Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-20
From the Charlotte Democrat.
The Treatment of Prisoners OF War in
North Carolina,

The Treatment of Prisoners OF War in
/ North Carolina. 49,
i DR.. John Ell. Gibbon, of this county, has
furnished us with copy of the following
letter which he wrote to the Hon. j. p. G..
Shanks chairman of the committee APP
pointed by the House Of Representatives
to investigate the treatment of prisoners of
war
/ NEAR CHARLOTTE, July 31st, 1867.
Hon. J. P. G. SHANKs THE people of
North Carolina were not disposed TO sep
arate from the Union of the States. In
1860 they refused to call Convention to
consider the subject of secession. But when
a quota of her troops were demanded to
coerce other States, the Governor declined
) to supply them, and in April, 1861, order
ed an armed forced to take possession of
the public property within her limits, viz .
The Branch Mint at Charlotte, the Arsenal
at Fayetteville, and the Forts on the Coast.
Then the people began to prepare for
what seemed inevitable =; though for some
time after the civil war began many con-
tinued to hope that some peaceful remedy
would be found to reconcile existing diff
culties.
The majority were unhappily persuaded
by events that certain ''rights could only
be defended by force of arms and separ-
ate Government whereas those "rights !"
entirely depended upon the provisions of
| a Constitution designed 6 to promote the
general welfare"
Every exertion was made in the State to
supply provisions and clothing for the
army. Consequently, a scarcity of each
was soon felt among the people. Besides
ordinary war taxes, tithes in kind were
claimed of every edible and useful product
wheat, corn, bacon, syrup, wool, cotton,
rice, tobacco, sc. Quartermasters were al
lowed toimpress extra quantities from those
who used greatest exertion to obtain them.
| Many planters and their families vOlunta-
rily dispensed with the use Of meats in Or
der to supply the laboring servants. AS
armies marched in different directions, sol
dlers scattered through the country enquir-
ing for food at farm houses. They were
easily gratifed with bread--vegetables
fruits and milk being mostly confined to
dry ratlOns IN the field. AS troops passed
my neighbOrhoOd on several occasions, [
saw officers and men cheerfully eating raw
! bacon. Great privatiOns were endured by
families who stinted themselves to supply
distant relations and laboring servants.
1t became matter of necessity, there
| fore, that provisions for prisoners Of war
should be deficient and meagre, as means
of transportation were interrupted OF over
burthened; but these privations were equal
! ly endured by the sick and soldiers of the
South.
Toward the close Of the contest, every
man OF suitable age was ordered to the
front. Ordinary cases of exemption were
Clsregarded. Those previously excused
for various industrial and other purposes,
were drafted. Work at manufactures, saw
mills and some grist mills, was interrupt
ed. Large numbers of negro laborers were
ordered to distant Notifications. Over
seers, blacksmiths, carpenters, millwrights
and other practical and profitable mechan-
les were unrelentingly mustered into the
military service to the detriment Of agri-
culture and privation of general comforts,
greatly reduced 10y blockade.
Finally, $ the Senior and Junior Re
serves PLANTERS, farmers, mechanics and
school boys, hitherto exempt by reason of
age or special important occupations were
called upon to guard the prisoners of war
at Salisbury. [ was personally acquainted
with many of the ''Seniors," and purpose
ly enquircd of the guard, who were at
home on occasional furlough, into the con-
dition of the prisoners: They gave a sad
account of the want Of shelter, clothing.
fuel and food. A large Factory WAS occu-
pied as prison, and few tents were also
provided, while from 5000 to 5000 pris-
oners were held at different times-many
being exposed in the prison yard to severe
lnclemencies of weather. There was not
sutficiency of planks for sheds or huts, no
blankets for covering, few proper medi-
cines and little variety of food for the
sick
The general state of restitution of these
prisoners was described as So horribly dis
tressing to the guards But no one Of the
many we'll disposed and considerate per-
sons [ conversed with, could suggest any
possible alienation of the suffering eek
cept by conveying the prisoners to the Dor
der and turning them loose to go home
L offered to prepare a petition to urge this
plan, exchange or no exchange. It was
difficult to obtain accurate information at
that time, but it was commonly understood
there was some point in contention with
regard to general and prompt interchange
OF prisoners, which prevented their relief
in that manner. Four months before the |
surrender of General Lees army, 1900 |
prisoners were sent to Wilmington under !
charge of North Carolina regiment and |
treated with every possible kindness and |
humanity on the route
1t was stated to me that the prisoners of i
war at Salisbury were of very varied char
acters and nationalities. The weaker men |
often complained to the guards that the
rude and violent among their fellow-pris-
oners, robbed and i'll treated them, plum
dered and sold their scanty blankets and
clothes, and practiced various impositions.
Prisoners occasionally were very insubor-
dlnate. Upon one occasion they killed two
of the guards. The guards themselves were
for some time without tents, and often
without sufficient supplies of food or fuel
1t appears to be now conceded that, in
proportion to numbers, large amount of
prisoners of war died in Northern prisons
(the seventies of winter having superadded
to other discomforts) than among those in
the South. But to the efforts of disap-
pointment, anxieties, close confinement
and rigid discipline, must be attributed
the great mortality of both, rather than to
the wilful negligence Of the people on eth
er side; for such traits do not character
ize any section of our common country.
The absolute depreciation of means in
the South was sufficient to cause many ad-
ditional miseries to the ordinary influences
OF wars The wounded [ saw in Southern
hospitals were terribly emaciated by SINH
lar causes entirely beyond the reach of any
public or private measures of relief. Dis {