The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-07
ann PRISONER al RIchmOnd.

GOV Brauch who visited the prison
ors arrived at Baltimore recently. wrote
as follows
The SrATE or ONO Executive DEPTi
CoLUMBus, MAY 3, 1864,
- Some four weeks ago ] saw
ot baltimore the arrival of a vessel
loaded with our prisoners from BelIe
Isle. who. in the very refinement Of
barbarism, had been reduced by star
vation to mere skeletons, for no other
nurpose than to incapacitate them for
f7rtber services in the Union armies
Over one-third of these men were too
for oone TO be resuseitated, and died
within fortv.eieht hours after their ar
rival While i would not retaliate on
rebel prisoners by practicing ike
means. + confess. general, / have very
little sympathy with or desire to parol
or release from confinement, men VINO
have been unfolding a rebellion that
has deIuged the land with sorrow and
blood. and whose leaders have resorted
IN cruelty and barbarism, IN the treat
rnent Of prisoners, more internal tlah
any practiced by savages.
Very respectfully, ions BEoUGH
From the Philadelphia Press we
COPY the following extract from let
ter written BY DR.. Wallace, Of that
city, relative 10 the condition of Union
prisoners lately released from Rich
mond
| saw one young man who had been
a nrisouor ia the hands OF the rebels
for think. about seven months. lie
had been released about month be-
fore saw him. Upon his entrance into
the hospital, the nurse and the surgeon
both assured me that his forearm was
40 thin That il was transparent between
the bones when held up to the sui
light Certain It is that ! have never
seen a more emacisted human form,
whether alive or dead, and yet he said
that he was gaining flesh and strength
every day What must he have been
one month before saw him for at
this time he could not change his posi-
ton in bed without assistance.
now quote from the lips Of two of
those with whom ] conversed:
Ist Private Jackson Broshers, aged
twenty years, six feet one inch high,
Company D, Goth Indiana Mounted In
fantry. was captured December 10,
1853 was two months on Belle Isle; !
had piece Of tent full Of holes to sleep
under, and half hair coat for nv bed;
II was gwen to me by the guard; that
that was all had 10 keep me off the
ground the water came in through the
piece Of tent that was over me, and wet
me through the rebels took away my
hat and cap and gave me an old
jeans hat they took my gum blanket
two wool blankets and an oveTcOat; ]
had meat three times while on Belle
Isle; no more; / was hungry all the
time for about two months; ! had no
food but corn bread (of the size refer
red TO above) ] got thinner and
weaker every day, until my stomach
gave out In two months. Then | lost
my appetite, and then the weakness
came on, 50 bad, so bad Well, / had
10 eat my corn bread, or die; so / nib
bled little now and then, and chawed
it up, and rot some down, but it sickcn-
I'd me- and then came the diarrhea.
Ny weight was lIj pounds when !
joined the army, two years ago, and /
got q good deal heavier and stronger,
for ! was never sick in the army
might have weighed lSj pounds when
was captured / have been getting
stronger and heavier ever since ] came
into this hospital, on the 9th Of March,
1864"
-, ,..t,1 fg,., ,,,.r l,v,,r, r4oirz -,
NV arms, for he could not walk without
support, and / weighed him May 10;
MS weight was l0Sl pounds. 1t is his
picture that ] send you. 10 was taken
by my direction and in my presence.
Second Corporal -, q suppress his
name lest this might meet his mothers
eya) 4 was captured in September,
1868 was on Belle Isle only six days; l
had no shelter there; | laid in the dew
and frost, and suffered with cold, for
the rebels had taken away my oil cloth
and blanket and ] had no covering at
al had smallpox in prison in Deem
ber had summer clothes on when /
was captured, and wore them all the
time right through the smallpox; when
! got well of the smallpox / washad my
tlglntEs L Astlut A0tf i'll lilt -illlE
clothes, on the I'd of May.
This poor fellow was soshriveled that
his face looked like that of an ape 1t
was scanned and wrinkled and in folds
/ had his picture taken; he asked me
for one; Ipromised it to him, and in
quired what he wanted il for? He trem-
bled, chol1ed with emotion, Gained
himself, again quivered, and, as the
tears glished from mis- eyes, said: TO
send It to my mother
l rejoiced when found that the pic
turr was Il failure, for sight of that
face in picture really believe, might
have killed his mother or turned her
brain.
The pictures which Mr. Birch has,
and which 1 received, are from among
the worst cases Of the one hundred
who came ain bad condition on the2d
inst to the hospital The man Broshers
Is in q fair average condition Of very
large number Of that unfortunate one
hundred