Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-25
PRISONERS OF NAR.
How the "Rebel' PRISONERS az ninairS
We're TreaIed-ImPOrtant StatemenS
ola Medical Officer.

4
the various documents in my possession
pertaining to the matter) to forward you
the following statistics and facts OF the
mortality of the Rebel prisoners in the
Northern prisons, more particularly at
that of Elmira, New Y Ork, where served
as one of the medical officers for many
months. l found on COMMENCEMENT. OF
my duties at Elmira, about 1000 Rebel
prisoners, fully one third of whom were
under medical treatment, for diseases
principally owing to an improper diet, q
want of clothing, necessary shelter, and
bad surroundings the diseases wore
consequently of the following nature:
Scuryy, diarrh9a, pneumonia, and the
yari, US branches Of typhoid, all supeIiaH
duced by the causes, more or less, atOres
mentioned The winter Of 1873 was
an unusually severe and rigid one, and
the prisoners arriving from tho Southern
/ States during this season were old men
and lads, clothed in attire suitable only
to the genial climate of the South. l
need not state to you that this alone was
| ample cause for an unusual mortality
amongst them. The surroundings were
of the following nature viz narrow, con-
fined limits, but few acres Of ground IN
extent, and through which slowly flowed
a turbid stream Of water, carrying along
with 1t all the excremental filth and
debris of the camp; this stream OF water,
horrible 20 relate, was the only source OF
supply, for an extended period that
the prisoners could possibly use
for the purpose of ablutiOn, and
TO slake their thirst from day to day the
tents and other shelter allotted to the
camp at Elmira were insufficient and
crowded to the utmost extent; hence,
smallspOx and other skin diseases ragged
throughout the camp. Here | may note
that, owing ID a general order from the
government, to VaCeinate the prisoners,
my opportunities were ample to observe
the effects of Furious and diseased matter
ard there is no doubt in MY mind but
that syphilis was engrafted in many in
stances; ugly and horrible ulcers and
eruptiOns of characteristic nature were,
alas too frequent and obvious to be mis-
taken. Smallpox cases were crowded
Ia such a manner that it was q matter OF
Of impOssibility for the surgeon TO treat
his patient individually; they actually
laid so adjacent that the simple moves
ment of one Of them would cause his
neighbOr TO cry out in an agony Of pain.
The continent and malignant type pre-
yliled TO such an extent and OF such
nature that the body would frequently be
found one continuous scab. The dies and
other allowances by government for the
use of the prisoners were ample, yet the
pOOr uufortunates were allowed 20 starve;
but vhy, is a query which | will allow
your readers to infer, aud to draw con-
illusions therefrOm. Out Of the number
of prisoners, as before mentioned, over
three thousand Of them now lay buried in
the cemetery located near theicamp for
that purpose; a mortality equal, if not
greater, than that Of any prison 10 the
South At AndersOnville, as L am well
informed by brother officerswho endured
confinement there, as well as by the re-
cords at Washington, the mortality was
twelve thousand out Cf say about forty
thousand prisoners. Hence it is readily
to be seen that the range Immortality was
no less at Elmira tn N at AndersOnville.
At Andsrsonville there was actually
nothing to feed or clothe the prisoners
with; their own soldiers faring but little
better than their prisoners; this. together
with a tOrrid sun and an impOssibllity Of
exchange, was abundant cause for their
mortality. WithOurprisOnersa at Elmira,
no such necessity should honestly have
existed, as our government had actually,
as l have stated, most beautifully made
provision for the wants of all detained,
both of officers and men. Soldiers, who
have been prisoners at AndersOnville,
and have done duly at Elm "a, co.'s
arna This sta.tsraout, and which - an no
wise in one particular exaggerated; also,
the same may be toll Of other prisons
managed in a similarly terrible manner.
[ aIluds to Sandusky, Fort Delaware and
others do not say that all prisoners at
the North suffered and endured the ter
rors and the cupidity Of venal sub-ofi-
cials on the contrary, at the camps in
the harb0r of New York and at Point
Lookout, and at other points where my
official duties from time to time have
called me, the prisoners in all respects
have Jared as cur government inteaded
and designated they should. Through
out Texas, where food AMI the necessa-
ries of life were plentiful, l found our
own soldiers faring well, and to a certain
extent eOntented, 90 far, ut least, as pris.
oners Of war could reasonably expect to
be
Our government allowed the prisoner
Of war the following ratiOns wide RsguS
Iations, Do. 224, Articles ], 1870, l,lgD:
l. OF. Of pork or bacon or l ID. Of salt or
fresh beet; ID. OF. Of soft bread or
-four, or ID of corn meal and to every
one hundred rations 10 ibs. Of beans or
peas and 10 lbs. Of rice or hOminy, 10 lbs.
Of green coffee or lbs. of roasted do, or
| 1 ID. 8 OF. Of tea, IS lbs OF sugar, 4 quarts
of vinegar, 80 lbs ofpOtatOes, and, iffresh
potatoes could not be obtained, canned
vegetables were allowed Page l67, Ar
ticle TAG, U S Army RegulstiOns-"Pris-
oners Of war will receive for subsistence
one ration each without regard to rank,
their private property will be duly re-
| spected, and each shall be treated without
regard to his rank, and the wounded are
TO be treated with the same care as 1.-THE
wounded of our army How faithfully
these regulations were carried out
, at Elmira, is shown by the following state
ment Of facts: The sick in hospital we're
curtailed in every respect (lresh vegeta~
bles and other anti-scOrbutics were drop
ped from the list), the food scant, crude
and unfit; medicines 50 badly dispensed
that it was a farce Tor the medical man
to prescribe. At large in the camp the
I | prisoners Jared still worse; a slice o.
bread and salt meat was given him FOL
: his breakfast, poor, hatched-up, con
coeted cup ofsoup, SO called, and a slice
of miserable bread was all he could OBJ
tain for his evening meal, and hundreds
of sick who could in no wise obtain medI
. cal aid died, "Unknelled, uncOnfned aaC
: | unknown" have in no wise drawn OF
imagination, and the facts as stated car
be attested by the staff of medical officer
who labored at the Elmira prison for til
rebel soldiers.
: Elk MEDICAL OFFICER UEITED STATES ARM
L. -=--sss-1.Fu
e IHPORTANT LAWSUIf.
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