The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-24

ton. They were so enfebled and emaciated that
we lifted them like little children. Many Of
them were like living skeletons. Indeed, there
was one poor boy, about IL years old, who pre-
sented themost distressing and deplorable ap-
pearance ever saw. He was nothing but skin
and bones, and, besides this, he literally eat
en- up with vermin. He died in the hospital In
few days after being removed thither, notwith-
standing the kindest treatment and the useof the
most judicious nourishment. Our men wereAin
so reduced a condition, that, on more than one
trip up on the short passage of ten miles from the
transports to the city, as many as i've died. The
OF tatters and filth. The mortality on the pas
sage from Maryland was very great, well as
that on the passage from the prisons to the port
from which they started. Icannot state the exact
numbers, but I think I heard that $500 were
started, and we only received about3,02 1have
looked at the photographs appended to report
No. 81 of the committee of the federal congress,
and do not hesitate to declare that several OF our
men were worse cases of emaciation ana sichness
than any represented in these photographs.
The Times adds that tits no pfeasurable
task TO recall this evidence, but if congress
insists ON an investigation of the manner in
which the south treated her prisoners, sim
ple Justice requires that the the allegations
contained in the report should also be inves-
tigated. They are not, irresponsible state
s - = 4
ments," but are the testimony of men hold
ing high positions in the confederate armies
and government.
g The inhuman treatment of prisoners by
one party to the war will not serve as a JUS
LITIGATION for like treatment by the other
If it can be shown that the miseries of An
Jacksonville were the result, or partly the
result, of deliberate intention to torture, the
miscreants responsible for those miseries
should be held in execration forever The
same is Just as true of the wretches who tor
tured rebel soldiers in northern prison camps.
There cannot be imagined anything more
detestable than the infection of fortunes upon
thousands of defenceless prisoners of war
until they are reduced to such ghostly con-
ditions as are described in the extract, and
as our men were in when we received them
from some Of the rebel prisons.
1fthis awful record could be effaced and
forgotten, the national history would be
spared the inscription of that which is black
est among all of the many crimes perpetrat-
ed during the rebellion. Congress has de-
termined to revive and keep fresh the recol.
lection of these atrocities, so far as the com.
mission of them by the south is concerned,
bnt has refused to entertain a resolution to
investigate them, so far as the United States
is charged with their commission.
This is indecent. If justice requires an
| inquiry into them, it demands that it shall
| be impartial and reach to all persons imph
| Gated, irrespective of the side<on which they
fought. While the radical majority of tina,
| committee will travel all over the north &c
get the testimony of federal soldiers con
| firmed on rebel prisons, they will not &C
| south and get the testimony of the rebels
| who were confined in northern prisons
| But, in order to get start in hunting uF
only rebel cruelties, they have issued the
following, soliciting information from fedora
soldiers, as to their treatment in the south
| viz:
! INFORMATION WASrED.-The committee ths
treatment of prisoners of war and union citizen:
have issued circular requesting all persons wht
possess important information to forward the
4 L
VIM. A. Pile, M. c., St-Louis; Abner {. Harding, NJ
| c., Monmouth, H., Aaron E. Stevens, NJ. c.
| Nashua, n. H., or Vim. Munger, M. c., Finday
| Hancock county, Ohio.
During he thine that rebel prisoners wer'
| confined at Rock Island Barracks, the ARGUS
on several occasions, called public attention
to the condition of these prisoners, and ever,
time was met with the reply that its rebe
! sympathies made it unduly solicitous for the
| comfort of rebels. When we, by request o
| the commandant of the prison, appealed tt
| the public tor donations of proper clothing
| for the unfortunate men who were sent il
| dead of winter, in box cars, with no fires
from Tennessee to Rock Island, many O
whom died on the way, and all suffered mos
terribly, we were denounced by very "loyal
men for sympathizing with rebels. When
on another occasion, we denounced tn
shameful course of the commandant of tn
post and chief surgeon, who, by refusing t
furnish the rebels with vegetables, or permi
them to purchase them with their ow
money, and thus brought the scurvy upo
great numbers of them, we met with tn
same treatment. But we followed up tn
complaints to the authorities in Washington
ON this subject, until an order was issue
permitting the prisoners to buy vegetables
and the scurvy very soon ceased.
| The prisoners at Rock island Barrack
were treated with shameful cruelty, thong
their sufferings were greatly mitigated by hu
name people who, at the risk of being mob
bed by the 'loyal," furnished them wit
food and clothes to a considerable extent.
| We will briefly enumerate some of the il
humanities practieed here
LIST. The manner in which the prisoner
were brought here was cruel and inhumar
! causing the death of large number {
them. ass5 $50
, I'd. They we're sent here before suitabl
! buildings were prepared for their reception
i land, besides suffering horribly, numbe
died from this cause. u
; Sd. Their money was taken from thel
D and used as capital to carry on proftabl
= trade with them. ii
E 4th. They were not supplied with sufi
Gent food and clothing.
: 9th. They were starved, in the hospital
: and in the barracks, and one of the surgeon
SAYS the head doctor declared. when appea