The Portland daily press., 1865-09-09
~ TELEGRAPH.
TO. THE DAILY PRESS.


ing tnat tabnerS Nnclan and Hamilton he
permitted to visit him in their pastoral capac;-
". The prisoner net being in the custody OF
The court, the letter win be referred to the War
Department for its action, there being no do',ba
the reque.t will be granted. 'S
Lieutenant Prescott Tracy testified to Can't.
Werz's cruelty, and among the acts mentioned
was the shooting and killing of a man who had
stepped over the dead line while endeavorino
TO obtain water. Witness having annlied for
better food, Werz said he would race fine wit
ness into hell
W. Z. Rouse, of the It'll Pa. Reserves. testi-
led to seeing Werz knock down a man who
lad been IN the stocks, and he died the next
lay AFTER being released. He stated the par
iculars attending the shooting of five men at
IS many different times. 70
Col. Chapman said he now proposed to in
Sroduce documentary evidence to show that
ihe department at Richmond had knowledge
d the condition of the prisoners at Anderson
vile in May last 3
Capt G. M. Zelph, of the rebel army, and
our years in the Adjutant Generals office at
Richmond, identified the handwriting of How
e1 Cobb, IN letter dated Macon, May 9Th,
1904, to Adjutant General Cooper. Cobb says
ne has examined the prison, and presumeS its
character Is well understood at Richmond, and
therefore gives no descriptions. The danger
of prisoners escaping was not so great as he
aad supposed, with a guard of 1900 men
Ind four pieces of artillery and cavalry COM
)any, all apprehension of escape would be
luieted. He had arranged to send two regi-
nents of infantry there, which, with the de-
atched companies of Col Pearsons' regiment,
would be an ample infantry force. He recon-
nends the erecting of a hospital building out
ide of the prison.. The prison, he says, is al
'eady too much crawded, and no additional
chOrrld ho f1ao1o baa-
enlarged. He had already stated that there
we're $4,000 there. The effect of increasing
ne number within the present area must be a
,errific increase of sickness and death during
he summer months. Il understand, p he says,
an order has been given for charging the
prison. If it was possible to make another
Prison it would be much better. The water
will not be sufficient for the accommodation OF
the increased number of prisoners. The gen
sral management of the prison under General
Pearsons is satisfactory The duties of the
inside command are admirably performed by
Col Werz, whose place it would be difficult to
ill. l still think the rank of the officer of the
post should be a Brigadier General, in view of
the number of troops that will be under his
command" Accompanying this is a report
rom DIR. Eldridge, his chief surgeon, which
says the prisoners are too much crowded. He
uggests various improvements, and pays
compliment to DR.. Whites medical ministra-
lions.
A report from Werz to Major Turner, dated
May 18th, 1864, was. also, filed, in which he
says he would commence to enlarge the stock
ade as soon as he could get enough negroes,
and asks promotion. at5
A report from Gen. John H. Winder to
Zen. Cooper, dated July 10Th, 1884, was also
submitted, stating that the number of prison
ers was 29,2o0, and that many of them are of
most desperate character, giving the number
If the guard, &c. He says, "You speak of
placing the prisoners properly. do not ex-
lctly comprehend what is intended by it,
know of but one way to place them, and that
IS to put them into the stockade, where they
have between four and five square yards to the
nan. This includes streets and two acres of
sround about,the stream
A letter was also put in evidence from Act
ing Adjutant and Inspector General Chandler.
lated Andersonyille, July 9TH, 1864, to Col.
Chiffon, Assistant Adjutant and Inspector
General at Richmond. He gives an account
Of his inspection Of the prison, saying that for
. to 90 yards on each side, except the edges
)f the stu am, the soil is sandy and easily
Trained, but for 20 to 50 yards on each side Of
he stream it is muddy marsh, totally unfit
or occupation, and having been constantly
used as sink since the prison was first estab-
ished, it is now in a shocking condition, and
cannot fail to breed pestilence. He saws an
effort is being made by Capt. Werz to fill up
the marsh and construct sluice, the upper
end to be used for bathing, etc. and the lower
rs a sink, but the difficulty of procuring lum-
Der and tools very much retards the work, and
threatens soon to stop it. No shelter whatev-
er, nor materials for constructing any, have
been provided by the prison authorities, and
The ground being entirely bare of trees, none
IS within reach of the prisoners, nor has it
been possible, from the over-crowded state of
the enclosure, to arrange the camps with any
system. Each man has been permitted to
protect himself as best he can by stretching
blanket, OF whatever he may have, above him,
on such sticks as he can procure. OF other
shelter there has been none. There is no.
medical attendance within the stockade.
Many 20 yesterday are carted out daily
who have died from unknown causes. and
whom the medical officers have never seen.
The dead are hauled out daily by the wagon
load, and buried without collins, otheir hands
being in many instances first mutilated with
an axe in the removal of any finger rings they
may have. Raw rations have to be issued to
a very large portion who are entirely unpro-
vided with proper utensils, and furnished SO
limited a supply of fuel that they are compelled
to dig with their hands in the filthy marsh be-
fore mentioned for 1oots, &C. No soap or
clothing has been issued. q
After inquiry, the writer says :-"I am con-
fdent that, with slight exertions, green corn
could readily be obtained The present sospi-
tai arrangements are only intended for the ac-
comodation of 10000 men, and are totally in
sufficient, both in character and extent. for the
present needs,-the number of prisoners being
now more than three times as great. The
number of cases requiring medical treatment
is an increased rate. 1t is impossible to state
the number of the sick,-many diving within
the stockade, whom the medical officers have
never seen or heard of until theiI remains are
brought out for interment.5i ,ii 5sAs
10 The transportation of the post is also rep
resented to be entirely insufficient, and author
ity is needed by the quarter-master to impress
wagons and teams, and saw-mills when not
employed by the government, and kept dill
gently occupied and Instructions given to the
quarter-master in charge of transportation to
afford every facility practicable for transport
ing lumber and supplies necessary for the
prisoners. sAL ~ sg
A supplementary report is made by the Of
ficer, in which he says the conduct Of Werz is
entitled to commentator, and that he is prop
erly qualified for his position, and recommend,
him for promotion. is. l2s g M
1t appears from other papers that Assistant
Secretary OF War Campbell, endorsed the re-
ports, saying they show a condition of things
"AAfNiA
ment, the prison being reproach to the Com
federates as nation. np asst "a sssi
Col. Chapman also offered in evidence the
reportof the rebel Surgeon General Moore to
show that the fault at the hospital was owing
to DR.. White, the latter having tailed to send
his requisition direct to the medical purveyor.
Col. Chandler, it appears from another doc
ument, suggests the removal of Gen. Winder
as Superintendent of prisoners, and the sub
stitution of some one who has feelings of hui
mainly, and who viii not, like Winder, suffer
the prison to remain as it was in order that the
excess of prisoners may be removed by disease
and death. The discomforts and sufferings
are represented to be almost Incredible, with a
lrighttul per centum of mortality, thus show
ing criminal Indifference on the part ofthose
charged with their care and comfort 81
Capt. DELPHI also swore to the official char
acter OF the rebel documents to show chat Gen.
Winder had power to make impressments for
the comfort OF the prisoners.
fIoa