The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-11-14
From Tho Ndtchss Democrat.
Barbarity to Prisoners,


The following, from tho Huntsville, Ala
6amh, Independent, is from the pen Of the
Rev. j. G. Wilson, with whom we were for
many months In prison. He 10 one Of tho
most intelligent and best men We have ever
known, aud we shall be delighted to see his
promised hook. We are sure that every
word in II will be as true as what we here
quote. We recollect perfectly the incidents
he here relates-and many another besides,
which we hope ho will give;
Messrs. Editors - Itsee that an organiza-
tioh has been formed in tho North under the
lead Of General Streight, tho cavalry raider,
OF men who wero III tho Southern prisons
during the war, and who style themselves
survivors Of rebcl barbarity" Ono object
OF tho organization is TO collect Material for
history Of that rebel barbarity.
Permit me, through your columns, to fur
nish one chapter for them.
Whilo Gen. Strcight WAS prisoner in tho
South. he, with some Of his comrades, ar
ranged q plan for escape. This plan became
known TO the authorities, who adopted
means to Illustrate It.
They were permitted to GARRY out their
plan, but guards wore 40 stationed as to in
':rcent HEM at every point, WHO finally
and sound to thoir prison again.
Now q picture from the other sido, and
mark tho contrast. During my imprisou-
ment Mt Camp Morton, numerous attempts
wcro mado by the prisoners to escape by
digging tunnels, extending beyon the outer
fonce. These wero sometimes succossful.-
One night tunnel was successfully COM
picted and number made their escape.
Their absence 'wns, Of course, discovered
next morning, and, on examination, tho
tunnel was found.
nho yonIoos Lo.-,.,,,
knowledge of it, expecting that others would
attempt to escape the following night. Ex
ira guards were stationed. win. Orders not
TO arrest and return to prison, c,s was dono
with streight ana his comrades, but to
enoot the first man who mado his appoar-
anoe.
Tho attempt was made by some against
the rcmonstrancos ofmyself and others, who
rightly conjcotured what tho result would
bo.
A young Missourian, named Bernhardt,
was the first to venture on, aud he was i'm.
mediatuly killed. As soon rs the shots
were fred the officer Of the guard, ono.
armed Dutch fend, named Kroom, believe
ran down to tho building ffom which the
tunnel was dug, and fired several shots into
tho house, which contained about thrco hun
dred men. Strange to cay, no one was
Of tho murdered man. saying: "Yos, damn
you, You thought spades wcro trun,ps but
we hold higher cards.
Another ilihuman wretch named Coles, a
surgeon in the hospital, who killed moro
rebels by his unfecling neglect and barbara
ty than ho could have done had ht bcon in
active service ut the front, expressed his re.
gret that tho man was killed, saying lie
wished ho had been shot in the leg. that lie
might have had the pleasure Of taking it of
and seeing him suffer. h3.
AZ another time ono Of our number was
foully murdered in cold blood by d sentinel
OH guard Next morning the sentinel, who
was private, was made sergeant. and put
In charge of tho division to which tho tnur
dered man had belonged.
These arc but instances out Of tho long
list of manifestations of savage cruelty.
which will mako up the dark pages of a
work which I will publish ere long ON
"Prison Bifo at Camp Morton and Fort Dele.
waro." j. G. WILSON.
Female College, Huntsville, Ala, October
8, 1885,