Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-12-02
THE WEEKLY FREE PR IS
The Horrors Of southern Prisons.

We confess that we have not the heart to
attempt to sum up in our " language the
horrible facts recently added to the volumes
of testimony heretofore published, of the sys
tcmatic barbarities Of the rebels towards our
prisoners in their hands. The recent ex-
change at Savannah, and the terrible condi-
ton in which our men are returned, has
opened the subject afresh. We have return
ed to the rebels, ten thousand rebel soldiers,
whose condition the Savannah papers ac-
knowledge was even better than they cxpec-
ted to see. and who, the same papers allege,
we're climorous to be at once sent to the
front, thus showing that they are in good
heart and fighting trim. The state of our
own mcn exchanged for these hearty rebels,
j. ,hue drrcrihed by the correspondent of the
y Y Herald who witnessed their recel-
t % ieluw savannah -
dur men were ragged beyond description.
zone Of them had nothing on them but panti-
looms, aud | noticed one pair Of inexprrss bl's
the legs Of which reached only pant Way to the
knees Of the wearer. Others had their limbs
bound up with strips Of blankets, in place Of any
o,hcr covering. Still others, who's garments
had by great care been kept together, were COW
cred with vermin, which ratified from them Ike
sand. The sick who we're unable 10 help them
selves ar all. we're cerrlialy the most piuabl,
objects I ever beheli. they were coyerrd with
pangrenuus. fung0us sores, harhors for worms
AMI magguts to crawl and wiggle ia. They we
doubled up - If in a permanent crLmp. Soue
Of them had their lips eaten asay by their loath-
some disease, and were enable even 10 pronounce
their NAMES. They were washed and shaved,
and FURNISHED with ura cloths; and then, hav-
ing been pltcel upon clean cots, were fed with
BISCUIT. cutfe and a little milk punch. The
tempers II many Of our men, as well as Their
phN steal frames, were worn out; and after get
ting a taste Of biscuit aud coffee some OF them
cried for more, a blbi,s cry for breast milk
AMI yet they confessed that they had not iii any
three days OF their Imprisonment eaten 50 much
as they had just Occurred"
The steamer A,l..uc brought to Annapolis,
on Friday G4J Il Ia, LIVING skeletons and 5 dead
bo hes; j hal Heeu buri,d in the sea. Our sur
geous were appalled, At the wreichei condition Of
the survivors. Not a man among the number
bur had to DC seut to the hospitals, many to
leave t en- ouly for the graveyard. The $50
on the Blackstone were If better condition.
Before our prisoners were moved from
Andersonyillc, ga, II 900 had been buried
there. The y. Y. Times publishes a list o:
5000 of these, and fills a large space with
colie OF the reports Of the rebel surgeons.
which furnish full proof of the cruelty Of the
treatment of our poor fellows. Men in the
last stages Of emaciatI0n from chronic diar-
rhea, received no nourishment whatever,
and starved to death on the coarse rations
which the stomach OF a strong man would
reject. Others suffering from gangrene and
ulcers, were compelled to iester in putridity
without even water to clease their lOathsome
sores. Week after week the diseased and
the dying were kept without shelter, and
many OF them without clothing, on the bare
ground, and exposed TO a torrid sun by day
and to heavy rams at all times, in total dis
regard Of the earnest appeals OF kind-hearted
physicians for their relief. And so the re-
cord goes through column after column Of
sickcnng details.
Fighting with savages, we still cannot
initiate these barhariucs but there must
b. a terrible reckoning coming, as sure as
there is a Just God, who has said Ven
gcAuce il nine | will repay"
Ne find ia the list in the n. Y. Tunes,
m,u-iuned above, the following names Of
s. sr.s irum Vermont, with the dates of
t..ir DEATHS.