The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-18
RE PORT By COL.
STREIGHT.
Rebel Treatment Of Union Prisohers
...Flagrant Violation of his Terms
of Surrender....The OutraSes 10
Which his Men were subjected.

WIZARDS HOTEL, WASHINGTON, ID. C.,l
March 2, 1864.
Hon. F. W. Kellogg, House Committee on Mill
tary Affairs:
DEAR SIR-Agreeable to your request, I
have the honor to report the following
facts in relation to the treatment of our
officers and men by the rebel authorities
1t is impossible for me to give you an
account of all the acts of barbarity, inhu-
mainly and bad faith have witnessed DUR
ing my captivity; but will endeavor to
mention such instances as will give you as
correct an idea of the true condition of our
men as possible.
On the Sd of May last near Rome, Geor-
gia, my command having become so re-
duced by hard fighting and marching, dur
ing the seven days previous, that it was
evident to me that we (about fifteen hun
dred officers and men) would fall into the
hands of the enemy, and, after holding a
council of war with my regimental COM
| manders, it was decided to capitulate, and
thus to secure the best terms possible for
the command as condition of surrender.
! In accordance with this decision met
Gen Forrest, under flag of truce, when
stipulation was entered into between
him and myself, whereby it was agreed
that my command should surrender as
prisoners of war, on the following cond-
ii ms, to wit:
1. Each regiment should be permitted
to retain its colors.
2. The officers to retain their side arms.
8. Both officers and men were to retain
their haversacks, knapsacks and blankets;
| QnH oil rrvato Of
ton was to be respected and retained by
| the owner
The above terms were in measure re-
spected while we remained with General
Forrest; but no sooner were we turned
over to the rebel authorities than a system
of robbing commenced which soon relieved
US of everything valuable in our possession.
The blankets, haversacks and knapsacks
were taken from my men at Atlanta
They were also robbed of nearly all their
money, and most of them lost their over
coats at the above named place. Here,
too, the cOlOrs and side arms were taken
from US. My men were turned into an
enclosure without shelter of any kind,
destitute of blankets and Overcoats, as |
have before stated, and kept under guard
for four days, during which time a most
disagreeable cold storm prevailed; after
which they were sent forward to Rich
mond and soon exchanged.
My officers were sent to Richmond after
a stay of about ten days in Atlanta. On
our arrival at the rebel capital we were
all searched separately, and all moneys
found in our possession were taken from
us. For few days thereafter we were per-
mitted to draw small sums of our money
for the purpose of purchasing food. But
this privilege was sOOE denied u.s.
l then asked and obtained permission
from the rebel authorities for the officers
to send home for money, clothing and pre-
visions. The clothing and provisions wero
generally delivered to the parties ordering
them, providing the package or box con-
tanning them was not broken open and RI
fled of its contents before it reached it's
destination, which was frequently the case;
but in no case within my knowledge has
the money been delivered to the owner.
The retention of this money, after ex-
pressly agreeing to deliver it, is an act of
perfidy that beggars description. have
repeatedly called the attention of the rebel
authorities to the terms of my surrender,
and demanded that its provisions be COM
piled with; but Gen. Winder, command
ant of the prisoners, took from me the
stipulations signed by Gen. Forrest, which
he still retains, and refused to be governed
by its provisions. My officers, together
with something near one thousand other
United STATES officers, are confined in a
large warehouse building, with an average
space of about twenty five feet square to
each man. This includes all room for
washing, cooking, eating, sleeping and ex-
ercising. They have no hunks, chairs, or
seats of any kind furnished them, conse-
quently the. both st and sleep on the
floor The windows of the buildings were
entirely open until about the middle ofDe.
ceInber last, when pieces Of canvass were
furnished for the purpose of closing them
to keep the cold out but, as this would
leave us in the dark, we were compelled
to leave portion Of them open and en-
dure the cold.
Many of the officers were entirely des-
titute of blankets until our government
sent a quantity to US in the forepart Of
winter. The supply of blankets is now
exhausted, and officers who have been
captured during the last six weeks have
none furnished them. riasf la. ia4
1uc TdtloUS luTulSucO UOtu ODlC0To duu
men by the rebels consist of about one
pound of corn bread. made from unbolted
meal, and one-fourth of pound Of fresh
meat, per day The meat has been issued
to the prisoners but about half the time
since the first of December last. In addi-
ton to the rations of bread and meat as
a owe stated, the prisoners draw about
two quarts OF rice to one hundred men.
There is sufficient quantity of salt fur
nished, and very small quantity of vim
egar Twill here remark that, in few
instances, say six or eight times at most,
d small quantity of sweet potatoes has
Deen Is ued instead of the rations of meat.
Inc above is the sum total of the rations
ISSUED 70 our officers and men now prison.
Ihe condition of our unfortunate enlist
ea men, now in the hands of the enemy,
Is much worse than that of the officers.
P Pn early in May last, when / arrived in
richmond, to about the first of December.
all the enlisted men were taken to what