New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-29

of Nav 1861 they provided that AL prisoners OF war
taken whether on land or sea- during sne nv
the captors from time To time. ana as o ~ an
convenient to the Department Of War ana ~ snau
be the duty of the Secretary OF War, with tue APP
proya of the President to issue such Instructions to the
Quartermaster. Genea AMI his suboriinates, e. sns.
provide for the safe custody and OF
Of war; and the ratons furnished prisoners OF war sea
be the same, in quantity and quality, those fur
nished to enlisted men in the army OF the
Confederacy." Such were the declared purpose ana
OF war-and amid all the privaons and losses TO whcn
their enemies have subjected them they have sousnto
carry them into effect
Our Investigations for this preliminary report nave
been confined chiefly to the raons aud treatment Of the
prisoners Of war at the LIBBY and other prisons in
cause the publications to which have alluded refer
chiefly to them. and because the No 6T Of the
Congress ss belief that .Ssn 'is
was farther South That report says; 1t WI be OBJ
served from the testimony that oil the witnesses who
testify upon that point state that the nrtS
Dalton Georgia. and other places. was iar more nu-
name Han that they received at Richmond. who're the
authorities Of the socaed Confederacy were congre'
The leydenos proves that the rations furnished to
prisoners Of wan In Richmond and on Belle ise bavo
been less than those furnished 70 the
soldiers who guarded them and have at some seasons
been larger in quantity and better In quality than those
furnished to Confederate troops in the hed, IAls
has been because until lco7,
master Department furnished the prisoners aud often
had provisions funds when the Commisiary
Department was not so well provided; once ana
only once. for few weeks the prisoners were
without meat but larger quantity OF bread aud yege.
table food was in consequence supplied to them how
often the gallant men composing the Confederate army
have beeh without meat, for even longer intervals,
your committee do not deem It necessary TO say. Nos
less six ounces Of bread and four ounces OF bacon
I the
most Of the time the quantity OF meat furnished 70 them
hes been greater than these amounts and even pes
of the greatest scarcity they have received as much
as the Southern soldiers who guarded them. The soar
CITY Of meat and Of breadstu In the South In certain
places has been the result Of the savage policy OF our
enemies in burning barns filed with wheat or corn.
destroying agricultural implements and driving on or
wantonly butchering hogs and cattle. Yet amid all
these prvstons. we have given to their prisoners the
ratiOns above mentioned 1t is well known that this
quantity Of food IL sufficient to keep IN health man
whe does not labor hard AL the learned disquistioDs
Of DR.. Ellerslie Wallace on the subject Of starya:
ton might have been spared, for they all founded
on false basis 1t will be observed that few, or anO
of the witnesses examined by the Sanitary Commits
sion" speak with any accuracy OF the quantity I'm
weight of the food actually furnished them Their
statements merely coDectural and comparative and
cannot weigh against the positive testimony OF those
who superintendent the delivery OF large quantities Oh
food cooked and distributed according 20 fixed ratio.
for the number OF men to be fed
FALsEHooDs PUBLISHED AS TO PRISONERS FREEZING
ON BELLEISLE
The statements of the Sanitary Commission" as to
prisoners freezing 10 death Belle Isle. sbsurdy
false According TO that statement. 1t was common,
during cold spell In Winter. to see several prisoners
frozen to death every morning "a se tuoes IN ws IpS
cite horrors but unhappy for its sensational power
it is but clumsy daub. founded on the fancy OF the
painter The facts are. that tents were furnished
sufficient to shelter all the prihoners; that tue
Confederate Commandant and soldiers on the Island
were lodged in similar tents that ire was furnished
In each of them that the prisoners Jared as well az the
guards: and that only one OF them was ever frozen 70
DEATH and he frozen by the cruelty Of his own fell
low prisoners who thrust MN out Oh ne zen. In &
proof to the heaithiness OF the prisoners On
Belle Isle and the small amount OF mortality IS
remarkable and presents NJ comment S ON ..s
Commission" either from their own fancies or from
the fctons put forth by their false Witnesses Lieut..
Bosseux proves that from the !. s % ,oS
of Feb uary Ices than 900 prisoners had Decn
at various times there received aud yet that tie whole
number OF deaths during TINS une Vas on ,u anu
states tie average number Of deaths per month on
Belle Isle from two to fvoimore frequently the
lesser number" The sick were promptly relloyeo
from the Island to the hospitals in tine city.
CHARACTER OF THE NORTHERN WITNESSES.
Doubtless the /" Sanitary Commission have been 10
some extent led astray by their own witnesses, whose
character has been portrayed By Gen. Neal Dow. and
also by the editor Of The Nsp York Times who IN his
issue Of January 1905 describes the material for re.
cruting the Federal armies wretched vagabonds Of
depraved morals decrepd In body, without COURAGE
sefrespect conscience. They are dirty disordery.
thieyish and incapable.
CRUELTY TO CONFEDERATE PKlsOSERs AT IHH
| NORTH.
| In reviewing the charges Of cruelty, harshness and
starvation prisoners made by the Norsh your COM
mtee have taken testimony as to the treatment OF our
own officers and soldiers in the hands Of the enemy 1t
gives us pleasure be compelled speak OF the SUI
iering inflicted upon gallant men, but the sefand'
atory style in which The SANITARY Commission nave
truth should DO presented. Your committee
gladly acknowledge that in many cases our Pri.
soner experienced kind and considerable treatment bus
we are equally assured that 10 nearly all the PRISON sta-
tons Of the North at Point Lookout Fort Mchenry'
Fort Delaware Johnsons Island Elmiru, Camp Chase.
Camp Douglas Alton camp norton . vac MISSOURI oau our
men have suffered from insufficient 1000, ana nave
been subjected TO ignominious. cruel and oaroar.
ANYTHING that has occurred in the South. The wit
| nessses who were at Point Lookout. Fort Delaware.
Camp Morton and Camp Douglas testify that they have
often seen our 1o mea The fsSsns with whh to
their hunger Dr. Harrington proves that at Fort De
aware unwhoesome bread and water produced darrhea
in numberless among our prisoners. and thas
their suferngs greatly aggravated BY the resu.
ation Of tho camp. which forbade more than ~ men
at time at night to go to the SINKS nave seen a.
consequence was that they were compelled to use the
places where they were. This produced great want
OF cleanliness aud aggravated the disease" Our men
we're compelled 10 labor in unloading Federal vessels
and In putting up buildings for Fcdra officers and IL
they refused were driven to the work with clubs
The treatment OF Brig -Ien, j. -: Morgan anu bis
officers was brutal and issominious in the extremo II
will 9e torla stated in the dispositions OF Capt NJ ID.
Logan. Lieut.. w. p. Crow, Leut-Col. James B. Mo-
Creary, and Capt. B. A. Tracy. that they put in
the Ohio Penitentary, aud compelled to submit to the
treatment Of felons Their boards were shaved and
their hair was cut close 70 their head; They
were confined In convicts cells and forbidden to
speak to each other. For attempts to escape and
for other ofenses Of very light character they
were subjected to the horrible punishment Of the dun.
geon In midwinter with the atmosphere many degrees
below zero without blanket Overcoat. they
fined in cell. without fire or light with fetid aud