Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-27

xilbassss ShS Ssfs AZ folht hooSoht, Fort belsl
Nafe. Camp Morton AID Camp Douglas, testify
that they have often seen our meh picking upthe
scraps and refuse thrown out from the kitchens,
with which TO appease their hunger DR.. Her
rington proves that at Fort Delaware hnwhole'
some bread and water produced datrhOta in mum.
beress cases among our prisoners, ard that
"their sufferings were greatly aggravated by the
regulation of the camp which forbade more than
twenty men at tine at night to go TO the sinks.
have seen as many as five hundred men in
row waiting their time The consequence was
that they were obliged 10 use the places where
where they were. This produced great want OF
cleanliness, and aggravated the disease" Our
men were compelled 10 labor In unloading Fede'
raj vessels and In putting mp buildings for Fede'
raj officers, and, If they refused, were driven TO
the work with Cluts.
The treatment Of Brig. Gen. j. II. Morgan and
his officers wBs brutal and ignOminious in the ex-
trene. II will be found .tated in the dispositions
of Captain N. d. Logan, Lieutenant W. p Crow,
Lieutenant Colonel James b. McCreary, and
! Captain B. A. Tracy, that they were put in the
Ohio Penitentiary, End compelled TO submit to the
/ treatment of feons. 1heir boards were shaved,
and their hair was cut close 10 the head. They
( were confined in eonvicts' cells, and forbidden 10
I sneak 10 each other For attempts 10 escape and
far other offences of very light character, they
I were subjected to the horrible punishment of the
| dungeon. In midwinter, with the atmosphere
many degrees below zero, without blanket or
I oyercoat they were confined in cell, without
| fire or light, with fetid and poisonous air TO
/ breathe-and here they were kept until life was
1 nearly extinct Their condition on coming out
! was 20 deplOrable as TO draw tears from their
comrades. The blood vas oozing from their
hands and faces. The treatment in he ST. Louis
urlson was equally barbarous. Captain William
I H. Sebrng testihes Two OF US, A. Z. Grimes
7 and myself We're carried out into the open air in
the prison yard on the 25th Of December, 1858 and
bandcuffed TO post. Here we were kept all yht
! in sleet snow and cold. We were relieved in the
| day time but again brought TO the post and hand
cuffed to II in the evening-and thus We were
kept all night until the % Of January 1854. |
was badly frost bitten and my health was much
Unmarried. This cruelinhiction was done by or.
der Of Captain Byrnes, COmmandant Of Prisons
in ST. Louis. He was barbarous and insulting to
the st degree"
OUR PRISONERS PUT INTO CAMPS INFECTED WITH
SMALLPOX.
But even q greater inhumanity than any we
have me ntiOned whs perpetrated upon our prison.
ers at Camp Douglas and Camp Chase. 1t Is
proved by the testimony of Thomas p. Holloway,
John p, Fennel II. II. Barlow, II. C.. Barton, Z.
ID. Bracken, and j. $. Barlow, that our prisoners
in large numbers were put into condemned
camps where smallpox was prevailing, and
speedily contracted this lOaths0Te disease, and
that as many as forty new cases often appeared
daily among them. Even the Federal officers
who guarded them 10 the camp protested against
this. unnatural atrocity; yet 1t was done. The
men who contracted the dis-a we're removed TO
a hospital about a mile OF, but the plague was
already introduced, and continued to prevail
For period of more than twelve months the
disease was constantly 10 the camp; yet our
rrisoners during all this time were continually
brought 10 IT, and subjected to certain infection.
Neither do we find evidences of am sndment on
the part of our enemies, notwithstanding the
boasts of the sanitary commission" At Nash
Vile, prisoners recently captured from General
Hoods army, even when sick and wounded, have
been cruelty deprived Of all nOurishment suited TO
their condition and other prisoners from the
same army have been carried into the infected
Camps Douglas aud Chase.
Many of the soldiers OF General Hoods army
were frost bitten by being kept day and night in
an exposed condition before they were put int2
Camp Douglas Their suferlngs are truthiully
depicted in the evidence. At alton and Camp
Morton the same inhuman practice Of putting
our prisoners into camps injected by smallpox,
prevailed Ii was equivalent TO numbering many
of them by the torture Of a contagious disease
The insufficient ratons at Camp Morton forced
our men to appease their hunger by pounding up
and boiling bones picking up scraps Of meat and
cabbage IRON the hospit i slop tubs and even
eating rats and dogs. The depositioDs of VIM.
