR.. Patterson, writing to the su-
periOr in the Confederate Medical De-
partment on the 18th 81 August 81
find great negligence ia interring the
dead, some OF the bodies having lain as
many as four days" With the Their.
mometer at 100 ia the shade, We know
what this means Four days later, DR..
Thornburg reports 10 his superior from
the same hospital: The patients are
compelled 10 lie on the ground many
of them without blankets and some Of
them sCiiio1a ciothss" This officer pleads
in the same report FOR q small supply of
washing basins. "rhe ones we have
been using (he urges} fQT dressing
NouuO ana NtctFs are not " ApI olntF
use" The surgeon prays too, for some
means Of getting water supply for
the hospital
DR. Msssee, making his hospital re
port on the Goth of August, states that
. find the beef in very bad condition,
having been blown BY flies so long that
it was infested with live insects or
creepers.
So late ss the Tth Of September DR..
Thoinoulg testifies regarding his pa
tienis tbas many of them are still on
the ground, without blankets or any
thfng<0 protect them" Another sur
Eeon complains that the peas furnished
70 bis patents sooud produce disease
among soiae and still another says
"The crowded condition, the lack of
an abundance Of good water, the aceu-
mutation Of human excrenlsnt, the
prisoners food not being cooked, don't
leak well Of the health OF the prison"
. Many OF my patents, again adds Dr..
Thornburg, are suffering 50 much
from hunger as from their disease"
Such Southern chiValry At its frat
attempted outset upon q career Of in>