The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-03-06
LETTER fRox THE SOUTH.
SALISBURY. N c., Feb. p. 1858

/ LETTER FROM THE SOUTH.
sAIusvsr. N c.. Feb. 2. 1858.
Three spots there are on American soil which,
for the fair name Of Humanity, Il were better
should be blotted from the fsos Of the earth.
Andersonville, Belle Isle, and Salisbury are
names synonymous with unuttcrsble horrors
which In our own country, have revived the
atrocios cruslties Of departed barbarian,
transferred the tortures Of the Spanish lnquisi-
tion from the semi-savaga Of European super
stition to the christian land Of the blue eyed
Anglo Saxon. .... s..
am looking from my window upon the pri'-
on pen Of sAlisbury-dsssrssd now By al ave
| the echoes Of hansns sgony from tliny -taos'asd
souls doomed to snt5sr and to de By srsy hOr-
rible outrage which hendsh ingenuity eould
suggest. In the heat Of midsummer, under Q
burning Southern Sun, and exposed to the snow
and rain Of winter thirty thousand Union pris-
oncrs were stripped Of their clothing, And turn
Cd into this sixteen acre field to suffer the tor,
turs Of heat and cold without shelter or protec-
ton from the asperition Of the climsts. Be-
yond the prison ground are the immense trenth-
es, where, buried four and foe deep, In COM
mon grave, fourteen Aousand Union Soldiers
answer to the roll call Of eternity. Thes trench
es were dug Of sufficient capacity to contain ssv-
crsl hundred bodies, and one Of tho citisens In
forms me that every morning between thirty
and forty bodies were brought from the hospital,
thrown into this hole naked, and covered with
dirt. On one occasion, my informant states,
that when the burial corps had reached the
trench and partially performed their duties,
signs Of life were discovered In one Of the bodies
and presently the owner awoks to eomprchen-
sion Of the situation Of things, and, turning to
the officer In charge, begged Of him that he
might be takcn back to the hospital. The OH
Ger responded with an oath that "the man
would die before the next morning. that It was
nonsense to be carrying him backwards and for.
wards, and, n one day could make no differ
cnce to him." the men were ordered to "chuck
him in and cover him up" It's Of course I'M
possible to identify q single body in the noun
tains Of the dead yet each one has left q desc
nts place in some Northern home, and I won
der, as look upon the bright starry emblem Of
the land they died TO save, floating above them
in this February morning-how many OF those
Northern homes have 50 far forgotten the past as
to unite with the band Of miscreants In the
North who arc trying, by the aid Of rccrcant
President, to restore to power the fcndsh perpe-
traitors Of every act Of outrageous cruelty which
swells the annals Of rebel barbarism.
Previous to the said Of General Stoneman. In
the Spring Of 1866, he sent Q SPY to the town.
who remained here, the citizens now say, for
three weeks, taking the names and residences Oi
all the citizens. Upon the arrival Of Stoneman
every man In town, with the exception Of some
half dozen was marched into the stsckade,
which had previously been vacated by the Union
prisoners, and kept there for twenty four hours,
Stoncman meanwhile Illuminating the place by
burning tho dwellings and business houses Of
the more offensive rebels; while he distributed
the captured rebel commissary stores among the
negroes and needy whites. The terror Of the
rebels while In prison Is described rs awful
they anticipating . prolonged imprisonment
with retaliation for the treatment Of our soldiers
A large amount Of provisions and clothing
which had been sent from tho North to the
prisoners was found at the railroad station, and
am informed that II was the practice Of the
officers to dispose Of those commodities and place
the proceeds to their credit. Almost the first
object Of interest that the stranger viii have
pointed out to him on arriving in the place Is
hne residence which, the citizens viii inform him,
was built during the war BY an officer Of the
prison out Of the proceeds, Of provisions which
were sent to our starving prisoners and diverted
from their destination for the above unhsllowed
purpose. Ny informant says that after having
been confined one day within the stockade the
rebels were all liberated, except about twenty
who had previously been accused Of committing
various outrages on Union men. "These,"
said he, with solemnity. and an ominous shake
Of the head, "were carried of into the woods by
the soldiers, and aist nsrsr been hsardo Hnee."
The war has wrought essential changes In the
South, not only in the country but In the people.
We hear no moro prospective exploits Of the
Southerner who could whip five yankees. that
distinguished individual having enectually sub
sided. It Is currently reported that he died At
sundry geographical points all the way from
New Orleans to Richmond; and finally yielded
up the ghost on fine Spring morning at Ap-
pomato1 Court House. The people are poor.
and particularly in Virginia one cannot but be
struck with the universal desolation which pre-
walls. In . ride Of two hundred miles not .
dozen respectable buildings can be seen and,
during . whole days ride from Richmond to
Danville, on the line Of North Carolina, We saw
not rod Of fence, while frequently the monot-
ony Of many miles would be unbrOkcn by sim
gle evidence Of civilization.
Il s source Of regret to the practical yan-
kee mind that the immense water power Of the
James river at Richmond, which under the con-
troll Of intelligent enterprise would 30 capable OF
turning every spindle In America, should 10
len to run to waste. A quarter Of . century
ago the Lawrrnees came all the way from Boston
- ......o---, ,,-,x,ti. ticr, f,r ths prrchxse