Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-24
Mss Dix Describes the Returned
Prisoners.

| met Miss Dorotha Dix this morning
sister TO Msior-General Dix-ihe
guardian angel OF one hundred hospitals
"a glorious woman 10 8 sublime cause.
She was in autter Of patriotic excite
meat over the bsrbaroas treatment of
oar heroes who fall into rebel hands.
She had just rsturned from Baltimore.
she said, where she had been at the re-
quest Of the Seeretary Of War, to see our
returning prisoners, and she wanted to
tell all about it She stood over the
table where We were gathered, and her
tongne run on as an indignant womau's
viii. the sad rehearsal, interlarde1 With
fierce gestures in the right place. I will
tell ybu the story as she told as:
Il had just reached the wharf she
said, "when our asg-oftruce boat, the
City Of New York, came in, and soon
the poor fellows began 10 land-four hun
dred and fifty of them from Belle Isle.
Such sight Ii IVES regiment Of skele
tonsl Most Of theIa had to be carried
% en- stretehers. Several died on the
Ssy as they were lifted up. Nine died
on the wharf, hsping their grn.ilude to
God that, after ali their privations, they
we're permitted to die under the old iagl
A msjority we're 50 week that they could
scarcely speak, aud 10 a hundred the
brain seemed to be implicated FRS,
as near "a we could learn from the few
who could tell the story, they had been
ssarEed-systematically they thought
only meAgre scrap Of nlusty bacon be-
iug hroaghi TO them, With water, so thar
sscy gradually lost their strength, aud
bee sms mere skin and bone
Then they we're left exposed in coli
weather 10 freeze. They were ilncia
eonditioa Of hunger at aay time thar
man would give bis blanket or his shoes
for bit Of food, 50 sha, tkey became al.
most deprived Of clothing A majority
OF them bad thsit Eees frozen more or
lass. Mans had isst their feet, ADD ssy-
eral bad 10 haSe their legs anputate1
aftersihsir arrival at Baltirnore.
Besides they were absolutely covered
With vermin, and In a most distressing
stats. never saw any Of our boys 50
figlhy--neyer They bad been haddled
together like sheep, and as their minds
failed them they became delerious, they
gave less aud less attention to them
seives
Immediately on their arrival lhey
we're ordered 90 have a thorough bath
Ii was pitiable to refuse their feeble
cries fer foodi food l"-s for God 5
sake give ms somethisg to eAtl aud
our great strong surgeons. whom never
saw she'd tear before, cried like chill
deeu when they we're Obliged 10 deny
lhe appeals, and eon6ne their patients
70 simple diet and bath
Most Of them had to be carried TO The
bath room, but | saw one, a5parenlly
aardier than the rest standing alons ia
hss biahket, aud | ordered him TO 20
alons 10 The iAth. WIshout a word be
ssn,. In half an hour he was found
there urcoueious and helpless, his mind
add strength having failed him together.
An attendant lifsed him up aud support
cd bin as be got out, end acCldsully ,rod
on oae Of his feet when Il came OF -
having been frozen to that degree dor
ing the dreadial EXPOSURE Of the winter
A majority Of the poor fellows are
manned or Invaded for life, many Of
them are hopelessiy insane, also. IL
seems 70 have been the deliberate policy
Of tbs febels to return All our prisoners
N such 8 condition thar they can never
more be of service to "a
"0h, cir" said Miss Dix, 'iif your
paper could only stir Up the Adminisira-
ton 70 some adequate reialistion for
these crimes against humanity If
tka, can NOT be, tell your people Of
Rochester to send their soldiers even
more freely to eouqaer these savages
and secure protection through victory.
~ Correspondent RaeA<sfsr Dsmserat