Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-11
yElIPEES APPEAL
mUmANITIEs OFNORTuERN PRISON

PESs.
The following petition was, at somt
time near the close OF the war, laid be.
: fore the Federal Congress, we under.
stand, and ignored altogether:
4 To the senate and House OF Representatives o
the United states:
The petition Of the undersigned pri.
vate soldiers and citizens Of the Conied-
crate States, now prisoners Of war on the
island OF Rock Island, Illinois, respect
fully shows,
That about year sinee this place was
prepared as a depot for prisoners, and
many Of Us reached here at that period
and have remained ever since.
OF those who were first brought here,
at q season when the weather was ex-
tremely cold, some few frozs to death,
aud hundreds contracted diseases which
soon carried them to an untimely grave.
On our first arrival we we're fully supplied
( with food Blankets were given 10 q
portion of the most destitute, aud such
Of your people as were disposed 10 be kind
I 70 csptives, we're permitted TO give US
clothing.
About six months ago this permission
was cOuntermsnded, and the cOmmaD
dant at this post commenced starving US
in retaliation for alleged like treatment
of your prisoners by our government.
From that period we have received only
! the daily allowance Of from seven 10
nine ounces Of bread, and four to six
! ounces of meat, with half a pint Of
I cooked beans or hOminy or rice per day.
The officer in command of this post
! has lately published to the people Of the
/ Unietd States that your prison regula-
! ti5ns require US to be furnished daily with
| sixteen ounces Of soft, or fourteen ounces
I of hard bread, and ten ounces Of bacon,
or fourteen ounces OF fresh beef, with
| twelve ounces and a half OF beans aad
/ eight ounces Of rice or hominy to every
/ hundred rati0ns. he says that we are
actually furnished with that amount. In
/ the same statement to the public be de-
clarsd, that II he had the power, he
" would place Us in a pen with no shelter
but the hesv vens, rs our poor men were
at AndersOnville, and give them as near
as possible the same quantity and quail
ity Of provisions that the fiendish rebels
give to our men, and instead Of a con-
slant issue Of clothing, / would let them
wear their rags as our poor men in the
hands Of the rebels are obliged to do. Or,
in other words, had 1 the power, strict
retaliation would be pIacticed by me.N
oneTs at Andersonville we know moth
ing. 1t is contrary to our own expert
ence when We guarded your prisoners. |
II it is true retaliation has not altered it,
but humanity by you TO Us will.
We cannot believe that the federal |
congress will credit the false statements |
Of such 3 vile monster as the command |
ant at this post proves himself to be |
against the clear testimony of six or |
eight thousand prisoners, though one Of !
ycur senators has denounced Us as bar /
tariaDs.
We declare to you that our statement
as 10 the quantity of food which We !
actually receive is true. There are scales /
in cur prison, and some of US have I
weighed it. Whatever may be your /
regulations, we know the statements Of /
your commanding officer TO be untrue,
and if you viii make him change places
with one Of US, We will prove It by the
testimony Of his stomach, if We cannot
by tie honesty Of his heart; and we beg
YOU TO send him to the latitude of An
dersouville in July, and let him sleep IN
the open air in rags for one night. He
VIII survive thst night TO bear testimony
against " rebel tiends." Bring him back
Il, this island and place him in the same
situation as some of us were on the 3lst
lf Decemb 1868, when the cold was
twenty-five degrees below zero, and he
will not survive to bear witness in favor
IF humanity. II
We declare TO you that so pressing on
rs are the psngs Of hunger, that some Of
Is have eaten rats and dogs, and bits Of
bread from the slOp pals o. your guards
lver US, and raw frozen potatoes thrown
iut BY steamers on the river bank, where
We were detailed to carry sacks TO the
prison bakery.
More than two hundred Of Us are now
ick with the scUryy, at q post where
are cheaper to your govern S
naDt than bread aud meat. =
or nearly twelve thousand prisoners
,r0ught 70 this island within the last
'ear, two thOUsapd sre dead.
Our cry to the commanding officer at
his place iOr bread, has been answered I
With a stone; our petitions TO him are I
our complaints are not per S
nitted to 20 abroad in your land, and if I
ie sees this petition before II leaves this =
sland, it win never be heard by you I
We further make known to you that g
-our officers in command Of this prison :
lave resorted to cruel and unknown pun z
shment among civilized nations 10 pris- I
,ners of war for trihing offences. We
re tortured to force uns ilting sccusa- {
ions sgsiust ourselves. Old men have [
,een suspended for hours by their Z
hunts and toes, because they hsve re- 1
used to disclose the name OF some per- g
on who wrote them a note, or gave +
lem 8 newspaper.
The winter season IL now approaching; | I
ur thin clothes suited 70 our own eli Il
nate are worn out; the few blankets o
iven to the most needy Of Us on our ar Z
iysI are threadbare. II the cold 8
-eather Of last winter is repeated, and 2
ur bodies deprived Of necessary food to 0
withstand the rigor Of this climate, be- 3
lre another spring more than two 5
Of US will be called 20 your c
over-igu and ours TO bear witness
gainst the cruelties Of some Of the peO- u
lie of that nation which boasts Of its su- q
erior education, refinement, religion q
nd humanity to our own.
We appeal to you, who boast that free I,
ON makes you civilized and slavery q
lskes Us barbariaus, to redress our ID
rievances and save your nation from y
he sin Of cruelty to Csptives. We beg n
gu TO give US food and clothing, or to a
at an end TO our sufferings by death. .,
December l, 1854. y