The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-08-18
THE ARDERsoNVILLE SUFFERERS.
Who is Responsible for their
Long Imprisonment.
A Republican Witness on the
Stand.
THE GRAVE-DIGGER OF THE SOUTH
ERN PRISONS.

ERN PRISONS
Mr.. J. Fl. Browne, correspondent OF the
". T. Tribune, who was taken prisoner by the
rebels and incarcerated at Andersonville, has
written letter to the Tribune of Friday last,
in which he tells some plain truths about one
Edwin NJ. Station. 1t seems that certain
c. a. Dana, formerly assistant Secretary OF
War, has been trying to white-wash Stanton's
criminal delay in exchanging prisoners, and hss
drawn out AEr. Browne, who thus shows up
the guilt of the War Secretary. A returned
veteran at our elbow requests us to ask the
Bedford Inquatr to publish Mr. Brownies let
ter, and says if that paper cannot do this, it
ought never again pretend to any friendship
for the soldier. Mr.. Brownies Atter Is as fol-
lows:
MIR. Dana does not undertake 20 meet the
mein and only important question beyond the
general and incidental declaration that not one
Of all the prisoners in the South could make
Stanton responsible for the tortures he suffered
in the South. This is simply not true, as all
who had any acquaintance with the admins
tration of affairs at Washington during two
years previous to the close of the war must,
should think, have been aware.
''Mr Richardson and myself spent nearly a
week in the National Capital after our escape,
endeayoring to do all that was possible for the
release of the brave men ia the hands OF the
enemy; and every one we met there told the
same story, that the Secretary of War was the
obstacle in the way Of the resumption of the
exchange.
AMoreover General Butler in his speech at
! Lowell, Mass, stated positively that he had
been ordered by Mr.. Stanton to put forward
the negro question to complicate and prevent
/ the exchange. Colonel A. b. Straight, of In
dianapolis, Ind, fellow prisoner with US in the
| Libby, told Mr.. Richardson after our return 10
/ freedom, that, in an interview between the Sec
| retary and himself, the former declared to him
/ that the GooGament could not afford to tr-
change abte-bOdied men for Skeletons Other
officers and civilians, whose names cannot now
remember, have assured me that be had used
| 20 them the same language in effect; and there
/ is no doubt whatever that that was his policy
and determination until the ciamors Of the peo-
! pie compelled him 10 retire frcm his barbarous
DositEiG1eer .,,,of.a,a.
/ did take place, not the slightest alteration had
occurred in the question, and that our prisoners
might as well have been released u or / 8
months before as at the resumption of the car
! tel, which would have saved TO the Republic at
/ least 1000 or IL, 900 heroic lives That they
were not say ed is due alone to Mr. Edwin NJ
Stanton's peculiar policy, and dogged obstinaeg;
and, as / have remarked BEFORE he is unques-
tionably the digger of the unnamed graves that
crowd the vicinity of every Southern prison
with historic and never-to be forgotten hor-
rors.
Il regret the revival of this painful subject,
but the gratuitous effort Of Mr. Dana TO relieve
/ the Secretary of War from a responsibility he
seems willing to bear, and which merely as
question of policy, independent of all consid-
erations of humanity, must be regarded as Of
| great weight, has compelled me to vindicate my
selffrom the charge of making grave statements
without the consideration.
| "Once for all, let me declare that have
! never found fault with any one because / was
detained in prison, for | am well aware that
| that was a matter in which no one but myself,
and possibly few personal friends, could feel
any interest; that my sole motive for lmpeach-
ing the Secretary of War was that the people
of the loyal North might know to whom they
were indebted for the cold-blooded and needless
sacrifice of their fathers and brothers, their hus-
bands and sons
"JUNIUS HENRI BROWNE"
Ne,C York, august 8, 1865.
We have frequently published Gen Buffers
remarks at Lowell, last winter, Or this subject,
and it viii do no harm to rehearse them again.
He stated that in August, 1864, Mr.. Oud, the
rebel Commissioner, finding negotiations were
broken off, and that no exchanges were made,
wrote to General Hitchcock, the Commissioner
exchange, man for man, all the prisoners held
by them as Butler had proposed IN December.
Butler, under instructions from the War De-
Partment, wrote Mr.. Oud letter, taunting
him with abandoning bis ground, and conceding
the exchange of men employed as soldiers, on
an equality with whites. Butler in his Low
ell speech, confessed 1--WE quote his language)
that "these questions were argued obtrusively
with Ould, not for the purpose Of further
ing an exchange Of prfSene ers, but for The pur-
yose Of preosating and stopping The exchange,
and furnishing ground on uhieh zoe could
fairly stand.
Comment can add no force TO these facts or
make palmer the guilt Of Stantoa. When will
the tyrant receive has dsssrssq
ayThe Inquirer lied about Lieut.. Eicholts
running against Judge Noble for Assessor. The