Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-20
A Letter TO Horace Greeley.

HORACE GREELEY, in his examination be-
fore the Congressional Committee, few days
since, said that if jefferson Davis was guilty
of completely in the crime of the assassina-
ton of President Lincoln. or of starving our
soldiers in Southern prisons, he hoped he
would be punished, bit he had no kno,Cledge
Of his guilt IN either particular.
Now very few intelligent men have any
doubt but that jefferson Davis and the Con-
federat9 Government were aware of plan
to assassinate or abduct President Lincoln
and Others, and that this plan received their
sanction, and that they furnished the assas-
sins with funds.
For the latter crime of starving prisoners,
least one true man, that Jefferson Davis was
guilty. We are permitted to publish copy
of the following private letter, written to Mr..
Greeley by one of the bravest and most hon.
ored officers of whose deeds Wisconsin and
the Iron Brigade" are justly proud. 1t
will be seen that the letter was written be
fore Mr.. Greeley committed the criminal fol-
ly of aiding in the actual release of Jefferson
Davis. What the gallant General would
write to him now, would probably be more
pointed even than the letter which we pub
lish
LA CR9ssE, Wis.,, April 4, 1867.
HORACE GREELEY, EsQ-Dear Sir:--I trnst
you will excuse this intrusion upon your val
liable time, and respectfully ask your serious
attention TO the contents hereof.
see by the newspapers that yoH are ma
king strenuous exerticns to procure the re.
lease of jeff. Davis from durance vile. and to
have him released upon his parole or persoC-
al recognizance and desire to call your at
tentiOn TO few facts in connection with the
subject that it seems to me you must have
overlooked, or you would not thus interest
yourself in the fate of the great criminal.
And let me say further, in explanation,
that claim the right to be heard on this sub
ject; by tour year service in the army du-
ring the late rebellion. in varisus grades, from
private to Colonel, AMI by actual pariicipa-
ton in over twenty battles and by six months
experience in rebel prisons. claim to know of
what | speak. And while as a soldier | wo'd
be willing to forgive everything that was
done by Davis as the COMMANDMENTS Chief of
the insurgent forces and as a civilian, TO al
low him To 90 unpunished for his treason, |
am not willing that he should go unpunshed
for his wantOn murder of thousands of the
brave men who were so unfortunate as to fall
into his hands as prisoners of war. And
do accuse Jefferson Davis of being officially
responsible for the cruel and inhuman treat
ment they received.
Do you doubt this If you do, desire
to make plain statement of facts that know
To be true
LIST. The rations furnished by the COnfed-
crate Government at Macon and Anderson
vile, were insufficient TO support life for any
considerable length of time.
I'd. Thousands actually starved TO death
on the rations furnished. To sum the whole
matter up, these men. by the thousands, were
systematically starved to death. md further
than this, know that We were repeatedly in
formed by the Confederate authorit les i'm re-
ply to our responsiveness against such treat
ment. that the matter had been laid before
the Confederate Government at Richmond,
and that they refused To order any change
L know that our treatment was protested
against by the citizens residing in the vicin-
ty of our prison pens. and that representa-
I ions were forwarded by them TO the Rebel
Chief OF our situation, and that he refused
10 grant us any other or different treatment.
Now, in Gods name why are you SO deep
ly interested in his fate-a man who is re-
sponsible for the murder of thousands not
in honorable warfare, but by cowardly star
vatIOn of men that the fortune of war had
placed in his hands Out upon such phi
lanthrOpy. Let him stay where he is until
the country becomes 80 settled that he can be
legitimately tried or if turned loose, let it
be in the vicinity of some of the survivors of
his cruelty.
/ am Respectfully,
Your obedicnt Servant,
j. A. KELLOGG.