The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-21
Miss Dix Describes the Returned
Prisoners

met Miss Dorotha Dix this morning
sister to Major General Dix-the
guardian angel of one hundred hospi-
tals-a glorious woman in a sublime
cause. She was in futter of patriotic
excitement over the barbarous treat
ment of cur heroes who fall into rebel
hands. She had just returned from
Baltimore, she said, where she had been
at the request Of the Secretary 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 tongue run on, as an indignant
woman's viii, the sad rehearsal inter
larded with fierce gestures in the right
place | will tell you the story as she
told US:
had just got TO the wharf" she
said, "when our Flag-ofTruce boat, the
City Of New York, came in, and soon
the poor fellows began to land--four
hundred and fifty of them from Belle
Isle Such a sight 1t was regiment
of skeletons Most Of them had 70 be
carried off on stretchers. Several died
on the boat as they were lifted up.
Nine died on the wharf, hsping their
gratitude to God that, after all their
privations, they were permitted to die
under the old flag A majority was 50
weak that they could scarcely speak,
and in a hundred the brain seemed to
be implicated First, as near as we
could learn from the few who could tell
the story, they had been staryed-sys-
tematically they thought-only a mea-
gre scrap Of musty bacon being brought
TO them, with water, so that they grad
ually lost their strength, and became
mere skin and bone
-" Then they were left exposed in cold
weather to freeze. They were in such
q condition of hunger at any time that
a man would give his blanket or his
shoes for bit Of food, so that they be-
came almost deprived of clothing. 4
majority of them had their feet frozen
more or less Many had lost their feet,
and several had 70 have their legs am
putated after their arrival at Baltimore.
Besides, they were absolutely COW
cred with vermin, and in most dis
tressing state. i never saw any Of our
boys so flthy-never. They had been
huddled together like sheep, and as
their minds failed them and they be
came delirious, they gave less and less
attention to themselves
Immediately on their arrival they
We're ordered 10 have a thorough bath.
II was pitiable to refuse their feeble
cries for foodf food - for Gods sake
give me something to eatY-and our
great strong surgeons, whom ! never
saw shed tear before, cried like chill
dren when they were obliged to deny
the appeals, and confne their patients
to a simple diet and bath,
Most Of them had 70 be carried 10
the bathroom, but l saw one, apparent
" sturdieT than the rest, standing alone
in his blanket. snd ordered him to 20
alone to the bath. Without a word he
went In haitian hour he was found there
unconscious and helpless, his mind
and strength having failed him togeth-
er. An attendant lifted him up and
supported him as be got out, and acct
dentaily trod on one Of his feet, when
IL care eg!-haying been frozen to thai
degree during the dreadful exposure Of
the winter.
"A majority OF the poor fellows are
manned or invalid for life; many of
them are hopelessly insane, also It
seems TO have been the deliberate
policy of the rebels 70 return al our
prisoners in such condition that they
can never more be Of service 20 US,
oh, sir, said Miss Dix, If your pa
pers could only stir up the ADMINISTERS
ton TO some adequate retaliation for
these awful crimes against humanity
and If that car not be, tell your people
Of Rochester to send their soldiers eEen
more freely TO conquer these savages,
and secure protection through victory.
--CorresPoHdesee Rochester Democrat