Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-11-15
spECULArINe ON BONES.


The Richmond Thig, in noticing the adver-
tisement of the Quartermaster General, inviting
,ronosals for iron head-blocks " to mark the
graves # the Federal dead Of the war in the
south thinks the change from wood to iron
must have been the suggestion of an ingenious
contractor in iron. who sees chance of making
something more out of the war. 1t says;
When it is remembered that the Federal dead
are numbered at something like third OF
million. and that each head-block Will nave, on
account of the lettering, &c, to be cast IN a
mould made for each, the magnitude and cost
If the lob may be Appropriated. From
eiobt 10 eleven thousand are stated to be need
ID for Richmond. What chance for the Junk
dealers after the work is done
The Hljg says, further, that it was stated
in some of the papers Of this city that it was
the practice of the burial corps on the battle
fields near Richmond to examine the teeth of
the dead for filings of gold, which, when found,
were GOT at as boys get at the kernals of wal
nuts by cracking open the teeth with stone
We have heard it stated that some of the con-
tractors for gathering up the bones are making
good thing of in this wise: Rude cof-
fins are taken to one of the pits, such as the
Petersburg crater, and enough bones are picked
up from the undistingushable mass to make a
rattle in each coffin, and this is marked +" John
Smith" or "Sam Jones" and for this pious
service the tender-hearted contractor gets eight
dollars.
The Petersburg hdsrhas The following para
graphs:
1t is generally known that contracts have
been awarded by the Government to certain
parties for exhumation and Refinement of all
the Federal soldiers buried in this vicinity, and
that the work has been going on for some
months past. The job, however, is not yet I'm
ished.
On the day before yesterday, it was stated
by a Federal officer in this city, a Northern
man, holding civil appointment under the test
oath. that regular system of dissertation of the
dead bodies and swindling the Government was
being carried on, which for enormity of the
crime and hugeness of the swindle casts far IN
to shade any operation yet charged upon the
people VINO nave carried turning penny W d
degree of science perfectly unapproachable-
Well this officer states that eight dollars per
head is allowed the parties removing the corpses,
and that, not content with this remuneration,
some of them are cutting the bodies in four
pieces, burying the four pieces in four places,
and thus receiving thirty-two dollars, instead
of eight, for every body disinterred.
This charge is made upon the authority OF
United States official The brutality and dis
regard for the sanctity of death involved are so
incredible that we should not publish it on evil
dence of Southern eyewitness. But we have
the name of this officer, and can produce it to
facilitate any official inquiry into this matter
Such statements, in ordinary times, would
shock the feelings of the community, and bring
a stigma upon the civilization of the age We
should be slow to believe them, but their re-
iteration from various sources ought to be suffi-
cient to induce the Quartermaster's Department
to order an immediate investigation.
GSmdoy Herald.