The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-08-12
The Columbus (Ga.) Prisoners.

The Columbus (Ga.) Prisoners.
THEIR INFAMOUS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ALONE
RESPONSIBILITIES PRISONERS CARD.
The following appears in the Columbus
(Ga.) papers:
July Is, 1868.
Upon resuming our personal liberty, we,
the undersigned, known as the Columbus
Prisoners, deem it proper to publish the
following brief account of our arrest and
confinement by the military authorities
During the night of the Both of March,
George w. Ashburn was assassinated in q
low negro brothel in Columbus, Ga. On
the 9th day of April, thirteen citizens were
arrested by Capt. Mills, ofthe U. S. Army.
On the 10th they were released under bond.
Four of this number have never been ar
rested. The man Mills stated that he did
not know the charge against the party Or
rested, but no one believed him, and the
fact is only mentioned to show the charac-
ter of the proceedings.
On the 14th day of May four arrests
were made on the Oath, four; on the End
of June, four more on the 10th, seven,
followed the next day by two others. On
the oath, another and the last occurred.
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 were
made without warrant, affidavit, or charge.
No preliminary examination was held. We
were kept in total ignorance of the en parte
evidence against us, and the names of our
accusers were concealed from US. No one
who has followed thetrial will be surprised
at this apparent neglect.
While we were clamoring for the charges
against us, Joe Brown, Whitley, Major
Smythe and others, were suborning Betz,
Marshall, Bennett and Amanda Patterson.
The evidence for the prosecution acknowl-
edges that disclosures were made under
threats of imprisonment. This is bad
enough, but o worse feature is, that the
date of these disclosures is placed by the
witnesses themselves subsequent to the ar
rest of a majority of the prisoners. The
question naturally arises, upon what foun-
dalton were the arrests based? OF the
twenty-five persons arrested OH and since
the I4th Of May, four were suborned by
bribery, torture and threats. Nine, after
confinement in felon's cells and much suf-
fering, were released without any eyp!ana-
ton whatever.
The remaining nine are the signers Of
this card. The prisoners arrested in May
were at Fort Pulaski before their removal
to Atlanta. Their cells were as dark as
dungeons, without ventilation, and but four
by seven feet. No bed or blanket was
furnished. The rations consisted of a slice
of fat pork three times each week, and beef
too unsound to eat the remaining days. A
piece of bread for each meal, soup for din
ner, and coffee for breakfast, finished the
bill of fare. An old oyster can was given
each prisoner, and in this vessel both cof-
fee and soup were served.
1t may be said that the soldiers received
nothing better but these citizens ;were not
soldiers, and their friends were able, will
ing and anxious to give them every COM
fort. Why were they denied the privilege?
Refused all communication with their
friends, relatives or counsel, they were fore
ed to live in these horrid cells night and
day. Frustrated with heat and maddened by
myriads Of mosquitoes. The calls of ma
ture were attended to in a bucket which
was removed but once in twenty-four
hours.
At Mcpherson Barracks (Atlanta,) we
were placed in cells feet IL inches wide
by 10 feet long. These cells were after
ward divided, reducing their width to 2 feet
10 inches. This is terrible, but true.
Upon the arrival of the. officer sent from
to investigate the arrests, the
partitions were removed. Neither bed nor
bedding was furnished for from two to five
days. We were not permitted to see our
friends, families or counsels Until after
to Congress had aroused the
whole country to the enormity OF the out
rage. Even after this, our letters breath
ing the affection and sympathy Of wife or
mother were subjected to inspection. The
prison sink was Immediately at our doors,
and emitted o stencil that was horrible. i
At times, when some humane soldier was
willing to transcend his orders and give us
q breath of fresh air to soothe our distend.
ed, bursting veins, we would ask him to
close the door, preferring to risk suffoca-
ton rather than endure the intolerabIe
smell.
During all this time we were ignorant of
the charges against US. OF course we ac-
cepted the common rumor that our arrest
grew out of the murder Of Ashburn but
after our counsel was permitted to visit US,
no definite one of defence could be. plan.
ed in the absence of all specifications.
We were furnished with copy of tie