The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-28
CHE aotfolk Post.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2s, 1865.
How We Treated Our Prisoners.
from the New York Tribune ]

prisoners were lnhulidhlS liedttu WI II
not much longer be persisted in. Mr.. ii
Lawley. of the London Times, will find r.
even his imagination oyertasked to eX- q
plain away Belle Isle and Andersonville. u
Mr. Baker, counsel for Wirz, in his last n
speech to the Court, does not pretend to i
be able to control the evidence already ]
in. All he proposes is, in some cases, to {
prove an dlibi for his client, and in the I
rest to show that he was acting under
orders from Richmond. This being the
case, the Rebel organs here and abroad
indicate change OF tactics. Thed efen- +,
sive is to be exchanged for aggressive,
and sort of tn quOque to be pleaded at
the bar of public opinion. II the Rebels
treated their prisoners cruelty, SO INA the
| Unionists that is to be the next allega-
| ton. -'l i. .lE..
We are very glad to havethe question h.
raised. II happens that the evidence is
| already ut hand, and whatever Is want
ing is sure to be ELECTED in the course of
the discussion. If any OF it bears hard
on our side, so be it; we will readily give
il all the weight it is entitled to-" lndi-
vidual cases of hardship may have oc-
Cured there may have been instances
of cruelty; if so, none reader than we
that the guilty parties should be exposed
and punished. 1t would be strange If
among the numberless officers on our
side charged with the care of Rebelpris-
Oners. now and then one had not shown
himself cruel; whether moved by the |
atrocities he believed were inflicted on |
his fellow soldiers, or being himself by |
nature brutal. But the fact will still re-
main that the prisoners in our hands
during the war We're, as rule, tfeatea
with great Kindness, with every atten.
ton to their comfort and of course with
perfect freedom from anything like the
intentional and systematized 6arbarlty
which, Oh the part Of the Rebel Coniea ..
eracy, was instigated and authorized by,
} | its highest officials.
A recent letter to Washington paper
gives good account of the condition OF
the Rebels at one of the largest of our
prisons. Fort Delaware. But the fullest
and most satisfactory testimony Is sup
/ piled by the report of the Sanitary COM
mission, to which we have often re-
ferred for proof of the outrages our
y soldiers suffered. OF that report we de-
il. sire to repeat that though it has some
90 times been characterized abroad as
partisan document, it has never been
- successfully impeached in single par
ticular. 1t was published with the evl
dence on which it was based. 1T con
tains nearly two hundred pages of swori
testimony from about seventy Unlol
and Rebel soldiers. No fact thus sworn
fo has ever been specifically contradic
ted nor the veracity of a single witnes
assailed. More than a year before TN
nublic. and sustaining every test D.
which such statement can be urea, !
is entitled to full faith and credit II
every respect. 1t was deemed at tl
time, we remember, superfuous PAIN
r.. present evidence of good treatment y, Q
| fLnNnrnnlpnt.
VOC. ,Dt assaults of such papers as tn
"a Nav York Daily NeWs, and such mel
z, os Mr. Lawley, prove that the precl'i
We tion W as not in vain.
< rGThe, paragraphs we quote, are not eA
Cd Cd preston of opinion; they are ssiinpi.
pponwanie mt summaries of the evidence
cd AnJ f;rst as to the order of the Govern
go mant in re, ,pect to food and clothing 10
nj prisoners: ,,oro,,s an
abundant; its elements OF the fullest Va
!, riety. The am. 'unt issued being great
y than man coulf consume, she eAees
over that which was given was 70 70
- the formation of prison fund, ~nlcl
TX. ,,,as 70 he annlied in various ways INC
expressly provided for in the army regt
lationsl that would promote The heait
and comfort of the prisoners.
"Army clothing was to be iufhisie
nv reouisition whenever needea, I'll
only difference being that the button
and trimmings We're to be takeu iru v,
coats. aUd the skirts cut so short that u
iiR captiyes should not be mistaken 4
United States soldiers"
The care of the sick in hospital We
&C. scrupulously provided for
Wfhe hospital had its separate Prov
r. inns. The keepers in charge were 10 !
I NJ to-
for its good order, and the proper trea
ment Of the siclS.n A fund for each no
n;tal was to be created as in other IN
ted States hospitals, and to be eXpeno'
for the comfort of the sick, and 'obJec
indspensably necessary to promote u
- sanitary condition of the hospital
- Minute pains were taken to secure t
R, nrivate property of prisoners, anu TO
low them intercourse with their ffieno
iCarefll accounts were to be Kept
the money and Nalnabies taken ire
each prisoner, which accounts were
accompany him if transferred rom o
most to another; and when paroled t
articles We're to be returned. IN
tn wore to he permitted to correspond wi
~ their friends. All articles that We're Sc
. them were to be delivered, ifnot co
FIR aband.' A. n,
orn,nent as set forth IN the circui:.r
a. rs of Colonel Hoffman, Commissa
'.a'' aGennr'eral of Prisoners. Were they obey'
men Commissioners declare they
me % testify that the order IS J"tty G
$ and anle e vt. They took pains not only
rted 0, evidence as to the fact, but
procure procure Themselves. They visited, un
see ioI =. thc Lincoln hospital In wa
pecteuiS, here lay several hundred
naTe ng.' wonn ded in recent battles anu
&c. them hem ,,,,ras were airy and neat,
lowest "In 1a M"s%o odor, the beds so el
ms, from iron tbe visito rs sat upon them mem "
It's, taking the test imo.y dn GOOD ,ie snotn
s sSs o wefS Slightly wounded ero yong
4 NJ curi9us n.:yot W 10 retire; some
"A ~ until f eI their beads reading novel
IT'S s, sa SSu ny OF periodicals, now
t then the Bible. They We're a.. away ~, ~ :
then Tue s.' and answered the cues
'i'' to t6s e4n Were but to- them without HI
ton. .,o,Id see no diffel
and the in these two wards from the he, sweI
!. II, ,ao s Others in t he same hosplsgats
rpnAy inoIe os,,ronriatel to the Uhitea :