New-York tribune., 1867-07-15
CRUELTIES T0 PRISONERS.

Mr. Fernando Wood is reported by telegraph
as having stated i'll the House, on Saturday,
that
''THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE had distinctly charged that
cruelties had been peTpetated Rebel prisoners"
Mr.. Wood can find no warrant III our columns
for this assertion, which he has caused to be
flashed all over the country, $50 that it viii be
read and believed by thousands who will never
see this contradiction. We have so often re-
quested that those who see fit to cite The
TRIBUNE as their authority for any statement
should quote our precise words, instead of put
ting forth as ours what they may find it con-
venient to attribute to us that it seems useless
to renew the demand Fair minds do not need
it the other sort willfully refuse to heed it.
We do not know that Rebel soldiers were
ever starved or otherwise matreated while
prisoners of war. AS, however, the number of
such prisoners, from first to last probably ex-
c,eded two hundred thousand, and they were
from time to time under the complete control
of many hundreds of our officers respectively,
it would be all but miracle II none OF them
were ever misused. Still, we do not kROw that
any were, and have not asserted it.
What we do know in the premises is that
the Rebel authorities long since charged our
Government or its agents with unjustiiable in
humanity to their soldiers whom we held as
prisoners, and that this charge was put forth
so circumstantially and responsibly that it is
likely to glide into history if not met and re-
futed.
In the Winter of 1sG4-j, Joint Committee
Of the two Houses was raised by the Confed-
crate Congress sitting at Richmond, and
charged with the duty of investigating the
alleged cruelties in the treatment of prisoners
by either party to the War. That Committee
proceeded to take testimony (Which we have
not seen in detaiD and to make a report
thereon, from which (omitting the defensive
portiOns) we quote as follows:
In exchange, a number Of Confederate sick and
wounded prisoners have been at various times delivered
at Richmond and at Savannah. The mortality among
these the and their condition when delivered
dep0rabe 10 Justify the charge that they had
authorities.
"AssistantsurgeOn Tinsley testfes Il have seen
many OF our prisoners returned from the North who
nothing but SKIN and bones They were as emacsted as
man could be 10 retain life, and the photographs zap
sentatlOns OF our returned prisoners TO whom thus
alude saw 25O Of sick brought in on tters from
the steamer at Rockets Thirteen dead bodies were
brought of the steamer the night At least 20 died
IN one night after they were received
Surgeon Spence t0stifies: Il at Savannah, and
rather 5000 prisoners received The list showed
that large number bad died the passage from Balt
TO Savannah. The number sent from the Federal
prisons 00 and out OF that number they delivered
only $685. 70 the best Of my recollection Capt Hatch
give you the exact number Thus about 472 died
taken from train Of between Elmira and Balti
more After being received at Savannah, they had the
best attention possible yet many died In few days In
men, we delivered at Savannah and Charleston about
uOOO Federal prisoners and their physical condition