The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-06

Death AMoxs Tbs CoSFEDAeATs PRIs oEEEs At
THE NoRTB.-t,u, prisoners, II ts said, are coming
home at las, from the death peas of tie North
we find the following paragraphs In our late
Northern files which show from what horrors they
are timely escaping:
There were 0,520 Federal prisoners In htch-
mond on the 18th inst. There were eleven deaths
amang them the same day.-Cs.caSo Journal,
UA:. 81.
The Rock Island .arga, Of January I'd comments
on the above as follows:
The mortality at Rock Island Barracks, for the
week ending aoth, was a. The number of prison
ers was 5 2l9, only one halt the number at
Richmond. This shows 4 greater mortality At
Rock Island, according TO the number, than at
>Riebmcrd
II strikes US that deaths at the ra;c OF nearly 100
A month al Rock Island Barracks, out OF some
5 OG1 prisoners, is altogether too large 81 wss
inhumnn," said a Union officer, $50 bring 80 maty
weak and smact tated an.i sick people from Chatia-
nooea to Rock Island In cold, freezing weather In
box care, and without fife TIE sick should bsve
been left behind; IL was bad enough to bring Well
people IT, ths, manner" This MAJ be, and per
haps Is, CHE eason for great mortality among
lie prisoners. Another reHs9n, perhaps Is tie III
adeauaInress of the medical department. There
IL not one half enough hesp;a r0un and hospital
suppiir-; aud in place OF four of five surgeons
some Of them picked up by chance, tor temporary
emuioy!ncnt ,!ere ought 10 be ton OE twelve E.se
o.sss physicians. very best physicians and
nIenjy of nuses We presume IL Is nc fault ef III.
,spartnent that they have no; been furnished fol
Il is almost inpossis IL to procure good physicians
hut il Is fault that hospital accommodations end
hospital supplies arc inadequate. This fault
however, ia being rcmeGiad as fast as possible
But many lives, we have no doubt, could have
been saved If the medical department had, la
| respect, been wLa, j, should have becn.
The JoIis, Signal Northwestern Journal, pub
! fishes tho following =.
We learn that two OF III. rebel prisoners, on the
tain convey them tn the Rack Island D. isca on
last Thursday, were frozen to death before :hs
Iain reached the city. Tie prisoners were crowd
ed together like swine IL freight cars, and were
from all appearance, suffering both for the wan; 0i
clothing and vctuais. Indeed, IL Is said they were
starving "a well as freezing. But the aost shock
inq part Of the whole affair was the henrIess man
neI in which the dead were treated by the Euards
We have been informed, by good authority that
the body Of ons Of the n0asn rebels was taken
OF the ears at Michigan City and dragged
over The scowy. ground, feet foremost, Ike 8
dead animal, some distance to a warehouse
II Ia not known what disposition svas made OF II
afterwards. Such acts are disgrace TO our c0un-
Try, and can only result In retaitapn on the part OF
our enemies. Is II possible we live in Christian,
land Such scenes as have been recently w.s
| messed surely deny II We appalled, at the
atrocioUs treatment OF our prisoners In the rebel
prisons but let Hs iaquire IL the snffeinss of
brave soldiers are not aggravated by the scenes
which witnessed amongst rebel prisoners In
| our hands. We drifting into barbartly with q
fearful rapidisy such are ths resa.s Of shis cruel
war.