The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-12

,.earestin4 Report by Colonel
Streight.
u,,nARp's HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D. c.,
,rs-ch 0. lS64.-Io Hon. r. W. Kellogg,
sIo,,sc Committee on Military -4.t1irs
nUaR SIR: Agreeable to your request,
hove The honor to report the following facts
!. ,olation to the treatment Of our officers
aa men by the rebel authorities:
ar r. q impossible for me to give you an ac-
I'm. Of all the acts of bar barity, inhuman-
~. ~, and bad faith have witnessed during
~ captivity but will endeavor to men,
. ~ sllch instances as will give you as cor
w w an idea Of the true condition Of our men
~ possible.
IN the Sd of May last near Rome, Geor-
xa. nv command having become so re-
Snced by hard fighting and marching, du-
,;ng the seven days previous, that it was
.Sident to me we tabout fifteen hundred
oaicers and men) would fall into the hands
# the enemy, and after holding council
Mwar with my regimental commanders, II
vas decided TO capitulate, and thus to Sc
cure the best terms possible for the com
mand as a condition Of surrender. In ac-
corlance with this decision met the reDel
commander, Gen. Forrest, under tag OF
truce. when q stipulation was entered into
Sstween him and myself, whereby it was
agreed that my command should surrender
= prisoners OF war, ON the following cohui-
lions, to wit:
!. Each regiment should be permitted to
retain its coiors.
, The officers to retain their side arms.
& Both officers and men were % retain
their haversacks, knapsacks ana blankets,
and ali private property OF every descrip-
,on was TO be respected and retained by
the owner.
The above terms were in measure re-
enacted while We remained with Gen. For
rast but no sooner were we turned over
~ the rebel authorities than system OF
rohhins commenced which relieved us Of
avarythinc valuable in our possession.
The blankets, haversacks and knapsacks
wors taken from my men at Atlanta. They
~sre also robbed of nearly ali their money
and most of them lost their overcoats at the
above named place. Here, too, the colors
and side arms were taken from us. My
men were turned into an enclosure without
shelter Of any kind, destitute Of blankets
and oyercoats. as have before stated, and
kent under guard for four days, during
which time most disagreeable cold storm
nrevailed after which they were sent for
ward to Richmond and soon exchanged.
Nv officers were sent 70 Richmond after
a STAY of about ten days in Atlanta. On
our arrival at the rebel capital we were all
searched separately, and all moneys found
in our possession were taken from US. For
afew DAYS thereafter we were allowed to
draw small sums of our money for the pur-
bose Of purchasing food. But this privil-
re was soon denied US.
then asked and obtained permission
from the rebel authorities for the officers to
send home for money, clothing and provis-
ions. The clothing and provisions were
esnerally delivered to the parties ordering
hem, providing the package or box con-
aiming them was not broken open and
ritied Of its contents before it reached its
destination, which was frequently the case;
but in no case within my knowledge has
he money been delivered to the owner
The retention of this money, after express
bagreeing to deliver it, is an act Of perfidy
hat beggars description. ! have repeat
edly called the attention of the rebel au
Aorties to the terms Of my surrender and
demanded that its provisions he complied
with; but General Winder, commandment
Of he prisoners, took from me the stipula-
tons signed by Gen. Forrest which he still
retains, and refused to be governed by its
provisions. MY officers, together with
something near one thousand other United
States officers, are confined in large ware
ho0se building, with an average space Of
about twenty-five feet square to each man.
This includes all room for washing, cook
Ing, eating sleeping and exercising. They
have no hunks, chairs or seats Of any kind
furnished them, consequently they both sit
md sleep on the floor. The windows of
he building were entirely. open until about
he middle OF December last, when pieces
ac&nvas were furnished for the purpose of
dosing them 70 keep the cold out; but as
his would leave us in the dark. We were
compelled to leave q portion Of Of them
! apsn and endure the cold.
/ Many of the officers were entirely desti-
/ nte Of blankets until our government sent
| squantity to us in the fore part of the win
| M. The supply of blankets il now ex.
hasted and officers who have been captured
during the last six weeks have none fur
tahed them.
The ratiOns furnished both officers and
nen BY the rebels consist of about one
nund Of corn bread, made from un-
Mted meal and one-1ourth Of pound Of
.poof fresh meat per day. The meat has
zen issued to the prisoners but about half
y time since the first of December last
D addition to the ratiOns Of bread aud
NJ ~ above stated, the prisoners draw
bout two quarts Of rice to one hundred
-. There il q sufficient quantity Of salt
FINISHED, and q very small quantity of
Ilegar, will here remark that, in few
nstauces. say six or eight times at most, a
aall quantity ofsweet potatoes has issued
instead of the rations Of meat.
The above is the sum total Of the ratiOns
u WotU 70 our OIuCeIo 6Alu klCA Inv ~ lSON-
1of war.
The condition of our unfortunate enlist
u men, now in the hands Of the enemy, is
auch worse than that Of the officers. From
sly in May last, when arrived in Rich
nond, to about the lst Of December, all
y enlisted men were taken to what il
allied Belle Island, and turned into an in
closure like SO many cattle in slaughter
pm Very few Of them had tents, or shell
Mof any kind, and the few tents furnish
we're so poor and leaky ~ to render
eam but little better than none.
All the prisoners are taken to Libby when
aey first arrive in Richmond, for the pur-
eeof counting them and enrolling their
nnes; consequently, ] had fair Chance
49, their condition when they arrived
nly one-half the prisoners taken since
~ last were robbed by their captors Of
seir shoes, and nearly all were robbed Of
YER overcoats, blankets and haversacks.
Lieast one third of them had been COM
fied 70 trade their pants and blouses for
s fags that would scarcely hide their
sssedness: Very many Of them were en-
ny oareheaded, aud not few, a. late a.
Imiddle of December, were brought in
9TH l.~A ~~<r~~ III rnHa<3