Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-30

grave on Johnsons island to-day who woul,
not be there had he been allowed wholesom
food and enough of it. Thousands die,
from over eating Immediately. after their re
lease from Northern prisons, and thousand
have returned to their homes with thei
health prematurely impaired by long star
vation.
| Nor were the authorities ignorant of thi
suffering. The Confederate surgeons, in tn,
| prison at Johnson's Island, met and prepar
ed statement and sent it to the command
ant, In which they feelingly and truthful,
depicted our condition. They showed, from
tables prepared by scientific men, wha
| quantity of certain character of food wa.
actually necessary to sustain healthy human
existence, what was allowed by the order o.
| the Commissary General of the prisons, and
what we received !; and that the latter wa.
totally insufficient A copy of this paper
was also sent out in some way and found is
way tossthe columns Of The Netrs, but all pro.
duced no change in the treatment of prison
ers; and the Sandusky Register; edited by a
| couple of Dutchmen with unpronouncable
names, as if to add insult to injury, boasted
of the humane treatment awarded by the
United States Government, and cited in
S3OOOO constituting prison fund, had been
realized from the sale Of rations that we had
been unable to consume, and was then in
charge of the commandant of the Island.
How was this done? 1t must have been by
shortening our rations before they were sent
in to us, for there never was any surplus to
send out. We then were systematically
cheated, stinted and starved to raise this
prison fund of $4,000; and what was done
with it? 1t was taken out of our stomachs; /;
1t never was put on our backs; what became
of it?
This same sheet, which often applied to US
the epithets, Devils demons" and "fends," ("
frequently alluded lin disparagement of the
Confederate government "so-called ") to the
fact that we were all comfortably-many
finely dressed as we passed through the city
to be exchanged, or, when released at the
close of the war. True, all were comfortably,
many finally dressed on such occasions. but
how came we by such clothing? Not. as
the Register made its dupes believe, by the
liberality of the United States government,
but through the active sympathy of outside
friends. They sent us the clothing, and we
went meanly clad in prison that we might
present a respectable appearance should we
return to Dixie" saw a Confederate Of
hcer made to stand on the head of barrel
placed near the main gate and between the
dead line" and the prison wall for what
were surely trivial oflenses | suppose it
was intended to degrade them in the eyes of
their fellows, but it only secured for them
our sympathy. As well as | now remember
Lieut.. John U. Shorter, a son or nephew of
the Hon. John G.. Shorter, was one of the
men thus punished He is gentleman in
the most exalted sense of the term, and
l have no hesitation in naming him, for
know he is not ashamed of his martyrdom.
Asto fires by thestrictest economy we man
aged to be tolerably comfortable last Winter,
in many instance from 90 to |
so men had the use of only one stove: but !
here was much suffering the Winter prece- |
ling: the wood furnished being inferior in |
quality and deficient in quantity. The off, |
,ers had either to be in their hunks or |
double quick" to and fro in their quarters |
o keep from freezing. The weather was so |
evere that some were frostbitten in passing |
o and from the sinks.
/ make nocharge against the commandant. |
do not know to what extent his inclina- |
ions were hampered by instructions. Imust |
ay that his personal bearing towards us was
Ilways courteous, and that he seemed at least |
o feel kindly.
Sir, my task is not a grateful one; it is one !
e compulsion. If we have erred, most !
have we answered for it. We |
re tired of wars and fighting; tired of strife |
nd pickering We have suffered as people |
lever suffered before Our land is land of |
mourning and desolation. We have been |
cathed and riven as it were by the lightnings |
nd thunderbolts of God. We have confess
d our inability longer to contend with the |
lowers welded against us. We have laid |
own our arms We have returned to the |
shes of our once happy homes. We ac-
the supremacy of the Govern
lent OF the United States; we are willing to
ield obedience to its constitution and its
iws. Let Us alone, that we may recuperate
ur exhausted energiesl Let US alone that
e may repair our ruined fortunesl Let us
lone, that we may clear away the rubbish
nd build again upon our old hearthstonesl
,et us alone that we may weep over the
raves of our slaughtered kinsmenl
If the war was a crime, does not some of
lie guilt lie at your own door? Answer
lis as you must at last answer it at the bar
the Great Judge Doubtless we did
Iany wrong things; are your hands clean
lave you no sense of justice, no charity, no
Is ii generous; is il manly,
it Christian to abuse a fallen brother 10
ugh at his calamity; to exult over his
Iisfortune2 .
We want tpeace-permanent, lasting peace.
10 you? or are your professions false and
eceitful? If you do, then cease reviling |
81 If you do, welcome him again to the
d homestead and the old hearthstonel If |
Du do, cease TO throw obstacles in the path |
lat the President has marked out for recon-
ruction and reconciliation, and aid him in
is patriotic effort If you do, catch at
hat you must know is the inclination Of
Ie President with regard to Jefferson
avis, that the doors of his prison may open
Nd the tottering, heart-broken man gohOme
his impoverished and weeping wife and ,
tile ones If you do, do not celebrate the ,
of your victories and our final
ID irretrievable fall for they were victories
'er brethrenl IL you do, erect no monu-
ents on the fields Of our disasters! If yon
}, lay by your banners, weather-beaten,
ood-stained and battle-torn. Place them
a corner Of some dark garret, lock the !
'or and fling the key away Finally, if .
u do, come now, help us to fling the dark
III Of oblivion upon the sickening drama
the last five years, never TO be removed :
Thus, may we have an enduring peace. !.
peace that will, with the lapse Of time, ,, ,
ace all traces Of the sorrows and the suffer
gs of the present and the past. A peace
at will cause our destroyed towns and cities =
rise phenix-l like from their blackened and Il
AIRED ruins and smoldering ashes. a 4,
ace that shall wave the ready harvest on =
Ids that yesterday bristled with revenge =
steel and shook beneath the tread Of en-
tiled hosts. A peace under whose re-
and re-viyifying influence, we
" without assumption aspire TO be. tr
Z" Amid the subject seas,
That thunder round our rocky coast, set up q