The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-08-19
No 8.
4 Card From the Columbus Prisoners.

| uULY 20 1000.
Upon resuming our personal liberty, we, the under
signed known the Columbus prisoners, deem ii
proper publish the following brief account of
arrest and confinement by the military authorities:
During the night of the Both Of March Geo. W. Ash
burn assassinated in low negro brothel in Column
bus, Georgia. On the 9Th day Of april thirteen citi-
arrested by Capt Mills of the United States
army. On the 10th they were released under bond !;
four of this number have been rearrested The
man Mills stated that he did not know the charge
against the party arrested, bus believed him,
and the fact is only mentioned to show the character
Of the proceedings. On the 18th day of May four
rests were made on the oath four, the I'd Of June
four more, on the 10th T. followed the next day by
two Others on the 24th another and the last arrest
occGrred. These arrests were made BY the order of
Gen. Meade, Several of the undersigned have in
their possession written orders which show this fact
The arrests made without warrant affidavit or
| charge. No preliminary examination was held We
were kept in total ignorance Of the parte evidence
against US, and the names of accnsers were con-
cealed from us. No who has followed the trial
will be surprised at this apparent neglect,
While we Tere clamoring for the charges against US,
Joe Brown, Whitley, Major SHsyth and others were
subosnlng Betz, Marshall Bennett, and Amanda Pat
| terson. The evidence for the prosecution aeknowl-
edges that disclosures made under threats of i'm
prisonmens This s bad enough, bat worse feature
is that the date of these disclosures is placed BY the
witnesses themselves subsequent the arrest Of ma
orty Of the prisoners The question naturally arises
upon what foundation the arrests based? Ofthe
twenty-five persons arrested and since the I4th Of
May, four were suborned By torture, bribery and
threats Nine, after confinement in feons cells, and
much suffering released without any e3plaua-
ton whatever. The remaining nine are the signers of
this card The prisoners arrested in May were at Fort
Pulaski before they removed to Atlanta. Ther
cells were as dark as dangerous, without ventiIation
and but sour feet by sever. No bed Or blankets were
furnished. The Eaens consisted of slice of fat pork
three times each week. and beef too unsound tx, eat
The remaining days piece Of bread for each meal
soup for dinner, and coffee for breakfast finished the
bill Of fare. An old oyster given each pris-
oner and in this vessel both coffee and SOUP were
served. It may be said that the soldiers received
nothing better bat these citizens were not soldiers
and their friends able wiling and anxious to give
them every comfort; they denied the privilege.
Refused all contamination with their friends relatives
counsel they forced to live In these hoFri6
cells night and day. prosraed by heat and maddenet
by myriads of mosquitoes The calls of nature were
attended to in bucket, which removed but once
in twenty -four hours.
At Mcpherson Barracks We we're placed in cells five
feet eleven inches wide by feet long These cells
were afterwards divided reducing their width to two
feet ten inches This is terrible, but true. Upon the
arrival of the officer sent from Washington tc investi
gate the arrests, the partitions renewed Neither
bed nor bedding was furnished for from two to FIVE
days. We were not permitted to friends, fam
lilies, or counsel until after memorials to Congress had
aroused the whole country to the enormity of the out
rage Even after this our letters breathing the af--
ectOH SylIpaGDy OF a Wlle or mOt1eT were SUD-
ected to inspection The prison sink was immedi-
atey at our cell doors, and emitted stencil that was
horrible.
At times when some humane soldier was willing to
rancend his orders and give breath of fresh air
% soothe our dstended, bursting veins we would ask
lin to close the door, preferrng to risk sutfocaton
ather than endure the intolerable smell.
During all this time we were ignorant Of the charges
galnst us. Of course, we accepted the common ru-
nor that our arrest grew out of the murder of Ash
NJ tt1r 0Ir rsni -, ,st.
10 definite line of defense could be planned in the alb
ence Of all specifications. We were furnished with
copy of the charges against on the 9th day of
une, our trial having been set fer the Goth The in
ervenlng day was Sunday, and We one hundred
nd forty miles from the Of the murder and the
esidenee of our witnesses.
Several of the undersigned never saw the detective
Whitley until weeks after their arrest. When they
ID meet him he never presumed to treat them with
isrespeet.
Recent Developments, to US, have shown him
be infamous and his treatment of suborned witnesses
ill be proven by those who know the facts Our
ends and the press have not exaggerated the barbar
y with which treated but they should not
brow the responsibility upon contemplate detective
ho would only glory in the noorety his infamy would
i've him. We fly for higher game. General Meade
'ld General r. Il. Chiffon, during the war General
ees adjutant), upon the eve of his departure from
tanta, that he had left full instructions with General
ibley concerning the disposition of the Columbus
rlsonefs. These instructions controlled our treat
tent, and leave issue the question of respon-
bility. At the proper time, and in manner that
i'll not intrude upon your valuable space, we will
lake good position, and will show eonelusiyely
la this unparalleled persecution attempted solely
I'd entirely for political purposes
The officers and soldiers of the garrison were as kind
their orders would permit and respectful, with but
ew exceptions. General Dunn's courtesy during the.
ia, especially after Dukes Glib, was in strong con-
asst with the vindctive, ungenerous and unmannerIy
'nduct of Joe Brown.
OF the able and untiring efforts of our counsel We
nnot speak in too high praise. To the people Of
eorga, and especially to good friends in Atlanta
return our sincere thanks for their sympathy and
sistance