Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1865-09-29
Iron tho Louisville Democrai.l aaf
Southern PrIsOns-Trcaimen OF Prisoners
OF War, &c.
CLARKsviLLE, TEsNg Sept. 10, 1865.

Southern Prisons Treatment or Prisoners
OF War, &c.
CLARKsviLLE, TESS, Sept 10, 1906.
! Me,us. Edfors: In looking over The proceed
ings in The case " Capt Wlrz, late cofnfnabdant
Of the military prison at Anderecnville 0corgin,
now on trial nj Washington for his life, for atrOc-
ties charged 10 have been committed by him upon
Federal prisoners In his custody, observe that the
impression Is sought to be made that the crueIties
said 10 have been perpctrated ~ that prison were
not only unusual at military prisons and were ac-
tually committed, but that they were authorized
and ordered by the Confederate Government Tho
object of this effort ~ throw additional odinm up
ON tho Confederate Government u very iranspa-
rent II Is done, rs conceive simply for the par-
pose Of furnishing fresh pretexb for the persecu-
ton Of the distinguished Confedcrates now lying
In tho Government prisons awaiting their trials.
Whether the trial Of Captain Writ will be
fair one or not the result will show. or thai do
not nov intend 70 speak, Certain II u, that Wit
nefseS have been introduced 10 establish the fact 0f
customs and usages In the treatment Of Federal
prisoners at Andersonvie, which every intelligent
man nj all convenant with the subject knows 10
have been universal In prisons both North and
South. Such for Instance, as deprvIng prisoners
Of their money when they entered the prison, and
shooting them II they passed tho dead line, and
the Republican press have held up their hands In
holy horror at these hypocrical narratlons, at IL
no such customs prevailed In Northern prisons and
no Confederate prisoners had ever been starved
murdcred. or robbed Ths great no,nt which az
penra 10 be relied on IN estabs The fct of rypeiv
10 The nrlsoners Al AndsTsony ys 4 the orsat ,on.
lalIty which occurred there. The mortality was
certainly without parallel In any Southern prison.
but II the statements Of Northern presses, who
have been candid enough 10 speak out on The sub
Iec. and the narrative OF prisoners themselves can
be relied on, the ratio of mortality 10 the nu,nbot
confined, viii be found vpon ipysstIoaton 10 have
bees about as great IN some Al least of the North
arm prisons. This faet boweyer. viii M bo devsi.
oped at this time. for II would rebound 10 The In.
ter,at of Csptan WIrtz and that I nresn,n, n ra,
ths object OF the present prosecution. NV GfT'.
Andersonyllle proyed. upon ,rlnl. N Ia a ve,v
unhealthy location for men on Northern ennstitn.
tons. Neither tho climate or the water seemed io
agree with the prso,ora eon6ued thore. Tho un !.
derstandlng throurhpnt The south was thai an,
prisoners received the nimc ratIona as tho sodicr
Of the Confederate a,,sy. and Inc fact Thai tbrv
were without shelter obea for little yben n N "a.
memborod tbat thew ere soldiers and that th,
soldiers Of the coniSdc,uto army had for wears mo-
other Covering thaa ,h9 broad eano,v NJ hesyar
To establish The eba,rs % that y Iba yUopisdsrS,c a,
Government was A mari, To nny ,nuaual practices
which NAV be deyelopcd. n must he shown thnt
tho prncticea refcrrod 10 ware common IN Mi tho
PRISONS and II Il Il alleged TINT tho cxtraordnnry
mortality AT Andersonvliie was Tho ros,lt of orusi
ucs, Il mrst be shown that The same mortality wa,
exhibited Al Tho other nrIsona nao far thn nssons
were Mi under tho general suncrylalou and dlree-
ton of the same oiiuer--.tl,o ConnhIsanry Cc,eta,
OF prisoners. General Windor filled this Office for
a considerable time, and was aucceedcd upon hIs
death by Gen. piliow.
/ happen 10 bo IN nosuesslon NJ h met which hasA
an lmportau, bearing upon this pont nnd which
Ia too Intimately connected with Tho ,ruth of bIs.
tory 10 be suppressed. ia Ia thls,
On or about lhe ss,h of Aprll last The Pos, sur.
ueon Of tho prison nj Cahnbn. which yvas lueatcd
Ia few mIlea ffom Selms. Alabama aen, IN the na-
por with which wns Connected. eomnlete list Of
The names of ali The Federal prisoners Who hal dod
lin that prison from the date of ls establishment to
that time, pcrlod Of about ono wear lind nlnoed
tho document on Re for pubilca:ion. hut tho sud
den arrival of tho army under tho command of
(,en Wilson, and the ospture of The eily nroy,n-
ted n, This lls, embraced, nS nearly as Tenn now
remember about one hundroi and f,lty namcs nnd
hat was The sum total Of deaths out of tha Avn
Thousand prisoners who had been confined thore
during tho year Can tho reooris az any N ,rthsrn
prIson show 40 small ratio Of u,ortallyS imay.
Inc not, + m .-f-'-I0 ~ n'1~'F 'I' - '
i Al the earnest fcauoat of Cant. A. Hodge A. A.
a., ON the stalf OF Cen, Wnslo,v of C,sn' Wlaoaa
army, gave the list 10 him, upon his promise that