Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-06-16
Attrocious Maltreatment of Sol
diers.

The Washington Chronicle of the 9Th
inst gives an accouot of great 5rutalites
inflicted on soldiers by the officers of the
18Th Regiment of the Veteran Reserve
Corps, now in garrison at Capitol Hi
Barracks, near Washington and "a the
head of the War d -partment has taken
the matter in hand the perpetrators of the
atrocities will unqnestionably be proper
y and justly dealt with:
"A man named Eldrrbrand, for over
staying his leave Of absence on Sunday
last, by order of an officer was suspended
by the thumbs to round of a ladder
placed with one end on the ground and
the other against the caves Of one Of the
buildings. He was kept suspended until
fifteen minutes 10 nine O'Clock After
two hours of suffering. the cries Of Elder
brand, who is about seventy years Of age,
were so loud and htart-rending that gag
was placed IN his mouth to suppress the
noise. The soldiers OF The regiment be-
came so indignant that they assembled in
squads and groanpd at the off ,erS. This
grooming of the men drew to the scene y
large number of men, women and child
rem, when one Of those present remarked
that il was ba b lruus mode of punish
mPnt, and should he known to General
Augur. Another said it stouId he re-
ferred TO the Secretary of War--a man
whom he knew to he humanp-but coun
seled that no overt act be committed. On
hearing these remarks, Capt. Dunton, of
Company II, demanded their names, at
the same time threatening them for inter
fering. Second Lieutenant MARYLAND,
IN artillery officer who was on the ground.
appeared about this time, having put on a
sash and armed himself with sword and
pistol. He ordered the guard to charge
the citizens, which they did, driving them
to the opposite pavement. AT about 8
O'Clock n lady residing near by, the wife
Of Major now in the army, proposed to
go and cut the sufferer down if several
other ladies would accompany her. They
agreed to do so, and started but before
they passed off of the pavement, opposite
the barracks, the guard again charged,
and drove the ladies at the points Of their
bayonets, into their houses. The Major
afterwards ordered Lieut.. Ilawley to
make a charge on the ladies and child
rem who were standing on The pavement,
which the Lieutenant re used to do at the
same time rendering the Maj his sword.
This the Major would not receive, but
ordered the Lrut. under guard. The
cries of the sufferer excited the wife Of
a Lieutenant in the barracks to such
degree that she threatened to cut the
man down herself, if no other person
would. Those who were present and
saw Elderbrand taken down say that
blood issued from both his nose and
mouth. Col. Johnson, who commands
he regiment, ordered two citizens 10 he
arrested, but the Secretary of War, on
1eing applied to ordered their release, aud
also that Gen. Fry should Investigate thu |
circumstances OF cruelty charged against
hs Otfic-rs, one Of which ia snldi-r had
Dpen confined in the guard house of ihe |
Darrack for three months, lacking few
lava, and had been j. ing very i'll for The
asst month of his confinement. having
n.sn deprived Of the services of "A ply
stefan, and, until within the past few avs.
still remaining in the guard hOnse. The
folks in the neighhorhood testify that il
is general practice of these eff 'ers to-
place m.n for the slightest off n~es on the
STREET with a ladder around tn j. nprk-.
and TO compel rhrm to carry it for two
hours at time. In one instance two
men were compelled tn carry thi. ladder
or two hours, having their hands Il d.
behind them. Some ladies in the neigh-
lGrhood noticing that the ladder had rub .
bed the necks Of the msn very sore, sent
word to the commanding off 'er that if tn /
mems hands were not united in FIVE
minutes they would report the treatment
o the Secretary Of War. The hand>
we're united within the time given. Oh
Thursday last (a day set apart by thu
President for fasting and prayer) ten
nen were marched up and down the
,trcet for two hours under this SANE lad .
Ter, one Of the men being so lame that he
vas compelled to walk with a cane