New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-29
SPEECH OF GEN. NEAL DOW,
IN THE
NEW CITY HALL, PORTLAND
Thursday Evening, March "a, 1851.
Ills Return from Captivity in Rebel Prison
p.ro,,es 70, The Portland me, Daily Press.
ON

th last zine months is wider and greater than can
ten Won. In the South everywhere nave utNteo !
baye bebeld the desolsiOn of Wal; everything ! saw
there reminded me that Is dcsOatng onr ladf Dut
as | come across the Potomac and traverse lie rec
States / nothing that reminds me oi war. ION
know nothing of war you feel nothing OF the war cx-
ccpt those who have offered mp Ned ones for the
honor and safely Of their country Everywhere IN tp
South the land is desOate because Of the wai AS NV
President of the Confederate States said, they Pauel
took an enterprise the magnitude of which they on" o
Mt all comprehend; enterprise that had no eoI pul
pose than the establishment OF great empire iVu'"o'
Until Within a few months the leading men OF The
South confidently believed in the success ol ten uuLvi
taking. Now they begin Ia realize tHe 'f''l'nuuuS
power Of the North, in its naval resources IA neh
money and all he appliances OF war ana everywhere
nc rcsonrces Of the Rebel country exhausted
The Rebel Government is destitute of money destitute
of credit IL is impossible the Rebels bvgh nov 10
Understand 10 carfy on this great without money
without credit without food and with an absolute des
ttuton of almost al the appliances OF wa.
inst before j left Richmond the Rebel Congress had
passed an act I'll eioct ropudiatjng oil then currency
Amounting t. $500 100000 On ana alter the LIST OF Al
all the OF The denomination a SIo not lhvS tu Al
r cent bonds (Which worthless IN the markell are
taxed per cont. All other notes are taxed IS per
cen;-an: Thereafter. are taxed ~ per cent nohth
unt tbur nominal value shall BIZ abs oroec III that way
The 500 Treasury notes amount a. s4VOVnOoo-ahd
tlose Of all Other denominations Ia Si5,W@OVO
This H. II distinct reputation oil the ehtIe
circulation OF e.0O0OU0 At the same time TIE bOV
ernnnent proposes TO issue new series o treasury
notes which they hope will have some credit ~ their
domains Ngu will Judge whether suCh a sChefne VIII
be uke, TO succeed; whether can be carried on
by money such that; whether armies such - theirs
can DO paid and fed with such currency The hnSn'
oilers of the uth are destitute Of al knowledge upon
the subject of hnarcc and they say in FOR this
ignorance that hitheio all financial opci at9as 90 4"
rrea. scale have been entirely in TIE hends OF Northern
zen lnd carried on in Northern cities.
You have Heard a OH high authority that the people
al The South axe somibaTbarans, EiTHaid 30 iaT a.
they ere educated all IN disregard o' TIC NSits %
4Ql UN OF their feowIuen; accustomed rs The! o. .
Ia ri ~ of Of
dcrtaline 10 suLsist upon their Urreccmpensed chor
thew iaar to disregard tho rights Of everybody else ID
ther intercourse with both blacks 6Gc wnit. 1Ou see
n An their intercourse with each other. The Union
prisoners have come in contact with tins ltehhg very
largely would not be understood thii thele bIe no
cpitivated people ct the South The mon prisoners
have come IN contact with sgch people and tney nave
experienced the most herharoHs treatment Prom The
Confederate soldiers TIE 'front.' they have experienced
Kind aud coulteous treatment But iIom the g Homo
Guards il been balbarouS Than any prisoners
Of war have suffered since the days of inc 60 iia"h
Hole of Calcutta, know OF nothing IN the history 81
war 10 compale with the shameful nc tltlt Of the
Union prisoners ri Richmond ard Atlanta, Georgia.
