Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-21
MIS-. Dix Describe. the Rs.urnsd Prison


| Miss Dix Describes the Returned Prison
| eFs.
InsL AIiza psrstlau. pa saAs EasEAlag-
\ ~ - nfajor osneraI DiX-the guardian
angel Of one hundred hospitsls-s glo.
rious woman in q sublime cause. She was
in s huttEr Of patriotic excitement over
the barbSrous treatment Of our heroes who
fall into rebel hands. She had Just re-
turned from Baltimore, she said, where
she had been at the request of the secre-
tsry Of War, 10 see our returning prissn,
ers, and she vented to iell all about it.
She stood over the table where We we're
gathered, and her tongue run on, 80 an in
dignsnt Womsn's viii, the ssd rehearsal
interlsrded with fierce gestures in the
right place. will tell you the story IS
she told US:
81 had just got to the wharf" she said,
"when our flag Of truce boat, the City Of
New York, came in, and soon the poor fell
lows began to lsnd-four hundred and hfty
of them from Belle Isle. Such 8 sight
It was 8 regiment Of skeletons Most Of
them had to be carried of on stretct ers.
Several died on the boat as they were lifted
up ne died on the wharf lisping their
gratitude to God that, after all their privs-
tions, they we're permitted 10 die under the
old flag A majority were 80 weak that
they could scarcely speak, and in hun
dred the brain seemed to be implicated.
First, as near as we couli learn from the
few who could tell the story, they had been
stsrved-sy systematically they thought.
only q mesger scrap Of musty bacon being
brought to them, with water, so that they
gradually lost their strength, snd became
mere skin and bone. su
"Ihen they were left exposed in cold
weather 70 freeze. They were in such q
condition Of hunger at any time that 8
man would give his blanket or his shoes
for bit of food, SO that they became al
most deprived cf clothing. A majority Of
them had their feet frozen more or less.
Many had lost their feet, and several had
to have their legs amputstsd after their
arrival in Baltimore. 4a.
nBesides, they we're absolutely covered
with Vermin, and in a most distressing
state, l never saw any Of our boys 30
flthy-neVer. They had been huddled to-
gether like sheep, and as their minds fail
ed them and they became delirous, they
gave less and less attention to them
selves. Z
Immediately on their arrival they were
ordered to have thorough bath Il was
pitiable to refuse their feeble cries for
food 7 food T'-for Gods sase give me-
something to eatr-and our great strong
Surgeons, whom I never saw shed q tear
before, cried like children when they
we're obliged tc deny the appeals,
and confne their patients to 3 simple diet
and a bath
"Most Of them had 10 be carried to the
bath room, but saw one, apparently sturs
der than the rest, standing slene in his
blanket, and l ordered him to go alone 70
his bath. Without word he went In
half an hour he Was found unconscious
and helpless, his mind and strength hay
ing failed him together. An attendant
lifted him up and supported MIN as he got
ont, and accidentally trod on one Of his
feet, when q came Of Having been frozen
TO that degree during tie dreadful expo
sure Of the winter. AHe
"a majority Of the poor fellows arc
MANNED or iRvslided for life; many Of |
'hsm are hopelessly insane, also. It seems |
to have been the deliberate policy Of the
rebels to return all our prisoners in such |
condition that they can never more be Of /
se, vice to Us. sh
'Oh, sir" said Miss Dix, eif your paper
could only stir up the Administration 10
some adequate retaliation for these awful |
crimes against humsnity-and II that can
aOs be, tell your people Of Rochester to
send their soldiers even more freely to con-
quer these ssvages, and secure protection
through victory Correspondents ROeAestes
DemoeFst. rfst .a5n