Ayres and j. Chambers Brent prove these priya.
tons.
BARBARoUs rUSGsHMESIs.
The punishmeuts often inflicted our men for light
have been compelled ride plank only inches
wide called "Morgans horse TO sit down with their
naked bodies In the for ten fifteen minutes,
and have been subjected 10 the ignominy OF stripes
from the belts Of their guards The preteXt has been
ed that many Of their acts Of cruelty have been by
way OF retaliation. But evidence has been found
To- nrove such acts on the part OF the Confederate
tharities remarkable that in the OF Colonel
Streght and his officers, they were subjected only TO
the ordinary confinement Of prisoners OF war: No
special punishment was used except Tor speelhc Of
fences; aud then the greatest nllelon was 10 connne
Col Streight for few weeks in basement room Of the
Libby prison, with window, plank floor, stove, n
We do not deem 1t necessary to dwell further on
these subjects. Enough has been proved TO show that
great prvatiOn aud suerings have been borne by the
prisoners on both sides.
WHY HAVE NOT PRISONERS OF WAR BEEN EXCHANGED.
But the question forces itself upon why have these
prisoners been exchanged, and thus OF the
darkest pages OF history spared TO the world' In the
answer this question must be found the test of
spousibiity for all the suerings sickness and heart;
broken sorrow that have visited more than eighty
question, your committee only say that the Con-
tedsrate authorities have always desired prompt aud
ueut of cartel they urged such exchange, but could
never effect It by agreement until the large preponde-
the Federal TO consent 10 the cartel Of July
22d lS3 The sth article OF that agreement expressly
arise h should no, interrupt me release Of prisoners parole
but should be made the subject Of friendly eNplana-
Of the enemy in seducng negro slaves from their mas
ters arming them and putting white officers over them
which questions Of crime under the Internal laws Of
the Southern States appeared. Whether men who en-
cDuraged iusur ec.Ou and murder could be held emit
tied 10 the privileges OF prisoners OF war under the
cartel, was a grave question. But these cases were
The general exchange. We were always ready aud
anxious carry out the cartel In its true meaning, aud
H. certain that the 9Th article required that the pris
oner on both sides should be released and that the
few cases a. to which. Misunderstanding occurred
should be left for hnal decision Doubtless II the
pfepouderance OF prisoners had continued with us,
Changes would have continued. But the fortunes Of
emies. Theu they refused further exchanges and for
twenty-five months this policy has continued. our
20 renew them. In August 1854 he consented to
proposition which had been repeatedly made, TO eN-
change officer for officer and man tor man. leaving the
surplus in activity. Though this was departure from
the cartel our anxiety for the exchange induced US TO
consent ct the Federal authorities repudiated their
previous offer, aud refused even this partial com
pliance with the cartel Secretary stanton, who has
humanity is open the charge OF having done all IN
his power prevent fair exchange, and thus TO pro-
Gently in letter over his signature, Benjamin +:
Butler has declared that in April ls, the Federal
a single able bodied man " and moreover, Cen But
Ter acknowledges that In answer TO COL Guide letter
eonsenng the exchange, officer for officer and man
for man, Es wrote a reply, mot automatically but
obrusively aud demonstrailvey net Joi NE PErPose
preventing aud stopping the exchange, and JHrHitng
ground on ohieh ge could fairly stand" ,.
Of refusing to exchange prisoners Of rests with the
Government OF the United States and the people who
have sustained that Government; aud every sigh Of
captivity every groan OF suffering every heart bro:
ken by hone deferred among these eighty thousand
prisoners will accuse them in the judgment Of the
Just. go
Salisbury aud other places south Of Richmond, your
committee have not made extended examination, for
reasons which have already been stated We are sat
ished that privation suffering and mortality TO an ex
tent much TO be regretted, did prevail among the pr
there but they were not the result OF neglect
st less oil design the part Of the Confederate Gov
ernment Haste in preparation; crowded quarters
prepared only for a smaller number; frequent reno
walls to prevent reelpturs; want OF transportation aud
scarcity OF food have all resulted from the pressure Of
the war aud the barbarous manner in which II has
been conducted by enemies. Upon these subjects
vour further evidence, and