The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-08-15
[From the Cincinnati Commercial, Sd inst.
Judge Thurman and the Rebel
Prisoners at Camp Chase.
LANCASTER, July 20, 1867.

LANCASTER, July 20, 1867.
EDS. Con-. My attention was
called, by friend, to The Ohio States
mans denunciation and denial of a
statement of Mr.. Gray in relation to
the conduct of Judge Thurman and
wife during the confinement Of rebel
prisoners at Camp Chase. I can not
believe, from what know of the par
ties, that either the Judge or his wife
would deny any statement showing
their sympathy and aid to these pris-
Oners.
l was appointed Provost Marshal Of
Camp Chase in September, 1862, and
continued in that position until Au-
gust, 1868, and during that period, or
until Order No. SO was issued, Mrs.
Thurman visited the prisoners at
least twice a week. She never came
after the issue Of said order. She
brought delicacies in the shape of
cake, pies and iellies, and butter; and
in reply to my question, why she did
not visit the hospitals in which our
soldiers were treated, and supply
them? she said she was a Southern
woman.
This was demonstrated by her ac-
tions, and she was a great favorite
with the rebels, held frequent CONVEX
sations with them, gave to and OBJ
tanned from them information, and ap-
peared willing and anxious in any
way to aid and comfort them.
Judge Thurman was frequently
spoken Of by the prisoners, and they
said he was their friend. His wife
was the most prominent visitor, and
was always welcomed by them.
In the discharge of my duty, a part
of which was to be present at conver-
sations between rebels and their
friends, 1 was frequently complained
of by Mrs. Thurman to Governor
Tod, and Capt. Bunker was called on
by the Governor to know. if I dis
charged my duty. She had a general
correspondence with the South in rela-
ton to the prisoners, and often
brought from the Governor a special
permit to see a prisoner named there
in, and from him obtained the names
of others.
From what I saw of Mrs. Thurman,
and heard at the time of Judge Thur
mans kindness to the prisoners, 1 can
scarcely believe either of them now
would thank any editor to deny their
sympathy with the rebels or their de-
votion to their cause during the war,
and 1 thus deem it my duty to sus-
tain Mr.. N. A. Gray from the attacks
of editors.
My assistants, Robert Dean, Samuel
Winset, Tiffany, Alexander Sharkey,
Drake, Evans and Thrapp, of the
Ohio, and myself, held !
conversations on this subject, |
and they all will remember the atfec-
tionate and reciprocal regard Of Mrs.
Thurman and the rebel prisoners, and
her kindness and attention in bring !
ing whatever was needed by them,
and her open and bold avowal Of her |
sentiments, and we never expected to
live to see the day in which either she |
or her husband would deny, or allow |
others to deny for them, that in the
great controversy of the past six years
their every hope and every desire was
for the success of the Southern rebels.
Actions speak louder than words,
and whatever Judge Thurman may
now say, or his friends for him, the
facts detailed here, and by Mr.. Gray,
were so notorious that it will take
more than three years to efface them
from the memory of the officers and
men in Camp Chase. They both SYM
pathized with the rebel cause, and ex-
hibited their sympathy as did Union
men and women in aiding Union SOL
diers in hospital and in prison. Let
the truth be told; and as in that nigh
ty contest there were people North
who desired rebel success, and worked
to secure it, claiming the right thus to
act, so let the soldier of the Union and
his friends remember with gratitude
every expression and aid from what
ever source, and forget and forgive all
who, by sympathy and aid to the reb-
els, protraCted the struggle, or COM
menced the fight; but when the facts
are called for, be as valiant in their
defence as they were in defending our
glorious Union. It is too soon for
Northern sympathizers with rebels to
deny their sentiments and conduct, as
q great many soldiers now survive
who remember what passed, and are
not afraid to tell it.
J. G. HENLEY,