Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-11-11

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throwing the whole nation into trouble
for fear somebody might get hurt by
speculation was a shallow device Of the
bankers, and while it was fallacy, as !
matter Of public interest, was eiiectual
as they supposed, in promoting their
private interest Then, if an easy money
market sets everybody crazy with specu
lation here, why does not the same thing
exist in Europe, where money is gener
ally plenty at low rates2
sey- II would seem from the following
letter, published in the 0wensboro Ky,
Southern Shield, as from the testimony
of not few other witnesses, that cruel
ties to prisoners were not all on one side
during the late war:
WHITEsyILLE, KY. Sept. 10, 1851
Having few days ago read letter
published in the Shield, from j. g. Viii.
son, President of the Huntsville Female
College, Alabama, concerning the treat
ment Of Confederate prisoners in Camp
Morton and Fort Delaware, see fit To
submitthe following for the "Indepen
dents in all things and neutral in moth.
ing" hoping il may find place in its
columns, aud be shield to the dead
past"
l was captured with my friend G. w.
Gosnell, of Louisville, in May 1864,
while on our way TO the Confederate
army. We we're first incarcerated in the
Ohio county Jail, where we met two
others of our comrades, who were cap
tured the day befoFe. We were kept
there one night, and then all sent to
0wensboro Jail. When we arrived there
the hearse was bearing the corpse of
Jimmie Mitchell to the cemetery. He
was shot during the skirmish at Sulli-
vans barn, by home guard, after he
had clearly and distinctly said, with up.
lifted hands, surrender !" We were
put in the lower apartment OF the Jail
among the negroes, but threats being
made to exterminate their colored
friends, the authorities thought it
expedient to elevate us to the
upper, story, which was accordingly done.
A double guard was placed around the
Jail, some of which during the night fred
two shots, making the balls range in the
fence as though they had come from the
upper window in the Jail. Next morn
ing sixteen of the blood.thirsty Williams
made their appearance in the room, with
muskets presented, and ordered US to
hand over our coats, which we did
readily, but reluctantly. Instead of
shooting us, as we expected, the Dutch
captain commenced a search, at the
same time saying: My guard was fred
on by some of you last night, and if |
find shooting irons among you, the last
damned one of you will go up" This
relieved US, for we knew that
they had done the shooting, and
would find no arms among us. In the
evening we were handcufed and taken to
Louisville, thence to Camp Morton. We
arrived there on the 22d of May, 1864,
and was released on the 9th of January,
1865, by taking the amnesty oath. shall
say nothing in regard to my individual
abuse, ETC., for it is so insignificant when
compared with the barbarous treatment
of hundreds of others it would scarcely be
noticed. was au eye witness TO many
horrible scenes, similar to those portrayed
by j. G. Wilson; have stood in the line
at roll call and inspection when the order
of "dress to the right" or stand
in line" was given only by report of
pistol in the hands of Sergeant Baker,
and the whiz of ball down the line,
which frequently crippled some innocent
person. We we're made TO stand in the
line of inspection " for two or three
hours at time, with hats off, and not
allowed to move our feet. 1t mattered
not how cold the ice sleeted earth might
be, or how piercing the winter winds, or
how hot the burning summer sun, the
external obeisance of pulling off hats to
their highness was always done at i'm
spection." Many have seen jerked to
the ground by this Baker for the
slightest pretext Men, half starved and
half naked, who learned had peaceful
and happy homes in the South, in an
swer to their cries for mercy received
repeated kicks which, no doubt, would
have killed them, had it not been for the
hopes of some day being per-
mitted TO return to their homes and
hearing the voices of dear ones respond
to their call But, alas many of them
died in consequence of exposure from
open barracks, etc. l have seen men's S
hands and arms broken, and faces gashed
for three inches for standing around the
cook house to get skins of the meat that
were intended for the sloptub.
The barracks were fred into nearly
every night, among four or five hundred
men.
1t was the custom among the old men
in the prison to parch bread and use 1t as
a substitute for coffee. Three of the pris-
oners were once discovered by Yankee |
named Micran (under the bank of
slough that runs through the PRISON., |
drinking this coffee. He forced them to |
stand on their heads, while he, with a pole,
would hold their feet and backs 10 the !
bank for several minutes. He then called |
to Baker (who had detail of workmen
with spades, etc } to "come up and let's |
have some fun" He made the men lay !
down, aud ordered the workmen to pitch |
in dirt on them, which fell about eight or
ten feet at the same.time he would pitch |
spades full of solid earth so high mp that
be might hear it thump as it fell on the
men, and then he and Baker would in
iulge in humorous laughs at the groan-
ngs of the victims of their savage
ltrocity, as Satan imps only can.
The truth of the above any ex prisoner
of Camp Morton can do me the Justice
10 acknowledge and that the half Is not
old. W. II. HAYNES.
Ten Negroes Killed in an ARRAY.
The Louisiana baptist contains an
account Of a terrible affair which re-
Gently occurred on Black Bayou, near