, 1865-07-11
BAKHAR4sUSI TKEAYMEsT
OF Union PRISONERS.


r.. vz,,n ~, lsL2s MoNTRns1, ,1 June 81, 1865.
tor17). in Which, afcr fcmarklny upon . leg;s1a.
tire report which eeets recently to have g9tned
Pqa'eat,en; smauastns from eoasui!tee Or the
Coz grees. relatlse to the treatment OF Union
prisoner of var, Joa say We take It for
granted that The report now published is that
St1.te, Of which Henry Foote, once ef Mlssts-
f1ppf, hut neW Of parts Unknown, was member.
That rent1eman, after corrang through INTO the
during The luvettgstaoEs 9f the SUBJECT, ttey ob.
tained po!i1ve fncfs snd dAts, proving bevoud a
shadow Of doubt that the system Or ,nhum.u
csded upon In Cabinet meeting 1t Richmond,
for the cxpr esed purpose Of b1falny down the
constitutions o1 the meu, and making them uee-
less as soldiers when exchanged" regret to
ray thst tseEe ere tcversl errors IN regard to
Hatttte Of fact IN the Sentence quoted, which /
feel bouLd at once to eorre.t.
aiy eon tn.1aw, who Is Referred to. Is the Hon.
WtllisnM. Stewart, one OF the United Stalcs
Senators tr6m the new state Of Nevada He Is
one ofthe moet congregations and Correct men iu
thsvord, ,snd hssey'een II been ntsQn7er to ID by
i'll tEealnLnt Of prisoners Of war by the Confades
ate authorihee has been with mt fur zone time
past ost painful and disgussinR subject, and
have tnaeavoret, 90 1ar a. could do 70, to steer
clear OF II in conversation altogether. t,vc been
especially dealIous Of being elIent In regard to
this distressing sfalr stnca the arrest Of several
Q4.
Ing effc ally 1cfronsb,e for such n.iireatmeut Of
military prisoners - may haze occurred, have,
though, en- various ecc,s1on.. some ume ac0-and
doubt'es* dld to NJ SIN tn-law. Senator Stevatt-
erced ma openly and fotmally to g1ya up
ms Official connect On with The Confederate Gov
coopscation, the suspension Of the writ Of h1beas
eorpus, the tyrannteal arrest and coDdneuens OF
cinzrDs enter ta.nirR ard expressing Unloa seuti.
mcuts, in p'1son; the displacement Of meritp.
uh4t 1t7x3a
opposition 10 iii mea.ures loo1ing to tic testora
tlon OF peace; the obvlors tendency OF cvpry
brunch q he government towards ths orgsnisa-
tion OF an irresponsible dtrpotism}, bad been
powerfully Influenced BY what l hid boen com.
] u, Mt oi Il usioriurata lid dafsaseess pIlsonsrs oi
war. My exposition OF Facts relating to this sub
ject wss principally connected with the dreadful
utrtzinss reported to have been inflicted upon
pfieonert confined 1t AndersouylIic, In the Site
Of Georgia. authentic information III regard to
which reached me Just beforo left Richmond
ToucSti ? the Congressional report referred to,
h.yc this to say: A. Eonth OF two autesio: to
the date Of enid report, learned, from 8 govern
meet caicer ofsespe:;sbili1y, tha. tho prlsoIeFs
fI nar then COZ fined IN and about Richmond, wete
suffering severely ios ~ant Of ptovl.t rs. lie told
me further that it was snifcst to him that sys.
teEst:c sc:cme WEI on foot for suoIetting lht.sa
| tasy t'eneEs. Mr.. No.thnp, Il uaoet wicked aud
tesrtless wretch, } hsd I'd 'ressed a cemnualc =
| lion to Mr. Sod ., ma Secretary Of War. pro.
prslrg to withhold At altogether from military
prtopt rs then in cu.tcdy. and to gre them nn,h,
! ttE hut bread ard VERSAILLES, and that Mr. Srd.
| ton had ,toreed tho docu ncnt containing th!s
hat y min upon n .jos O1id. the Commissioa
er for exchange & prisoners. would be able q
ottAlu further information upon this tubitct. !
we1t TO NJ ]ot oald mmedisle'y, and ootaincd The
countcnance eurh bs,b4rts for a moment, re-
Rste1. r indeed the Aonor ufiha whuts soata !.
a. n ri; III anr oa, T,tagSt d.
constituted body to the subject mud tnssstc1 npof
an lmmtdiste eoumttee q invessxs ion,
wss nos. te.In0nicuslE eensnred b. sever
members for tnttod9tipg tho euh}ecs In ths
Housa at alt. But resolved 70 hare an ,nycsu
| uet n eoui5, or Al least to rescus my own char
al further connection with the Confeder.tc csRsl
muEuirc. and 1oal!y soecsedid In getting b,
committee Ini~d: fou will h1d, IN addition II
his report nadety the coumtt'ee, a c7us.dcrab,
: aee 81 testimony OF vasious kind. repot'ed witt
| tla. comnun caIlQn Of the C..mMissary Generl!
atoye referred 10, HEd the todDssemtn: OF Mr
trst. IN BIS judsrmrns, Inc time hss arrived i5
retaliation upon the prisoners OF WAT Of III
eIeHy.
| and Comfortable accommodation Of p!lsonefs q
| var would be in fntuta exhibited, / was cputcu
to It ffaiu ftctu he further dtscua.11n OF matte
! which bad given me Ereat chsEr1n aud Uoitlticl
| t0u- auu did not deem II Necessary eyen to NOV
for the PUBLICATION ef the report Of the eomm ta
sud The vo1um.ruus cy.detce appen cd. THIS
al knuw on the subject, aud tnia "a good dea
mere thaD 1t - at all pie altant TO femar ,er. III
hut just, thaCeb. 10 suh]otn tnat Rtchnocd wa
eoErtynt'y died with rumors Of the cruel treat
rient Of Contt derss prisoners Of war Ia North .r
| prison house, Whether I'll Of thtse ruMorS Fer
trne, or any pr. thereof, never had tho Ele IN
OF kroW1pE, and 1t Is, perhaps, not very N .tc,tn
TOW to ldQutEe-
You vii see, I cm tbs FINK and explicit state
mel Of facts. that hr case IL not 50 bad 30 f4t
l.sst as Mr.. D,r'a aud ha- cabinet are concernns
tere- tcstG or my Caatnet meet.ny on the SUI
jec-. @ra never Fptka of one. There wss TO ma
in Ri humid who, for tue three ytarr OF my de
| 01Hh!e ftsy there, KEW 20 little Of ttls views
afr. Davis ar the nufnrtn7st. Cattnet By whlr
be w1s sut111rued az did. l commented n
opposition TO them and their schemes on prime
pc, on the day Of my tret taking my s-at IN Ii
Confederate Conz.e:s, ard | KEEP: Il up sctivei
snd Da, zta,on;'5 1o1 DAY by day ~; ed honr ;
them fas. Dect tmf Ct End cssue within the mili,ar
lines RI the United St+tes In order to aid, II i
Ey power. in eGstting peace tn dtepfse of u
Ddtlx and the thn f<dtt dfA Eoagrstx, by meaua O
! which the nnfcrtupate pope OF the South ,otgn
/ be tnved from porucu Of the severe AnItF,ng
which they arc now e1dut1n2 with such czemp!s
[ ~ and conn entstie fortitu.e.
informant tca TO- ouht iuaGver:ant1yl c0mmltte
II tresfd 10 yerlk. take leave Ut this nausca
ing subject, ~ hope, for srer.
| haYe the homer 10 be yuur ubediert eerYant.