A large qreitity III clothing and blankets sent
10 my care 20 distributed 20 the soldiers was per-
ued 10 visit them for the purpose Of distributing tho
articles. Passing around the camp at Belle Ise l saw
the wretchcd condition Of soldiers 20 Cl0tLiIl
and quelters. Ncsrly one.hah OF them were without
shelter Of any kind and all were in extreme want o
clothing. As passed around the camp they cIoc Il
me to send them food. Sheiteis-s aud almost naked
many Of them We're, their hrst want ioOd-thei
chief suffering was from hunger. On my return q
nand there stating that oneha Tue soldiers were vth
out SHELTER and all without sufficient food, and asking
bus immediate attention 10 their miserable condition
The resula that was not permitted ~ visit th
soldiers any more, their connltUi alleVIated
ed 5h1Ss so 't %oaa eosd Rg A & sSRs q g
authorities with a great deal more forbenance than
was supposed to be capable Of Soldiers persisted Their
at about the rate of 10 per month"; uurlhS the Nhtei
months were informed
As Wa at Belle Isle. went into the hospital con
sispg OF tents without any floor, tho slS ping upon
fhe ground without blankets, without Pillows some 81
them with sticks " wood FOR pillows, and Oh Protesting
10 Gen Winder against this treatment was gfd ed
permission visit these poor creatures lot le iiuTe
The Government large quantities of pr0Yla!Ois 20
the soldiers well as the officers. Much Of TINS Wa
stolen SO that Yankee oyclcoats were Yer! common
Soldiers in Yankee oyercoats promenadinS the streets
of Richmond, dew much attention THAI they cfuset
these coats 70 be cooreG Black. They ashamed Il
be seen with Yankee overcoas stolen from the poc
suffering eders. Large QUANTITIES oi food - wen as
of clothing were sent there b! ihe sanitary Cwnm-,o
s and these stolen By The Rebel authorizes anC
anpropriaed 10 tleif IN large amounts. n very
small proportion of these reached our soldiers,
LIBBY Prison was great ,"bacc" Warehouse, %
yathpr three tobacco warehouses three stories higl
upon the front. four stories upon the rear separated b
brick wall, through which doors we're cut Cur oncct
were placed IN these Win bare Wnis, rare hoof
anu without any blankets.
When arrived there, clad in The highest Sum
rner ciohes II Wcs cold October night ana my SUI
ferings must have been extreme bG; iOI the Kindness
my fellow officers IN supplying me WIFE garments a'
blankets AiteE q While great qaanoiy @i M'nhe'
s,omparatiyciy comfortable but were treated ia Ia
other respect than many negroes sent to lclmo'
u barrscoOn for sale. An officer who Lad very en-
fensive acquaintance the south. SAID Te wfro no
nearly well treated that, for blacks sent FOR sa
were kindly cared for That they might bring bette
price. The Union officers were treated as 80 NAM
cattle turned into slaughteTpen or barn 70 sleep Con
fderute officers in the handsco Union authorities wer
treated courteousy and kindly that Is night.
A little incident occurred Ia myself which VIII Illus
frae the point OF the difference of treatment between
their prisoners aud ours. I was exchanged for Gen
Lee As called down 10 pass off had two lor g
trunks ~ take away. could obtain no rs ,siancc il
Transporting them no dray other mode OF cOnye!
snce Some of my fellow Ulcers kindly rendered tLei
assistance, ard We carried them between us tAlOug
the streets Of Ricbmoud 20 The steamer, On which w
were ordered upon the forward dock and forbidden
come absft the wheels We we're situated on IN
steamer ike Eiany cattle, slaves or swine the wa
70 market. At City Point met Gen. Lee Ia th
magnificent saloon OF the Federal steamer Newly OH
We ourselves emerging from the iOrN6id deck Of IN
dirty Rebel steamer. When Gen. Lee and his Fellow
officers were ready 10 change steamers the Gen"rt
ktooped 20 take Lis small yasc, when the UAio
officer in command said to a soldier near. sergeant
take the Generals vsse ON board ior him y mention
this show the SOFT Of treatment received d"nl
South and that which The Rebels meet with when the,
fall haads, ;hey treated kindly coaiteonsiy
we Tudoly, LaIbSrOusly We don't complain, becaus
W. viii stIihe balance With thcm one VI these day
(Cries of good and cheers. -.
There are great many Union people down South
even in Virginia. Union men and Union women
shall not give any NAMES We bad communication
with Union people by Writing aud BY signals aud th
Rebels coud prevent it. They threatened 10 siioo
if looked ont 0f the windows. One Of their oNi
men looked and they shot him. They resolve
20 shoot Yankee offset for this aud Rebel sen
tincl fired several times at without They
were exceedingly mortified al shooting their own man
the ball entering tie night eye and stopping al the bdc
OF the head These Rebel sertnes watched our mel
at the windows very much rs boys hunting squirrel
aud looking into the trees for their game but many
fhe guards gave MS all the information which came e
their knowledge, OF What was going on around Rich
mOnd TO the pressure Tor food aud 10 all other mai
tiers. 49,, ,.,.., -